Chapter 66 Dongmen Port (seeking monthly ticket support!)
"Captain, look quickly, the enemy has divided its forces and headed towards the port."
Liu Zhongyun's side was fighting happily, and they had already hit the British cruiser.
It only takes a few more hits to knock the opponent down.
The biggest threat from explosive bombs to old sail warships is the sail ropes on the deck.
Without sails, old battleships are useless.
The difference between a wooden sail cruiser and an ironclad is only in terms of protection.
In terms of firepower, the gap between them is also very large.
It's not because British artillery technology is backward.
On the contrary, the British technology of casting naval guns is very advanced.
The reason why the artillery on the Alvin fleet lagged behind was due to the structural bearing capacity of the wooden battleships.
For example, if the main gun turret on the "Fuyuan" is installed on a sailing cruiser, its keel may be deformed if the gun is fired.
The greater the power of the artillery, the greater its recoil will be, and the higher the requirements for the hull.
"Alvin made a good move. Let's stop them. Tell the engine to continue increasing pressure and increase the maximum speed." Liu Zhongyun ordered.
During the battle just now, the Donghua Fleet's speed did not increase to its maximum.
Even then, the speed of the fleet was already several blocks ahead of Alvin's fleet.
On the "Ark", Alvin saw two Donghua Navy warships quickly breaking away from the entanglement of the "Hound Dog" and rushing towards him.
"Prepare all artillery positions and be ready to fire at any time." Alvin ordered.
He knew that the Baath Army Navy had a very powerful mobile mine.
But never actually saw it.
So he ordered the lookouts to closely monitor the situation in the water. It is said that when this kind of mine moves forward in the water, bubbles will appear at the tail and white spray will appear on the water surface.
Strait of Magellan.
"Commander, we still have ten nautical miles to reach Dongmen Port. It's foggy now. Is it possible that the torpedo boat formation doesn't know that the enemy is coming?"
Du Jianyi stood behind Nie Dahua on the "Zhenyuan".
There have been several damages on the deck of the Zhenyuan.
Like a seriously injured person with patches on his body.
The firepower of the "Warrior" is indeed very fierce.
With a single salvo, the shells came flying in overwhelming numbers.
In order to seize the naval fleet of the Great Empire, Nie Dahua's squadron took risks and attacked the opponent several times.
Although the main gun of the "Zhenyuan" can bring damage to the Glory, facing such a huge opponent, just hitting a few shots is obviously not enough.
The opponent's counterattack was also very fierce. After all, the number of artillery between the two sides was not at the same level.
On the "Warrior", Commander George Blake nervously observed the situation on the sea with a telescope.
They have entered the Strait of Magellan.
Blake, who is experienced, naturally knows that now is the most dangerous time.
This was not the first time he had crossed the Strait of Magellan. It was precisely because of this that he had the courage to pursue the Donghua Navy into the strait.
"Your Excellency, Commander, the opponent's flagship has been damaged by us. Facts have proved that the Prussian-made ironclads are inferior to us in terms of tonnage and firepower." Wilson, a young and handsome colonel officer from a noble family, said.
"Yes, but the opponent is faster. If they want to escape, we won't be able to catch up, right?"
"Yes, Commander, escaping quickly is also an advantage, haha..."
"Don't take it lightly. The opponent's two small warships have never approached. I think they should be the so-called frigates of the Renaissance Army Navy. They also have a useless mobile mine. They should be called torpedoes."
The mobile mines of the Renaissance Army were rumored by the Spanish to be so magical that just one mine could destroy a battleship.
However, until now when the two sides met, the Donghua Navy had not displayed such weapons.
In Blake's opinion, there are only the following reasons.
First, the Renaissance Army did not sell such advanced weapons to the Donghua Navy at all.
Second, the use of this weapon requires a certain distance. The Donghua Army has not yet found a suitable opportunity.
Third, the Donghua Navy deliberately did not use this weapon. They had a bigger intention.
"Order the frigates to guard both sides of the Warrior and Black Prince to prevent enemy sneak attacks. Order the Leviathan cruiser to explore the way ahead."
To be cautious, Black asked small battleships to surround the two large battleships.
There should be a narrow passage ahead.
For the navy of the Great Empire, this strait is not unfamiliar at all.
He may be more familiar with this place than these Donghua people. These Donghua people wanted to sneak attack the Imperial Navy of Dayang in this waterway, but they obviously made a wrong calculation.
"Your Excellency, Commander, all our fleets have come in, and the Leviathan has entered the narrow waterway ahead. No abnormalities have been found."
