dognovel Chapter 30 Unilateral Target Practice
Chapter 30 Unilateral Target Practice
The pirates never imagined that their deaths would mark a turning point in naval warfare, rendering old tactics useless and rapidly replacing boarding tactics with new, cannon-based naval tactics.
The Type 90 escort ship "Battle" fired first, with its four 75mm Dahlgren guns opening fire as gunners loaded high-explosive shells, which were incredibly destructive to wooden ships.
boom!
Smoke billowed, obscuring the view from one side of the ship. The distinctive smoke of black powder filled the gun emplacements, then was blown away by the sea breeze. Cannonballs flew over the waves and struck the hull of a pirate ship. It was a two-masted vessel, and the ragged pirates brandished their grappling hooks. In this era, using fast ships to carry infantry and taking advantage of their mobility to quickly board and kill the enemy was the tactic of naval warfare. In short, it was the tactic of land warfare. There were even instances of forming square formations on ships.
But now, the pirates looked at those black ships, billowing black smoke and flying tricolor flags. They were huge ships, and there must be good stuff on them. They were eager to try their luck and make a fortune.
A cannonball flew out of the muzzle, and propelled by the propellant gases, the dark sphere exploded right before the pirates' eyes.
"Sir, times have changed."
Boom!
The shockwave lifted the pirates, sending several flying. Immediately afterward, the other two ships signaled, and the 75mm Dahlgren cannons on one side began to sweep across the pirate ship. Although there weren't many cannons, they were all genuine rifled guns.
The recoil from firing propelled the cannon backward, but gravity, the track beneath it, and the friction-absorbing plates brought it to a quick stop. The gunner then cleaned the breech with a brush, loaded the gunpowder and shells, and compacted them.
The destructive power of the first salvo was devastating. When the smoke cleared, Alicia could clearly see the miserable state of their enemies. They were unprepared for artillery fire and had no armor. The personnel on the deck were densely packed like weeds, making them easy targets for artillery shells.
The masts of both ships were snapped off by exploding shells, leaving the decks in a mess. One ship was hit by a barrage of grenades and burst into flames, while pirates continued to jump into the sea.
The deck of another ship was littered with mangled human bodies. Two grenades had struck its deck precisely, exploding amidst the crowd. The grappling hooks in the pirates' hands became deadly shrapnel, engulfed by the blast waves and turning into horrific metal fragments that sliced through the bodies.
"What a terrible sight!"
Yog Lat put down his monoculars and shook his head. Fighting with a method more powerful than a magician's attack was nothing short of a massacre. He saw half of a pirate's body hanging from the side of the ship's hull by a rope. The rope was burned through, and half of the body fell into the sea.
"Let's fire another volley."
Boom!
Smoke and thunder erupted once more as grenades flew toward the already overburdened pirate ships, quickly shattering them into pieces that sank to the bottom of the sea.
"Clean the gun barrel! Check the ammunition, assess casualties!"
"Yes!"
The sailors moved quickly, with bosuns frequently running back and forth, asking questions of the sailors at their posts, and medics carrying medical supplies running around at a brisk pace.
"Report: Our ship fired 8 grenades during the battle. There were no casualties among the crew. One person was hit by the recoil of the gun and is currently suffering minor injuries."
"very good."
Alicia nodded. After all, this was war, and achieving such an exchange ratio under these circumstances was simply perfect.
"I heard that Alice also supervised the Navy?"
"Yes, Your Highness has provided many valuable suggestions for the development of our navy. You should know that even this ship was designed by her, and our new capital ship is also her work."
When Yug Latto spoke of the new capital ship, a happy smile spread across his face. If one didn't realize it, it was a colossal vessel, an unprecedented ship, a capital ship that would allow the vanguard fleet to dominate the entire ocean.
"The Feiyun-class iron-ribbed wooden-hulled steam-sail composite-powered clipper configuration cruiser, that's the name of the naval shipyard, but we usually call her Big Black."
"That was a huge ship! I've been on so many ships in my life, every single one in the Western Ocean, but just seeing her on the slipway was enough to shock me!"
Alicia knew there was a huge ship under construction in the shipyard. What she didn't know was that Alice originally planned to build an ironclad warship. However, the problem was that the five-year plan hadn't been completed, there was a lack of skilled riveters and welders, and there wasn't enough steel to build such a warship.
Fortunately, the ships in this world are mainly sailing ships and galleys, and everyone uses ballistae or boarding ships to fight. The gunboats in her hands are enough to give the enemy a military advantage.
Therefore, the navy's plan for the next five years is to build a fast fleet centered on the Hiun-class destroyers, to facilitate the maintenance of the nation's maritime security and trade, and to provide support for the attack on the capital during the future war of restoration.
The fleet sailed along the coastline, riding the ocean currents. With the help of steam engines and sails, they could reach the capital in just a few days. And if they continued sailing about a hundred nautical miles past the capital, they could reach the Atlantis Islands.
Rather than a trade maintenance operation, Alicia's naval campaign was more of a raid, a raid to declare that she was still standing. Several naval auxiliary transport ships in the fleet were loaded with a large number of cannonballs, prepared to destroy the usurper's fleet.
As long as he loses his fleet, nothing can stop their resource trade, and with their abundant resource trade, nothing can stop Trian's industrial development.
She was determined to succeed; she wanted to correct her past mistakes, after all, that was her mission.
The naval fleet continued forward, waves crashing against the ships, moonlight rising and falling with the waves, and the watchful sailors kept a watchful eye on the sea. Alcohol was strictly prohibited during combat missions, and most of the sailors were resting.
"La la la~ la la la la~"
Suddenly, a silken song began to caress the fleet. Accompanied by the sound of the waves, it sounded so harmonious that the sailors on watch did not immediately become alert until the sound grew louder and more obvious.
"Something's up! Who's singing?"
The only woman in the entire fleet was Alicia. Obviously, Alicia didn't seem like someone who could sing. Yog Lat realized that she was the sea spirit known among the sailors—the Sirens.
"Prepare for battle!"
The Industrial rang the battle bell. Legend has it that sirens are dangerous creatures who lure drunken sailors and sink them into the sea. They are also said to feed on sailors, and some even say that sirens are terrifying things.
Alicia stepped out, raised her scythe, and looked toward the source of the sound—under the moonlight, on the woodcutter's rocks gently covered in silver light, a girl holding a harp was singing loudly.