flstandardbreds Chapter 111 Naval Battle (2)
Chapter 111 Naval Battle (2)
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Between Donghai Island and Luodousha, Liang Xiaoming's fleet finally discovered the long-standing government naval fleet. Liang Xiaoming licked his lips excitedly, like a shark spotting its prey.
The two opposing sides quickly approached each other. Upon seeing a fleet of towering ships, as tall as city walls, the lead ships of Fujian panicked and veered off course, trying to avoid them.
"Trying to hide? Too late."
Liang Xiaoming shouted orders, directing the fleet to insert itself between the enemy convoy and the coastline. The purpose of this was to prevent the enemy from scattering and fleeing along the coast before being bombarded. As long as they were kept away from the shore, the enemy ships would not break away from the main force unless absolutely necessary.
Venturing alone into the vast ocean would be tantamount to suicide, while leaving the fleet without permission would inevitably result in military law. The officers and soldiers on board were unaware that, even before the battle began, they had already found themselves in a dilemma.
More than three hundred ships were sailing in a line, stretching for miles. He Rubin, who was in the middle, was still unaware of what was happening.
After completing the maneuver and successfully inserting itself between the fleet and the coastline, when the last warship also entered its designated position and lined up with the government fleet, Liang Xiaoming gave the order: "Fire!"
The messenger frantically waved his small flag toward the ship behind—a pre-arranged signal. All five Wuyi-class warships opened their starboard gun ports, and the gunners, already in position, lit the fuses of the Caron cannons.
"Boom boom boom," "Boom boom boom," the continuous sound of cannons rang out, flames spewing from the muzzles as they launched solid spherical projectiles weighing 32 pounds at the enemy ship that was within arm's reach.
He Rubin's proud Hongyi cannons fired 5 or 10 jin (2.5 catties) cannonballs, which were insignificant compared to the nearly 30 jin (15 catties) cannonballs. The whistling cannonballs smashed the cabins and hulls, and some of the officers and soldiers standing on the deck were unlucky enough to be hit by the cannonballs. Before they could even cry out, half of their bodies were smashed away.
The booming cannon fire finally alerted He Rubin on the central ship. He jumped up and exclaimed, "That's cannon fire! Where did it come from? Could it be that someone on the ship is testing the cannons without permission?" However, he immediately dismissed the idea. His familiarity with cannons far exceeded that of ordinary officials, so it was not difficult for him to judge that this level of sound could not be produced by the 5-jin Hongyi cannon.
He rushed out of the cabin and leaned against the gunwale to see what was happening at the source of the cannon fire. What he saw stunned him: about two miles ahead, a fleet of tall warships was sailing alongside his own, flames occasionally erupting from the side closest to him, clearly indicating that they were firing cannons. Under the intense bombardment, the fleet ahead was engulfed in flames and billowing smoke.
Although He Rubin was renowned for his expertise in artillery, it was limited to land-based operations. He had never heard of this method of naval artillery bombardment before. Even when the Yangming approached for reconnaissance, he still believed that naval warfare was primarily about fire attacks and boarding maneuvers, with artillery playing a supporting role at best. This method of warfare was beyond his comprehension, leaving him momentarily bewildered and unsure of what to do.
The staff members then came to the ship's side, and upon seeing this scene, they all turned ashen-faced and couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Liang Xiaoming's fleet moved forward slowly, with the Caron cannons on the right continuously firing. The gunners didn't have to worry about anything; they just repeated the process of firing, resetting, cleaning the breech, loading, and firing again.
The panicked government troops began to try to escape the terrifying bombardment, but the ships that had been bombarded not only suffered many casualties among the sailors, but also sustained varying degrees of damage to their sides, and even some hit the waterline. Seawater slowly seeped into the hulls, and only thanks to the watertight compartment design of the Chinese-style hulls did they not sink immediately, but they were no longer able to sail normally, and it was obviously impossible for them to leave the battlefield.
Zuo Wuwei's ship was directly in front of He Rubin's. An expert in cannons, he immediately recognized it as no ordinary 5- or 10-jin (approximately 2.5-5 catties) cannon; it was likely a massive cannon capable of firing 20- or 30-jin (approximately 10-15 catties) cannonballs. His expertise only amplified his fear. 30-jin cannonballs—how enormous was that cannon? If it were a Fujian-style ship like theirs, a few shots would surely capsize it due to the recoil.
With such a powerful weapon on the enemy's side, and no way to retaliate, how could they possibly fight? He racked his brains but found no solution, and his hands and feet turned ice-cold.
Before long, the enemy's large ship approached his vessel, the deafening roar nearly shattering his eardrums. Ahead, another ship was being bombarded, splinters flying, hulls shattered, and a cannonball struck the base of its mainmast, causing it to collapse with a crash, killing several officers and sailors on deck. The two sides continued to pass each other, the larger ship behind continuing to bombard the first vessel. Zuo Wuwei witnessed massive, dark cannonballs blasting several large holes in the side of the ship, seawater rushing in, the hull beginning to list, and officers and sailors who lost their footing falling into the water, thrashing about and crying for help.
Zuo Wuwei stared blankly as the enemy's lead ship slowly approached his own. The towering hull forced him to look up at it. The ship's sides had many square windows, with gun emplacements set up inside, constantly spewing flames.
Seeing that he seemed possessed, his bodyguards struggled to pull him off the deck and into the hold. In this situation, staying on the deck was too dangerous, and jumping overboard wasn't a good idea either; only by hiding in the hold could they have a chance of survival.
The dark cabin was already packed with people. Seeing the horrific state of the ships ahead, the crew had learned their lesson. Except for a few hot-headed fools who jumped into the sea, the rest squeezed into the lower deck, hoping the sturdy hull could withstand the enemy's shelling.
Amidst the sounds of cannon fire and the commotion inside the cabin, someone clasped their hands together and cried out incoherently, "Buddha, merciful Guanyin, Mazu... please protect me, I don't want to die... this cannon is too damn scary..."
Although it was pitch black inside the cabin, Zuo Wuwei could tell that this was one of his Fujian-originating officers, usually quite brave in battle, but now he was terrified. Normally, he would have reprimanded him, but at this moment, he felt there was no reason to blame the officer. The artillery fire was deafening, like a mountain collapsing and the earth splitting; even he, a seasoned artillery battalion commander, was stunned, let alone others.
Even the gods and Buddhas seemed to have no effect. With a loud bang, the ship shook violently as a cannonball pierced the hull, sending flying wood chips and hull fragments into the cabin. In the darkness, countless people were swept away. A series of muffled "thuds" as iron balls struck flesh and blood, accompanied by screams, continued until the cannonballs hit the other side of the cabin before stopping.