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Chapter 1008 Marine Light Cavalry

"Why do you think I have to pick on the weak first?" Of course, no naval officer questioned the emperor's order, but Hong Tao still wanted to create problems out of nothing, and the person he asked was naturally Setel.

"My father said that in a battle, if you can defeat the enemy's fastest troops first, you're almost halfway to victory. You can slowly defeat the remaining slow troops, since they can't escape anyway."

"Well, your father is right. Whether it is a land battle or a naval battle, we must play to our strengths. Our strengths are fast ship speed, flexible steering, and long range of naval guns.

The British ships also followed this approach. If they attacked the Spanish first, they would cause trouble and would run away faster when they saw the situation was not good. On the contrary, the Spanish ships were large in tonnage and powerful in firepower, but they were born with short arms and legs. If they were left alone first, they would not be able to run far.

Since you understand my intention, I will temporarily give you the command of the main fleet. Feel free to act according to your ideas and don't stick to any conventions. If there are any problems, I will correct them in time. "

It was the first time that Hong Tao heard someone apply cavalry tactics to naval warfare. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that the principles were indeed similar. The old Obama must not have read any military tactics, let alone the summary of later generations. This set of things was completely the experience passed down from ancestors.

But Setel was completely different. He received a new education and grew up in a naval environment. He was able to organically combine the experience of his ancestors with the new knowledge and put it into practice. This is what should be called talent.

In this case, let's develop it further. As a captain, you won't have the opportunity to command a large fleet for a long time in the future. If you really have talent in this area, it won't be a waste.

"Really!?" Setel probably didn't expect that he could become a fleet commander so early. While he couldn't hide his desire, he didn't forget to confirm whether it was a joke.

"Seriously... they are witnesses." Hong Tao pointed at the navigator, first mate, and boatswain, who all had faces filled with astonishment or envy, and issued a formal order to the entire ship and the entire fleet.

"Hehehe... my father was right. We will not suffer any loss if we follow the Sun and Moon Khan! Order... form two tight columns and follow the flagship's turn. Heading 090, full sail and full speed!"

Hearing this and looking at the emperor's relatively serious face, Setel finally couldn't help himself and laughed as he blurted out the old Oba's private instructions.

Seeing the emperor start to frown, he quickly shouted at the top of his voice and issued the most powerful order in his life. Nearly a thousand officers and soldiers on 10 warships had to execute it immediately and meticulously.

"Your Majesty, put them on!" Before he finished turning, two warriors from the Imperial Horse Administration came over with a pile of leather armor and helmets. Wang Chengen asked, but his hands didn't stop at all, he picked them up and put them on the emperor.

"Put on what you should wear. Today is different from the past. It's still several days' journey from the base. If your injuries are even slightly serious, they will be beyond saving!" Hong Tao did not refuse. He opened his arms to make it easier to put on clothes, and then made suggestions to the officers near the steering table.

This was not to scare them. In addition to the fact that the base was far away and medical treatment was difficult, Setel's command style also meant that this battle would not be safe. From his first order, it could be seen that he was going for a tough approach.

I wanted him to hold back, but I just told him to go for it, and it would be too rude to hold back in less than five minutes. I could only endure it and pretend to be calm. Two fleets of equal size, about 5 kilometers apart, one heading from northwest to southeast, the other from southeast to due north, with the wind due west, moderate sea conditions, and the sun due south-east at 10 a.m., how should they engage?

According to Hong Tao's timid and bad character, he would definitely use the wind direction to increase the speed of the ship. When the ship approached about one kilometer in a straight line, all the crew members began to turn, and within a few minutes, they turned into a column heading northeast, facing the enemy on the starboard side. Regardless of whether they were in a column or an oblique formation, they aimed at the nearest one or two ships and concentrated their fire.

Then, regardless of whether the hit was made or not, the ship would immediately make a sharp turn of 160 degrees, heading due west and northwest, facing the enemy with its port side, and continue to concentrate its firepower on the enemy's nearest one or two ships.

If viewed from the sky, it would be equivalent to leading the fleet to circle back and forth in a horizontal figure 8 in front of the enemy, giving full play to the advantages of broadside firepower and gun range, and eating away the enemy bite by bite.

If the enemy also turns to evade, it doesn't matter, we can chase from behind, try to overtake from one side, or use the broadside guns to concentrate on shooting at one or two ships at medium and long distances. If the enemy is unwilling to passively take the hit and turns to try to approach, we will also turn and circle in front of us.

As long as it does not fall into a long-term tailwind state, the slender hull of the Qin-class battleship can turn faster than any warship or merchant ship of this era, and the Gothenburg sail type is also more conducive to frequent turning.

It won't take much, two or three hours will tire out the enemy's sailors. Either they run back to Table Bay and become targets, or they have to find a way to get out. If they can't get out, there's nothing they can do.

The advantage of doing so is to reduce medium and close-range contact, avoid being hit by shells as much as possible, and reduce casualties. Regardless of whether the European naval guns are bronze or steel, and whether they are front-loading smoothbore or breech-loading rifled, they are still cannons after all.

Once you enter their effective range, such as 300 meters, if you are really hit by a bullet, no one can guarantee that the hull can fully withstand it. If it really hits the deck, it is hard to say who will be unlucky.

But this kite-flying method also has disadvantages, that is, it is inefficient and time-consuming. To put it bluntly, it relies on the speed of the ship and the range and accuracy of the artillery to slowly hone. It can hit the target once in ten times. As long as the hull is penetrated, the speed will drop and it will become meat on the chopping board, and it will be cut sooner or later.

Setel turned directly to the south, not to circle around and slowly grind with the enemy. He planned to take advantage of the high speed of the side wind and lead a column to cut through the enemy's advancing route in a hurry.

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The enemy ship would turn to meet the enemy, then turn due east and continue firing from the port side. At this time, the warships in the other column would cut to the rear of the enemy team, turn west after a round of shooting, and continue firing from the starboard side.

In this way, with one column circling clockwise and the other counterclockwise, the frequency of firing will reach the highest and the efficiency will naturally be improved.

If an enemy ship tries to leave the formation and charge towards you, you should concentrate your bombardment to stop it. If the enemy fleet presses forward as a whole, it doesn't matter, they will just circle around anyway, so if you keep your distance, you will never catch up.

The enemy would certainly lose sight of one side if they were attacked from both sides. In principle, the gun deck of a sailing warship could fire from both sides at the same time, but in reality, it could not. This was because the ship was always swaying from side to side, and it was impossible to aim at both sides at the same time. If you aimed at one side, you would have to give up the other side.

(End of this chapter)