Chapter 62 Storming Manila Bay Landing in Manila

As the Yaogang fleet approached Little Luzon, it encountered several Furlong ships on the sea, but the Yaogang fleet ignored them and sailed towards Manila Bay as planned. These ships of the Francos knew that it was the Kiln Gang people who came to retaliate, but their two so-called clippers who came out to patrol were still too slow according to the boats of the Kiln Gang people. They found the Yaogang fleet, and they didn't have a chance to go back to report it. What's more, one by one, they were so frightened that they pulled their sails and fled far away from the kiln boat.

The kiln people looked at the ships of the Franc people who had escaped one by one and laughed. Fan Song felt very relieved, "Phew! You also have today! ”

Fan Chengkun smiled and asked, "Son! Enough to be bullied by them, right? ”

"No, our ship from Sulu is most afraid of encountering the ship of the Francis. They're pirates. We weren't so careful that they intercepted us once. It took a great deal of effort for us to confirm that they had intercepted our ship and to spend a lot of money to get the goods back. Fan Song said indignantly.

"Alright! Big nephew, let's settle the old accounts with them today! Zheng Zhilong came over and said.

"Lao Zheng, let's go to Manila Bend in front! Isn't it time for us to control the speed? Fan Chengkun asked.

"Hmmm! You see, Commander Mu has given the order to tell the ships to slow down and get to the front of Manila tonight. Zheng Zhilong replied.

Fan Chengkun saw that all the ships were hoisting their flags and slowing down in unison. Because, the original plan was to enter Manila Bay in the morning, so that there would be a whole daylight to complete the task of landing in Manila. There is a whole daylight and the task can be completed calmly.

At night, the entire fleet slowly moves in the direction of Manila, and the dynamic fleet is easy to control. If you anchor in the open sea, it is easy to get into trouble such as anchoring. So the flotilla did not stop, but moved slowly.

In a thin morning mist, the flotilla sailed into Manila Bay. Several commanders of the flotilla came to the cockpit of the Taiping. Fan Chengkun looked at Manila Bay with a telescope and couldn't help but say, "Hey! What a natural bay, a natural harbor! ”

"But no, this place has a small mouth and a big belly, and the water is deep, so it is a good haven." Zheng Zhilong said.

"Hey! I said Lao Zheng, I have never understood, why are you Fujian and Guangdong people willing to come here to make a living by all odds? Mu Yi asked.

"Most of them came here because they were forced to have no way out. However, the locals here are lazy and stupid, our people are diligent and smart, and many of them are quickly developed here, which stimulates those who have no hope of making a fortune and are eager to make a fortune. Besides, it's easy to do overseas trade here. Not only are many of us begging for a living here, but there are also many Koreans and Japanese here. Zheng Zhilong said, "That's right! Don't forget, after landing, don't let any of the Japanese run away. The Japanese who killed us here in the first place are all actively participating! I don't think one of these hateful wretches will stay. ”

Liu Chenghuang said: "Those who can work still stay!" For the rest, I think it's better to take your approach in Japan, isolation. Let the Japanese be completely extinct! ”

"Commander Liu, there are still many locals involved in killing us Huang Chinese, these people, let's not let any of them go!" Zheng Zhilong said.

"There's no hurry! After we occupy it, let them take the initiative to come out and confess. Those who take the initiative to confess, we send them to serve in hard labor, and those who are reported will be killed! Liu Chenghuang gritted his teeth and said.

Two 1,800-ton ships of Fuzhou and Canton sailed close to the entrance to Manila Bay, their main guns aimed at the shore batteries, and the sentries, who were very lazy, were awakened by the "boom" coming from the sea, and hurriedly reported to the officers guarding the batteries, but before the officers could figure out what was going on, 203 caliber shells fell on their batteries. Such a close-range direct aim shot can be said to be a missed shot. A few shells shattered the forts built of these boulders, which the Francois thought were impregnable, and the new large-caliber cannons on the turrets did not know where they flew.

Several 130-caliber shells fell in the barracks under the forts, and several barracks in the barracks were flattened. The Yaogang fleet didn't care whether they lived or died, and the entire fleet sailed into Manila Bay.

