The moon is bright and the stars are thin, and the waves crash against the beach, making some splashes.

Chen Shouxu landed with the third wave of sailors, and before the boat could be stopped, he held the side side with his hand and jumped off the longboat. Black Guard Titch hurried to follow. Two soldiers were questioned, and the location of Holrenne was found in the woods by the sea.

The landing force headquarters was located in a canvas shed pulled up by a few large trees, and the marching tables were spread on the ground, and a whale oil lamp was lit.

Chen Shouxu walked at a fast pace, carrying a gust of wind through the Marine Corps soldiers on the periphery. The footsteps alarmed Hallren, Westheim, Walter and Maiden, who all stood up.

Waving his hand to signal that they didn't have to salute, Chen Shouxu asked, "How's the situation?" He watched the afternoon's battle all the way on the ship, and there was actually a moment when he was nervous, maybe the pirates were lucky, maybe the colonial army was limited in combat effectiveness, and although he had won, he felt that he had exposed a lot of problems.

Holren reported first, "107 Spanish soldiers were killed and 24 were captured, almost all wounded. 1 military flag was captured. We lost 23 killed and 17 wounded. ”

The casualty ratio exceeded 10%, and Chen Shouxu sighed, "You have worked hard." ”

The soldiers who participated in the battle rested. Landing in front of the enemy is a very tiring job, and from the beginning of the transfer, the landing soldiers have to rely on their own oars. The physical exertion of the soldiers was great, so Holrenne did not devote his spearmen to actual combat during the day, but relied only on the musketeers to stall for time.

The situation of the tidal tide of the landing operation is critical. Together with the old seamen of the fleet, the Germans worked out a plan of operations during the day. The tides in Panama are fortunately not complicated. The tide had put the lightest warships in the fleet into positions sufficient to provide close fire support for the landing force, but many coastal warships would not be able to get close and would have to rely on the troops' portable weapons. In this case, the transfer and transportation of heavy weapons ashore are all topics that need to be studied in the future, and special equipment needs to be developed. However, the summing up of the landing operation is not a short-term matter and can be postponed.

The staff officer sent a report, and Westheim took it and quickly scanned it.

"Together with the third wave brought by the commander, we now have a landing force of 721 people."

Chen Shouxu asked about the enemy, "What about Panama City?" ”

Westheim said, "According to the confessions of the captives, about 1,700 people. After today's battle, we estimate that the enemy has 1,600 men left. It is worth noting that the enemy army had a cavalry unit consisting entirely of whites. ”

Holren added to Chen, "The enemy is more than twice as large as ours, and although some of these slave units are suspicious in combat, I suggest we proceed with caution. ”

This battle was not easy to fight, Chen Shouxu glanced at the battle map, obviously they were still discussing the battle plan before he came.

Chen Shouxu said, "I agree with you. I can't help much here, so hurry up and get to work. ”

After a slight greeting, he turned and walked out of the Marine Corps headquarters. The summers in Central America were so hot and humid that you could sweat even if you stood still at the headquarters. Out of the woods, the sea breeze blows, and it is much more comfortable.

"Titch," Chen Shouxu called to the guards, "get some rum, tobacco, or whatever, and we'll visit the wounded soldiers." ”

In the middle of the night, the Spaniards in Panama sent some sharp soldiers to reach the vicinity of the pirate camp and release cold guns at the camp. In response, the pirates also sent soldiers skilled in night combat to fight back against them. Tikal was familiar with the terrain around Panama, and under his leadership, the pirates gradually overwhelmed the Spaniards.

At dawn, the gunfire gradually subsided. Chen Shouxu spent most of the night with the soldiers, comforting the wounded soldiers and those who couldn't sleep. It wasn't until dawn that he had a hurried rest.

The red sun leaped out of the sea, and the trumpet sounded. Regardless of whether they are well rested or not, everyone has to assemble, from the commander to the soldiers who carry the shells, this is military discipline.

Panama City was also filled with military music, and Spanish soldiers drove out of the city one after another. Due to the lack of large rocks, the walls of Panama were civil structures, with the exception of the port fort and a tower. If you had stayed in the city and watched the pirates take the time to carry the heavy artillery ashore, the battle would have been avoided.

Now that the Spaniards were out of town, the pirates didn't want to take the time to carry heavy artillery off the ship. In fact, it took a lot of effort to carry four four-pounder field guns ashore, and in the end it was only by logging and paving roads to get out of the sandy beaches and muddy fields. This was still a rush to deliver the cannon at the high tide of the sea, which would be a great problem if it encountered a port with more complicated tides and channels.

