serious man in the red chamber

Chapter 478 Under the naval battle

In spring and autumn, the wind on the sea surface is unstable and the wind direction is chaotic.

The deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet put down his clairvoyance and glanced at the wind-fixing flag on the mast. The wind direction at the moment was in his favor, and he immediately shouted loudly: "Blow the horn, raise the flag, raise the sail, and seize the windward position!"

The horn of "Woo" was blown immediately, and all the warships raised their sails and sailed to the windward position as the main ship formed a combat array.

Wind is the driving force for sailing warships. Seizing the upper wind position is conducive to offense, can maintain high maneuverability in battle, and is conducive to warships avoiding enemy bombardment.Because the enemy ship is downwind, the wind has considerable resistance to the artillery shells, which virtually prolongs the firing interval of our own artillery, which is conducive to our own warships' maneuvering and reloading of ammunition.

In other words, seizing the upper wind position can improve the combat effectiveness and survivability of the sail warship.

Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages. The cannons of the sailing warship are on both sides of the hull. To fight, you need to face the enemy from the side of the ship.

If you seize the windward position, the wind will blow from behind the ship, and the side pointed at the enemy ship will tilt downward. The angle of the gun muzzle will naturally be lowered, and the artillery on the lowest level will probably be able to point at the enemy ship. Cannonballs are fired from the sea, so you cannot fire cannons for most of the battle, as this will weaken the firepower!
Also, once it is in the windward position, the warship can only rush towards the enemy with the wind. It cannot run away if it wants to. It has the meaning of a last-ditch battle, and once the enemy wants to run, it will just go with the wind.

While seizing the upper hand, the officers and soldiers of the Yangtze River Fleet were ready for battle. Projectiles and gunpowder were lifted to the artillery deck and transferred to the gun positions.

The deck has been covered with yellow sand to reduce friction when moving heavy objects.At the same time, a protective net was opened to prevent debris from falling and injuring people during the battle.

The craftsmen had also entered the corridor outside the waterline deck at this time, ready to plug leaks and rescue at any time.

The gunners all gathered around the artillery and stood ready.

There is a thick rope fixed behind each gun, and this rope is used to overcome the recoil generated by the shelling.

Each artillery had a gunner and was manned by a dozen gunners.

The gunner is an experienced veteran who is also responsible for aiming at enemy ships and firing the artillery. The gunner uses crowbars to divert recoil during shelling.

When reloading, you must first block the vents to prevent sparks from accidentally entering the barrel, then clean the barrel to remove gunpowder embers and debris, and then use the push rod to load the propellant package, projectiles and plug in sequence.

The gunner pushed the gun forward to the firing position and used a needle to pierce the powder package through the small hole. The gunner added gunpowder to the small hole and ignited it.

Shi Nai looked at the sea: "Can you estimate how many warships there are on the sea?"

"No less than three hundred ships." The deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet answered with certainty.

Shi Nai whispered: "Should we wait until the fleet behind us catches up?"

In order to ensure the safety of the troop carrier, the Yangtze River Fleet was divided into two fleets, with the new warships at the front, and the remaining large and small warships guarding the troop carrier behind.

The deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet put down his clairvoyance and said, "According to the standards of the Xiyi people, the warships on the opposite side are at most third-level battleships, while our new warships are all first- and second-level battleships, which are not on the same level at all."

After a pause, "It took five years and tens of millions of silver to build this fleet!"

Shi Nai nodded. Shipyards in Jinling, Fujian and other places were still building new warships.

"It's Japanese people!" the deputy general shouted loudly.

Shi Nai and the deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet immediately raised their clairvoyance and looked at the sea, and the flag on the mast was faintly visible.

With a favorable wind and strong sails, the Yangtze River fleet quickly rushed to greet the Japanese warships.

"There are still Koreans!" the deputy general shouted again.

Shi Nai has seen it.

The two sides were getting closer and closer, and the Korean Tatars and Japanese people on the deck could already be seen!

The artillery on the Korean Tatar ship went off!Balls of artillery fire fell on the sea, splashing water columns into the sky!
The artillery fire from the Japanese warships also hit this side!

In fact, the enemy ships had already entered the shooting range, and the muzzles of their guns had been pointed at the enemy ships. However, all the warships were silent at this time, and none of the guns fired.

