Chapter 319

"Let me introduce you, Drake."

In the patrol commander's office temporarily belonging to Nelson at the port authority, Nelson introduced Lorraine to the collaborators of the operation.

"Colonel William Cornwallis, my best friend, captain of HMS prairie lion cruiser. William has received the transfer order from the local fleet, so Sir transferred him out of the Gulf of Mexico in advance to strengthen the transport capacity and firepower of the sea fleet with his last patrol mission in the new world."

Lorraine nodded to William Cornwallis.

"Lieutenant Colonel kasbert Collinwood, you are old acquaintances. He was temporarily assigned to the HMS Unicorn destroyer as commander this time, but you can rest assured that the Sir chartered him to bring all the team of the hornet. Even if it is a new ship, there will be no running in problem."

As Nelson said, Lorraine and Collinwood were old acquaintances, and Lorraine congratulated him on his promotion.

Collinwood smiled modestly and said that his official establishment was still on the hornet and that he would return the one-man * * at the end of this operation.

"Major Oliver Spencer is the commander of the first regiment battalion in Jamaica and the confidant of major general darling. This time, he led four strengthening companies to open up territory for Great Britain. He is the Deputy selected by major general darling for me. He has rich experience and top adaptability."

Nelson thought about it and added, "major Spencer is a perfect gentleman and devout Puritan. We get along well."

This sentence means that Oliver Spencer is much better than John Rashid. Nelson has handled the problem of sea land connection. The sea operation will not fight among the services like Halloween operation.

Lorraine looked at major Spencer more deliberately.

A thin and clean middle-aged man, wearing the unique red military uniform of the British army, was meticulous in clothing details.

British officers' uniforms adopt the mode of self financing and self-made by officers after limiting the core elements, and there is no unified procurement and distribution.

So a scrupulous and regular clean military uniform shows at least a few things.

Major Spencer has a good traditional education.

His family is very good.

He is rigid and serious, and has a sense of identity with his current work.

This is all good news.

Lorraine smiled and held out his hand: "Lorraine Jonathan Drake, President of Drake chamber of Commerce in Southampton and chairman of Drake Caribbean branch in Kingston, nice to meet you."

Major Spencer said for a moment, "are you the carefree boss in chuck's mouth who is either fighting or exploring? How young are you?"

Lorraine also wondered, "does the major happen to be familiar with my president?"

"The Spencer family and the Parker family have a long friendship. We have known each other since we were three years old. We were classmates before college."

"That's... What a coincidence."

After a simple greeting, the meeting was directly adjusted to a combat meeting.

This is Nelson's habit.

This seemingly obsessed with official career is actually a work maniac. Although he is not an alien who doesn't leave work in three sentences, like Lorraine, he can't stand doing nothing before everything is decided.

He spread out the chart.

"Why wait for Drake to come before convening this meeting?" Nelson opened with a question, "because his team can be entrusted with important tasks."

"Drake is a soldier raised by the hereditary Baron of Tavistock, the top soldier in England and the No. 1 scholar of primordial sea school in a century."

"Kasbert and I cooperated with him in the Halloween operation. He and his team played a central role in beach grabbing, luring the enemy, ambush and even the final battle at sea."

"Please don't regard him as an ordinary mercenary. He is a reliable partner on the sea and land. Even the reason why Sir Alex agreed to take the sea is largely based on the reason that I can get Drake's full help."

"The same is true this time."

Nelson shook off his baton and focused on the San Juan estuary.

"According to the action plan formulated by major general darling, we will land from the narrow San Juan estuary and go westward."

"San Juan River is the only waterway connecting Niagara Gua lake and the Caribbean Sea. It is also the most realistic and smooth passage through the jungle. In wet season, the shallowest water is 5 meters deep, with an average of 7 meters, which can accommodate large ships."

"But there is a Spanish controlled area. In the wet season, their navy will set up defense in the river. We have no chance to raid."

"It's a dry season. The water depth in the shallowest section is less than 2 meters, and the average water depth is less than 3 meters. Our warships and Spanish ships can't get in. This is our opportunity."

"We will take submarines to trace the source. Therefore, the ships belonging to the sea fleet are specially equipped with large boats 10 meters long and detachable masts to let the wind help us counter the current."

"The carrying capacity of the big boat is 70 people, and six boats are 420 people. Plus the eight small boats brought by Drake, each with 20 people, which means that we can transport 580 people at most."

"The total number of landing troops is 4 reinforced companies, 480 infantry, 40 artillery and 8 light artillery. There is more than enough transportation capacity!"

Lorraine didn't hear anything more than enough in Nelson's words.

The traceability March is not a simple mathematical problem.

Hundreds of kilometers of road, the harsh environment of the rainforest, supplies, medicine, baggage and the Marine Corps who are good at ship operation should be prepared. The actual transportation capacity occupied will never be less than the needs of the landing forces.

This puzzled Lorraine.

With Nelson's accomplishment, even if he is dazzled by merit, fame and wealth, he will not be unclear about this superficial dark account. In that case, why can he be so determined?

Lorraine frowned and knocked on the table: "how to solve the supply and rest along the way?"

Nelson smiled.

"I have discussed this with major Spencer. The four companies assigned to the operation are the elite of the Jamaican garrison. They are hardworking and familiar with the rainforest. We will let the two companies march along the river bank to ensure the physical strength and morale of the soldiers through rotation."

Lorraine suddenly realized.

Half of the people marching by land is really a good way to solve the transportation capacity. Although it is not the best way, they can't send a large number of boats to San Juan in the dry season.

Doing such a thing in the Spanish controlled area is likely to arouse the Spanish's vigilance in advance.

But... From the point of view of actual combat, this plan of full calculation is still too fragile

Is there any way to enhance transport capacity and firepower without attracting attention?

Lorraine's fingers drew lines on San Juan's winding river and muttered to himself.

"In the dry season, will indigenous fishermen still catch fish?"

Nelson was stunned: "are you going to rob the aboriginal fishing boat?"

Lorraine shook his head in tears and laughter: "even if we ignore the uncertainty of the robbed ship type, the empty ship can't help us too much. It can only be used as a means of transportation, which will increase our demand for sailors."

"I mean, let my boat disguise as a fishing boat and get in first."

"Your boat?"

"Yes." Lorraine nodded. "I robbed some medium-sized single masts in Bimini. They are old commercial ships. They are not useful in offshore conversion. They are just right for the San Juan River“

"As long as they are equipped with enough indigenous fishermen and let them enter the Estuary before us, they should not attract the attention of the Spanish."

Nelson's eyes lit up: "you mean, we'll split up with the supplies and meet in the river?"

Lorraine nodded softly.

"How long will it take? How can reliable indigenous fishermen solve it!"

"It's not far from the Royal harbor. It won't take more than two weeks from arranging ships, selecting people, allocating supplies, and sending the ship into the estuary. As for the candidates, there happens to be a son-in-law of Miskito fisherman among my sailors, who can be responsible for this matter."

"Miskito's son-in-law?" Nelson was stunned.

"It's Miskito's son-in-law, a Viking." Lorraine smiled inexplicably. "And coincidentally, those Miskitos can't speak English, but almost everyone can speak Spanish."