Chapter 1667
Attacking Manila
Chapter 1667 Attacking Manila ([-])
As for the negotiations between the two sides eventually broke down, Simao is obviously happy to see it happen.From the perspective of the Portuguese, he wished that the two families could fight to the death. Of course, it would be the best if the Spaniards could be completely expelled from the Philippine Islands and even the Far East by the way.It took Portugal decades to gradually deploy several supply ports in the Far East. If it hadn't embraced Haihan's thigh, these colonies would probably end up being annexed by Spain sooner or later.
Now that Haihan is dealing with the Spaniards, it is invisibly doing Portugal a big favor. If it wasn't for the fear of the Haihan people being suspicious, Simao really wanted to use this opportunity to stir up trouble and let the Haihan people push the city of Manila in one go. up.However, having followed Haihan's army for so many days, Simao also knows that Haihan's real purpose is to occupy Manila Bay and even the entire Luzon Island, and the control of these areas is what Haihan wants.As for attacking the Spaniards, it was just a matter of convenience, and it was not entirely for the purpose of fighting Spain that they sent troops to Manila.
Why did Haihan want to seize these places from the Spaniards? Simao believed that this was an inevitable measure for the colonial country’s external expansion. Who would not be tempted to see a natural harbor like Manila Bay?What's more, there is a seaport city that has been run by the Spaniards for more than half a century. As long as the city is not completely destroyed by the war and the local resident population is kept, it can be put back into use soon after it is seized. .Moreover, many towns have been formed in the surrounding area of Manila Bay, and the reclaimed farmland stretches for hundreds of miles. Haihan can save a lot of money and time by using this place as a colony for secondary development.
Of course, if the Spaniards can't stand it and surrender directly, then Haihan can save more money and time, but in that way, the Spaniards' strength will inevitably be preserved, which is nothing to Portugal good news.So seeing Francis leaving with a dark face, Simao actually felt a little gloating.
Qian Tiandun could see the palpable excitement of the Portuguese, but he didn't explain the other side's carelessness.The Portuguese wanted to use Haihan's military power to kill with a knife, but why didn't Haihan want to use the Portuguese to check and balance the Netherlands and Spain, and through Portugal's trade channels, to gradually establish Haihan, Central and Western Asia, and the European continent further away? the relationship between.Everyone is just performing their duties in this transaction, and each takes what they need. If you really want to say who is taking advantage of whom, it is not necessarily so clear.
At this time, two city gates in the east and south of Manila City have fallen into Haihan's hands, and about one-third of the urban area is controlled by Haihan.Although the Spanish defenders still occupy more than half of the city's area, this is just an appearance. Once the war starts again, the occupied areas of both sides will change immediately.
Although the north and west gates are still in the hands of the defenders, Manila Port is outside the west gate. As long as the Haihan Fleet tightens its pockets a little bit, it will be difficult for the entire Manila Port to leave the port safely during the day, so the existence of the West Gate is only It's better than nothing, at most it is to let the people go out of the city and then flee north along the coastline.And not far from the north gate is the Bashi River. If a large number of people rush out of the city, there will not be enough transport capacity to allow them to cross the Bashi River safely in a short time.
After night fell, the Spanish army did not attempt to launch a counterattack against the occupied area of Haihan, and Haihan's side also stood still with a tacit understanding, and did not launch a surprise attack on the center of the city and the north of the city during the night.
Qian Tiandun didn't want to add operational risks to his troops in vain, so it wouldn't hurt to wait an extra night.Roger led his own troops to the east gate, and the headquarters handed over all the artillery units entering the city from the east gate to him.Although it was not stated clearly, this arrangement is actually an invisible compensation for the South China Sea Special Warfare Brigade. After all, they did not get any military exploits in the previous operations. Let them come to Manila for a stroll and then go back.If this is not arranged, the war will be over.
