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Chapter 579 The Last Honor 3
"Bang bang bang bang bang..." As a result, a series of explosions suddenly came from the Spanish infantry regiment, and then a cloud of smoke rose up, and the musketeers began to shoot.

"Their muskets don't seem to have enough range..." Huang Nanping listened to the staff's explanation without taking his eyes off the telescope for a moment. After the first row of Spanish musketeers fired, a discovery was made based on the situation of the Annan soldiers being shot.

"The reloading time is slower..." He stopped paying attention to the firing of the second and third rows of musketeers. Instead, he stared at the first row of musketeers who were loading, waiting to be rotated to the front row. Then he put down the telescope.

"They used front-loading muskets. It's hard to see clearly here. Some of them may be matchlock guns, which is too backward. The Marine Guards are equipped with flintlock rifles. Although they are also front-loaded, the firing frequency is similar, but the range is the same. The accuracy is much better.”

The staff still agree with these two summary points. In the past, they have only seen relevant plots in books and exercises. Although they firmly believe it, they always lack the certainty of personal practice.

Now we can finally continue to enshrine His Majesty the Emperor high on the altar. Every word he said is the truth and will come true sooner or later without any doubt.

"Then don't wait any longer. Give the signal and let the Marine Guards press forward. There are about the same number of people, and there are also musketeers. Let's see who is more powerful!"

Seeing this, Huang Nanping completely put his heart in his stomach. These several hundred Spanish infantry regiments are obviously the last military force in the city of Manila. As long as they are defeated, the battle will basically be concluded successfully.

But when choosing how to defeat the opponent, this always mature and prudent naval commander couldn't help but become childish. He wanted to see a duel between musketeers and didn't want to blast them with naval guns.

Perhaps he also wanted to give some face to this group of Spanish soldiers who were considered heroic. It was particularly difficult for them to be far away from home and isolated, and to be able to take the initiative to attack in the face of danger. We are all soldiers, so this feeling is understandable.

"Gao Qianhu, you may have miscalculated this time, and the success of seizing the city will be lost." Just as the two armies on the beach gathered together, another group of men wearing toad skins appeared in the woods to the south. Marine Guardsman. Looking at the scene in front of him, the deputy chief of staff actually smiled, not a sneer, he was very sunny and happy.

If this Qianhu hadn't insisted on letting the Annan mercenaries rush ahead and allowed them to plunder property at will in Fort Santiago, this Marine Guards would have arrived at the beach on the west side of the pier earlier than the Marine Guards who forcibly landed from the river. We can face the last batch of Spanish regular troops face to face.

Although the sneak attack on Fort Santiago is the top priority and is related to the success or failure of the entire Battle of Manila, people tend to prefer to tell stories about facing the enemy head-on and winning a complete victory, which also adds a lot to the post-war rewards. point.

"Tsk, it's only a person like you who doesn't have much military exploits who can be so petty. I've made countless meritorious services in Liaodong and North Korea. How can I care about such trivial matters?

It's a pity that these brave soldiers, if they can be captured, they will be good soldiers whether they are placed in the navy or the army. If they are replaced with our muskets, their combat effectiveness will be much stronger than that of the Ruan family's private soldiers. "

But Gao Qianhu was completely dismissive of this kind of thing. Instead, he felt sorry for the hundreds of Spanish soldiers on the beach. At this time, the musketeers from both sides had begun to exchange fire, and the winner was immediately determined.

When the two armies were more than 200 meters apart, the Marine Guards opened fire first. As rows of soldiers pulled the triggers, smoke rose, and people kept falling in the small Spanish square formation opposite. However, these Spanish soldiers seemed to be possessed. They neither charged nor retreated. They still followed the drum beat and marched steadily forward, facing the deadly rain of bullets, and tried their best to maintain the formation and move forward stubbornly.

The commander on horseback was shot and fell off his horse in the first wave of shooting. Immediately, another officer in a bright red coat took his place with a long knife drawn out. The flag bearer also fell down, and the soldiers around him immediately took over the flagpole and continued moving forward. The drumming stopped, but soon started again.

"It's over, it's over. After all, people are not like waves. If you encounter a rock, you will be shattered to pieces. No matter how strong your willpower is, there will be an end. It just depends on whether the pressure is enough. Don't argue with me. This is what His Majesty said!"

Deputy Chief of Staff Zhu was still on the opposite side as always. When the Spanish infantry regiment square formation had heavy casualties and no hope of victory in sight, and soldiers began to throw down their spears and muskets and run away, his sarcastic remarks followed. Keep up.

"Commander, blow the charge horn and try to catch as many alive as possible!" Zhu Qianhu did not argue, turned around and waved at the hundreds of households behind him, and responded with practical actions.

He wanted to capture all the remaining Spanish soldiers and take them into battle with a little training. Especially those musketeers, it is much easier to train than the workers in the factory who have never touched a musket.

As for whether you are loyal or not, that is not a problem. There are only a few hundred people, and when they are scattered under the command of hundreds of households, they become a minority. They have to do whatever they are told, and they can't make any waves. Moreover, there are many people in the navy who can speak Latin, which is almost the same as Spanish, so there is no big barrier to communication.

"Send someone to restrain the Annan mercenaries, especially not to cross the river to plunder the north bank. Anyone who dares to massacre Chinese businessmen will be punished on the spot!"

Huang Nanping didn't care about Marine Guards' actions. He was the battle commander and was only responsible for the general direction and couldn't control the details. What should be considered now is not how to fight, but how to eliminate the hostile elements in the city, quickly arrange necessary defensive measures, and then send a battle report to the governor.

"Commander, what should we do with the guy in the cabin? Should we send him back by ship or keep him here?" Similarly, the staff officer around him also began to change his mind, so he thought of a person and was a little undecided.

"Has the identity been confirmed?" Huang Nanping's brows that had already spread were slightly closer together.

When the fleet entered Manila Bay in a big way, the blockade fleet captured a side frame boat that was very common in the local area, but it was not an indigenous person or a Spanish person, but a Ming Dynasty person.

It is not surprising that there are Chinese businessmen in the Port of Manila, but this person claimed to be a statistician stationed in Guangdong from the Statistics Department of the General Staff Headquarters. He also showed his badge to prove his identity. He was of high rank and had received decorations.

There are two departments that Huang Nanping annoys and fears the most, one is the East Factory and the other is the Statistics Department. These guys are just like venomous snakes. They always huddle in some place and stare at your every move with their small eyes all day long. Once they find out that they are abnormally immortal, they will lose their skin, which is more troublesome than a death-rush ghost.

(End of this chapter)