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Chapter 575 Another unexpected one
The indigenous soldiers were so unjust. This time it was not they who set off the powder keg, but they were attacked from behind. I don’t know who the attacker was, nor how I was attacked.

At this time, the solid outer wall on the southwest side of Fort Santiago had collapsed, creating a large gap. Stones weighing hundreds of kilograms were pushed down like dominoes by huge force, filling the moat outside.

"Turn the muzzle! Turn the muzzle quickly, southwest, the enemy is in the southwest!"

The top commander in Fort Santiago was Captain Ferrando. He happened to be standing on the highest fort and patrolling the river. He made an accurate judgment immediately after the explosion and was the first to get up and command the gunners.

"But, Captain, our cannons are all concentrated in the north. I'm afraid we won't be able to make it in time!" The nearest gunner couldn't stand listening anymore and whispered to the commander not to give random orders. The artillery mounted on the stone mount weighs several tons. How can it be moved with more than a dozen gunners?
"...Herald, beat the drum, the Ferrando regiment is gathering! Keep an eye on the mouth of the river, and fire immediately if you find a ship within range!" Captain Ferrando took a deep breath, looked at the cannon, and then at the river surface, resolutely walked towards the stairs.

Fort Santiago must be defended. Since the cannons cannot be used, the only choice is to go down and fight the enemy face to face. Fortunately, Colonel Juan temporarily transferred his regiment, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable. As for how the enemy appeared on the side and behind, there was no time to think about it in detail at this time.

"This city wall is probably thicker than the one in the capital. It's a pity that no adhesive was used and it fell apart as soon as it collapsed. Zhu Qianhu, it's time for the Marine Guards to show their faces. Remember His Majesty's instructions, use more equipment and less human lives."

As the army staff officer, Deputy Chief of Staff Zhu has been arriving with the landing troops for more than an hour. With the help of the mud skid, the landing of the Marine Guards and mercenaries went very smoothly. Not only did the people come up, but there were also twenty field guns and sufficient ammunition.

However, according to the plan formulated by the Naval Staff, after the successful landing, the attack on Manila City and coastal forts could not be launched immediately. Fort Santiago located northwest of Manila City must be eliminated. The solution is not to attack by force, but to blast!

There are three hundred soldiers in the Marine Guards who have very strange origins. They are all miners. The usual training does not focus on shooting with firearms, but on how to dig pits, holes, repair city walls, smooth roads, and build bridges.

Among them, using gunpowder to quickly dig holes is a unique skill. No matter whether it is rammed earth or rocks, as long as they are given more than half an hour and enough gunpowder rolls, they can make as big a hole as they want. And their name was given by His Majesty the Emperor himself, and they were called Engineer Corps.

In every previous training exercise, the engineering soldiers had no chance to perform. At most, they helped the soldiers dig trenches. The main reason is that the Marine Guards have never attacked a fortified city before, and today is the first time.

Then the engineers showed their faces. They quietly approached the castle through the early morning fog, and secretly swam across the moat to get closer to the city wall. Then a human ladder was set up, hundreds of gunpowder rolls were stuffed into the three water holes in the city wall, and they were detonated at the same time.

The effect, regardless of whether it was an enemy or a friendly force, could be seen by anyone with eyes. Not only was the solid stone wall blown apart, but it also spread outwards into a gentle slope, which just filled the moat. Now you don't even need to swim. You can enter the city by stepping on rocks. The only thing you need to pay attention to may be sprained feet.

"Don't worry, the Marine Guards were raised by my biological parents. Even if you don't feel sorry for me, I still can't bear to part with you. Don't worry, wait until more enemies come over before attacking. Deputy Chief of Staff, the gunpowder used by the engineers is quite powerful. , can you ask Governor Yuan to put a few rolls into the cannonball, so that it can be powerful enough to fire it out. "

Zhu Qianhu did not immediately execute the order. Instead, he aimed his telescope at the gap in the city wall and muttered something while looking. Although he was not an engineer, he could see the difference in the power of the explosion. The gunpowder rolls used by the engineers were obviously better than the cannonballs. This was a bit unfair. "No, I can't help with this matter. If you want to mention it, you can talk about it yourself. But I think it's best not to mention it. There are more than one smart people in the navy. Anyone who can make the cannonballs more powerful will not only use it for the engineers. ”

Deputy Chief of Staff Zhu was a broad-minded person and did not interfere with Zhu Qianhu's failure to adopt his own combat rhythm. But he didn't get too used to it and rejected the other party's suggestion directly.

"What do you mean? You are just another smart guy! Come on, tell me, why can't you put it in a cannonball?" Zhu Qianhu curled his lips. He seemed to have a personal grudge with the deputy chief of staff, and he would fight no matter what the other party said. A few words, even on the front lines.

"I'm going to open your eyes today! The ammonium fuel oil used by the engineering troops was available the year before last. Li Shilang of the Ministry of Industry made a special trip to Dagukou to do the test, but I was lucky enough to watch it. It's powerful, but it's not too strong. Stable, not suitable for loading artillery shells.

Do you know why the Corps of Engineers set up a small base outside the base? Either because the emperor valued something special, there was a factory specializing in the preparation of ammonium-fuel oil explosives in the small base, which was ready for use and had to be transported by separate ships, because they were afraid that everyone would be done with it at once.

From now on, keep your mouth quiet and don't always look at others to get more benefits. If you are willing to live and eat with explosives all day long, I will write a letter to the governor immediately after you get back and help you get a place in the engineering army. "

As the saying goes, a slap in the face can't make a difference. Qianhu deliberately looked for trouble, and the deputy chief of staff was willing to accept the trouble. One was willing to fight and the other was willing to suffer. The two of them squatted in the woods, enduring mosquito bites, and chatted happily.

"...I'll think about it...order, blow the whistle, prepare for bombardment!"

Even though Lu Zhanwei's Qianhu was speechless, he had to wilt after hearing this explanation. In order to save some face, he simply stopped talking, put down his binoculars and ran towards the field artillery position a hundred meters away, leaving the deputy chief of staff where he was.

"You guys keep an eye here. The Marine Guards will send out flares as soon as they land on the city." The deputy chief of staff was also a bitch. Qianhu was said to have run away, so he followed him towards the field artillery position.

"...You are the most treacherous! Go and order more herbs from Ruan Jiabing. The mosquitoes here are worse than those in Annan. They can bite people even through clothes!"

But the staff officers who stayed in place to observe and record did not think so. The navy stationed in Da Nang all knew a trick to prevent mosquito bites. No matter how powerful the mosquitoes were, as long as they lit the propellant of a musket or artillery in the house, it would be quiet immediately. .

When in the field, the same effect is also seen near artillery positions. After a volley, no mosquitoes came to harass me for a long time. The deputy chief of staff is not looking for someone to pick a fight with, but is using his position to avoid mosquitoes.

(End of this chapter)