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Chapter 570 Battle of Manila Bay
"I'm sorry, Captain, these letters are basically the same as Latin and French, but they are all unfamiliar words put together. I thought it did not belong to any country's writing, but was more like a code."

The boatswain called Kalinka had short snow-white hair and a snow-white beard. He looked like Alfonso's grandfather, but he was very strong and his arms were thicker than Wang Datou's legs.

"Okay, after breakfast we will leave here and drop anchor in the big lake upstream. We will return to Hao Jing'ao as soon as the warning is lifted."

He didn't have high hopes at first, but now he gave up. Captain Alfonso carefully put the small notebook into his purse, looked up at the blue sky, and began to arrange the voyage.

"But Captain, our cabin is empty enough for a circus." Kalinka didn't understand this order very well. He had been out for almost two months and had done no business. He didn't buy or sell any goods, so he went back empty-handed. The crew will be disappointed if they don't get their reward.

"I have just negotiated a good deal, and the reward is at least more than 300 cans of cocoa powder, but it cannot be cashed out until I return to Guangzhou. This ship, like you, should retire.

I'm wondering if I should buy a boat like the one used by the Ming emperors to transport rice. Although it's not big enough, it can sail against the wind. With it we could always go to Goa or even the east coast of Africa, where catching black people was good business. "

Although he was not 100% sure that the small book was worth that much money, Captain Alfonso chose to believe in the young man named Wang. They all use passwords. Even if they are not secret agents of the Ming Navy, they are almost the same. The information they provide should be rewarded. Even if it is reduced in half, it will be a windfall.

"You can't sell the Alfonso, it... could it be that I'm really old? How can there be thunder in this weather?"

When Kalinka heard that the captain wanted to buy a new boat, he did not show any joy and even raised objections. This ship has been under his nose since it was built. In the past twenty years, all the youth of the ship and the person have been tied together, and they have reached their twilight years together, making it difficult to separate again.

But before he could fully express his emotions, he suddenly stopped the conversation. He put one hand on his ear and tilted his head toward the river mouth to listen carefully. Then he looked up at the sky, his face full of disbelief.

"Oh God, that's the sound of cannons, many cannons! Quick, wake up the crew, we need to leave here immediately, the Ming Navy is really here!"

Alfonso's reaction was only a few seconds slower than Kalinka's, and he listened with the same movement. But he was clearer than the old boatswain and did not mistake it for thunder. He gave the order to leave the port and rushed into the captain's cabin.

After a while, he ran to the bow of the ship with an ax in hand, rounded it up and chopped it into pieces on the anchor rope. It was too late to lift the anchor, and now we had to race against time to sail away from the dock, otherwise no one would be able to leave by the time other captains reacted and set sail in a swarm.

This time Captain Alfonso guessed correctly again. At this moment at the exit of Manila Bay, the two fleets were spraying iron and fire at each other in the dawn light.

Five medium-sized three-masted warships with the same black sails, flying the sun and moon flag, slender hulls, and full-length gun decks were lining up in a column, speeding toward the bay along the north side of Corregidor Island.

All the gun doors on the left side of the hull were opened, and the slender black gun barrel emitted orange-red flames, ejecting a 2-inch-diameter solid cast iron ball at a speed of 400 meters per second. On the sea farther north from Corregidor Island, there were also five sailboats of various sizes lined up in a horizontal line, with full sails heading due south. One of the ships has a tall and fat hull, with sails like clouds, and two layers of gun ports painted red that are particularly eye-catching. The nameplate on the stern has the word "Philippines" written in Latin.

This is a Spanish galleon built in the reign of Philip II. It has a displacement of more than 500 tons, two gun decks, and is equipped with 52 8- to 12-pound guns.

It was once a member of the Invincible Fleet, but was seriously injured by the British in a naval battle. It took more than two years to repair it before it was re-launched. Over time, Spain built many new ships of 800 tons or even 1000 tons, and the ship gradually lost its status as a capital ship.

When Governor Aguna took office, she was renamed the Philippines and became the flagship of the Philippine Overseas Territory Garrison Fleet. Even though Lian Po was old and seriously injured and could no longer adapt to the high-intensity naval battles in Europe and America, he was unique in the East Indies.

In the first few years since its arrival, it has sunk and damaged seven or eight Dutch warships, and it did not fall behind even if it was one against three. As long as the Philippines is anchored in the harbor, Manila and even the entire Philippine Islands are safe.

This time, in order to deal with the arrogance of the Ming Emperor, Governor Aguna specially transferred it back from Cebu Port and led the remaining four armed merchant ships of about 4 tons to form a very powerful maritime force.

Last night, the Philippines received the order and immediately left the port to ambush, waiting for the Ming Navy to launch an attack on Manila Port. Whenever the beacon on the castle lights up, the Philippines will suddenly lead the fleet back to the river mouth and launch a surprise attack on the Ming Navy anchored in the bay.

However, the information Colonel Juan received this time was obviously wrong. As soon as the Philippines arrived at the exit of Manila Bay, it ran into five black sailing ships wandering outside the bay. It is self-evident what the other party's purpose is. At this time, there are only two ways in front of the fleet commander Captain Steer.

Either turn around and return to Manila Harbor to resist the enemy's attack together with the forts and dock batteries; or launch an attack on the black sailing ships, first eliminate the enemy's vanguards on the sea, and then decide what to do next.

Captain Steer chose the latter, relying on the Philippine's powerful firepower and huge body. The Spanish naval battle habit is to first use naval guns to bombard the opponent's hull and sails, causing them to lose part of their mobility, and then force them to get on board for a boarding battle. The army loaded on the ship will ultimately resolve the battle.

Although we only have one pure battleship, the Philippines, and the other four are armed cargo ships, Captain Steer believes that the winning rate is still very high.

The opponent's five warships all have a displacement of about 5 tons. Not only are the ships slender, but they are also equipped with long artillery decks. They have flexible steering, fast travel, and strong long-range firepower. They also have huge flaws. There is not enough space to carry too much. Soldier.

As long as we can rely on the Philippine's powerful defense capability and firepower density to damage the enemy ship's hull, masts, sails, rigging, etc., forcing it to reduce its speed and create opportunities for boarding battles, we can win by relying on the number of soldiers and the quality of individual soldiers. Definitely Spanish!

(End of this chapter)