Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 38 Unexpected Battle

It was already the end of January 1633.Uruguay, which is in midsummer, is still cool and pleasant, and the highest temperature of no more than 1 degrees can only make people sweat a little.The 25 officers and soldiers of the First Post of the First Battalion of the New Army walked in two columns on the vast hilly area southwest of Dayu Lake.On the left, right and in front of them are the cavalry units under the command of Chang Kaisheng, the first sentry chief of the infantry, and behind them is a row of heavy troops.

With the prosperity of the smuggling trade, the number of horses in Chuanzhong has also increased rapidly. At present, there are more than 120 war horses on the newly established pasture on the east side of Dayu Lake.In order to train the seeds of the future cavalry unit, the Ministry of the Army reported to the executive committee for approval to expand the first sentinel cavalry on the basis of the original first battalion reconnaissance team.The cavalry post tentatively has three platoons under its jurisdiction. Each row has a platoon leader and 1 soldiers. In addition, there are a post chief and a deputy post chief, with a total of 10 people and 35 horses.Each soldier is equipped with a 35-type flintlock pistol, a 1633-B flintlock rifle, and a 33-year-style saber that have just been finalized and produced, which can be described as well-equipped.

The head of the cavalry post is Xu Yu, and the deputy head of the post is Leonid Fedorovich. Except for the officers and a few non-commissioned officers who pass through the crowd, the officers and soldiers of the three platoons below are all former Ukrainian Cossacks.Attached to the first sentinel of Chang Kaisheng's infantry, they were instrumental in capturing the Charuyas all over the shores of Big Fish Lake.

除了骑兵哨之外，此次伴随出动的还有作为试点成立的辎重部队和工程兵部队。工程兵部队一个排，连排长在内16人，配1633型燧发手枪1枝、32－甲型燧发步枪8枝、工兵铲16把、伐木斧16把、拉锯8把、其他器械若干。辎重部队一个哨，配备大车10辆、挽马24匹、1633型燧发手枪1枝、32－甲型燧发步枪12枝，共有26人。

In addition to the formal troops, this detachment also included 10 students of infantry, cavalry, engineering, and transportation from the Dingyuan Military Academy for internship.These teenage students did not participate in the battle, but just watched and studied while drawing maps.

All together, the number of this detachment commanded by Chang Kaisheng reached 169 people.After being equipped with a large number of logistics troops, the activity capability of the Changkaisheng detachment has also been greatly enhanced.At present, the Ministry has crossed the Big Fish Lake and has advanced for another two days towards the hilly area to the southwest.It's a pity that I was unlucky, and I didn't find any Chaluya villages or settlements along the way.

The boundless hills made people unappetizing. Jiang Zhiqing, the deputy officer who also served as a staff officer, helped his military cap that was a little crooked, and compared it repeatedly on his hand-drawn map.He is a cautious person, and at the same time he has a good face. He doesn't want the whole army to get lost in the vast hilly grassland due to his own mistakes.

Chang Kaisheng is also a little irritable, he is also not a good-tempered person.A few days ago, the third sentry captured a large Charuya village within a day's journey to the northwest of Big Fish Lake.Then they attacked resolutely, captured the village at the cost of only one death and three minor injuries, and captured more than 100 men, women and children, and were praised by the Ministry of War.

As the only full sentry chief in the first battalion, Chang Kaisheng, who had always considered himself number one in the army, couldn't bear the excitement.This time he led a large group of people to search south, and he didn't know if it was bad luck or something. It's been more than two days since he came out, not to mention the big tribes, he didn't even catch small fish and shrimps, which made Chang Kaisheng I can't hold back my face.

"Where are you now?" Chang Kaisheng asked a little irritably, pulling off the discipline buttons on his military uniform.

Jiang Zhiqing flipped through the hand-drawn map in his hand and thought about it: "At present, we should be marching southwest between the hills and the coastline about 10 kilometers away from Luocha Lake, and the distance from the coastline may not exceed 3 kilometers."

