The shelling of the Port of Iquique has never stopped. After the Esmedale led the Chilean main fleet to drive away the Peruvian Navy, it has been cruising off the coast of Iquique, using artillery to suppress the coastal defense batteries.
In naval battles, generally speaking, when battleships and road-based forts engage in mutual bombardment, the battleship side always suffers. Because the roadbed turret is directly installed on a solid turret, it is not afraid of recoil, so it can install larger-caliber artillery. The power is not comparable to that of battleship artillery.
Moreover, the permanent fort has built heavy fortifications. The modern ones are made of reinforced concrete, and the more primitive stone forts have very good defensive performance. The battleship's small-caliber artillery is really scratching its head when it is stuck on the fort, and the fort fires The ammunition exploded on the battleship, and the armor that was 20 to 30 millimeters thick was really difficult to defend against.
Fortunately, the strategic intention of the Chilean Navy in this battle was to harass and suppress, and did not consider using warships to deal with these forts. Therefore, the fleet has been cruising and shooting at the edge of the farthest range. Although the accuracy is insufficient, the accuracy of the same fort shooting is also greatly reduced. The two sides exchanged bombardments for several hours, firing hundreds of artillery shells but with no serious results at all.
Compared with the navy, the army was in full swing. The sailors in the fleet looked at the heated war scenes on the shore and were all excited and said with emotion, "God, it seems that we won't get much credit until the end of this war." , the Army is so lucky..."
But how could the God of War ignore the prayers of these soldiers? Shortly after the general land attack order was issued, a mysterious fleet suddenly arrived from the Pacific Ocean in the northwest.
"Reporting to the commander... a huge fleet was discovered in the northwest and is heading towards us at high speed..."
"What? Fleet! Is it the main force of the Peruvian Navy? Are they desperate to come and fight us? Boys, the battle achievements you are looking forward to are right in front of you. Change your formation and prepare to meet the enemy... The lookout will report the situation at any time!"
Orders were issued one by one from the flagship Esmedale, and the flag-bearers of each ship began to communicate. Soon the fleet was out of the fire range of the coastal defense batteries, and all their attention was focused on the Pacific Ocean.
"Reporting to the Chief...the identity of the enemy warship has been confirmed...it is the Peruvian Navy flagship Huasca...The Peruvian Navy has come out in full force..."
"Wait! The quantity is wrong! Sir, the quantity is wrong..."
The lookout put down the telescope, rubbed his eyes, and then raised it again to observe carefully, "One, two, three...seven...fifteen, sixteen, seventeen..."
"Twenty-three, twenty-five...twenty-eight, twenty-nine...Oh my God, the Peruvian Navy Fleet sent twenty-nine warships? How come there are so many!"
The officers of each ship climbed on the side and looked through the binoculars. They all looked in disbelief. "No, you are wrong! You must have read it wrong. The total number of Peruvian navy only has twelve ironclads. When did they become Twenty-nine ships? Wait, there are actually wooden sail warships behind the fleet?"
"Damn, there are really twenty-nine ships. Among them, the number of iron-clad ships has increased to twenty, and the remaining nine are wooden sail warships. Where will they get reinforcements?"
There was no time for crazy thinking in the battlefield class. Soon the two fleets were close to the effective firing range of both sides. The effective firing range of two kilometers could fully allow the maximum caliber 24-pound guns of both sides to exert their power.
"Prepare for combat...the gunner is loading...the explosive shells are ready...aim at the enemy's flagship and fire!"
Almost at the same time, both fleets opened fire on each other. The 24-pounder guns had a caliber of 148 mm. Such artillery was already considered the main force among heavy artillery on the sea at that time.
The brand-new rifled cannon makes the ballistic trajectory more stable and has a longer range. In the past, the situation where the two sides were several hundred meters away from each other and shooting at close range was no longer the case. Shooting between two and three thousand meters has gradually become the mainstream.
The roar of cannons on the sea was filled with black smoke. In an era when nitrocellulose explosives were not popular, most of the smoke on the battlefield was this kind of black smoke.
Boom boom boom... The explosion set off soaring waves. The armor was distorted and deformed, and some were even directly penetrated. There were always figures thrown into the air in the firelight, and the wreckage fell down like rain.
The sudden naval battle on the sea made Sirapizzo shocked. "How dare the Peruvian navy dare to take action? How dare they come to a decisive battle with their little warship strength? Damn it, what is going on?"
Before the war started, he had patted his chest and ensured that the Peruvian navy would never dare to act rashly. It was only after eliminating the threat on the sea that Tietoutuo and he formulated such a risky plan to encircle the point for reinforcements.
But now the war situation has suddenly reversed. If the Peruvian Navy defeats the Chilean Navy, then the sea to the west of Iquique will become the enemy's artillery position, and even if the city is captured, it will be mercilessly bombed.
If the artillery on the sea and the artillery in the fortress were to combine to carry out cross-bombing on the army, then our own field artillery would be of no use at all.
Just when Sirapizzo was at a loss, Tang Lei ran back angrily, "What's going on? General, what about your previous guarantee? Didn't you say that the Peruvian Navy absolutely does not have the courage to fight? Then what is the situation on the sea? What?"
"No, no, no... I really didn't know that something like this would happen. There is no such fleet in our intelligence at all. When did Peru get so many ships?"
The war situation has reached such a situation that blaming each other will have no effect at all. Tang Lei stamped his feet angrily, "There is nothing we can do. The brave will win when we meet on a narrow road. Now we can only fight desperately and use our lives to pile up. Before the enemy's fleet controls the sea, we These forts must be taken down, at least we have control of the shore defense batteries!”
"Please issue an order to the fleet to fight decisively, fight to the death, or even die together, so that they must block the enemy and absolutely protect our flanks..."
"It's time to fight to the death. Any strategy will no longer work. Show your courage! Fill this city with your lives!"
Sirapizzo looked at Tang Lei who was walking away decisively. A fire was burning in his heart. He drew his sword and shouted, "Start from me. The command post moves forward. We must follow the footsteps of the charging soldiers! Go forward!" forward!"
"Send a signal to the Esmedale and tell him that I, Silapizzo, have come to the front line to launch a decisive battle with the enemy! Let them remember the glory of the navy! Even if we die together, we must guard the sea!"
"The brave Chilean army...victory!"
The entire headquarters and all reserves shouted wildly, "Victory! Victory! Victory!" All reserves of the Chilean army, including Commander Sirapizzo's personal guards, also stepped forward, and the war entered the most critical moment of bloody battle.