The Marine Corps is still stationed near the coastline southwest of Manila City to intercept enemies who may flee south through the west gate.Of course, as long as a person with a clear mind would probably not choose such an escape route, it's just that the headquarters is worried that the defenders of the coastal defense fort in Manila Port will do some unnecessary death struggles, so they are still deployed here. Marine Corps, in case there are some uncontrollable situations.
Tom Wang still complained a lot about this arrangement, but the generals in the headquarters had known him for many years and knew what he really thought, so they wouldn't take his complaints too seriously.This siege battle must be the main force of the army, and the navy can no longer steal the limelight.
After nightfall, Qian Tiandun climbed over the ruins of the south gate and entered the city. He was not worried about Gao Qiaonan's command, but the combat environment in Manila was more complicated, and the attitude of the Spaniards was always vacillating. There will be another move to request a truce. Qian Tiandun will sit on the front line himself, so he can respond in time.
For Haihan, the attack arrangement for the next day is actually relatively simple, and there is no need to be greedy for success. He just needs to advance steadily based on the current occupied area, gradually reduce the scope of activities of the Spanish defenders, and then use artillery to attack and clean up the enemy. The city can be done in a day or two.If the defenders still want to use the previous tactics of using civilian houses to intercept layers, it will not be so easy at this time. After all, there are already two combat troops of the Haihan Army entering the city, and their strength is much more sufficient than the day before. It is fully capable of surrounding the entire block before cleaning it.
The only thing that needs to be careful is that the opponent adopts some unconventional or even extreme defensive tactics, such as arson and poisoning in the city, provoking riots, planting explosives in important places, etc. The possibility of these methods is not high, but still It is inevitable.In fact, there is no particularly effective way to deal with these shady tricks. Generally, strict martial law measures can only be implemented in the occupied areas to prohibit people from traveling.Cutting off the channels of information dissemination may be the most effective way.
The army's most capable special warfare battalion and the South China Sea special warfare brigade have already assembled in the city. If it were not for environmental constraints, another ace force of the army, the cavalry battalion, would also participate.For the Haihan army, everything is ready for tomorrow's war, and it only owes the east wind.
The Spaniards at the other end of the city obviously won't be in such a relaxed mood. They can't predict what kind of offensive they will encounter tomorrow, and they are not sure whether they can survive this test.Aragones was naturally very frustrated after hearing Francis' negotiation report, but he had nothing to say about it. The Haihan people's conditions were indeed too rude and harsh. Giving up Manila City was no different from surrendering directly. Travel to the country.Not to mention Francis, even if he goes to negotiate, it is also impossible to agree.
As for whether they can resist the next offensive of the Haihan army, both of them are already very clear that the chance of their side's comeback is very small, and the remaining suspense is just how long the battle can be dragged on.Aragones even faintly had the idea of retreating, but he knew that Francis probably would not agree with this approach. If he brought it up at this time, Francis would probably show his face on the spot—it was at this juncture, and he This subordinate will no longer worry about the relationship between superiors and subordinates.
But if Aragones just wants to save his life, he doesn't have to rely too much on the protection provided by Francis.He has a private armed force of hundreds of people under his command, who are only loyal to him personally. If tomorrow's battle is unfavorable, then this private army can protect him and escape from the city through the north gate.As for whether Francis will stay in the city or choose to save his life, Aragones can't control that much anymore. When the disaster is imminent, they will fly separately, and let's get through the current level first.
In the early morning of the next day, the Haihan army was divided into two groups. The special warfare battalion set out from the south of the city, and the Nanhai special warfare brigade set off from the east of the city. The two troops dispatched a total of more than [-] people and advanced separately to the center of Manila.The artillery unit that entered the city moved with Roger's troops. If the defenders set up temporary fortifications such as barricades on the streets of the city, the artillery unit would come forward to solve them.
The Spaniards, who had no skills to deal with, finally continued the previous tactics, hoping that the sparrow tactics of firing a shot and changing places would continue to slow down the advance speed of the Haihan Army.But it is a pity that this tactic did not achieve satisfactory results under the suppression of Haihan's troops. On the contrary, it quickly lost 300 people.
