Chapter 268: 268Escape for your life
Chapter 268 268Escape for your life
A chaotic war is a huge challenge for decision-makers on both sides. Challenge their abilities and challenge their perceptions.
Bernard was confused by everything that happened in front of him. He really didn't know why the other party would make such a strange decision.
He saw with his own eyes that the opponent's sail warships split into two groups and drove towards each other in opposite directions.
Several warships left their own fleet with their left rudders full and fled toward the distance without looking back. Most of the enemy ships were turning to starboard at this time, seeming to want to seize position across his path.
After a brief daze, Bernard suddenly realized that he didn't seem to know how to deal with the battle situation in front of him. He didn't know what the other side's commander was thinking in his mind.
Obviously, most of the battleships were carrying out the order to fight his fleet, otherwise they would not have stayed in their own lane.
However, there are still a few warships that actually carried out the opposite order and prepared to leave the entire battlefield. This is obviously against common sense.
He didn’t know what the other party was doing, so he didn’t know how he should respond for a while.
There is no way. In our own exercises, there is no such thing as the other party being timid and running away. The commanders on both sides will try their best to turn defeat into victory. Even if they fight to the last person, they will not give up easily.
So, in Bernard's mind, he subconsciously ignored the chaos and collapse of the other party because he had almost never been exposed to this field.
At the Datang Military Academy, students would not actively consider the option of retreat. After all, their equipment training and tactical thinking were far ahead of their time.
"Dividing the troops...what's going on?" Finally, he decided to ask the adjutant next to him to see what he thought.
The adjutant is also a little unsure about the current situation. According to his opinion, the enemy is almost seeking death by taking the initiative to divide its troops into two groups under such chaotic circumstances.
"I don't know, Commander...but I think a battleship should be sent out to follow those battleships!" After thinking about it, the adjutant said.
"Huh?" Bernard looked at the adjutant, waiting for his explanation.
After considering the words, the adjutant continued to explain: "The other party has come from afar, and there must be supply transport ships. These ships should be nearby, and maybe... there will be discoveries."
Bernard thought for a while, nodded and agreed with the adjutant: "I agree with your opinion, let the Bunas 6 following at the rear keep up with the battleship on the left!"
“Understood!” The adjutant immediately went to give the order.
So, in General Warren’s telescope, the Datang Group’s fleet also dispersed. A battleship rushed towards the fleeing sail battleships with thick smoke, and the remaining battleships rushed towards him.
Then, these warships turned neatly and began to show their broadsides. The turrets on the battleship were always pointed in the direction of his battleship.
Very quickly, really quickly—the warships of the Datang Group adjusted their shooting angles, and then used their naval guns to continue bombarding the few remaining sailing ships of the Talon Kingdom.
This is really a desperate massacre. Every sail warship hit by a 150 mm caliber naval gun has a very sad end.
It was completely a one-sided killing, with one party attacking and the other passively being beaten. On the warship of the Kingdom of Talon, which was about a thousand meters away and had no power to fight back, the sailors could only watch the friendly warship in the distance being sunk, and watch their comrades die.
"Boom!" With a loud noise, another warship was hit by a cannonball. The naval gun with an optical sight was at a distance of 1,000 meters. The hit rate was really high to make the enemy despair.
The battleship that was hit in the stern lost most of its stern. Without the rudder, they could only slow down and leave the fleet.
But this is definitely good news for them, because they may not sink immediately and do not have to continue to face the desperate artillery fire.
Immediately afterwards, another battleship was also hit by a 150 mm caliber shell and was directly blown into parts.
Those who have not faced artillery fire directly will not know the true power of artillery. It can be called the **** of war, which is definitely not touted.
Even in the 21st century, various countries have not completely replaced artillery, and even have great intentions to carry it forward.
And the destructive capacity of artillery shells is much greater than anyone imagined. The 37mm caliber secondary cannon on a battleship can make a hole as big as a wash basin if it hits the steel hull!
What's more, are you now using a 150mm caliber artillery to bombard some wooden boards? Look at those reinforced concrete buildings that were blown up by 150mm howitzers. Those are ten and a hundred times harder than wooden ship hulls...
This cannon was really devastating, even the mast fell down, and no one survived. A huge hole appeared in the hull of a battleship, and everything near the hole was destroyed.
