1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 173 The First War in Hanzhou ([-])
Major Anthony Goldstein was persuaded by several captains that yes, the Spaniards could not wait any longer.The enemy's fort may only have a dozen cannons, and perhaps with the powerful firepower of five warships, it can destroy the enemy's fort.

"Then, let's start. Try to destroy the enemy's fort before dark, and then allow the landing force to occupy the pier." Major Anthony Goldstein ordered.

"Of order, Major. Before dark, we will definitely be able to occupy the pier." Several captains said confidently.It's just a group of pirates, how powerful they can be!
"Captain Veron, please prepare your landing troops. Once we eliminate the enemy's fort, you must land immediately and occupy their docks." Major Anthony Goldstein looked at the captain officer in Spanish Army uniform on the opposite side.

"Yes, Major!" Petar Veron saluted.

"Do you think the Spaniards will attack our dock?" Qi Tian asked.

"Whether the enemy is attacking our pier, I don't know. But, chief executive, you can't stay here now. The battle is about to begin!" Zhang Jiawen said.

"Old Zhang, don't worry. I personally supervised the construction of your artillery emplacement. It is very strong. Look, the thickness of the cement is more than one meter. Even if the Spaniards took artillery and bombarded this parapet , and won’t hurt us.” Qi Tian patted the concrete wall in front of the cannon emplacement.

"Boss, it's not a question of whether the gun positions are well protected." Zhang Jiawen was a little anxious, "there are nearly ten enemy ships. If a shell falls in, I will explain to the commander. You should leave quickly!"

Qi Tian was a bit bored, but out of respect for the control order of the coastal defense team, he finally left the dock fort with Qi Yuanshan.

I wanted to witness the bombardment scene between sailing warships and coastal defense forts in this era, and feel the agitation of the era of great navigation, but it was not possible, which is quite a pity.

"Yuan Shan, in two years, when you grow up, what do you want to do?" Qi Tian turned around and asked.

"Ah?" Qi Yuanshan was stunned, scratching his forehead, "I haven't thought about it yet!"

"Hehe..." Qi Tian laughed, "You should think about it! Two years will pass in a flash."

During this period, the age of fifteen or sixteen was the adult age, which represented the ability to participate in labor, pay taxes, and undertake corvee.

However, Hanzhou stipulates that Cheng Ding can be an official and join the army.However, most immigrant groups still regard 16 as the age of majority.Many workshops, farmlands, and even merchant ships are filled with teenagers of fifteen or sixteen years old, and even twelve or thirteen-year-olds are not in the minority.

When I returned to Jianye City, I found that countless people in the city had walked out of the house, gathered near the city gate, and looked towards the pier.Qi Tian shook his head, it seems that many people still have doubts about Hanzhou's force.

After entering the city gate, Qi Tian jumped off his horse, took the rein, and walked slowly towards the Commander's Mansion.

"Hanzhou will win!" A cry suddenly came from the top of the city.

Qi Tian and Qi Yuanshan turned around and looked at the top of the city.I saw a village soldier, holding a musket, shouting loudly towards the city: "Hanzhou will win! Hanzhou is mighty!"

As he shouted, many soldiers on the city wall also shouted: "Hanzhou will win! Hanzhou is mighty!"

"Hanzhou will win! Hanzhou is mighty!" Qi Yuanshan raised his fist and shouted.

Afterwards, more and more people in the city followed suit and shouted: "Hanzhou will win! Hanzhou is mighty!"

In the end, the entire Jianye City was full of enthusiastic shouts: "Hanzhou will win! Hanzhou is mighty!"

"Hanzhou will win! Hanzhou is mighty!" Yu Fukun muttered in a low voice, then turned around abruptly, and said to Cao Xiong, "Commander, I am Hanzhou, and the people's hearts are available!"

Cao Xiong looked excitedly at the people shouting outside the window, and suddenly felt his nose ache.

"Old Yu, we must take good care of all the people in Hanzhou in the future! Let them never be bullied by outsiders!"

Yu Fukun looked at Cao Xiong who looked excited, and nodded solemnly.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!..." Several thunderous cannons rang out.

"Spain is firing!" Cao Xiong heard the sound of the cannon and immediately recognized the 18-pound naval gun.

Major Anthony Goldstein ordered two warships to sail into the harbor first, and bombard the dock with 1000-pound naval guns at a distance of more than 18 meters from the dock.

Three rounds of bombardment were carried out, but there was no counterattack from the fort on the pier, and there was no trace of anyone walking around in the telescope, as if it was an abandoned port.

However, Major Anthony Goldstein knew that the opponent's fort must be holding back, waiting for their battleship to get closer, just like a few months ago, they carried out a violent raid on their battleship.

Major Anthony Goldstein looked up at the towering mountains on both sides. Fortunately, the enemy did not set up artillery batteries on them.Otherwise, we will not even be able to sail into the harbor.

"Major, the Casilis has signaled to advance a further distance," the lookout reported loudly.

Major Anthony Goldstein hesitated, nodded, and signaled the flag bearer to signal to allow the two warships to move forward for a further distance.

"Captain, the distance of the enemy ship is close to 800 meters." Inside the No. 1 Fort, an observer reported loudly.

Zhang Jiawen didn't make a sound, and continued to hold up the binoculars to observe the Spanish warship.

