Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 187 Dark Clouds Over Manila (Seeking monthly ticket recommendation ticket support, thank you!)

The large sailing ship "Guangming" serves as the marshal's flagship. Its rear stern is reinforced with steel plates and has extremely strong defensive capabilities. The hull on this small part of the deck at the rear stern is not inferior to that of an ironclad ship.

After the naval battle
Zheng Guohui soon appeared on the stern deck, surrounded by a group of senior generals including Army Major General Qian Jiang and Navy Major General Dong Kuifa, and looked in high spirits.

At this time, the rain in the sky stopped at some point, but the weather was still gloomy, with sparse raindrops falling, but it did not affect everyone's interest.

The damage results of the naval battle were reported quickly. On the "Guangming", 7 people were killed and 16 were injured. The casualty rate of more than 230 officers and soldiers on the ship was slightly over %.

This should have been the one with the least casualties among the three sailing battleships that came up against it.

The greatest damage was borne by the squadron flagship "Zhenhu". Of course, "Zhenhu" also achieved the greatest results and naturally had the most outstanding military achievements.

After fierce bombardment from the two sailing battleships "Zhenhu" and "Zhenhe", when the enemy ship "Count dos Santos" approached the sailing battleship "Luxury" at the end of the queue, most of the officers and soldiers on its gun deck had been killed or wounded, and the side guns had also suffered considerable losses.

Faced with the full-force firepower output of the "Light", the last bit of courage of the Spaniards was shattered.

"Hehehe... This enemy ship escaped quickly. The captain is quite a ruthless man."

Zheng Guohui didn't need a telescope to see the sailors of the "Count dos Santos" working hard to discard wooden barrels, spare ropes and corpses, and even flipping cannons into the sea.

Sailing along the way and throwing things all the way, I couldn't help but laugh.

Major General Dong Kuifa said with a smile, "Marshal, reducing the weight is the most effective method, especially when escaping. This Spanish warship is as slippery as a loach, and it will take a lot of effort to catch it."

"It's okay, the results are quite good." Zheng Guohui was very satisfied with the current naval battle results.

The six Spanish sailing ships were the main surviving naval forces. One was sunk in the battle, one was captured, and four escaped with minor injuries, marking the first victory in the Battle of Manila.

After this battle, the Chu Navy Fleet has firmly grasped the advantage and can order the main force of the army to land in Manila without encountering any obstacles.

Why was it said that the Spanish warships that were riddled with holes were only slightly damaged?
These injuries look shocking, but in fact, as long as the keel of the warship and the masts, which are other vital parts, are not damaged, they can only be considered minor injuries.

After returning to the port, the damaged planks were replaced, the necessary repairs were made, and the sailors who were injured or killed in the naval battle were re-staffed. Soon the ship would be completely renewed and fully recovered.

As for the four fleeing Spanish sailing ships, Zheng Guohui no longer cared about them.

With the Corregidor Fortress, which controls the entrance and exit of Manila Bay, in our hands, these Spanish sailing ships are like turtles in a jar. How long can they escape under the repeated combing and searching of our warships?
The only way to survive is probably to escape back to the port of Manila.

The four heavy ironclad ships were advancing forward, heading towards the Port of Manila, preparing to implement a close blockade of the port.

If these Spanish sailing ships had moved faster, they could have escaped.

If they were to go slower, they would have to break through the terrifying fire blockade of the four heavy ironclad ships again before they could escape.

The Port of Manila is located on the bay, and several inland rivers flow through here and into the bay.

Fort Santiago is located on the riverside, facing the bay. With the power of the fortress's artillery, it can deter invading enemy fleets and protect the Spanish naval base from attacks.

After the naval battle
The two sailing battleships, "Zhenhu" and "Zhenhe", sent a signal requesting the "Guangming" to clean up the battlefield, and then turned around and pursued without stopping, following the direction of the Spanish warship's escape.

For these naval officers and soldiers, now is the time to make achievements.

Those who are capable eat meat and drink soup, while those who are not can only watch others eat meat and drink soup. They are determined to carry on the tenacious style of beating the downtrodden dog to the end.