The Governor, who hadn't slept well all night before, wanted to sleep in the morning, but was woken up by his family. The Governor was dazed and just wanted to curse, but when he saw that it was Madame, "Are you crazy?" Let me sleep a little longer! ”

"Oh no!" Madame shook the governor and said, "Someone from outside reports that there is a cannon on the sea!" ”

"What?" The Governor sat up abruptly and asked, "What do you say, there is the sound of cannons?" ”

"Yes, there are reports from outside that there is the sound of artillery on the sea, as if it were a battery on the other side of the bay!"

The governor drew a cross on his chest and said, "O my God! I thought something was going to happen these days, and sure enough! The hateful priest said I was tired. This is clearly a revelation from God! ”

"Stop muttering! Let's go out and see what to do! "Madame hated the way the Governor looked panicked.

The Governor came to the drawing-room, trembling and dressed, where several officers were already waiting for him.

An officer stood up and said, "Report! Lord Governor, there is a cannon sound from the surface of the sea, and it is likely that there is a clash between our battery and the ship that is about to enter the bay! Are we going to urgently mobilize and be on alert! ”

"Don't stop for a minute, immediately mobilize all personnel into combat mode!" The governor commanded, "No one dares to come to us and confront us, except for the kiln people!" Tell the officers and soldiers that today is likely to be our life-and-death battle! Go for it! Get ready for battle now! ”

Inside the castle of San Diego, as well as on the various gun emplacements, trumpets and whistles soon sounded. All the Franco-men rushed to their respective positions with muskets in hand. The gunners rushed to the gun position, lifted the tarpaulin covering the cannon and reloaded.

The Japanese expatriates living in the castle of Santiago were deeply trusted by the Franciscans, and their participation in the massacre of the Chinese was extremely detestable, and was greatly appreciated by successive governors. As early as when the Governor was preparing for war against the kiln, the Japanese Society sent people to the Governor to express their intention to fight together with the Francos to defend our Manila.

Now a large number of Japanese people heard the alarm, and one by one they came to report with *** and white cloth wrapped around their heads.

When the Governor and his men climbed to the top of the castle, the Governor saw that the port of Manila was already full of warships. He saw that the warships in Yaogang were indeed emitting black smoke one by one. This was the first time the Doge had seen the legendary steam-powered warship with his own eyes.

What made the Governor particularly angry was that the sailors of the Furlong warship docked on the dock fled ashore one by one and disappeared. This exacerbated the atmosphere of panic even more.

The Governor scolded, "We sent so many clippers, why didn't any of them come back early to report the news?" ”

An officer beside him said: "Our clippers are no faster than the Yaogang warships, besides, I don't know if they can sail on the sea now?" ”

The Governor knew this, and he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yes! Ordered all batteries to be ready for firing, and told everyone that the guns of the kiln men had a long range, and we must be prepared to shoot in advance. If you don't hit them, you have to scare them. We can't stand up to the beating! ”

The governor had long learned from the captain who had escaped from the naval battle with the Yaogang people that the Yaogang people's cannons had a long range, high accuracy, and great power. If you stick to the original 400 meters and fire the cannon, the kiln people will fire the cannon 400 meters away, and they can only stand up and be beaten! Therefore, the Fran machine man has long been ready to fire in advance. Now the Governor shouts, it's complete nonsense.

Five flat-bottomed ships and two 1,800-ton warships lined up in a row and pressed in the direction of Manila. The guns on the ship were always aimed at the batteries, as well as at the castle of Santiago.

This battle, with no other foreplay, is to meet and fight. What made Mu Yi and Zheng Zhilong, who came to command the Guangzhou, feel a little strange was that the Franco-mechanics had fired their guns early. Although their shells didn't pose much of a threat, they only splashed the seawater, but Mu Yi knew that he couldn't let them fire a second shot, and these broken shells, I don't know which one missed, and it would be a big loss if it hit our ship. Eight hundred meters away from the castle of Santiago, Mu Yi picked up the microphone and ordered: "Fire!" ”

On the foredeck of the two 1,800-ton ships, there were two 203-mm cannons and three 130-caliber cannons that could participate in the battle, but the three 130-caliber cannons on the rear deck could not be fired due to orientation problems. Five flat-bottomed warships each had one 203 caliber and two 130 caliber cannons to take part in the battle. Two 1,500-ton steamships had two 130-caliber cannons, and six steamers each had one 103-caliber cannon, which could take part in firing in the second row.

