Chapter 145 Manila Galleon

Qiao Haipeng saw that the overall situation had been decided, and hurriedly inquired about the battle damage of each ship. I was secretly relieved to hear that there were no reports of any injuries or damage to the other ships.

The shot on the other side had frightened him, and it would have been terrible if it had hit his own ship. Thinking of this, he gave an order into the microphone: "All of them are here, quickly evacuate the battlefield and find an island nearby to rest." ”

In the afternoon, the fleet found a small island and entered a bay here. Qiao Haipeng summoned the captains and persons in charge of each ship, ready to discuss the next actions with everyone.

After a while, the captains of each ship arrived at the No. 1 sailboat one after another in the assault boat, and everyone gathered in Qiao Haipeng's captain's room. Qiao Haipeng glanced at everyone, and then smiled and said to Lu Ganbo beside him: "Have the two armed merchant ships been dealt with?" ”

Lu Gamble smiled and said: "I went to see it myself, the prisoners have been locked in the lower cabin, I asked the ships to remove some sailors, and it is completely possible to drive the ship to follow the fleet to act." Both ships were 500-ton three-masted sail-armed merchant ships loaded with raw silk and porcelain, presumably from the nearby port of Manila. ”

Qiao Haipeng nodded, and said sternly: "We are going to return in more than a month, but everyone has also seen how complicated the waters here are, and in less than two months after coming here, we have already encountered several groups of pirates harassing us." Comrades, I am saddened that the people here have been ravaged by pirates......"

Everyone heard Qiao Haipeng's words. It's all confusing. They're plagued by pirates. But there were still a few people who heard the words, and the corners of their mouths twitched.

After Qiao Haipeng finished speaking, he saw that everyone had indifferent expressions, and said sadly: "Don't you have a sense of responsibility?" The people here live in the midst of water and fire, so can't we carry forward the spirit of internationalism and help the people here? ”

Everyone almost didn't laugh when they heard it, isn't this. Luzon is a Spanish colony, and no one cares, and we are too idle to take care of this. Besides, what kind of character are the monkeys in Southeast Asia, in modern society. It's not a little more difficult for us.

Isn't that sick to help them? No one spoke. Just silently lowered his head. This Qiao Haipeng is in a hurry, are these boys all sticks, don't you have to let me say it clearly.

This time, the Military Commission gave him an order in the name of the organization, and he absolutely could not say it explicitly. This is a matter of principle. If everyone is emotionally motivated, a meal is determined. He just got down the slope and got off the donkey.

When Qiao Haipeng was thinking about what to say next. Zhou Cheng stood up violently, and said with a stern face: "Commander, you are right! If we don't, forget it. But those crazy pirates actually want to rob us, that is, they are looking for death. I think we have to take care of this and return the people of Luzon to a calm sea. ”

After listening to Zhou Cheng's words, everyone scolded in their hearts, what kind of big-tailed wolf are you pretending. If you want to go, don't drag us along, is it so easy to fight pirates. People are more familiar with this sea area than their own bathtubs, and you see people looking for you as if they are playing, but if you want to find someone, you have to wait.

Li Shaojie also stood up, and said with a sad and indignant face: "Commander, those pirates are all inhumane scum, we must not let them go on such a rampant, I will destroy all the pirates around Luzon Island." ”

He spoke so heavily, as if his father-in-law was on this island. But more and more people have heard the way to fight pirates around Luzon. Pirates are stupid, it's okay to wander around Luzon.

They felt that there was definitely something greasy here, and then they looked at Qiao Haipeng's smile with deep understanding, and a promising expression, and a few people who reacted quickly suddenly realized. They all stood up and denounced the atrocities of the pirates, and they all patted their chests and expressed their determination, strongly demanding the extermination of Luzon...... of pirates.

Qiao Haipeng also made a sad expression, and said bitterly: "Alas...... I am also powerless, we are training for a long voyage this time, and we do not have a combat mission, and we are not allowed to start a war without authorization, this is an order issued to us by the Military Commission in the name of the organization. ”

Hearing Qiao Haipeng and a few of them singing and harmonizing, it would be really stupid if everyone didn't understand this time. The scene suddenly became lively, and everyone was excited, as if they were ashamed of their conscience if they did not exterminate the pirates here.

A big brother has played well, rushed over and grabbed Qiao Haipeng's arm violently, tears were about to fall, and said with emotion: "Commander, you just give an order, the villagers on Luzon Island are looking forward to the stars and the moon, and they are looking forward to us coming......"

Qiao Haipeng's eyes darkened when he heard this, Nima ...... You don't have to be so out of tune when acting, it's almost like you've got it, it's like a dead relative.

Lu Gamble next to him looked almost there, and he couldn't tell what these guys would say.

"Old Joe, make up your mind. I will put a unanimous vote on this matter, and then draw up a meeting in the name of the fleet command, on which all the personnel of the Admiralty will sign, and when we return to Vladivostok, we will submit the voting results and the minutes of the meeting with all signatures to the Military Commission. ”

Qiao Haipeng also waved his hand very forcefully and said loudly: "Okay! It's time to make up your mind! I decided to do it......"