Both sides are on the same page, and a battle is inevitable.

Holren's three most combat-ready Marine companies, with about 240 men, were placed on the right flank, and the left flank extended backwards, getting weaker the closer to the coast. Two field guns were placed on the right flank in the center of the line, in front of the infantry.

Some Indian soldiers scattered into the woods on the right flank. There was no flat terrain or road on the outside of the right flank for the Spaniards to detour from a distance, and if the Spanish troops appeared, they would only be small groups of harassing skirmishers.

The Spanish army formed four battalions in a phalanx, the formation was slightly more chaotic than yesterday, and the faces and costumes of many blacks and Indians could be seen when the binoculars were opened. The cavalry was placed on the flanks, as is customary. Some of the bison were driven out and placed behind the battle line.

"What are the Spaniards doing? Do you eat fresh after slaughtering after a battle? ”

Hallren shook his head, he couldn't understand what the routine was, but it didn't matter. He saluted, "Commander, I'm over." ”

Chen Shouxu solemnly bowed, "Please." ”

Holren strode to the center of the line, where he took control of a company's reserves.

The entire line of the pirates was the densest on the right flank, and the deeper it became shallower the further you went to the left, and when you reached the sea, there were even a few small groups of soldiers who controlled the battlefield.

The four battalion phalanxes of the Spaniards were densely formed, and the battle line was no longer than that of the pirates.

The field artillery of both sides was test-fired, and because the distance was 1 mile, the artillery could not reach each other.

Thirty years of experience on the battlefield has taught everyone that it is much safer to take a defensive stance than to attack. The two armies confronted each other in this way, and reached a stalemate.

Holrenne sent some skirmishers out to shoot at the Spaniards to induce the enemy to attack, but they were unmoved. There were a number of skirmishes between the two sides. The pirates could not have waited so long, and in the afternoon, Holren gave the order to the right flank through the heralds. In the middle of the battlefield, on the side near the pirates, there is a gentle hillock with an elevation of more than ten meters.

The March of the Grenadier sounded.

Three companies on the right flank advanced towards the knoll, and the front was not wide. The center and the left wing followed.

Some Indians dragged parts of another 2 field guns and followed behind the infantry. In order to advance the artillery in the muddy fields, Holrenne came up with a solution last night, he disassembled the two cannons, wrapped them in several layers of canvas to prevent them from being on the improvised planks, and the rest of the parts were carried by the soldiers hand in hand.

The Spanish infantry still did not move, and the distance of the hill was only 500 meters. Probably, they realized the danger, and the cavalry on the left flank of Spain went out and pounced on the right flank of the landing party.

In the mud, it is difficult for the war horse to start even if it changes to a heavy horse's shoe. Seeing that the assault formation of the Spanish cavalry was not tight and fast, the marines did not convert into a hollow phalanx. A company on the right flank was deflected to the right, the first row of spearmen crouched shoulder to shoulder, and the arquebusiers formed six rows of slightly looser horizontal formations. That's the result of the training, the formation change is much faster than the Spaniards.

Platoon gun salvos began.

The Spanish cavalry did not go straight to the array of spears, but approached and took out their pistols and fired at the pirates in a semi-spin.

In the middle of the shot, the smoke of gunpowder filled. Chen Shouxu's position couldn't see anything clearly, although he intuitively felt that the Spaniards couldn't rush down. But it wasn't until the smoke cleared that he was truly relieved. As in Chile, the Spaniards showed their horses' butts again. After two rounds of semi-rotation, the formation of the Spanish cavalry was completely disorganized, and suffered considerable casualties in front of the platoon of guns, and had to retreat. However, unlike Chile, here they did not run straight home, but returned and began to regroup.

The cavalry on the right flank of Spain also charged towards the center of the battle line. Two field guns fired, and the shells went over the heads of the infantry and smashed into the ground. The sound of artillery sounded behind him, but the infantry was not moved at all.

With artillery support, the infantry in the center also repelled the Spanish cavalry.

The central advance did not have a long distance and barely established contact with the right flank. The entire pirate front stretched to the left flank rear. Chen Shouxu looked over, and the left wing was already very thin. Watch the Tempest and the Excellence anchor on the shore, and you can get there while the tide is blowing.

The Spaniards did not take any advantage of the pirates' left flank, and their cavalry continued to charge the pirates as they regrouped. Throughout the battle, the Spanish infantry was motionless, and only the cavalry fought from beginning to end.