Only an hour after the battle started, the defenders had already retreated while fighting, giving up a large area in the center of the city.Gao Qiaonan did not expend too much effort, and had already commanded the troops to advance outside the cathedral.
Here, Gao Qiaonan finally met the priest Ran Tianlu mentioned, and he took the initiative to take Gao Qiaonan into the church, so that Gao Qiaonan could see the wounded and many homeless people in the church with his own eyes.
"Your Excellency, the people in the church do not have the ability to fight against your army. I hope you can show your kindness so that these people can survive." Father Blanco bluntly made a request to Gao Qiaonan: "They are not your country's enemies and should not be drawn into this war."
Gao Qiaonan responded after listening to the translation: "Although your request is reasonable, I must say that whether these people can survive or not depends on the laws of our country in the end. It is not a verbal transaction between you and me. I can promise to let these people temporarily hide in the church, but you must also promise me that this church can only enter and cannot exit. If someone commits a crime, you will also be jointly and severally responsible. If you can do it, then you will The safety of these people in the church."
Gao Qiaonan didn't intend to kill indiscriminately, but he had to guard against the possibility of people gathering crowds to make trouble.Father Blanc wants to turn the church into a sanctuary, to provide protection for his friends first, and to block the bloody disaster in front of him. In his opinion, this is a benevolent act of the church, but in Haihanjun's view, it is a Security risks.If it hadn't been for Qian Tiandun's specific warning the night before not to be rough on the cathedral in the city, Gao Qiaonan might not have bothered to respond to Father Blanco's request at all.
For this reason, Gao Qiaonan left 200 people deployed on the traffic arteries around the church to ensure that this place is always under Haihan's effective monitoring.The subtext is of course that if something happens in this place, then the Haihan army has enough troops to suppress it by force at the nearest place.
The castle area located in the north of the city is a fortress built by the Spaniards when they settled here. It is also the political center of the Manila area. Almost all official institutions, including the Governor's Palace, are concentrated in this city within the city. The six-meter-high stone city wall It is probably the last means of defense in this city.
Gao Qiaonan was delayed for about half an hour because he was dealing with the church in the center of the city, but his troops were not affected by this, and they arrived outside the castle before the South China Sea special warfare brigade.However, due to the lack of heavy firepower weapons to break the defense, the special warfare battalion can only besiege and not attack here for the time being, waiting for the artillery units to attack from the east.
At ten o'clock in the morning, the anxious artillery unit that made the special warfare battalion wait until they finally arrived at the battle zone with their weapons. After setting up four cannons at the gate of the castle, they fired a few rounds of cannons first without any explanation.The gate of this castle was not completely blocked from the inside like the south gate, and it was blasted into a pile of wood slag within a few blows.The defenders in the castle were basically unwilling to fight. Seeing that the general situation was over, many people put down their weapons and surrendered to Haihan.
Gao Qiaonan rushed into the governor's mansion with people, but found that the place was empty, and there was no sign of Aragones at all.Then he led the team to the residence of Francis, the commander of the city defense, but also missed.This result disappointed Takahashi Minami. If no high-ranking enemy officials were caught, then the success of conquering Manila City would be greatly reduced.
The city of Manila is neither big nor small. It is really difficult to find one or two people out of the city in the current chaos, not to mention it is not clear whether these two high-ranking officials have escaped. the city.
"Arrest the servants in their residence first, and start the interrogation immediately. Before noon, I want to know the whereabouts of these two people!" Gao Qiaonan immediately assigned the task.As for the interrogation, there shouldn't be too much of a problem with the Portuguese acting as an interpreter.Of course, he didn't forget to send the news back to the south of the city immediately, so that Qian Tiandun could understand the situation on the front line.
"Run away? Even that Francis ran away?" Qian Tiandun was quite surprised by this. He thought that the Spanish officer had some courage, so why did he run away before the last moment.It seemed that, as Simao said, it was impossible to sit down and have a drink with that man.