Spain has so far only had two warships sailing over, and there are still three warships lingering at the entrance of the bay.He wanted to wait for all the five Spanish ships to sail into the bay, and then ordered the No. 2 and No. 3 turrets on the mountains on both sides to block the enemy fleet, and then use the crossfire of the three turrets to bombard the enemy ships.

Two Spanish warships stopped at a distance of about 800 meters from the pier, crossed the hull, and started a new round of bombardment of the pier with numerous artillery pieces on the side.

The gunners of Fort No. 1 looked at Zhang Jiawen expectantly, hoping to hear the order to counterattack.

But Zhang Jiawen still didn't say a word, and he didn't even change the posture of holding the binoculars.

A few months ago, although he was caught off guard by the Spanish warship, it was only a small opponent.He decided to play big this time, at least to severely damage or sink two or three warships, so that the soldiers and civilians of Hanzhou can see the means of the coastal defense team.

"Major, the pier did not return fire." The spotter reported loudly.Major Anthony Goldstein frowned, and the arm holding the binoculars showed several veins.

At this time, the two warships rushing forward did not send any signal to the flagship, and rushed forward for a while, and the distance from the pier was less than 700 meters.

"B 2, B 4, return fire with two 18-pound guns!" In the No. 1 battery, Zhang Jiawen ordered in a deep voice.

"Boom! Boom!" Two cannons rang out, and two huge jets of water rose from the side of the Spanish warship ahead.

"Major, the enemy battery fired back. It's an 18-pound gun! Two!"

Major Anthony Goldstein nodded. The other party was probably afraid that our warship would get too close and pose a greater threat to their fort.

"Order them to rush forward and bombard the enemy's forts!"

After receiving the signal, the two forward-looking Spanish warships began to take the S line and slowly approached the pier.

"C 1, C 2, C 3, C 4, the four gun positions fire!" Zhang Jiawen ordered.

Immediately, four 12-pound guns began to bombard the approaching Spanish warship.

Although the two forward-looking Spanish warships maneuvered, the gunners of the Hanzhou Coastal Defense Team had trained and fired no less than a hundred shells in the sea area of ​​the harbor, and they were very familiar with the shooting range.

In the past ten minutes, the two Spanish warships had been shot more than ten times.

"Perhaps, they only have these heavy artillery!" Major Anthony Goldstein decided to rush forward with the remaining three warships, and quickly knocked down the enemy's forts with more than a hundred artillery pieces from five warships.

"Three enemy ships are rushing in!" The observer of the No. 1 Fort reported loudly.

"Ding 1, Ding 2, Ding 3, Ding 4, four gun positions fire!"

Four 8-pound guns quickly joined the shelling sequence.

"All the artillery concentrated on the two warships ahead!"

A total of ten artillery pieces aimed at the most protruding "Cassilis".Following a salvo, three shells hit its hull, spattering the gunwale.

"Replace all the 12-pound guns with chain bombs!" Zhang Jiawen ordered.This time, a warship must be left behind.

"Major, the Casilis has been hit several times. ... It is still driving freely!" The observer kept reporting the situation of the two warships ahead.Major Anthony Goldstein has led the other three warships slowly approaching the pier, and bombarded the opponent's fort with several cannons on the bow.

There were a few more roars from the pier, and several chain bombs flew towards the bow of the "Cassilis".

"Crack!" With a sound, a mast near the bow was hit by a chain bullet and instantly snapped into two pieces, and the hanging sails fluttered crookedly to the midship.

"Oh, damn it!" Captain Dario Segovia, the captain of the Casilis, cursed, and immediately ordered the sailors to quickly gather up the fallen sails.At the same time, order the sailor to adjust the sails of the midship and the mast, and prepare to retreat for a certain distance.If the enemy hits another few masts or sails, then the "Cassilis" may be unable to move and become the target of the opponent's turret.

"Good fight!" Zhang Jiawen praised, "The 12-pound gun continued to attack that warship with chain bombs!"

"Captain, the enemy has three more warships coming over!"

"Ignore them! Continue to bombard the two warships ahead!"

"Fort No. 1 hasn't sent a signal yet?" Liao Meng turned around and asked in Fort No. 3 on the mountainside on the right side of the bay.

"Fort No. 1, there is no signal," the observer reported.

"You must miss it, I will kill you!" Liao Meng saw that the five Spanish warships had sailed into the bay, and the No. 3 Fort on his side and the No. 2 Fort on the opposite side could completely seal off the enemy ships. retreat.If you are lucky, it is not impossible to wipe out the incoming enemy.

"Crack", the mast of Casilis's mast was hit by a chain bullet, and it tilted crookedly in the midship, and several sails fell down feebly.

There was a burst of cheers from Fort No. 1, and the enemy ship with its sails down stopped in the harbor and did not move!

In an instant, the gunners in the fort turned their muzzles one after another, concentrated on bombarding the unmovable warship, trying to sink it.

"Damn it!" Major Anthony Goldstein led the three warships to rush over quickly, and then crossed the hull, bombarding the enemy battery with numerous side guns, trying to attract some firepower for the "Cassilis" .

"Send a signal! Order No. 2 and No. 3 forts to fire!" Seeing that the time was ripe, Zhang Jiawen ordered decisively.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" There was a sudden roar of artillery on both sides of the mountain, and then, near the Spanish warship, a dozen huge jets of water rose up.

"Major, there are enemy forts on both sides of the harbor!" The observer shouted loudly.

Without the report from the observer, Major Anthony Goldstein had already seen the huge water column produced by the firing from the turrets on both sides.His face instantly turned pale.

(End of this chapter)