African Entrepreneurship Records

Chapter 948: Capture of Manila

"In 1897, the total number of people in our country's army fluctuated around 140,000, less than one-third of the armies of Germany and France. However, military expenditures reached a new high, reaching about four-fifths of Germany's. The main reason was that automobiles The equipment of new tools and weapons has driven up the military expenditure of the National Defense Forces, while the navy has not changed much. "

East Africa’s naval military expenditures are not small, but in the context of the continued surge in naval expenditures in other countries, they appear to be very conservative.

 The navy’s expenditures account for the bulk of East Africa’s military expenditures. Therefore, despite the skyrocketing army’s military expenditures, the overall military expenditures in East Africa remain within control.

“The main investment in other aspects is mainly in industry and infrastructure construction, so this part of the expenditure must not be reduced.”

“With the development of universities and basic education, education and scientific research expenditures now account for 9.7% of our national finance, while military expenditures only remain at about 13%, so our country’s investment in education has been greatly reduced. It is also at a high level in the world, which is equivalent to sacrificing military construction funds to support education, so that many military equipment has not been effectively replaced, especially in the field of artillery and other weapons. "

 Education funding and military spending in East Africa are already very close. If it were not for international tensions, there would be room for further decline in military spending in East Africa.

This also reflects the East African government’s support for education and scientific research. In the construction of the East African industrial system, education has provided 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 war, the Spanish Navy has completely solidified the idea of ​​"avoiding war and preserving ships".

The Spanish Navy insisted on not leaving Manila Bay, and this undoubtedly caused huge trouble to the U.S. Navy. After all, it is not easy for the U.S. Navy to visit the Philippines. If Spain relies on the advantages of terrain conditions and wastes time with the U.S. Navy, it is entirely possible to win without a fight. .

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

This is not impossible to do. If you communicate with the United Kingdom in a low voice, it is still feasible. As for other surrounding countries, the only ones who are capable are the Netherlands, East Africa and France, but no one will do this.

“No matter what, we must capture Manila Bay tomorrow, and we cannot spend time here with the Spaniards.” Dewey, commander-in-chief of the U.S. Asia Fleet, said with a very tough attitude.

The results of this long-planned sneak attack were not significant. After all, Spain made some preparations before the war. It lost a warship on the first day of the naval battle, which was a bad start. Dewey naturally could not give up.

“But Commander, the Spanish mines and coastal defense artillery are difficult to deal with. If we attack rashly, we may have problems. Why not wait until we replenish ammunition and supplies before launching an attack?” Someone advised on the side.

Dewey denied the statement of his subordinates: "The Spanish mines are a big trouble, but not a big problem. Tomorrow the Raleigh cruiser will be responsible for clearing the way and blasting a channel into the bay. Other warships will follow closely. As for the shore defenses on both sides, Leave the artillery to the Olympia and Baltimore. As long as it can enter Manila Bay, the Philippine Navy will be a turtle in the urn and there will be no possibility of counterattack. "

Dewey's move was actually a huge gamble. If the Spanish navy and the colonial army were of sufficient quality and cooperated properly, I am afraid that the entire Asian fleet of the U.S. Navy would be lost in Manila Bay.

  June 5, 1898.

The U.S. Navy launched another attack on Manila Bay. The cruiser USS Raleigh opened the way and fired directly at the sea ahead, causing huge waves on the water.

Then the Raleigh rushed into Manila Bay at full speed. At this time, the Raleigh was actually a "death ship." In addition to being cautious about passing through mined areas, they also had to deal with attacks from Spanish shore defense artillery in Manila Bay.

Sure enough, the Raleigh, which bore the brunt of the attack, became a thorn in the eyes and flesh of the Spanish colonial defenders. The artillery on the northern shore of Manila Bay and the central Corregidor Island opened fire on the Raleigh.

 “Boom boom boom…”

Amidst the loud noise, the entire ship of the Raleigh was in a state of turmoil. However, perhaps due to the lack of training, the Spanish's first round of artillery fire did not hit a single shell, and the nearest shell was not far away. The Raleigh was just over forty meters away.

 This was an eye-opener for the East African Military Advisory Group who was observing the battle on the northern coastal highlands.

"The quality of the soldiers in the Spanish colonies was so poor that a dozen artillery pieces were unable to hit a single hit in a relatively narrow area. Now the American Raleigh is obviously traveling in a straight line, and its forward route and speed can be directly observed. It’s not difficult to hit them, so the large-caliber artillery we provide them is simply a waste of resources.”

"It depends on whether the Spaniards can make achievements next. As long as the Raleigh breaks through, it basically means that the Battle of Manila Bay can end early."

The Spanish defenders and the U.S. Navy could not hear the complaints from the East African Military Advisory Group. At this time, both sides still controlled the development direction of the war according to their own rhythms, and the Spanish were obviously at a disadvantage.

"Suppress the enemy's artillery with artillery fire!" As Dewey's order was issued, other American warships had already begun to attack Spanish firepower points on the shore before Spain could launch a new round of bombardment.

Although they are above the sea and the shooting conditions of warships are blocked, the U.S. Navy soldiers are carrying out various operations in an orderly manner, and the artillery shells are flying towards the Spanish artillery positions from both sides.

With one round, the two firepower points of the Spanish 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 don’t know if Spain can continue to maintain its fighting spirit. I’m afraid the battlefield is in a hurry at this time.” The East African observer said sarcastically.

And this is also true. The U.S. Navy's artillery fire made the Spanish soldiers in the fortress and defense offensive very panic. In this case, those who could continue to complete the attack in accordance with the procedures were considered the elites of the colonial troops.

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

However, under the restrictions of Spanish artillery and torpedoes, the U.S. Navy still had limited space to play. After the influx of U.S. warships, the number of targets increased at this time. The Spanish artillery finally worked, and a shell hit the bow of the USS Baltimore. , and then the Spanish colonial artillery seemed to be out of control, showing a completely different effect from before.

　　A number of U.S. warships were hit again. Unfortunately, most of the Spanish artillery was not powerful enough, and the previously more threatening firepower points had long been focused on by the U.S. Navy, so they were ineffective.

So much so that the U.S. 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 dispatch, causing secondary damage to the U.S. Navy.

But the gap between the two sides is really too big. Even the injured American warships still have an advantage against the Spanish antique warships.

 So by three o'clock in the afternoon, the U.S. Navy's Asian Fleet wiped out all the Spanish Philippine Colonial Navy with injuries, and this also meant that the Philippine war situation entered the next stage.

 (End of this chapter)