The marksmanship of the pirates was good, and the Spanish cavalry suffered more and more losses in the storm. The Marine commander on the right flank estimated that, when the physical strength of the Spanish cavalry horses was almost exhausted, he decisively ordered half of the arquebusiers to use bayonets. When this straight-plug bayonet is inserted, the arquebus becomes a short spear that cannot be fired. The marines quickly completed the transition from column to column, spears and bayonets dispersed some of the cavalry and Spanish skirmishers who had lost their impact and pounced on the knoll.

Seeing the appearance of the fighters, Holren immediately threw himself into his reserves. Fill the gap between the center and the right flank.

"Okay, buy it and leave, ALL IN." Chen Shouxu muttered to himself. The battle situation is not yet clear, and it is estimated that he will not dare to invest in all the reserves. Maybe that's what a battlefield commander feels like and experience? Chen Shouxu didn't know, he continued to watch.

The artillery on the right flank, dragging the artillery, struggled to keep up with the advancing infantry.

Seeing that the tide continued to rise, and the Spanish cavalry was all thrown into battle, Holren's 30 men were drawn from the left flank, which was regarded as a rebuilding reserve.

The Spanish infantry was only then sorted, in a dense formation, with two battalions charging into the knoll on the right flank, and two battalions advancing towards the center of the pirates.

The artillerymen who arrived at the hill began to assemble the field guns, and seven or eight people raised the barrels and placed them on the gun mounts. The gun wheel is 1.3 meters high, the total length of the barrel is 1.5 meters, and the firing range is about 600 meters.

The formation of the Spanish left-wing infantry was even more chaotic than yesterday, with people huddled together and pushing each other. Spanish officers were forced to stop several times to regroup in the queue.

Seeing the Spanish infantry approaching, Holren ordered the two guns in the center to give priority to supporting the right flank. The battalion on the central side of the two phalanxes where the enemy attacked the hill was brought within range by artillery, and a solid bullet fell into the dense crowd, first breaking a head, then cutting off an arm, and severing a lower leg before landing. Screams continued to sound in the phalanx.

At the beginning of the shelling, the Mestizos barely maintained their formation under the pressure of the officers. The slave soldiers were completely panicked. This phalanx has formed a certain degree of confusion.

The pirate front pulled back diagonally, and the central front made contact even later. For the Spaniards, the extra distance will take a long time for them to maintain their basic formation and move slowly.

The marines on the hillock fired their main forces at the battalion phalanx, which had not been hit by artillery fire, and the Spanish infantry suffered heavier casualties in the volley-gun fire.

The spearmen of both sides began to make contact. The spearmen of this half-battalion of marines now had 50 men, formed two platoons to stab the enemy. It was the most reciprocal scene in the whole battle, spear to spear, musket to musket, and the number of people on both sides fell at the same time was almost equal. The Spanish spearmen were more numerous and twice as deep as the pirates. But after the bravest soldiers in the first row on both sides fell at the same time, the Spanish army hesitated in the back row and began to fear.

The artillerymen completed the assembly of the artillery, pulling the four-pounder gun to the right of the hillock with shoulder straps.

"Double shotgun!"

The muzzle of the black hole hole was pointed at the enemy phalanx.

Vulcan with an ignition stick reached into the cannon door, the gunpowder was ignited, and a puff of smoke rose. Countless small projectiles erupted from the muzzles of the guns and rushed towards the phalanx of the Spaniards. Amid the screams, a large number of soldiers fell.

"Go ahead and double the shotgun, reload!"

……

After three rounds of shotgunfire, the phalanx of hand-to-hand combat with the pirates disintegrated, and the soldiers dropped their weapons and fled backwards, completely out of formation.

This was the beginning of the collapse.

The artillerymen pulled the field guns up the hillock with shoulder straps and fired a longitudinal shot at the Spanish phalanx in the center with solid shells.

The confusion quickly spread from the left flank of the Spanish army to the whole army, and in a short time, the Spaniards were in a desperate situation.

A gust of sea breeze blew away the gunsmoke, and the Spaniards released the bison, Chen Shouxu was a little stunned, "This is the fire bull array?" ”

The scurrying buffalo rampant the Spanish queue was further disorganized, and the pirates were forced to slow down. It's just a minor nuisance, though. Whether it's the former Bakenians among the pirates or the cowboys in Argentina and Chile, cattle killing is their old business. Some of the cattle turned and ran away, others were killed by pirates with guns and various weapons.

Along with this chaos, Chen Shouxu saw that a Spanish nobleman dressed in three-quarter armor with some cavalry rushed into the ranks of pirates, killed a number of people, and then drowned in spears and bayonets.

It was the final battle of the day.