As the largest city in the United States and the center of trade and finance, New York is a city that everyone yearns for. However, today, people in New York are rushing out of the city with their families.
Because news came that the Spanish fleet was discovered in Newport News, hundreds of kilometers away. They destroyed most of Newport News and then came north. And yesterday, some warships escaped back, saying that they
Encountering the Spanish fleet, except for them, all other warships were destroyed.
The continuous bad news caused the people to panic completely. Everyone wanted to leave New York with their families. This is a wrong place. No matter how the government explained, New York is actually very safe, with sufficient fortifications and capable people.
The torpedo boat that caused a soul-piercing attack was not afraid of the threat of the Spanish fleet at all.
But this still cannot save the wave of escapes in New York. On the Brooklyn Bridge, crowded crowds and horse-drawn carriages blocked the bridge.
As for the rich men, there is no need to do this. The waiting boat carrying these people has already left.
The apocalyptic escape scene in New York also opened the eyes of embassy staff from various countries. Among them, Milat Fitzgerald, the counselor at the British Embassy in New York, recorded this scene in his diary.
"After receiving the news of the Spanish attack on Newport News, a large-scale exodus began in New York, which also led to the closing of stores. The Redbud Restaurant I often went to closed.
As a result, I couldn't eat his steak for two months.
After a U.S. warship escaped back in the evening of the next day, the crowd of people fleeing New York had completely grown in size. Every bridge that could leave Manhattan Island was full of people. Behrens, the second secretary of the embassy, asked me for my opinion.
How could you leave in such an ungentlemanly way? Look at the performance of the Yankees, hahahaha!
On the third day, gunfire was heard outside the bay. Now New York was really running out of people. Especially in Manhattan where we were, there were no civilians to be seen. The streets were full of troops in military uniforms. And our embassy also had
It's difficult. The cooks and coachmen were all conscripted. I expressed my dissatisfaction to the officer who conscripted them, but the American officer spat on the ground. These damn uneducated Americans, I hope the Spaniards will teach them a lesson.
Dayton, it would be better to destroy some of New York as well.”
Lieutenant General Cedella did not know the wishes of the British Counselor Mr. Fitzgerald, otherwise he would have said that this was very difficult to handle.
Yes, on the third day after the attack on Newport News, they rushed to the sea off New York, but it was not easy to enter New York Bay. They could not even enter New York Bay now.
"The firepower here is a bit strong!"
Vice Admiral Sedra, who was on the ship, looked at the coastal defense batteries that kept firing, as well as the destroyer Balt that was hiding all the way back.
In just ten minutes of testing, Vice Admiral Sedra had already discovered that three shore defenses were firing at the Balt. If the warship hadn't been small in size and fast, it would have been hit long ago.
After the Balt was out of the shelling range, Lieutenant General Sedra continued. "The firepower of New York's coastal defense artillery is too powerful. It seems that it will be difficult to launch an attack on New York."
"That's not necessarily the case."
These words made Lieutenant General Sedra's eyes light up, because the person who said this must have a reason.
"Leifer, do you have any ideas?"
That's right, Lieutenant General Cedela is not as confident as Leifer in himself now. This man's several suggestions have made the Spanish fleet prosperous now, and the officers and soldiers are in very good condition because of this. It's really a
A genius commander.
"Currently, it seems that New York's defense is very tight, and it is a bit difficult to enter New York Bay."
Leifer is right. The United States has always been very attentive to the defense of New York, the largest city. If it just wants to enter Lower New York Bay, there are the Hancock Coast Defense Battery on the Gateway Peninsula and Long Island's
The Hamilton Coastal Defense Battery and the Razzano Coastal Defense Battery on Staten Island are arranged in a triangle and can block the entire New York Bay.
In addition to these three forts, the terrain of New York is a difficult problem for any invader. In addition to Lower New York Bay, one needs to pass through the Narrows Strait between Staten Island and Long Island before entering Upper New York Bay.
Only after entering Upper New York Bay can you see the Statue of Liberty, the New York Stock Exchange and other buildings. As for the Brooklyn Shipyard, you also need to cross the Brooklyn Bridge to see it.
In the Upper New York Bay, the Bayonne Coastal Defense Fort firmly protects the safety of the Upper New York Bay. Any intruder needs to ask for its permission. With such a tightly defended layout, no one can find a weak point at all.
"Actually, there is another way to attack New York, but it requires taking some risks."
Leifer took out a map of New York and said, "I need to explain that the distance from the estuary to Manhattan is thirteen kilometers."
On the map, Leifer used Manhattan as the base point and used a compass to draw equal distance circles, including 3 kilometers, 5 kilometers, 10 kilometers, etc. The distance from the New York Stock Exchange in Manhattan to the estuary has been marked with a dotted line.
13 kilometers.
"In addition, we can see the locations marked by the three forts in Lower New York Bay and the locations they can hit. But here, I need to mark one place in particular, and that is Jamaica Bay."
The Jamaica Bay that Leffel mentioned is a large bay on Long Island. In addition to being connected to Lower New York Bay, its internal waters are also relatively vast.
And the method he mentioned requires the use of Jamaica Bay.
"We can force our way down New York Bay, but after entering New York Bay, we will immediately turn to Jamaica Bay."
Hearing this, Lieutenant General Cedella had some doubts. Why did he enter Jamaica Bay? There is no navigation channel here and the hydrological conditions are unfamiliar. Apart from avoiding the attacks of the three forts in New York Bay, it has no use?
"After we enter Jamaica Bay, we can bombard New York. Also, if we are lucky, the Brooklyn Shipyard may be easier to bombard."
Now Lieutenant General Sedra understood, "You want to fire artillery shells from Jamaica Bay to New York? But how do you aim? It is impossible to observe the artillery target when it is blocked by land."
Facing Lieutenant General Sedra, Leifer took out a new map. This was a military map of New York, a military map with a scale of 10,000:1. I don’t know where Leifer got it from.
.
"It's the military map that the Governor of Bermuda gave me. We can use this to conduct long-range bombardment by three Turin-class battleships."
Leifer was very proud when he said this, because the Italian officers and soldiers on the three Turin-class ships were already capable of map bombardment operations, which was very admirable in this era. As for whether the Turin-class main guns can hit that far, there is no need to worry about this.
One point, there is no problem at all when naval guns can fire for more than ten kilometers. After all, naval guns are considered super-long cannons, and their range is not a problem at all.
However, Leifer's words did not satisfy Lieutenant General Sedra, because the risk was too high, and if anyone else dared to propose this method to him, he would be directly sent to a military court.
"How to solve the hydrology of Jamaica Bay? If the ship runs aground, it will be really over."
Yes, Vice Admiral Sedra is worried about the ship.
"This is easy to do. I have a hydrographic map of New York here." Leifer said and took out a hydrographic map of New York. "This was also given by the Governor of Bermuda."
As he spoke, he turned to the page about the hydrological conditions of Jamaica Bay and said, "We now basically have the hydrological conditions of Jamaica Bay. If you are still not at ease, then there is nothing I can do."
In fact, the two of them also knew that after seeing New York's coastal defenses, it was impossible to launch a large-scale bombardment of New York City. Therefore, more can only be symbolic bombardments, but sometimes, symbolic bombardments are enough.
.
Whether it succeeds or not depends on Lieutenant General Sedra.
"Give it a try."
After much consideration, Lieutenant General Sedra could not refuse the temptation to bombard New York.
