unclear

Chapter 1428: Each Has Its Own Strengths

The plan was well-thought-out, but anything can happen at sea. On the very night of departure, they encountered a storm, forcing the fleet to lower the sails and slow down. The rain stopped by daybreak, but the wind grew stronger and stronger, blowing for a day and a half before finally calming down.

Upon arriving at the rendezvous point, a count revealed that all the ships were present, but two had broken mainmasts and beams, rendering them unsuitable for long-distance voyages. They had no choice but to return to base for repairs. As for the situation of the second squadron, no one knew, and there was no time to make contact. They could only grit their teeth and head to Enniu Port to rendezvous.

As a result, they rushed to the waters of Enniu Port day and night, working overtime. Due to the negligence of the flagship's navigator, the fleet encountered a big problem that was both ridiculous and extremely dangerous!

Seaweed, as the name suggests, is grass that grows in the sea. Actually, it's a general term for many kinds of algae; for example, kelp, which we often eat, is a type of brown algae. So why would crunchy kelp pose a danger to ships? There's only one reason, and then there are many more!
The waters off South Africa are often rough and windy, making them less popular with seafarers, but they are a paradise for marine life. Located at the confluence of two oceans and close to Antarctica, the seawater experiences a mix of warm and cold currents due to differences in salinity and temperature.

These ocean currents bring up organic matter from the seabed, which becomes a favorite food for many plankton and also nourishes a large amount of algae, such as kelp.

How big are the kelp in the waters off South Africa? You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it with your own eyes—over 20 meters tall! Its roots attach to the seabed rocks, and its broad leaves grow vertically upwards, swaying with the waves in a rather eerie way.

What if thousands upon thousands of kelp roots came together? That would be an underwater forest. No matter how bright the sun was in the sky, it would be pitch black a few meters below the surface in the kelp forest.

East of Enbird Port lies a large kelp forest, about 30 kilometers from the shore, spanning 10 kilometers in length and width. The water here is approximately 30 meters deep, and the kelp sways just a few meters below the surface.

From a distance, it looked normal, but getting closer gave me a fright. The water was pitch black, something was constantly moving, and every now and then I could hear rhythmic slapping sounds, like someone clapping. It was a sea otter slapping shellfish against a rock on its chest; it was especially eerie at night.

If it were just scary, it wouldn't be enough to constitute danger or major trouble. The problem lies in the fact that kelp forests nurture many types of seaweed that cannot grow in the open sea. They act like a vast forest that protects against wind and waves, providing a perfect habitat for many animals and plants.

However, what is good for plants and animals can sometimes be dangerous and troublesome for humans. If a large sailboat accidentally sails into a seaweed forest, it is very likely that the rudder will get tangled in the seaweed and it will be unable to move.

If the wind isn't too strong, it's manageable; someone can dive down with knives and axes to cut the seaweed, cutting it every so often until they get out. But if the wind is very strong, and the captain and sailors are inexperienced, it becomes extremely dangerous.

If the ship is sailing with full sails and suddenly gets tangled up below, unable to quickly furl the sails, the enormous inertia will break the mast, or even cause the ship to list. If the angle is too large, the ship will capsize.

To prevent ships from accidentally entering the kelp forest, the garrison at Enbird Port used anchors to sink several large buoys as markers. Regular captains didn't need to check the buoys; instead of turning immediately after leaving port, they would sail south for an hour before turning, perfectly avoiding the area.

When wartime arrived, the garrison fleet removed the pontoons, intending to use them to ambush any European fleets that might pass through. However, the navigator on the flagship of the First Squadron was inexperienced and was so focused on calculating the course and speed of the European Allied fleet that he forgot about the kelp forest and led his fleet straight into it.

The effect was excellent; more than half of the warships were hit. Fortunately, the wind wasn't too strong, and the warships were relatively sturdy, preventing a disastrous outcome. Otherwise, before the battle even began, they would have lost half their rescue fleet and would have had to search for other ships to come to their aid.

This delay took up most of the day. By the time they finally emerged from the seaweed thicket, dusk was approaching. After weighing the pros and cons, Wang Tiemao decided not to wait any longer and immediately launched an attack on the European allied fleet, simultaneously contacting the garrison at Enbird Port and the resident fleet, whose location was unknown. Faced with the sudden appearance of over a dozen Ming warships, the European allied fleet reacted quickly, raising their sails and adjusting their formation to prepare for battle. However, their equipment was inadequate; before they could even form a proper formation, the Ming fleet, in a long, serpentine line, charged at high speed towards the easternmost few guard ships.

"Bang bang bang... bang bang..."

With a dazzling series of maneuvers by the sailors, the warships sailing against the wind turned westward one after another, revealing their broadsides riddled with gun ports. Then, a flash of fire, a plume of white smoke, and a series of deafening explosions followed, and another ship appeared, performing the same stunt!
European warships were not willing to be passively attacked, so they hurriedly turned their hulls to the side, and regardless of whether they aimed accurately or not, they opened fire as soon as they roughly hit the right direction.

For a moment, both fleets were shrouded in thick smoke. Fortunately, a westerly wind came to help disperse it; otherwise, even the best gunner would have been useless, as they wouldn't have been able to see where the other was.

Firing at moving targets from 200 meters away was the most common training exercise for the Ming Dynasty Navy. Even without orders from officers, sailors knew how to maintain the distance and maneuver freely.

This long snake did not sail in a straight line, one ship after another, but rather twisted and turned like a snake, trying its best to avoid getting close to enemy ships, while at the same time adjusting the ship's attitude to create as many firing angles as possible.

Then it's the gunner's turn to demonstrate their skills, keenly seizing the best angle and target to issue the firing order. Gunners are the most frustrated group; they have no control over when to fire or which target to engage.

Confined to the low, cramped, and dimly lit gun deck, constantly loading, resetting, adjusting elevation and depression, and firing, it was no different from being blind, purely blind firing.

Whether or not an enemy ship can be hit depends first on the sailor's skill in adjusting the ship's course, second on the gunner's keen eye for giving the order to fire, third on whether there is enough luck bestowed by God, and fourth on praying that the ignition cap doesn't malfunction. If all of these factors are met, hitting the target will be a natural outcome.

In contrast, European warships, due to differences in training systems and operational concepts, find it difficult to achieve unified action in a short period of time. Especially in sudden combat, their ingrained habits immediately come to the fore.

English warships flying the white flag with a red cross were generally of low tonnage, mostly around 300-500 tons. They were classified as third-class warships in the Royal Navy, also known as cruisers, with a tonnage similar to the Qin-class and Han-class warships of the Ming Dynasty Navy.

Their tactics were similar to those of the Ming Dynasty navy, both favoring to utilize the maneuverability and speed of their ships to maximize the power of their cannons. In battle, several ships would often line up to approach the enemy from upwind, then engage the enemy from the broadside and fire cannons of different calibers in sequence.

However, due to the low accuracy of naval guns, they often fired for a long time without hitting a target. To improve the hit rate, they had to increase the number of guns. For example, the third-rate warships of the British Royal Navy usually had more than 30 guns, and some even had as many as 50.

下层甲板以十多门18-24磅长炮为主，上层火炮甲板以二十多门9-12磅隼炮为主。艏楼和艉楼还有几门6磅炮，用来在追击和撤退途中射击。

In addition, there are iron gun mounts on the port and starboard sides, which will be used to install several 3-pounder swivel guns in wartime to fire grapeshot to inflict heavy casualties on enemy deck personnel during boarding operations.

(End of this chapter)