Fan Zihan has been struggling with where he will be assigned.
Until one day the military came to talk to him.
Ask for his opinion.
After all, we are going to a foreign country.
Fan Zihan readily agreed.
His hometown is in Zhangzhou, Fujian. There are five brothers in his family, and he is one of them who will provide for his parents in their old age.
Nowadays, many people go abroad to expand their families.
Fan Zihan's parents also agreed with him.
The most important thing is that there are battles to fight there and there are nobility and fiefdoms. This is the reason why many Renaissance Army officers are willing to go to Donghua.
I have to say that Donghua’s system is more attractive to warriors.
It's just that these small torpedo boats have to go all the way to Donghua, which is a waste of energy for the boss.
There will also be a large supply ship accompanying the escort all the way.
After arriving in Donghua, it didn't take long for the battle to begin.
Fan Zihan only had time to take his squadron to do some adaptive training in the strait, and at the same time become familiar with the environment and sea conditions here.
He never imagined that his first battle would be against the most powerful fleet of the Royal Navy of the Great Empire.
Isn't that right? These two iron-clad ships are the only two large-scale iron-clad ships in service in the Great Shadow Empire Navy.
To be honest, Fan Zihan felt a little nervous.
Due to the technical problems of the current torpedoes, they must get within a thousand meters to launch the torpedoes.
Coupled with the poor visibility here and the fast currents in the strait, the launch distance must be extended to 500 meters to be confident. Within this distance, enemy ships can already see them.
In other words, they must be prepared to withstand bombardment.
For small torpedo boats, this is a life and death test.
There is a lot of fog on the sea surface, and such weather is very common in this strait.
Fan Zihan was wearing a military green alpaca coat.
The Strait of Magellan has cold and windy weather all year round, and not far to the south is Antarctica.
Coupled with the heavy humidity at sea, the weather here is very difficult for a Fujianese.
"Boom, boom, boom..." The sound of artillery came from the front, and it seemed that the enemy had been lured over.
Fan Zihan couldn't see the enemy here, but through the sound, he could judge where the enemy was.
"Every boat, get ready!"
Diesel engines are prone to freezing, so preheating must be started in advance, otherwise the engine may not ignite.
It's the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and it's summer in the northern hemisphere. But it's the coldest season of the year in the southern hemisphere.
A low rumble came over.
Fifteen torpedo boats sailed out of this small port one after another and headed for the preset ambush point.
The Donghua Fleet at sea and the forts on the mountain will create opportunities for them to get close to the enemy's armored ships.
They only have one chance, and they must succeed in one attack, otherwise they will fall into the enemy's fire net.
Such a small boat may not be able to withstand even one shot from the opponent.
Fortunately, there was still heavy fog as cover.
Finally, the artillery on the fort fired.
This is their signal to attack.
The fort will attack the enemy frigate with all its strength.
The warships in Nie Dahua's hands will also launch counterattacks to attract the enemy's attention.
"Let's go!" Fan Zihan gave the order, and his car "Haixing No. 1" took the lead and accelerated out.
The torpedo boats on both sides went out in sequence according to the preset formation.
There is no wireless communication method yet. Each boat can execute according to the pre-planned combat plan.
After the war started, it was difficult for Fan Zihan to continue commanding his men.
Especially in such foggy weather conditions, even semaphores are difficult to type out.
Each torpedo boat must also maintain a certain distance between them to give the other party an angle to launch torpedoes.
There is also room for retreat and turning.
"Captain, I don't know if we can directly hit the opponent's armored ship." The captain Li Baoku standing next to Fan Zihan is Fan Zihan's junior student and is more nagging.
"It depends on luck. Although this kind of ghost weather makes it easier for us to hide, it also limits our field of vision."
"Today's battle is like a lottery. Haha, our torpedo boats are a branch of luck. If you are lucky, you can destroy the opponent's big ship and escape unscathed. If you are not lucky, hehe..." Fan Zihan did not continue.
The navy is somewhat superstitious and does not say anything that violates taboos.
Black Fleet, Commander General George Black has just ordered the frigates behind to be replenished.
Because the frigate originally on the right wing of the fleet should be facing the Donghua Fortress on the north shore, almost all of them were injured and left the formation.
The three warships of Donghua Fleet have been advancing in a zigzag pattern in front, constantly attacking the front of Black's fleet with artillery.
