Wayne spreads out the map, and the intelligence is not sufficient, which will take experience to make up for it. Belize City itself sits on the south bank of the Belize estuary, and he used his fingers to draw two lines above and below Belize City, "The question now is whether to choose to go north and south from the mouth of the Belize River around the levee and enter the lagoon through the gap in the levee. ”

"The north shore of the Belize estuary is shallow, and the south bank is deep. It's hard for your Guard on the North Shore to get close to the city, and we have to rely on small boats to propel. The water on the south bank was deep, but their batteries were mainly concentrated in this direction. ”

This is the case with classical warfare, where multiple choice questions are made under the fog of war. A general's talent and experience sometimes make the difference.

Wayne shook his head resolutely, "The captives said that the enemy's battery had twelve-pounder cannons. I'm not going to fight a stone battery with a wooden ship, that must be crazy. ”

Rubsh drew two lines on the map with his finger, "Then we'll go to the north shore." The north shore was shallow, and the Belizean pirates had far fewer watchtowers for guard and artillery with suitable firing ranges than on the south shore, and the large ships that could not pass were waiting in the open sea at the mouth of the river, and we landed in small boats. ”

It's a very classic barbecue gang pirate combat method, there have been many successful examples, and Wayne sounds a little tempting. It does make sense to go around the side of the enemy from the weakly defended side of the enemy to the back of the city and strike again.

But Chen Shouxu vaguely felt that something was wrong, and wanted to refine it further, "Gentlemen." We know that in the interior of the reef, the small patrol vessels and watchtowers of Belizean pirates provide a considerable degree of warning range, at least during the day, so how can we achieve the suddenness of the attack? ”

"It's not that hard. We calculated the voyage, and both north and south, just in time for the gap in the reef at nightfall. ”

This is the usual practice, Chen Shouxu said, "That's right. But if we go to the north shore of the estuary at night, we do not have a thorough grasp of the sea conditions, and if we are delayed by the reef and shoals, the time we can spend at night for fighting will be greatly reduced. ”

Wayne kind of understood what Chen Shouxu meant. Taking the route on the north bank of the estuary, time is a big problem.

Chen Shouxu continued, "Even if everything goes well, if the big ship is blocked by the shallows, we can only berth far away. We will be on the march on land for a long time. If the distance is too far, it will also be difficult to communicate between the battleship and the landing soldiers. ”

What Chen Shouxu didn't say was that there was also a threat from a Belizean sortie fleet, and no one knew when they would return. The first wave of attacks must be swift and powerful to inflict heavy damage on the Belizean pirates, otherwise it will be detrimental to our side if it drags on.

"I'm not against going north. In fact, if we had more information, I would also support going to the North Shore. But for now, there are too many uncontrollable factors on the North Shore. ”

The tactical choice should be as concise as possible, too complex will make your own people stunned.

Although Rabush was brutal, he was a very cautious man in fighting. He held his chin and felt that what Chen Shouxu said made sense.

Wayne asked, "Then go south and we'll probably run into Belizean pirate patrol ships and have to fight the batteries." ”

"Captain Wayne. The reef is more than a dozen miles wide between the reef and the coast, and the east winds prevail in Belize this season. We hung up the full sails and rushed straight in. The shorter the time, the lower the probability of detection. Half of Belize's pirates are out on safari, and they shouldn't be well manned to keep a close eye on them at night. "If it is a winter attack on Belize, with the north wind howling, this option does not exist, and the northern route must be taken.

"The delta on the south bank of the Belize estuary has some main stream divergent channels that enter the sea alone, and we anchor our boats at the mouth of the tributaries and land in small boats and sampans. ”

"Take the southern route, if it really doesn't work, we will retreat to the ship, and it will be more convenient to storm or evacuate."

Wayne made a decision and took the southern route. The direction is certain, and several captains continue to refine the scheme based on their own experience.

The next day, the flotilla left the anchorage with all the personnel and supplies and sailed out of the lagoon on Tenev Island. Ordinary merchant ships would not choose to take the route close to the pirate's lair, and the area around is full of merchant ships that go to Belize to engage in black market trade, and they all sail inside the embankment.

The flotilla passed through the gap in the reef after nightfall, as planned, and headed for Belize at full speed.

