Chapter 1124: Spain Has Its Lobster Soldiers Too (Please Subscribe)

Yu Daren's calm composure was of course well founded. He was one of the hard-pressed founding heroes who had followed the dragon at Tianjin, had served in the army for over ten years, had attended the Staff College, and had taken remedial classes. He was not only thoroughly versed in Eastern military strategy and battle formations, but also deeply knowledgeable about the militaries of the Western nations, especially Spain.

Spain's army was built primarily around infantry squares and possessed formidable combat strength. However, because it relied heavily on artillery for fire support when deploying in formation, its forces had poor mobility and found it very difficult to conduct long-distance marches in places lacking roads and waterways.

Moreover, Spanish soldiers had little ability to survive in the wild, so it was very hard for them to cross large stretches of uninhabited terrain without logistical support.

And the area south of Riverside Fort that Yu Daren mentioned was a vast expanse of nearly impassable mountain forest, with no roads and no waterways.

If the Spanish wanted to advance from there, they would first have to open roads and build forts along the way — that would be a huge commotion, and the garrison Yu Daren had placed at Riverside Fort could not possibly fail to notice.

The location of Riverside Fort was roughly around the area of Eugene, Oregon, in later ages, right on the banks of the Willamette River — the Willamette is now called the Great Valley River (meaning there is a very large river valley), and the Columbia River into which it flows has been named the Great Bend River (because of a great bend). At the confluence of the Great Valley River and the Great Bend River, a Three Forks Estuary County was established, and a fort guarding the waterway was built.

Three Forks Estuary County Fort, Riverside Fort, and Bay Fort, located at the mouth of the Great Bend River, together essentially held the waterways of the Great Valley River and the Great Bend River.

As long as these three small forts held, Peanut Village County could rest easy!

And for the Spanish, from the time their vanguard approached Riverside Fort to the time they could occupy Three Forks Estuary County Fort, it would take at least a year!

So Yu Daren had ample time to send for help across the Pacific.

What Yu Daren could calculate, his opponent Don Juan José could of course calculate as well!

Don Juan José had originally wanted to hire Indians to spearhead the assault, drawing off the main Chinese force, and then strike by sea at America Bay.

But after clarifying the exact location and terrain of America Bay, he already knew he could not drive the Indians to their deaths.

Because the Indian tribes he could reach were all located in the southern Great Plains — why would they be willing to travel so far to America Prefecture?

Moreover, America Prefecture was surrounded by mountains. Who knew how to cross the great mountains from the east to enter America Prefecture? Even the Indian merchant party Don Juan José sent had only gone north from California, traveling at least 75 Spanish leagues (equivalent to 412 kilometers) before reaching a Chinese colony, then boarding Chinese river boats and traveling another 55 Spanish leagues (300 kilometers) before reaching their headquarters. (In fact, the Indian merchant party sent by Don Juan José only reached Bay Fort in Three Forks Estuary County, that is, the mouth of the Great Bend River (Columbia River), and did not reach America Bay.)

In other words, if they were to go by land, Don Juan José's expeditionary force would have to travel at least 130 Spanish leagues (over 700 kilometers) to reach its destination. Without two years, Don Juan José's great army simply could not get through — they would first have to build roads, then take Riverside Fort, and then build wooden boats at Riverside Fort.

Besides, even if the great army reached America Bay, was victory guaranteed?

The news coming from East Asia had filled Don Juan José with deep misgivings about defeating the Chinese at Fort America!

In his view, there were two especially powerful units in the current Celestial Dynasty's army, and if either were dispatched to the New World, it would pose a grave threat to the army of the Kingdom of New Spain.

One of them was the Ming army's "Young Guard." This force appeared to have been modeled on the Turkish Sultan's Janissaries, and it was especially skilled at night fighting and skirmishing!

