Ming Zuo

The imperial mission is dominated by Liao Zhongjian, with Xu Erjue as his deputy.But once a war starts, everyone must obey Kong Zhiguang's orders from top to bottom.

Professional people do professional things.

Kong Zhiguang is an experienced admiral who has fought in any environment and is trustworthy.

Liao Zhongjian and Xu Erjue didn't understand military affairs at all, so they stayed on the flagship honestly and became spectators with great interest.

But some people were not quiet and questioned Kong Zhiguang's tactics on the spot.

"Dear General Kong, I think it is a mistake to divide our troops. I know the British very well. They are best at creating chaos and then winning by numerical superiority. Now we are divided into two forces, and we are likely to fall into the predicament of fighting on our own. .”

The speaker was the Dutch general De Ruyter.

This person is a rising star among the Dutch navy and is known as the star of the famous general.

This time he went to England, De Ruyter boarded Kong Zhiguang's flagship with a strong curiosity about the Imperial Navy, and wanted to observe how the Imperial Navy operated.

Along the way, he was an eye-opener, and he was amazed at the third-tier battleships made by the empire.And secretly made up his mind to promote the reform of the Dutch navy after returning.

In any case, a new strategic ship manufacturing technology must be introduced from the Empire.

He is confident that once the Netherlands masters the manufacturing technology of the new type of battleship, it will definitely overwhelm the crowd in Europe and ensure its supremacy.

It's just that when the battle started now, seeing Kong Zhiguang's command, he couldn't help feeling extremely anxious.

For him, Marton Tropp was both a teacher and a friend.

He didn't want to see the seniors fall into the siege of the British.

Moreover, the Imperial Navy only has seven battleships, the number is too small, and it is not enough to change the situation of the battle.

Kong Zhiguang looked indifferent.

"General Ruyter, don't be impatient, this victory will definitely belong to us."

While speaking, the imperial navy has quickly completed the formation.The seven battleships lined up in a straight line, pressing straight towards Robert Blake's fleet.

De Ruyter's pupils were shocked.

"How can the formation of General Kong give full play to the power of artillery fire?"

But on the other side, Robert Blake was extremely nervous.

I'm coming.

The line of battle tactics described by the officer below really appeared in front of him.

He couldn't help but widen his eyes, trying to stare at the rapidly approaching imperial fleet, trying to see every detail of this tactic.

De Ruyter complained for a while, and found that no one paid attention to him, and he could only feel depressed by himself.Simply copy the binoculars and watch the battle with worry.

But at this moment, he discovered something different again.

The telescope in his hand is the standard equipment of the Dutch Navy, and it is a boutique among them, but it is a monocular.

Beside him, whether it was Kong Zhiguang, Liao Zhongjian, or Xu Erjue, their telescopes were all binoculars.

"Mr. Xu, can you lend me your binoculars?"

Xu Erjue didn't think much of himself, and happily handed it over.

Before this visit to Europe, the empire had already formulated a clear plan.

Except for the new artillery and firing pin guns, the rest of the technology can be shown to the Europeans.

The reason is that everyone understands that many technologies cannot be completely kept secret.

In the age of great voyages, all heroes rise together.

All countries are doing their best to surpass their opponents, so when they see something advanced about their opponents, they will definitely try their best to learn, imitate and surpass them.

Under such circumstances, many technologies of the empire will not be kept secret for long.

Of course, except for the new artillery and firing pin guns, as well as the technology of the flash cap.

Even if the principles of these things were told to the Europeans, they would not be able to manufacture them.

The field of science in Europe in this era has not yet evolved to a high level.

The empire decided to sell the Minie rifles to its European allies, but it firmly controlled the production and sales of the caps, which was tantamount to blocking the veins of these countries.

At least within a hundred years, there is no need to worry about these allies being stabbed in the back.

De Ruyter happily took the binoculars, used them only a little, and immediately realized the extraordinary in them.

Obviously this type of telescope has a shorter lens barrel, but it can see farther away, and the lens has a higher definition.At the same time, the binoculars also effectively make up for the blind spots in the field of vision, effectively increasing the efficiency of observing the enemy's situation.

De Ruyter made another quick mental note.

This is also one of the military supplies that the Netherlands will purchase from the Empire in the future.

On the sea, the imperial fleet braved the wind and waves, and quickly approached the British fleet.

The observation post rang the alarm bell.

This does not mean that someone has attacked, but tells the commander that the distance between the enemy and us has entered within 2000 meters.

Kong Zhiguang gave the order immediately.

"The whole team turned and seized the upper hand."

The messenger quickly waved the semaphore, and the entire fleet began to draw an arc on the sea.

As soon as the first warship completed its turn, de Ruyter realized that the Imperial Navy was employing a highly skilled tactic.

He simulated the operation of the entire fleet in his mind, and he had already imagined the scene of seven warships pointing their sides at the British fleet and firing hundreds of artillery guns.

This made him tremble all over, as if opening the door to a new field of naval warfare.

Still, he was concerned.

"General Kong, it's too early to turn around. The British warship is still far away, and your tactics may not be effective."

Opposite Robert Blake thought the same way.

The imperial fleet is more than 1000 meters away, and it has started such a maneuver. What effect can it play?

Kong Zhiguang still did not explain, but focused on ordering.

"Order all artillery positions, and prepare armor-piercing shells."

The order of the Imperial Navy was efficient and accurate, and the gunners of the seven warships immediately began to get busy.

De Ruyter didn't get an answer, so he simply gritted his teeth, turned around, jumped off the podium, and rushed into the cabin.

Although he is a high-ranking general, he is not reserved about his status, and intends to see with his own eyes how the Imperial Navy manipulates artillery.

He came to the cabin just in time to see the gunners loading.

The propellant packaged in a paper shell is very convenient. It can be inserted into the muzzle of the gun and stabbed with a wooden stick to reach the depth of the gun barrel properly.

It is completely different from the artillery used in Europe at this time. It takes many times of hard tinkering to get the gunpowder solid.

It was the cannonballs that caught De Ruyter's eye the most.

The cannonball that the gunners took out was not a round iron ball, but a slender cylinder.Not only that, but there is also a beautiful arc at the front end, forming a pointed tip.

Do these shells really work?

In de Ruyter's doubts, all the artillery positions were ready.