I

  Chapter 499 496 [Manila Naval Battle]

  The Manila galleon is actually a Spanish galleon.

  Seventy years ago, during the Longqing period of the Ming Dynasty, Spain opened the route from America to East Asia.

  Silk and porcelain from China, cotton cloth and precious stones from India were transported to Manila by merchants from various countries, and sold directly to the Americas by galleons. Silver, cocoa, and wool from the Americas were transported to Manila by galleons and exchanged for various Asian goods.

  Zhang Juzheng's Ming tax reform would have been absolutely impossible to succeed without the American silver brought in by galleons. In other words, the content of the reform is different, and silver cannot become the mainstream currency in China.

  At the same time, the Manila galleon trade directly crushed the American raw silk industry!

  During the Zhengde and Jiajing years, Spain had already developed the silk weaving industry in America. After Chinese raw silk was transported there, American raw silk was quickly eliminated because Chinese raw silk was of high quality and low price.

   Today, the market share of the American silk industry has been absolutely monopolized by Chinese raw silk.

  Only one silk weaving factory in Mexico employs 14,000 workers, and all raw materials are raw silk from China. These American silks will be shipped to Europe for sale, and the price is lower than that of Chinese silk, and they are very popular among middle- and lower-class nobles and middle-class businessmen.

   It can be understood that Chinese silk is a foreign product, while American silk is a domestic product, and domestic products are definitely not as good as foreign products.

  Due to the popularity of Chinese goods, Spanish products were excluded in the Americas. King Philip II of Spain ordered to restrict the trade of galleons fifty years ago. It is stipulated that there should be no more than two galleons to Mexico every year, and the cargo capacity of each ship should not exceed 300 tons.

  This restriction was obviously taken advantage of, and instead became a means for colonial officials to make money.

  The governor of New Spain (Mexico) is even more powerful. Forty years ago, he ordered the prohibition of silkworm farming in Mexico, and Mexican silk factories can only use raw silk from China!

   Also fifty years ago, the cotton cloth produced in China had already destroyed the Philippine cotton textile industry.

  The Governor of the Philippines therefore ordered that the aborigines be prohibited from buying Chinese clothing. Two years after the ban was issued, the Philippine governor was killed by Chinese mercenaries.

  The Filipino colonists in Spain had extremely complicated attitudes towards the Chinese.

   Positively, they need the Chinese to trade, the Chinese to build the city, and the Chinese to keep the city running.

   Negative, they hate dumping by Chinese businessmen, hate Chinese businessmen destroying industries in the Philippines and Mexico.

  By the way, the ban on cotton cloth in China has been maintained to this day.

  Chinese cotton cloth and silk are not allowed to be sold to native Filipinos, but only to official trading posts in the Philippines. This caused the profits of Chinese maritime merchants to be damaged. Even without this massacre, as long as Zhao Han is willing to send troops, there must be merchants helping the emperor to fight the war!

  …

   In the waters west of Manila, a large-scale naval battle kicked off.

  Six Spanish galleons, 16 small warships, and nearly 100 warships from China, the Netherlands, Brunei, and Sulu.

  Brunei and Sulu are all old-fashioned galleys, and the tonnage is very small, which can be ignored directly.

  The Dutch navy quickly circled to the west, and the Chinese navy deployed formations to the east and north, and the fleets of the two countries attempted to surround the Spanish fleet on three sides.

   "Boom boom boom!"

  Before the siege was completed, both sides began shelling.

   In the 18th minute of the battle, a Chinese warship was severely damaged and tried to leave the battlefield very slowly.

  In the 32nd minute, a Spanish warship was hit by several times the firepower of its own.

   "Stop bombing, join the gang, and deal with the red-haired ghost's boat first!"

  When the second Chinese warship suffered heavy damage, Zheng Zhilong asked the adjutant to play the semaphore. The Chinese navy's warships are too fragile, and it is difficult to win in artillery battles. It is more cost-effective to directly engage in side-to-side battles.

  The Dutch Navy also likes to be on board, especially when facing Spain.

  The Chinese and Dutch coalition forces rushed up almost at the same time.

