nucmednet Chapter 29, Ah, the Navy
Chapter 29, Ah, the Navy
"Emergency assembly! Officers, report to headquarters!"
In the port city of Hilla, at the Amelan Hilla Naval Base, a bugle call roused the barracks. The morning mist shrouded the ocean, but could not envelop the black warships.
"Yes, Your Majesty! My fleet will immediately complete the contingency plan!"
When Alicia walked into the combat readiness room, all the naval officers—though only a few dozen—felt a storm was brewing. After all, the navy was trained to face such things, and rumors from the past few months had already given them insight into the trade difficulties in the south.
The navy's artillery was prepared for this purpose. In addition to the three main gunboats that were launched, the navy also purchased or requisitioned a large number of ordinary civilian ships, modified their sails and structures, and added cannons to use them as "naval auxiliary ships." These ships would not only serve as transport ships, but also as warships. After all, there were only three regular naval warships, and the rest were still lying on the slipway. As for the main warships? They were still on Alice's blueprints!
Alicia was aware of the navy's predicament, but as the saying goes: "It takes ten years for an army, a hundred years for a navy." Their foundation was weak to begin with, and now, relying on new technologies to achieve combat power surpassing others, their biggest weakness is their numbers.
The Southern usurpers' original naval fleet alone numbered nearly a hundred, and when combined with the original Royal Navy, there were at least a hundred ships of all sizes.
"Officers! I am here because of the threat from the rebels in the South! They have imposed a naval blockade in an attempt to strangle us! They are trying to cut off the supply of our vital strategic resources! These include food, minerals, and rubber, which we depend on!"
"You are now living in Port Hilla, where cheap cloth and daily necessities are your only means of survival. Everything you do depends on machines. Without resources, the machines cannot operate! Without resources, our country will not be restored!"
"Now is the time for your navy to serve your country! I will issue the operational order: Head south! To the Atlantis Islands, to acquire valuable raw materials for our machines!"
"Long live Ameliansi! Long live Her Majesty Alicia! Long live Princess Alice!"
The officers sprang into action. After all, they were not an old fleet, but new things always replace the old. The young naval officers studied the operational regulations, every recorded naval battle, and the naval battles they had experienced with great energy, and quickly came up with operational plans.
"My proposal is: we will split into two fleets. The Modern and Industrial ships, along with seven naval auxiliary gunboats, will blockade the Imperial Harbor. The Combat ship, along with two naval auxiliary gunboats and five naval auxiliary transport ships, will head to the Atlantis Islands for trade, carrying two naval infantry battalions."
"So be it, gentlemen! Prepare yourselves! I will go with you and witness your glory!"
Alicia stood up and pointed to the capital city on the map—she wanted to go back and see what the core of the demon race was like now.
"Anjie".
Alicia walked out of the naval headquarters. The white veil that had shrouded the harbor had been lifted, and the sun rose from the sea, casting its rays upon the earth.
"Yes, Master."
"While I'm away, Alice will be in charge of all this... But she's already in charge, so consider this a break for me?"
Is Anjie going too?
"No, I want to go to the capital to take a look. If you come with me, you'll just become a bigger target."
"Take care, Master."
"Got it. With the navy here, that bastard can't hurt me."
The roaring steam engines spewed out black smoke, and the ships painted with asphalt, flying tricolor flags and red and blue naval ensigns, set sail. With both engines and sails working together, the ships could only reach a speed of about 15 knots. Although most of the auxiliary naval vessels were slow due to design flaws after being powered by steam engines, they could still reach a speed of 12 to 14 knots with both engines and sails working together.
To save fuel, active naval vessels generally use sails when sailing long distances. However, unlike other ships of this era, the Type 90 escort ship uses a complex pulley system. Because it uses steam power, the pulley system for raising and lowering the sails no longer requires manpower. Instead, it uses auxiliary steam power to raise and lower the sails—a single lever can complete the process.
The navy was leaving port. Fishermen were already used to these black ships, but the departure of such a large fleet still surprised most people. After all, after the royal family's defeat, most people thought that she had nothing left.
Now, although the fleet is not large, it is well-equipped and powerful. Some people are shouting "Long live the Emperor!" to celebrate the return of the royal family, while others are frowning, and still others are trying to get back to shore.
A sea breeze blew in her face as Alicia stood beside the steam engine chimney of the "Industry." The entire ship had been cleaned spotlessly; sailors had used hoses and rags to wipe the wooden decks until they were spotless. Life at sea was tough, but Alice, who spearheaded all of this, had forcefully established naval discipline, making the environment on the warships completely different from what it used to be.
"General Yug Latt"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The young man in the white navy uniform stood ramrod straight, his navy service medal proudly hanging on his chest. Alicia knew that the young man was proud of this medal, so she saluted him.
What tactics do you think we should adopt?
"Report! We have the hydrological data of Huangdu Bay on file. When our fleet arrives, we will no longer need hydrographic ships to measure the water depth. We will insert our fleet into the bay's waterways and bombard the rebel navy from a distance, defeating them one by one. After the fleet has cleared out most of the enemy fleet, we will send naval infantry to occupy the port. The special envoy from the Planning Institute will count the spoils of war and transport them back quickly."
"Very good, you are a qualified officer."
"Serve the country and the people!"
Alicia nodded. She was going to the capital, the city where she had spent the first half of her life, and where her friends, whom she had been forced to abandon, were now returning.
"I will bring you back... Anna, Naya, I promise!"
The fleet sliced through the ocean. As the temperature rose, Alicia knew they were heading south. Several days after leaving port, the fleet began to encounter the enemy—the lookout pulled the cordon, rang the warning bell, and then shouted, "3 o'clock! Two slugs! Fly black flags!"
"Prepare for battle!"
"Prepare for battle!"
The ship's battle bell rang, and the crew quickly took their positions. The flag bearer raised the flag and signaled to the other ships. The sailors, dressed in white and blue cotton short-sleeved shirts, skillfully removed their gun covers, prepared water and gun brushes, and the steam-powered lifting ammunition magazine raised the ammunition from the steel-plated magazine.
"The Black Pirate Flag!"
"Red Death Flag!"
This sea is not short of bandits, and their stories are told throughout the ocean. Every pirate group is different, but the red flag and the black skull flag represent the same thing.
The sailors prepared their cannons, and the pirates were planning to board them.
"Cannon position ready!"
"Second Artillery Corps is ready!"
Main guns ready!
"Enemy fleet detected, distance 0.7 nautical miles, wind force 3!"
The Type 90 escort ship was equipped with a simple fire control system. An angled steering wheel was installed at the bow and stern. The Pythagorean theorem was used to calculate the approximate distance between the ship and the target. As a result, the Navy opened a mathematics class and trained a group of artillery observers.
"Adjust the artillery!"
"Ready—fire!"