The sun never sets in America

Chapter 389 Z Flag and Dragon Flag

The victory of a naval battle depends on the will of both sides and the strength of their own ships.

Gan Changsheng wrote it in the spring of the 23rd year of Longwu to commemorate the Caribbean War.

The aftermath of the explosion of the artillery shells was like a gust of wind, unable to withstand any blow on a battlefield where shells were constantly fired.

What is most important to the mixed fleet, victory? ?

No, it is to escape intact while ensuring victory. After all, the essence of naval warfare is to defeat the opponent, not to destroy oneself.

Zhou Wenhao knows this very well. Since he fought with the opponent, except for a big detour of more than ten minutes, most of the time has been spent "cautiously". Even at the most risky moments, he has chosen the safest option. Retreat instead of listening to the young men who say "fight to the end."

After all, fighting to the end requires not only courage, but also the calmness to face failure, and responsibility to everyone in the fleet.

When the 240mm secondary gun fired a high-explosive bomb with white smoke, a U.S. cruiser on the opposite side instantly looked like an eagle shot by a shotgun, constantly performing a scene on the sea that was only " Actions that only epilepsy patients would make.

This cruiser named Bird is a relatively new one among the many cruisers in the US Navy. Its tonnage has even been increased to 4,000 tons for the first time, setting a record for the largest tonnage of an American cruiser.

The eight capital ships here are using the most advanced weapons in naval history to fight the bloodiest war.

The roar of the giant cannon is like a war horn, constantly guiding the heroic soldiers to charge forward.

After all, these Han people have never played their cards according to common sense, and retreating is often a wise choice.

From the perspective of Han, the New York is the greatest threat among the four battleships. Just as Huo Anting said when executing the order: "The victory of this battle depends on the destruction of the New York!!"

This also led to the ship's flaws, which were fully exposed under the brief bombardment just now.

When the New York fired its guns, it really showed what a battleship should be, even though this ship was a typical "hybrid".

It stands to reason that such a heavy battleship would have very thick armor no matter what, but the reality is that the defensive capabilities of this 4,000-ton cruiser are only equivalent to the earliest ironclads.

Yes, it was the battlecruiser that was a flash in the pan in later generations. The Yankees accidentally brought it into being.

Since joining the Navy, Huo Anting has not borrowed any connections from his family. He has worked step by step in the highly competitive Navy, becoming a captain and captain of a Qin-class battleship.

But there is only one hero in this sea area, and that is King Qin Zhaoxiang! !
When the King Qin Zhaoxiang rushed forward at the risk of being sunk, the New York on the opposite side finally realized something was wrong. Nancy on the ship directly ordered a retreat.

The most fundamental reason is that the so-called "high speed" was overemphasized in the design of this ship.

Huo Anting, who is in his thirties, does not look old at all because of exercise. If you just look at his appearance, you might think he is a twenty-year-old young man.

Just when Zhang Jin was lamenting the Americans' strange way of building ships, the "Behemoth" battlefield a few kilometers away was entering a very chaotic moment.

In terms of status, he has surpassed his Army "dad" who retired with the rank of Brigadier General, and even far surpassed his cousin, a Major who is still serving in the Army and is now living in the south.

Opposite it, the New York was still firing cannonballs unhurriedly, as if it didn't take the Han battleship seriously at all.

Originally, according to the strength of the New York, there was no need to retreat, but as a veteran, although Nancy's command ability was average, she still had a keen sense of the battlefield.

Although the roar of the cannons was not as loud as that over there, the size of the cannonballs was obviously larger.

But just like the motto Huo Anting wrote when he was a boy:
"If you are alive, you will be a prince of ten thousand households, and if you die, you will be a ghost hero!!"

When dense 350mm artillery shells mixed with secondary guns of various calibers were churning on the sea, they had broken through the fire circle. The King Qin Zhaoxiang, which was very close to the New York on the opposite side, was firing all its shells like unnecessary The money is gone as well.

At that time, this news was still spread by interested people as a new method of corruption. However, after the ship was launched, the number of doubts decreased a lot. The reason was that it was too fast.

For him, who comes from a noble family in Xijing, victory is like something engraved in his bones that cannot be changed no matter what.

Looking at the cruiser that looked very strange and leaving quickly on the opposite side, the captain of the Zhou Wenwang opened his mouth and spat out: "Damn it, how can this thing be so fast? It's almost catching up with those destroyers, Yankee What kind of thing did you create? It can’t resist beatings, but it’s so fast. Damn it!!”

According to the current ranking of world battleships, this ship is the largest battleship after the Qin Gai-class battleships of the Han Dynasty, as well as the Napoleon-class and Victoria-class battleships.

But what Nancy on the New York didn't expect was that the Han warship opposite seemed to be really crazy, chasing them and biting them.

But it is one of the few battleships in this world that can stand in the first echelon.

Because of this, the cruiser named Bird left this crisis-filled front under the cover of the battleship just after the bombardment.

