unclear

Chapter 1327: Get to Long and Watch Shu
This is the new plan that Settle and Du Wenhuan have been discussing for half a month. Judging from the results, it should be considered that it has achieved the expected effect. Although the process is simple, in fact, every step requires careful planning.

Since the fleet entered the Guayaquil Bay, people at the mouth of the Guayas River and on the shore have been using lights to guide the direction. When the fleet went upstream and arrived outside the Guayaquil Port, people on the dock held torches as signals to guide the boats to land accurately.

Then came the various guides. From the Guayaquil City Hall to the Spanish military camp, including the residences and shops of Spanish officials, basically nothing was left out and they were all wiped out at the first opportunity.

In this battle, the army deployed 25 thousand households of the 3th Guard, killed less than 400 enemies, captured more than 7 Spanish regular troops, mercenaries, and officials, seized 3 armed patrol ships and cargo ships, and occupied coastal artillery positions.

During the battle, 11 people were slightly injured. Some fell into the water and almost drowned, some had their front teeth knocked out by punches from civilians, some were bitten by dogs, and some were kicked by donkeys. The only thing they didn't do was get hit by guns or cannons. I guess no one would refute that it was a bloodless battle.

"I can't believe it. It's been a whole year and it's still not repaired! If we had known this would happen, we should have taken over several nearby ports to prevent them from communicating by land. If nothing unexpected happens, Lima won't even notice the change of ownership for a month or two."

Settle fulfilled his promise 100%. He did not run around and followed Du Wenhuan faithfully. He was the last batch to land, and then he plunged into the shipyard in the north. He looked at the dilapidated three-masted sailing ship in the dock with regret.

He knew this ship, which was under the command of the Viceroyalty of Peru and was a large warship second only to the two new flagships. In the Battle of Las Palmas Islands, this ship was hit many times but did not sink. No one knew where it ended up.

Now we have the answer. It actually ran back with its seriously injured body, and its main structure seems to be intact. We only need to replace the damaged planks and it will not affect its continued use.

If this were placed in the Manila or Da Nang shipyard, it is no exaggeration to say that as long as the main and secondary keels and main ribs are not replaced, it can return to the combat sequence with a brand new look in at most one and a half months.

However, this old ship, which had just returned from the battlefield, had been waiting in the dock for a year with scars all over its body. Not only was it not completely renewed, but even the wounds were not completely cleaned. The two stern plates that were blown apart by the shells were like a pair of empty eyes, staring at the sky, wanting to cry but unable to!
"Commander-in-chief, I have an idea. Why not... I don't know whether I should tell you or not." As a navy officer, he naturally regards the ship as half his life, especially the warship.

Settle was very sad to see the Spaniards being so lazy, and at the same time, a bolder idea came to his mind. Just as he was about to talk to Du Wenhuan, he found that the several army staff officers accompanying him all frowned, so he quickly suppressed his emotions and asked questions instead.

"Commander-in-Chief Sai and Mr. Du have equal authority. If you have anything to say, just speak up. This is the military, and everything is based on command. There is no need for so many nonsense."

Of course, Du Wenhuan saw the reason why Settle was hesitant to speak, but he did not say it explicitly. Instead, he reiterated his command of the battlefield, just to the staff around him.

Through this battle, his impression of Settle improved a little. He was bold and careful, and he was meticulous. He also knew how to control his subordinates, which was rare. He made great efforts to drive the pirates who surrendered. Since he had new ideas, he must listen to them, and he must support them and avoid interference.

“The ships for this expedition all came from the navy and various countries in the Asian seas. They were very different from the ships that the Spanish usually used, and those who were familiar with them could clearly distinguish them from a few kilometers away.

This warship was originally the main force of the Viceroyalty of Peru. It was damaged and repaired here a year ago. For some reason, it was not repaired. If it can be repaired, and sailed together with several other cargo ships, it will be a standard silver transport fleet, which can confuse the public and sneak into other ports to carry out surprise attacks. "With Du Wenhuan's endorsement, Settle didn't care about the looks of the army staff, and immediately told them all his ideas. The goal is still the same, to win at the lowest cost.

"Well...if other ports knew that the ship had not been repaired, wouldn't that backfire?"

Du Wenhuan supported Settle's proposal, which was in line with the emperor's combat philosophy: steal if you can, cheat if you can, and attack if you can't. But he was not sure about the specific details.

"If we go to Lima Port, we might be discovered. However, although Panama City is also under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of Peru, its geographical location is special. The Spanish have set up a governor to manage it, and the connection between them is not particularly close. For small matters such as repairing ships, it is highly likely that they will not be reported in real time.

Now that the port of Guayaquil has been occupied, it is equivalent to cutting off the sea route from Lima to Panama, and it will take half a year to reach there by land. We can use the time difference to send a small army to besiege Lima City first, so that the Governor of Peru will have no time to take care of it. The main force will go north to Panama City and use this ship to sneak into the port area to fight and defeat the enemy. "

As for the risks of disguising and using Spanish ships to sneak into Panama Harbor, Settle evaluated them as he spoke, and the more he calculated, the more reliable he felt. Moreover, according to the requirements of the General Staff, Panama City will be a key construction target in the future. The less it is affected by the war, the less it will cost to rebuild. No matter how you calculate it, it is worth a try.

"How long will it take to repair this ship?" Du Wenhuan and his staff were listening and pondering, and they exchanged glances with each other. There was no ambiguity in principle, but the details still needed to be clarified before a decision could be made.

"There are craftsmen on every warship. It is not possible to build a new ship, and repairing it is their specialty. According to my estimation, if it is completely repaired, it will take two months to prepare all the materials. I am afraid it will be too late.

But it doesn't need to be completely repaired, just let it sail smoothly to Panama Port in the coastal waters. In this way, it should take about a month, or even less. The specific time needs to be carefully calculated by summoning the craftsmen. The governor will go to deal with the subsequent war first. I will wait here and will have an accurate answer during lunch."

Repairing a ship is not difficult for the navy, and even if there is no equipment here, it will not hinder the repair. But Settle really did not dare to jump to conclusions. After all, he just took a quick look, and the specific damage of the ship had to be identified by professionals before a conclusion could be made.

Fortunately, time is not very urgent, and the battle in Guayaquil Port has not yet ended. In addition to the urban area, the army must sweep all the villages and towns within a dozen kilometers around to completely eliminate hidden dangers. At the same time, the defense forces must be re-deployed, which will definitely take more than half a month to complete.

In the General Staff's combat plan, the attack on several key port cities on the west coast of America was not based on speed, but on steady progress, with each city to be stabilized once captured.

In addition, the army was also required to take into full consideration the needs of future management before deciding on the way to fight. The implication was that the army was expected to be careful not to be too harsh while not affecting the effectiveness of the fight, to win over the local residents more and to create less hatred.

(End of this chapter)