Facts have proved that luck is just like fart. Sometimes it brews for a long time but nothing comes out, and sometimes it happens one after another without any warning.
When the French fleet began searching in Cape Verde waters, the Zhiyuan's luck obviously began to dissipate. It was sunny for three consecutive days, with excellent visibility on the sea, and the wind direction was also conducive to the French fleet's search. The tall white sails Moving diagonally across the sea at high speed against the force of the wind.
80 nautical miles west of the Cape Verde Islands, the cruiser Sanctity was the first to discover a suspicious target. It actually discovered a clipper ship in the non-main channel waters.
"An unknown ship was found due west... approaching and continuing to approach..."
The lookout was shouting, the flagman began to send signals, and soon the two commanders on board the Glory also discovered the strange clipper ship.
"The flag of Belgium, why is this ship in these waters? It has deviated so far from the main channel... Adjutant, check the chart immediately..."
Bruce and several adjutants quickly marked the position of the clipper ship on the chart. The Rear Admiral's eyes lit up, "It's indeed very good. This ship is actually 35 nautical miles north of the main channel. What kind of bullshit is this, Captain?" , are you driving the ship like this and waiting for the pirates to attack?"
The major general is right. Anyone who makes a living on the sea understands how important waterways are. In the process of human exploration of the sea, at first, the ocean-going fleet organized by Prince Enrique only dared to approach the coastline of Africa and go all the way south. .
In that era, if captains wanted to prevent sailors from rebelling, they had to allow these sailors to see land every day, otherwise their fear of the Atlantic would cause incalculable damage.
The lightest case is kidnapping the captain and sailing the ship to Europe, the worst case is killing someone.
In that era, shipping lanes were concentrated in safe offshore waters, and there were no shipping lanes across the ocean. Any bold explorer who wanted to explore the deep blue could only rely on heavy rewards and the iron-blooded rule of a pirate leader.
Later, with the successful exploration of the New World, the discovery of South America, and the encouragement of global voyages, Europeans became more courageous, and only then did the golden chapter of the Great Navigation officially begin.
At the beginning, people were running around like flies on the sea. The explorers hand-painted brand-new charts, and each chart was sold for a high price when sent to Europe.
After two to three hundred years of accumulation, some golden waterways have been discovered, and the lives of countless navigators have explored the safest and most economical routes.
Go along the Golden Channel, you will get the best wind power, the most island supplies, and even the shortest voyage...Only the Golden Channel can give you the best commercial benefits.
Politicians of this era all regard control of the golden trade routes as the lifeline of their empire. Xiao Letian has long predicted that when steam-powered ships completely replace sailboats, the importance of the golden trade routes is destined to double at the square root rate.
Because whether merchant ships burn coal or oil, they all require high costs. That is not the ubiquitous wind on the sea that you can try for free. The cost is a nightmare for all businessmen.
In other words, as human navigation technology becomes more advanced, the reliance on waterways will become more and more serious, because only waterways can take into account the two major elements of safety and economy.
It is not possible to walk in a straight line on the sea because you cannot guarantee safety, nor is it possible to sail as you please, because businessmen must save costs to gain profits. Who is stupid enough to deliberately burn more coal and oil?
Molière and Bruce were not mediocre. As soon as their eyes met, they knew that the big fish had been found. Belgium, a small kingdom independent from the Netherlands, had very weak maritime interests, and its limited ships were all about making money around the world.
Let alone outside the Golden Channel, they are rarely seen even on the Golden Channel. It is conceivable that the nationality of this merchant ship is not Belgian at all, and it must be fake.
"Speed up and rush forward, observe closely, and send friendly messages to the other party..."
The French fleet discovered the Ryukyu fleet, and the same Ryukyu clipper ship also discovered the French army. The clipper ship Kunshan closest to the French army was the easternmost side of the herringbone formation. Captain Sun Chujian heard the lookout's shouts. Ran out of the captain's room.
"Captain...it's a French battleship...but it's impossible to tell the type of ship...the battleship is covered in iron armor."
Sun Chujian immediately broke out in white sweat all over his body, "Send an emergency avoidance signal and fire a flare... The Kunshan sailed south rapidly, allowing the Zhiyuan and other ships to quickly break away to the west. We acted as bait to lure them away... "
In just a moment, Sun Chujian made the most correct judgment. Now the entire fleet was traveling from north to south. He was the first to spot the enemy ship, and the nearest other friendly forces were five nautical miles away from him.
"We still have a chance, let the Zhiyuan leave immediately, and the enemy will not find it... This is the main force of the French navy, not a merchant ship. We can die, but nothing can happen to the Zhiyuan and other clipper ships..."
"Brothers, now is the time for us to sacrifice. The Kunshan is loaded with coal, food and fresh water. We can afford to lose these things..."
"But other ships can't do it. There are blueprints and materials for the production of ironclads, as well as precision processing instruments. If any box of goods is lost, the Prime Minister's shipbuilding plan will have to be postponed... Time is running out, and China has no time to wait."
Looking at the solemn-faced sailors on the deck, Sun Chujian said with red eyes, "Now, let us be the pawns crossing the river to attract the enemy's firepower...head to the south. If that doesn't work, turn the bow of the ship and rush eastward, and give it to the enemy." The enemy engages in a broadside battle."
What are elites? These overseas students selected by Xiao Letian and the Prussian sailors are elites. There is no fanaticism or shouting. They all calmly carry out the captain's orders.
They had already prepared for such a thing as death.
Bang bang bang... Three red signal fireworks shot up into the sky. This was the most urgent signal flare. At a distance of five nautical miles, no flag bearer could see clearly the other party's flag. The fleets relied on the function of the signal flares to communicate with each other.
The meaning of the three red signal flares is that we have discovered the enemy's main fleet and we are evacuating quickly. Our ship is preparing to execute the sacrifice plan. Sun Chujian believes that Xiang Ying can make the most correct judgment. The Zhiyuan carries the dream of China's naval strategy. This is a dream ship, and it must not be damaged in the Atlantic Ocean.
The emergency signal sent by the Kunshan shocked the entire fleet. Everyone looked at the three fireworks exploding in the blue sky. Although not as bright as at night, they were still clearly visible.
"Damn it, Sun Chujian is a safe person. He was right when he said it was an emergency. There is a 90% chance that it is a warship, and there is definitely more than one..."
Xiang Ying punched the steel plate, his eyes were blood red and he was breathing heavily, "Send my order... abandon the Kunshan, and the remaining ships will head west." This book was first published from, read the original content first!