  The Spanish fleet fought and ran, not letting themselves be surrounded, and avoiding side-to-side battles with the enemy.

   Both sides chased each other, from Manila Bay to Mindoro.

   Mindoro, the Spanish literal translation is "gold mine", and the Song and Ming Dynasties called it "Mayi Country".

   "Throwing Grapple!"

  Shanghai Navy Vice Admiral Hong Xu shouted excitedly while holding the binoculars. Due to the interception of the Dutch, he finally caught up with a Spanish warship.

  Hong Xu is a member of Shibazhi, an old pirate who roams the South China Sea. In the past few years, in addition to transporting food and fishing, and occasionally taking the fleet on cruises, he has been suffocated for a long time.

  A large number of hooks were shot from the Chinese warship, pulling the enemy and us together, and the Chinese warship also took the opportunity to activate the flamethrower.

   "Bang bang bang bang!"

  The two sides fired at each other across the side of the ship. The Chinese sailors in leather armor jumped after the first round of gunfire.

  Hong Zhanfu is a member of Hong Xu's clan. He has already released the fifth server, but he is still highly valued because of this. When he led the team to jump, several sailors around him were shot at close range, some fell on the deck, and some fell into the sea.

   "Hey!"

  Hong Zhanfu crossed the side of the ship, and before he could stand on his feet, he slashed at the enemy with a knife.

  The leather armor on his chest was also cut, and he tried to kill the opponent with injuries, and then chopped at another Spanish arquebus soldier.

   Another Chinese warship came to meet the ship from the side. The two ships are attacking and jumping gangs, and there are more and more Chinese sailors. It will be a matter of time before this warship is captured.

   Fighting from noon to evening, only four of the small Spanish warships escaped successfully, and the rest were killed by the Chinese and Dutch coalition forces relying on their numerical superiority.

   But those six Spanish galleons are really hard to swallow!

  Especially the big ship with a displacement of 1,200 tons, relying on its strong ship and guns, rampant on the battlefield. This large sailing ship alone killed four Chinese and Dutch warships.

   Can't catch the board, can't jump gang, can't fire attack.

   This thing has three or four decks, which is much higher than the warships of China and the Netherlands. Even if the siege was successful, the boarding battle would become a "siege battle". The sailors had to climb up the rope while the Spanish soldiers could shoot down from the heights.

  Wan Bangyan, Admiral of the Guangzhou Navy, was born in the Jiangxi Navy.

  Wan Bangyan knew he couldn't deal with the big guys, so he took all his warships to surround and intercept the 500-ton galleon—the smallest one.

  The smallest of the Spanish galleons, equivalent to the largest of the Dutch warships...

   "Desperately join the ship and grab this ship!" Wan Bangyan's eyes were red, and he was extremely envious of these large European ships.

  Although the Datong Navy has a lot of military expenditures, the mainstream warships are still contributed by Zheng Zhilong. The Zheng family sold it to the imperial court at the cost price, and they made do with it. Even if they fought against the Dutch, they still had the superior force to fight for their lives.

   A lot of century-old wood from the mountainous areas of southern China has been hoarded, but it is still in the process of brewing. It takes ten or eight years for the wood to be really strong.

   In two more years, the Datong Navy will be able to build its own ship!

  In addition, some century-old teak was imported from Myanmar and Cambodia. This is the top material for shipbuilding, even better than oak, and it is currently being piled up in Guangzhou for brewing.

   "Boom boom boom!"

  A Guangzhou naval warship was approached and shot by a 500-ton galleon on its way to dock.

  The upper cabin and deck were instantly torn apart by shells, and wood splashed everywhere. At least twenty Datong sailors and sailors were killed on the spot.

  However, the hook line on the ship has been shot out, firmly grasping the galleon to death.

  The other three Guangzhou warships also fired their hooks one after another.

  The Spanish sailors shot from above, while the sailors swung their knives to chop the ropes.

   "The world is united, long live Your Majesty!"

  Zhang Hai is a fisherman from Guangzhou, who used to live in poverty. His Majesty the Emperor of Datong brought him a new life.