In the stern of the Tempest, Chen Shouxu looked at Boggs in surprise, "You said you want to land with us?" Belize City is home to more than 200 vicious pirates. ”

Boggs's face was pale and unsightly, "Yes. Whether it is the duty assigned to me by the West India Company, or as your crew, I will go ashore with the landing echelon. ”

Chen Shouxu seemed to smile, "Have you thought about it?" We will be shelled, and we will also fight hand-to-hand with the enemy. We don't have a numerical advantage, and I may not be able to spare men to guard you. ”

Boggs seemed determined and clenched his fists, "Although I'm scared too, my instincts tell me that I should fight with you. ”

The fat man was very serious, Chen Shouxu put away his playful expression, and he said to Rega beside him, "Give him your knife." ”

Rhaegar handed the sailor knife to Boggs.

"Take the knife, follow me, don't fall behind." Chen Shouxu looked at the fat man, perhaps excited or afraid, his body trembling slightly, "I suggest you drink a large glass of rum now." ”

Dark clouds obscured the moon from time to time, which was perfect for fleets on stealthy missions.

The fleet reached the mouth of a river in the Belize River Impact Delta.

Of the three ships previously seized, two merchant ships had been burned due to their slow speed and large hulls, leaving only the longboats on board. And this Belizean pirate patrol boat is a galley, which is just right for now.

The Guard dropped two longboats, two on the Rose, one each on the Tempest and one on the Revenge, plus two captured longboats. A total of one patrol boat, slightly smaller than the Periaga boat, eight longboats.

The landing party consisted of 80 men from the Guard, 60 from the Rose, 50 from the Storm, and 25 from the Vengeance, for a total of 215 men.

The crew was very strong. Sailors' knives, grenades, arquebuses, and even ten samurai in half-armor on board the Guard, the sailors were armed to the teeth. The team carried two one-pounder boom guns mounted on two-wheeled gun carriages. There were many fanatical Protestants in Ravouch's Rotisserie Gang, and the longboats gathered around Wayne's patrol boats to receive forgiveness from the priests, who entrusted their souls to God.

Ignoring Rhaeggar's objections, Chen Shouxuan left him on the ship and took Robert with him.

With five hours left before dawn, the sailors paddled out. Ships sailed in the middle of the river, and the moonlight occasionally peeked through the gaps in the dark clouds, illuminating the way forward. On the right bank of the river you can see the scattered wooden houses in the forest, which are the dwellings of the loggers. The sea breeze blows in along the river, puffing up the sails of the longboat, and with the action of the oars, the speed is not slow. In the distance, the messy houses of Belize City can already be seen.

The fleet sailed into the main stream of the Belize River, Wayne gave the signal to land, the longboat approached the beachhead, and everyone landed, following the lumberjack's trail to the outskirts of the town. Maiden and a dozen or so pirates from the fleet who were skilled in night raids were the first to go, and their mission was to touch the outposts on the outskirts of the town. The rest of the people hid in the woods.

On several occasions, the pirates of the Barbecue Gang used the darkness to sneak up on the side of the Spanish galleon, climb the deck to touch the sailors on duty, and snatch the huge Galen ship with a few small sampans. They are connoisseurs of night raids.

Maiden signaled success, and Wayne raised his hand to signal everyone to move forward. The moonlight was once again hidden behind the dark clouds, and the pirates skillfully dispersed and poured into the town.

Like all colonial towns of this era, the core of the entire city is a Plaza de Armas. The square is surrounded by churches, bell towers and warehouses, all of which are solid masonry.

Immediately off the river is the city's harbor, guarded by a two-storey battery. There is a ring of stone walls around the perimeter of the fort, and there are some buildings in the stone walls. If the intelligence is accurate, Pete Wallace lives inside. A little farther away, on the south bank of the estuary, the Belizean pirates also built two stone batteries, larger than the ones that controlled the harbor. The construction of these three forts, which were enemy of government forces, cost Belizean pirates a lot of resources, and they probably never expected to be attacked by fellow pirates, and even if they did, they would not be able to monitor all the nearby rivers with the number of people they had now.

"Ping Pong ......", gunshots rang out, and Belize City reverberated with a rapid bell.