The rest is simple, everyone knows how things are. But the organizational procedures are the same, and the rules are so good that people can't get out of the way at all.

The sailing ships then rested here, repaired their branches, inspected their weapons and equipment, interrogated pirate prisoners, and made battle plans. The whole fleet was frantically busy.

Qiao Haipeng and Vanbitt are studying the charts in the captain's room, and the two are working well together now. Qiao Haipeng has served in the modern navy for many years, and there are too many things in his mind that are ahead of this era. Van Pitt, on the other hand, is an experienced sailboat captain who has traveled almost all over the Old World, the New World, and Asia, and does not know how many laps he has made around the world.

Then. Lugambo walked in from outside, and just as he was about to say something, he paused when he saw Van Bit in the house. Qiao Haipeng smiled and said, "Lao Fan is now his own person, just say anything you have." ”

Fan Bit listened to Qiao Haipeng's words, his eyes suddenly lit up, and his body straightened unconsciously, although he didn't say anything, but his hands were clenched tightly, and his body trembled slightly with excitement.

Lugumbo nodded and said, "The captains and sailors of those two ships have already been examined separately. Something new was discovered. The reason why these armed clippers are here. It was because a group of British East India Company armed clippers got the news that two "Manila galleons" coming from the New World were passing through here these days, and they were preparing to attack here. ”

Qiao Haipeng raised his head violently and said excitedly: "Is the situation true?" ”

Lu Ganbo shook his head and smiled bitterly: "There should be no problem. The two captains and a dozen of the ship's main figures were interrogated separately. And these guys used the same method that came out of the special forces team. ”

Qiao Haipeng also smiled bitterly and said, "Then it should be right." Looks like some of them are playing. ”

Next to him, Van Bit thought for a moment and said, "Sir, I still know a little about the Manila galleon, and every March two ships depart from the New World colonies loaded with silver. Arrive in Manila around May. According to them, it seems that the time of the year is a little earlier. Every time there will be a warship to escort them, and the average pirate wants to fight them, but they don't have that strength. I think the British may have been planning it for a long time. ”

Qiao Haipeng nodded when he heard this, and then said excitedly: "Old Road, let's go and get a piece of the pie, what do you say?" ”

Lu Gamble smiled and nodded, and then said solemnly: "Since these pirates have gathered here, it is our duty to eliminate the pirates. ”

Qiao Haipeng turned around and walked to the side of the chart, pointed to a sea area and said, "The place where they gather can only be between Bataan Island, the Luzon Strait, the Balintang Strait and the Babuyan Islands. Let's do a good job and find out the sea area where they ambushed the Manila sailboat. ”

Lugambo also walked over and pointed to a location, "That's right, the location they explained is an island near Bataan, which is said to be the stronghold of the nearby pirates. This is the only way for Spanish sails to sail from Mexico to Luzon, and there is no one. ”

Qiao Haipeng said to a staff officer next to him: "You check the information about the Manila galleon, the more detailed the better." ”

The staff officer immediately took out a laptop from his backpack, turned it on, and searched it up. Qiao Haipeng turned his head and said with a smile: "It seems that we are going to play a big ticket this time, haha......"

Van Pitt smiled and said, "Yes sir, our fleet will be invincible under your leadership, to hell with those British and Spaniards!" ”

Lu Gamble glanced at Van Pitt and said in his heart that this foreign devil is a talent. It's only been a long time, and I've learned to pat on the back, and I have a future! He also smiled and said: "Let's plan it well, there is still a lot of feasibility, as long as we find their foothold, there will be a chance." ”

At this time, the staff officer next to him had already checked the information, and he stood up and said to Qiao Haipeng: "Commander, I found it!" The Manila galleon's cargo comes from the free trade port of Yuegang off the coast of Fujian. Manila was nothing more than a transit point on the Maritime Silk Road between China and the Americas, and the Manila galleons were strictly speaking galleons transporting Chinese goods. In the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, silver was transported annually by galleons from the Americas to the Philippines, sometimes as much as four million pesos.

The cargo ship that sails between Manila in the Philippines and Acapulco in Mexico is a wooden sailing ship with a general carrying capacity of several hundred tons to one or two thousand tons. Every spring, two Spanish galleons cross the Pacific Ocean from Mexico with silver to Manila. Around the same season, 30 to 40 Chinese sailing ships sailed from China to Manila loaded with silk, cotton, porcelain, gunpowder, sulfur, steel, iron, mercury, copper, flour, chestnuts, walnuts, biscuits, seaweed, textiles, desks, and other curiosities to trade with Spanish merchants. ”

After Qiao Haipeng heard this, he was stunned for a while, and suddenly shouted, "Hurry up...... Hurry up and call the heads of the ships, no...... Each ship left some of the Admiralty officers on duty, and the rest of them rolled over for me. Let's just say that Lao Tzu wants to do a big ......" (to be continued......

ps: Thank you for the reward support of the big-bellied Arhat Mimixiao, topsd, headache, heb192020, thank you for the monthly pass support that doesn't work with a headache, thank you...... R1292