Chapter 55 of 100

Chapter 55

16 min read4,068 words

The weather in the Malvinas Islands was as bad as ever. By late May, the temperature had already dropped below zero, and strong westerly winds of 6 to 7 on the Beaufort scale, mixed with rain and snow, battered the ground. Even inside, one could feel the bone-chilling cold that seemed to be everywhere.

Several peat firepots burned, maintaining a certain warmth and dryness in the room. Lu Ming sat on his wooden bed, dressing and putting on his clothes. This time, the Yunseng No. 1 not only brought a large amount of supplies, building materials, and ammunition, but also brought commendation and promotion orders from the Executive Committee for the officers who had been fighting hard on the front lines for several months.

Lu Ming stroked the new uniform, which was of average quality. It was the latest 33-style machine-made wool naval lieutenant's uniform, produced by the new water-powered weaving factory by the Big Fish River. The new uniform's light blue color distinguished it from the army's, and its design was modeled after the naval uniforms of several countries in the future, with a style quite different from the navies of European countries at the time. Of course, at this stage, the navies of European countries did not have any formal uniforms, and only officers might have a decent set of clothes.

The uniform jacket fit well, with captain's insignia of three short swords embroidered on both shoulders, and the trousers were also machine-made wool. After Lu Ming put on the jacket and trousers, he moved around and felt it was quite comfortable. Next, he put on the leather military boots, cylindrical military cap, leather belt, and officer's sword, dressing himself neatly.

"Looks pretty official." Xie Hansan leaned against the head of the opposite bed, smiling at Lu Ming. This time, he also received a promotion from the Executive Committee, and he was already wearing a field-gray army lieutenant's uniform, also with the rank of captain, responsible for the unified command of the four temporary army platoons currently accompanying the navy.

Lu Ming smiled lightly but said nothing. He had returned to the Malvinas Islands a week ago with the "Eagle of the East Coast." In the naval battle that took place on the afternoon of May 10, the "Eagle of the East Coast" quickly left the battlefield under the cover of the Yunseng No. 1, first fleeing southwest, then turning southeast at night, crossing the Le Maire Strait west of Staten Island, and finally secretly returning to the Malvinas Islands by following the westerly winds. Fortunately, the Spanish were so focused on the Yunseng No. 1 that their seven main warships completely ignored the insignificant "Eagle of the East Coast," allowing Lu Ming and his men to escape and return to the Malvinas Islands.

The secret supply station on the Malvinas Islands had already been built on a considerable scale, with housing, warehouses, canteens, and prisons all in place. The dozens of Spanish and English captives, who had been tortured to the point of being unrecognizable, were finally freed from their heavy labor and moved into the relatively warm and dry prison. The "Galician Flying Fish" had already set sail two days ago under Yu Lian's command, heading to Tierra del Fuego to gather the more than 20 army brothers scattered on the island. Since the Spanish main fleet already knew this area was a hunting ground for the time travelers, they would likely patrol it frequently in the future, making it unnecessary to set up observation points on the island.

Moreover, under the strong urging of Xiao Bailang, Wang Tietui, and others, the Navy Department had just approved a bold plan to cross the Strait of Magellan and launch a long-distance raid. In the coming period, there would be no more time to play hide and seek with the Spanish in the Strait of Magellan. The island had been preparing for this action for the past two days, with food, fresh water, planks, gunpowder, and cannonballs all ready, and personnel arrangements were almost complete. The departure time was set for today.

"Stop lying on the bed. Let's go have breakfast; we're leaving soon." Lu Ming looked at his watch; it was 20 minutes before 7. Xie Hansan lazily sat up, picked up his leather ammunition bag, flintlock pistol, military knife, and telescope, and walked out of the door with Lu Ming.

The fresh, cold air outside invigorated their spirits, and the lingering sleepiness in their minds disappeared. Lu Ming wrapped his wool overcoat around his uniform and walked toward the canteen, his leather boots splashing through the snow and mud on the ground.

