Chapter 64

Lin Youde stood on the city wall of Dingyuan Fort, gazing at the distant Spanish encampment. For several days, the rain and snow had been continuous, and the Spanish had been quite well-behaved, slowly building their camp outside the eastern wall of Dingyuan Fort. In this dull and monotonous atmosphere, Lin Youde, who had risen early for his routine inspection, suddenly noticed that the Spanish had built two artillery emplacements in the open field overnight.

"Damn! They're playing dirty!" Lin Youde angrily slapped the wall. "Old Niu, can you hit those two spots? Take them out! The Spanish must be up to something. Otherwise, with just their few small field guns, they wouldn't have the nerve to build artillery emplacements over here. They must have heavy artillery!"

Niu De, the artillery commander and second captain of the second artillery company, estimated the distance and direction, then nodded. "Let's give it a try. I think we can hit them."

The eastern wall of Dingyuan Fort had two watchtowers, both built on the protruding sections of the wall. Each watchtower was equipped with one 18-pounder and two 12-pounder long-barreled cannons, all mounted on four-wheeled carriages for mobility. Under Niu De's command, the three cannons were pushed to the front of the protruding section. Niu De took out his telescope to measure the distance, then began the test firing.

"First, second, and third gun crews, load 3-pound powder charges, set the barrel elevation to -1 degree. Begin loading ammunition!" Niu De calmly gave the orders.

The gunners took the pre-measured 3-pound powder charges from the ammunition boxes behind the carriages, loaded them into the barrels, then inserted the iron balls and rammed them in firmly. "Fire!" Niu De thrust a red-hot iron rod into the touchhole of one of the cannons.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The three cannons recoiled sharply, long trails of smoke spewing from their muzzles as the iron balls flew out, piercing through the dense snow and wind, and landing in a triangular pattern around the target.

"Third 18-pounder crew, increase the powder charge to 4.5 pounds, all else remains the same; first and second gun crews, increase the powder charge to 4 pounds, adjust the barrel elevation to 0 degrees." Niu De began to adjust the parameters. Observing the impact points in the heavy snow required keen eyes, as the visibility was poor and it was easy to miss the impact points.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The cannons roared again, and the three shells whistled toward the Spanish artillery emplacements. This time, the impact points were much better. The closest 18-pounder shell narrowly missed the top of the emplacement and then buried itself in the snow behind it.

"Third gun crew, keep the powder charge the same, adjust the barrel elevation to -2 degrees; first and second gun crews, increase the powder charge to 4.5 pounds, all else remains the same. Ready... Fire!" Niu De raised his telescope and gave the order slowly.

As soon as he finished speaking, three shells flew out of the barrels. This time, they did not disappoint. An 18-pounder shell and a 12-pounder shell hit their targets. The 18-pounder shell struck the front of the emplacement, shattering several red bricks, while the 12-pounder shell penetrated the roof and landed in the snow behind it.

"Ha ha! Good shot!" Lin Youde slapped the wall and laughed. "Keep firing! Smash their two cannons to pieces!"

Niu De's artillery on the city wall had fired so many shots, but the Spanish were not dead men. Their artillery, under the command of their officers, quickly entered combat status and began to load and fire in retaliation. Soon, the two cannons in the two emplacements fired one after the other. One shell landed a few meters from the wall, and another fell into the moat, breaking through the ice and sending up a large splash of water.

"18-pounder!" Niu De frowned. "Still naval long-barreled cannons. These Spanish really don't mind the trouble, dismantling cannons from their ships and transporting them here. The men and horses must be exhausted!"

The Spanish artillery had a fast rate of fire, showing their artillerymen to be quite professional. The second round of two 18-pounder shells hit the walls on either side of the protruding watchtower, knocking off large chunks of the cement and lime plaster. The extent of the damage to the walls was not immediately apparent.

Niu De quickly went to another watchtower on the northern side of the eastern wall to direct the three cannons there to join the battle. Thus, on the morning of July 12, the battle between the two sides began with this artillery exchange. Dingyuan Fort had six cannons, including two 18-pounders and four 12-pounders, while the Spanish had only two 18-pounder naval cannons.