The Governor of Francois (Spain), commanding the artillery on the fort and the fort on the castle, began to fire at the black smoke of the kiln warships on the sea, and after a "boom" of cannons, the sea seemed to be blown up. Just as the governor was dancing with joy to say something, the guns on the Kilnmen's warships opened fire, and the shells first hit several batteries next to the castle. The artillery batteries were attacked by 203 caliber cannons, with direct fire from a distance of eight hundred meters, firing from Manila Bay, where the wind and waves were small, and the hit rate of the shells was very high. With the earth-shattering explosion, the batteries and the cannons on the batteries, as well as the artillery, turned into parts and flew into the sky. Before the Governor could finish his mouth, a volley of 130 cannonballs was fired at the castle where he was, and the officers beside the Governor heard that the sound was wrong, and immediately threw the Governor down, and rolled down the steps of the city. Just as the Governor was about to curse, the cannonball exploded not far from where he had just stood. The Governor was so frightened that he ran into the basement. Go inside the basement. The frightened governor heard from above, and countless cannonballs fell. People in the basement were also shaken by the shock.

The Governor covered his ears with his hands and thought that there would be no more cannons on it to fight back, and it seemed that today was a bad day. However, he must not surrender, he knows that he has surrendered, and those Chinese cannot forgive him. I don't know how long this hellish ordeal lasted, but when the cannon fire stopped for a while, the governor gritted his teeth and went out of the basement again. He wants to organize all the Franji and Kiln Gang people to fight to the end.

On the sea, the artillery bombardment of the kiln gang people was divided into two stages, one was to concentrate all the 203 caliber cannons, concentrate on bombarding the batteries with relatively large threats, and the 130 caliber cannons to suppress the cannons on the castle. The second stage is to wait for the batteries to be destroyed, and the 203 caliber cannons will bombard the castle again, and the castle will be blasted open.

The warships of Yaogang approached the castle while firing cannons. The soldiers of the Yaogang Navy Marine Corps on the big boat behind also began to descend to the landing craft and rubber boats. The runabout is also lowered into the sea by crane.

The Bashi River is a river that flows into Manila Bay, and the San Diego Castle is on the south bank of the Bashi River.

Francois (Spain) knew that the artillery fire of the kiln men was very fierce, but he did not expect it to be so fierce, and more than 3,000 officers and soldiers guarding the forts and castles were killed in one shot. If it weren't for the fact that so many Francos dodged quickly, the casualty toll would have been even higher.

The Japanese Koreans, as well as the local natives, who came to join the war, did not enjoy the treatment of climbing the castle to defend it, but they also escaped the artillery disaster. These people of all colors who are favored by the Franco-Robot feel that the Franco-Robot is very powerful, and there is a way out for them. Therefore, they all want to come out and show when the Francois has something, and when the things they are looking forward to are over, the Francos will look at them differently.

However, the artillery fire of the kiln gang people made these guys who came to help the battle frightened one by one. They never thought there would be such a powerful cannon. The impregnable castle of Santiago, whose walls facing the sea and the Bashi River, had been blown down. I don't know how many Fran people were killed at the same time.

But it was impossible for them to run any longer, and the Governor sent the Francis officer, who had come to supervise the battle, shouted that they should prepare to meet the Kiln Men who were about to rush ashore. One by one, they pointed the muskets issued to them at the approaching landing craft and speedboats at sea.

But before they could see the target at sea, the shells of the Yaogang people fell on their positions. Their positions in straw bags of earth flew into the sky along with these fighters of all races. Those who were not killed by the explosion lay on the ground one by one, covering their ears and shouting loudly. Many of them could not hear in their ears, and some of them were unable to breathe from the shock, and they were rolling all over the ground. As soon as the sound of the artillery stopped, these people who were not dead got up and ran, but it was too late, and the 12.27 mm heavy machine guns on the Yaogang speedboat "snapped" from a distance, and they were smashed to pieces one by one. There was any more left, lying on the ground and not daring to move.

