Chapter 1647 Juan’s decision
When the naval guns of this era are used against shore defense firepower, the party at sea will basically suffer. Even though the Haihan Navy was equipped with weapons and equipment that were ahead of its time, it still did not dare to make any mistakes when facing the coastal defense batteries in Manila Port. Even Wang Tom took the initiative to obey the command's decision and gave up attacking Manila from the sea. port, and instead implemented a landing on the coast far away from the city of Manila, advancing by land to the city of Manila.
In the battle between the Spanish warships and the Haihan artillery deployed on the shore, the gap was even more obvious, and the exchange of fire completely showed a one-sided trend. Although there are only eight artillery pieces on the shore, which is far fewer than the naval guns equipped by the Manila fleet, the hit rate is several times higher than that of its opponents. The damage caused by these army artillery on the warship was actually very limited, but the psychological impact on the Spanish crew was greater. After all, when they invaded the colonies in the Far East, they rarely encountered such "intense" coastal defense artillery strikes, and even more What's more, this battle is still at the doorstep of one's own home.
Juan was slightly relieved that the crew did not panic due to the artillery fire from the shore. They were still able to launch artillery attacks on the pier in accordance with the established tactics, beating the wooden trestles and stacked wooden boxes on the pier. The fragments are scattered everywhere, which can be regarded as a little harvest visible to the naked eye. For a moment, Juan was so excited that he almost ordered the fleet to dock and launch a landing battle to clear out those abominable Haihan artillery on the shore.
Fortunately, he kept a clear mind, because soon the ships patrolling the periphery issued fireworks warnings, and traces of the enemy fleet appeared on the western sea.
"It came really fast!" Juan could only sigh at Haihan's quick response. This was much faster than the response of the defenders when Haihan's fleet attacked Manila Harbor the day before yesterday. It was obvious that Haihan was more fully prepared for this situation in advance, so he could rush reinforcements from Cavite Port so quickly. This is not an effect that can be achieved by issuing a few death orders, but an objective gap in the comprehensive strength of the two armies. Even if Juan is envious and jealous, he will not be able to make effective improvements in the short term.
"Abandon attacking the dock, all ships turn around and prepare to fight!" After Juan gave the order, he took the monocular telescope from the adjutant's hand, adjusted the focus and began to observe the movements on the sea.
This pair of telescopes was not made in Spain, but was bought from the country of Haihan by someone who spent a lot of money and thought of many ways. Since Haihan was quite strict about the sales management of this kind of paramilitary items, this thing traveled all the way from Sanya for several months, including a long trip to Daming, and finally was finally delivered to Huan. Although the process was quite troublesome, Juan had to admit that you get what you pay for. This telescope produced by Haihan is indeed better than similar products in Spain in terms of visual range and effect. And this is only a version for export. It is said that the performance of the binoculars used by Haihan Army officers is far better than this single-tube structure. But how good is it? Juan has never seen the real thing. Imagine it.
Dots of sail shadows have appeared on the distant sea, and through the telescope you can see the red and blue flag flying at the top of the mast. This was bad news for the Spaniards, but for the Haihan artillerymen who were struggling to support themselves on the dock, the navy's reinforcements arrived in time, which finally helped them relieve the current pressure.
Roger, who was watching the battle from a higher place on the shore, also breathed a sigh of relief. He was actually not worried about how much trouble the Spanish fleet could make here. He even wished that the other side would be brave enough to play a landing battle, so that he could have the courage to do so. A better opportunity to exert the true combat effectiveness of the South China Sea Special Warfare Group under his command.
However, Roger could also expect that the Spanish fleet attacking from the sea would not rashly launch a landing here. Firstly, the conditions at the fishing port in Pasay Town are not suitable for large ships to dock. Secondly, it is very close to the Port of Cavite, unless The Spanish commander was crazy, otherwise he would not have been able to land the fleet under the eyes of the Haihan Navy.
What Roger really cared about was that the Spaniards deliberately made some noise at sea to attract their own attention, and then launched a counterattack from the land. Therefore, he only deployed artillery units on the docks and sent the South China Sea Special Warfare Group's The main force remained in the fishing villages and Pasay town outside the range of the naval guns. If the Spaniards really dare to play the trick of concealing themselves from others, then Roger will teach them what textbook defense is.
