Chinese martial arts! Grandmaster

The flagship of the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean was the Toyo, which had a displacement of over 3500 tons.

The captain's name was Naoki Sakata, and the entire 'Toyo' ship had more than one hundred guns.

The ship has 42 guns on one side, arranged in three layers for crossfire.

To be honest, if the Eastern Fleet had encountered other ships instead of the Ximentang Fleet...

This even included ships from the British Empire, as well as fleets from Spain and the Netherlands.

Then,

Under such overwhelming firepower, there was no chance to escape.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The shells whistled out of the gun barrels and hurtled towards the sea.

A huge column of water, forty meters high, rose from the sea around Ximentang's armored frigate.

Several of the shells hit the ironclad frigate precisely.

but,

At this point, the thickened side armor plates of the ironclad frigate had been raised, and ordinary shells were simply unable to penetrate the deck and sides.

The armored frigate on the sea shook violently for a moment, but then remained completely unharmed.

and,

Judging from the power of the Japanese naval guns at this moment, it is clear that the accuracy of the shells is very poor.

The two sides were only a few hundred meters apart, both within the range of the firepower.

However, only 30% of the shells fired by the Japanese warships hit the ironclad corvettes; the other 70% hit nothing.

Hitting a target at sea is actually very difficult.

The Japanese warships lacked aiming and positioning devices, and the violent rocking and large waves could interfere with the ship's guns. A 30% hit rate was already considered quite good.

Therefore,
Despite a fierce bombardment by the Eastern Fleet, the damage to the ironclad frigates was not significant.

The 'Storm' fast attack ship has a total of thirty-six 120mm caliber shipborne guns.

There are eighteen doors on each side.

To reduce weight, the 'Storm' fast attack ship was not equipped with any other heavy firepower.

at this time,

The simultaneous firing of twenty-four 'Storm' fast attack ships was a powerful and awe-inspiring display.

The accuracy of the Siemens naval guns exceeded 80%, and some of them used armor-piercing shells.

A column of water tens of meters high was stirred up on the sea surface, obscuring the gunboats and cruisers of the Eastern Fleet.

After the two cruisers and six gunboats were hit by concentrated fire, their decks and hulls were pierced and they were almost riddled with holes.

In addition to using armor-piercing shells, the 'Storm' fast attack ship also used incendiary shells.

The fire engulfed the gunboats and Japanese cruisers, causing Japanese soldiers to jump into the sea.

Many Japanese soldiers originally thought that jumping into the sea would save their lives.

but,

What they didn't expect was that the sea surface was ignited by incendiary bombs, and the fire raged for a long time.

After the soldiers of the Eastern Fleet fell into the water, they let out another pitiful cry before being engulfed by the flames.

They can only dive underwater and cannot surface.

The attack power of the 'Storm' fast attack ship is not even in the same league as that of the Eastern warships.

Whether it's firepower, speed, or superior maneuverability, etc.

The two sides are equipped with equipment from completely different eras.

in addition,

The ironclad frigates are also a generation ahead of the Japanese frigates in terms of survivability.

The Japanese naval guns, at a distance of several hundred meters, were unable to penetrate the specially made steel plates on the ironclad frigates.

Therefore, after the first round of artillery fire, the Ximentang fleet had a very clear advantage and suffered very little damage.

After a round of shelling.

The 'Storm' fast attack ship quickly dispersed and left.

Because the three major fleets of the East finally managed to complete the "回" (return) shaped tortoise formation while they were under attack.

After the armored frigates left the central area of ​​the Eastern Fleet, they could only retreat and could not allow the enemy's main guns to attack them.

The main guns were too large in caliber and too powerful. Once the ship was hit by the main guns, even if the ironclad frigate had strong defenses, it would not be able to withstand the attack of heavy guns with a caliber of 350mm or more.

The process sounds long, but in reality, the first round of combat between the two sides lasted less than fifteen minutes.

After the two sides created some distance between themselves, they began clearing the area around the ship's guns as quickly as possible in preparation for the next round of firing.

The 'Storm' fast attack ship successfully launched its first surprise attack.

However, the second round of attacks would require breaking up the formation of the Eastern Fleet.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
The 'Taishan' and other escort cruisers opened fire simultaneously, attempting to break the formation of the Eastern Fleet.

With a burst of artillery fire, the entire ship shook violently due to the recoil.

Zhang Wenbo felt the ship shaking and shouted to the flag bearer:
"Fire the first round of torpedoes and clear out the gunboats to the east."

On all the cruisers of the Second Fleet of the Westminster, the torpedo bays had long been open.

Taking advantage of the gap while the Eastern Fleet was adjusting the ships' course, the torpedoes were launched instantly at the previously aimed target.

Whoosh—whoosh—!
This is not a deep-sea torpedo, but a surface torpedo.

Like dolphins swimming on the sea, leaving waves in their wake, they launched the first round of torpedo attacks on the gunboats of the Eastern Fleet.

Two torpedoes were launched from each cruiser.

