Zhang Biao looked through the gaps in the mask and camouflage suit at the city walls of Manila, which was close at hand. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 info The Spaniards didn't move at all, they couldn't see the figures moving around, they didn't hear anything, it was as if they weren't there at all. But Zhang Biao knew that they were there, hidden in the shadows, cautiously peeking into the world outside the city - the Spaniard must be there, or he would already be in the city.

Now, of course, he had to be patient and wait for the artillery fire to wipe out the walls and the nearby Spaniards, or disperse. Time flies and flies, crawling and running – the long time before the last minute is always unbearable, and you wish it came soon, while praying that it never came.

But no matter what Zhang Biao and the other mercenaries thought, the darkness was slowly passing, and the east of the city, the sun was gradually showing on the horizon.

"It's time, sir." The officer on duty solemnly reported.

"Free fire." Dewey gave the order, then left the bridge and returned to his cabin to wait for breakfast.

The battle had nothing to do with him, no more orders were needed, and the officers on the battleship knew what to do and how to do it. From "Olympia" to "San Francisco", the gunners had adjusted every gun capable of firing at Manila to the right position, and now they all fired.

Cannonballs erupted from the muzzles, and then Zhang Biao watched them explode on the fortresses and walls with impressive force: the seemingly impregnable stones that formed Manila's defenses crumbled almost instantly, and fragments of various sizes were thrown high in all directions, mixed with other things.

In his line of sight, the barrel and turret of a fortress cannon appeared in the air, and then fell into the second moat with several unlucky Spanish soldiers. Zhang Biao had to sigh at the amazing destructive power displayed by the battleship's giant cannons, and it seemed that nothing could stop their bombardment. Immediately, he began to wonder whether the Spaniards would survive the ninety-minute bombardment of the fort and the city walls.

When the second fortress cannon was swept into the moat by a violent explosion, Zhang Biao's worries intensified.

He's not the only one worried. At the moment when the first explosion reached his ears, Governor Augustine involuntarily panicked: the American warships were shelling Manila, which both surprised him and foreshadowed the rapid deterioration of the situation.

"The Americans clearly do not intend to receive a complete Manila, they just want to kill us all." Colonel Campos' fist slammed down on the table, his distorted expression and two blood-red eyes sent shivers down the spine of anyone who saw him—but what was even more terrifying was the conclusion he announced.

"It can't be!" Augustine did everything in his power to deny this. But the heavy shells that kept falling on the city wall also fell on his heart one after another like heavy hammers, which not only frightened him, but also shook his confidence. Augustine turned his attention to Rivera, who had been invited to the meeting, but the former governor avoided it.

And Campos continued to shout.

"This can't be? Mr. Governor, you should really go to the southern city and see what the truth is. He said sarcastically, and then his tone changed to a ferocious one, "We must abandon all unrealistic illusions about surrender, concentrate our forces, and prepare for a decisive battle with the Americans." ”

"I'm against it!" Augustine shouted, "We should first figure out what the Americans are trying to ......"

But Campos listened to nothing of what he said, as did several other senior officers, who seemed to support the colonel's suggestion. Of course, the officers were simply too frightened by the Filipino suicide tactics to know what else to do. The obvious question and concern is that if the Americans support the rebels' bizarre new tactics and insidious bombs with a large number of nails and steel balls in order to ensure that they can kill more targets and prevent the medical staff from helping the wounded, will they accept surrender?

"I don't know why, but the Americans hate us, and they're going to kill us all." An officer shouted in despair, "We can only fight!" ”

"Shut up!" Augustine was no longer able to speak, "I will not allow you to turn Manila into a battlefield!" ”

However, his objection was still meaningless. And, even Rivera, like a senior officer, began to wonder if Mr. Governor was still aware of the situation. "Manila has become a battlefield, Your Excellency the Governor."

"I am the Governor of the Philippines, and you must obey me!"

"Perhaps you can personally give orders to the troops, honorable Mr. Governor." Campos sneered, then ignored the thunderous Augustine and turned his gaze to his colleagues, "Gentlemen, we must act now. Gather your troops. ”

It's an order. As soon as he finished speaking, the officers sprang into action and left the conference room to assemble their troops.