But the Spanish deployment ultimately disappointed Roger. Until the Spanish fleet at sea began to turn around and leave, there was still no sign of the Spanish armed forces in the north. Obviously this was not a carefully arranged amphibious operation, but just a one-man show performed by the Spanish fleet.
"These Spaniards...how did they endure it?" Roger was very puzzled by the Spanish strategic thinking.
The Haihan Army has already pressed down to a place less than ten kilometers away from Manila City. They actually don't plan to send the army to expel the invading foreign enemies. At this time, the main force of the Haihan Army is stationed in Cavite Port and Pasay Town. It is a good time for the Spaniards to attack. This is probably the only opportunity for the Haihan Army to take the initiative before the troops of the Haihan Army are defeated. . But the Spaniards obviously did not realize the importance of this timing, or although they were aware of it, they did not have the ability and courage to formulate a complex battle plan to deal with the Haihan vanguard troops stationed in Pasay Town.
Roger believed that with Spain's status in this era, they would not be able to tolerate such a humiliating tactics, and they should definitely take advantage of this opportunity to send troops. Even if you know you can't defeat Haihan, you should at least send out a force to launch a feint attack to put pressure on the Haihan army stationed here and cooperate with the offensive launched at sea. In case it really happens that a blind cat hits a dead mouse and captures Haihan. Where is the military retreat?
Roger didn't know whether the Spaniards were too cautious or too timid. In short, the completely unorganized Spanish armed forces appeared near the town of Pasay. The cavalry deployed on the outskirts of the town sent back safety signals one after another. Roger finally confirmed that the other party really had no other follow-up means, and he couldn't help but feel greatly disappointed.
In the previous attack on Cavite Port, Roger's troops were responsible for mopping up the troops. Naturally, they did not receive any military honors. They held their breath and fought for the opportunity to lead the attack in Pasay Town. However, the Spanish did not deploy garrison in this area, and the landing battle did not encounter any decent resistance at all and ended without any incident. Today, we finally waited for the Spaniards to take the initiative, but the opponent's offensive only came from the sea, and there was no movement at all on land.
"Will there be a war?" Roger was very dissatisfied with the Spaniard's performance. In his opinion, this ability to seize opportunities was completely amateurish. But if the other party didn't take the initiative, he had no choice but to watch helplessly as his navy colleagues came to take advantage.
The man who led the naval fleet to come for reinforcements was Navy Commander Wang Tom. Of course, he would not easily let go of an opportunity for such a large-scale naval battle. So after hearing the alarm, he immediately boarded the ship and set off, even rushing for breakfast. To eat on the way to the battlefield. Although it is still unclear whether the enemy fleet's attack is harassment or a head-on confrontation, Wang Tom has already made up his mind to defeat the opponent in one fell swoop. The "Black Shark", which had just completed some minor repairs in Cavite Port, also participated in this operation, but its mission was no longer to go deep into the enemy's lines and fight alone, but to cooperate with the fleet's offensive and attack some victims. Perform a last-ditch attack on the enemy's sailboat with obvious damage, completely disintegrating its combat effectiveness.
Wang Tom gave Wu Sen, the commander of the "Black Shark", extremely high operational authority. He can evaluate the battlefield situation by himself and freely choose the target of attack. This deployment can be said to make full use of the "Black Shark"'s advantages of fast speed, long range and accurate shooting, but the specific effect depends on Wu Sen's on-the-spot command and adaptability. Of course, this is actually giving Wu Sen an opportunity to make meritorious deeds in disguise. If he can successfully sink a few Spanish sailing ships, he will definitely be remembered for his great merits after the war.
"O God, please bless your followers to defeat these Easterners! Let their blood stain the water of Manila Bay red!"
Facing the oncoming Haihan fleet, Juan kissed the cross pendant hanging around his neck, and then issued a combat order-to confront the enemy head-on.