Although this sentence is an adaptation of an ancient sentence, it can be seen that Huo Anting is "persistent". Even today, this calligraphy and painting still hangs in his dormitory and captain's room.

This ship was born the year before last. At that time, the arms race was in full swing. The entire American shipbuilding industry was working hard in the field of warships. Among them, a shipyard named Blackstone actually broke through when designing a warship for the first time. After passing many levels, I finally got an order for a new cruiser.

But this is not a good thing, but a bad thing, because the advancement of technology will not progress with the advancement of design. If nothing else, it is just a matter of armor and power compatibility. It will not last for five or six years. Even longer, there is simply no solution.

But just like the reaction just now, the Asuka has a huge flaw, and this flaw is the armor.

The clay figurine still has some firepower, let alone a high-ranking general like Nancy.

This cruiser, in fact, fundamentally should not be called a cruiser, but a battlecruiser.

But all this is not without disadvantages, that is, because it is too fast, the power components occupy too much, compressing the space of the armor.

If we say that the dozen or so ships here use similar cannons and fight similar wars with each other.

On the King Qin Zhaoxiang opposite, Captain Huo Anting looked at the ship opposite, which was obviously larger and had thicker armor. Even a few rounds of 305mm shells could only make it barely "shake". , with a hint of "crazy" in his eyes.

"Boom boom boom!!"

Faced with the "menacing" and "life-threatening" King Qin Zhaoxiang, the New York chose to distance itself.

On the sea, the waves were rough, and the cannonballs were like meteors, constantly rowing towards the water, causing a wave of waves.

"Fire and destroy this bug!!"

Moreover, in a real naval battle, due to the different qualities of the operators, it is still unclear who will win in a real fight.

This type of cruiser perfectly fit the high-speed cruising plan of the U.S. Navy at that time.

The Qin Zhaoxiang King is a battleship with such a mission.

Judging from the current battlefield, the New York, which is half a body ahead, seems to have the upper hand. In terms of artillery and armor, it is almost invulnerable to the King Qin Zhaoxiang.

But in a battle of this level, it often takes a long time to decide the outcome.

Even this time may last more than half an hour, because both sides are constantly adjusting their positions.

On the First Emperor, Gan Changsheng looked at the Qin Zhaoxiang King and the New York, which were still engaged in a "fierce battle", with a complicated expression. He knew very well what this one-on-one fight meant.

But in order to win, they have no way out! !
Seeing this, Gan Changsheng issued an order in a strong tone:
"Continue to turn, attack with full force, hit their sides and rear!!"

When this order was transmitted to the other two warships via telegraph, the American ship on the opposite side still had not reacted. After all, for these guys who were still using old-fashioned flags to transmit messages, radio was too advanced. . "Crack!!"

The sound of gear rotation came from the huge body of the First Emperor, like a prelude before the end of the war, full of "clarity".

The other two warships beside them also quickly adjusted their power. A minute and a half later, the three behemoths with a weight of more than 10,000 tons, under the gaze of the Yankees, once again entered a favorable combat position.

With this kind of continuous operation, if you say that the Han people don't have any "black technology", you won't believe it! !
After stabilizing, the two Qin-class battleships fired at the same time. As for the largest Qin-class battleship, the delay was about tens of seconds, probably because it was too heavy and had not recovered for a while.

If the cruiser a few kilometers away is a "little fight", then the battle between the battleships is truly "magnificent".

When the Shihuang's twelve 380mm cannons enveloped the USS Chicago on the opposite side, it didn't even have the ability to resist. It had a different relationship with the King Qin Zhaoxiang and the USS New York who were still "fighting" opposite. essential difference.

There are certainly gaps in technology and training, but the most important thing is accuracy. As the last ship before the war, the Shihuang used the latest model of aiming device.

Although compared to the electronic aiming and fire control radars of later generations, they are just typical antiques.

But in this era of still relying on physical sights, a sighting device that can be assisted by mechanical adjustment is an "artifact".

Because of the high cost, the large size of the aiming equipment, and the fact that it was designed to be associated with the Qin Gai-class artillery system, such advanced aiming equipment only appeared on two ships.

That is the First Emperor and the Fusu! !
On the Chicago, six hundred naval soldiers on the ship were racing against time to repair the breach that had just been breached by the Shihuang.

On the bow of the ship, several relatively complete 380mm cannons also fired directly at the Shihuang.

"Boom", the smoke dissipated, and the Shihuang was intact, and it didn't even fluctuate a few times.

On the Shihuang, Gan Changsheng looked at the Chicago across the way through the smoke that had just dispersed. There was no expression on his face, and he didn't even give any orders.

Ten seconds later, the Shihuang, which had finished reloading, once again let out its "roar", showing off its "kingly demeanor" to all the surrounding warships.

Boom! !
The Chicago, covered by artillery, continued to evacuate to the left and rear, trying to join the New York and use the strength of the New York to block the ferocious "beast".