The other was Japan's "Nagasaki Red Arquebus Corps." This force made Don Juan José even more uneasy, because it was an army of madmen who dared to charge through enemy gunfire to within 30 yards before opening fire.

If the Ming army's Young Guard and Japan's Nagasaki Red Arquebus Corps appeared together in America, then Don Juan José would probably have to start thinking about defending Mexico City!

So beginning in the spring of 1660, Don Juan José had nearly given up the northward advance and turned instead to studying the question of fortifying California — the purpose of his letter to de Velasco, asking him to arrange for Japanese exiles to go to California, was in fact also defensive.

After all, California was a barren backwater with nothing to offer, and few white men were willing to go there. Bringing in some Japanese "Catholics" (the Shimazu clan people were not yet Catholics, but Don Juan José believed they would convert sooner or later) to hold the line was a good idea.

And just then, de Velasco and Barbosa, arriving from California, brought him a piece of good news that jolted him to attention!

The Japanese samurai who had retreated to California with Shimazu Mitsuhisa could also be reorganized into a Red Arquebus Corps!

"Can they really do it?"

Inside the magnificent governor's palace in Mexico City, Don Juan José was still somewhat doubtful. "If they could do it, how did they lose?"

"Duke, the reason they lost was political," de Velasco said. "The Queen of Japan married Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the Great Elder of the Tokugawa shogunate, uniting the shogunate and the imperial house, so the Toyotomi regency completely lost its appeal."

"So that is how it is," Don Juan José said thoughtfully. "Then how can you be sure the Shimazu clan people can also organize a Red Arquebus Corps?"

"Because Japanese samurai universally despise death!" de Velasco said. "And the Red Arquebus Corps' tactics are nearly suicidal — this is the fighting style best suited to Japanese samurai!"

"Nearly suicidal." Don Juan José drew a breath. "Well said — it is suicide! So how many Japanese samurai are there in California?"

"About 3,600 men," de Velasco said. "Ninety men to a company, which makes 40 companies. With 2 companies per battalion, that makes 20 battalions."

When they had left Kyushu, the number of Japanese samurai had exceeded 4,000; those who reached America alive numbered 3,600.

"Ninety men to a company? Is that not a little few?"

"Not few at all," de Velasco explained. "The Ming army's flintlock musketeer companies also have only 120 men each, of whom 30 are pikemen. We should imitate their organization, using 3 flintlock platoons plus 1 pike platoon to form a 120-man company. The 30 pikemen would be filled by white men from New Spain, and the musketeers by Japanese samurai."

"And then use two 120-man companies to form a battalion?"

"No, it should be four companies," de Velasco said. "Two flintlock companies and two matchlock companies. In the Battle of Nishizaka Castle and the Second Battle of Funai Castle, the Tokugawa army first used ordinary matchlock units and artillery to fire from a greater distance, creating smoke to cover the Red Arquebus troops as they closed in on the Toyotomi army."

"I see." Don Juan José smiled. "Then we do indeed have 20 battalions. If we add some cavalry companies and artillery companies, we can form one or two divisions."

"Duke," de Velasco further suggested, "I believe the New Kingdom of the West's army infantry should be reorganized on the model of the 'Red Arquebus Battalion,' which could be called flintlock battalions. If we could have 80 such battalions, defeating the Ming army and seizing America Bay would be no problem!"

"That is an excellent suggestion!" Don Juan José said with a smile and a nod. He of course knew that 80 flintlock battalions would not be enough to take America Bay, because what truly troubled him was the army's logistical supply!

He thought for a moment, then said: "Ambassador, I can appoint you Commissioner-in-Chief of California and authorize you to organize 20 flintlock battalions in California. Whatever white troops you need, I will transfer to you. And your task is to settle those Japanese in California and make them our vanguard in the advance on America Bay!"

"Duke, when will we attack?" de Velasco asked.

Don Juan José said: "Soon, very soon. A fleet will arrive shortly, and then we can attack!"

(End of Chapter)