Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 260: Waves Rising (Part )

Han Jian narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the Englishman in front of him with a barely perceptible smile on his lips. He didn't know what he was thinking about. He didn't say anything for a long time, which made the other party very uncomfortable.

Just tell me whether you want to cooperate or not!

It's very rude to stare at me like this.

"We can cooperate with you, but we want 70% of the spoils." Han Jian smiled and said, "If you agree, then we will start the operation immediately. It's still early, and if we act quickly, we may be able to capture Panama City before nightfall."

A Spanish cadet soldier nearby immediately translated his words to the English messenger, and then looked at him with the same arrogant attitude.

Ron Palmer was stunned when he heard this and subconsciously touched his ears.

Did I hear it wrong?

Or is there a serious mistake in the other party's Spanish expression?
Although you have three ships, only one of your large ships looks powerful. The other two small ships only have a cannon at each end of the ship, which is not threatening at all.

Just based on this, you still want to get 70% of the spoils?

Oh, by the way, it seems that you have a lot of armed soldiers on board your ship, who can play an important role in attacking Panama City.

But, this is not the reason why you have the confidence to ask for a high price, right?

"Gentlemen, your demands are completely unreasonable." Ron Palmer took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I believe, based on the relative strength of both sides, that the most equitable distribution after capturing Panama City is for each to take half."

"A comparison of strength?" Han Jian smiled broadly. "Tell him that in addition to these three armed ships, we also have 1,400 armed soldiers on land, lying in ambush in the jungle near Panama City. Even without the assistance of their two pirate ships, we can still successfully capture Panama City on our own!"

When Ron Palmer heard "fourteen hundred armed soldiers", his face changed suddenly and he was very surprised. Then he looked up and down at the other party very seriously.

This pirate leader had a distinct "Indian" face, but he was tall, strong, and had a good temperament. There was a strong "arrogance (confidence)" in his eyes, and he had none of the usual ignorance and barbarism of the natives.

There were also a few European-looking crew members on the ship, all of whom obeyed the orders of the pirate leader and behaved very submissively.

They claimed that more than a thousand armed soldiers were lying in ambush in the jungle near Panama City, which made him feel a strong sense of crisis.

They may have belonged to a large Indian tribe nearby. During the long battle with the Spaniards, they not only developed a large number of armed soldiers, but also seized such a Spanish warship.

It was a coincidence that they encountered our arrival just as they were preparing to attack Panama City.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't respond to your request. This is beyond my authority." Ron Palmer put aside his previous contempt and nodded. "I need to convey your request to our fleet commander now. He will make the appropriate decision."

"Well, then you guys should hurry up." After listening to the translator's words, Han Jian said solemnly: "If we delay the cooperation for too long, the Spanish might discover our existence. Then, we will gain nothing."

"Yes, sir," Ron Palmer said, and turned to walk towards the rope ladder at the side of the ship.
-

When Panama was first built, no city walls were constructed. Instead, a rough wooden fence was built based on the surrounding terrain and mountains to protect the city's safety.

However, as European pirates frequently came to the Pacific coast to plunder, especially English and Dutch pirates who had threatened Panama City several times and attempted to intercept treasure ships passing through the area, posing a serious threat to the Spanish Pacific routes, thus arousing the vigilance of the colonial authorities.

Therefore, since the 1980s, the local colonial government has begun to build the Panama Fortress and establish the necessary defense system.

After decades of continuous investment, solid stone walls were built around Panama City, about 4-6 meters high and 2 meters thick.

Several forts were built in and around the city, the most important of which was Fort San Felipe on the north side of Panama City to deal with attacks from the Isthmus (British pirates repeatedly attempted to land on the Atlantic side, then cross the Isthmus and attack Panama City).

The fort was located in a strategic location in Panama City and was equipped with a large number of artillery and garrison troops, which effectively controlled the land access to the city.

In the direction of the port, Fort San Jose was built more than ten years ago, and several artillery batteries were built near the dock, equipped with heavy coastal defense artillery.

These batteries were capable of suppressing enemy ships entering the harbor.

