I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1150 An Epoch-Making Naval Warfare
Picston felt as if he had thrown a punch, but it hit nothing but air.

The French didn't occupy Egypt; instead, they taught the Mamluks a lesson and then withdrew...

So what else could his fleet do in Egypt but congratulate the Ottoman Sultan?

Commander Nelson of the Vanguard Squadron suggested, "General, we can go to Alexandria, or even the Levantine coast, to strengthen the Imperial Navy's presence."

After all, the British hadn't been to the Mediterranean for a long time, and now trade between Europe and the Ottomans was entirely dependent on the French. This voyage was a good opportunity to turn things around.

Nelson licked his lips, looking quite excited: "If we happen to encounter the French fleet, the strategic situation in the Mediterranean will be completely changed!"

Since being driven out of the Mediterranean, British shipyards have launched a large number of battleships at nearly twice the rate of their French counterparts.

Currently, the total tonnage of the British fleet exceeds that of the combined French and Spanish fleet by more than 20%.

Moreover, steam-powered warships are now also available to assist them.

The British Navy was eager to avenge their previous defeat—if it weren't for the fact that France had already acquired numerous ports in the Mediterranean, such as Genoa, Tunisia, and Mittja, they would have loved to block the French fleet outside Toulon.

Brigadier General Pixar hesitated, after all, his orders were to cut off the French army's retreat route after they landed in Egypt, but the French had already withdrawn.

Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard a rapid drumbeat coming from the deck.

This is an alarm signaling an encounter with the enemy.

Pixar exchanged glances with several generals, then strode towards the upper command room.

His fleet consisted of 18 battleships of tier III or higher, as well as 38 cruisers and frigates, 80% of which were steam-powered.

The only force daring to challenge such a massive fleet could be the Franco-Spanish combined fleet.

Sure enough, while Pixar was still going up the stairs, an officer came to report to him:
"Commander, a large number of French and Spanish warships have appeared in the northwest direction, within 8 nautical miles!"

"Currently, 10 battleships have been confirmed, and at least 20 steam warships have been added."

In the Mediterranean, high-speed and agile steam warships are just as important as battleships.

Pixar's expression relaxed slightly—the number of enemy ships wasn't a significant threat—but he still gave the order:
"Let the frigates expand their reconnaissance range."

"Yes, Commander."

Major General Hortham, standing nearby, said:
"It seems the French are trying to delay our journey to Alexandria."

Major General Collingwood shook his head: "Then they should be waiting on our east side. The way they are now looks more like an ambush."

Pixar snorted coldly. With such a small force as the French and Spanish fleets, launching an attack would be tantamount to suicide.

They probably thought they still had a speed advantage, right? But now the situation is completely different!

He entered the command room and gestured to several senior officers in front of the nautical chart:

"The battleships immediately took the upwind position and met the enemy in a battle line."

"The vanguard fleet will turn north. If the enemy fleet dares to engage, immediately launch a strong attack on their central region..."

Pixar had nearly twice as many battleships as the combined French and Spanish fleets, enough to launch a pincer attack. He continued, giving further instructions:

"The fast fleet will patrol the perimeter, and if the French steam warships use 'pecking' tactics, they will be immediately engaged and held off."

The "fast fleet" he referred to was a squadron composed entirely of steam-powered warships. Because the tactics of steam-powered warships and sailing battleships were completely different, they could not be grouped together; each had to operate independently to fully unleash its power.

The so-called "pecking" tactic was the same one used by the French fleet in the Mediterranean. It involved using their speed and maneuverability to quickly approach and attack, then immediately retreating. It was named for its resemblance to the way crows harass large wild animals.

However, this time the British fleet also had steam warships. When the French tried to retreat after approaching and harassing the British battleships, they were blocked by the equally fast British warships.

If the French steam warships were to slow down even slightly, the heavy guns of the British battleships would have a chance to sink them.

Soon, several senior British officers returned to their respective command ships, and the massive British Mediterranean Fleet slowly unfolded in the Gulf of Gabes.

Forty minutes later, more than 20 steam warships flying the French iris flag appeared on the horizon.

The British fast fleet immediately dispersed to the southwest, giving way to the menacing battleships behind them.

Then, these ships simultaneously turned around, preparing to head east at any moment to intercept.

Destroying the vulnerable French steam warships would not be difficult, provided they could be stopped.

However, to the surprise of all the British, the French steam warships also turned west and headed straight for the British steam warships.

Yes, the black smoke billowing from the steamships was as conspicuous as a lighthouse on the sea, making it impossible for the British fast fleet to hide even if they wanted to.

Pixar quickly received the lookout's report and couldn't help but frown slightly.

The French must have realized their intention to encircle them, so they did not attack the battle line. But why did they attack the fast fleet instead?
It should be noted that the fast fleet consisted of 30 steam warships, while the attacking French warships numbered only about 20.

Are they all drunk? Hmm, if the opposing fleet is the Russian fleet, perhaps that's possible.

Pixar immediately said to the messenger beside him, "Order the fast fleet to engage the enemy!"

Since the French had made a fatal mistake, he absolutely could not afford to miss the opportunity.

As HMS Victory signaled a series of flags, the British fast fleet immediately formed a battle line, then increased the boiler pressure to maximum and charged straight toward the French steam warship.

When the two sides were more than 300 meters apart, the French warship suddenly turned north and launched a provocative salvo with its broadside guns, stirring up white smoke on the sea.

Commander James Russell of the British Fast Fleet smiled and turned to his messenger, saying, "Follow them and teach them a lesson!"

Half a minute later, 30 British steam warships left a trail of nearly 90-degree white wakes on the sea surface and quickly caught up with the French fleet, sailing side by side.

Since the British fast fleet initially occupied the upwind position, it was foreseeable that if the pursuit continued, they would be within firing range in at most one hour—current steam warships still retained sails as auxiliary power, and although the wind in the Mediterranean was weak, it still had a certain acceleration function [Note 1].

The French steam warships, realizing the situation was amiss, quickly turned east again, seemingly developing a dependence on this evasive tactic.

Colonel Russell pointed dismissively upwind: "'Comet,' 'Goldhead Snapper,' 'Gravel'... block the upwind! The rest of the ships, prepare to fire!"

[Note 1] If two fleets were to proceed in the same direction simultaneously, their speeds would be the same. However, in this case, the French fleet approached against the wind and then made a sharp turn to the side. This allowed the British fleet to send several ships to continue advancing with the wind, thus compressing the French fleet's sailing angle. The French fleet would then have to make a very large detour before it could turn its bows completely downwind.

(End of this chapter)