plumnovel Chapter 42 Taking Chestnuts from the Fire
Chapter 42 Taking Chestnuts from the Fire
George Dewey was quite pleased with Chen Feng's sensibility. He tapped his fingertips on the table and said in a deep voice, "The Independent Army will launch a general offensive against Malolos within five days. Your mission is to destroy the San Antonio supply depot before then."
"Understood, I will cooperate..."
Just as Chen Feng was about to reply, a crucial piece of information flashed through his mind, and the words he was about to say suddenly stopped, the three words "Independence Army" stuck in his throat.
He had heard of the San Antonio supply depot before.
Located about eight kilometers southwest of Malolos City, next to a tributary of the Pampanga River, it is surrounded by a network of waterways. Zhangjia Village is on the opposite bank of the river, and the suburbs of Manila are to the south.
None of that mattered. What truly weighed on his mind was that the warehouse had already been seized by the Independent Army, who were now stockpiling siege supplies and turning it into a formidable fortress to block Spanish reinforcements.
Damn it!
Is this a move to force the Chinese Free Army to confront the Independence Army head-on in advance?
Is the US military so confident that it can drive out the Spanish without relying on the independence army?
The thought flashed through his mind in a flash. Chen Feng's tone remained unchanged, but he deliberately emphasized the words "Independence Army": "General, I will cooperate with the US military's strategy to destroy the San Antonio supply depot controlled by the Independence Army."
This demonstrated a willingness to be an enemy of the Independent Army while subtly testing whether George Dewey knew the warehouse had changed hands and whether he had given orders haphazardly.
"Good luck!" George Dewey said, picking up his coffee cup as if to say goodbye.
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng understood that the US military wanted to take action against the Independent Army, and they wouldn't leave easily without gaining some benefits.
He remained seated and began to complain: "General, the Springfield M1861 you issued to me last time was a muzzle-loading rifle. It was sufficient for dealing with the natives, but it was really inadequate against the main forces of the Spanish colonial army and the independence army."
George Dewey frowned slightly, and after a moment's thought, said, "I'll have Connor give you 50 M1892 rifles later."
M1892 rifle?
Chen Feng's heart stirred, and the data he remembered from his previous life instantly surfaced.
This is a bolt-action rifle that uses 7.62mm ammunition, has a side-opening magazine with a capacity of 5+1 rounds, and is the current standard weapon of the U.S. Army.
However... this thing is far inferior to the Mauser 1893 in the hands of the Spanish colonial army.
The M1892 could not be quickly reloaded using stripper clips, resulting in a much lower reloading efficiency in actual combat. During the Spanish-American War, American soldiers were often suppressed by the Spanish due to their slow reloading speed.
Even so, the M1892 was better than the muzzle-loading guns used before.
Chen Feng suppressed his helplessness and showed a troubled expression: "General, 50 guns are too few! Most of our Chinese Free Army are still fighting with cold weapons. We need at least 500 guns to distribute among us."
George Dewey frowned even more, and after a moment of consideration, he said, "Connor said that your Chinese Free Army is developing very quickly, and now you have more than three thousand men. You are indeed short of weapons."
However, the M1892 has only been in service for a few years, and the fleet's inventory is limited, so we'll give you 200 for now.
In addition, add one Colt M1895 machine gun.
"Thank you, General!"
Chen Feng immediately put on a big smile, thinking to himself how lucky he was to have saved Connor last night.
If this guy hadn't exaggerated the size of the Free Army, we wouldn't have been able to get so much equipment so easily.
200 rifles may seem like a small number, but the Colt M1895 is a formidable weapon!
A firing rate of up to 400 rounds per minute!
However, this thing consumes a lot of bullets, so I'll have to find a way to get more when I collect supplies later.
After all, a machine gun without bullets is no better than a fire poker.
As he stepped out of the meeting room, Connor was waiting with Zheng Mingsong. Upon seeing him come out, Connor immediately led Zheng Mingsong into the conference room.
Military secrets were everywhere on the warship, so Chen Feng couldn't move around freely. He found a corner to sit down and began to organize his plans.
The mission to destroy the supply depot must be completed first, otherwise US military support will no longer be available;
Secondly, the gold in the church must not be given up, as it is the lifeline for the Free Army to pay its soldiers and purchase supplies.
Finally, we need to figure out why the US military suddenly changed its mind and decided to attack the independence army at this juncture.
A full hour later, Zheng Mingsong emerged with a beaming smile, clearly having reaped a great harvest.
Connor greeted Chen Feng with a smile: "I have official business early tomorrow morning, so let's hurry up and get the supplies. Or should I take you back to where we set off this morning?"
"Send it to the same beach as last time," Chen Feng answered first.
He had anticipated that he would be able to obtain the equipment this time, and before setting off, he had Zhang Xiuwu and his men wait for him on the beach.
Zheng Ming originally wanted to return to the city directly, but seeing this, he became curious and wanted to see Chen Feng's camp, so he didn't object.
In fact, the two beaches are less than three kilometers apart, and for Connor, it was just a convenient stop along the way.
Back on the merchant ship, while Zheng Mingsong went to the restroom, Connor patted Chen Feng on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Chen, my friend, wasn't that good enough?"
"Thank you for your help!"
Chen Feng spoke sincerely, knowing in his heart that if it weren't for his good words with George Dewey, he would never have been able to get his hands on this Colt M1895 machine gun.
"It's no big deal!"
Connor waved his hand, then suddenly lowered his voice: "The machine guns are all registered, so I can't give you more, but I can give you plenty of bullets. After all, no one can say for sure how many bullets soldiers will consume during training."
"Thank you again for your help."
Chen Feng's heart stirred, and he felt even more that this person was worth befriending. He immediately took out five hundred US dollars from his pocket and quietly slipped it to him.
"Chen! I thought we were friends already, how could you insult me with US dollars?" Connor said, but his hand took the US dollars without hesitation, clearly not speaking his mind.
Chen Feng knew he was asking for a way out, so he immediately said seriously, "Can't friends exchange gifts? I want to bring something for my sister-in-law, but I don't know her preferences, so I can only trouble you to choose one for me."
"I see!"
Connor pretended to suddenly realize something and awkwardly stuffed the dollars into his pocket.
"That's right!" Chen Feng nodded vigorously, playing along with his performance.
Having accepted the bribe, Connor no longer concealed his intentions and said in a deep voice, "Do you know my real purpose for going to Malolos this time?"
"I'd like to hear more details!"
"I'm there to escort Aquinas."
Connor's face darkened. "This guy is a liar. He promised to cooperate with us in attacking Manila immediately after we captured Malolos. But now he's making all sorts of excuses and refusing to give a specific time. He clearly wants to sit back and watch the tigers fight, letting us and the Spanish fight to the death."
"I see!"
Chen Feng suddenly felt enlightened.
If he were in charge of the independence army, he would never be foolish enough to confront Manila's formidable defenses and tens of thousands of elite Spanish troops head-on.
The wisest choice is to reap the benefits without lifting a finger.
However, the Independent Army was strong and naturally had the resources to negotiate with the Americans. On the other hand, the Chinese Free Army had been established for less than half a month and was short of both troops and food, so it had no bargaining power at all.
They could only act as pawns crossing the river, bracing themselves to snatch chestnuts from the fire.