Wayne drew his sword, and the sneak attack was only discovered until now, and it was a huge success. The pirates of their side let out a loud cry and burned the town.

Wayne's men pushed a light gun carriage and quickly advanced around the square. Roberts' men worked with Wayne to clean up the town's pirates.

Chen Shouxu and Labsh's men rushed to the seaside fort separately.

The two batteries were not far apart, one facing the estuary and the other pointing towards the sea. The one assigned to Chen Shouxu was the one that pointed to the mouth of the river.

The twelve-pounder cannon was located on the lower level of the casemate, and it was impossible to gain a rear firing range. The Belizean pirates struggled to move the two or three four-pounder guns on the upper deck with the rear-loading Furlong and turned their guns inland.

The sneak attack only created a good start, but at this time there was no way to take advantage of the turret. Can only be attacked.

The four-pound solid bullet struck the ground in front of the sailor of the Tempest, bouncing off to form a ricochet. Broke the calf of one of the sailors and bounced around. Immediately someone dragged the screaming wounded to the rear, the rum had been prepared, and now there was no means of treatment, hastily bandaged and poured the wounded with wine.

The fat man panted and followed behind Chen Shouxu, although it was hard, he tried to keep up with the pace, which made Chen Shouxu a little impressed.

Maiden was harvesting the lives of Belizean pirates in the town, and Walter and the chief were still with Chen Shouxu.

The sailors of the Tempest rushed twice, but were knocked down by the Furlong machine on the battery.

Walter wears a half-length armor captured from the Portuguese. He observed the firepower on the fort and said to Chen Shouxu, "The firepower seems to be very fierce, but most of the shots are made by Franco's sons." There was not much fire from the muzzle, and there should be a shortage of people in the battery. ”

The situation on LaBush's side was similar to that of Chen Shouxu. He stood before them all, took off his captain's hat, and cried out, "Lord, brothers, don't be afraid of the dead! The Roast Gang let out a beastly howl and charged toward the battery.

"We also rushed and took the fort in one go."

Walter raised his saber, "Grenadier forward, gunner-archer cover, charge!" ”

After saying that, he rushed to the battery, and behind him was the strongest sailor with a grenade. The arquebusiers fired volleys alternately at the batteries as they charged. The chief and his Indian brothers played a great role at this time, and the bow and arrow were much faster than the arquebus in this short period of time, and the arrows fired at the battery were a great threat to the unprotected gunners.

The formation naturally pulled apart, and the four-pounder guns on the turret stopped firing, probably too late to reload, leaving only two rear-loading Furlong machines still reaping lives.

When they were about to rush under the battery, the enemy artillery fired two shotguns, and the crew fell one piece. Entering the effective range of bows and arquebuses, the numerical superiority allowed the Indian archers and arquebusiers to suppress the fire of enemy guns. The remaining grenadiers lit the grenade's fuse and threw it upwards with all their might. After the explosion, the sailors threw their grappling hooks, took their sailor knives in their mouths and climbed to the top of the battery.

The gunners also dropped their arquebuses, drew daggers and climbed onto the battery. They quickly cleared the enemy inside the battery.

Chen Shouxu only had time to look behind him at this time, there were corpses and seriously injured wounded along the way, and the two shotguns caused the greatest casualties. Chen Shouxu immediately counted the manpower, and there were only 27 people left in the fort who could still move. This was still a sneak attack at night, and nearly half of them were killed or wounded. He couldn't imagine how many people he would lose in the daytime fighting this fort.

Chen Shouxu immediately assigned manpower to carry the wounded scattered outside into the fort. Chen Shouxu knows that many people will not survive tonight, but no matter how much energy is spent, no matter whether the treatment is effective or not, people must be saved.

He said to Walter, "Mr. Walter, I need you to hold this battery for the time being, but I can only give you 17 men. ”

Walter's face was blackened by gunsmoke, his forearm was probably slightly injured, and he did some simple bandaging, he didn't say much, and habitually saluted Chen Shouxu, "Yes, Captain." ”

Chen Shouxu took a look, and Labsh's side also successfully took the fort. After a brief rest, he took the chief's Indian brothers and the remaining grenadiers and walked towards the square in the center of the city.