(End of this chapter)
As for the negotiations between the two sides eventually broke down, Simao is obviously happy to see it happen.From the perspective of the Portuguese, he wished that the two families could fight to the death. Of course, it would be the best if the Spaniards could be completely expelled from the Philippine Islands and even the Far East by the way.It took Portugal decades to gradually deploy several supply ports in the Far East. If it hadn't embraced Haihan's thigh, these colonies would probably end up being annexed by Spain sooner or later.
Now that Haihan is dealing with the Spaniards, it is invisibly doing Portugal a big favor. If it wasn't for the fear of the Haihan people being suspicious, Simao really wanted to use this opportunity to stir up trouble and let the Haihan people push the city of Manila in one go. up.However, having followed Haihan's army for so many days, Simao also knows that Haihan's real purpose is to occupy Manila Bay and even the entire Luzon Island, and the control of these areas is what Haihan wants.As for attacking the Spaniards, it was just a matter of convenience, and it was not entirely for the purpose of fighting Spain that they sent troops to Manila.
Why did Haihan want to seize these places from the Spaniards? Simao believed that this was an inevitable measure for the colonial country’s external expansion. Who would not be tempted to see a natural harbor like Manila Bay?What's more, there is a seaport city that has been run by the Spaniards for more than half a century. As long as the city is not completely destroyed by the war and the local resident population is kept, it can be put back into use soon after it is seized. .Moreover, many towns have been formed in the surrounding area of Manila Bay, and the reclaimed farmland stretches for hundreds of miles. Haihan can save a lot of money and time by using this place as a colony for secondary development.
Of course, if the Spaniards can't stand it and surrender directly, then Haihan can save more money and time, but in that way, the Spaniards' strength will inevitably be preserved, which is nothing to Portugal good news.So seeing Francis leaving with a dark face, Simao actually felt a little gloating.
Qian Tiandun could see the palpable excitement of the Portuguese, but he didn't explain the other side's carelessness.The Portuguese wanted to use Haihan's military power to kill with a knife, but why didn't Haihan want to use the Portuguese to check and balance the Netherlands and Spain, and through Portugal's trade channels, to gradually establish Haihan, Central and Western Asia, and the European continent further away? the relationship between.Everyone is just performing their duties in this transaction, and each takes what they need. If you really want to say who is taking advantage of whom, it is not necessarily so clear.
At this time, two city gates in the east and south of Manila City have fallen into Haihan's hands, and about one-third of the urban area is controlled by Haihan.Although the Spanish defenders still occupy more than half of the city's area, this is just an appearance. Once the war starts again, the occupied areas of both sides will change immediately.
Although the north and west gates are still in the hands of the defenders, Manila Port is outside the west gate. As long as the Haihan Fleet tightens its pockets a little bit, it will be difficult for the entire Manila Port to leave the port safely during the day, so the existence of the West Gate is only It's better than nothing, at most it is to let the people go out of the city and then flee north along the coastline.And not far from the north gate is the Bashi River. If a large number of people rush out of the city, there will not be enough transport capacity to allow them to cross the Bashi River safely in a short time.
After night fell, the Spanish army did not attempt to launch a counterattack against the occupied area of Haihan, and Haihan's side also stood still with a tacit understanding, and did not launch a surprise attack on the center of the city and the north of the city during the night.
Qian Tiandun didn't want to add operational risks to his troops in vain, so it wouldn't hurt to wait an extra night.Roger led his own troops to the east gate, and the headquarters handed over all the artillery units entering the city from the east gate to him.Although it was not stated clearly, this arrangement is actually an invisible compensation for the South China Sea Special Warfare Brigade. After all, they did not get any military exploits in the previous operations. Let them come to Manila for a stroll and then go back.If this is not arranged, the war will be over.
