Chapter 446: Boarding

“Damn it, how do the Spanish store their gunpowder? Hurry up and put out the fire, you idiots, put some effort into it!” Lü Yang couldn’t help but curse.

“This can’t go on. A lot of their cannons have been silenced, but another fire and explosion would be the end of it. And if they get a few more holes below the waterline, are we going to have to salvage the silver from the seabed?”

“Cease fire! Formation, turn left 180 degrees in succession, boarding party, prepare!” Lin Chuanqing gave the order, praying that the Spanish would quickly extinguish the fire and plug the holes.

The distance had now shortened to less than 1000 meters. Suddenly, a flash of fire erupted from the galleon’s broadside, followed by a puff of white smoke and the sound of a cannon. Then came a series of seven or eight more cannon shots. The cannonballs, trailing white smoke, sent up columns of water not far from the Nongchao.

Lin Chuanqing remained unmoved. At this distance, the Spanish would need a stroke of luck to hit his ship. However, the Spanish counterattack fully demonstrated that they had no intention of surrendering peacefully. And the cannons on their gun decks were not all silenced.

The formation turned again at the galleon’s stern, crossing its T. By this time, the distance between the formation and the galleon had been reduced to about 300 meters, and the situation on the deck could be clearly observed with the naked eye. Lin Chuanqing handed a steel helmet to Zhou Weisen.

“Be careful.”

At this moment, four puffs of white smoke erupted from the stern of the ship. The Spanish had fired their stern chasers simultaneously. A loud “clang” was heard at the stern of the Nongchao. Zhou Weisen looked out and saw an iron ball bounce off the hull and fall into the sea. Although the Nongchao’s wooden hull was not made of oak, the quality of the Southeast Asian teak was also exceptional. The cannonballs from the galleon’s demi-culverins at the stern couldn’t penetrate it. However, Zhou Weisen knew very well that if a cannonball hit the deck, it would have no problem killing a few sailors.

“Distance 300 meters, load canister shot! All fleet, fire!” Lin Chuanqing roared. “Mast platform guns, fire at will!”

At that moment, Lin Chuanqing clearly saw the ship’s name on the stern: San Luis.

The 130mm cannons began to rake the galleon’s decks with fire. A storm of iron balls swept across each deck. Then came the hail of bullets from the machine guns on the mast platforms. Through the telescopes, the galleon’s sterncastle and decks were a flurry of flying wood splinters. They even saw a few bodies fall from the high sterncastle into the sea.

The formation slowed down and passed by the galleon’s port side, continuously strafing it. After firing one or two inaccurate shots, the galleon fell completely silent, drifting lifelessly on the water.

“Let’s try some psychological warfare.”

“Cease fire! Boarding party, prepare!”

The high-powered loudspeaker, specially installed on the flagship for this operation, blared to life. Ms. Mendoza’s Spanish poured out of the speaker:

“Urging the San Luis to surrender:

“Captain, first mate, second mate, all officers, all soldiers, all sailors of the San Luis: you are surrounded, with no hope of escape.

“You have seen that your firepower is meaningless. Our cannons and firearms are much more powerful than yours. Your cannons have all been silenced, your masts have been broken, and your sailors have suffered heavy casualties. As the captain and officers, you should consider the feelings of your men and their families. Find a way out for yourselves and for them sooner rather than later. Do not make any more pointless sacrifices.

“We can now board and occupy your ship at any time. You should all lay down your arms and stop resisting. We will guarantee the safety of all your officers, soldiers, sailors, and their families. This is your only way out. If you still want to fight, then fight. In the end, you will all be quickly dealt with.”

“Raise the white flag and surrender. The Lord is merciful, and He will bless you to return home safely.”

“Will it work?”

“Who cares? Let’s see. I can’t understand it, but the foreign girl’s voice is quite nice to listen to.”

“It’s like trying to hit a mouse in a china shop, so constrained and nervous. Luckily, these Spanish sailors are quite good at putting out fires.”

As they were chattering, a few white spots appeared on the opposite ship. Looking through the telescope, they saw a few white shirts, white towels, and the like, being held out from the sterncastle’s portholes on long poles.

Following the intelligence department’s suggestion, Zhou Weisen, wearing a bulletproof vest under a tattered pirate costume, was rubbing his hands together by the boarding bridge, ready to go. He almost fainted. It’s over already? A few words from the little missy and I’m out of a job.

“Prepare to board!” Just as Lin Chuanqing was about to give the order to come alongside, a dozen puffs of white smoke suddenly erupted from the deck of the opposite ship, and the faint sound of crackling gunfire could be heard.