In addition, Panama City maintained a large colonial garrison of 200-500 men year-round (the garrison would be increased when treasure ships arrived, not only to defend the city but also to escort gold and silver across the Isthmus). While these soldiers were not as effective as the native Spanish legions, they were well-equipped and well-trained compared to the invading pirates and surrounding Indian tribes, forming the backbone of Panama City's defenses.

If there is an emergency in the war, Panama City can also recruit local residents to form a militia to assist the garrison troops in defensive operations.

In addition, the Spanish built many watchtowers on the high ground around Panama City. The sentries stationed there took turns on duty 24 hours a day. Once they discovered the enemy, they would ring bells or light beacons to alert the city.

A messenger system was established between Panama City and the surrounding colonies, which could quickly transmit news and obtain corresponding support when an enemy attack occurred.

As long as the defenders can hold out for four or five days, they will receive rescue from nearby colonial territories.

Inside the city, buildings such as churches, town halls and the royal treasury were designed as fortresses and stored with weapons and food, which could serve as the last line of defense in the most urgent situations.

Of course, Panama City’s defense system is not without weaknesses. If you are well versed in it, you can still find its defense loopholes.

Panama City is located in the tropical rainforest area with a complex surrounding environment, which makes it easy for hostile forces to hide, allowing the enemy to sneak up from the land to a location not far from the city.

Moreover, the city is close to the coast. As long as the enemy can successfully disarm the coastal artillery, they can ship approach the port and launch an attack on the city.

Because Panama City's defense range is large, the garrison and militia forces are relatively dispersed, making it difficult to concentrate on responding to large-scale attacks.

Especially when being attacked from both land and sea, it is easy for the defenders to lose sight of one thing while focusing on another, allowing the attacking enemy to break through the defense system.

At three o'clock in the morning on November 11, rumbling gunfire suddenly sounded from the direction of Panama Port, breaking the silence of the night.

The sleeping residents were awakened and jumped out of their beds, frantically looking for weapons and shelter.

Soon, the sheriff of Panama City issued an emergency mobilization order, requiring the young and strong men in the city to gather on the city walls with weapons and launch a defense under the organization of officers to deal with the enemy's attack.

The pirates are coming!

The pirates' attack was sudden and fierce. The sound of cannons continued and bombarded the port intensively. In the pitch-black night, flashes of intense flames appeared from time to time.

Although the port artillery launched a fierce counterattack and mobilized more than one hundred soldiers to provide support, the military and civilians in the city still seemed worried.

They knew very well that in this pitch-black night, it would be difficult for the enemy to hit the other side in such a bombardment, and it seemed like a waste of ammunition.

However, pirates can use this method of attack to attract all the attention of the defenders, thereby covering the opportunity for the pirates to launch a landing operation on a certain coast.

If the pirates who landed took advantage of the cover of night to quietly approach Fort San Jose and the coastal defense batteries near the port and then launched a surprise attack, the defenders would be in danger of being attacked from both sides.

The pirates' landing operations must be stopped and they must all be driven into the sea.

Major Juarez, the commander of the Panamanian garrison, dispatched more than one hundred soldiers from Fort San Felipe in the north and the city to support the port, ready to use his own defensive advantages to crush the pirates' landing operation as soon as possible.

Many bonfires were lit one after another on the coast, lighting up half of the night sky. Teams of soldiers were guarding Fort San Jose and the coastal artillery batteries, closely watching the movements on the shore. If there was any sign of trouble, they would pounce on it quickly and kill the pirates who tried to land on the beach.

Judging from the sound of the cannons, there were about three to four attacking pirate ships, most likely British and Dutch pirates coming from the Atlantic side.

Oh, of course, it could also be those pirates from the north.

I heard that they attacked Banderas Valley and Acapulco successively, causing panic in the entire coastal area of ​​Mexico.

Now, they are trying to attack Panama in an attempt to get their hands on the gold and silver that has just been shipped into the city.

Oh, then you have hit a wall!

Major Juarez stood on the wall of Fort San Jose, staring sharply at the direction of the port, his right hand tightly gripping his command knife, his heart filled with high fighting spirit.

With more than five hundred soldiers and armed militiamen on the shore ready for battle, and sturdy fortresses and powerful artillery batteries, wouldn't it be easy to deal with just a few hundred pirates?
(End of this chapter)