Chapter 948 Capture of Manila
"In 1897, the total number of our army's troops fluctuated around 140,000, less than one-third of the armies of Germany and France. However, military expenditures reached a new high, reaching the level of Germany's About four-fifths of the total is mainly due to the surge in military expenditures of the National Defense Forces due to the introduction of new tools and weapons such as automobiles. As for the navy, there has been little change. "
The military expenditures of the East African Navy are not small, but In the context of the continued surge in naval expenditures in other countries, this seems very conservative.
The navy's expenditures account for the bulk of East Africa's military expenditures. Therefore, despite the skyrocketing military expenditures of the army, the overall military expenditures in East Africa remain within control.
“The main investment in other aspects is mainly in industry and infrastructure construction, so this part of the expenditure must not be reduced.”
“With the development of universities and basic education, education and scientific research expenditures now account for 9.7% of our national finance, while military expenditures only remain at about 13%, so our country’s investment in education has been greatly reduced. It is also at a relatively high level in the world, which is equivalent to sacrificing military construction funds to support Education, so much that the equipment of many troops has not been effectively replaced, especially in the field of artillery and other weapons.”
East Africa’s education funding and military expenditure are very close. If it were not for the international tension, I am afraid that East Africa would not be able to replace it. There is still room for further decline in military spending.
This also reflects the East African government's support for education and scientific research. In the construction of the East African industrial system, education has provided East Africa with high-quality workers, while scientific research is mainly reflected in breakthroughs and innovations in industrial technology.
……
Manila Bay.
In the blink of an eye, it is already July. After the last naval war, the Spanish Navy has completely solidified the idea of "avoiding war and preserving ships".
The Spanish Navy insisted on not leaving Manila Bay, and this undoubtedly caused huge trouble to the U.S. Navy. After all, it is not easy for the U.S. Navy to visit the Philippines. If Spain relies on the advantages of terrain conditions and wastes time with the U.S. Navy, it will completely It is possible to win without fighting.
After all, the U.S. Navy cannot always float on the sea. If it cannot break through Manila Bay, it must either return home to reorganize supplies and fight again, or find a nearby port for rest and supplies.
This is not impossible to do. If you communicate with the UK in a low voice, it is still feasible. As for other surrounding countries, only the Netherlands, East Africa and France are capable, but everyone will definitely not do this.
"No matter what, we must win Manila Bay tomorrow, and we cannot spend time here with the Spaniards." Dewey, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Asia Fleet, said with a very tough attitude.
The result of this long-planned sneak attack was not significant. After all, Spain made some preparations before the war. It lost a warship on the first day of the naval battle. It was a bad start. Dewey naturally could not give up.
“But Commander, the Spanish mines and coastal defense artillery are difficult to deal with. If we attack rashly, we may have problems. Why not wait until we replenish ammunition and supplies before launching an attack?” someone advised on the side. .
Dewey denied the statement of his subordinates: "The Spanish mines are a big trouble, but not a big problem. Tomorrow the Raleigh cruiser will be responsible for clearing the way and blasting a channel into the bay, and other warships will follow closely. , as for the coastal defense guns on both sides, leave it to the Olympia and Baltimore to deal with, only If we can enter Manila Bay, the Philippine Navy is a turtle in the urn, and there is no possibility of counterattack."
Dewey's move is actually a huge gamble. If the Spanish navy and colonial army are of sufficient quality and cooperate properly, I am afraid that the U.S. Navy will be defeated. The Asian fleet will all be folded in Manila Bay.
June 5, 1898.
The U.S. Navy launched another attack on Manila Bay. The cruiser USS Raleigh opened the way and fired directly at the sea ahead, causing huge waves on the water.
Then the Raleigh rushed into Manila Bay at full speed. At this time, the Raleigh was actually a "death ship." In addition to fearfully passing through the mine deployment area, they also had to deal with attacks from Spanish shore defense artillery in Manila Bay.
Sure enough, the Raleigh, which bore the brunt of the attack, became a thorn in the eyes of the Spanish colonial defenders and a thorn in the flesh. The artillery on the north shore of Manila Bay and the central Corregidor Island opened fire on the Raleigh. .
“Boom, boom, boom…”
Amidst the loud noise, the entire ship of the Raleigh was in a state of turmoil. However, perhaps due to the lack of training, the Spanish's first round of artillery fire did not hit a single shell, and the nearest shell was not far away. The Raleigh was just over forty meters away.
This opened the eyes of the East African Military Advisory Group who was observing the battle situation on the northern coastal highlands.
“The quality of the soldiers in the Spanish colonies was so poor. More than a dozen artillery pieces were unable to hit a single hit in a relatively narrow area. Now the American Raleigh is obviously taking a straight line. and speed can be directly observed, so it is not difficult to hit. The large-caliber artillery we provide them is simply a waste of resources."
"It depends on whether the Spaniards can make a contribution next. As long as the Raleigh breaks through, it basically means that the Battle of Manila Bay can end early."
Spanish defenders and The U.S. Navy could not hear the complaints from the East African Military Advisory Group. At this time, both sides still controlled the development direction of the war according to their own rhythms, and the Spaniards were obviously at a disadvantage.
"Suppress the enemy's artillery with artillery fire!" As Dewey issued the order, other U.S. warships had already begun to attack the Spanish firepower points on the shore before Spain could launch a new round of bombardment.
Although they are above the sea and the shooting conditions of warships are blocked, the US Navy soldiers are carrying out various operations in an orderly manner, and the artillery shells are flying towards the Spanish artillery positions from both sides.
In one round, the two firepower points of the Spanish were paralyzed. The performance of both sides was completely reversed, as if the Americans were firing on land and the Spanish were on the sea.
"Tsk, tsk, I wonder if Spain can continue to maintain its fighting spirit. At this time, the battlefield may be in a hurry." The East African observer said directly.
And this is also true. The U.S. Navy's artillery fire made the Spanish soldiers in the fortress and defense offensive very panic. Under such circumstances, those who could continue to complete the attack according to the procedures were considered the elites of the colonial troops.
With the Spanish artillery on both sides suppressed, the U.S. Navy, under the command of Dewey, began to squeeze into the interior of Manila Bay along the safe channel set out by the Raleigh.
However, under the restrictions of Spanish artillery and torpedoes, the U.S. Navy still had limited space to play. After the influx of U.S. warships, there were more targets at this time. The Spanish artillery finally worked, and one shell hit the target. It hit the bow of the Baltimore, and then the Spanish colonial artillery seemed to be on fire, showing a completely different effect from before.
A number of American warships were hit again. Unfortunately, most of the Spanish artillery was not powerful enough, and the previously more threatening firepower points had long been focused on by the US Navy, so they were ineffective.
So much so that the U.S. Navy broke into Manila Bay with one ship sunk, one seriously damaged, and three slightly damaged. At this time, the Spanish Navy warships in the Philippines began to dispatch, causing secondary damage to the U.S. Navy. .
But the gap between the two sides is too big. Even the injured American warship still has an advantage against the Spanish antique warship.
So at three o'clock in the afternoon, the U.S. Navy's Asian Fleet wiped out the Spanish Philippine Colonial Navy with all injuries, and this also meant that the Philippine war situation entered the next stage.
(End of this chapter)