“A feigned surrender?” Lin Chuanqing shuddered and spat fiercely. “These bastards, it seems we have to give them another good beating, then go up and kill them all!” He roared, “All machine guns, fire at will! No one alive on the deck. Hit every gun port!”

After another storm of bullets, the San Luis was completely paralyzed on the sea. The ship, which had been sailing with the wind, almost came to a stop as it lost its propulsion, like a harpooned whale, helplessly waiting to be slaughtered. From any angle, it no longer looked capable of resistance.

“Prepare to board!” Zhou Weisen roared. He put on his steel helmet and goggles and drew his M1911 pistol. This gun had great power and reliable action, making it a formidable weapon in close combat. Because there were only a few of these pistols, Zhou Weisen usually only carried a Glock 17. He had brought this one specially for the occasion. To ensure the pistol wouldn’t slip from his hand during the fight, he had attached a lanyard to his belt.

The Nongchao’s boarding ramp was already in place on the side of the ship. The height of the boarding platform was just level with the galleon’s upper deck. The Nongchao’s bow slowly passed the galleon, only about ten meters away. Then the Nongchao slowly moved sideways, gradually approaching the galleon and maintaining contact with it.

The first wave of five team members were special reconnaissance members armed with Scorpion submachine guns and shotguns. An M240 machine gun team provided covering fire from the platform. Finally, there was an Indian sailor who could speak Spanish, acting as an interpreter.

The second wave was on standby on the deck. They were elite marines, each with four 1630-style revolvers tucked in a cross-belt on their chest, holding a short-barreled Minie rifle or a “double-shot”—a shotgun made by Li Yiwo himself. Due to the lack of qualified firing springs, he had adopted this double-barreled, percussion-cap-fired shotgun, with the left and right barrels firing separately.

As the two ships drew closer, Zhou Weisen’s heart was in his throat. The boarding platform had a steel railing, sufficient to withstand musket fire, flintlock fire, and various projectiles from 1-pounder deck guns. But once the boarding platform’s ramp was opened, they would be completely exposed to enemy fire. He could only pray that the machine gunners and snipers on the mast platforms and deck would be quick-eyed and quick-handed.

At this point, the tragic scene on the deck of the San Luis was in plain sight. The deck was littered with oak fragments: broken gun carriages, fallen yards and rigging, lifeboats, and spars. Everything that had been on the main deck had been swept by projectiles, shattered into pieces and strips. Blood stained the floor, and dismembered bodies were scattered about, a gruesome scene of a human hell.

The boarding bridge platform slowly approached the San Luis. Zhou Weisen’s heart raced, and he released the safety on his pistol. Suddenly, the boarding bridge shook violently and stopped.

“Attention! The hatch is opening!”

With a clang, the hatch opened. Zhou Weisen was the first to jump out, landing in a stable half-squat on the deck of the San Luis after a roll. The other team members quickly took up their positions, providing covering fire and searching in turns.

The deck was silent. Not a gunshot, not even a living person.

“Clear!” he roared. The roar was transmitted to the deck of the Nongchao through the walkie-talkie on his shoulder. The second wave of the marine boarding party immediately swarmed up the ladder.

According to the plan, Zhou Weisen and the special reconnaissance team would control the sterncastle and provide security, while the boarding party would control the deck and all entrances and exits in batches.

Zhou Weisen led the way and quickly ascended the sterncastle. Two men, trembling with fear and hiding in a corner at the top of the sterncastle, heard someone rushing up and immediately drew their swords to resist. Zhou Weisen, already at the top of the ladder, fired two shots from his M1911, instantly knocking them down. The men following him immediately secured the entire sterncastle platform.

After securing the entire rooftop platform, the assault team began to expand into the cabin rooms below. According to the information they had, the upper cabins of the stern of such a ship were usually the quarters of the first mate, helmsman, and other senior crew members. Below that, near the stern, was the captain’s cabin. If there were any distinguished passengers on board, they would also be accommodated in this area.

The assault team rushed down the stairs and first secured the area around the sterncastle cabin door. A battle seemed to have taken place here. The cabin door and the nearby bulkheads were riddled with bullet holes. Four or five bodies lay on the deck, all seemingly killed by gunfire. Some of them looked to be of high status. Zhou Weisen noticed that one of them was still holding a wooden stick with a white napkin tied to it.

“Breach the door!” Zhou Weisen called out. A special reconnaissance member raised his shotgun and blasted the cabin door open. Another team member nimbly threw in a pepper tear gas grenade. It exploded with a “bang.”

“Don’t throw bombs! We surrender!” A wail in Spanish came from inside the cabin, followed by a series of violent coughs and sneezes.