Chapter 1072: 980 Wellesley's New Army

Chapter 1072: Chapter 980 Wellesley’s New Army

At the junction of Northern and Western Europe, the Kattegat Strait.

In the captain’s cabin of the Royal Navy of England’s first-class battleship “Britannia”, a captain officer saluted Quasi-General Pikex, and then handed over the documents clutched under his arm:

“General, the latest news, they have signed the treaty this noon.”

Pikex’s expression became serious. The treaty mentioned by the officer was the so-called “International Ocean Convention”.

“So fast?” He took the documents, frowned, and said, “Weren’t they still arguing about the ‘territorial sea range’ yesterday?”

“Yes, General. However, the French quickly gained the support of Russia and Austria, suppressing other opinions.”

Spain certainly wouldn’t oppose France in matters of the Ocean Convention, especially since they still rely on the French Army on the Portuguese front.

Pikex opened the report in his hand, which was a copy of the “International Maritime Law” signed hours ago, and under the section on territorial seas, it stated:

The territorial sea range is the area extending 6 nautical miles out from the coastline…

The subsequent content includes: Exclusive Economic Zone, the range extending 100 nautical miles from the coastline. Nations have fishing rights, mining rights within this zone…

Dispute settlement mechanism. For actions violating maritime law, countries can appeal to the International Ocean Court for mediation or judgment…

The passage system for international straits…

The particularity of island countries’ territorial seas…

The access rights to the ocean for landlocked countries…

Pikex tossed the report onto the table with a grim face, waving the officer away.

He was ordered to lead more than 20 battleships to blockade near Denmark to intimidate countries participating in the Ocean Convention, but obviously, it had no effect.

This, in fact, was expected in London.

Firstly, France was waving the banner of “the ocean belongs to all nations” and “free trade”, occupying full righteousness and morality. Except for England, all other countries supported the convention.

Secondly, there were simply too many countries signing the convention.

Upon catching wind of it, England immediately began lobbying European countries to boycott this organization, but France’s mobilization was evidently more successful, eventually gathering over 80 countries.

The British Navy is indeed very powerful; when threatening a single country, even Russia must think twice.

But if threatening over 80 countries simultaneously, it effectively places Britain in opposition to all of Europe.

The next day, the first plenary meeting of the International Ocean Convention Organization adjourned, and ships bearing national flags gradually left Copenhagen Port, completely ignoring the menacing British battleships nearby, slowly sailing into the Baltic Sea.

Quasi-General Pikex sighed silently, muttering in a low voice: “After all, it’s just a treaty with no enforceability, let the French have their satisfaction.”

As a person from the eighteenth century, he indeed found it hard to understand the tremendous influence such an international organization could have on people’s mindset.

In the short term, it wouldn’t affect the British fleet, but once public opinion endorsed maritime law as justice, the blockade by the British fleet would challenge that principle, drawing disdain from everyone.

When this sentiment reaches the government level, it transforms into diplomatic pressure.

Moreover, Joseph would undoubtedly expedite this process.

…

Central Western Portugal.

The lower reaches of the Mondego River, Coimbra City.

The Portuguese Corps Commander Luis dos Santos excitedly said to the Marquess of Wellesley while watching the retreating Spanish army through a telescope: “General, they’ve retreated, we won…”

“This is nothing.” The British man said calmly, gently pulling his horse’s reins, heading down the low hill, “Talavera has been attacking Coimbra for a week, his soldiers are already exhausted.

“Once our flanking force is in place, we can retake Mortagua this afternoon.”

He then looked at the Order Officer beside him: “Order the Scottish Guard to take action.”

“Yes, General!”

Indeed, Wellesley had led his army from Porto to the vicinity of Coimbra a week ago, but he only sent 3,000 Portuguese to aid in the city’s defense, while the main force stayed tens of kilometers away, on standby.

Until today, he suddenly launched a full counterattack against the Spanish Army.

Despite the numerical advantage, the Spaniards almost instantly collapsed, beginning to retreat northeast.

The pursuing Anglo-Portuguese Army seemed in no rush, steadily advancing in neat formations. Though many Spanish soldiers were killed, they appeared to drift further from Marquis Talavera’s main forces.

By 3 PM, when Talavera could finally no longer hear the gunfire behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief and said to the Order Officer: “Have the Ruines Corps set up defenses ahead in the valley. Everyone else, return to Mortagua to rest.”

“Yes, General.”

Before the Order Officer could go far, Marquis Talavera heard gunfire coming from the north.

Frowning, he said to his staff officer: “It must be the nearby guerrillas, send the cavalry to check…”

However, he immediately sensed something was amiss, as the gunfire was intensifying, out of guerrilla capabilities.

He hastily urged his horse to a nearby hillock, and upon raising his telescope, saw the British, clad in red uniforms, had breached the Toledo Corps on the left, with numerous soldiers fleeing towards him.

He urgently shouted to his side: “Order Ruines to immediately defend in place, quickly!”

Ruines was his relatively elite troop. As the British vanguard drew near the Spanish central army, Ruines had already raised three infantry lines on the northern side.

Hundreds of British skirmishers charged under cannon fire.

The gap between forces closed quickly, and the British began firing.

Ruines’ soldiers immediately realized the opponent’s firepower was formidable.

For each three shots they fired, the opposition could fire four!

Before the British infantry lines could approach, their skirmishers had already broken Ruines’ first infantry line.

This wasn’t due to the Spaniards’ poor fighting ability, but because they were facing Wellesley’s New Army equipped with new caplock guns and bullet-proof inserts.

This was the first direct encounter with the Spanish Army since the British Expeditionary Force landed in Portugal— even the battles near Coimbra were “mixed formations” of the Anglo-Portuguese Army.

The 2,500-strong Scottish Guard charged like lions into a flock of sheep, quickly piercing Talavera’s central defenses and driving more than ten thousand Spanish troops towards the Mondego River.

At the same time, the main force of the Anglo-Portuguese Army, approaching from Coimbra, had also reached the battlefield.

As Marquis Talavera gazed distantly at the river’s swift currents, night finally fell, and the British ceased their attack.