第1章 THE GREAT SIEGE OF GIBRALTAR 直布罗陀大围攻

1779-1782

Gibraltar fell into the hands of the English in 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession — the war in which Marlborough gained so much glory for the English arms. Admiral Sir George Rooke had been sent to the Mediterranean, to watch the French and Spanish fleets. For a long time he was unable to accomplish anything of importance; but, learning that Gibraltar was very poorly garrisoned, he suddenly attacked and captured it, and hoisted the English flag on its Signal Station.

That flag is the only one that has ever floated there since the 23rd of July 1704. Time after time have the Spaniards tried to recover this “key of the Mediterranean;” but every effort has been repulsed most gallantly, and often with tremendous loss to the enemy.

The last attempt they made was the most gigantic and determined of all; and its successful resistance by the English garrison forms one of the most heroic incidents in the annals of modem warfare. It occurred during the struggle which severed from England her North American colonies. France recognized the United States as an independent power in 1778, and a war with England was the consequence. In the following year Spain joined France, and Gibraltar was immediately blockaded.

The siege which followed lasted three years. Every appliance which experience could suggest, or skill could devise, was brought into requisition. Never before had such tremendous armaments, by sea and by land, been brought against any fortress. Yet the garrison held out bravely; and twice their friends outside —once by Admiral Darby, and once by Rodney — succeeded in sending them reinforcements and supplies.

Early in 1781, there was a terrific bombardment of the place; but so effectual was the shelter afforded by the casemates, or bomb-proof vaults, that the garrison lost only seventy men. In November of the same year, General Elliot, who conducted the defence, headed a midnight sortie, which annihilated the entire line of the enemy's works. Their floating batteries were at the same time destroyed with red-hot balls. That one night cost the Spaniards two millions sterling!

But the final effort was made in 1782, when the Duke de Crillon, flushed with his success in capturing Minorca, took the command of the besiegers. He had under him upwards of 30,000 of the best troops of France and Spain, and his heavy guns amounted to the then unprecedented number of one hundred and seventy. The combined fleets numbered forty-seven sail of the line, with ten great floating batteries — the contrivance of a French engineer, and deemed invincible, — and frigates, gun-boats, mortar-boats and small craft without number. The besieged numbered only 7000 men with eighty guns.

The siege attracted the interest of the whole civilized world. Two French princes joined the besiegers' camp, to witness the fall of the place. “Is it taken?”was the first question asked each morning by the King of Spain. “Not yet; but it will be soon,” said his courtiers: and still Elliot's guns thundered defiance from the Rock.

At length, on the morning of the 13th of September, the grand and decisive attack commenced. The ten battering-ships bore down in admirable order to their several stations. The Admiral, in a two-decker, moored about nine hundred yards off the King's Bastion. The other vessels took their places in a masterly manner, the most distant being eleven hundred or twelve hundred yards from the garrison. Under shelter of the walls, furnaces for heating shot had been lighted; and, from the instant the ships dropped into position, a continuous fire of red-hot balls was directed upon them by the garrison.

In little more than ten minutes, continues Drinkwater, the enemy were completely moored, and their cannonade then became tremendous. The showers of shot and shell which were directed from their land-batteries and battering-ships, on the one band, and, on the other, the incessant fire from the various works of the garrison, exhibited a scene of which neither the pen nor the pencil can furnish a competent idea. It is sufficient to say that upwards of four hundred pieces of the heaviest artillery were playing at the same moment — a power of ordnance which up till that time had scarcely been employed in any siege since the invention of those wonderful engines of destruction.

After some hours' cannonade, the battering-ships were found to be no less formidable than they had been represented. Our heaviest shells often rebounded from their tops, whilst the thirty-two pound shot seemed incapable of making any visible impression upon their hulls. Frequently we flattered ourselves that they were on fire; but no sooner did any smoke appear, than, with the most persevering intrepidity, men were observed applying water from their engines within, to those places whence the smoke issued.

Though vexatiously annoyed from the isthmus, our artillery directed their sole attention to the battering-ships, the furious and spirited opposition of which served to excite our people to more animated exertions. A fire more tremendous, if possible, than ever, was therefore directed upon them from the garrison. Incessant showers of hot balls, carcasses, and shells of every species, flew from all quarters;yet, for some hours, the attack and defence were so equally maintained as scarcely to indicate any appearance of superiority on either side. The wonderful construction of the ships seemed to bid defiance to the powers of the heaviest ordnance.

In the afternoon, however, the face of things began to change considerably. The smoke which had been observed to issue from the upper part of the flag-ship appeared to prevail, notwithstanding the constant application of water; and the Admiral's second was perceived to be in the same condition.

