Yu Daren's composure is of course justified. He was the hero who overcame difficulties in Conglong, Tianjin. He had been in the army for more than ten years. He had also attended martial arts lectures and cram schools. Not only was he proficient in Eastern military tactics and battle formations, he was also a master of Western countries. In particular, the Spanish military is also very familiar with it.
The Spanish army is mainly based on infantry square formations, and its combat effectiveness is very strong. However, because it relies more on artillery to provide fire support during formation operations, the mobility of the troops is poor, and it is difficult to operate in areas lacking roads and waterways. Make long distance marches.
In addition, Spanish soldiers have little ability to survive in the wild, so it is difficult to cross large areas of no man's land without logistical support.
And south of the riverside fort that Yu Daren mentioned is a large area of mountainous forest that is difficult to pass through, with no roads or waterways.
If the Spaniards want to march from here, they must first open up roads and build forts along the way. This is such a big news that Yu Daren's garrison at the riverside fort cannot be unaware of it.
The location of this riverside fort was approximately in the area of Eugene, Oregon, in the United States, on the edge of the Willamette River - the Willamette River is now called the Big Valley River (which means there is a large river valley). ), the Columbia River it merged into was named the Dawan River (because of the big bend). A Sancha River Mouth County was established at the intersection of the Dagu River and the Dawan River, and a fort was built to guard the waterway.
The county forts at the mouth of the Sancha River, the riverside forts, and the Bay Fort at the mouth of the Dawan River basically guard the waterways of the Dagu River and the Dawan River.
As long as there are no problems with these three small fortresses, Peanutton County can sit back and relax!
And it took the Spanish at least a year from their vanguard to approach the riverside fort to occupy the county fort at the mouth of the Sancha River...!
So Yu Daren had enough time to ask for help from the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Of course what Yu Daren can calculate, his opponent Don Juan Jose can also calculate!
Don Juan Jose originally wanted to hire Indians to lead the battle, attract the main force of the Chinese, and then rush to the Gulf of America by sea.
But after figuring out the specific location and topography of the Gulf of America, he already knew that he could not drive the Indians to die.
Because the Indian tribes he could come into contact with were all located in the southern part of the Great Plains, how could they be willing to go so far to America?
Moreover, the American Mansion is surrounded by mountains... No one knows how to cross the mountains from the east and enter the American Mansion? Even the Indian trade group sent by Don Juan Jose only went north from California and walked at least 75 Spanish miles (equivalent to 412 kilometers) before arriving at a Chinese colony. Then they took a Chinese inland river wooden boat and walked another 55 Spanish miles. (300 kilometers) before arriving at their headquarters (in fact, the Indian trade group sent by Don Juan Jose only reached Bay Fort in Sanchahekou County, which is the estuary of the Great Bay River (Columbia River), and did not reach the Americas. bay.
In other words, if they had to take the land route, Don Juan Jose's expeditionary force would have to travel at least 130 Spanish miles (more than 700 kilometers) to reach its destination. In less than two years, Don Juan Jose's army could not get through at all - they had to build roads first, then take the riverside fort, and then build wooden boats at the riverside fort...
In addition, will the army be sure to win once it reaches the Gulf of America?
The news from East Asia made Don Juan Jose full of doubts about the Chinese who defeated Fort America!
In his opinion, there are two particularly powerful troops in the current Chinese army. Once they are sent to the New World, they will be a huge threat to the army of the Kingdom of New Spain.
One of them is the "Young Guards" of the Ming Army. This army seems to be modeled after Turkey's Sudanese Guards, and is particularly good at night fighting and skirmishing!
The other one is Japan's "Nagasaki Red Iron Artillery Army". This army made Don Juan Jose even more troubled because it was a lunatic army that dared to rush within 30 yards of the enemy's bullets before opening fire...
If the Ming Army's Young Guards and Japan's Nagasaki Red Iron Artillery Army appear in America, then Don Juan Jose may have to consider the issue of defending Mexico City!
So starting in the spring of 1660, Don Juan Jose almost gave up on the northward march and began to study the issue of fortification in California. He wrote to de Velasco and asked him to arrange for Japanese exiles to go to California. , in fact, it is also for defense.
After all, California is a remote country with little to offer, and not many white people are willing to go there and get some Japanese "Catholics" (the Shimadzu family are not Catholics yet, but Don Juan Jose believes that sooner or later they will convert ) It’s also good to put it on top.
But at this moment, De Velasco and Barbosa, who came from California, brought him shocking good news!
The Japanese samurai who followed Mitsuhisa Shimazu and retreated to California can also be adapted into the Red Iron Artillery Corps!
"Can they really do it?"
In the splendid Governor's Palace in Mexico City, Don Juan Jose was still a little doubtful, "If they can do it, how can they lose?"
"Duke, the reason they lost was because of political factors," de Velasco said. "The Queen of Japan married Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the elder of the Tokugawa shogunate, which merged the shogunate and the dynasty into one. Therefore, the Toyotomi regent government has completely lost its appeal.”
"So that's it..." Don Juan Jose said thoughtfully, "Then how are you sure that the Shimazu family can also organize a red iron artillery army?"
"Because Japanese samurai generally despise death!" De Velasco said, "and the tactics of the Red Iron Artillery Army are almost suicidal... This is the most suitable style of play for Japanese samurai!"
"Nearly suicide..." Don Juan Jose took a breath, "That's right, that's suicide! So how many Japanese samurai are there in California?"
"There are about 3,600 people." De Velasco said, "A company of 90 people can form 40 companies, and each battalion is equipped with 2 companies, which can form 20 battalions."
When leaving Kyushu, the number of Japanese samurai was more than 4,000, and only 3,600 arrived in America alive...
"A company of 90 people? Is it a little less?"
"That's quite a lot," De Velasco explained. "Each company of Ming army fusiliers only has 120 people, of which 30 are pikemen. We should imitate their organization and use 3 fusiliers." The platoon plus a pike platoon formed a company of 120 men. Thirty of the pikemen were white people from New Spain, and the musketeers were Japanese samurai."
"And then use two companies of 120 men to form a battalion?"
"No, it should be 4 companies," De Velasco said, "2 fusiliary companies, 2 arquebus companies... In the battle of Nishisaka Castle and the second battle of Fuuchi Castle , the Tokugawa Army first used ordinary matchlock troops and artillery to shoot at a longer distance to create smoke to cover the Hematite artillery approaching the Toyotomi Army."
"I see..." Don Juan Jose smiled, "Then we do have 20 battalions. If we add some cavalry companies and artillery companies, we can form one or two divisions. ”
"Duke," de Velasco suggested again, "I think the army infantry of the New Western Kingdom should be adapted from the 'Hematite Artillery Battalion' as a template and can be called a Fusilier Battalion. If there can be 80 of these With our battalion, it will not be a problem to defeat the Ming army and capture the Gulf of America!"
"This is a very good suggestion!" Don Juan Jose nodded with a smile. Of course he knew that he could not conquer the Gulf of America with 80 fusilier battalions, because what really bothered him was the army's logistical supplies!
He thought for a while and said: "Ambassador, I can appoint you as the governor of California and authorize you to organize 20 fusilier battalions in California...I will dispatch as many white troops as you need. And Your mission is to let the Japanese settle down in California and make them the vanguard of our march into the Gulf of America!"
"Duke, when will we attack?" de Velasco asked.
Don Juan Jose said: "Hurry, hurry... A fleet will come soon, and then we can attack!"
