Early September.
The defeated Nelson and Collingwood were transferred back to the mainland.
Because George III's British Royal Navy was in trouble.
The French obtained a steel battleship, the Brest, from the Ming Dynasty. At this time, it was wreaking havoc in the Atlantic Ocean, constantly attacking merchant ships returning to the mainland from the colonies.
The Brest's top speed of 18 knots can often keep the Royal Navy spinning around in the Atlantic Ocean.
Some surviving colonists affectionately called Brest the "Atlantic Ghost."
As a last resort, George III recalled Nelson and others who had retreated to India.
Although he suffered a defeat, he had seen the Ming Dynasty Steel Battleship after all, so he was already the most suitable candidate.
Nelson took over the task at the critical moment and discussed the encirclement and suppression plan with Collingwood.
The Brest sailed very fast, and the sailing battleship could not catch up.
You can only make a trap, get a bait, and catch a fish.
As a result, major newspapers in the British Empire published the news that George III sent an envoy to the Ming Dynasty.
Napoleon, who got the news, was writing a letter to Zhu Zaiming.
Richelieu warned.
"Your Majesty, I'm afraid this is a bait. Their real intention is to encircle and suppress the Brest!"
"Of course I understand this." Napoleon wrote a letter slowly, sighing: "This is actually a conspiracy. If they don't try to intercept the mission, they will really send an envoy to the Ming Dynasty.
There is an old saying in China: for one's own sake, one has to stab his brother. "
There is no friendship in this world, it is all about interests.
If the Ming Dynasty fell to the British side, Napoleon would not be able to bear it.
“So, even if it’s a hole, we have to jump into it.
What about those shipbuilding experts? "
Richelieu replied: "As long as the Brest returns to port, they will board the battleship and study it day and night."
This kind of research began when the Brest returned to France.
Not only battleships, but also artillery.
A large number of drawings were drawn, and various factories began to imitate them.
Unfortunately, progress is very slow.
Although it cannot be replicated 100%, some ingenious structures and concepts can be used in industry.
Not only France, but also Great Britain, the Netherlands, Tsarist Russia and others who thought they were capable began to study their new warships based on the Ming Dynasty Newspaper.
It's just that France, which is closer to the water, gets the moon first and is at the forefront.
“We cannot manufacture large marine steam engines, but craftsmen proposed that multiple small steam engines be connected in parallel to provide power together.
At the same time, riveting the steel hull is also a problem.
The same is true for artillery. Advanced fixed-loading ammunition cannot be manufactured, and only blooming ammunition can be used. "
Richelieu said while holding the shipyard's drawings to explain.
The battleship's main shaft, tail rotor, etc. cannot be manufactured in France today.
At the end, Napoleon finally understood.
If you want to copy the Brest, it will take at least thirty or forty years with France's existing technology.
Therefore, shipyards resorted to the next best thing, covering wooden ships with iron sheets, installing steam engines and paddle wheels, and using a mixture of sails and steam engines.
It seemed to be the prototype of France's first ironclad ship "Glorious" decades later.
on the Atlantic Ocean.
The Brest struck again.
Due to two visits to the "Pseudo-Atlantic Back Garden", there were not many main gun shells brought back from the Ming Dynasty, only 26 rounds per gun were left.
Therefore, the shipyard did the old trick of moving the most advanced Army forward-loading shell artillery onto the deck of the Brest.
At the same time, a French sailing fleet, with several merchant ships filled with coal-fired supplies, served as logistics for the Brest.
The sky is blue, the sea is blue, and the clouds are white.
The French Admiral, the first captain of the Brest, the man in Nelson's shadow, Villeneuve holds a telescope to observe the sea.
A few sailors pulled some debris from the sea, and even a Royal Navy mission flag.
Villeneuve looked delighted.
Found it. As long as they can find clues about the Royal Navy, it means they are heading on the right track.
The waste was so well prepared, complete with flags, that it was evident that it had been deliberately left behind by the Royal Navy in order to lure the Brest to its bait.
Villeneuve and Daying had been fighting each other for so many years, so they were very vigilant and figured out the reason in an instant.
But so what?
Today is different from the past. With giant steel ships, do we still need to be afraid of those wooden hull ships?
To get out of Nelson's shadow, to avenge past shame.
Villeneuve changed his previous indecisive character and directly ordered the Brest to advance at full speed to pursue the British mission.
His idea was to sink the mission ship and then run away.
If possible, hold back the Royal Navy fleet and wait for the logistics fleet to catch up for a decisive battle.
Replicate the victory of the Ming Dynasty Navy in Australia Bay.
However, Villeneuve's ideas are beautiful, but the reality is very skinny.
Three days later, the Brest caught up with the mission's ships.
But there were only three merchant ships.
And on their ship, the white flag was hoisted early.
"what happened?"
Villeneuve frowned and sent two people to row a lifeboat to receive him. It was indeed the mission's fault.
How could there be no barbs when making bait? There was no battleship to hold the Brest back. Villeneuve, seeing that the situation was not right, just patted his ass and left.
There is no such thing as baiting and not hooking.
An officer suggested sinking them directly, completing the mission and returning to Hong Kong.
Villeneuve became cautious again until a soldier reported that three sailing ships were filled with silver, estimated to be 30 million taels.
Hearing this, Villeneuve couldn't sit still.
You know, at this time in Europe, Britain had basically completed its blockade of France.
It was difficult to transport the colonial resources back to France.
This was extremely detrimental to Napoleon, who was about to fight.
However, now there are 30 million taels of silver in front of Villeneuve.
For this silver, Villeneuve felt that it was necessary to take risks and transport it back.
To return with the sailboat, the Brest needed to reduce its speed to cater to the merchant ships, which was exactly what Great Britain wanted.
But Villeneuve had a brainwave and realized that taking the sailboat would not work, but what if the silver was moved to the Brest?
Just do it.
Villeneuve once again sent sailors to board the ship, transferred most of the people to a ship, waited for the Brest to approach, and then ordered a small group of British sailors to start transferring the silver.
In order to prevent these people from playing tricks, Baiyin will be unpacked and inspected before boarding the ship.
As time goes by, when everyone is busy transferring silver.
Several of the British people who were gathered on one of the ships quietly gathered together and took out a pocket watch to check the time.
On both sides of the Brest's ship's side, a dozen vague figures under the water gradually approached.
They all jumped into the water from the other side of the sailboat, preparing to try to seize the boat.
Several people saw that nearly half of the more than 100 people on the Brest were participating in the transfer of silver on the two merchant ships, and thought that the time was ripe.
A fire lit the merchant ship's sail, and thick black smoke rose.
At the same time, the British sailors who were carrying silver threw the box at the French sailors.
For a moment, the two merchant ships and even the Brest were in chaos on the deck.
Villeneuve was so frightened that he was sweating profusely when he saw several grappling hooks being thrown up and hooked on the ship's railing.
he shouted.
"Close the hatch first!"
"Everyone grab their muskets and prepare to fight back."
"Let the Brest move and stay away from these sailing ships first."
Villeneuve can't control so much, and the French sailors on the two merchant ships can only hope for their own good.
Although they had muskets, they were quickly driven overboard by the outnumbered British sailors.
The Brest's large shaft was reconnected with the steam engine, and the battleship moved slowly and began to increase speed.
Hook the hook on the railing and pull the rope tied with the iron ring up from the water. The other end of the rope is connected to the keel of the third sailboat.
On the sea, the huge fleet surrounded from all directions gradually revealed its sails.
Villeneuve knew he was in big trouble.