As night came on, the flames fairly gained the ascendant. The confusion which reigned on board of these vessels soon communicated itself to the whole line. The fire of the battering-ships gradually slackened: that of the garrison, on the contrary, seemed to become more animated and tremendous.

It was kept up during the entire night. At one in the morning, two of the ships were entirely a prey to the flames. It was not long before the others also caught fire, either from the operation of the red-hot balls, or, as the Spaniards afterwards alleged, because they set them on fire themselves, when they had lost all hope of saving them. It was then that trouble and despair broke out in all their violence. Every moment the Spaniards made signals of distress, and fired off rockets to implore assistance.

All their boats were immediately sent off, and surrounded the floating gun-ships, in order to save their crews — an operation executed with extreme intrepidity, in spite of perils of every sort. Not only was it necessary for the men to brave the artillery of the besieged: they had also to expose themselves to almost inevitable burning in approaching the flaming vessels. Never, perhaps, did a spectacle more horrible — more deplorable — present itself to the eyes of men. The profound darkness that covered — the earth and the sea intensified, by contrast, the lurid flames; and the shrieks of the victims were distinctly heard by the garrison, in the intervals of their cannonade.

A fresh incident arose to interrupt the succour carried to them, and to redouble the terror and confusion. Captain Curtis, a sailor as daring as he was skilful, suddenly advanced with his gun-boats, which had been constructed to confront those of the Spaniards, and each of which carried in front an eighteen or twenty-four pounder. Their fire at water-level rendered them exceedingly formidable; and they were disposed by Captain Curtis so as to take the line of floating batteries in flank.

From that moment the position of the Spaniards became terribly critical. The boats no longer dared to approach them, but were constrained to abandon those enormous machines, so lately the objects of their admiration, to the flames, and their companions in arms to the mercy of an enraged enemy. Several of them were seen to founder. Others only escaped by forced rowing. A few sought shelter by the land during the night; but, on the appearance of daylight, they were easily captured by the English.

Then was witnessed, in all its horrors, a scene, the most harrowing features of which had hitherto remained concealed. In the midst of the flames appeared unhappy wretches, who, with loud shrieks, implored compassion, or precipitated themselves into the waves. Some, on the point of drowning, clung with weakened grasp to the sides of the burning vessels, or floated at hazard on fragments which they chanced to encounter, and, in the agony of desperation, convulsively implored the compassion of their victors.

Touched by this deplorable spectacle, the English listened to humanity alone, and ceased their fire, to occupy themselves solely with the rescue of their enemies;a proceeding the more generous on their part, as they thereby exposed themselves to the most imminent hazard. Captain Curtis, in particular, covered himself with glory, by prodigally risking his own life to save those of his fellow-creatures. Some of his own men were wounded in this honourable enterprise; others were killed; and he himself narrowly escaped from partaking the fate of a ship which blew up at the moment when he was about to board her. More than four hundred of the enemy's troops were rescued by this intrepid sailor from certain death!

The greater number of the famous battering-ships were either blown up or burnt. The Spanish Admiral quitted his flag-ship a little before midnight, as did also D'Arcon, the French engineer, that on board of which he had embarked to witness the triumph of his contrivances.

Meanwhile, the most intense anxiety as to the fate of Gibraltar prevailed in England. Admiral Howe had sailed from Portsmouth with a convoy containing fresh troops and provisions, and a fleet of thirty-four sail of the line. Relieved by the news of Elliot's brilliant victory, which he received off the coast of Portugal, he steered direct for the Straits, and succeeded in bringing the whole of his transports to their destination, even in presence of the enemy's fleets. Thus Gibraltar was saved, and the continuance of the blockade till the peace (Jan. 20, 1783) was little more than a form.

Words

accomplish,perform.

annihilated,destroyed.

anxiety,solicitude.

appliance,contrivance.

armaments,forces.

blockaded,invested.

brilliant,splendid.

cannonade,sustained fire.

capturing,seizing.

competent,adequate.

continuance,prolongation.

contrivances,inventions.

convulsively,spasmodically.

decisive,final.

defiance,contempt for an enemy.

destination,haven.

destruction,devastation.

enterprise,exploit.

executed,performed.

formidable,dangerous.

gigantic,stupendous.

imminent,threatening.

importance,moment.

incapable,unable.

incessant,ceaseless.

inevitable,unavoidable,

intensified,made greater.

interrupt,hinder.

intrepidity,daring.

invincible,invulnerable.

ordnance,cannon.

precipitated,cast.

prodigally,generously.

recognized,acknowledged.

reinforcements,fresh troops.

repulsed,driven back.

requisition,operation.

resistance,defeat.

slackened,declined.

sortie,sally.

tremendous,overwhelming.

unprecedented,unparalleled.

