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Chapter 1225 The Fish Has Entered the Nest 3
Settle could guarantee that Mather's concerns would be resolved without any problems. The Ming Navy not only had a tradition of recruiting pirates, but also did the same thing as pirates, which was robbery, but with the permission of the imperial court.

Even if you can't become a navy officer, it's not the end of the world. There are all kinds of jobs to do in Ming Dynasty, such as working on your own ranch. Since more and more factories have been opened, there are fewer and fewer herders. Young people are no longer willing to live on the grassland with sheep, but are more yearning for the colorful life in big cities.

These pirates were all in their prime, not spoiled, and good at work. If the emperor didn't take them in, he could just take them back to his hometown, and the dozens of young and strong brothers would definitely be happy.

"Beep, beep...beep, beep..." Settle was talking happily when a shrill whistle suddenly sounded above his head.

"Captain, we found a ship's sail behind us, bearing 70. It should be the same ship as yesterday." Soon the first mate came over to report the lookout's discovery.

"It seems that they have already calculated where we are going. This will make things easy. Just speed up so as not to arouse suspicion." Upon hearing this, Settle returned to the helm, picked up the nautical chart from the lounge chair, and opened it directly on the deck.

The ship behind caught up with them less than half a day after leaving the port of Talara. At first, it was not certain that it was an enemy ship, but after a night of sailing, it was basically confirmed.

There is no route between Port Talara and the Galapagos Islands, and civilian ships basically don't go this way. Even if there is an exception, after sailing all night and changing course in the middle, it's time to get rid of it.

The fact that it still sticks behind can only mean two things: first, the ship's target is the pirate ship; second, it has guessed where the pirate ship is going, so no matter how it changes its route, as long as it insists on heading towards the Galapagos Islands, it will eventually run into it.

"Mather, how long do you think it will take the Spanish fleet to catch up?" But it is useless to just confirm that the tail is the Spanish. The target of the bait operation is the main force of the Spanish fleet. In this regard, the opinions of the local snakes have to be consulted.

"...If there is no weather impact for about five days, aren't you afraid of being surrounded by doing this?" Mather could estimate the distance between several ports and the archipelago, as well as the assembly speed of the Spanish fleet, without even looking at the nautical chart.

However, there is one thing I have to complain about. Captain Settle brought two real pirate ships and three fake pirate ships to frequently plunder in the waters between the ports of Guarquilla and Lima. His purpose was definitely to attract the attention of the Spanish authorities.

This is very dangerous. If they are ambushed and trapped in the bay, they may be wiped out. Are these Ming people not afraid of death and willing to pay the price of their lives for the so-called plan?
"Surrounded? The Spanish ships can't catch up with us... oh, yes, except for your two ships. But it doesn't matter if that happens. Just abandon the ship and leave it to them.

Now you understand why I didn't attack the port according to the intelligence you provided? I will never approach any sea area that is not conducive to maneuvering. I only have one life, so I have to use it sparingly. "

Settle could only respond with a disdainful expression and tone to this assumption. The firepower of the Qin-class and Han-class warships was not very strong, mainly because of the small tonnage and small number of naval guns, and the insufficient delivery density, which had to be compensated by precision. Once the sea conditions were bad, the power would be greatly reduced.

But in terms of speed and seaworthiness, it was truly invincible, which was in line with the Emperor's consistent combat creed of running away if you can't win, and keeping the green mountains will not worry about firewood. As long as you don't go into rivers and too narrow bays, the sails and hulls are not seriously defective, and you have enough room for choice, you really don't have to worry about being surrounded by dozens of slow Spanish sailing ships.

In fact, Settle hoped that the Spaniards would do so. At that time, they would pretend to flee in panic and abandon the two pirate ships as trophies. This would be more likely to boost the morale of the Spanish captains and make it more likely that they would pursue the victory.

If necessary, all the pirates except Mercer can be abandoned to make the scene more realistic. It's not that Mercer can't be abandoned, but he knows too much and can't leave him alive to the enemy.

"As a former French naval captain, I need to remind you that although the Spanish warships are not fast, their firepower is very fierce. Unless your emperor brings more warships, the result will still be difficult to predict even if it is sudden."

At this time, Mercer had to demonstrate his professional qualities. France and Spain had been in friction at sea for hundreds of years. In particular, French ships that wanted to enter and leave the Mediterranean were heavily taxed by the Spanish government to prevent France from developing colonies in North Africa.

The French navy hated the Spanish-controlled Strait of Gibraltar, but was helpless. Compared with the army, the French navy was even inferior to the Dutch and had no ability to compete head-on.

However, the French Navy still made its best efforts on local issues, such as the competition for the New World of America. Facing the powerful Spanish fleet, the French Navy has been fighting tenaciously and summed up a lot of experience.

Judging from the current situation, Mather believes that the three sailing ships claiming to be from the Ming Empire Navy are very distinctive, but they are still unable to fight the Spanish warships one-on-one, the main reason being their tonnage.

The size was too small, so the number of artillery, the number of soldiers and the sturdiness of the ship had to be reduced. This design idea is indeed conducive to increasing the speed of the ship, and may be more suitable for the actual situation in the East Indies, but it may not be the case in America.

Naval warfare is not a race. Speed ​​alone is useless. Strike capability and anti-strike capability are also important. The warship under his feet only has more than 20 gun ports, which is barely more than the Spanish armed cargo ship. If he encounters a main battleship equipped with 40 or 50 guns, he will not be able to compete head-on.

Its crew consisted of only a little over 100 people, less than that of European plundering ships. Once it was improperly operated or its sails were damaged, it would lose its combat effectiveness after losing speed and could easily be captured by Spanish warships carrying hundreds of sailors and soldiers.

Settle said that his emperor would lead the fleet to set up an ambush around the islands to catch the Spanish fleet off guard. Mather thought this idea was appropriate, but if there were not enough warships, a good idea would become a bad idea due to lack of strength.

Originally, from his point of view, it didn't matter who won or lost between the Spanish and the Ming Empire. It would be best if they were evenly matched at first and both sides lost in the end. But the current situation did not allow him to stand aside and watch the fun. For the sake of his own life and the lives of his men, he had to help the Ming Navy.

(End of this chapter)