The Marine Corps is still stationed near the coastline southwest of Manila City to intercept enemies who may flee south through the west gate.Of course, as long as a person with a clear mind would probably not choose such an escape route, it's just that the headquarters is worried that the defenders of the coastal defense fort in Manila Port will do some unnecessary death struggles, so they are still deployed here. Marine Corps, in case there are some uncontrollable situations.
Tom Wang still complained a lot about this arrangement, but the generals in the headquarters had known him for many years and knew what he really thought, so they wouldn't take his complaints too seriously.This siege battle must be the main force of the army, and the navy can no longer steal the limelight.
After nightfall, Qian Tiandun climbed over the ruins of the south gate and entered the city. He was not worried about Gao Qiaonan's command, but the combat environment in Manila was more complicated, and the attitude of the Spaniards was always vacillating. There will be another move to request a truce. Qian Tiandun will sit on the front line himself, so he can respond in time.
For Haihan, the attack arrangement for the next day is actually relatively simple, and there is no need to be greedy for success. He just needs to advance steadily based on the current occupied area, gradually reduce the scope of activities of the Spanish defenders, and then use artillery to attack and clean up the enemy. The city can be done in a day or two.If the defenders still want to use the previous tactics of using civilian houses to intercept layers, it will not be so easy at this time. After all, there are already two combat troops of the Haihan Army entering the city, and their strength is much more sufficient than the day before. It is fully capable of surrounding the entire block before cleaning it.
The only thing that needs to be careful is that the opponent adopts some unconventional or even extreme defensive tactics, such as arson and poisoning in the city, provoking riots, planting explosives in important places, etc. The possibility of these methods is not high, but still It is inevitable.In fact, there is no particularly effective way to deal with these shady tricks. Generally, strict martial law measures can only be implemented in the occupied areas to prohibit people from traveling.Cutting off the channels of information dissemination may be the most effective way.
The army's most capable special warfare battalion and the South China Sea special warfare brigade have already assembled in the city. If it were not for environmental constraints, another ace force of the army, the cavalry battalion, would also participate.For the Haihan army, everything is ready for tomorrow's war, and it only owes the east wind.
The Spaniards at the other end of the city obviously won't be in such a relaxed mood. They can't predict what kind of offensive they will encounter tomorrow, and they are not sure whether they can survive this test.Aragones was naturally very frustrated after hearing Francis' negotiation report, but he had nothing to say about it. The Haihan people's conditions were indeed too rude and harsh. Giving up Manila City was no different from surrendering directly. Travel to the country.Not to mention Francis, even if he goes to negotiate, it is also impossible to agree.
As for whether they can resist the next offensive of the Haihan army, both of them are already very clear that the chance of their side's comeback is very small, and the remaining suspense is just how long the battle can be dragged on.Aragones even faintly had the idea of retreating, but he knew that Francis probably would not agree with this approach. If he brought it up at this time, Francis would probably show his face on the spot—it was at this juncture, and he This subordinate will no longer worry about the relationship between superiors and subordinates.
But if Aragones just wants to save his life, he doesn't have to rely too much on the protection provided by Francis.He has a private armed force of hundreds of people under his command, who are only loyal to him personally. If tomorrow's battle is unfavorable, then this private army can protect him and escape from the city through the north gate.As for whether Francis will stay in the city or choose to save his life, Aragones can't control that much anymore. When the disaster is imminent, they will fly separately, and let's get through the current level first.
In the early morning of the next day, the Haihan army was divided into two groups. The special warfare battalion set out from the south of the city, and the Nanhai special warfare brigade set off from the east of the city. The two troops dispatched a total of more than [-] people and advanced separately to the center of Manila.The artillery unit that entered the city moved with Roger's troops. If the defenders set up temporary fortifications such as barricades on the streets of the city, the artillery unit would come forward to solve them.
The Spaniards, who had no skills to deal with, finally continued the previous tactics, hoping that the sparrow tactics of firing a shot and changing places would continue to slow down the advance speed of the Haihan Army.But it is a pity that this tactic did not achieve satisfactory results under the suppression of Haihan's troops. On the contrary, it quickly lost 300 people.