The large sailing ship Guangming folded its mainsail and jib, stayed two or three hundred meters away, and sent sailors to row small sampans to rescue people, and eventually rescued 17 white prisoners.

The others either sank to the bottom of the sea or were trapped in the cabin and couldn't get out.

A large amount of seawater poured in from the hole, and the "Sir Cardozo" barely stayed on the sea for more than two hours.

Finally, after pouring in hundreds of tons of seawater, the hull broke under the heavy load and sank to the bottom of the sea with the 122 sailors on board.

At 5:30 p.m.

The result of the naval battle was that two Spanish warships were sunk and four Spanish warships escaped with minor injuries. The Chu Navy fleet was putting all its efforts into pursuing and destroying them.

In the vast bay
From time to time, sporadic gunfire could be heard. These were warning shots fired by the warships that had been pursuing the enemy all the way, in order to intimidate the enemy ships and force them to surrender.

The Manila Bay covers an area of ​​up to 2000 kilometers, which is basically a vast inland sea, leaving the Spanish with a lot of room to maneuver.

The frightened Spanish warships wanted to escape, and it would be extremely difficult to catch up with, capture and annihilate them.

Zheng Guohui stood at the side of the ship and watched as 17 white officers and soldiers were rescued. The "Sir Cardozo" rolled and sank to the bottom of the sea. Wooden barrels, broken bed boards, burning unfinished sails, large oil stains and some corpses were floating on the surrounding sea. He felt sad in his heart.

War is so cruel, but it is the most effective way to solve problems.

Zheng Guohui personally gave the order;
The main force of the expeditionary force stranded at the anchorage of Corregidor Fortress immediately set off after receiving the order and landed at Manila Port.

The vanguard fleet's brigantine "Fenwu" picked up Major General Qian Jiang and several army officers. The ship was responsible for returning to the anchorage of Corregidor Fortress to convey the commander's orders and also served as a frigate for the troop transport fleet.

The three sailing warships of the First Cruiser Fleet that arrived later also returned to Fort Craigiedo and served as escort ships for the troop transport fleet.

Calculated according to speed

They will arrive at Fort Corregidor around 10 o'clock in the evening. The troop transport fleet will set off early tomorrow morning and will arrive at Manila Port at noon at the latest to launch the landing operation.

After resolving the final issues of the sunken "Sir Cardozo", the "Light" sailing ship set sail again and caught up with the armored strike formation at around 7 pm.

The sailing battleship "Guangming" joined the armored strike formation and sailed slowly about six to seven kilometers away from Manila Port, opening a blockade line about ten kilometers long.

The ironclad fleet turned off all its steam engines and sailed slowly using only sails to save energy and carry out the blockade of Manila Port.

After nightfall

The mastheads of the fleet were all lit with masthead lights. These masthead lights were made of white transparent glass with double-sided reflectors, which could reflect kerosene light very far.

If a combat alert occurs, the masthead light will be covered with red silk cloth and signals will be transmitted through changes in light.

Navy Major General Dong Kuifa also left. He arrived at the ironclad fleet in a small sampan and took full command of the ironclad fleet.

The previous commander of the ironclad fleet was Colonel Phelan Williams, who performed quite well in the battle.

The ironclad ship "Zhennan" sank the Spanish flagship "Count dos Santos" with a 15-inch bombardment gun. As the fleet commander, Colonel Phelan Williams's contribution could not be erased.

Zheng Guohui has made up his mind that starting from tomorrow morning, he will use naval heavy artillery to bombard Fort Santiago to completely destroy this coastal fortress in order to undermine the Spanish people's confidence in resistance.

The person who carried out this order was Major General Dong Kuifa.

From the perspective of naval operations
Attacking fortresses with heavy artillery equipped on ironclad ships is extremely cost-effective. On the one hand, there is an expensive ironclad heavy ship, and a 15-inch Dahlgren heavy gun is worth nearly 2 US dollars.

If one of them is lost in an artillery battle, it would be heartbreaking.

