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Chapter 1390 Heavy Fog
The north is definitely one route, and after controlling Enniu City, the European coalition can continue eastward into the interior, capturing more Xhosa people to use as cannon fodder while meandering towards the coast to obtain supplies from the sea.

The pressure on the port area from the south will certainly not be relaxed, but landing is almost impossible, including attacks on the beaches on the south side of the cape, which would be futile, but still necessary.

Besides the north and south, and the feint and the real attack, the European coalition will certainly develop at least one new direction of attack, which, whether feint or real, can distract the defending forces.

Based on the known conditions, only the east and west sides remain. Let's start with the east side. The defense system of Encho Port extends only to the west bank of the Encho River. Due to the constant erosion by the river, the seabed further east of the east bank has been raised considerably, and the water is relatively shallow, making it unsuitable for medium to large sailing ships to dock.

However, the shoreline is mostly flat sandy beach, with many palm trees and shrubs, which is quite suitable for troops to hide and set up camp after landing.

The terrain to the west is completely the opposite. The water is deep enough that medium and large sailboats can easily approach and land, provided the wind is not too strong.

However, the situation after landing was not as good as that in the east. This area is the foothills of the mountains extending into the sea, with a relatively rugged terrain and almost no vegetation. To launch an attack on the port area from the west, one must cross the ridge of the cape.

The mountains there are hollow, covered with firing ports, gun emplacements, and fortifications from the top to the bottom, making it the toughest part of the entire port defense system, bar none.

The problem is that the defensive fortifications hidden in the mountains have not yet been fully exposed. Figuring out exactly where they are and where they aren't will require a lot of casualties. Considering this, the possibility of choosing a new landing point on the west side is relatively low.

"Don't forget, many of the Xhosa people in Enbird City participated in the cave expansion project, and many secrets of the port area can no longer be kept secret. If the commander of the European coalition knows about these situations, he will probably choose to land from the east. If large ships cannot get close, they can use small boats to transfer them, which is not too difficult."

"Yes, there are no secrets! But that's fine, let's all go head-to-head and see who comes out on top!"

These words were a wake-up call for Zhu Neng. He had to force himself to keep in mind the fact that Enbird City had been lost and to stop having any illusions about the mystery of the defense system.

But he wasn't too disappointed; instead, it fueled his determination. Europeans only knew how powerful the Ming warships were, but they had never seen the capabilities of the Marine Corps. This time, they would be the ones to experience what true power was.

"Hold...hold...fire!" More than ten kilometers south of Enbird Port, hundreds of sailboats were chasing each other.

The smaller, faster ship sailed in a tight formation at high speed along the outer line, diligently aiming at enemy ships with its broadsides. Whenever a target appeared, it would follow the flagship and fire. After several rounds, it would immediately adjust its course and continue searching for the next target, resolutely neither slowing down nor getting close.

The other side, with its larger numbers and slower speed, simply formed a double-layered line stretching over ten kilometers long, slowly and steadily pushing towards the open sea, braving gunfire to prevent the enemy fleet from approaching the port area.

Over the past week, more than fifty warships have been damaged, but after repairs, about 80% can regain their combat capability. The number of ships sunk or seriously damaged is relatively small. However, the casualties are quite high, averaging nearly one hundred people per day.

"Commander, a report from the hot air balloon indicates the enemy is likely to land on the east bank of the Enbird River and launch an attack on the port area." The flagship had just completed a 180-degree turn when the navigator received the message from the port. "Dense fog is possible in the next couple of days; instruct them to be on high alert!"

The news of Enbird City's fall had already reached him that morning. Although there weren't many details, Yan Busi wasn't particularly surprised. From the moment a large number of European allied troops suddenly appeared in the north of the city, he had been mentally prepared to abandon the city. As long as the port area wasn't lost, there was still room for recovery.

"Instruct the Second Squadron to move eastward, indicating an intention to approach the mouth of the Enniu River. Have the lookouts carefully observe the enemy fleet's movements!"

But is the European coalition actually planning to land in the east? The garrison in the port can't probe, but the fleet outside can confirm it relatively easily. If the enemy warships make a desperate attempt to block them from approaching, it's highly likely they are indeed planning to land.

"Splash... splash..." As night fell, the daytime hustle and bustle had just subsided, and a light mist slowly rose from the sea, pushed onto the beach by wave after wave, until it became so dark that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, leaving only the monotonous sound of waves lapping against the shore.

Suddenly, a dark figure broke through the thick fog and silently glided towards the beach. Then came a second, a third... In the blink of an eye, dozens, even hundreds, of dark figures appeared one after another.

Lifeboats, small wooden boats with pointed bottoms commonly found on sailboats, have no sails and are propelled by two long oars on each side, and can carry about 15 people.

There are now hundreds of lifeboats floating on the sea. The rowers hold their breath and gently paddle in unison according to the rhythm of the waves, so that the boats can rush to the nearest beach with the least noise and the fastest speed!

With the help of the fog, the first lifeboat ran aground safely on the beach. Soon after, figures climbed out of the boat, wading through knee-deep water, and stealthily pulled themselves onto the sand.

Once their feet were completely out of the water, the figures retrieved their backpacks and rifles from the cabin, crouching low and taking small, quick steps as they continued towards the woods on the shore. Although the sound of hundreds of boots treading on the sand was slight, it was barely noticeable compared to the roar of the waves.

Another group of people pushed the stranded lifeboat back into the sea, and the oarsmen, with their skillful technique, gently rocked the oars, propelling the small boat back into the fog-shrouded ocean.

Besides the constant westerly winds and killer waves, another common natural phenomenon in the Cape of Good Hope waters is dense fog. Especially in the early morning and evening during winter and summer, it often rises from the sea without warning, spreading to the shore and even obscuring lighthouses.

On the advice of naval commander Tropp, the European coalition landing forces, taking advantage of the nighttime fog, moored cargo ships carrying soldiers a kilometer away and used small boats to transfer them, propelled wave after wave of soldiers onto the beaches east of the Enniao River by the force of the killer waves.

"Cohen, it seems your plan worked. But I'm a little curious, why do you insist on calling it my achievement when it's clearly yours?" Due to the fog, the landing force not only evaded the Ming army's observation, but also obstructed the vision of the allied warships at sea.

The liaison work continued into the early hours of the morning. General Tropp, who was in charge of the landing operation, finally learned the general situation from the sailors in the returning small boats, and then excitedly shared it with the tall, thin man next to him.

(End of this chapter)