The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 296 Military Operations in the Americas
The King and Queen of Spain ultimately rejected the Ming Dynasty's request.

Ruan Yuan immediately left Madrid and used the radio equipment in his car to send the message to the warships waiting at the port.

The warship then sent the news back to Shuntian Prefecture via telegraph, and the Ministry of Public Security delivered it to Zhu Jianxuan.

After reading the report, Zhu Jianxuan gave direct orders and the troops from all sides immediately began to attack.

The news was sent from Spain, the westernmost part of Europe, to Shuntian Prefecture, the easternmost part of Shenzhou. Shuntian Prefecture's orders were then sent to Australia, America, and Africa.

It took less than a day in total.

On October 1802, the ninth year of Tiangong, which was November 11, 2 in the Western calendar, armies from all sides launched the attack on the same day.

It is the last month of the rainy season in Panama, so the construction site did not start work today.

The militia among the workers notified all slaves and ordinary workers that they must stay in the camp and not go out for the next few days, and they would not have to work in the next few days.

The main Ming garrison led more militiamen and raided the Spanish Panama Governor's Palace and military camp.

Directly took control of the defenseless Governor's Palace of Panama.

When the Ming army and militia entered the Governor's Palace, the Governor of Panama still did not understand what was going on.

Hearing the explosions, gunshots, and chaotic shouts coming from outside, the Governor of Panama subconsciously thought that the slaves and workers were rioting.

"What's going on? The project is going smoothly, not so many slaves have died, and they all have food to eat and a place to live. Why are they still making trouble?"

It was not until the Ming army took control of the Presidential Palace that a group of soldiers rushed into the room where the president lived.

The Governor of Panama looked at the soldiers and the guns in their hands, raised his hands without hesitation, and then screamed in the Ming Dynasty dialect with a confused look on his face:

"Don't shoot, I surrender, can anyone tell me what happened!"

After being captured by the Ming Dynasty garrison, the Governor of Panama learned from a brief introduction by a Ming Dynasty officer that the Ming Dynasty had declared war on Spain.

Ming military officers asked the Governor of Panama to order the Spanish troops and personnel in the Panama region to surrender to the Ming.

The Governor of Panama knew better than any other Spaniards the gap between the power he controlled and that of the Ming Dynasty.

In the opinion of the Governor of Panama, compared with the Spanish army and militia, the migrant workers of the Ming Dynasty were well-trained.

The Ming Dynasty's migrant workers, with their trained slaves, had a chance to defeat the Spanish regular army.

The Governor of Panama also chose to cooperate without any hesitation:
“I can give orders, and the local Panamanian soldiers, officials, and immigrants should obey.

"But the 10,000 soldiers currently stationed in Panama were directly arranged by the king and are not under my command."

The officers of the Ming Dynasty were well prepared for this:
"We can handle the Spanish King's garrison in Panama on our own."

The Governor of Panama was reminded by the King and the Prime Minister to be cautious and guard against the Ming people on the canal construction site.

The key is that 10,000 troops were sent here to garrison and guard.

However, the grain trade in the Americas was basically controlled by the Ming Dynasty, and the farmland reclaimed in Panama also belonged to the Ming Dynasty.

The manager of the Ming Dynasty Panama Canal Company directly refused to sell additional food to Spain, so the supplies for these Spanish garrisons were not sufficient.

The soldiers of European countries at this time were basically composed of ruffians, hooligans, and exiled prisoners.

Most military officers and even government positions were purchased with money and sold publicly, and taxes might be contracted out.

They rely on the military pay from the king, the officers' hard training, and large amounts of opioids to stay awake in order to maintain basic combat capabilities.

During Panama's rainy season, there is an average of heavy rain every two days, and the climate is hot and humid all year round. The morale of the 10,000 soldiers was not high to begin with.

Of course they don't train during the rainy season, they just hide in the barracks to smoke, drink and gamble.

When under continuous artillery bombardment, these officers and soldiers were not prepared at all and were unable to organize themselves quickly, and the camp fell into chaos.

Several Ming Dynasty wheeled machine gun armored vehicles rushed into the camp and fired at the surroundings for a while. A large number of soldiers who ran out of the barracks fell down immediately.

After the machine gun suppressed the chaotic crowd around it and paused for a moment, the Ming Dynasty's infantry rushed in and pointed their rifles at the surroundings.

At this time, the horn on the armored vehicle sounded again, broadcasting in Spanish to the surroundings in a continuous loop:

"Hand over your guns and surrender, you won't be killed if you surrender - Hand over your guns and surrender, you won't be killed if you surrender -"

There was almost no large-scale fighting before the Spanish garrison in Panama was controlled by the Ming Dynasty, and Panama City fell into the hands of the Ming Dynasty.

After taking control of Panama City, construction of the Panama Canal resumed.

The main forces from the West Coast of North America, coming from the Capital of the Americas (Seattle), also arrived in Panama City one after another to strengthen the defense of the Panama region.