Fort Santiago was a stone fort. Even if it was destroyed, it would not cost much to rebuild it. The stones and labor were almost free. Such an exchange was too extravagant and reckless.

actually not
Zheng Guohui not only had to consider the economic accounts, but also the political and psychological accounts. He wanted to use this shelling of the fortress to show the white colonists hiding in the Spanish royal city their strong military force, destroy the colonists' will to resist, and force them to surrender.

next morning
At dawn, after Marshal Zheng Guohui washed up with the help of the soldiers, before he had time to sit down to eat, he received the battle report sent by the clipper.

Battle reports show;

Around 11 o'clock last night
The Spanish sailing ship "Sir Juan Navas" sneaked into the port of Cavite under the cover of night and was caught by us.

This Spanish warship had no idea that Cavite Harbor had fallen, and with more than a dozen crew members seriously injured, they ventured into Cavite Harbor in desperation.

The results are obvious

A total of 41 white officers and soldiers including the captain were captured, bringing the number of prisoners to 58. The battle record also increased to one enemy ship captured and two enemy ships sunk.

As far as Zheng Guohui knows

Before the ironclad fleet blockaded it, two Spanish sailing ships had already escaped into Manila Harbor and had managed to escape. They certainly did not dare to come out to fight.

That means
Today, only one Spanish sailing ship, the Count of Pedro, remains in Manila Bay. This 372-ton, two-masted clipper ship, severely damaged, has fewer than 35 white officers and men on board.

With such a small number of people, it's difficult to even drive a warship, let alone fight.

Zheng Guohui couldn't help but laugh when he received the battle report. He handed it to Lieutenant Colonel Zheng Fu, the head of the personal guard, who was standing beside him, and said:
"Ah Fu, these foreigners were so confused by our chase that they actually walked into our trap. What do you call this... this is called God helps the noble!"

Lieutenant Colonel Zheng Fu took the battle report and read it, his face full of joy as he said, "General, our great Celestial Empire army is in accord with the will of Heaven and the will of the people. This battle will avenge the people and punish the criminals, and we will surely be victorious."

"Well said, but there is no reward." Zheng Guohui walked to the dining table in a good mood, sat down and started to eat.

Lieutenant Colonel Zheng Fu, the head of the personal guard, was more of a family man than a soldier. He skillfully poured a large glass of milk and served the Marshal his meal. The cow was kept in the cabin, providing fresh milk three times a day, freshly squeezed and drunk. Only the Marshal could enjoy such treatment.

Zheng Fu and other personal guards also benefited from it. The milk that the Marshal could not finish drinking would naturally be given to them.

The staple food is roasted lamb meat that is golden brown on both sides. There are more than ten half-year-old lambs raised in the bottom of the cabin, and they are also served to the Marshal.

There are also fruits, buns, six stir-fried dishes with both meat and vegetables, and tea to relieve the greasiness. This breakfast is quite rich.

Zheng Guohui had a good appetite. He finished a large piece of lamb chop weighing more than 4 pounds. It was roasted, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with a rich flavor.

After eating two buns and some vegetables and some fruit, he wiped his mouth with a hot towel and said, "Let's go. That's all."

"Yes, Commander." Zheng Fu happily collected these goodies and sent them to his own cabin next door, intending to enjoy them with Deputy Regiment Commander Zheng Shan later.

Add a few large pieces of toast and half a pot of milk, and the two of them ate happily.

After the plates were removed and freshly brewed tea was served, Zheng Fu, Zheng Shan and the others left and went to enjoy the remaining food.

In their eyes, this was not a lowly thing to do, but rather a reward from the Marshal, which gave them a special sense of honor.

After dawn, the large sailing ship "Guangming" approached the Manila port along with the ironclad fleet and arrived at the sea about 3 kilometers away.

Feeling the cool sea breeze in the early morning, Zheng Guohui stood high on the stern deck and picked up a telescope to observe carefully.

Since the 16th century, the Port of Manila has been the most important transit port in the Nanyang region and the western hub port of the Pacific route. Its maritime transportation and commercial trade are extremely prosperous.

Therefore, the scope of the port is second to none in the Nanyang region.

As far as the eye can see, there are more than a dozen shipyards of various sizes, with hundreds of ships docked there, and even more small fishing boats.