Blake's side is also using bow guns to fight back. At present, at least the Donghua fleet is not able to pose a major threat to the Blake fleet.
"Commander, the Donghua fleet fired artillery from such a long distance and could not pose a threat to our fleet at all. What are they doing for this?" Wilson was a little confused.
At such a distance, neither side can cause any harm to the other party.
"Perhaps it is to slow down our speed and gain more shooting opportunities for the forts on the shore." Black couldn't think of what kind of backup the Donghua Navy could have.
Only in this way can we explain Donghua Fleet's style of play.
"It's ten o'clock..."
"The fog should be dissipating."
Blake murmured.
On the tall mast of the "Warrior", lookout Drury Lane was wrapped in his coat and shrank his neck.
He had wrapped himself up tightly, but he was still very cold.
"It's still comfortable to stay in the engine room. It's a little dirty and a little noisy, but it's warm."
Drury Lane imagined the hot scene in the boiler room, imagining those shirtless boiler soldiers, and seemed to feel a little warmer.
His hands were covered with thick rabbit skin gloves.
But he was still frozen stiff.
There was a rope tied to the monocular telescope and hung around my neck, for fear that my stiff hands would accidentally lose control and fall.
There was a vast expanse of white all around, and bursts of booming gunfire could be heard from time to time behind the white curtain.
It was like being in a misty forest, with invisible monsters roaring all around.
It seems like it is about to break out of the fog at any moment and choose someone to devour.
If it weren't for the fact that he also had a huge fleet with dozens of warships, and if the number of people was emboldening him, Drury Lane would definitely feel scared.
Although he couldn't see anything, Drury Lane still used his telescope to carefully observe his surroundings.
In fact, the telescope does not penetrate the fog.
With his naked eyes alone, he could see as far as a telescope. But he was still used to putting telescopes on his eyes.
Suddenly, a silver-gray thing appeared in his field of vision.
Its speed is very fast, like a flying fish moving at full speed on the sea.
It's a boat!
No sails, no oars, no chimneys...
Why can it travel so fast?
Fortunately, the shock did not make Drury Lane forget his duties.
"Enemy attack!"
"An unknown enemy vessel was discovered on the starboard side."
He didn't know how to describe this kind of ship. It seemed that it wasn't even a gunboat.
No, there was a small cannon on it. The barrel was so thin that he didn't even see it clearly just now.
This kind of small cannon is probably not enough to scratch the itch of the "Warrior".
"Fire, don't let them get close."
Blake received the report and saw it, and he instinctively sensed the danger.
There was more than one, and he could see three such ships within his field of vision.
Onboard "Haixing No.1".
"Commander, we've burst in." Li Baoku said excitedly.
The side of the torpedo boat is very low, and in order to lower the center of gravity, it has almost no superstructure.
The command cabin is also below the deck, and only the portholes are above the deck, allowing the captain to look around.
In front of Fan Zihan was a huge battleship that looked like a mountain.
The moment he broke out of the thick fog, he was shocked. The other party seemed to give him a feeling of invincibility.
"Quick, throw the torpedoes, fire all four."
"Li Baoku is preparing to evacuate the battlefield."
Fan Zihan's two orders were issued almost at the same time.
"Puff puff puff..." The torpedo was finally launched into the water and rushed forward with the inertia of the torpedo boat's own speed.
…
"Boom, boom, boom..." At 5:30, the shells fell around the torpedo boat.
The splash and shock wave of the explosion caused the torpedo boat to deviate from its course.
But "Haixing No. 1" quickly jumped into the thick fog while drifting continuously.
At this time the torpedo had not yet hit the battleship.
It only took a few minutes for the torpedo boat to break out of the fog, launch the torpedo, and then turn around and leave.
The reaction speed of Black Fleet is also very fast.
The moment the torpedo boats appeared, the artillery pieces that had been prepared were fired at these uninvited guests under the command of the gunner.
They didn't even wait for orders from their respective captains.
"Oh, damn, it's a torpedo!" Wilson saw it. There were four splashes of water in his field of vision, quickly approaching the Warrior.
He wanted to shout for avoidance.
At this time, the captain had already grabbed the rudder and spun it quickly.
The speed was too fast and there was no time to give orders. The captain had no choice but to grab it himself.
The captain, who was tall and had long arms, could almost turn the steering wheel.
The bow of the ship turned suddenly to the south. How could such a large warship withstand such a rapid turn?