Wait for the last month of the rainy season to end, and for the main force from the Ming mainland to arrive, and then launch an attack on the surrounding areas.

Winter has arrived in the northern Great Plains of North America, but temperatures in southern Louisiana are still in the teens.

The militia of the Great Plains of North America took over the entire Louisiana territory earlier this year and then rested here for a few months.

Now move south along the Great Plains to the warmer southern Texas, and capture the few remaining Spanish settlements in Texas.

Although many of the places captured by the North American militia should theoretically have been directly handed over to the Ming Dynasty after the Panama Canal was completed.

But there are few settlements here, and the few developed areas have a small population, ranging from a few hundred to one or two thousand people. According to the standards of the Ming Dynasty, these are considered large villages.

There is not much difference whether it is normal delivery or armed seizure.

Even if the King of Spain ordered the delivery, the locals might not be willing to accept the jurisdiction and arrangements of the Ming Dynasty, and conflicts of varying sizes would occur. Armed seizure would be more direct.

After taking over these strongholds on the plains, there will be slightly larger settlements when entering the Mexican region.

Before the independence of the United States, compared to the desolate plains, the Mexican region had a larger population and was more prosperous and developed, and Mexico City was the largest city in the Americas.

At the same time, Nelson commanded the Ming North American Fleet and the US Navy Fleet, responsible for blockading the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and clearing out the Spanish fleet and transport ships in the area.

Nelson's fleet included two aircraft carriers, carrying a total of more than sixty reconnaissance aircraft. The efficiency of the search fleet was dramatically improved compared to traditional fleets.

Originally, the Ming Dynasty's artillery fleet had an overwhelming advantage in speed, firepower, and defense compared to most enemies of the same era. Now equipped with aircraft carriers, reconnaissance aircraft, and radio, it is like opening a new eye in the sky.

The enemy not only lost the chance to win, but even lost the chance to escape. They could only choose to be eliminated or surrender directly.

The Spaniards did not yet know that the Ming Dynasty had declared war on Spain. The potential threat had only made them feel uneasy, but it did not make them deploy a comprehensive defense.

Nelson quickly deployed defenses between the Florida Peninsula and Haiti, controlling the area around the Bahamas, the Florida Strait, and the surrounding waters.

He then led the main fleet and landing forces straight to the port of Havana in western Cuba.

The Island of Cuba is a territory directly under the Spanish royal family and one of Spain's most important colonies in the Americas. It is known as the key to the New World or the key to the Caribbean.

In the original history, during the wave of Latin American independence movements in the early nineteenth century, the Cuban white community did not participate in the independence movement on a large scale.

There are more than 300,000 white and mixed-race people on the island of Cuba. They rely on Spain to export plantation products and on the Spanish navy to clear out pirates and escort merchant ships.

A small number of white people launched an uprising and called on local white people to be independent, but they were unsuccessful and most people remained loyal to the Spanish royal family.

It was not until the end of the 19th century, after the Spanish-American War, that it was taken away by the rising United States and became nominally independent.

The city of Havana in the northwest of the island is the most important city and port on the island of Cuba.

By the mid-eighteenth century, Havana had a population of more than 70,000 people, which was considered a large city in mainland Europe.

In the Americas, it is second only to Mexico City and Lima, and exceeds New York and Boston before independence.

At that time, Havana had the largest shipyard in the New World, capable of providing comprehensive ship repair and construction services, and was one of Spain's most important naval bases in the New World.

The British seized eastern Cuba in 1741 and occupied Guantanamo Bay.

In the late Seven Years' War, Britain occupied western Cuba in 1762, primarily capturing the city of Havana.

After the Seven Years' War, Spain exchanged Florida for Cuba. In order to prevent Cuba from being attacked and occupied again, Spain greatly strengthened the island's defenses after taking it back.

"He built Havana into the most heavily defended city in the Americas."

The population of Havana now exceeds 100,000. Nelson learned through the intelligence system that the Spanish fleet was docked in Havana.

Before the Spanish Navy received the news that Ming had declared war on Spain and took the initiative to go out to sea to set up defenses, the Ming fleet took the initiative to rush into the port and launched an attack.

It is an ideal and feasible tactic to directly attack the port in a naval battle, block the enemy fleet in the port bay, and destroy it when the enemy fleet is anchored or docked and cannot start immediately.

However, this type of anchorage attack tactic had a relatively high success rate in the Fengfan era.

Because the artillery has a short range and weak lethality, shore artillery may not be able to hit enemy ships in the bay. At the same time, wooden warships have large reserve buoyancy and are not easy to be destroyed.

After a sail-powered warship anchors and wants to set sail again, starting and accelerating are both troublesome and slow.

The navy's reconnaissance capabilities were weak at that time, and it was almost impossible to fight, especially at night.

The success rate of a sneak attack is naturally higher.

However, as military technology continues to develop, the implementation of this tactic becomes increasingly difficult.

Artillery became increasingly accurate and heavier, with greater ranges, making it possible to completely blockade harbors and bays.

