African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 948: Capture of Manila

"In 1897, the total number of our army fluctuated around , less than one-third of the German and French armies, but military spending reached a new high, reaching about four-fifths of Germany's. The main reason was that the equipment of new tools and weapons such as automobiles drove the military spending of the National Defense Army to soar. As for the navy, there was little change."

The East African Navy's military expenditure is not small, but it seems very conservative against the backdrop of the continuous increase in naval spending in other countries.

Navy spending accounts for the bulk of East Africa's military spending, so even with a surge in army spending, East Africa's overall military spending is still within a controllable range.

"The main investment in other areas is mainly in industry and infrastructure construction, so this part of expenditure must not be cut."

"With the development of colleges and basic education, education and scientific research expenditures now account for 9.7% of our national fiscal revenue, while military expenditures only remain at around 13%. Therefore, my country's investment in education is also at a relatively high level in the world, which is equivalent to sacrificing military construction funds to support education. As a result, the equipment of many troops has not been effectively replaced, especially in the field of artillery and other weapons."

East Africa's education expenditure and military expenditure are already very close. If it were not for the tense international situation, there would probably be room for further reduction in East Africa's military expenditure.

This also reflects the support of the East African government for education and scientific research. In the construction of the East African industrial system, education provides East Africa with high-quality workers, while scientific research is mainly reflected in breakthroughs and innovations in industrial technology.

……

Manila Bay.

In the blink of an eye, it is already July. After the last naval battle, the Spanish Navy has completely consolidated the idea of ​​"avoiding war and protecting ships".

The Spanish Navy stayed in Manila Bay and refused to leave, which undoubtedly caused great trouble to the U.S. Navy. After all, it was not easy for the U.S. Navy to come to the Philippines. If Spain relied on the advantage of terrain conditions and wasted time with the U.S. Navy, it was entirely possible to win without fighting.

After all, the U.S. Navy cannot stay on the sea forever. If it cannot break through the Manila Bay, it will either return home to reorganize supplies and fight again, or find a nearby port for rest and replenishment.

It's not that there is no way to do this. It is still feasible if we communicate with Britain in a humble manner. As for other neighboring countries, only the Netherlands, East Africa and France have the ability to do so, but no one will do that.

"No matter what, we must take Manila Bay tomorrow. We can't keep wasting time here with the Spaniards." Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet Dewey said in a very tough tone.

This long-planned sneak attack did not produce significant results. After all, Spain had made some preparations before the war. On the first day of the naval battle, it lost a warship. It was a bad start, and Dewey naturally could not give up.

"But Commander, the Spanish mines and coastal artillery are difficult to deal with. If we attack rashly, there may be problems. Why don't we wait until we replenish ammunition and supplies before launching the attack?" someone advised.

Dewey denied his subordinates' statement: "The Spanish mines are a big problem, but not a big issue. Tomorrow, the cruiser Raleigh will be responsible for clearing the way and blasting a passage into the bay. The other warships will follow closely. As for the coastal defense artillery on both sides, leave it to the Olympia and Baltimore to deal with it. As long as we can enter Manila Bay, the Philippine Navy will be trapped and there will be no possibility of counterattack."

Dewey's move was actually a huge gamble. If the Spanish navy and colonial army were well-trained and coordinated properly, the US Navy's Asian fleet would probably be completely destroyed in Manila Bay.

1898 6 Month 5 Day.

The U.S. Navy once again launched an attack on Manila Bay. The cruiser Raleigh led the way and fired directly at the sea ahead, causing huge waves on the water.

The Raleigh then rushed into Manila Bay at full speed. At this time, the Raleigh was actually a "suicide ship". In addition to having to pass through the mine-laying area with fear, it also had to deal with the attack of the Spanish coastal defense artillery in Manila Bay.

As expected, the Raleigh, which was hit first, became a thorn in the side of the Spanish colonial defenders. Artillery on the north shore of Manila Bay and the central Corregidor Island opened fire at the Raleigh.

"Boom boom boom..."

Amidst a loud bang, the entire ship of the Raleigh was in a precarious situation. However, perhaps due to the lack of training, none of the Spanish shells hit the target in the first round of fire, and the nearest shell was only more than 40 meters away from the Raleigh.

This opened the eyes of the East African Military Advisory Group who were observing the war on the northern coastal heights.

"The quality of the soldiers in the Spanish colonies is too poor. More than a dozen artillery pieces in a relatively narrow area can't even hit the target with one shot. Now the Raleigh of the United States is obviously moving in a straight line. Its route and speed can be directly observed, so it is not difficult to hit the target. The large-caliber artillery we provided them is simply a waste of resources."

"It all depends on whether the Spanish can make a breakthrough. If the Raleigh can get through, it basically means that the Battle of Manila Bay can end early."

The Spanish defenders and the US Navy could not hear the complaints of the East African Military Advisory Group. At this time, both sides were still controlling the direction of the war at their own pace, and the Spanish were clearly at a disadvantage.

"Suppress the enemy's artillery with fire!" As Dewey's order was issued, without waiting for Spain to launch a new round of artillery fire, other American warships had already begun attacking the Spanish firepower points on the shore.

Although they were in the sea and the conditions for warships to fire were hindered, the U.S. Navy soldiers carried out their operations in an orderly manner, and shells flew towards the Spanish artillery positions from both sides.

After one round, two Spanish firepower points were paralyzed. The performance of both sides was completely reversed, as if the Americans were firing on land and the Spaniards were on the sea.

"Tsk tsk, I wonder if Spain can keep up the fighting spirit. I'm afraid there's a lot of chaos on the battlefield right now." The East African observer made a sarcastic remark.

And this is indeed the case. The artillery fire of the US Navy caused great panic among the Spanish soldiers in the fortresses and defense offensives. Under such circumstances, those who could continue to complete the attack according to the procedures were considered the elites of the colonial forces.

As the Spanish artillery on both sides of the strait was suppressed, the U.S. Navy, under the command of Dewey, began to squeeze into the interior of Manila Bay along the safe channel opened by the Raleigh.

However, due to the limitations of Spanish artillery and torpedoes, the US Navy's room for maneuver was still limited. After the influx of American warships, the number of targets increased, and the Spanish artillery finally took effect. A shell hit the bow of the Baltimore. Then the Spanish colonial artillery seemed to be on fire, showing a completely different effect from before.

Several American warships were hit again, but unfortunately most of the Spanish artillery were not powerful enough, and the more threatening firepower points had already been paid attention to by the US Navy, so they were ineffective.

As a result, the US Navy broke into Manila Bay with one ship sunk, one seriously damaged, and three slightly damaged. At this time, the Spanish Navy warships in the Philippines began to take action, causing secondary damage to the US Navy again.

But the gap between the two sides was too big. Even the damaged American warships had the advantage against the old Spanish warships.

So by three o'clock in the afternoon, the US Navy's Asiatic Fleet had completely wiped out the Spanish Philippine Colonial Navy despite its injuries, and this also meant that the war situation in the Philippines entered the next stage.

(End of this chapter)