"The Donghua Navy's speed is faster, and it may have escaped long ago." Wilson said with some disdain.
"Wilson, if you want to become an outstanding naval general, remember to never underestimate your enemy." Claire said in the tone of an elder.
"Boom boom boom..."
The sound of explosions comes from the front. You are in the direction of the Leviathan.
The fog was very thick, and the Donghua Fleet's bombardment was not very effective.
"Wilson, those cowards you mentioned are here again. They have no choice."
"Yes, I underestimated the courage of these people. But although their courage is commendable, they will inevitably turn into powder in the face of absolute strength."
Without Claire's instructions, the fleet has already been prepared to deal with emergencies.
"Boom..." Two explosions sounded on the "Zhenyuan".
Nie Dahua staggered.
He quickly held on to the handrail on the armored wall of the command tower.
"Oh, there are benefits to having more artillery. The quantity can make up for the lack of hit rate." Nie Dahua murmured in his mouth, seeming to be praising the British warships.
"Just get closer and separate the opponent's frigates from the battleships."
Further ahead is Dongmen Port, where torpedo boats are lurking.
But the enemy was very cautious. They placed the frigates on both sides of the main fleet, probably to prevent the Donghua Navy from attacking them with torpedoes.
However, the frigates on the side will also block the shooting angle of the battleships.
Nie Dahua came back with his fleet at this time just to get rid of these frigates, and at least disrupt the opponent's formation.
Fighting in the Strait of Magellan with complex sea conditions is a challenge for both sides.
The first thing Donghua Navy knocked over when they turned back was the cruiser Levitan that came out to explore the way.
Nie Dahua could only engage in a close naval battle with the opponent. In the end, a torpedo launched by the frigate Donghe from 500 meters away sent it to the bottom of the sea.
It's okay for such a lone warship. If it were the main fleet, the Donghe wouldn't dare to get so close. The firepower density of the Great Empire's main fleet is too high.
Nie Dahua was afraid just thinking about it. Not even an armored ship could withstand such a high-density bombardment.
After solving the Levitan, Nie Dahua set his sights on the main fleet of the Great Empire, more specifically the frigates on both sides of the "Warrior" and "Black Prince".
However, he only dared to harass the opponent in front. Yi Ran did not dare to enter the fire net on the opponent's side.
Aboard the Warrior.
"Commander, the Donghua Navy is really annoying. I'm afraid the Levitan is doomed." Wilson said irritably.
"I was careless and let the Levitan break away from the array and attack alone, and then I was ambushed by the opponent."
"But this also confirms that they really have mines."
"boom……"
A burst of smoke burst from a frigate on the right side of the "Warrior".
Accompanying the sound of gunfire is a "squeaking" sound.
This frigate "Dolores" is a battleship of the Tingen Federation.
A single artillery shell from the Donghua Navy caused it to suffer heavy damage, and its speed dropped instantly.
Black brought these Grenada Alliance navies, and naturally he would not let them eat for free.
They may not be suitable for fighting, but they can still be used as human shields to cover the main fleet.
Blake's tactics are good, these frigates are like anti-torpedo nets.
"The Donghua Fleet cannot continue to harass like this. We can move forward slowly at cruising speed. But their battleship boilers have to run at high load, and they will soon be unable to use them. Once they pass through the Strait of Magellan, they will have no terrain.
What advantage can you use to continue to resist us?"
"It turns out that your Excellency, Commander, has already made up his mind."
"That's what maritime warfare is like. In the end, it's still a competition of strength."
"Wilson, you have to remember this."
"But the enemy may still have some backup plans. We still have to be careful."
It seems to confirm Black's guess.
The sound of gunfire suddenly rang out from the hillside on the back side of the strait.
The shells were shot from a high position on the hillside on the north bank.
The frigate on the right side of the fleet was caught off guard by the sudden artillery fire.
"These Donghua people are very efficient. They have actually built a fortress in the strait." Blake had to admire these Chinese.
In a harsh environment and difficult terrain like the Strait of Magellan, building a fortress is definitely not an easy task.
This is indeed difficult. The construction of Dongmen Port alone consumed more than 5,000 prisoners of war, half of whom were buried here.
Among them, digging the fort halfway up the mountain was the most difficult part of the entire project.
In the port, fifteen torpedo boats were launched, and the sound of shelling and waves completely covered up the sound of diesel engines.
Unlike steam warships, the "Seawolf-class" torpedo boats have very low sides, with chimneys above and the exhaust outlets of the diesel engines hidden in the gap between the two hulls.
Lookouts at this time monitored ships at sea either through tall sails or through the smoke columns emitted from their chimneys.