Questions

When and how did Gibraltar fall into the hands of the English? When did the Spaniards make the most determined effort to recover it? How long did the siege last? How often during that time was the garrison succoured? What was done in 1781? When was the final effort made? Who took the command of the besiegers? How many men had he? To what did the combined fleets amount? What was the strength of the garrison in men and in guns? What is the date of the decisive attack? Upon what had the besiegers placed most reliance? What proved the great strength of these ships? How were they at length destroyed? What movement compelled the Spaniards to abandon them? What humane service did Curtis afterwards render? Who brought fresh troops and provisions from England to the garrison? When did the blockade finally terminate?

1779—1782

直布罗陀于1704年在马博罗为英国军队赢得众多荣誉的西班牙王位继承战争中，落入英国人手中。海军司令乔治·鲁克爵士被派往地中海，以监视法国和西班牙联合舰队。很长一段时间，他都毫无建树；但在得知直布罗陀驻防力量薄弱之后，他突袭并占领了那里，并在信号站上升起了英国国旗。

这是唯一一面自1704年7月23日后在那里飘扬的旗帜。西班牙人曾一次又一次试图恢复这一“地中海要塞”，但每一次努力都被极其有力地击退了，并经常伴有敌人巨大的损失。

他们做了最后一次巨大并带有决定性意义的尝试，而英国驻军的成功抵抗则成为现代战争史上最英勇的事件之一。此次战争发生在英国北美殖民地的斗争恶化之后。法国于1778年承认美国的独立权，结果便是与英国交战。在接下来的一年，西班牙加入法国，而直布罗陀立即遭到封锁。

接下来的围攻战持续了三年。每次之前根据经验能够考虑到的设备，或者可以设想出的技能，都被派上了用场。之前无论是海上还是陆上，都从未有过如此巨大的武器装备来进攻堡垒。然而，驻军进行了勇敢的抵抗；而他们的朋友也两次从外围不断地向他们运送增援和补给——一次是海军上将达比，另一次是罗德尼。

1781年初，此地经历了一次可怕的轰炸，但炮塔和防空洞提供了很有效的避难所，驻军只损失了70人。同年11月，指挥此次防御的埃略特将军领导了一次午夜突围，毁灭了敌人工程的整条防御线，他们的浮动炮台同时也被炮弹破坏。西班牙人当晚损失了200万英镑！

最后的努力是在1782年。因成功攻占了米诺卡而得意扬扬的德克里伦公爵取得了围攻部队的指挥权，他手下拥有超过3万的法国和西班牙最精锐的部队，而他的重机枪多达前所未有的170架。联合舰队帆的编号为47，拥有由法国工程师设计并被公认为无敌的十大浮动炮台，另外还有无数的护卫舰、炮艇、迫击炮船和小艇。而遭到他们围困的，不过是拥有80条枪的7000人。

本次围攻激发了整个文明世界的兴趣。两个法国王子为见证这个地方的沦陷，进入了围攻者的营地。每天早上西班牙国王问的第一个问题是：“占领了吗？”“还没有，但很快了。”他的侍臣会这样回答。不变的是，埃略特的枪弹轰鸣地从堡垒后反抗着。

最终，在9月13日清晨，决定性的大进攻开始了。十艘炮船在最高统帅的命令下，朝向几处全力进发。海军上将所在的双甲船，停泊在国王堡垒的大约900码之外。其他船只熟练地到达各自的位置，最远的距离守军有1100～1200码。在城墙的庇护下，如熔炉一般火热的炮弹稍微温凉了一些；当这些船只到达相应位置，守军就会用炮弹立即对准了它们进行连续射击。

德林克沃特继续说道，在不到十分钟的时间内，敌人完全停滞住了，自此之后，他们的连续炮击也继而变得更加猛烈。一方面，他们的枪林弹雨从他们的地面炮台和浮动炮台上对准了这里；另一方面，从驻军的各项工事中发出的持续火力，也展现出了一种人类的笔墨无法描绘的场景。可以说，超过400发最重的炮弹，在同一时刻打在一个地方——到那时为止，自从这种无与伦比的毁灭性武器被发明出来之后，这样的炮击方式就几乎没有在攻城战斗中使用过。

在几小时的炮轰之后，炮舰已经不像当初表现那么强大了。我们最重的炮弹经常可以从顶端弹跳，但这种32磅重的炮弹却不能有任何客观的表现。我们经常得意于它们着火了，但一旦出现了烟雾，人们就会从内部的引擎到起火的地方用水来灭火。

