Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 242 Expedition
On August 1633, 8, Vice Admiral Juan Vicente Gomez, commander of the Spanish task force, stood on the second-floor balcony, gazing solemnly towards the port.

On the sea in the distance, several armed merchant ships were slowly sailing into the port, and the shadows of their sails looked particularly heavy in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He took a deep breath and murmured softly, "It's time for us to set off..."

"General, we're not ready to depart yet," Adjutant Major Fernandez handed him a cup of steaming coffee, a look of worry on his face. "Although, under the Governor's strict supervision, the warships and landing troops required by the expeditionary fleet have arrived in Acapulco Harbor, the combat supplies we requested have not yet arrived."

"We're short on artillery, muskets, alcohol, and medicine... Oh, and we haven't recruited enough doctors, carpenters, tailors, and other personnel to accompany the army. If something goes wrong during our long voyage, or if we're unable to quickly capture the pirate fortresses, the entire fleet could be in serious trouble!"

"I know these problems too." Gomez took the coffee and took a sip. The bitter taste spread across his tongue.

He gave a wry smile, shook his head, and said, "But we can't wait any longer. The entire Viceroyalty of New Spain has mobilized a vast amount of manpower and resources for this expedition. They've also imposed high special taxes on all citizens of the colonial territories, causing widespread public resentment. The pressure on the Viceroyalty has reached its limit."

"It's safe to say that this war has severely strained the economy and livelihoods of New Spain, causing widespread resentment among people from all walks of life." He paused, his gaze once again cast into the distance, as if he could see the pirate dens to the north across the endless sea. "A few days ago, the coastal town of Banderas Valley in the north was attacked by pirates. Not only were all the property looted, but the town was also burned down, leaving hundreds of residents homeless."

"The pirates are clearly trying to stop our attack this way. If we continue to delay, the towns and villages along the Mexican coast will face a greater threat. By then, the political pressure from the Governor-General's Office and the outcry from the people will completely overwhelm us."

"As you can imagine, the pirates have sent out a small fleet to stop our attack. They will launch frantic attacks on villages and towns along the Mexican coast in the coming period. Therefore, we can no longer wait and must set out immediately to attack the pirates' location in the north."

"If we continue to delay, the pirates will continue to attack more coastal villages and towns, and our people will face greater threats. At that time, the political pressure from the Governor's Office and the public outcry will completely overwhelm us."

"But, General..." Adjutant Major Fernandez opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

"No buts!" Gomez interrupted him. "No matter how difficult the problem is, we must find a way to solve it, to overcome it, and to defeat it. In this battle, we can only achieve one result, and that is victory."

"Also, it has to be a perfect victory!"
-

When Captain Carles of the "San Jose" received the order to sail from the task force commander Gomez, he immediately felt unwell.

They had just completed a difficult journey, transporting immigrants and supplies to Fort San Diego. Without sufficient rest on board, the entire ship had to set off again in a hurry. This was nothing short of a nightmare for the sailors.

What's worse, during the few days of staying in the port, the supplies their "San Jose" needed were far from being replenished.

The ship's cannons lacked ammunition, the muskets had insufficient accessories, and the supplies of wine and food were far from sufficient.

Calles stood on the deck, looking at the busy and chaotic port, his heart filled with uneasiness.

The officer who delivered the message appeared relaxed and at ease: "Even if supplies are slightly lacking, it won't hinder our progress. Once the fleet reaches the pirate lair, the battle will be over quickly."

"After a short rest, we can return immediately. The northwest monsoon is prevailing at sea at this time of year. The return journey will be smooth and it won't take long to reach Mexico."

"What's more, after we break into the pirates' lair, we might be able to seize a large amount of supplies, which will just make up for our shortage."

Calles was speechless when he heard this.

What does "lack of supplies may not hinder the journey" mean?
What about "Once we reach the pirate's lair, the battle will be over quickly"?
On the return voyage, “with favorable winds, it won’t take long to get back to Mexico”?
"If we break into the pirate's lair, we might be able to seize a large amount of supplies from it"?
Are we really embarking on a long expedition spanning hundreds of leagues based on these assumptions and fantasies? Moreover, these so-called assumptions are entirely an extremely idealistic design, based on the wonderful vision that there will be no problems or troubles during the expedition.

is it possible?

Is this realistic?

Starting from the port of Acapulco and heading north to the pirates' lair, the distance is more than a thousand leagues, and the whole journey is against the wind, so it will take at least fifty days.

It's such a long distance and takes such a long time. How can we dare to take the risk without sufficient supplies?

You know, this is a military expedition, not an ordinary adventure.

The entire fleet consisted of eight warships and supply ships. In addition to transporting a large amount of combat supplies, it also carried 1,400 soldiers (200 more than originally planned).

If the sailors, craftsmen and Indian servants on board are included, the number would exceed 2,700.

With so many people crossing a thousand leagues of sea, how many problems would they have to face!
Seasickness, epidemics, food spoilage, lack of fresh water, as well as storms and hurricanes, any of these problems, if handled with the slightest error, can lead to the death of a large number of crew members, or even the destruction of the ship and the death of everyone on board.

Oh, and there were also deadly diseases like scurvy, cholera, and dysentery that sailors dreaded.

If the control is not good, half of the sailors and soldiers on the fleet may die before they reach the pirate's lair.

Calles was filled with helplessness and anger.

In his opinion, there was no need for the Viceroyalty of New Spain to form such a high-profile expeditionary fleet to eliminate those pirates.

We can take it slowly. While strengthening the defenses of coastal towns and ports, we can build a colonial outpost every few dozen leagues starting from the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It will take us ten to twenty years to gradually advance northwards, and eventually reach the vicinity of the pirate hideout. Then we can gather a large army to wipe out the pirate threat completely.

Although this method is time-consuming and laborious, it is safer.

Moreover, with the construction of a series of strongholds along the Pacific coast, the Kingdom of Spain was able to essentially bring the entire west coast of America under its rule. Together with the colonial territories of the Philippines, it could even turn the Pacific into an inland sea for the Spanish.

Calles was full of doubts, but the task force commander's order was unquestionable, so he could only pray to God silently.

Almighty Lord, we do not ask for everything to go smoothly, but we ask that you be with us in everything.

Whether we are sailing far or returning, please always be with us and protect us.

Because you are with us, we have peace!

(End of this chapter)