But as Gan Changsheng said in his diary: "Any cowardly behavior will be paid at the next moment!!"

While the Chicago was desperately trying to rendezvous with the New York, the Shihuang quickly broke away from the front line and joined forces with the King Qinzhuangxiang to attack the South Carolina, which was already trapped in the war and unable to extricate itself.

When the South Carolina was flanked, the King Qin Zhaoxiang, which was still fighting hard with the New York, uncharacteristically began to withdraw. The New York, which had just been preparing to continue to increase its firepower, was a little confused, and then relied on instinctive reaction to pursue it. Go up.

On the main battlefield, the South Carolina, which was flanked, gradually fell into despair.

"Tell He Yiren that he can use as much force as he can now. I want to see that Yankee ship sink into the sea and turn into a living coffin!!"

Gan Changsheng looked at the disabled South Carolina on the other side, then turned around and picked up his binoculars to look at the New York and King Qin Zhaoxiang, which were still chasing each other, and the rat-like Chicago. He spoke fiercely to the ones beside him. The adjutant ordered.

After receiving this extremely strong order, He Yiren, the captain of the Qinzhuangxiang King opposite, said nothing but shouted loudly to the people inside the ship:

"Everyone, it depends on whether you are a bear or a hero today. Everyone, work harder and drive those beautiful dogs into the water!!"

The Qin Zhuang Xiang King was full of soldiers loading ammunition and executing orders. Even the cooks were asked to go to the power room to attract matchmakers.

When dense white smoke emerged from the King Qinzhuangxiang, the battleship USS South Carolina opposite was experiencing the greatest pressure since the naval battle. Even when its companion USS Boston wanted to rescue it, it could not He was stopped by Qin Xiaogong, who had been observing the situation.

When the New York, which had been chasing for at least two kilometers, and the Chicago, which had been "panicked" by the Shihuang, came to their senses and rushed back.

The ship of the South Carolina was covered with mottled smoke and dense holes under the smoke.

These small holes are not big. Strictly speaking, they can all be repaired, but on such a dangerous battlefield, these small wounds may very well kill them! !
"Boom!!"

If the shell just now only caused minor damage to this huge battleship, then a high-explosive ammunition on the Shihuang hit the ammunition magazine on the side string, which was truly "fatal".

The King Qinzhuangxiang behind him truly demonstrated what "killing you while you are sick" means. When the artillery, which was not too inconspicuous at first, hit the hull of the South Carolina, the entire battleship had already started to catch fire. .

"Boom!!"

There were more than a dozen 380mm shells fired in succession. The shells struck at a very tricky angle, basically heading towards the South Carolina's wounds.

When a few of the shots were lucky enough to hit, the South Carolina, which had just been fighting one against two and roaring, completely stalled.

Finally, under the blow of dozens of consecutive heavy artillery rounds, it sank into the blue Caribbean Sea.

The Caribbean Sea is filled with smoke, and there is a smell of death in the air.

"Fake!!"

The New York that had just returned, looked at the South Carolina that had sunk without a trace, leaving only the wreckage. Nancy, as the fleet commander, was like a "raging" lion, but this one The lion is so old that his momentum has begun to decline.

Although she was very angry, Nancy's mind was frantically "weighing the pros and cons" at the moment.

At this time, "retreat" and "fight" became Nancy's curse.

Looking at the sea area where the destroyed South Carolina was located, as well as the nearly repaired Chicago and the still intact Boston, Nancy's eyes became sharper and she finally said:
"Raise the Z flag!!"

When the Z-shaped flag symbolizing the decisive battle is raised, it also means that this naval battle is about to reach its final climax.

Inside the First Emperor, looking at the Z-shaped flag in the telescope, Gan Changsheng's expression changed slightly, and then he ordered in the same "tough" tone:

"Raise the dragon flag and do it with these guys!!"

The word "Qian" seemed to be the word "kill" in Gan Changsheng's mouth.

When the blue dragon flags symbolizing the decisive battle are raised, the war is about to come in an even crazier form.

While the battle between the capital ships was in full swing, the secondary battlefield a few kilometers away was heading towards the "end".

When the Zhou Wenwang's naval gun hit the opposite "General Walter", the entire battlefield basically showed a strong and weak posture.

The end of the war is often dramatic. A naval gun from the King of Zhou accidentally hit the bow of the Poseidon, destroying several forts at the front.

When the Poseidon, which had lost its forward firepower, hoped to rely on steering and use side firepower to resist stubbornly, several shells from the Zhou Wenwang completely ruined its retreat.

"Boom!"

Huge smoke rose from the Poseidon. This warship, which was nearly perfect back then, just "flooded".

The water came in much faster than the crew imagined. When a steady stream of seawater poured in from the hole, the battleship didn't even have time to "struggle" and just fell to the sea.

He fell on the battlefield symbolizing "Poseidon".

Like an "absurd comedy", the Poseidon ended its short life in a "head-first dive" at the end of the war.

(End of this chapter)