The modern naval mine of this era was simple yet deadly—a steel sphere packed with explosives, designed to detonate on impact. These indiscriminate weapons showed no mercy, targeting friend and foe alike. In a world without automated detection systems, there was only one way to deal with them: divers painstakingly dismantling each mine, one by one.
"Disarming them one by one could take weeks," Fang Ming muttered, his gaze fixed on the expanse of Manila Bay. The mines lay shallow at some points—just a meter below the surface—and as deep as ten meters in others. The Spaniards surely anticipated an American effort to clear the mines, which meant the density would be extraordinary.
Jin's plan, however, was bold and straightforward: detonate every mine in the fleet's path.
Fang Ming signaled to one of his men, who brought forward a large metal crate. Inside was a massive steel net, its ends weighted with heavy iron spheres.
