Even though Japan and Spain each gained the support of their respective major allies, repairing their warships still required time. The naval battles paused temporarily, but the curtain of land warfare had just begun to unfurl.
Whether to call the Spaniards eager for victory or stubborn was debatable. In any case, the expeditionary force launched a full-scale counteroffensive and initiated landings on multiple islands.
The specific outcomes were not publicized, but the Spanish Expeditionary Army advanced triumphantly, recapturing all but a few of the larger islands still held by the Japanese forces.
What exactly was happening and whether the Japanese had any schemes, Franz dismissed entirely. All that mattered was dragging out the campaign in the Philippines, and the longer it dragged on, the better.
