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The two fleets of the Qin Royal Navy pursued Thomas all the way to the waters off Manila.
After receiving the report, the Spanish Governor of Luzon, Andre, the supreme military commander of Luzon, General Pico, and Bishop Naron led a total of 18 warships from Manila Harbor to attack.
Now, including Thomas's two ships, the Spaniards had a total of 20 warships, which could be said to be a full-scale deployment.
Andre was the new governor sent from the mainland by Philip IV of Spain who appointed him last year.
He had heard of this ancient country in the East a long time ago. The Spaniards who had returned from the Far East said that this ancient country "could only demonstrate its military strength in large numbers. Their weapons and soldiers are meaningless today. They value civil officials over military officials, so much so that even a small civil official dared to fight against a military general and did not take him seriously at all."
The Portuguese said: "The Governor of Malacca did not need as much strength as people say to subdue the Chinese, because they are weak and vulnerable. People who often go there and captains say that the Indian Governor who led dozens of large ships to conquer Malacca can easily conquer all coastal areas of China."
The Dutch said: "Twenty-five Chinese put together are not as good as one Dutch soldier. All we need to do is fire a volley of gunfire and kill a few of them, and they will be scared and flee in all directions, and all will collapse."
Although the country is too large and has too many people, Spain cannot swallow up this great empire now, but after hearing so many legends about this country, Andre is full of contempt for the fighting effectiveness of the Qin army.
This time, he just heard that Qin sent too many warships, so he mobilized all his forces, ready to teach the Qin people a good lesson on what a real navy is.
On the boundless sea, the sea and the sky meet, and the blue sky is infinite.
On the distant sea level, some black sails jumped out of the sea, and sharp whistles immediately sounded on the Spanish warships. The Spanish sailors who heard the alarm immediately prepared for battle.
Andre kept watching with the telescope. There were more and more black sails on the sea level, just like huge clouds before a storm.
Such a huge momentum made him frown. It seems that this old country not only has a lot of people, but also a lot of ships!
"Captain Thomas, how many of their warships are equipped with naval guns? How many are there? What is their range? What is their firing rate?" Andre suddenly asked.
Thomas, who had just joined the main force, replied: "Governor, they have about 80 warships equipped with naval guns, maybe a little more, but no more than 100. Each warship is equipped with 20 to 30 naval guns, and the firing rate and range are not inferior to our naval guns;
There are more than 400 small and medium-sized warships. There are no cannons on board, but every soldier has a gun and a crossbow. The remaining dozens of ships look like supply ships, and there are even medical ships..."
"Medical ship?" Andre asked in surprise, "You mean they have ships specifically for treating the wounded?"
"Your Excellency the Governor, it should be."
Luzon's top military commander, Pico, had been stationed in Luzon for several years and had some understanding of the Chinese Navy's combat methods. It was he who urgently requested the dispatch of warships to reinforce Luzon.
He was afraid that Andrei would underestimate the enemy, so he said, "Sir Governor, we should be careful. I heard that the Qin people just defeated the Tatars in the north. They also incorporated Zheng Yiguan's fleet.
Although their fighting power is not strong, they have many ships. If they are allowed to surround us, things will become very troublesome. They will spread lime in the wind to dazzle our soldiers' eyes, and they will also use many small boats to make fire ships to besiege us.
I suggest that our army retreat to Manila Harbor first and use the shore artillery to defend. It would be best to delay for a few days and wait until their supplies run out before attacking the harbor. "
Bishop Naren said disapprovingly: "Even if they incorporate Zheng Yiguan's fleet, they will not become very powerful. Zheng Yiguan was able to defeat the Dutch not only by relying on the large number of people, but also by using despicable sneak attacks. Look at them this time, they sent hundreds of ships, and they look no different from before. We don't have to be afraid of them at all."
It's not Naren's fault. None of the Western countries had ever fought against the Qin Royal Navy. In the past, Zheng Zhilong and his men defeated the Dutch by relying on their large numbers of men and ships, often fighting a hundred against one, and only then could they barely achieve victory.
The perception formed over a long period of time has made Westerners look down on the fighting of the Chinese army.