For a moment, the ship's hull tilted, and the people on board were swaying around and making a mess.
Blake struggled to hold on to the armrest of the command cabin and made a cross on his chest with his free hand.
Even if he is a high-ranking commander at this time, he can only pray to God.
It's just that the Renaissance Army has studied torpedo tactics for such a long time, and every torpedo launched has an angle calculated in advance.
The enemy's possible emergency response has already been carefully calculated.
Naturally, it is not necessary for all four torpedoes fired by a torpedo boat to hit the enemy.
But there is always one that has to hit the enemy.
For battleships of this era, one torpedo was enough.
Even a big thing like the "Warrior" weighing more than 9,000 tons.
"Boom..." Wilson had not yet recovered from the chaos of the rapid turn.
Suddenly, I felt my body floating in the air, and then hit the ground heavily.
Got shot!
"Commander!" Wilson was young and strong, and was not seriously injured after being hit like this.
General Blake, who is already in his sixties, does not have such a strong ability to resist.
Blake fell to the ground and found it difficult to stand up on his own for a moment.
The command cabin and captain's cabin on the Warrior are not together.
That is, only a large ship like the Warrior can be so luxurious.
Create a command module specifically for the fleet commander.
"Your Excellency, Commander, we have been concentrated by the opponent's torpedoes. The bottom compartment has been severely damaged, and now water has entered the boiler room." The big captain Richard Pound came to report with heavy breathing. He had already asked the damage control officer
Went to investigate the situation, now the ship is stalling and listing.
"Richard, we must save the Warrior. If he remains silent, we will not be able to bear the anger of the people."
Blake knew that the "Warrior" at this time was a powerful symbol of the Imperial Navy.
He represents the myth of the invincibility of the Imperial Navy.
Just like the "Royal Sovereign" in the history of the Great Empire, France's "Richelieu"...
These battleships that lead a period have more of a symbolic meaning.
As the first armored battleship of the Great Empire, the "Warrior" is a symbol of the maritime power of the Great Empire in this period.
"Captain, the bottom compartment cannot be blocked. Water entered the boiler room, causing the boiler to explode. The sailors couldn't even get in." A gray-faced officer ran to the command tower.
It was over. Blake knew that the boiler room was a huge space. Even if the hatch was sealed, just filling the boiler room with water would silence the ship.
"Richard, let the sails be hoisted on the deck and sail to the south bank to run aground. We can't let the warship sink here." Brak could only make the worst choice.
Although stranding can save the battleship and save the lives of more soldiers, it will also be regarded as a coward.
The sister of the "Warrior", the "Black Prince", was not as lucky as her sister and was able to dodge three torpedoes.
She was struck by a torpedo each in her stern and midsection.
A large hole was directly opened in the propeller and rudder at the rear.
Chrysanthemums are blooming!
The torpedo in the middle detonated the ammunition magazine.
Most warships store ammunition at the bottom of the cabin.
Because in naval battles, it is difficult for artillery shells to hit the part below the waterline.
The Black Prince was blown into two halves directly from the middle, and even the frigate on the left was affected.
The first attack targets of the torpedo boat group were the two ironclads, and the secondary targets were the wooden battleships in the fleet.
Next is the cruiser.
As for small frigates, they should be flexible in response and have a small hull area. They are difficult to attack and have little value in attacking.
The sound of the explosion of the "Black Prince" was like the last cry of a giant whale before it was beaten to death.
Covered up all the sounds on the battlefield.
I don't know if it's a coincidence. A gust of west wind blew, and the fog gradually dispersed at this time.
With a "bang" sound, the Warrior ran aground on a shoal on the south coast.
The width of the entire waterway is only more than ten nautical miles, and the other side can be seen with the naked eye on a clear day.
Blake picked up his telescope and scanned the strait.
In just ten minutes, the strait was filled with bombed ships.
The masts of some ships are still outside.
When did naval battles become so brutal?
In past naval battles, few ships were sunk. Even in the most brutal battle line bombardment, the battleship was riddled with holes, but it could still float on the sea by relying on its own buoyancy.
"God, what happened? This must be a nightmare." Until this moment, young Wilson still could not believe the current scene.
The big captain Richard Pound asked: "Commander, what should we do now? All the main warships of our fleet have been lost."
Blake was still looking at the battlefield and did not answer.
I don't know if he heard Richard Pound speak.
So tragic, so unexpected!
Even this battle-hardened veteran couldn't accept it.