The strength disparity was obvious, and the performance of the artillerymen on the battlefield was proportional to their strength. The Spanish cannons were at a disadvantage from the start. With six against two, the shells from Dingyuan Fort rained down around the two Spanish cannons. By 8:00 AM, one of the Spanish emplacements had been completely destroyed, and the artillerymen working inside were buried under the heavy bricks, suffering heavy casualties. Meanwhile, the cannons on the two watchtowers of the eastern wall of Dingyuan Fort had not yet been significantly damaged. The most accurate shell from the Spanish had only hit a pillar of one of the watchtowers, dislodging a brick.

By noon, the other Spanish cannon was also destroyed. A 12-pounder shell penetrated the already damaged firing window of the emplacement and struck the carriage of the cannon inside, completely wrecking it. It was clear that this cannon would not be usable again until it was repaired.

After the two cannons were destroyed, the surviving Spanish artillerymen withdrew from the emplacements and returned to their camp. In the afternoon, there was no further fighting, and the stalemate continued.

The wind and snow intensified in the afternoon. The cavalrymen of the cavalry regiment led their horses, struggling through the low hills south of the Dayu River. The north bank of the Dayu River was the main battlefield, but it was now calm, while the south bank saw increasingly intense and bloody cavalry battles.

The Spanish had dispatched 200 cavalrymen from Peru and over 200 Gauchos back to the south bank, both to search for the Cossack cavalry and to assist the logistics department in transporting supplies and artillery. The ambush of the supply convoy on July 10 had cost the Spanish over 80 men and many draft horses, as well as a large amount of gunpowder, ammunition, food, and winter supplies.

Many soldiers on the front lines had their rations reduced by a third, and many were falling ill due to the cold. Morale was extremely low, and resentment was high. The troops began to spread jokes and rumors mocking their incompetent officers. Captain Torres, responsible for distributing supplies, became the primary target of the soldiers' ridicule. One classic joke was: Major Carlos tested Captain Torres's professional knowledge by asking, "If you are patrolling in the dark and are suddenly tightly embraced from behind by a Tartar, what should you do?" Captain Torres replied, "Darling, let me go." And so on.

To reverse this passive situation and boost morale, Major Antonio Carlos ordered Captain Torres to lead most of the cavalry south across the Dayu River to track down the Tartar cavalry and look for an opportunity to eliminate them.

In response, the army headquarters, after analyzing the current situation, decisively decided to strengthen the cavalry. They not only replenished the losses of the cavalry regiment but also temporarily recruited 82 infantrymen who could ride horses, providing them with draft horses and mixed horses. They formed a temporary mounted infantry company equipped with 32-乙 type flintlock muskets, 1932 model officer's sabers, and 2.7-meter lances, all under the command of Army Lieutenant Xu Yu, the acting commander of the cavalry regiment.

Both sides simultaneously increased their forces on the south bank of the Dayu River. Hundreds of cavalrymen roamed the hills and grasslands between Rocha and Dingyuan Fort, constantly seeking opportunities to deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

Xu Yu took out his telescope and looked into the distance. The view was a vast white expanse. Uruguay, in the Little Ice Age, was cold, and the heavy snow had been falling for several days. The road was crisscrossed with wagon tracks left by the Spanish supply convoys.

"I wonder where the Spanish convoy is and how many troops are escorting it?" Xu Yu thought. "Leonid, when exactly did you spot the Spanish convoy?"

"10:00 AM. They had 25 wagons and four cannons, with about 120 men, including drivers and escorts. Most were pikemen, with only a quarter being musketeers," Leonid, who was also leading his horse, replied.

"10:00 AM... hmm... only three hours have passed, so they can't be far. Everyone, quicken your pace and catch up with the Spanish convoy." Xu Yu gave the order decisively. The entire group of 189 riders accelerated, leading their horses through the hills and onto the plains. Additionally, over 20 Cossack cavalrymen mounted their horses and scattered in all directions, serving as scouts.

At 3:00 PM, the wind and snow gradually subsided. The entire group had formed a long, loose formation of three columns, and the cavalry detachment was still pursuing the Spanish supply convoy they had spotted. At this moment, several Cossack cavalrymen galloped back, shouting, "Spanish cavalry! Behind us! They've spotted us! Spanish cavalry behind us!"

"Whoosh!" Without waiting for orders, the Cossack cavalrymen quickly mounted their horses, drew their sabers, and loaded their pistols. The 82 men of the temporary mounted infantry company quickly gathered their horses and formed a line in front of them, placing their lances at their sides and loading their 32-乙 type flintlock muskets.

The battle was about to begin.