Chapter 60

On the night of July 1st, at the mouth of the Valdivia River, the Yunsheng No. 1 and the "Eagle of the East Bank" were cruising on the sea. In the distance, the "Galician Flying Fish" was anchored offshore, and small boats were being lowered. In the darkness, soldiers, like ants, quickly climbed down the deck along the rope ladders. Once each small boat was filled with soldiers, the Charrúa boatmen would untie the ropes and start rowing slowly forward. Due to the tide, the small boats moved quite quickly on the sea.

Xie Hansan lightly jumped onto the beach, nodded to the Charrúa boatmen pushing the small boats forward, and then began to organize the soldiers. After roughly arranging nearly two hundred soldiers from four platoons into two rows, Xie Hansan led the troops, guided by two English pirate guides, toward a Spanish settlement over a thousand meters away.

This settlement had about four hundred residents and was roughly located near the modern-day port of Corral, outside Valdivia. It was not very large but was a crucial place. Minerals collected from the inland areas were initially processed in Valdivia and then transported by the Valdivia River to this location, from where they were shipped to major cities in the north.

Moreover, for Xiao Bailang's fleet, the most critical point was that the Spanish had built a battery here, directly facing the main channel of the Valdivia River. In other words, without removing this thorn, it would be difficult to advance up the river to attack Valdivia City with confidence.

The nearly two-hundred-strong team struggled through the hills and bushes. It wasn't until the second half of the night that the entire team finally crossed the last small hill and saw a faintly lit area below, which was the Spanish town.

"Rest for ten minutes!" Xie Hansan whispered. The soldiers sat down, opened their military canteens, and began to drink and rest.

Xie Hansan, while drinking, discussed with his platoon leaders: "The primary goal this time is to capture the battery. As for the Spanish in the town, we'll deal with them after we take the battery."

The platoon leaders and deputy platoon leaders, all veterans of the穿越众 (穿越者), nodded silently in agreement.

After ten minutes, the entire team rose at a low command. Xie Hansan ordered, "First Platoon, form a line between the battery and the town to contain any Spanish reinforcements; Second, Third, and Fourth Platoons, concentrate your forces and advance in a line along one side of the battery. Don't spread out. The Spanish battery may have a small garrison, but our goal is to capture the battery, not to annihilate all the Spanish here. Now, let's begin!"

The two hundred men silently marched down the hill. Perhaps due to years of peace, the Spanish were extremely lax in their defenses. After about ten minutes of marching, the team reached the edge of the town without encountering any sentries. Xie Hansan thought for a moment and chuckled. After all, this was just an ordinary Spanish town, not a military camp, so why would there be sentries? Moreover, the Araucanians in the area had been eliminated long ago, and the remaining ones had become obedient subjects of Spanish colonial rule. No wonder the Spanish were so lax in their defenses. But even if the defenses were strict, a town of a few hundred people could not withstand this well-equipped and experienced force. After bypassing the town, the First Platoon took up defensive positions, while the other three platoons quickly approached the battery a few hundred meters away.

The moonlight was relatively bright that night, and the river surface shimmered. The soldiers' breaths formed white mist in the bright moonlight. The Valdivia River is a tidal river, and the water surged against the shore with a loud noise due to the tide. If it weren't for the war, enjoying the cool sea breeze, the sparkling moonlight, and the sound of the waves while sipping local wine at the mouth of the Valdivia River in summer would surely be a delightful experience.

"Form three rows of platoons, with two meters between each platoon. Load your weapons and advance!" Xie Hansan ordered as they approached the target.

The Spanish finally noticed the commotion outside. A faint Spanish voice could be heard from the other side. The tide was too loud to hear clearly, but Xie Hansan and his men did not intend to respond in Spanish. The soldiers of the Second Platoon, under the command of their officers, rushed to the first gun position and answered with a volley of musket fire.

The Spanish gun positions were all open, with heavy cannons mounted on four-wheeled carriages, protected by natural terrain. A shelter was set up next to each gun position, storing barrels of gunpowder and cannonballs, and the gunners usually rested there. The soldiers advanced in tight formation, clearing each gun position one by one. The Spanish resistance was extremely weak. After the first few positions fell, the gunners at the remaining positions fled, abandoning their cannons.

