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Chapter 1685 Three Hundred Warships
There have never been so many warships gathered in the waters of Dunkirk. The two sides have gathered nearly 300 galleons, which are very visually impactful when spread out on the vast sea.

There were so many ships that the admirals on both sides had trouble directing the battle.

Not to mention that there is no radio, even if there is a radio, it is almost impossible to keep so many ships in formation during the battle.

The fleets of the Netherlands and France are to the east, while the fleets of China and England are to the west. From the number of ships, the fleets of the Netherlands and France have 200 ships, while the fleets of China and England have only 100 ships.

But it is not as simple as it seems on the surface. In front of the Huaxia and England fleets are five steam ironclad ships emitting black smoke. The chimneys of the steam ships are still emitting black smoke. The steam engines have not been turned off, but are ready to fight at any time.

In contrast, there were many galleys dispatched from the Mediterranean in the opposite French fleet, and the latter had a disadvantage in the windy and turbulent English Channel.

This unprecedented naval battle will determine the fate of the Holy Alliance and the European Union. The army that wins the Holy Alliance can land from Dunkirk to attack Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam.If you lose the Continental Union, you can attack England across the English Channel.

"Why hasn't the Spaniard's Armada arrived yet? Our advantage is not that great... That big black and gray ship is really disturbing. I have heard the ambassadors in England mention that they have seen this size over A 100-meter iron ship. The question is how do they build an iron ship with a length of hundreds of meters? Using steel to build a ship is too extravagant and impractical. But when they actually build such a ship, the next step is We're in trouble."

The French fleet commander Blazer and a group of French naval officers did not know how to start before the battle.

They brought 60 galleons and 30 galleys. The French fleet had gained combat experience from the Armada in the previous war with Spain and began to rise, but none of them had experience fighting ironclads.

It is possible that the only commander who is still alive in the frontal battle with the ironclad ship is Huosan Zand Pasha of the Rhode Island Fleet of the Ottoman Empire. His galleon was hit by the General Fubo in the First Mediterranean War and the powder magazine exploded. He escaped by chance. As a result, he did not dare to confront ironclad ships at all as a result of the Second Mediterranean War.

As for the generals of France and the Netherlands, they have zero experience in fighting ironclad ships.

"Our artillery shells may not be able to break through the opponent's armor. I think we can use artillery shells to destroy their masts or cause casualties to the sailors on their decks, or even jump on their decks. Only by using close combat tactics can we win." said a French general.

"Close combat... wait a moment, if the long-range artillery battle is unfavorable, let a squadron approach the siege, although it is difficult to effectively command the fleet when a battle really breaks out." Blazer looked at the two sides of his flagship "Crown". There are still a large number of ships on the side, and his command of the French fleet of 90 ships is enough, and he has to cooperate with the Dutch fleet of 107 ships.

When the battle starts, fight with the opposite ship, let alone commanding the ship to besiege a certain ship, it will not be easy not to recognize the wrong ship.

The fleet of the Holy Alliance is also formulating tactics. The Zhili Fleet, the Fourth Fleet, and the Royal Squadron have formed three parts: the avant-garde, the central army, and the rear.

Zheng Zhihu, Zheng Chenggong and others chased the privateer all the way to Dunkirk, but there was still no way to capture the privateer.

The Spanish privateers they encountered were actually Spanish warships in disguise. They had rich combat experience and escaped from the pursuit of Zheng Zhihu and his squadron.

Zheng Zhihu's squadron had no choice but to rendezvous with the main naval forces of Nelson and others to participate in this sea battle.

The Spanish privateers joined the French and Dutch fleets. They watched the contest from the other side of the battlefield, looking for the most opportune time to help the French and Dutch fleets win.

"It's the first time I've seen so many ships, no, it should be said so many large ships. There were also so many ships during the siege of Constantinople, but mainly small and medium-sized galleys and small boats. "

"If we break into the ocean of 200 warships on the opposite side later, we are likely to be concentrated by dense shells. With the strength of our Zheng He, we may not be able to withstand the attack of too many shells."

The naval cadets of Zheng He have a lot of experience in naval battles, but this is the first time they have faced such a powerful enemy.

If there were no steam ironclad ships to sit in the fleet, this war might fail.

"Keep the battle line and don't leave the troops. The number of artillery on the opposite warship is almost higher than that of our Zheng He. If we are alone and get into a melee, we may be sunk." Zheng Chenggong had to be cautious.

This is the first time that Zheng He has faced such a large-scale naval battle, and the two sides may fall into a melee.

The Holy Alliance Fleet and the Continental Alliance Fleet faced off in the waters near Dunkirk for two days, and both sides were waiting for the other's attack to gain an advantage as the defender.

Fleet confrontation at sea is not as long-lasting as on land, and the food and fresh water on both sides tend to deteriorate over time.

At dawn, the Holy Alliance fleet took the upper hand, and under the premise that the wind direction was favorable, the steam ironclad ship Wei Qing took the lead in sending out the signal to attack.

The sharp whistle sounded like a strange sound from a sea monster hidden in the depths of the English Channel, and then the steam ironclad Huo Qubing, a sister ship, also pulled the whistle as if responding.

The strange sounds that sounded one after another made the Dutch and French sailors, who had never heard such a sound and were sleepy, bewildered.

"Lord, bless me to survive the battle." The sailors made the cross on their chests, and then they babbled prayers before the battle.

"Ready to go!!"

The workers of the steam ironclad ship added coal to the boiler, and the ship's reciprocating steam engine began to run rapidly, and various metal-textured monitoring instruments vibrated violently due to the operation of the steam engine.

The battle line composed of nearly 100 warships advanced towards the Netherlands and the French fleet. Zheng He was located in the middle army, and there were friendly ships on the left and right sides of it.

"Everyone should try to survive this time." Zheng Chenggong is obviously not very confident about the melee of 300 ships. Their naval cadets are all on this ship. All the students might be wiped out.

(End of this chapter)