Only an hour after the battle started, the defenders had already retreated while fighting, giving up a large area in the center of the city.Gao Qiaonan did not expend too much effort, and had already commanded the troops to advance outside the cathedral.
Here, Gao Qiaonan finally met the priest Ran Tianlu mentioned, and he took the initiative to take Gao Qiaonan into the church, so that Gao Qiaonan could see the wounded and many homeless people in the church with his own eyes.
"Your Excellency, the people in the church do not have the ability to fight against your army. I hope you can show your kindness so that these people can survive." Father Blanco bluntly made a request to Gao Qiaonan: "They are not your country's enemies and should not be drawn into this war."
Gao Qiaonan responded after listening to the translation: "Although your request is reasonable, I must say that whether these people can survive or not depends on the laws of our country in the end. It is not a verbal transaction between you and me. I can promise to let these people temporarily hide in the church, but you must also promise me that this church can only enter and cannot exit. If someone commits a crime, you will also be jointly and severally responsible. If you can do it, then you will The safety of these people in the church."
Gao Qiaonan didn't intend to kill indiscriminately, but he had to guard against the possibility of people gathering crowds to make trouble.Father Blanc wants to turn the church into a sanctuary, to provide protection for his friends first, and to block the bloody disaster in front of him. In his opinion, this is a benevolent act of the church, but in Haihanjun's view, it is a Security risks.If it hadn't been for Qian Tiandun's specific warning the night before not to be rough on the cathedral in the city, Gao Qiaonan might not have bothered to respond to Father Blanco's request at all.
For this reason, Gao Qiaonan left 200 people deployed on the traffic arteries around the church to ensure that this place is always under Haihan's effective monitoring.The subtext is of course that if something happens in this place, then the Haihan army has enough troops to suppress it by force at the nearest place.
The castle area located in the north of the city is a fortress built by the Spaniards when they settled here. It is also the political center of the Manila area. Almost all official institutions, including the Governor's Palace, are concentrated in this city within the city. The six-meter-high stone city wall It is probably the last means of defense in this city.
Gao Qiaonan was delayed for about half an hour because he was dealing with the church in the center of the city, but his troops were not affected by this, and they arrived outside the castle before the South China Sea special warfare brigade.However, due to the lack of heavy firepower weapons to break the defense, the special warfare battalion can only besiege and not attack here for the time being, waiting for the artillery units to attack from the east.
At ten o'clock in the morning, the anxious artillery unit that made the special warfare battalion wait until they finally arrived at the battle zone with their weapons. After setting up four cannons at the gate of the castle, they fired a few rounds of cannons first without any explanation.The gate of this castle was not completely blocked from the inside like the south gate, and it was blasted into a pile of wood slag within a few blows.The defenders in the castle were basically unwilling to fight. Seeing that the general situation was over, many people put down their weapons and surrendered to Haihan.
Gao Qiaonan rushed into the governor's mansion with people, but found that the place was empty, and there was no sign of Aragones at all.Then he led the team to the residence of Francis, the commander of the city defense, but also missed.This result disappointed Takahashi Minami. If no high-ranking enemy officials were caught, then the success of conquering Manila City would be greatly reduced.
The city of Manila is neither big nor small. It is really difficult to find one or two people out of the city in the current chaos, not to mention it is not clear whether these two high-ranking officials have escaped. the city.
"Arrest the servants in their residence first, and start the interrogation immediately. Before noon, I want to know the whereabouts of these two people!" Gao Qiaonan immediately assigned the task.As for the interrogation, there shouldn't be too much of a problem with the Portuguese acting as an interpreter.Of course, he didn't forget to send the news back to the south of the city immediately, so that Qian Tiandun could understand the situation on the front line.
"Run away? Even that Francis ran away?" Qian Tiandun was quite surprised by this. He thought that the Spanish officer had some courage, so why did he run away before the last moment.It seemed that, as Simao said, it was impossible to sit down and have a drink with that man.
(End of this chapter)