There were a total of eight cruisers and sixteen torpedoes, which concentrated their fire on the gunboats of the Eastern Fleet on the east side.

The torpedo has been equipped with a locking device and diesel power, making it far superior to ordinary shells in both stability and accuracy.

Moreover, the power of a torpedo is several times that of an artillery shell.

A gunboat can be sunk instantly if hit by a single torpedo.

Once it enters the water, it no longer needs to rely on aiming and will quickly attack the previously locked target.

While it cannot be said to be 100% accurate, once the target is identified, the enemy ship has almost no chance of evading it.

Even in the British Empire in Europe today, torpedoes are still in the research and development stage and have not been put into use.

Simondang was the first to use torpedoes in this naval battle, which can be considered as opening a new chapter in naval warfare.

The tactics of torpedoes are completely different from those of artillery shells firing wildly at a target.

One shot into the soul!
Torpedoes are designed for a 'one-hit kill'!
The target of artillery fire is the ship's hull and armor; it can only be fired above the waterline.

Torpedoes target the ship's underwater section, specifically the power unit, or even the weakest point of the hull.

Although the ship has steel plates protecting its bottom to prevent it from running aground.

However, in order to reduce drag, the parts of a ship that are submerged are usually hollow.

Most importantly, the damage to the upper part of the ship may not have a significant impact.

However, if the ship is damaged below the waterline, it will have to withstand great water pressure, and once the ship takes on water, it will sink very quickly.

Modern ships do not have a split hull structure; if the part of a ship below the waterline is penetrated, it will almost always sink.

Therefore, the offensive power of a torpedo is several times stronger than that of a regular artillery shell.

The sixteen torpedoes were aimed at eight gunboats, with two torpedoes prepared for each gunboat.

Boom! Boom! Boom!
A loud explosion followed.

Eight gunboats of the Eastern Fleet approaching from the east were accurately hit by torpedoes, billowing thick smoke.

A loud cracking sound immediately rang out from the hull of the gunboat.

The torpedoes were incredibly powerful; they not only pierced the hull of the gunboat, but with a deafening explosion, they even blew the Japanese gunboat in half.

Shrapnel and burning solid petroleum explosives from the torpedo spread outwards with the shockwave.

The Japanese soldiers were completely dumbfounded; a large number of sailors and crew members were killed or wounded.

The surrounding area was engulfed in flames, with firelight soaring into the sky.

Even more terrifying, the sea surface seemed to be on fire, and the Japanese sailors who fell into the water were quickly engulfed by the flames.

The Japanese soldiers on the other cruisers and destroyers that were not attacked were stunned by what they saw.

Someone threw out a lifebuoy in an attempt to rescue the sailor who had fallen into the water. However, the lifebuoy was quickly set ablaze after being thrown into the sea, and thick black smoke filled the surrounding area.

but,

The chaos caused by the attack on the gunboats on the east side of the Eastern Fleet did not disrupt the overall formation of the Eastern Fleet.

However, the naval battles that followed truly reached a fever pitch.

After torpedoes sank eight gunboats, the second wave of attacks by the 'Storm' fast attack ship officially began.

Concentrate fire!

This round of concentrated fire was aimed at the four cruisers of the Eastern Fleet that were approaching from the east.

Twenty-four 'Storm' fast attack ships, each with eighteen guns on one side, opened fire.

With over four hundred naval guns firing simultaneously, the destructive power was unimaginable.

Hundreds of shells, including incendiary and armor-piercing shells, roared toward the four cruisers.

Eighty percent of the shells hit the ships accurately.

The four cruisers were quickly set ablaze, and the ships began to list.

The fire raged fiercely, billowing out thick black smoke.

One of the cruisers was hit in the bow and quickly sank.

After the second round of shelling by the 'Storm' fast attack ship, it turned around again and quickly left.

The entire process, from the initial barrage of fire directed at the Japanese cruiser to its rapid departure, took no more than ten minutes.

This concentrated attack tactic rendered the Eastern Fleet powerless to retaliate.

After two rounds of attacks, one-third of the three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean had been sunk.

at this time,

The three major fleets of the Eastern Ocean were reduced to only two-thirds of their ships, suffering heavy losses.

On the flagship of the Toyo Fleet, Sato Kijigo commanded the fleet to move eastward to provide reinforcements.

The newly arranged '回' (hui) formation collapsed at that moment.

Boom boom——!
The shelling continued, growing increasingly intense.

A column of water shot into the sky from the sea, billowing black smoke.

The 'Storm' fast attack ship withdrew after the second round of attacks.

The second round of torpedoes was launched from the eight cruisers of the Westminster.

Both fleets entered a state of full-scale battle, as the cruisers of the Ximentang fleet controlled the direction and distance, remaining on the flank of the Dongyang fleet.

The fleet's course was important because Ximentang's ironclad frigates were constantly in the vicinity, interfering with the East Sea Fleet's course.

The Eastern Fleet only reacted after the second wave of attacks by the 'Storm' fast attack ship ended.

