1635 Han style rises again

Chapter 205 Attacking Luzon: Breaking the City
The siege of the Holy City of Jesus (now Cebu, Philippines) has lasted for more than 20 days. During this period, the Chinese and Dutch coalition forces launched two tentative attacks. So it died down.

Every day, the Han-Dutch coalition forces organized teams of armed soldiers to continuously sweep into the depths of the island.

Numerous houses and farmland were destroyed, and all livestock were killed for military supplies.The tribal leaders and elders who had been baptized by Spain were brutally killed by the Sulu soldiers, and the little food left in the camp was also confiscated.

It is conceivable that after the withdrawal of the Han-Dutch coalition forces, the island that was first conquered by the Spaniards would face the most severe famine and a sharp drop in population.The entire production and living order has disappeared, and it will take at least three to fifty years to restore it to the pre-war period.

Moreover, because of the different religious beliefs, the large number of killings caused will also make the hatred between the remaining natives on the island and the natives of Sulu more intense, and condense into an irresolvable death feud.

While the Chinese and Dutch coalition forces were extremely impatient waiting for Spanish reinforcements in the Holy Name Jesus City, they unexpectedly waited for the arrival of an enemy of the Spaniards, the army of the Sultan Kingdom of Majindanao.

In March of this year, the Sultanate of Maguindanao was captured by the Spanish and Philippine colonial forces. Its capital Lemitan was plundered for several days and the city was burned. The Sultan King Coralut retreated to Mindanao Island. Near Ranau Lake.

A few days ago, it was heard that an army had breached the Zamboanga Castle of the Spaniards, and the Sultan King Coralut sent someone to check it out.Accidentally came across the second wave of reinforcements from the Sulu Kingdom via Zamboanga.Two people said, there are Westerners coming to attack the Spaniards, why not send troops to fight with them.

So Majindanao Sultan King Kelalu organized more than [-] small boats to follow the reinforcements from the Sulu Kingdom and came to the city of the Holy Name Jesus.

Lieutenant Colonel Jemini Bacona, the commander of the Han-Dutch coalition army, welcomed the arrival of the Turks very much.Seeing that there are more than 800 native troops in the Sultan Kingdom of Majin Danao and the Sulu Kingdom, I couldn't help thinking of breaking the Holy City of Jesus.

It is said that the Spaniards accumulated a large amount of wealth in this city, especially at the beginning of the year, some of the property they plundered from the Sultan Kingdom of Majindanao had not yet been transported to Manila.It's time to get some money and things back for the East India Company and the officers and soldiers who participated in the war.The Zamboanga Castle that was captured earlier was very limited, and it was far from satisfying the appetite of many officers and soldiers of the coalition forces.

So, with the help of many native soldiers, it took the coalition forces two days to unload the four 12-pound heavy guns on the ship and tow them to the city of Holy Name Jesus.

Captain Makuka Hernandez looked at the nearly 3000-strong army below the city with a pale face, feeling an unprecedented panic.The Spanish reinforcements have not arrived for a long time, but the enemy's reinforcements have multiplied.Although all the natives who came here were weak in combat effectiveness, their huge superiority in numbers still made the defenders in the city panic.

Watching the enemy slowly push the four powerful heavy artillery to 700 meters below the city, and began to set up the artillery and set up positions, Captain Makuka Hernandez knew that the city of Holy Name Jesus would usher in the cruelest battle. Urban offensive and defensive warfare.Maybe the weak city gates will be smashed by the enemy's heavy artillery, and the city walls will be bombarded, but as a proud Spanish officer, he must fight bravely.

"Captain, the enemy has sent a messenger." An officer next to him pointed at the city, and a Dutch officer was holding a white flag and slowly approached the city wall.

It seems that the enemy wants to persuade them to surrender before attacking.Captain Makuka Hernandez motioned for the soldiers to let the Dutch officer approach the wall.

"As a professional soldier, I admire your courage." The Dutch officer below the city said: "However, as the enemy, I must solemnly warn you that we have deployed powerful 12-pound naval artillery behind the position. Your gates and walls will be destroyed, and our armies will storm your cities."

"In order to avoid unnecessary casualties, I am now ordered to make the following statement to you: [-], please immediately give up all resistance and surrender out of the city; [-], please properly keep the official offices and treasury in the city safe; [-], we will protect the safety of all your soldiers and civilians." The safety of your life, as well as the items you carry with you. Fourth, your personal life will be subject to certain restrictions until we reach a corresponding armistice agreement with the Spanish government in the Philippines, and then we will make follow-up processing."

"If you refuse to surrender, we will not be able to guarantee the safety of all of you after we enter the city. Gentlemen, we will give you 10 minutes to make the necessary choices. Excuse me, what do you have to say? To my officer?"

Many colonial officials and soldiers on the city wall looked at each other, it was a difficult choice.Maybe the enemy can't attack our city, and finally we will win the city defense battle.However, the enemy now seems to have the determination to conquer the city, and has made corresponding deployments. If the city is really broken, will we be like the Spanish civilians and natives who had their heads chopped off a while ago? ?
The city was dead silent, and the soldiers looked expectantly at their commander and some of the mayors.However, the colonial officials and military officers were bitter and did not dare to speak, and looked at each other.