The muzzle flames of the black holes are spraying!

With a thousand-mile eye, one could vaguely see through the rain curtains that filled the sky and the earth, whether they were Korean Tatars or Japanese people, they all showed frightened faces.

Perhaps it was to save ammunition, or perhaps the artillery needed to dissipate heat. Seeing that the Yangtze River Fleet was motionless, the Japanese artillery fire gradually became sparse and then stopped.

The artillery fire of the Korean Tatars did not stop, but still blasted water columns into the sky around the Yangtze River Fleet warships.A shell hit a Yangtze River Fleet warship.There was a fire on the warship!
"Put up the flag and fire the cannon!" the deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet shouted the order, immediately breaking the silence of the warship.

The big flag was raised on the mast, and the countless muzzles pointed at the enemy ships spurted out fire!

But at this moment, the Japanese warship fired again, and the shells still fell on the sea in the distance.

Shi Nai smiled, the Japanese artillery could not reach their own warships, and the Korean Tatars only had a small number of artillery that could.

The gap between the two sides is too great.

A new type of artillery sprayed out a large ball of fire. Immediately, several Japanese warships were hit and burst into flames!
The Japanese immediately panicked, and many warships turned their guns and fired back at the Yangtze River Fleet warships that shot at them.

The artillery fire of the Yangtze River Fleet became more intense, and several more shells hit the Japanese warships. Countless people were blown up, and some fell into the sea from the air.Immediately, the panicked cries of Japanese people came from the ship.

The shells fell on the sea and on the warships. Some of the ship's sides were blown off, some of the decks were penetrated, and some of the sails were blown off.

The artillery fire from both sides stirred up huge water jets in both sides' arrays.Occasionally, a shell hit the deck of the Yangtze River Fleet warship, causing a huge explosion. Some soldiers fell under the gunfire.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and a large ball of fire broke out in the cabin of the main ship of the Korean Tatar. The Korean Tatar on the deck was immediately blown into the sky above the sea!

The deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet laughed and said: "The Korean Tatars are really unlucky. They were hit by an [-]-pound cannon and the gunpowder barrel was killed!"

Shi Nai also laughed. At this moment, the main ship of the Korean Tatars was blown to pieces. A large amount of sea water rushed into the cabin. The Korean Tatars watched their main ship sink into the sea!
This was destined to be an unfair naval battle. The old warships of the Korean Tatars and the Japanese were no match for the new warships, and the artillery of the Yangtze River Fleet was more powerful.

As the warships of the Yangtze River Fleet continue to approach, the losses of the Korean Tatars and Japanese are increasing. Warships are constantly being destroyed. The [-]-pound cannon on the second deck is astonishingly powerful. As long as it hits, it must be at the waterline of the enemy ship. Blast a big hole.

The Yangtze River fleet fired a volley of artillery fire at the Korean Tatar and Japanese fleets. The warships at the front were shrouded in a terrifying rain of fire. The sea near the battlefield was filled with flames. A large number of Koreans The warships of the Tatars and Japanese people ignited blazing flames and became "volcanoes" floating on the sea.

Flames soared into the sky and thick smoke billowed into the sea, turning into a sea of ​​fire. Countless Korean Tatars and Japanese people were covered in flames and jumped into the sea screaming.

The defeat was determined, the artillery fire of the Korean Tatars gradually became sparse, and many warships began to retreat.

The Japanese pirates' artillery fire did not stop, but seemed to become more violent. It hit two Yangtze River Fleet warships one after another. Fire broke out on the ship, and the two warships were forced to retreat.

Shi Nai's main ship did not rush to the front. It kept a safe distance and used its second-story [-]-pounder artillery to bombard the Japanese warships.

Shi Nai's eyes were full of shock. In field battles on land, no matter how different the equipment was, if you use human lives to fill it, you can always take a piece of flesh from the opponent's body. But naval battles are not good. If you can't beat them, you can't beat them. He saw with his own eyes a dozen ships The Japanese warships rushed up to prepare for a boarding battle, but were sunk by the artillery of the Yangtze River Fleet on the way to the charge.

He had just learned that the Yangtze River Fleet also had a more powerful 24-pound gun on the third deck. One shot directly blew up a Korean Tatar bird ship into the sky above the sea!