Most importantly, the fast attack ships did not sail parallel to the Eastern Fleet, but rather followed in an arc, always trailing behind.

Even when attacking the main cruisers of the Eastern Fleet, they would attack from the stern and never fire directly at the enemy.

Moreover, the attack ship did not stop when it began firing, but instead sailed at full speed.

They attacked and then withdrew without pausing at all!

This tactic of quick attack and quick retreat caught the Eastern Fleet off guard.

The destroyer 'Chiyoda' was a large warship with a displacement of 3500 tons and was equipped with 88 naval guns.

If it were a direct naval battle, sinking the destroyer 'Chiyoda' would be extremely difficult.

but,

When it encountered concentrated fire from the 'Storm' fast attack ship, it was immediately blown to shreds.

In just one encounter, less than five minutes later, the Chiyoda was sunk.

After two rounds of fierce fighting, the cruisers of the Simond Fleet did not officially engage in combat except for launching torpedoes.

The other gunboats were positioned around the cruisers, responsible for protecting the main flagship.

The ironclad frigates were positioned on the outermost edge, acting as target ships to draw enemy fire.

Therefore,
Despite the fierce battle lasting so long, Ximentang's flagship remained completely untouched by any attack.

Of course, Simon Hall did not say that it suffered no losses at all.

Two ironclad frigates were used as target ships and were sunk while drawing enemy fire.

The ship's special armor was penetrated, demonstrating the intensity of the firepower it endured.

The losses to the Eastern Fleet were enormous. Apart from the "Toyo", all the other cruisers were attacked to varying degrees.

Other gunboats with a displacement of around 1,000 tons were simply no match for the 'Storm' fast attack ship.

therefore,

The four squadrons of the Second Fleet of the Ximengtang not only severely damaged the three major fleets of the East, but also achieved an extremely high kill ratio.

The fast attack ships' "concentrated fire" tactic became a nightmare for the Eastern Fleet.

At this time,

On the flank of the Eastern Fleet, the French mercenary fleet opened fire fiercely, targeting the flagship "Eastern Ying".

After seeing it through his binoculars, Zhang Wenbo said:
"My lord, the French fleet has begun to encircle us. The Eighth Fleet of the Eastern Ocean has been decimated by us, but the Sixth Fleet has the strongest firepower."

"The cruiser Izumo has begun to change course. Our ship, Taishan, needs to leave the current area and get out of the enemy's firing range."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jie nodded slightly.

At this point, the attack tactics of the Ximentang fleet were clear.

The combination of various advanced weapons and crossfire have already been demonstrated.

The difference between naval warfare and land warfare is very obvious; naval warfare does not focus on individual soldier firepower.

At the same time, individual combat skills are of no use in naval warfare.

Chen Jie observed through his binoculars for a moment and discovered that the cruiser "Izumo" of the Eastern Fleet had indeed begun to change course.

The Eastern Fleet appears to have spotted the core flagship of the Ximentang Fleet and is beginning to approach the 'Taishan'.

Because the cruisers of the Ximentang fleet were on the periphery and did not approach the Eastern Fleet.

Moreover, the fleet was positioned to the side, meaning that even if the Eastern Fleet wanted to attack, it could not use a straight course.

If they change direction in an arc, it will not only waste time, but they can also only attack the armored frigates surrounding Ximen Hall.

in addition,

The gunboats and cruisers of the Ximentang fleet possess formidable firepower, and if the Eastern Fleet were to approach, they would surely suffer heavy damage.

Zhang Wenbo had a wealth of naval combat experience. After seeing the Eastern Fleet change course, he decisively ordered the 'Taishan' to evacuate.

Then,

He ordered the other cruisers to flank the Japanese fleet, at least for the time being, to hold it back.

At this time, the Eastern Fleet suffered heavy losses, and nearly half of the three major fleets had been sunk.

Torpedoes are specifically designed to attack gunboats and frigates, and are extremely destructive to the hull.

Cruisers like the 'Toyo' suffered even greater damage when combined with the 'Storm' fast attack ship.

Cruisers have thickened armor, which is impossible for ordinary guns to penetrate.

However, the Japanese cruisers and destroyers were simply no match for the armor-piercing shells fired by the Ximentang.

Therefore, after two consecutive attacks, the Eastern Fleet could not withstand the onslaught.

In comparison, apart from torpedoes, the most lethal weapon of the Ximentang fleet was the incendiary bomb.

Because once ignited by an incendiary bomb, the bare deck would be set ablaze.

If the ship is severely damaged, the Japanese soldiers will be filled with fear.

in fact,

Whether in naval or land warfare, incendiary bombs cause the most damage.

Once a ship is set ablaze by an incendiary bomb, it is almost certain to sink.

Although many Japanese sailors and crew members jumped overboard, the fire spread to the sea, leaving the Japanese soldiers with nowhere to escape.

Just as the Eastern Fleet had changed course, the fast attack ship "Storm" reappeared at the stern of the Eastern Fleet.

The third round of concentrated fire has begun! (End of Chapter)