"What should, maybe? Is this what a staff officer should say? Lao Jiang, why do you think you can't change your old habit of being cautious and timid!" Chang Kaisheng glared at Jiang Zhiqing, and Jiang Zhiqing laughed.

"Luocha Lake? We've come so far." Chang Kaisheng ignored him, pondered for a while, and then ordered: "The whole army rests for half an hour, and we will withdraw after the rest. Damn, don't fight with that Helping the barbarians hide and seek. Cavalry, pay attention to vigilance, this is the area where Portuguese slave catchers and smugglers often operate, pay attention to me!"

The soldiers marched for several hours, and they were all a little tired at this time.Everyone took out corned beef and soybeans and chatted with the cold boiled water in the military kettle while eating and drinking.The supply soldiers also moved a lot of drinking water and food from the carts for the soldiers to use, and the student soldiers also helped.

Rest for twenty minutes.He only heard a muffled thunder coming from the sky, Chang Kaisheng looked up and saw the sky was clear and cloudless.Just as he was wondering, a sudden flash in his mind, Shit, where is this thunder?Could it be the sound of cannons? !Looking around, he saw Jiang Zhiqing, the deputy sentry, looking at him in surprise.

Chang Kaisheng stood up, only to see several cavalry galloping forward, and the leader was Xiao Baitu, the first platoon leader of the cavalry post and second lieutenant of the army.

Xiao Baitu dismounted nearby, then walked quickly in front of Chang Kaisheng, with the heel of his right boot on his left foot, and his legs together stood at attention, saluting, and reported: "Report! The second row of cavalry posts found a The Portuguese slave hunting team and two smuggling merchant caravans are at war with the Spaniards. The Portuguese are in a bad situation and are retreating towards us. It is estimated that they are 15 minutes away from me. In addition, there is a galleon flying the flag of the Kingdom of Spain on the sea. above!"

Chang Kaisheng became anxious when he heard that, he didn't even return the gift, he just pushed Xiao Baitu, and scolded: "Where is Xu Yu? I've got to know his ancestors, they are only 15 minutes away from us, so what's he doing?" I don’t even have time to withdraw now! I’ll go back and let the Ministry of War peel off his skin! Second Lieutenant, I understand, I’ll go find you, Commander Xu, and let the cavalry post gather. The rest, all of them, the whole team! Since we can’t hide , let's go up! I just want to see the majesty of this Spaniard."

10 minutes later.When Chang Kaisheng and the main force of the infantry's first sentry lined up in battle formation and appeared on the battlefield from behind a low hill, the battle was drawing to a close.The fleeing Portuguese ran everywhere along the hills, and the Spaniards scattered in small groups and followed behind.

"Lower the gun...reload!" Chang Kaisheng ordered with a 32-style command saber, looking at the front with a little nervousness.

There was a sound of gun being fired and reloaded, Jiang Zhiqing looked at Chang Kaisheng and then at the front, the corners of his mouth were a little murmured, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't say anything.

The infantry's first sentinels lined up in five rows with platoons as units. The soldiers had loaded their ammunition and looked ahead intently. 32 - The hammer of the B-type flintlock rifle has been pulled to the brake position, ready to fire at any time.

The Spaniards got closer and closer, so close that they could even see the patterns on their motley uniforms.The platoon leaders turned their heads frequently to look at Chang Kaisheng, but they saw Chang Kaisheng standing there motionless with his command saber.

A breeze blew by, bringing with it the smell of gunpowder smoke and blood.Chang Kaisheng's face was solemn, beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, accumulated on his chin, and then fell drop by drop on the dark blue military uniform.

This is a Spaniard!

Chang Kaisheng is not a fool.Although his usual words and deeds give people a rough feeling, but in fact he is a very measured person.He knew that although Spain in this era had begun to decline, a dead camel was bigger than a horse. At this stage, the Executive Committee absolutely dare not take the initiative to provoke this behemoth.So he just asked the soldiers to line up to meet the enemy, but he didn't dare to take the initiative to order to shoot. He couldn't bear this responsibility.