Thomas said quickly: "Governor, when I fought against the Qin people, I found that they were well-trained and had strong combat effectiveness. Compared with the previous Ming army, they have made great progress.
I think what General Peake said makes sense. We should retreat to Manila Harbor first, and when the Qin's supplies are almost exhausted, we can go out of the harbor to counterattack. Our chances of winning will be much greater."
Andre raised the telescope again and looked at the Qin warships that were getting closer and closer like a black cloud. The huge size of the warships gave people a strong pressure. In addition, what Pique and Thomas said was no longer stubborn. He agreed to withdraw to the port of Manila first and wait for a few days.
When the two sides were still four or five miles apart, the 20 Spanish warships began to turn and quickly sailed back to the port of Manila.
The Qin Royal Navy, which was sailing hard and rushing towards the enemy, couldn't help but curse when they saw this.
They have come from afar and their supplies are limited after all. It would be disadvantageous if they delay for too long.
Seeing the Spaniards coming out in full force, everyone thought they could win the battle quickly and were very happy.
Unexpectedly, the Spaniards started to make a fuss just when the battle was about to start. Seeing that the cooked duck had flown away, how could everyone not be angry
The Port of Manila is located in the easternmost part of Manila Bay, which is almost completely enclosed by land. The harbor channel is deep, and the mountains of the Bataan Peninsula and the Central Cordillera form a natural barrier.
The Spanish had been operating the Port of Manila for nearly a hundred years, and with forts blocking the waterway, it was almost impossible to force their way in.
This time, the Qin Royal Navy came to attack Luzon with the intention of launching a surprise attack, but they were encountered by Thomas at the northern end of Luzon Island and their whereabouts were exposed.
Now if the Spaniards hide in Mani Port and cannot get out, it will be a very troublesome thing.
Although the Qin army brought dozens of supply ships, with more than 20,000 troops, the daily consumption of fresh water alone was astonishing.
It seems that things in the world are never smooth sailing!
Gu Rong and Zheng Sihai had to urgently summon all the generals to discuss countermeasures. The commanders of each battalion had just arrived at Gu Rong's flagship by small boat when a rumbling drum sound suddenly came from the small ships on guard outside.
This sudden warning startled everyone, and without further discussion, they all returned to their warships.
As soon as Hai Rufeng returned to his command ship, he looked through the telescope at the sea in the south and saw six warships flying the Helan flag jumping out of the sea.
These six Dutch warships should not be underestimated. They all have two decks and at least twenty guns on each side. Together, the six ships can fire more than a hundred shells in a single salvo.
How could the Dutch suddenly have such a powerful fleet off the coast of Manila
Through the telescope, they could see the sailors on their ship in chaos, running nervously to their battle positions.
The Dutch probably hadn't seen the huge fleet outside, they only saw Hai Rufeng and his squadron patrolling the periphery. So they were so brave that they took the lead in firing at the Qin army's eagle ships that were intended to expel them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fierce artillery fire instantly broke the calm on the sea. The whistling shells flew over, stirring up water columns around several eagle ships, creating dangerous situations.
How can this be
"Damn it, if the tiger doesn't show its power, you would think it's a sick cat. Quick! Kill them all, don't let a single ship escape, wipe out all the invading enemies, make sure to wipe out all the invading enemies..." Hai Rufeng kept roaring, and did not forget to take out his black eye mask and put it on.
The Qin army came this time with the intention of quickly capturing Manila and even the entire Luzon Island. They had no intention of provoke the Dutch. But now, the real target has hidden in his turtle shell and refused to come out, while a Cheng Yaojin showed up halfway.
The Qin Royal Navy, who had nowhere to vent their anger, could not help but become furious when they saw the Dutch firing. Gu Rong and Zheng Sihai were no exception. The East China Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet were commanded by the two men respectively. Various flag signals and drum sounds quickly conveyed combat orders to the two fleets.
For a moment, the two fleets were like angry lions, roaring and rushing towards the enemy...
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P.S.: Well, there are always unexpected things. If you guys vote for more monthly tickets, it will be a great surprise for me. The competition this month is very fierce. I am dragging my tired body and struggling to update. Anyway, please support me. I beg for monthly tickets!
.(To be continued..)
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