The Port of Manila is located on both sides of the Pasig River estuary along the coast, bordering the east side of Manila Bay. Fort Santiago is located at the mouth of the Pasig River, shielding most of the port from artillery range.

Only by destroying Fort Santiago could they move up the Pasig River and approach Intramuros, a fortress-like building built in the old city.

The Royal City of Manila is also the colonial core of the entire Luzon Islands. It covers an area of ​​more than one square kilometer and is inhabited by all descendants of Spanish whites. Indigenous people and Chinese are strictly prohibited from setting foot there.

In the Royal City of Manila, there is the Governor-General's Palace of Luzon and more than a dozen Catholic churches. There are also more than 350 white soldiers and urgently armed white militiamen. The exact number is unknown. This is also the last bastion of Spanish colonial rule.

Heaved a sigh of relief
Zheng Guohui forced himself to suppress his inner excitement. He was now only one step away from the final victory, but this was the most severe test.

With the enemy troops approaching, the Spaniards will surely take desperate measures.

With more than 300 years of colonial heritage, these Spaniards were able to mobilize a total force that was no less than that of the Northern Expedition Army, the vast majority of which were indigenous vassal troops.

Although their equipment is poor, they have a large number of people.

After the Spanish took control of the Luzon Islands, they faced comprehensive attacks not only during the Seven Years' War but also during the massive invasion of the British Combined Fleet in October 7.

As early as 1574

Lin Feng led a Chaoshan pirate group of more than 5,000 people and attacked Manila City at lightning speed, reaching the city gates and was only one step away from victory.

However, due to the tenacious resistance of the Spanish musketeers, they finally stopped here and unfortunately failed to achieve their wish to occupy Manila.

Zheng Guohui's Northern Expedition was more tightly organized and more powerful, but there was no absolute guarantee of victory. The specific situation depended on the development of the Battle of Manila.

He looked around the Manila Bay with deep eyes. It rained until midnight yesterday, but today was a sunny day.

There were white clouds floating in the sky. At around 7 o'clock in the morning, the bright sunshine shone on the earth. Coconut trees swayed gently under the blue sky and white clouds, creating a beautiful scene of blue sea and white beach.

Zheng Guohui reached into his pocket and took out his gold pocket watch. He looked at the time. It was now 7: in the morning, and there was still a quarter of an hour before launching the attack.

The four ironclad warships restarted their steam engines, and thick smoke billowed out of the thick chimneys. The propellers driven by the steam engines made the movement and turning of the ironclad warships more flexible.

At this moment, there is a wind force of about level 2 on the sea, the sea surface is sparkling, and there is a calm atmosphere.

Such sea conditions are very conducive to bombarding fortresses on the shore. The smaller the waves, the less the ship's swaying, the more stable the hull, and of course the better the conditions for bombardment.

From the scene

Major General Dong Kuifa divided the four heavy ironclad ships into two waves, two ships in a group, and sailed to the opposite shore in a circle to bombard the shore, repeating this process continuously.

The advantage of doing this is that it disperses the damage. Although ironclad warships are tough and durable, they cannot withstand the continuous bombardment of coastal artillery.

At Fort Santiago at the mouth of the Pasig River, you can see a large number of defending soldiers. Through the telescope, many of them are white militiamen.

If not a thousand people, there must be at least five or six hundred.

This makes the defense capability of Fort Santiago soar to a very high level. There is no shortage of manpower for both artillery bombardment and musket fire. It is the rhythm of resisting to the end!
Zheng Guohui didn't know that at this time, the Governor of Luzon, Major General Pere de Manuel Carvajal, was standing on the watchtower of Fort Santiago in military uniform.

He held up the telescope with a serious expression, carefully observing the four ironclad warships and an 820-ton three-masted sailing ship "Light" on the sea. His expression soon turned ashen.

From the reports from the escaped Spanish warships, Governor Major General Pedro de Manuel Carvajal was able to clarify several facts.

First, the fortresses of Corregidor, Carabao, and Cavite fell one after another. The invading army was unprecedentedly powerful, well-armed, and numerous, far beyond the current Spanish military's ability to contend with.