The fleeing Portuguese were about to pass through the gentle slope of the hill, but suddenly found a group of soldiers in blue military uniforms and black-brimmed caps suddenly appearing on the gentle slope.Armed with rifles and sabers at their waists, this group of soldiers lined up neatly and quietly.How could they, who had been doing business in Datan Port all day, not know whose army it was, they hurriedly moved away from the front and passed by on both sides.

Chang Kaisheng did not stop them, but ordered the officers and soldiers in the first row to raise their rifles.He was still leaning on his saber, nervously watching every move of a small group of Spanish troops chasing him.

The Spaniards were chasing vigorously, and suddenly found an army of unknown position in front of them.The commander was taken aback, and was hesitating when he heard a gunshot next to him. A soldier didn't know whether he was nervous or what happened, and shot towards the opposite side.

A soldier in the first row at the front fell in response.Chang Kaisheng, who had been looking at the opponent nervously, subconsciously shouted: "Five salvos! Get ready... Let it go!"

"Bang bang bang..." The first row of fifteen 32-B flintlock rifles fired a salvo. While they were reloading on the spot, the second row of officers and soldiers flashed out from the gap, raised their guns, and fired. ...

After all five platoons fired a salvo, there was no one standing on the smoky battlefield, and about 20 Spanish soldiers were killed and fell on the grass.

On the hillside in front of the right, the cavalry post saw that this side had already opened fire. Xu Yu, who hadn't shown up for a long time, knew that he could no longer hesitate. 35 cavalrymen shouted "Wan Sheng" and started fighting. After one round, brandishing a sharp saber, he rushed into a group of more than 1633 Spaniards.The Spaniards, who were disrupted by the cavalry, scattered and fled, calling their comrades for help.

Chang Kaisheng sighed secretly, the matter is now irreversible.Grandma is a bear, I will hit it if I hit it, I'm afraid you will throw a ball!Taking advantage of the fact that the Spaniards were temporarily unable to gather their forces because they were scattered after chasing the Portuguese, Chang Kaisheng and the remaining 81 officers and soldiers at the first post lined up in a neat formation and shot towards the Spaniards scattered in every corner of the battlefield.

"One row, half turn to the left, ready to let go!"

"Second row, run up to the right, the whole row shoots in salvo, get ready... release!"

"Three rows, turn right and fire, ready... release!"

The 32-Type B flintlock rifle's outstanding performance is fully displayed at this time. It is light in weight, small in recoil, fast in firing rate, and long in range, which is far superior to the Spaniard's arquebus.When encountering a small group of Spaniards, they fired a volley far away from the range of the matchlock guns. The Spaniards couldn't stand at all, so they could only turn around and run away.The escaped Spaniards were cut down one by one by the cavalry sentry cavalry.

Only half an hour has passed.Most of the more than 100 Spanish soldiers who existed on the battlefield were killed and wounded. After the retreat to the sea was blocked by the cavalry, the remaining 50 or so soldiers had no choice but to face the main force at the first post with guns raised. The next can only declare surrender.

Seeing that the situation was over, the Spanish ship anchored on the sea may be afraid that the first sentry soldiers would take the small boats used by the landing Spanish soldiers to seize the ship. After the crater, he finally turned around unwillingly.

The remaining students, engineers and supply soldiers of Chang Kaisheng's detachment also arrived soon.Chang Kaisheng asked them to confiscate the Spaniard's weapons, and then tied a total of 56 captives together one by one with ropes.

The cavalry post searched and guarded for a while, and then rushed back quickly.Four of them died in the battle just now, all Cossacks.On the infantry's first sentry side, three people were killed in battle, and no one was injured.The bodies of at least 20 Spanish soldiers fell on the battlefield. Except for the first batch of more than 40 people who were killed in a volley of guns, the remaining [-] were killed or chopped down on the way to escape.

Chang Kaisheng, Jiang Zhiqing and Xu Yu looked at each other, it seemed that this time things were going to be a big deal.

(End of this chapter)