When the landing craft from Yaogang rushed up to the beach, as soon as the front boat board was lowered, the gun wagon rushed up with black smoke, and the sailor marines also rushed up, and the sailor marines on the rubber boat behind also arrived.

Just as the Marine Corps was preparing for the beachhead, more than 5,000 francs rushed out of the collapsed castle of Castle de Santiago. One by one, they rushed over, and at the same time "bumpered" with muskets.

The Yaogang Navy Marine Corps has been on the battlefield for a long time and reacts very quickly. The officers who landed immediately arranged light and heavy machine guns and organized the soldiers to shoot at the enemy. Machine guns on ten gun wagons also joined the fray.

To say that these Francos are really brave and well-trained, the front ones were knocked down, and the soldiers in the back did not hesitate to add up and rushed towards the Yaogang beachhead.

Governor Frangi understood that if the Yaogang people were allowed to gain a firm foothold on the beachhead, then the general trend was really gone. Therefore, it was agreed with the governor and the officers that it was better to die on the beachhead than to let the kiln men gain a firm foothold. So, more than 5,000 franc soldiers, rushing towards the beachhead like a tide. But this is exactly what the Yaogang people want, and it is impossible for the Yaogang people to destroy more enemies on the beachhead, otherwise they will inevitably increase the number of casualties when they enter the castle for street fighting. This is also the reason why the artillery truck of the kiln gang did not rush over immediately, just to let the Furlong machine rush out a little more.

Just when the corpses of the Fran robot were piled up and the intensity of the charge was reduced, the kiln gang gun truck was ordered to start and rushed towards the team attacking the Fran robot, and the parallel machine guns on the sports car and the heavy machine gun on the car fired at the Fran robot man at the same time, and the 85 mm guns on the car also fired at the place where the Fran robot man was concentrated.

At this moment, the Franco-robot couldn't stop it, and fled back, but where could he escape the bullets. The marines of the navy also rushed to the castle with the gun carriage.

The Franco-Rang soldiers at the castle of San Diego also desperately opened fire on the kiln gun carriage and the following sailor marines, trying to cover their brothers' retreat to the castle. However, only a few hundred lucky Franciscans returned to the castle through the breached gap in the castle.

The gun wagons of the kiln were also crushed with gravel debris with tracks, and along the gap covered the soldiers to rush into the castle.

Fan Chengkun, who was watching the battle with binoculars from a distance, saw that the artillery carriages and soldiers rushed into the castle, and they all understood that the rest was to clean up the remnants of the enemy. Soon the second, third groups of marines were sent ashore. After they rushed into the castle, Zheng Zhilong said, "I'm going to go up and see the excitement first!" ”

Fan Chengkun said: "Lao Zheng, don't forget, you are the deputy commander of the navy. Commander Liu is in charge of the affairs on the shore, so don't mess with it! ”

Liu Chenghuang said: "It's such a small castle, do we still need to bother too much!" We've had a lot more people than that. That's the blood of killing, flowing into a river of corpses, a mountain of blood, and a sea of blood! ”

"Hey! This is the first battle with the Franco-Robot in serious Babei. It seems that they have more muskets, and their combat effectiveness is not as good as that of the Mongols! Fan Chengkun said.

Zheng Zhilong said: "The Francois used to be powerful at sea, but they can't do it at sea, and even more so on land!" ”

Liu Chenghuang said: "Genghis Khan didn't bother to beat them Europeans back then!" We didn't have a hard time cleaning up the Mongols, let alone beating them! ”

Several commanders of the kiln gang drank tea and talked about the combat power of the Franco. However, most of the family members of these Francois in the castle were here, and when they fought in the streets, they showed their will to fight to the death.

The street fighting was originally very cruel, and after some brothers in the Marine Corps were killed or wounded, they began to be ruthless.

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New progress in "Memories of the Southern Song Dynasty": the Battle of Yashan, the defeat of the Yuan army, the counterattack of the Song army, and the landing in Fuzhou.