Without even taking a look at the completely scrapped battleship, the Datang Group's battleship passed by in a hurry and rushed towards the next target. Seeing that the number of Talon Kingdom's warships was getting smaller and smaller, both sides opened fire wildly on their respective battle lines. But this time, the Talon Kingdom's warships no longer cared about accuracy and orders, and were just minding their own business. A cannon was fired.
The distance between the two sides was maintained between 1000 meters and 800 meters. The Talon Kingdom's fleet wanted to close this distance, but found that the attempt was ineffective.
So at an extreme distance where it was almost impossible to hit the target, the warships of the Talon Kingdom opened fire like crazy, as if venting their anger.
As a result, only a few artillery shells hit the warships of the Datang Group, and these shells were basically unable to damage the steel hull of the warships.
On the other hand, the quality of bombardment by the Datang Group's warships is astonishingly high. Every time they fire, it can almost damage a Talon Kingdom warship.
In the end, I don’t know whether it was because I could not withstand the pressure in my heart, and fell into a complete collapse. Among the warships of the Tarun Kingdom, several more warships fled and turned their course to the port side regardless of the cost.
This run made the few remaining warships in the entire fleet even more chaotic.
General Warren has found in despair that he can no longer continue to command the fleet because there are no warships to listen to his orders.
There are now less than 20 warships left, and the life-supporting maritime fleet of the Talon Kingdom is about to be completely wiped out.
Even if a few warships escape sporadically, nothing can change the outcome. The Kingdom of Tarun is over! It's completely over!
The dream of conquering the ocean and the benefits of annexing Rewind Port have become fleeting and illusory.
When he saw his fleet falling apart with his own eyes, and many captains who were usually brave and skillful in fighting, running around with their warships and escaping in a panic, he knew that he had lost, completely lost.
He not only lost his own future and everything he owned, he also lost the national destiny of the entire Tarun Kingdom.
That’s more than 60 battleships! A first-class sailing battleship! These warships are the foundation accumulated by the Talon Kingdom one by one!
Hundred years of navy is not only about the cultivation of naval technical personnel, nor is it only about the establishment of a country's sea power, it is also about the accumulation of warships themselves...
The construction of a wooden sail warship is not as simple as imagined. The wood these warships need to use requires decades of growth, several years of drying, and soaking in tung oil before it can finally be used.
Hence, it is simply impossible to recruit dozens of large warships at once. Just like the Yangmu Kingdom, after losing more than thirty warships, it basically lost its maritime hegemony.
This time, the Talon Kingdom lost more warships, and the problems they faced were even more serious—after all, they were not a kingdom like the Poplar Kingdom, which also had vast territory inland. They were an island country.
It is much more terrible for an island country to lose control of the sea than for a land country to lose control of the sea. To compare, if Germany's loss of sea power is equivalent to cutting off an arm, then Britain's loss of sea power is equivalent to cutting itself off...
Looking at it, the less than 20 remaining warships can no longer be saved, because the warships of the Datang Group are still attacking, attacking tirelessly!
Intensive artillery fire struck again, and another warship was hit and capsized. Now, there are only 15 warships left in the Talon Kingdom.
Yes, there are only 15 ships left. There were 19 battleships left in the formation, but 3 battleships had just turned around and fled. Among the remaining battleships, another battleship was sunk.
As far as Warren could see, a battleship hoisted a white flag, but was still hit by cannonballs and billowing smoke.
The other party does not seem to have the patience to accept prisoners, or it seems that the other party has no intention of letting go of the Talon Kingdom fleet.
Finally, Warren realized that he had to do something to save his face, or to seize the last glimmer of hope.
He looked at the pale-faced officers around him and shouted loudly: "Quick! Convey my order! Let the fleet keep full rudder! Leave this sea area... spread out! Escape as much as you can... escape as much as you can!"
Then, in shock and despair, the commanders of the remaining battleships saw an order that drove them crazy: "Disperse, leave the battlefield, and find a way to return to the Kingdom of Talon."
But they immediately discovered that they seemed to be unable to leave.
Because, two more battleships were sunk...
—
Thanks to His Majesty the Emperor for the reward, but it still needs an update... It's well deserved.
(End of this chapter)