The shore artillery at the anchorage is usually more powerful than the ship-borne artillery. If a warship wants to break into the anchorage, it means it has to withstand the attack of the shore artillery.

The reconnaissance and communication capabilities of both sides are improved, and the chances of breaking into an enemy port undetected are smaller.

A relatively good alternative would be to launch an air strike on the port.

During World War II, Britain's surprise attack on Taranto in Italy and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in the United States were both extensions of this tactic.

Nelson didn't realize it now, but he had the advantage of two eras.

The enemy's navy is at the end of the sailing age, while our own fleet has already stepped half a foot into the aircraft carrier era.

Nelson directly ordered the two aircraft carriers to load bombs on all the planes and launch a collective air attack on the Spanish fleet in the port of Havana.

Nelson held a telescope and watched the planes take off one after another, reunite in the air and fly away, and he said with anticipation:

“Although flying machines are used for reconnaissance, they can also be used for attack!

"Pass the order, all fleets advance, head straight for Havana!"

On November 1802, 11, the rainy season in Caribbean islands such as Haiti and Cuba had ended, and today was another sunny morning.

Spanish naval officers and soldiers docked in Havana, Cuba, rested on shore, smoked, drank, visited brothels, and participated in entertainment activities full of the characteristics of the times and the place.

The guard on duty at the port had blurry eyes and was leaning against a pillar, chatting with his companions, discussing what to do after changing shifts.

A guard subconsciously looked up at the sky, trying to estimate the time by looking at the sun. He vaguely saw a group of small black dots appearing in the distance, but he didn't take it seriously.

After a while, they vaguely heard some buzzing sound coming from the sky.

When I looked up again, I found a group of particularly large birds:
"Oh my God, what kind of bird is that? How can it be so big? And it makes a weird buzzing sound."

"No, that can't be a bird. It seems to be some kind of machine. That's why there are strange noises?"

"A flying machine? What kind of machine can fly? This is incredible!"

The soldiers discovered the Ming flying machines, but they were not at all nervous and did not realize that they might be the enemy.

Instead, they started discussing what kind of glider it was.

They didn't realize at all that the war had already begun, they just didn't know it yet.

Until the flying machines entered the dock and came above their heads.

At an altitude of only over one hundred meters, each plane dropped the aerial bombs they brought at a sailboat in the harbor.

A 100-kilogram bomb, with a charge of about 50 kilograms of trinitrotoluene (TNT), was certainly not enough to defeat a World War II-era battleship, primarily because it could not penetrate its armor.

But this is the early nineteenth century.

The amount of explosives in such a bomb is equivalent to that of a battleship shell of more than 300 mm, which is enough to directly shatter a sailing battleship into pieces.

The soldiers on duty at the port discovered that the flying machines had dropped some things, and they immediately screamed:

"what is that?"

"What do these flying machines drop?"

"Who are they——"

"My God—"

"what--"

Many people were stunned halfway through their questions and screams.

The objects dropped by the flying machines landed on the deck of the sailboat in the harbor, directly hitting the cabin and spewing out a ball of fire.

Immediately afterwards, deafening explosions rang out one after another, and the warships in the port exploded one after another, turning into pieces of wood flying in a ball of flames.

This was an unprecedented, terrifying and confusing scene.

More soldiers were hit by the broken wood and fell to the ground screaming.

The soldiers and officers in the surrounding camps ran out after hearing the noise outside and found that the entire port had turned into a sea of ​​fire.

Most people shouted loudly without knowing the truth:
"What the hell is going on here!"

"Why did the fleet suddenly explode?"

"An attack—it was an attack—"

"Where is the enemy?"

The Ming soldiers who launched the attack by plane, the world's first combat pilots, were also very excited and excited in the sky at this time.

The battle was a foregone conclusion, with no counterattacks and a large fleet destroyed directly.

The operator in charge of recording took photos of the scenes in the port, and then followed the fleet back to find the aircraft carrier to carry them.

When the plane returned to the aircraft carrier, the fleet was still more than 30 kilometers away from the port of Havana.

After landing, the flight captain immediately went to see the fleet commander headed by Nelson to report the results of the operation.

After hearing this, the officers led by Nelson were all quite surprised and repeatedly confirmed:
"The enemy's main fleet was completely destroyed?"

"Our pilot is intact?"

“So our navy’s battle is over?

"The efficiency of flying machines' attacks is so high. If all our main battleships are aircraft carriers, we can deal with any fleet hundreds of kilometers away!"

"What's the use of the artillery battleships then?"

"It is still useful. After all, we are going to land and seize the port. It takes a long time for planes to drop a round of bombs, and fire suppression still depends on artillery."

Nelson was also surprised and fascinated, and once again ordered the fleet to advance at full speed and land while Havana was in chaos.

Then let the pilots go back to rest, let the craftsmen check the status of the aircraft, refuel, reload weapons, and prepare to support landing operations in real time.

(End of this chapter)