Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 2466 Gibraltar Crisis ([-])

Santana carried a broken hoe and began to dig the trench.When they served in the Spanish army in the past, they often did some labor, so they are no strangers to these activities.

The amazing thing is that the labor service undertaken by the regular registered soldiers of the Kingdom of Spain is not a government project, but private employment, usually to build a certain garden, level a certain piece of land, and build a certain road.But Santana and others do not reject it, because these rich people pay employment fees without any arrears, and they are one of the important sources of soldiers like Santana who have been owed wages for a long time.

There is no way, the king does not send money, and everyone's livelihood is difficult, so they can only make a living by themselves.Most of the officers are nobles, even if they do not receive military pay, they will not suffer from hunger and cold, but they cannot prohibit the soldiers from going out to work to make a living, otherwise the army may be dispersed.In fact, more than 200 people from their regiment have escaped in the past year, and with those who escaped before, there are only about 700 people still staying in the barracks.

What's ridiculous is that after the people on the east bank occupied this place, they sent soldiers to search extensively, because according to the establishment of the Spanish army, 500 people disappeared, which is a big threat.For this reason, they also questioned many officers and soldiers in the regiment, asking them if they were hiding.

When I heard this, Santana’s stomach burst out laughing. Everyone ran out to be pirates, mercenaries, or went to the New World (they dare not return to their hometowns because they will be arrested). Where can you find them?

People from the east bank gathered all the captives together this morning and found that there were still more than 400 people. Excluding the hundreds of people who were killed or injured last night, only about 100 people escaped in the dark and fog.But is it really okay to run away?Santana doesn't think so.He thought those people were stupid, because if caught by the king's officials, the end would be very miserable.Well, well, the situation is special now, they may not be executed or demoted to slave rowers, but there is a high probability that they will be sent to the Spanish Army camp in the Rhine Valley to serve as cannon fodder on the battlefield, and the end will be equally miserable.

Compared to these people, Santana admired the dozen or so comrades who ran back this morning.They went fishing before—not only did the lords not send money, but there was also a big gap in food supply, forcing the soldiers to make up for the shortfall by fishing themselves—they could have escaped unharmed, but after hearing that the town was killed by people from the east coast Still ran back after the occupation.Although there are family factors in the local area, this courage is not trivial.

The fishermen and soldiers who escaped were incorporated into Santana's group.There is nothing to say in the morning, the army is in chaos, and I don't care about anything.But at noon, soldiers on the east bank brought them food.Santana has seen this kind of bread (noodles) on the east coast, which is made of wheat flour and is very delicious.The prisoners in his group were also stunned. Before they became prisoners, they might not be able to eat wheat flour once a week or two. It would be nice to have rye to eat.Sometimes when there is no food, acorns, wild vegetables, and seaweed have to bite the bullet and eat it. When did you have this kind of treatment?

Santana had sharp eyes and noticed that there was beef in the noodles eaten by the soldiers on the east coast. Although they were all marinated red meat, they were also very good.Going out to fight and eating meat all the time, isn't this treatment too good?Could it be God's will that I was captured by the East Coasters this time?God took pity on his people who were hungry and full, so he let them go to the people on the east coast to have a full meal?

Santana and others no longer want to run away.Because you may not be able to eat enough if you run away, but as a prisoner here, you will definitely be able to eat well. Although you have to do some heavy physical work, what are these compared to filling your stomach?

The work that Santana and others need to do is to dig a trench between the area controlled by the people on the east coast and the hinterland of the Kingdom of Spain. The trench is full of thorns to achieve the hindering effect.And behind them, a large number of captives and town residents were mobilized to demolish houses and other buildings and build field fortifications.

It can be seen that the people on the east coast intend to stay here for a long time and do not intend to leave soon.So the question is, why are they doing this?The Bay of Gibraltar is not a major trade center. That is the role of Cadiz. There is only a limited amount of trade here. The population of the entire bay area is only tens of thousands. There are only more than 3000 people living on the long and narrow promontory currently controlled by the people on the east coast. , is really not a treasure.

Santana knew that he was illiterate and had a limited level of education, so he simply didn't think about the problems he couldn't figure out.After seeing another ship full of supplies enter the port in the morning, he was satisfied: as long as I can continue to eat, what else does it matter to me?

"Hurry up and work! Don't be lazy!" Santana staggered for a moment when he was hit by the butt of a gun, but he quickly grabbed his head and smiled flatteringly at the soldiers on the east bank who were supervising them, showing a gaping hole Teeth, and then quickly started to work.

The trench has only been dug shallowly, and it is still too early to be completely completed.Therefore, there are a large number of soldiers on the east coast distributed here. They are armed with live ammunition and pay close attention to the movement on the opposite side, for fear that a large group of Spaniards will come over there.

Santana took a few glances at these people between work and found that they were all young men.Hey, it turns out that they are also nervous and worried!Then why did I take Lao Tzu prisoner last night like a divine soldier descending from heaven?And their guns are really good, the bayonets are sharp and sharp, but they are a little different from the east coast guns imported by the kingdom, they should be used by themselves.

