Chapter 43 They are charging

There is more in the evening!

Brothers, for our copper and saltpeter! Charge! Go ahead! Collect it! Recommend it!

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Melino. Jappa didn't know what had happened to Antofagast at this moment. Maybe he knew that he didn't have any heart to care about. Standing in the temporary command post of Issek Fortress, he only felt his hands and feet cold.

Outside the house, there was a rumbling sound of gunfire. The battle of Issek's fortress suddenly began. Although the Admiralty sent an urgent telegram more than a month ago, telling him that the political axe army might take action against the fortress and supplemented his troops with ammunition and supplies, what surprised him was that President Balmeseda led As soon as the political axe army took action, it would be like thunder.

With the assistance of more than a dozen guns, he smashed the gate of the fortress in just three hours and led a naval detachment. With less than 500 people, he had to face the 2,000 elite army with much better equipment than himself.

"How should we fight this battle?"

"Has the telegram for help been sent?" Melino. Jappa pulled out a cigar and looked at the messenger who was busy sending the report, and his face turned blue.

"It has been sent out, but they replied that they hope we are sticking to it for a while, and the reinforcements will arrive soon!" The adjutant gritted his teeth, listened to the gunshots outside, and shook his head.

"Reinforcement? Will there really be reinforcements? Actually, don't ask, Melino. Jappa also knew that due to the hesitation of the Congress and General Monte, the Admiralty and the Congress were not fully prepared at this moment. In the face of the sudden big fight, it was good to be able to defend it. Where did the reinforcements come from? Especially for this kind of land warfare, even if there are several warships, it is difficult to have any practical help.

Moreover, the fleet is now gathering in the southern waters under the command of General Monte, waiting for the best time. The remaining Marine Paoze and the patchworked congressional army have launched the Northern Expedition, which means that there will be no more support troops.

Damn it! Obviously, he couldn't send troops, but he even lied to himself!

Melino. Jappa unbuttoned the button angrily. In addition to hating those damned armies, he also hated the Admiralty. They thought they were the statue of Resurrection Island? At this time, you are also required to stick to it!

In just a few hours, the gate of the fortress was smashed open. How can you stick to it? How to fight?

Support! Go to hell!

Light the cigar and let the smoke go back and forth in the nasal cavity several times, Melino. Only then did Jappa calm down a little. He didn't expect reinforcements, but he would not give up Iquique. No one knows better than him how important this small fortress in the north by the sea is.

"Order the troops, take the private house as the point, stick to it step by step, and tell the soldiers that we are the navy, the elite navy! Our glory must not be stained by a group of readers!" Melino. Jappa ordered loudly that what he could do now was to use every street and every house in the fortress to slow down the enemy's pace.

But how long can it last?

Reinforcement? Will it really happen?

Melino. Jappa looked out of the window lit by flames from time to time, and the cigar in his hand trembled slightly. He was not afraid of death. Even in the face of the charge of the Peruvian army a few years ago, he didn't even blink his eyes, but now he is a little nervous.

"If Iquique is lost in his own hands, what kind of fate will be waiting for him?" Melino. Jappa thought of his wife in the far south, with a wry smile on the corners of his mouth.

Suddenly, a few sharp roars broke the mind, and several fires lit up not far from the command post, and the flying stones hit the ground like hail, filled with countless smoke and dust.

"Major, are you all right?" The adjutant squatted down and looked nervously at the motionless figure standing at the window.

Melino. Jappa did not reply. The sharp roar of the shells, the chirp of bullets, and the crying, cursing and shouting were mixed together, and the whole Iquique Fortress was like hell.

Who would have thought that a civil war would break out in Chile, which just won the foreign war a few years ago? I don't know how long this damn war will last and how many Chileans will be displaced.

Another series of dense chirps came, and the stones flew at the hidden gate of the command post. Could it be said that the political axe army hit here so quickly? Before the people in the command post could react, everyone saw a corporal rushing through the street and into the headquarters in the rain.

"What's wrong? Did you lose the third street? The adjutant recognized the corporal who came in. His troops should have blocked the enemy on Third Street at this time. How could he suddenly run back?

Everyone's hearts are overshadowed. Third Street is the penultimate line of defense. If Third Street is lost, then everyone in the headquarters must carry guns!

The corporal obviously didn't know everyone's mood. He bent down, gasped hard, blushed, and pointed excitedly to the direction he was running: "Report, aid..., reinforcements, our...'s reinforcements have arrived!"

"What!"

"Reinforcement? Are there really reinforcements?!"

"The Admiralty did not give up on us!"

With a buzzing sound, the news brought by the corporal made the whole headquarters explode in an end. If it hadn't been for the rain of bullets outside, someone would have rushed out to take a closer look.

Melino. Jappa was also shocked. Although he was only a major and could not get the detailed combat plan of the Admiralty, he also knew that General Montt had used his troops to the extreme at this moment. How could there be reinforcements to help Iquique at this time?