As long as the 24-pounder fires, a Korean Tatar or Japanese warship will be sunk.

"The Japanese are coming!" a soldier shouted loudly.

Shi Nai raised his clairvoyant eyes and quickly scanned the battlefield where the fierce battle was taking place. Soon, he saw dozens of clippers arrayed in columns from the northwest, rowing hard and beating war drums as they came towards them.

The warships rushing ahead naturally discovered these Japanese speedboats. The gunners on the upper deck adjusted their gun positions. The twelve-pound cannon sprayed out a large ball of fire. Immediately, several Japanese speedboats were bombed. turn!

Black holes were spraying out with muzzle fire, and more and more clippers were being blown over!
There were still many fast boats rowing near the warships of the Yangtze River Fleet. Suddenly, Shi Nai was shocked: "The Japanese want to die together!"

On the sea, the oars were flying together, and the Japanese drove fast boats filled with gunpowder and rowed quickly towards the Yangtze River Fleet warships!

The deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet laughed loudly: "Don't worry, Lord Marquis, the officers and men on the warship will not let them get close to the warship."

Before he could say a word, a Japanese speedboat exploded and the entire ship disintegrated instantly.

Deputy Commander of the Yangtze River Fleet: "The six-pounder can fire hot solid bullets, chain bullets, shotgun shells and explosive shells. The solid bullets are heated to high temperatures and launched onto the fast ship, penetrating the hull, and the fragments can cause the warship to burn, and even more It can easily ignite gunpowder. Not to mention shotgun shells, chain cannonballs spin and hit the target when fired, making them more powerful at close range!"

Sure enough, they quickly sank the Japanese boats.

"The Japanese have also withdrawn!" a general shouted loudly.

Shi Nai raised his clairvoyant eyes: "What a pity!"

"The wind has turned! The wind has turned!" the whistle came from the observation deck.

At this moment, the sound of drums from behind the fleet was like thunder, shaking the heaven and earth.

The warship escorting the troop transport ship from the rear finally arrived!

At this moment, the wind changed direction, and the Korean Tatars and Japanese had the upper hand and could not escape!
The deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet waved his sword and shouted: "Attack!"

The "Woo-Woo" horn sounded immediately, and the warships of the Yangtze River Fleet immediately adjusted their sails and sailed towards the fleet of Korean Tatars and Japanese retreating against the wind.
The setting sun was like blood, and the sea was covered with the still-smoking wreckage of Korean Tatar and Japanese warships and the corpses of soldiers. The surviving Korean Tatars and Japanese pirates were as frightened as headless flies in the wreckage of the warships. crawling
With a "whoosh" arrow, a Japanese pirate screamed and fell into the sea.

Shi Nai pulled out another arrow from the quiver, put it on the bowstring, filled the bow, and there was another "whoosh" sound. This arrow shot directly through the head of a Japanese pirate!
The resting gunners burst out "Okay!"

Shi Nai reached out to pull out the arrow, but found that the quiver was empty.

"Spare your life! Lord Shangguo, spare your life!" Amidst the shouting, a Korean Tatar was dragged out of the cabin by two soldiers and then thrown into the sea.

Then, the deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet came out and said to Shi Nai: "Let's make it clear, they are not here for us."

Shi Nai: "Oh? What's going on?"

Deputy Commander of the Yangtze River Fleet: "The Japanese people's idea was to sneak attack Shandong from the sea, but they ended up running into us."

At this point, he sighed, "God has eyes!"

Shi Nai nodded. Although the imperial court had set up forts along the coast, there were so many ships that they couldn't handle it!
"By the way, the Korean Tatar King led his troops to Liaodong."

"Since the other party confessed, why did you throw him into the sea?"

"It's just a piece of trash. Keeping it is just a waste of food and rice!"

With that said, the deputy commander of the Yangtze River Fleet pointed forward, "We will arrive in Incheon early tomorrow morning!"

As soon as these words came out, the faces of the people around him showed excitement.In this battle, the combined fleets of the Korean Tatars and the Japanese were completely wiped out. Our side only lost more than thirty old warships, which were all rammed and sunk by the crazy Japanese in the final melee.

They will be the first Han Chinese to set foot in North Korea in more than a hundred years, and they will also be the ones to conquer North Korea!
(End of this chapter)