lcionline Chapter 468: The Battle Begins and the Enemy Is Attacked Head-on
Chapter 468: The Battle Begins and the Enemy Is Attacked Head-on
Half a month later, an exciting moment finally arrived. The First and Second Squadrons of the South China Sea Fleet had already prepared for the expedition. Their main battleships, Chengfeng and Zhulang, were like two brave admirals at sea, leading the fleet forward. These two warships, whether in tonnage, firepower or speed, were the best in the fleet. They were majestic and magnificent, and became the pride of the entire fleet.
In the early morning, the sun shines over the North Sea Harbor. On the sea, more than 200 ships are neatly arranged, with flags flying and guns pointed to the distance. As the order to depart is issued, the fleet slowly leaves the harbor and heads for the distant Liuwan Island. The First and Second Squadrons move forward side by side, their ships leaving long white streaks on the sea, like two giant dragons tumbling on the sea.
Every ship in the fleet was full of morale. The soldiers stood on the deck, looking forward. They knew that this expedition was to fight for China, to recover the country and eliminate the remaining forces of the Southern Kingdom. They would take out the belief that they would win and meet the upcoming challenges.
As the commander-in-chief of this battle, General Mountbatten also went on the expedition on the amphibious command ship HMS Blue Ridge. This command ship is not only his office, but also the command center of the entire fleet. On the bridge, General Mountbatten looked out at the sea in the distance. He knew that this battle was of vital importance to China, and he would shoulder the heavy responsibility and lead the fleet to victory.
As the fleet continued to move forward, the wind on the sea surface became stronger and stronger. But no matter whether it was strong winds or huge waves, they could not stop the fleet from moving forward. They rode the wind and waves and moved forward all the way to the direction of Changxiong Port. There, the First Fleet of the Fuso Asia Sea Combined Fleet was waiting for their arrival, and a fierce battle was about to begin.
The straight-line distance between Beihai Port and Changxiong Port in the south-central part of Liuwan Island is only 700 nautical miles. As the two squadrons of the South China Sea Fleet advanced at full speed, the distance seemed to be rapidly shortening. Six hours later, the fleet had officially entered the wide waters of the Liuwan Strait. The sea breeze blew in with a salty and humid breath, and the sound of waves hitting the hulls came one after another.
At this time, the atmosphere in the Fuso Asia Sea First Fleet Headquarters in Changxiong Port on Liuwan Island was tense and solemn. A communications soldier hurriedly pushed open the door of Commander Hase Qingchuan's office, his face full of anxiety. He quickly walked in front of Hase Qingchuan, saluted and reported: "Report to the commander! Our patrol ship scouts have discovered an abnormal situation. A large fleet is heading towards Changxiong Port from the direction of Liuwan Strait. At present, the identity of the other party is still unclear, but the flag they are flying is suspected to be the five-color flag of Northern Xinjiang!"
Hearing this, Hase Qingchuan frowned, stood up, and stared at the signalman with a sharp gaze. In the past two years, the relationship between Fuso and China has been tense, but due to lack of information, Fuso knows almost nothing about China's development. Although Hase Qingchuan knows that China is working hard to develop its navy, he still finds it hard to believe that China can build such a large fleet in a short period of time.
He couldn't believe that in just two years, China's fleet had grown from a few old ironclad ships to a huge super fleet. A century-old navy was not just an empty phrase. It was impossible for China to have a mature naval combat fleet with a sufficient number of ships given its backward industrial level.
"Continue the investigation and find out the size of their fleet, the number of ships and their firepower configuration. Pass the order down, the First Fleet will sound the Level 1 alarm and be ready to go to war at any time!" Hase Qingchuan gave the order decisively, his voice revealing unquestionable majesty.
"Yes, Commander!" The communications soldier immediately responded, turned around and left quickly to carry out Hase Qingchuan's order.
At this time, on the sea surface 60 nautical miles away from Changxiong Port, Mountbatten stood on the deck of the Jiaolong, holding a telescope and looking into the distance with a sharp gaze. The two ironclad ships of the Fuso Asia First Fleet responsible for sea surface patrol were clearly visible in his field of vision. He calmly observed the other party's every move, with a confident smile on his lips.
The First and Second Fleets of the South China Sea did not seem to have any intention to hide, and clearly exposed their intentions. What Mountbatten wanted was to directly defeat the pride of the Fuso Navy and let them know that the strength of the Chinese Navy is no longer what it used to be.
He turned around and said to the staff behind him: "Pass the order down, all ships maintain speed and course, and prepare to enter combat. We want to show the Japanese what true naval power is!"
Commanders at all levels immediately took action and conveyed Mountbatten's orders. The atmosphere in the entire fleet became tense in an instant, but everyone was full of fighting spirit and confidence. They knew that this battle would be an important test of the strength of the Chinese Navy.
"Have the First Fleet send out four Dragon Claw-class cruisers to sink their patrol ships and give the Fuso Navy a wake-up call!"
As Mountbatten's order was given, four Dragon Claw light cruisers rushed towards the two patrol ships of Fuso's First Fleet at an extremely fast speed. The two patrol ships on Fuso's side, one was an outdated ironclad ship named Fuso, and the other was a light cruiser named Kinu, which was a new type of cruiser that was officially launched by Fuso three years ago.
In fact, this ironclad ship called Fuso, with a displacement of about tons, is the main battleship of the first generation of Fuso. It is now basically in a semi-obsolete state. It is an important supply point for Fuso's First Fleet in the open sea. It is also responsible for patrolling and reconnaissance on the open sea with other light cruisers. The so-called Dragon Claw light cruiser on the South China Sea Fleet is based on the German Königsberg light cruiser, with a displacement of 6700 tons and a speed of 32.5 knots.
"Captain! The unknown fleet ahead seems to be preparing to attack us!"
"Sound the battle alert! Be ready to fight back at any time!"
The moonlight was dim, the sea was sparkling, and the sea breeze was whistling and rolling up layers of waves. Under this peaceful appearance, a fierce naval battle was quietly brewing.
The four Chinese Dragon Claw light cruisers were lined up on the sea, like four silver dragons, ready to go. Their gun muzzles were slightly raised, aiming at the Fuso and Kinu in the distance. The moonlight sprinkled on the hull, reflecting a cold light, giving people a sense of invincible majesty.
The Fuso ironclad warship, although this huge warship is old, still exudes a heavy historical atmosphere. Its iron armor shines with a vicissitudes of life in the sun, as if telling of its former glory. The Kinu light cruiser is light and agile, it shuttles freely on the sea, like a flexible cheetah, ready to launch a deadly attack at any time.
The battle was about to start. The Dragon Claw light cruiser opened fire first, and the artillery fire poured down like a rainstorm. The shells drew silver tracks in the air, shooting at the Fuso and Kinu with destructive power. The Fuso's ironclad made a dull sound under the bombardment of artillery fire, but it still stood stubbornly on the sea and fired back with artillery.
The Ghost Nu light cruiser nimbly dodged the gunfire and launched a counterattack against the Dragon Claw cruiser. Although its gunfire was not as fierce as that of the Dragon Claw cruiser, it was extremely accurate, and each bombardment could cause considerable damage to the opponent.
Flames shot up to the sky and explosions sounded one after another on the sea. The warships of both sides launched a fierce chase and confrontation on the sea. The gunfire, smoke and flames intertwined together to form a thrilling naval battle scene.