Perhaps the sincere prayers really worked. The Manila fleet actually succeeded in gaining the upper hand before the Haihan fleet changed direction, and gained an advantage in the battle formation. In the first round of shelling, the number of shells fired by the Manila fleet significantly exceeded that of Haihan, and several shells accurately hit the target.
But the good start did not give the Spanish a sustained advantage. The formation of the Haihan fleet almost made a huge sea turn along the route of the Manila fleet, and then maintained an almost parallel advance with the Manila fleet. direction. In this way, the broadside firepower of the Haihan fleet was completely released. In an instant, there was a loud sound of artillery, and the Spanish sailing ship participating in the battle also received a round of artillery fire.
Whether it is in terms of tonnage or the number of artillery pieces, the Haihan Fleet has a clear advantage. Therefore, in this kind of close-range naval artillery battle, the weaker party must suffer. The favorable situation given to the Spaniards by God only lasted for about ten minutes before they were pulled back to the cruel reality by the Haihan fleet.
Due to the extremely destructive power of artillery, for the weak side, one round of shelling is enough to cause it to lose part of its combat effectiveness. The strength gap between the two sides will also be quickly widened in this kind of artillery battle, until the weaker side collapses.
The first round of bombardment by the Haihan Fleet basically caused the two Spanish sailing ships to lose the ability to continue fighting. One was hit by the gunpowder barrels stacked on the second deck, and the resulting explosion directly broke the front mast, and the fallen ship The mast tore the mainmast sail again, causing chaos on the ship. On the other ship, the poop tower at the stern of the ship was blown to pieces by a majesty-class battleship's concentrated fire. The captain who was directing the battle on the poop tower was not spared, leaving only a pile of minced meat on the deck.
At this time, the "Black Shark" appeared on the battlefield like a vulture smelling carrion. It fired several shells at the waterline of the two immobile sailing ships, blasting several large shells on the hull. Open the hole and let the sea water pour in, causing it to slowly lose its balance and sink.
Juan also witnessed this horrific scene on the "San Diego", but it was impossible for him to order a U-turn to rescue the two sailboats that had lost power. At this time, he could only continue to fight and lure the Haihan fleet away from the two ships. Being nearby is the best way to rescue. But the actions of the "Black Shark" completely extinguished his hopes, and a few clean shellings sent the two ships away. Seeing them sinking slowly on the sea, Juan understood that even if the fighting stopped immediately, it would be impossible for the two ships to return to Manila Port.
The nightmare of the last battle off the coast of Sanya reappeared before Juan's eyes again, and this time the Haihan fleet's firepower was stronger, the combat rhythm was faster, and there was also a black warship that could not be caught at all cruising around the outside, inserting itself into the battle from time to time. The regiment fired a few more shots at a scarred Spanish galleon, completely losing its combat effectiveness. Juan's pre-war tactic of using chain bombs to attack the black warship was basically of no use in today's battle. Several sailing ships that were damaged and sunk by it did not even succeed in getting close to the range of the chain bombs.
Juan was not a rookie. He was able to obtain the command of the Manila fleet and still had a few skills in his hands. When he noticed that the black battleship changed its fighting method, he knew that his plan was probably going to fail. If that ship continued its tactics as last time, he would have at least a 40-50% chance of severely damaging the opponent. But today, the strange ship was cruising around the periphery, so he could only watch the opponent's performance.
By the time the fifth ship was beaten and retreated from the battlefield, Juan's heart had actually become colder. Although there are still more than ten ships struggling to support, so far no ship in the Haihan fleet has withdrawn from the battle. The gap between the two sides will only get wider and wider. Juan understands that continuing the fight will only have one result, that It was the total annihilation of the Manila fleet.
"Go north! Get out of the battle as soon as possible!" Juan could only give a last resort order. Now he no longer dares to hope to defeat his opponent. The biggest achievement is to save a few ships from the battle.
But after the Haihan fleet noticed this trend, it did not intend to let the Manila fleet leave so easily. With its speed advantage, it still clung to the Spanish sailing ship that was already riddled with holes, and continued to bombard it. . Even Juan's flagship "San Diego" was not spared. There was a majesty-class battleship on the left and right, sandwiching it in the middle for special care.
(End of chapter)