Keeping good things for your own use, and almost selling them to Spain, is indeed the pagan style!

"Is there any movement from the Spaniards on the opposite side?" Just not far from Santana, several imposing officers from the East Bank came over, and the leader was Lieutenant Colonel Zhou Yafu, the commander-in-chief of the Marine Corps on the East Coast.

"Sir, there were a few sniping shots at that pair in the morning, but it stopped. We didn't have enough troops, so we didn't send anyone to expel them." A lieutenant officer followed behind him and replied.

"Pay close attention to the movement. If an enemy brigade comes over, hit them hard immediately. Don't be soft." Lieutenant Colonel Zhou Yafu said: "The guns in your hands are not fire sticks. I don't want to see any accidents happen."

"Yes!" The lieutenant stood at attention and replied.

"Hurry up and repair the fortifications. Houses and churches, demolish what needs to be demolished without any scruples. If there are still people who resist, do it directly and don't talk nonsense with them." Zhou Yafu urged.

What he said meant something.Because just this morning, when soldiers on the east coast demanded to demolish some houses to obtain building materials, the residents of the small town strongly opposed it.The people from the east coast came too fast last night. After capturing the fort and the pier, hundreds of people rushed into the town on bicycles, knocked down a few militiamen, and then controlled them under the bewildered expressions of the town residents. the overall situation.Some people wanted to resist, but there was no chance, until the people on the east bank started demolishing houses in order to build fortifications.

These people shot and rioted before the soldiers on the east bank searched and seized weapons, and they were quickly suppressed, but it also caused the cost of one death and one injury to the soldiers of the Marine Battalion.Zhou Yafu was furious after hearing the news, and directly ordered these people to be executed, and all his family members were rushed to the hardest and most dangerous work team for blasting mountains and rocks, and halved their rations to deter Xiaoxiao.

"Woo—" The armored battleship "Bianliang" cruising at sea blew its whistle.Zhou Yafu, who had just finished inspecting the trench construction site, immediately jumped onto a boulder on a high place, raised his binoculars and looked towards the sea.

"Boom! Boom!" Two guns rang out, and the "Bianliang" fired a warning shot, and two jets of water splashed near a Spanish ship, one in front and one in the back.

After being frightened by this, the Spanish sailing ship of at most a hundred tons immediately raised a white flag, indicating that it had no malice.At the same time, they lowered a small boat, rowed by several sailors, and approached the "Bianliang" with a middle-aged man who looked like an officer.

"Has our diplomatic envoy come?" Zhou Yafu asked, putting down his binoculars.

"Not yet, probably not until evening." The lieutenant replied.

"Put a semaphore on the 'Bianliang' and reject the Spaniard's negotiations." Zhou Yafu ordered simply.Soon, a signal instruction appeared on the lighthouse near the pier. After receiving the instruction, the "Bianliang" fired another shot from the No. [-] turret at the front. Sink by the waves.The Spanish officer on board was stunned for a moment, and then reluctantly ordered the sailors to return the same way.

People on the east coast refused to contact them, and there was nothing they could do.Some things should be handed over to the higher-ups, they are really powerless.There is only one decent-looking infantry regiment in the entire Bay of Gibraltar—well, at the end of last year, six months of arrears were repaid at one time, and it still has a little morale—the others are all old equipment and low morale. It can't do anything to the brave and warlike people from the east coast.

Maybe gathering a large army and relying on the number of people is one way, but it will take time.Most of the garrison troops in the interior of Spain owe wages all the year round, and the gunpowder and other military supplies in the warehouse are also seriously insufficient.Generally speaking, the higher-ups will pay part of the military salary and purchase supplies temporarily after the war, unlike the troops in countries such as the East Coast, which are fully equipped with all supplies, and are in a state of being ready to fight at any time.Of course, this is not to say that Spain does not have such war-ready troops. In fact, there are, but now they are either sent abroad or stationed around the capital.As for this remote place in the south, due to the low military pressure, the military equipment has been in a state of extreme slack all year round.This time when the people from the east coast came to fight, all the problems were exposed. They were not ready for war at all!

Moreover, the armored battleship of the East Coasters cruising in the bay is too scary!Not only is it large in tonnage and well protected, but the cannon is also extremely accurate. The only few small Spanish warships in the Bay of Gibraltar dare not leave the port to call for battle, for fear of being sunk by others—just a joke, just Based on those small battleships of two to three hundred tons, the "Bianliang" equipped with a ram may not even need to fire, and it can sink people if it hits directly!

"This matter still needs to be resolved through diplomatic channels. The east coast has been at peace with Spain for many years, and the trade between the two countries has always been very stable. They have no reason to disrupt this situation." This is what the Spaniards in Gibraltar are thinking at the moment.It's a pity that they didn't even know why the people from the east coast called. Everyone was stunned, and it was wrong, and it was wrong if they didn't hit. In the end, they reported to each other and left the trouble to Madrid.

I don't know how the new king, His Majesty Philip V, will deal with this difficult problem.

(End of this chapter)