My Italy

Lieutenant General Cedela, who received the order to attack, is worthy of being Spain's most capable naval admiral. After replenishing supplies, he led the rescue fleet to quietly leave the port of Seville on a dark moonlit night on August 27. When the next morning came, many people were shocked by the empty Serbian port.

Of course, the news that the Spanish rescue formation had set off also cheered up the waiting US Navy. After receiving the news, the U.S. fleet changed its lazy attitude of basking in the sun at the Jacksonville naval port, and immediately dispatched a large number of fast cruisers to densely cover the Caribbean waters, trying to detect news about the Spanish fleet.

Of course, in addition to these warships, the U.S. Navy also hired many civilian ships to conduct patrols just in case. Although these ships are not fast, they can at least know whether their enemies are coming.

A series of measures taken by the U.S. Navy have laid an airtight net in the Caribbean. As long as Spanish warships arrive, they will be discovered.

The next work of the U.S. Navy seems to be just waiting for the Spanish Navy to appear.

Five days...ten days...half a month...twenty days, such a long time, there was no news at all about the Spanish fleet that had launched. This made many American naval officers and soldiers wonder, is the Spanish fleet still sailing with sails?

But since the Spanish fleet has not yet appeared, what else can the U.S. Navy do but continue to wait.

However, the navy can wait, but the government cannot afford to wait. Because at this time, rumors came out of nowhere that the Spanish fleet did not go to the Caribbean at all, but followed the Icelandic route and came directly to the east coast of the United States.

Look at this rumor, there is no common sense at all. How can Spain avoid being discovered by taking the Iceland route, and the wind and waves there are rough, and the road there is bumpy, and there is no need to repair it, just to carry out a wave of suicide attacks on the east coast?

Aren't you afraid that the U.S. fleet in the Caribbean will go north to catch turtles in a jar?

However, this rumor is full of flaws, but no one believes it, and it is spread from person to person, and the taste changes after it is spread.

From the beginning, the Spanish fleet came to the east coast to carry out (suicide) attacks, and then the Spanish fleet also mixed British, German, and Russian warships, hoping to destroy major ports on the east coast and block U.S. foreign trade. Then, the Spanish fleet mixed the warships of major European countries to form a super fleet. It also brought an army of 100,000 people and wanted to occupy major ports on the east coast.

At this time, the spread of rumors intensified, causing panic in the port cities on the east coast, especially in the port cities on the north of the east coast, such as Portland, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, etc., where people fled the city. There was even an escape from Chicago because of rumors that the Spanish fleet, after taking New York, would sail up the Hudson River and into the Great Lakes to Chicago.

At this time, many wealthy families took their families to hide inland during this period.

The performance of these wealthy people only increased the credibility of the rumors. The subsequent large-scale fleeing phenomenon made the northern states unable to sit still.

They all demanded that the U.S. Navy send warships north to protect the port from attacks.

Even President McKinley couldn't stand the pressure coming from the shop. Because the rumors spread to the fertile Great Lakes and Northeastern states, which are the richest regions in the United States and the core of American industry. The pressure on these states is enough for everyone to pay attention to.

President McKinley, who was forced to do nothing, immediately approached Under Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt and asked him to send warships to defend the northern states.

Faced with President McKinley's order and the pressure from the northern states, even Theodore Roosevelt, nicknamed the Lion, could not withstand it. He came up with a plan overnight to mobilize the battleship USS Iowa, Texas Nine battleships, including the ironclad USS New York, the armored cruiser USS New York, and the protected cruisers Atlanta and Boston, rushed to support the North Atlantic Fleet.

Well, it can be seen from the names of these battleships that Theodore Roosevelt was very reluctant to split up the fleet, so he tried his best to allocate faster or slower battleships for support.

So where is this Spanish fleet that has caused unrest in the United States and made the U.S. Navy think about it without even showing up?

The Cape Verde Islands are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Cape Verde Islands are more than 500 kilometers east of Cape Verde, the westernmost point on the African continent, and form a strategic transportation hub between Europe, South America, and Africa. In the Port of Praia here, the Spanish fleet led by Vice Admiral Cedela is here.

Lieutenant General Cedella exceeded everyone's expectations. He did not rush to America after leaving the port of Seville, but hid here.

Of course, it's not a hiding, but a tactical arrangement.

As for the movements in the Caribbean and the United States, there is a reporting ship every week so that it can get sufficient news. You see, there are already three reporting ships docked in this port.

Although this will cause the message to be delayed, it is the best way to hide it. Of course, the current farce in the United States has made Lieutenant General Sedra aware of an opportunity.

So he called a meeting with the captains.

"Everyone, we just got the news that the Americans have divided their fleet. One fleet is assigned to stick to the north, because there is news that we will attack the northern ports of the United States from the Icelandic route. The Americans are afraid."

Lieutenant General Sedra's words caused a burst of laughter now, because it was simply ridiculous.

After the laughter subsided, Lieutenant General Sedra continued. "Next, we need to take action. Since the opponent has divided their forces, we need to take action immediately. This is the best time to go to the Caribbean Sea. We have to give them a hard blow by surprise."

The captains mobilized by Vice Admiral Sedra immediately knew the commander's intention, so after the meeting, they immediately returned to their respective battleships.

As the captains left, Lieutenant General Sedra quickly stopped one of the captains.

"Colonel Leifer, wait a minute."

Faced with Lieutenant General Sedra's words, Colonel Leifer stopped. "Lieutenant General, is something wrong?"

"Come to my office for a drink."

Since the commander asked, Colonel Leifer would certainly not refuse. "No problem at all."

When they arrived at the office, Lieutenant General Sedra poured a full glass of red wine for the two of them and said. "Leifer, thank you for your advice."

After saying that, he raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp, but Colonel Leifer could do nothing but drink up the red wine in the glass.

Later, Lieutenant General Sedra stepped in for the two of them.

"You're welcome Lieutenant General, I just suggested waiting and seeing in Cape Verde, but the final decision is yours. Being able to choose the better one from countless suggestions, I think this is the ability of an excellent commander."

Holding the red wine in his hand, Colonel Leifer complimented the other party.

"No, you are wrong. Choosing the better one from countless suggestions can only be a qualified commander. An excellent commander must have his own unique insights, extraordinary observation skills, and accurate judgment. This At one point, Colonel Leifer, you are the best."

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, you are exaggerating. You should just tell me why you are looking for me."

Faced with Leifer's revelation, Lieutenant General Sedra remained calm. "The main reason I came here this time is to ask where do you think we should choose to stay after crossing the Atlantic Ocean."

"I think it's okay to go anywhere, just not to Cuba."

"As I thought, I plan to go to Bermuda. This is the territory of the British. Americans don't dare to be too arrogant here, so there are loopholes."

"Good idea, Lieutenant General."

"Does this mean our heroes share the same views?"

"So be it."

Early the next morning, the people in Cape Verde discovered that the Spaniards who had been here for nearly twenty days were gone.