"Since you have nothing to bring to my officer, I will take my leave." The Dutch officer below the city said: "Gentlemen, please think carefully and make the right choice. Good luck to you!"
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"Do you think they will surrender?" Li Fade asked.

"How do I know?" Zhang Nianchun shook his head, "However, this city looks very strong and thick, and there are so many angular fortresses. If the Spaniards try their best, we may not be able to break through."

"If the Dutch cannons were accurate, they could smash the city gates," Li Fade said.

"It's useless. The Spaniards must have built a protective wall behind the city gate, or blocked the city gate with huge stones."

"It doesn't matter, as long as a crack is blasted out, those natives will definitely rush in with a crazy look."

Hearing this, Zhang Nianchun couldn't help turning his head to look at the soldiers of the Sulu Kingdom and the Majin Danao Kingdom on the left. They were holding knives and spears, and they were clustered together, with fanatical expressions in their eyes.

"They look like this, if they rush in, they won't be massacring the city, right?" Zhang Nianchun murmured.

Ten minutes later, the gates of the City of Holy Name Jesus are still closed, and there is no sign of surrender from the top of the city.

"Fire!" Major Frost Fritz, the commander of the Dutch Army, shook his head and ordered lightly.

"Boom! Boom!..." The four 12-pound heavy guns let out several roars, and several projectiles rushed out of the gun bores in an instant and flew towards the city of the holy name Jesus.

In the first round of shelling, two shells flew over the top of the city and hit the city. One shell landed more than ten meters in front of the city wall. Only one shell hit the city wall, breaking through the rammed earth outside the wall, leaving A deep bullet hole.

Afterwards, several artillery pieces began to adjust the shooting angle and range, preparing to aim at the city gate and bombard it.At this time, the artillery of the Holy Name Jesus City also began to fight back, and their target was the artillery position of the coalition forces.

Because the artillery was not powerful enough, the several 3-pound and 4-pound cannons at the head of the city did not fire, but were bombarded with three 8-pound cannons, which forced the coalition army to retreat tens of meters.

The tedious artillery battle lasted for more than half an hour, followed by rounds of shelling. Seven or eight gunners in the Dutch artillery position were hit by the artillery in the city, and they were killed or injured. When bombarded, they are all frightened.However, the results of the Dutch did not hit the city gate once, and the projectiles always fell near the city gate, showing a scattered distribution.

Looking at the soldiers of the Kingdom of Sulu and Macindanao, it seems that the excitement before the war has dissipated, and some are casually lined up in front of the army.

"Damn it, is the Dutch artillery out of shape today?" Li Fade complained, "Have you fired a hundred shells? Not a single shell hit the city gate!"

"If you can't break it today, let's continue tomorrow." Zhang Nianchun said indifferently.

"Tomorrow, I don't know if those soldiers still have such a high morale. Maybe..."

"Oh! Oh!..." A burst of cheers erupted from the Han-Dutch allied forces.Dutch artillery finally hit the gate of the city of the Holy Name Jesus, breaking a big hole in it.

Afterwards, perhaps inspired by the Dutch artillery, the front sight gradually recovered, and several shells hit the city gate one after another, smashing the city gate in half.

"This is about to break the city." All the officers and soldiers of the Han-Dutch coalition army had this thought in their minds.

"Boom!" A shell was fired from the top of the city, hitting a cannon rack of the Dutch artillery position, instantly overturning the cannon and hitting three or four gunners.

The gunners with the remaining three cannons just glanced at them, trembling for a moment, and then continued to fire the cannons in an orderly manner.

"Oh! Oh! Oh..." As a shell from the Dutch artillery hit the city gate again, completely opening the city gate, the coalition forces cheered again.

"Let the natives attack!" ordered Major Frost Fritz, the commander of the Dutch army: "The artillery starts to attack the city walls."

Hundreds of native soldiers swarmed towards the broken city gate. On the way, they encountered numerous 3-pounder and 4-pounder artillery at the top of the city, and plowed out more than a dozen bloodstains in the loose queue.But the native soldiers did not flinch at all, and continued to charge forward.When approaching the city wall, there was a burst of gunfire from the top of the city, and dozens of natives fell down in the ranks.

In the end, almost half of the native soldiers who arrived near the city gate were lost, and the officers of the Kingdom of Sulu and Macindanao continued to order the next wave of native soldiers to charge.

Nearly 700 natives attacked the Holy Name Jesus City. Although most of them were killed by artillery and muskets, two hundred natives squeezed into the city gate.Encouraged by this, more than 300 native soldiers rushed over.

There were several roars of artillery at the city gate. It must be that the Spaniards also deployed artillery behind the city gate, killing and wounding the native soldiers who poured in.

Several officers of the Kingdom of Sulu and Macindanao waved their knives and pointed forward, and all the native soldiers in the formation shouted and launched a full-scale charge.Like a surging wave of people, they rushed directly to the city of the Holy Name Jesus, over the open fields, over the high walls, over the narrow city gates, and over the Spanish defense line.

"Entire team, break the city!" Niu Hu ordered loudly.

Then, a torrent of red and black followed the waves of the natives and rushed into the city of the Holy Name Jesus.

(End of this chapter)