The canteen was steamy, with non-commissioned officers and veterans sitting around round tables, and officers at a few square tables. As for the ordinary soldiers, they had to sit on the ground or wooden planks covered with dry grass to eat. The breakfast was quite nutritious, with beef soup, steamed potatoes, and salted fish. Lu Ming sat down opposite Wang Tietui and Xiao Bailang, picked up a bowl of beef soup, and took a few sips, then sighed contentedly, "It tastes great. It would be even better with some chili peppers."

Wang Tietui grinned, "You're quite picky. That's easy. This time, when we go to Chile, you can take whatever you like when we go ashore. Maybe we'll find some pepper seeds."

While Xie Hansan was gnawing on the salted fish, he also chimed in, "What's the situation in Chile? I remember it's a core area of Spanish rule. Won't it be dangerous for us to go there?"

"Of course it's dangerous. Chile is more important to the Spanish government than the La Plata region," Wang Tietui explained. "There are many mineral resources there, and the development level is quite good, with a large population. Moreover, the native Araucanians often rebel, so the Viceroy of Peru has stationed many troops there. But don't worry, this time we're going to catch them off guard. We won't attack heavily fortified towns, just some small villages to let the Spanish know we're here, weaken their war potential, and create some psychological shock."

"That's fine, but do you know the situation there?" Xie Hansan asked. "We need to know where along the Pacific coast is suitable for landing, which targets are valuable, where the Spanish have their key defenses, and the strength of their navy. Otherwise, we'll be dead before we even know it."

"Well, didn't we capture a British ship recently? The British captives have been to Chile several times, not for business but as pirates." Wang Tietui explained, "In fact, their activities are encouraged by the British government, openly or secretly. Don't worry, they are professional veterans. With them leading the way, it will save us a lot of trouble and make it safer."

"Alright. Since the central authority has made the decision, we'll follow it. With four platoons and some navy, we can gather over 200 musketeers. A strike in Chile will be a significant military force," Xie Hansan finished his salted fish, wiped his hands on a cloth, and said.

"Stop talking and hurry up and eat. We're leaving after breakfast," Xiao Bailang urged.

...

After breakfast, it was already past 7. The soldiers tidied up their personal gear, put on their raincoats, and lined up. The platoon officers took roll call, and after the roll call, they boarded the ships. All the army soldiers were arranged on the Yunseng No. 1, and this time, all three ships would participate in the operation. The Yunseng No. 1 carried all the army soldiers, the "Eagle of the East Coast" served as a gunship, and the "Galician Flying Fish" as a supply ship.

The island's defense was completely handed over to over 50 Charuas, who had worked with the time travelers for a long time and were considered somewhat loyal. The time travelers confidently left the remaining supplies and captives in their care and set sail with all the ships.

At 8 a.m. on May 21, the Yunseng No. 1 and the "Eagle of the East Coast" slowly sailed out of Sullivan Bay on Soledad Island amidst the wind and snow. The waves in Sullivan Bay were not too large due to the terrain, but the wind had already reached 7 on the Beaufort scale, and the rain and snow were gradually increasing, with very low visibility.

However, the time travelers were familiar with this route. The two ships sailed out of the bay one after the other and entered the vast South Atlantic. On May 30, after a difficult voyage, the two ships successfully met up with the "Galician Flying Fish," which was anchored in a sheltered bay on the south side of Staten Island.

During this time, Yu Lian had already gathered the 28 soldiers scattered on Tierra del Fuego. The "Galician Flying Fish" had undergone some preliminary modifications while in the Malvinas Islands, with Xiao Bailang installing some large guns from the arsenal on the Yunseng No. 1 to replace the outdated small-caliber bronze guns. After the modifications, the "Galician Flying Fish," with a capacity of over 300 tons, had 16 guns, giving it a respectable firepower and some self-defense capability.

On the night of May 31, the three ships, carrying nearly 500 people, secretly entered the Strait of Magellan, taking advantage of the northeast wind and sailing at a speed of 3 to 4 knots.

This time, the target: the Pacific!

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