虽然我们的军队为如何穿越地峡伤透了脑筋，但他们仍拼尽全力瞄准敌方的炮舰。而敌方狂暴激烈的抵抗则引发了我方将士更加激励的攻击。因此在我方驻地的堡垒上，将士们遭到了敌方发起的比以往都更加猛烈的炮轰。炮弹、尸体、各种物品的碎片，不停地从各个部分被砍劈下来。然而几个小时过去了，进攻方和防守方如此势均力敌，几乎看不出哪一方占了上风。舰船绝佳的结构似乎对如此猛烈的炮击力量发起了挑战。

然而在下午，局面开始发生显著的变化。之前从旗舰上部升起的烟雾，尽管不停地用水浇，但此时开始扩散。海军司令的指令也面临同样的不利局面。

当夜晚来临时，火势完全占据了优势。笼罩着舰船的困惑感很快在整个进攻线上蔓延开来。敌方炮船上的火力逐渐变弱，相反，驻防要塞的火力似乎开始更加猛烈。

火力整晚都很猛烈。在凌晨1点钟，敌方的两艘舰船完全成为火焰的猎物。没过多久，其他的船也都完全着起了火，有的是因为炮弹的袭击，有些正如后来西班牙人宣称的，因为他们完全放弃补救的希望时，自己放了火。也就是在那时，绝望在整个进攻线上爆发。西班牙人不停地放出危难的信号，并发射火箭来恳请支援。

他们所有的船只都立即出发，包围住浮动炮台来拯救他们的船员。这是一种即使面临着各种危险，也必须采取的极端大胆的行为。这些人不仅要勇敢面临我方被围攻部队的将士，而且还要将自己置身于在靠近着火船只时几乎是必然会引发的火焰。从未有过一种景象比如今更可怕、更可悲地展现在人们眼前。深深的黑暗笼罩着大地，相反，海面映衬着可怕的血红色的火焰。在炮轰的间歇，防守要塞的将士们清晰地听到牺牲者的尖叫声。

另一件事情的发生，打断了对他们的救助，同时也大大增加了他们的恐惧和困惑。柯蒂斯船长——一个既勇敢又熟练的船员——突然带领他的炮舰前进，来直面西班牙人的炮舰。每一艘柯蒂斯船长的炮船，都发射出18或24磅的炮弹，在水面高度上的火力让它们变得极其可怕。柯蒂斯船长命舰船排列出一种阵势，可以从侧翼攻击敌方的浮动炮台。

从这一刻开始，西班牙人的处境变得特别危险。船只不再敢靠近他们，在火中，他们被迫放弃了那些巨型器械和他们所赞美的装备，而在暴怒的敌人的怜悯中放弃他们配有武装的同伴。有人看到其中一些人被海水淹没了，其他人依靠划船得以逃脱，个别人趁夜里在陆地上找到了避难所，但当黎明来临，英国人又轻易地抓获了他们。

接下来人们极其恐惧地目睹了一幅场景，而它最悲惨的特性迄今为止一直隐藏着。在火光之中，这些可怜的人大声尖叫，乞求着同情，或者一头栽到水里。他们中的某些人，在被淹没的当口，紧抓住破败的燃烧着的船只边缘；或者在危急中，漂浮在他们恰巧碰到的碎片上，在绝望的挣扎中，不由自主地向看到他们的人恳求怜悯。

被这种可悲的景象所震撼，英国人听从于自己的人性，停止了开火，而仅仅专注于营救他们的敌人。由此在这一仁慈的过程中，他们也将自己置身于最紧迫的危险中。特别是柯蒂斯船长，因此为自己带来了无限荣光。因为他慷慨地冒着生命危险，救助了这些虽是敌人的他的同类。他的部下，其中一些人在这一光荣的事业中也受了伤，其他人甚至牺牲了。而他本人在与一艘敌船上的敌人决一死战的过程中，勉强脱逃。当时他刚要登上这艘船，船只就爆炸了。敌军中的400多人，被这一勇敢的水手从死亡边缘营救了出来。

更多的著名炮舰爆炸或烧毁了。西班牙海军司令在午夜之前放弃了他的旗舰。而登上自己发明的战舰的法国工程师德阿尔孔也一样，他本想目睹自己发明的船只的胜利。

同时，对直布罗陀命运的最强烈的不安笼罩着英格兰。豪司令率领装有另外一些部队和储备的护航舰，还带有一支拥有34艘船只的舰队，从朴次茅斯出发。听到艾略特将军伟大胜利的消息后，他径直前往海峡，并成功地在敌方联合舰队面前，将他全部的运输船运往了目的地。而艾略特将军的胜利已经蔓延至葡萄牙海岸。因此直布罗陀保住了，直到和平结束（1783年1月20日）之前的持续封锁，也只等同于一种形式而已。