"Is it a temporary rebel army!" Think of this, Melino. Jappa's face, which had just turned red with excitement, turned gloomy again. If it were really those scouts, what's the use at this time?

At this moment, a shrill roar different from the army cannon came faintly, followed by a louder explosion than those army cannons. As a Marine officer, no one is more familiar with the unique roar of the naval cannon than them!

"The reinforcements are really coming! Son of a bitch, they're really here!"

The cheers, accompanied by the unique loud noise of the naval cannon, spread all over the whole Iquique Fortress, Melino. Jappa was so excited that he didn't even notice that the cigar had fallen to the ground. He grabbed the corporal who came to report and roared, "Tell me how many people there are there?"

"Two cruisers and 500 troops, they are landing, and they can fight in up to ten minutes!" The corporal replied excitedly.

"Two cruisers and 500 marines! God, I love you!" Melino. Jappa didn't expect that the Admiralty's action was so hidden and rapid. Not only did the warships come, but it also urgently mobilized 500 troops, which was a boost to the current situation.

But before he could finish praising God, he heard the corporal shouting, "No, it's not the Marines. I heard it's 500 soldiers from the Qing Empire!"

"Qing Empire? Which country is that? What are they doing here? Listen to the sound of gunfire, or escorted by the navy. Who are they? The corporal's words made the commander's office look at each other. He didn't wait for everyone to figure out which country the empire was. The gunfire outside the headquarters intensified again. Everyone subconsciously touched the pistol at his waist and followed the gunshots.

I just got the handle of the gun, Melino. Jappa and others saw a major in a Chilean navy uniform, with several yellow skin, black eyes, a helmet, a rifle, a striking white cloth belt on his shoulder, and a vigilant soldier walking into the command post.

"Japa, haha, you're still alive. I'm so glad to see you." As soon as he entered the headquarters, the major immediately gave it to Melino. Jappa hugged a bear.

Melino. Jappana was still considerate. He pushed his friend away, looked at the soldiers who followed him, and asked, "Pat, are they...?"

Before Pat could answer, the young soldier who led him stretched out his hand and introduced himself in less fluent English: "Luo Feng, the commander of the regiment and battalion of the Qing Imperial Guards, was ordered to come to help you defend the fortress."

"Luo Feng? The Qing Empire? Melino. Jappa felt that his brain was not enough, and he held Luo Feng's big hand in a doze.

Looking at Melino with a confused face. Japa and Luo Feng smiled. In fact, he was also a little strange about this name. He didn't know why the young master wanted to borrow the name of the Qing Dynasty, but the military order was a military order, and there was no room for any doubt.

Fortunately, after the major's explanation, he finally let Melino. Jappa understood the purpose of these soldiers of the Qing Empire who came from afar, and now is not the time to get to the bottom of it.

Melino. Jappa is an open-minded person. Since he is here to help himself, he is not so wary. He took out the fortress map and drew a line: "In front of us, there are about 2,000 well-equipped bastards, who lead them is Jose. That madman Soto, now they are blocked between First Street and Second Street. There are many private houses there. Their artillery advantage cannot be fully exerted. What they need to do now is to stabilize the defense line as soon as possible and not let them continue to go deeper.

Fortunately, everyone speaks English and has a temporary translation. Luo Feng can also understand Melino. Jappa's meaning.

Look at Melino. Luo Feng frowned at the line drawn by Jappa. Obviously, the Chilean major only wanted to stabilize the position, instead of using the night to be fierce several times. But now on other people's territory, there are not many opinions. Anyway, the army is their own, and it's up to him to decide how to fight?!

" Major, can you give me this map?" Luo Feng pointed to the map.

"Yes." Melino. Jappa was stunned at first, and then immediately hooked it with a pen in several important places and gave it to Luo Feng. Luo Feng was extremely appreciated by his carefulness.

"Now it's our turn!" Luo Feng took over the map and turned to the few people who accompanied him and said a few words that the Chilean officers didn't understand. Then he turned his head and raised the lip line at the corners of his mouth: "Give us the defense line, let your soldiers withdraw and rest first and wait for the final battle."

"Give it to you?"

Don't wait for Melino. Jappa and other Chilean officers reacted, and Luo Feng had already turned around and left.

In the command room, there was a moment of silence like silk. Looking at Luo Feng with his men, he bowed strangely in the rain and disappeared quickly at the end of the street. Everyone's eyes were straight.

Qing Empire? Is it the country with only exquisite silk and porcelain?

Do they also have soldiers who can cross thousands of miles of the Pacific Ocean?

A moment later, a torrential rain-like dense gunfire broke the silence of the headquarters and sounded from all over the fortress. The incomprehensible shouts, shouts and explosions accompanied by arrays that were not much weaker than shells, like a raging monsoon swept the whole fortress.

Oh, my God! Melino. Jappa's pupils began to spread.

"They are charging!"