Chapter 3606
The navy and land forces under the Luzon Region are currently concentrated in the area around the Banda Sea to perform cleanup missions to ensure that the routes between the region and the colonies in the New World are no longer interfered with by the Spanish.
These troops would certainly not leave the designated war zone to explore the unknown areas of the Pacific until the area was completely cleared of Spanish colonial forces.
At present, the only ones who have the conditions to do this are the two support armies in Fujian and Taiwan. Although they obey the command of the Luzon Combat Command, they are not under the jurisdiction of the Manila authorities.
However, at this time, Xu Kaiyuan's Fujian fleet was still fighting with the Luzon army on Sulawesi. Only the Taiwan fleet led by Li Zhencheng was invincible and could not go to Sulawesi due to the limited scope of its activities. West Island monitors the actions of the Fujian fleet so that he can have time to search for rumored secret ports along Papua's long coastline.
After walking more than two hundred miles east from the sea area where the Spanish fleet was encountered that day, we discovered a bay with a large area and good terrain. However, after a search, no signs of colonial development were found here.
Li Zhencheng was not discouraged. After all, it had not yet entered the area mentioned by the Spanish sailors. He ordered the ship to slow down and continue eastward along the coastline. At night, anchor near the shore to avoid missing the target.
We walked like this for another two or three days, and everything we saw was pristine coast, with no human habitation along the way. Not to mention the bay, there is not even a larger estuary that can accommodate boats. As for the sea, no other ships were seen at all.
Li Zhencheng also muttered a little, in such a remote environment, would the Spaniards really choose this kind of place to stay?
If the sailor really made up such a lie just to get away, he would have to send a telegram to Manila and give this guy a severe punishment as revenge.
Just stop and go, we walked all the way east for a few days. Although there were several river mouths along the way, the conditions were obviously impossible to become the secret port mentioned by the sailors. Although no one said it clearly, everyone in the fleet felt that this trip was probably in vain.
Moreover, we did not receive any other supplies except fresh water along the way. Considering the time required for the return journey, we may have to strictly ration management of the survival supplies on the ship if we go further east.
Just when Li Zhencheng was about to give up and turn around and return, the vanguard of the reconnaissance team received good news. They discovered large-scale ship activities on the sea ahead. This was most likely a sign of the existence of a nearby port.
The location of the Taiwan fleet has long been separated from Haihan's sphere of influence. The large sailing ships operating in this sea area will not belong to the indigenous civilization that is still in its primitive stage. They can only be colonists from the West.
Li Zhencheng couldn't help but be overjoyed and immediately ordered all personnel to enter a state of combat readiness.
The hard work paid off, and after another day, the Taiwan fleet finally found this secret port that was not marked on any map.
The secret location of the port is due to the special topography here. When sailing from west to east, you must first go south around a peninsula, then turn around and turn back to the west to discover this bay.
There are also two islands, one large and one small, on the south side of the bay, making the channel into the bay only about two miles wide, which also greatly increases the concealment of the bay.
When he was still seven or eight miles away from the bay, the owner finally discovered the arrival of the uninvited guest. Li Zhencheng also confirmed from the telescope that there were many Spanish galleons parked in the port. "Pass my order and the fleet launches an attack! Prioritize destroying the enemies at sea first. Don't let a single enemy ship leave here!"
Li Zhencheng loudly issued the combat order. This was probably the most exciting moment for him after leaving Taiwan. Various opportunities and coincidences finally allowed him to find this secret port. How much military glory he can win in the end depends on his actual performance in the next battle.
Thanks to his previous combat experience, Li Zhencheng also knew that the Spaniards often do not choose to fight hard, but choose to flee immediately after confirming that the enemy is strong and we are weak, so they must destroy the enemy ships as soon as possible to prevent The Spaniards here fled again.
As for the enemies on the shore, they can't escape far as long as they don't have the boat. There may not even be indigenous tribes nearby, and there are barbaric lands in all directions. Even if these people escape temporarily, where can they escape to?
Li Zhencheng's majesty-class battleship took the lead and rushed into the harbor. As soon as it entered the range of the naval gun, it opened fire decisively and poured firepower towards the Spanish sailboat docked on the shore.
This style of play is actually quite risky. The information provided by the prisoners did not detail the fortification situation here. Before the fleet could confirm whether the port had built fortifications such as shore defense forts, it rushed to the nearby port. On the shore, there is bound to be the risk of being shelled.
Fortunately, the Spaniards obviously did not invest too many resources here. Of course, it may also be that they are confident enough in the secrecy of this location. There are only a few small cannons hidden behind the sandbag fortifications on the pier here as defense. means, and the firepower of these small cannons is simply unable to penetrate the external shield of the Majesty-class battleship at this combat distance.
Realizing that the opponent's shore defense firepower was just a decoration, the Taiwanese fleet that rushed into the port was able to calmly aim at the target and fire. In just one salvo, the small doors and the gunners were sent into the sky.
Several large sailing ships docked at the port were riddled with holes by intensive shells before they could even leave the dock.
Several small boats that had not docked originally wanted to take advantage of the chaos to get out, but they were still blocked on the outside. The small boats were far less resistant to beating than the larger ships. As long as one or two shells were hit in the waterline, they would basically capsize and sink. The result was.
The battle at sea was basically one-sided. It only lasted about half an hour and then slowly ceased fire.
Almost all the Spanish sailing ships within sight were destroyed, and indeed none of them could escape. Several ships docked at the pier even burst into flames. It seems that the gunpowder and other flammable materials on the ships were ignited by the shelling just now.
Seeing that his opponent was unable to fight back, Li Zhencheng ordered the troops to land on the shore and continue to clear out the enemies on the shore.
However, after the battle just now, it actually gave the Spaniards on the shore a buffer time to escape from the battlefield. After the Haihan Army landed, the small town next to the port had become an empty city.
Only a few old, weak, women and children with limited mobility became the first batch of prisoners captured by the Haihan Army here.
Through the confessions of these prisoners, Li Zhencheng learned that this place was called Manokwari. This name was completely unfamiliar to him, but if his father Li Dou heard it, he would think of some information related to this place.