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Chapter 1226 Attack with all your strength
"Haven't you heard of the Battle of the Cape of Good Hope?" Settle was even more surprised because he knew that the pirate leader was once a naval officer.

More than three years have passed since the Battle of the Cape of Good Hope, and the expeditionary fleets of Britain and Spain lost three-quarters of their lives, but some ships and sailors still returned to their home countries. Even if the news was blocked, it was normal for ordinary people not to know, and it was not normal for industry insiders not to know either.

"...I'm sorry, I've been here for seven years and I don't know much about what's happening in Europe and Asia. If possible, could you please tell me who fought with whom in the naval battle and where the Cape of Good Hope is?" Mather looked a little embarrassed when he heard this, but curiosity forced him to forget his blushing for the time being.

"You are such an easy-going navy officer that you don't even know the Cape of Good Hope! It is also called Cape of Storms, and it is located at the southernmost tip of the African continent. The two warring parties are the Ming Empire Navy and the Spanish and English combined fleets, with the number of warships being about 1:3.

In the end, the Ming Navy lost an armed cargo ship and three warships were slightly damaged; the Spanish and English fleets were almost completely annihilated, the fleet commanders were killed, and it seems that some duke of England was captured. "

Settle didn't catch up with the Battle of the Cape of Good Hope, but he had heard Sister Ji tell him the details countless times, and he could almost recite them by heart. So he briefly described the main process, hoping to evoke her memory.

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of this naval battle. Excuse me, if you didn't participate in this naval battle in person, its credibility is very questionable." But after hearing this, not only did Mercer not remember it, but his face was full of sarcasm and he expressed serious doubts about its authenticity.

"Hey, this is really hard to explain! Wait, I'll find someone..."

This really made Settle helpless, and he had to call for help in a hurry. Although he had not participated in the Battle of the Cape of Good Hope in person, there were sailors on the ship who had served for many years, such as the boatswain Lao Liang.

"No, no, why would I argue with a frog in a well like you? You don't believe me, right? Well, wait and see. We'll know the result in a few days. Navigator, increase the speed and set three-quarters sail."

But before he could shout it out, he realized that even if he called someone over, he would not be able to convince this former French naval captain. The emperor had mentioned many times during his lectures at the academy that one should not argue with students whose cognitive level is too different from his own, because in many cases, words alone cannot convince others.

It's not that the reasoning was not thorough enough, nor that the other party was deliberately making things difficult, but human nature. People usually have a negative attitude towards things they have never heard of or seen, and they are particularly stubborn.

This is a self-protective thinking mode, because once you affirm it, it is equivalent to subverting the previous cognitive system and admitting that you are a fool in disguise. If you really want to convince these people, there is only one way, use facts.

At present, we still have more than a day's sailing distance to the archipelago. If the Spanish fleet really catches up, it will arrive in five or six days at most. There is no other place to hide nearby, so there is no need to wait and act as a guide.

At the same time, a huge fleet was floating on the sea more than 300 kilometers west of the port of Guayaquil.

Among them, two three-masted sailing ships stood out from the crowd. Their hulls were thick and wide, with three layers of gun decks on both sides and more than seventy gun ports densely distributed. Even though they were quietly anchored, they still exuded a strong murderous aura.

The main masts of the ships were hoisted with the Burgundy Cross, Castile and León, the Viceroyalty of New Spain and the Viceroyalty of Peru. The emblem of the Spanish royal family was carved on the stern. The craftsmanship was exquisite. New Spain and the Viceroy of Peru were sister ships. Both were built 990 years ago, with a displacement of 55 tons, a length of 23 meters, a width of 44 meters and a height of meters.

There are three long gun decks, equipped with a total of 74 guns of various types. The bottom deck is 36-pound guns, the middle deck is 24-pound guns, and the top deck is 12-pound guns.

The two large Spanish warships of pure pedigree became the flagships of the Viceroyalty of New Spain and Peru as soon as they were born. With their powerful firepower and huge loading capacity, they performed outstandingly in combating pirates and suppressing colonial riots, and became the trump card of successive governors.

This time, the sister ships appeared at the same time, indicating to the outside world that the two governors had revealed their cards and would no longer tolerate or condone any acts, and were determined to fight the pirates to the death.

In fact, this is not the case. Neither Governor de Almansa of New Spain nor Governor de Cabrera of Peru regarded the small group of pirates that suddenly wreaked havoc as mortal enemies. What they really cared about was the Ming Islands thousands of miles away.

This archipelago is newly discovered, but it seems that the island already has an owner, and it has been proven to be a mortal enemy, the Ming Empire. If the Ming navy is allowed to build a naval base on the archipelago, the west coast of the New World will never be at peace.

The lesson of Manila has not been forgotten. Losing this foothold in Asia would be very detrimental to the economic development of the New World. Just the raw silk income alone would result in a huge loss in annual income.

The large-scale extermination of pirates this time was only to allow the two fleets from different governors to conduct an actual combat exercise. Through long-distance sailing, fixed-point assembly, and formation combat, the officers and sailors who were originally unfamiliar with each other could get used to each other in advance and prepare for the real expedition to be launched in the fall.

"Now it's confirmed, the pirates must have gone to the Galapagos Islands! Colonel Mendoza, please give the order, the New Spanish fleet is temporarily under your command.

Rush forward and crush those damn pirate ships, then capture them and hang their corpses in all the cities in the two governorates to remind those guys who are ready to make some moves that they'd better be honest.

When the storm season is over, you will lead the pride of Spain to the Ming Islands and drive the Ming people hiding there to the sea. At that time, I will apply to the king to rename the islands after you! "

Although he was a little older, the tall and well-dressed Governor de Almanza looked much younger than Governor de Cabrera. At the same time, his elegant temperament and pure Latin always made people who talked with him feel a sense of nobility.

Standing next to him at this time was Colonel Mendoza, the naval governor of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The naval governor of the Viceroyalty of New Spain was a nobleman with extensive connections in the country. He was much more sensitive to politics than naval tactics.

He left the Governorate two months ago due to illness and returned to his homeland for treatment, perfectly avoiding this big trouble. Yes, in the eyes of some Spanish high-ranking officials, leading a fleet to fight against the Ming Navy was troublesome and extremely risky. As a noble with a solid foundation, there was no need to gamble his life for fame and position.

(End of this chapter)