Chapter 290: Seventh Change to Conquer the United Fleet
On the land in southern South Asia, a large-scale battle lasted for a week and ended with an unprecedented victory in the Far East. The French High Seas Fleet and Pacific Fleet, which had traveled all the way from the Atlantic and Pacific regions, finally arrived in the South China Sea. However, this time
At that time, the two major naval battle sequences in the Far East, the Yellow Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet, had been quietly waiting for their arrival.
As a result, the first large-scale naval battle in South Asia also broke out, which was the famous South China Sea War. This was a continuous battle that lasted for fifteen days. In the face of the French fleet with a total tonnage of up to 700,000 tons, no matter in the Far East,
Both the navy and the army have demonstrated tenacious fighting character.
That is to say, in this fifteen-day battle, after the Far East won the first Battle of Phnom Penh, the United Kingdom and the United States completely switched sides. In the early days of an all-out war between the Far East and France, the attitudes of the United Kingdom and the United States were neutral.
There is a desire to send troops to unite France, especially the United States.
Because the Far East first attacked the U.S. Asia Fleet in the Bohai Gulf, the French authorities estimated that the United States would definitely declare war on the Far East. In order to influence the South China Sea campaign, the French authorities still decided to temporarily give up their advantages in the Atlantic region and mobilized the High Seas Fleet to go to the South China Sea.
Together with the Pacific Fleet, the French Expeditionary Combined Fleet was organized and headed to the South China Sea for reinforcements.
This is a fleet that mixes the main forces of the two navies. It has 338 main battleships of various types and about 220 auxiliary supply ships. It is divided into two fleets. Later, a squadron was added, led by French Navy Marshal Rogers.
unified command, but some of the ships in this patchwork fleet have not yet been fully completed.
They hurriedly went to sea and installed while sailing. The naval tactics and technical level of the warships were low, and some even lacked basic training. Originally, communication and communication relied on radio stations sold by the Far East. Before the war began, the Far East had all its main technicians.
Withdrawn, the radio stations of the French Combined Fleet were immediately reduced to rubbish.
In addition, in the Pacific Fleet, there were deep conflicts between some officers and soldiers, so morale was particularly low. The French Pacific Fleet was originally scheduled to arrive in the South China Sea in July 1900, but due to sudden grounding and temporary change of commanders, it had to dock in a neutral country.
The port was adjusted and did not go to the South China Sea according to the prescribed time, because after the arrival of the High Seas Fleet, it was immediately attacked by the Far East Yellow Sea Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet.
When the French Pacific Fleet set out again, because the Far East had already achieved a series of victories in South Asia, the fleet was almost completely deserted. It was even rumored that the secret submarine formation of the Far East had arrived in the waters on the edge of the Pacific and the South China Sea, setting up ambushes and waiting.
The Pacific Fleet fell into a trap. It was in this atmosphere of fear of the Far East that the naval officers and soldiers of the French Combined Fleet were nervous. In the early stages of the fleet's voyage, they even made a big joke that was rare in history and ran aground in the Pacific waters.
However, French Navy Marshal Rogers is a battle-tested maritime star. Under his unified command, the High Seas Fleet is obviously a powerful force. However, French Navy Marshal Rogers is also deeply worried about the attack submarine formation in the Far East. After all,
Whether it is the High Seas Fleet or the Pacific Fleet, the anti-submarine capabilities are almost the same as those of the fleet in the Bohai Bay, but Rogers has also formulated some anti-submarine plans, such as adding underwater observers and using new US-produced search radars.
However, after the High Seas Fleet sailed into the Strait of Malacca, it was still attacked by the Far East submarine formation. However, in the face of the huge naval formation and the loss of two or three warships, Rogers continued to unified command and advance at high speed, so he also discovered a problem
, that is, attack submarines in the Far East usually attack slow ships, and there is no way to use high-speed ships, so he ordered the High Seas Fleet to sail at high speed, go deep into the South China Sea to find the main fleet in the Far East, and start a decisive battle.
But let’s not say it, French Navy Marshal Rogers was really wrong, because the Far East attack submarine’s speed is very slow, plus the range and speed of torpedoes, if the French warship’s speed is higher than 20 knots, the Far East’s attack submarine is
Then they have no choice, but French Navy Marshal Rogers has forgotten one thing, that is, under his unified command, all warships sail at high speed, fuel and other materials will be consumed very quickly, and at this time, the seaports in the South China Sea are
In control of the Far East.
Unlike the High Seas Fleet, which was personally commanded by Rogers, some officers of the French Pacific Fleet were so uneasy that after the French Pacific Fleet entered the South China Sea from the Pacific Ocean, whenever they saw a foreign ship, they thought it was a warship of the Far East Fleet.
, and then took the initiative to fire cannons blindly, and even had misunderstandings with distant island forts, resulting in mutual firing.
In just three days, the French Pacific Fleet sank and damaged cargo ships from the Netherlands, the United States, Portugal, the United Kingdom and other countries at night, causing a huge international turmoil, which led the British government to use this to put pressure on France.
At the same time, the neutral countries in the South China Sea were warned not to provide the French fleet with
Any convenience, let alone solving the fuel problem for the French fleet, so the French fleet had to use supply ships to refuel at sea during the South China Sea War. There are also good opportunities and good weather, and the French warships will load as much as possible, even the engine room.
, decks, bathrooms, and open spaces in bedrooms are all piled with coals for burning.
Such overweight not only reduces the speed of French warships, but also affects the lives of soldiers. It is also one of the reasons for the decline in morale. Especially as winter approaches, the sailors on French warships are in great pain. Non-combat attrition is very serious, and many outbreaks have occurred.
Second mutiny.
The French Pacific Fleet was trembling all the way. Finally, on the fourth day after sailing into the South China Sea, it met with an advance fleet of the High Seas Fleet. Then the two fleets merged into one and began to search for the Far East Fleet. However, after a day of searching, there was no one.
A warship of the Far East Fleet was discovered, which surprised French Navy Marshal Rogers. Finally, considering issues such as logistical supplies and fuel, Rogers ordered to seize a seaport in the South China Sea first.
Just after he used the radio system on the ship to proactively contact the French land colonial forces in South Asia, the two sides decided to first seize the seaport closest to the Mekong River outlet, Vung Tau.
This strategic planning decision was quickly intercepted and cracked by the Far East intelligence system. After receiving such a telegram, Li Ningyu immediately excitedly ordered Liu Qinghui that this was the first regular naval battle. He hoped that the Far East Navy would do a good job.
Educate this group of Frenchmen who came from afar, and order the army in South Asia to prepare for an unprecedented blocking war.
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