"Is this their back-up plan?"
Wilson once again sighed at the commander's ingenious plan.
"Your Excellency, Commander, should we destroy their forts?" Wilson continued to ask.
"Why bother with him? They may just want us to stop and attack the fort, and then send their frigates to attack us with torpedoes. Listening to the sound of the cannons, it's obvious that they don't have many artillery guns on the shore. We will soon be
Able to stay out of their shooting range."
After all, Blake was a veteran, and he could accurately judge the firepower on the fort through the heavy fog just by relying on his voice.
At this time, the artillerymen on the fort could only rely on the signals from the lookouts on the shore to judge the position of the enemy fleet.
Whether you can hit it or not depends on luck.
However, under the joint attack of Nie Dahua's fleet and shore forts, a gap was finally opened in the frigate line on the right wing of the Imperial Navy.
Blake also discovered this problem, but his attention was attracted by the Donghua Fleet ahead.
Perhaps these Donghua's back-up tools are the forts hidden on the shore.
It is now proven that these forts did not have much impact on the Great Imperial Fleet.
"Send the order to the rear team and dispatch four more frigates." Blake ordered.
Although the enemy could not threaten the right wing at this time, out of caution, Blake ordered the frigates following to catch up.
The Black Fleet united the navies of several countries facing the Atlantic Ocean from Grenada. The number of ships in the fleet reached more than twenty.
Most of them are frigates.
In Blake's eyes, these frigates are expendable.
After entering the eastern section of the Strait of Magellan from Cape Dungeness.
The strait is basically trumpet-shaped.
More than a hundred nautical miles to the west, a peninsula extends from Tierra del Fuego in the south, and a peninsula also extends from the continental shelf in the north.
The two peninsulas face each other across the sea, forming the base of this trumpet.
Dongmen Port is hidden in a small harbor formed by the northern peninsula.
As early as a month ago, a mysterious fleet arrived here.
The "Seawolf-class" torpedo boat has a tonnage of only more than 200 tons. It adopts a twin-body structure, with a twin torpedo launcher on the left and right sides. There is also a 30mm rapid-fire gun in the middle.
More than 2,000 years ago, Polynesians used double- or triple-body canoes to move between islands in the Pacific.
It can be seen that this structure can increase the stability of small ships.
The "Sea Wolf" class relies almost entirely on torpedoes to attack enemies.
It is an assassin on the sea. In order to kill the enemy, it does not care about its own life or death.
Although the Sea Wolf class adopts a metal structure, its armor is not thick for the sake of speed.
With such a tonnage, it is impossible to install much thick armor.
There are only about thirty crew members on each torpedo boat.
The "Sea Wolf" class is powered by a diesel engine and is very easy to operate and does not require many sailors.
Nearly half of the thirty-odd people are crew members used to operate and load torpedoes.
Fan Zihan was one of the first batch of torpedo boat officers. More than a year ago, he and his comrades were assigned to a secret base in Lushun just after graduating from the Naval Academy.
There, he saw a torpedo boat for the first time.
When he saw those little guys, he was a little disappointed.
In the minds of the navy at this time, the bigger the warship, the better.
Large ships and huge cannons are the most popular in the world.
When he first saw this strange-looking little gunboat, he was really disappointed.
It's actually smaller than a river gunboat.
But when he was driving the torpedo boat at a speed of nearly thirty knots on the sea.
All the feelings of loss that I felt at the beginning were gone.
This speed is like flying on the sea.
He understood why these torpedo boats had a metal structure. Such thin armor did not provide much protection.
The reason why a metal structure is used is because at such a fast speed, wouldn't it be possible for a wooden ship to fall apart?
The formation of the torpedo boat force was rapid.
Once this kind of boat is finalized, it can be built very quickly.
Fan Zihan's comrades took their teams to various ports.
Fan Zihan was the last batch to leave the base.
He became the captain of a torpedo boat group.
Each group has fifteen torpedo boats, divided into three squadrons.
Almost every brigade captain is a young man like Fan Zihan.
Because they don't need experience.
The combat method of torpedo boats is a completely new combat mode.
They can only rely on ports to fight offshore. Therefore, they do not need experience in ocean navigation.
Their tactics are also very simple, that is, use their own speed to get close to the enemy, and then launch the torpedoes from their own boats.
Of course, the launch angle should refer to the speed of your own torpedo boat, the speed of the torpedo, and the speed of the enemy ship.
This is similar to calculating ballistics.
And how to avoid enemy ship fire.
In fact, adding these together, there are not many things that a torpedo boat commander needs to master.