And the shelling continues. The southern walls of Manila had been breached, and the fortified fortress was in ruins—although it remained intact, the last of the fortress guns had been destroyed, half of the tube had been soaked in water, and more than half of the defenses had been lost. Eventually, the all-important suspension bridge was put down. If anyone wants to, he can enter the bastion now.

But no mercenary was prepared to do so. They remained lurking in the bushes, silently watching the walls slowly crumble under the bombardment, while they continued to wait.

Things are a bit boring. Zhang Biao wanted to pick up his weapon and pretend to aim at Manila to pass the time. But in reality, he could only lie motionless on the ground, doing everything he could to make himself look like a pile of weeds. That's all there can be. If he had done something, perhaps the Spaniards would not have seen it, but the boss would have known it - and the result would have been worse than the Spaniards had seen.

"My leg is numb." A voice suddenly came from the pile of weeds beside him. It's Xu Wensheng.

"Quiet!" Zhang Biao lowered his voice and reprimanded, and at the same time had a new worry. Xu Wensheng is a rookie and definitely doesn't understand the importance of disguise, if he can't control him firmly, maybe he will kill all the people here. "Quiet." His voice became lower, "The Spaniards will find you." ”

"They won't." Xu Wensheng's view of the situation is quite optimistic, "You listen, the artillery is so loud, and there are shells exploding everywhere, the Spaniards will not ......"

The sound of the cannon suddenly disappeared.

"Exactly ninety minutes, very punctual." Qin Lang glanced at the time, smiled, and then nodded to the military advisors and commanders beside him. "Order the artillery to prepare."

One military adviser went to deliver orders, while the other came up. "Don't fire right away, Brigadier General?"

"Oh." Qin Lang shrugged, "We need to give the Spaniards a little time so that they can enter the position. ”

Spanish soldiers were moving into position; Amid the shouts of the officers, the soldiers rushed out of the bunkers and untouched buildings, armed with weapons and ammunition, to occupy the positions that had become unshakable, ready to meet the American troops. The shelling is over, and now it's their turn to fight back.

These angry soldiers pointed each weapon in the direction that the American troops might rush up, waiting to be fired.

But what they were waiting for was another burst of artillery fire. As if in an instant, the dense cannonballs smashed into the bastions and walls like hailstones, tearing apart the Spanish soldiers who had just entered the position and the weapons and ammunition they carried. And these shells fell far more often than Colonel Campos and his associates realized. Under their silent gaze, at least half of the soldiers did not leave their positions and enter cover.

"That's the real firepower of the Americans." The officers finally understood that they never really knew their opponents. The new discoveries made them all sink to their lowest level.

But others feel that their mood is not low enough. "I counted 1,200 explosions...... In a minute. A voice that seemed to have completely collapsed announced with hysterical screams, "How many artillery pieces are there in the USNS?" ”

But under such intense fire, not a single person could count the number of explosions. "1,200 times" means only one thing, he is already insane.

Together, the officers turned their gaze to the owner of the voice. Lieutenant Colonel Garcia, a handsome fine soldier who did not seem ready to throw away his life for something as good as honor, now approached the city walls. The officers understood him, and the sudden artillery fire engulfed a battalion of lieutenant colonels, devaluing him doubly. But the problem is that he is on his way to danger.

The shelling continues, and the Americans are diverting their fire, and little by little the barrage is moving forward...... He's about to go into the fire!

"Hell!" Campos yelled at the two soldiers, "Pull the lieutenant colonel back." ”

After a moment's hesitation, the two soldiers rushed forward and grabbed the lieutenant colonel's arm to pull him back to a safer place, but at that moment, a dozen shells fell. By the time the smoke cleared, Lieutenant Colonel Garcia and two soldiers had disappeared from the earth.

The senior officers who witnessed all this trembled. But they also had to give orders for the soldiers to continue to retreat and avoid the approaching artillery fire. Most of the soldiers managed to escape, but some were hit by shrapnel. No one glanced at the wounded comrades, because in the next minute they would disappear under fire.

Obviously, if nothing is done, all the soldiers here will die before the American army enters Manila.

"We should abandon the walls." Finally, Campos made a suggestion. (To be continued, if you want to know what will happen next, please log in to the www.qidian.com, more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!) (To be continued.) )