Half an hour later, the soldiers cleared seven gun positions and began advancing toward a small hill nearby, where about six to seven more cannons were located.

Xie Hansan was very cautious throughout the operation. Even after reaching the small hill, the expected Spanish garrison did not appear. Most of the gunners had fled, leaving only a few brave Spanish men to resist. These Spanish men, armed with matchlock muskets or cold weapons, fought futilely in the darkness. Xie Hansan concentrated two platoons of soldiers and fired a volley at the places where the matchlock flames were visible, finally breaking the last resistance of the Spanish.

Thus, the Spanish battery was completely captured. The entire battle lasted less than an hour, and the穿越众 (穿越者) captured all fourteen gun positions with only three dead and two lightly wounded. The battle was as easy as a child's play.

The Spanish town gradually showed some signs of activity. Xie Hansan ordered the Second and Third Platoons to run to the First Platoon's position, while he led the Fourth Platoon to light a fire to signal the Yunsheng No. 1 and the "Eagle of the East Bank" and to interrogate the captured Spanish prisoners. Father Pedro was particularly active, intimidating and beating his Spanish compatriots, quickly extracting the information Xie Hansan needed.

It turned out that the Spanish here had been living in peace for a long time. Many of the gunners and officers of the garrison would return to their homes in the town at night, leaving only a few soldiers on the battery, with no officers. The dozen or so men killed on the small hill were the few remaining garrison soldiers. Additionally, the armed forces in the town were very weak, with only a few dozen militiamen equipped with matchlock muskets and cold weapons.

After obtaining the information, Xie Hansan ordered the platoon leader of the Third Platoon to temporarily take command of the area while he quickly went to the First Platoon to direct the operation, considering whether to capture the town.

The First Platoon, led by Fabian Klinger, had just fired a volley, and a group of Spanish men fell. Fabian took out a paper-wrapped cartridge from his leather ammunition pouch and began the tense process of reloading. These Spanish men had rushed to the battery upon seeing the commotion, apparently intending to provide support. However, they were met with a volley from the forty or so flintlock muskets of the First Platoon. Over a dozen Spanish men at the front fell, and the rest, seeing so many muskets firing in the darkness, became frightened and sought cover. A few brave Spanish men fired their matchlock muskets, but the bullets went astray in the darkness. The flames from the matchlocks exposed their positions, and a few flintlock muskets, under the command of officers and experienced non-commissioned officers, fired a volley, dispersing the Spanish men's courage.

By the time Xie Hansan arrived, the three platoons had already routed the Spanish men through alternating volleys. Seeing the twenty or so Spanish bodies scattered on the ground, Xie Hansan decisively ordered an advance on the town.

The town was now brightly lit, with shouts, cries, and angry roars echoing. The entire town was surrounded by a high wooden fence with a gate for entry and exit. It took the three platoons over half an hour to find the wooden gate of the Spanish town. The Spanish soldiers behind the gate fired, trying to resist. Xie Hansan's team, advancing lightly, had no artillery and had no good way to deal with the Spanish behind the gate.

However, it was nearly dawn, and the three warships of the穿越众 (穿越者) were slowly entering the Valdivia River. When the dozens of cannons on the three warships were aimed at the town, the Spanish would have no choice but to surrender. Thinking of this, Xie Hansan decided not to force an attack on the town but to retreat and occupy key points around the town, waiting for the navy to solve the problem.

At dawn, the "Eagle of the East Bank" led the way into the Valdivia River, followed by the "Galician Flying Fish" and the Yunsheng No. 1. The Yunsheng No. 1, which had been running on auxiliary power, now entered the river with the help of a strong southwest wind and anchored in the channel directly opposite the town, its dark cannon muzzles pointing at the town's wooden fence.

The presence of three warships with red flags and double-sword eagles in the river was a more effective deterrent than any words. Soon, chaos erupted among the Spanish in the town, and the sound of gunfire could be heard. Half an hour later, just as the穿越众 (穿越者) were losing patience, the wooden gate of the town finally opened, and several Spanish men, holding a white flag, slowly walked out.

PS: Continuing the chapter from yesterday. Tonight's update will follow.

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