Second, the invading fleet had four heavy ironclad ships, each with a displacement of more than 4 tons, five battleship-class sailing ships, six to eight sailing cruisers, and some other auxiliary combat ships.

Third, the Spanish Navy was completely destroyed. On the two sailing warships that escaped, there were less than 70 intact white officers and soldiers, and more than a hundred people were seriously injured, most of whom would not survive for more than three days.

Fourth, it is estimated that Cebu Island has also fallen, and there will be no reinforcements in the short term.

Fifth, we must mobilize all the forces we can to defend Manila and fight a bloody battle for survival with the city. Only by forcing the enemy back at the cost of heavy casualties can we have a glimmer of hope.

In view of this
The Governor, Major General Pedro de Manuel Carvajal, issued an emergency call-up order using the authority granted by His Majesty the King;

All adult males of Spanish white descent were conscripted to fight in the war. All white men aged 15 to 50 were included in the conscription, totaling 6121 people.

The reason why the calculation can be so accurate is that there are so few white people of Spanish descent.

at the same time
Governor Major General Pere de Manuel Carvajal urgently dispatched seven teams of troops, carrying large sums of money, to the vicinity of Manila, as well as Quezon, Angeles, and Caribe, to summon indigenous chiefs and leaders to lead indigenous warriors to come to the rescue, and promised many benefits.

His goal was to gather no less than 5 indigenous warriors and use the lives of the indigenous people to build a wall of flesh and blood to block the greedy and ferocious invaders.

To achieve this goal, the city of Manila would have to hold out for at least a week.

The existing military force consists of tens of thousands of indigenous vassal troops and the continuously gathering white militia. The number of white militia has reached nearly 3,000 and is still growing.

With such a powerful military force in hand, Governor Major General Pedro de Manuel Carvajal could breathe a sigh of relief.

He came to Fort Santiago in person, but he still felt uneasy.

When he saw four dark ironclad heavy ships cruising on the sea, his original confidence was shaken again.

Oh my God! Can we really stop these brutal enemies?
Poor Major General Pedro de Manuel Carvajal still has no idea who this invading enemy is.
The information currently available is very confusing, mainly coming from the two sailing warships that escaped, and they were only facing officers and soldiers from the Great Chu Navy.

According to the description
The invading enemy fleet included both white people and Orientals. There was nothing special about their clothing. Their flags did look like Oriental characters, but no one could recognize what the characters were.

The officers and soldiers of the Chu Navy were not equipped with iron hats and wore gray uniforms with no obvious markings or badges to indicate their identity, making it very difficult to identify them.

Major General Pedro de Manuel Carvajal first ruled out the Qing Dynasty in the northern continent. They were unable to take care of themselves and could not have the money to equip expensive ironclad warships.

It is possible that it is the King of Jinghai who is entrenched in Mindanao in the south, but I have never heard of any ironclad warships or sailing battleships with such powerful combat capabilities, and I have never seen any white officers and soldiers in the King of Jinghai's forces.

This is puzzling. Could they be mercenaries?
As soon as this idea came up, it was rejected by the Governor himself.

Are you kidding me?
Such powerful naval mercenaries have never been heard of in hundreds of years of European history, and it is even more impossible for them to appear in the South Seas.

Think about it
Major General Pedro de Manuel Carvajal was so anxious that he couldn't sleep all night. His eyes were bloodshot, and he finally thought of a possibility.

It is possible that the forces of King Jinghai colluded with the British and French powers, intending to occupy the Spanish colonies, but did not want to bear the crime of brazenly launching a war and be accused by the Spanish royal family.

This is the only explanation that makes sense, but no matter what, we must first resist the enemy's massive invasion, otherwise everything will be in vain.

As veteran colonizers, the Spaniards knew very well that this was a world where the strong preyed on the weak and that the law of the jungle was that the strong were king.

Without strength, you cannot defend your colony.

It's just a piece of fat meat in someone else's mouth. You can eat it whenever you want. The so-called justice and fairness are all bullshit.

(End of this chapter)