Chapter 4: One Shot to the Soul
Five minutes earlier, at 9:50 AM, the flagship "Reputation" of the First Battle Patrol Squad on the Command Bridge.
After receiving a call from the Captain, Major General Gunter had immediately climbed out of bed, not even taking the time to dress properly, before rushing over in haste.
After understanding the situation, Gunter felt that this Captain, eager for advancement even in his dreams, was making a mountain out of a molehill.
Was it such a big deal that the Second Battle Patrol Squad didn't just stay put in the rear but ran forward to catch some autumn breeze and happened to encounter the enemy fleet?
Indeed, they had received intelligence a few days prior that the Liangxia Empire's Domestic Fleet was very likely to deploy soon, otherwise the Joint Fleet wouldn't have left their nest in full force.
Also true was that more than two hours earlier, an unidentified fleet appeared west of Watcher Strait.
But, what did that prove?
Watcher Strait was so narrow, with only one navigable channel safe for Main Battle Ships to pass, and the Fast Battle Squad commanded by Admiral Betty was right outside that channel's exit. Even if the Domestic Fleet's 21st Sub-fleet emerged, they would face a head-on pounding from the Fast Battle Squad.
The 21st Sub-fleet appearing in the open sea several dozen kilometers northeast of the strait?
That was absolutely impossible!
Furthermore, those approaching from the west were four battlecruisers, while the 21st Sub-fleet comprised six battlecruisers. Could He Yongxing, the so-called "East Ocean Tiger" who had caused substantial trouble for the Joint Fleet over the last two years, shunning his reputation as the number one threat, afford to leave behind a third of his main force, leading four battlecruisers into East Ocean to engage in a decisive battle with the First Battle Patrol Squad, which had six battlecruisers?
Could He Yongxing commit such a basic, priority-reversing mistake?
If that were true, one would wake up laughing even in one's sleep!
Six ships against four, forty-four Main Guns shooting at thirty-two, and with the Fast Battle Squad just tens of kilometers away, victory was as good as in the bag.
Not to mention annihilating the 21st Sub-fleet—if they could just take down He Yongxing, it would be a first-class merit!
Yet, Gunter didn't believe he was that lucky.
Over two years ago, in the sea battle that changed the entire Western Continents's war situation, Gunter's Fifth Battleship Sub-fleet arrived just in time but missed the opportunity for a decisive victory due to some bad luck. Gunter thus missed out on a golden opportunity, allowing Betty to rise meteorically.
Had luck been on his side, Gunter would have taken the position of the East Ocean Fleet Commander long ago, not leaving it up for grabs by Betty.
After clarifying the situation, Gunter reprimanded the overly alarmed Captain but turned a blind eye to several doubts.
For example, the enemy's course was on the right side of the First Battle Patrol Squad, not the left. Furthermore, the four warships did not respond to the inquiry telegrams transmitted by the "Reputation" while they approached at high speed. Another point of concern was that the enemy flagship, when signaling with light, used the international maritime code, not the military code that had been updated each month since the beginning of the year.
The precious five minutes were wasted just like that.
If possible, Gunter would trade five years of his life to get those five minutes back.
Indeed, even at the last moment, Gunter had yet to awaken.
One minute earlier, when the lookout observed the enemy flagship had a Command Tower, Gunter did not take the Captain's advice but asked another group of lookouts atop the mizzenmast to observe. Because they were obscured, the mizzenmast lookouts did not report back in time.
At this moment, the "Reputation" was traveling at a mere ten knots!
Only half a minute earlier, after the enemy flagship suddenly changed its course, Gunter heeded the advice and ordered the "Reputation" to enter combat status.
Unfortunately, this order was not conveyed in time to the five battleships in the rear!
After the "Reputation" changed course, only the "Reprisal," following closely behind, also turned.
Next, the lookout observed the flash of cannon muzzles and concluded that the first two warships were not the "Jingang" class but the more powerful "North River" class!
Quite simply, the two warships had stern Main Gun turrets that were adjacent in a back-to-back configuration.
Looking around the world, aside from the newly built "Hude" of the Bulan Royal Navy, only two "North River" class warships of the Liangxia Navy had such an arrangement.
Regrettably, for Major General Gunter and the several dozen officers and soldiers in the Command Bridge, only the last few seconds remained.
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Gunter proved not to be one of those generals favored by the goddess of luck.
Although they were tens of kilometers apart, the flash of the explosion and the fireball rising from the enemy ship were still clearly visible. Through the telescope, it felt like watching a model battleship from a great distance, setting off a mere firecracker on it—the scene was hardly shocking.
"Damn it!"
It wasn't until the smoke rose into the sky that Bai Zhizhan snapped out of his shock.
A direct hit on the enemy ship with the first salvo, without a ranging shot, was excessively good luck, almost unbelievable.
Maybe it wasn't just luck.
"Beautiful!"
"Well done!"
"Just like that, blast 'em!"
Li Mingbo and two others only reacted when the fireball turned into rolling smoke, expressing their natural characters with their words.
Fortunately, nobody cared about these heartfelt expletives.
Li Mingbo was the first to regain his composure, grabbing the microphone, but then he realized that Bai Zhizhan, responsible for ranging, hadn't completed his fundamental duty.
"Aim at the point of explosion and reset the target base value to zero."
Bai Zhizhan just nodded. He had excelled in his artillery specialty assessment, and ranging was a basic subject within that specialty.
Bai Zhizhan quickly determined the distance.
Fourteen point six kilometers.
Once the distance exceeds ten kilometers, the accuracy of a portable rangefinder is only 0.1 kilometers, and the last digit is an estimate—actual precision is even worse.
Thankfully, the main tool for ranging wasn't the portable rangefinders used by lookouts, but the twelve-meter main gun rangefinder mounted on top of the command bridge.
"Report to headquarter, observed explosion flash; impact near the enemy ship's command tower..."
As Li Mingbo reported, the lead ship of the enemy fleet was already surrounded by water columns from shell explosions.
To be precise, the view was blocked.
Since no more explosion flashes were seen, even if more shells hit the enemy ship, those would be duds, causing little damage.
However, the battle had just begun.
Despite being hit first, the "Reputation" had not lost its fighting capabilities, and the over a thousand officers and sailors from the Bulan Kingdom's Navy were not about to give up easily.
The reprisal came swiftly!
"Brother Li!"
"I see it!" Li Mingbo didn't waste words with Bai Zhizhan, grabbing the microphone again. "Report to headquarter, observed muzzle flashes from the enemy's main guns, the enemy ship fired a half-salvo."
In comparison, the muzzle flash from the firing of the main guns was brighter but lasted a shorter duration and didn't produce significant smoke.
Because it hadn't turned, only the two forward turrets of the "Reputation" were firing.
Li Mingbo stretched out four fingers, making a few gestures, indicating that the enemy ship had fired four shells, signaling Bai Zhizhan and the others to watch for where the shells would fall.
Generally, a half-salvo of the main guns is only for range adjustment.
Yet, the simultaneous firing of the four main guns at the enemy ship's bow didn't seem like ranging. It seemed more like a hasty counterattack after a sudden strike.
Perhaps that first shot had already knocked out the "Reputation's" brains.
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