  Seeing the comrades around him fell to death one after another, Zhang Hai roared, with a knife in his mouth, and climbing the rope with both hands, he quickly climbed towards the enemy ship. A comrade beside him screamed and fell, but the rope was cut off.

  There are more and more hooks being shot, and more and more sailors are climbing. The Spanish sailors can't shoot it, and the Spanish sailors can't cut it.

  The sailors of the Datong Army on each ship have died in battle and fell into the water. More than 200 people are still climbing up one after another.

  Finally, Zhang Hai turned over and climbed onto the enemy ship, hacking and killing an arquebus shooter.

  The Spanish arquebus soldiers on both sides immediately discarded their guns and drew out their waist knives to fight Zhang Hai. The Spanish sailors rushed over with their knives.

   "Long live!"

   Zhang Hai roared and swung his knife, hacking the arquebus soldier on the right to death, but the arquebus soldier on the left stabbed him.

   Fortunately, there was a leather armor blocking it. When the tip of the knife pierced the leather armor, the strength was slightly deflected, and it only pierced the flesh of his side waist, almost touching the internal organs.

  Zhang Hai held the handle of the knife backwards, and stabbed back without turning his head.

   Stab the enemy behind him to death with one knife, and then draw the knife and rush forward. And the enemy's knife had been stuck in his body, and the wound kept bleeding.

  Due to Zhang Hai's first boarding, Datong sailors soon followed on the side of the ship.

  When the second Datong army climbed up, Zhang Hai had been injured in three places all over his body, and he still stood firm on the side of the ship to stop the enemy.

"kill!"

  The third Datong sailor boarded the ship. Zhang Hai had been injured in five places, and was still fighting there **** all over his body.

  The fourth Datong soldier boarded the boat. Zhang Hai lost his strength and fell down.

  The Dutch are doing the same, and the Dutch flagship is eyeing a 700-ton galleon. Compared with the Dutch army, the Dutch navy is not afraid of death, and climbs repeatedly with bullets.

  Unfortunately, there are too few Dutch people to afford to die.

  Several Dutch warships surrounded the port, and after paying hundreds of casualties, they decisively chose to give up.

  The Chinese navy values ​​ships, and it doesn’t matter if hundreds or thousands of soldiers are killed if they can **** the galleons.

  There are only so many Dutch sailors in the Far East, and one death is one less.

  Hundreds of naval casualties have seriously damaged the vitality of the Netherlands, and it is a hundred times more distressing than the death of a thousand troops. Because the Dutch army can be recruited casually in the colonies, but the navy often has to be replenished from Europe.

  Seeing that the galleon was surrounded but let go by the Dutch, Zheng Zhilong put down the binoculars and cursed: "These red-haired ghosts really don't know how to fight, they are all **** idiots!"

   "Boom boom boom!"

   The big guy with a displacement of 1,200 tons is still showing off, and another Chinese warship is crumbling.

   The Chinese sailors who besieged the galleon have already killed more than 400 people. The Dutch gave up directly, and the Chinese navy was still desperately fighting. It is very likely that thousands of deaths would not be able to seize the ship.

   At the same time, the commander of the Spanish navy was also frightened. He was afraid that his soldiers would be exhausted and the musketeers would run out of ammunition.

  It was getting dark, the Dutch navy was the first to withdraw from the siege, and Zheng Zhilong could only choose to withdraw from the siege.

   In a naval battle, 2 small Spanish warships were sunk, 11 were captured, and 1 Spanish galleon of 500 tons was captured. 17 warships of the Datong Navy were severely damaged, and 5 warships were sunk. Four warships of the Dutch Navy were severely damaged, and no ships were sunk.

  The Chinese navy suffered heavy casualties, with more than 1,300 people killed, seriously injured, or missing.

  Dutch Navy, more than 200 people were killed, seriously injured, or missing.

  Six Spanish galleons, only the smallest one, were captured by the Chinese navy, and all the rest went away.

  If they suffered such heavy losses according to their usual style of play, the Netherlands would directly choose to withdraw their troops.

  However, China will not withdraw!

  (end of this chapter)