Warships of this era are most afraid of arson. Whether it is a sail or a wooden hull, it is extremely easy to be ignited.
Even if the Spanish Navy dispatches warships with twice the tonnage and much stronger firepower than its own, the Dutch Navy will not be afraid. Instead, it will become more courageous and defeat the stubborn enemy.
Seeing Zheng Yiguan using his trump card, Putmans suddenly became nervous and hurriedly ordered the entire fleet to turn eastward to avoid being hit by the arson ship.
Even if a battleship of the same level as the "Hector" is bitten by a much smaller arson ship, the damage caused is no less than dozens of twenty-four-pound cannonballs.
Since it is loaded with a large amount of oil and firewood, if there is a favorable wind to help, it will really be able to ride the wind and waves with great momentum.
A small but powerful ruthless character, we are talking about the arson ship!
Putmans had already thought of the Spanish Armada, which was defeated by the British navy with a bunch of small ships, and he did not intend to repeat the same mistake.
Putmans had already expected that Zheng Yiguan would use the arson boat and was on guard against it.
However, until the fleets of both sides were almost in close combat, the other side had not yet used this trick.
Putmans thought that Zheng Yiguan was not going to use it. If he used the arson ship at such a close distance, he was afraid that his own warship would also be affected.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Yiguan really dared to use it. This was to risk death together and fight to the death with his own powerful fleet.
The only difference is that in this naval battle, Putmans and his subordinates also saw another strange weapon.
With this kind of weapon that can fly across the sea and destroy warships, combined with arson ships, it would be really terrifying.
The East India Company's support fleet was almost defenseless, and its powerful warships were hit one after another.
Putmans had seen rockets before, but this was his first time seeing a rocket with a pair of huge wings on its body.
This may also be the reason to ensure that this rocket can fly as smoothly as a cannonball. Perhaps after the war, the actual object can be obtained and taken to Batavia for the company to copy.
However, it is impossible to obtain a sample of this weapon without defeating Zheng Yiguan in front of him.
"Your Majesty Commander! The 'Good Luck' has sunk!"
"...order the fleet to continue to turn in, not to engage the enemy easily, keep a safe distance, and continue to use firepower superiority to destroy nearby enemy ships!"
Putmans looked at the mast that was half exposed out of the sea and the sailors nearby who were struggling for help. He felt very heavy, but his current responsibilities were more important and he could not think about anything else.
The "Good Luck" has become the "Bad Luck". This ship was the first to be sunk in the entire fleet, and the speed exceeded everyone's imagination.
It took only a quarter of an hour to sink a battleship similar to the "Hector" class. Although it involved ammunition exploding, it was still quite astonishingly efficient.
The "Good Luck" is just a microcosm of the entire assault team. This team consists of six large warships. Now every warship is hit by bullets and is on fire.
It's just that the "Good Luck" was the first ship to sink, that's all.
If the current situation continues, if Putmans' flagship "Java" and the nearby "Tuna" cannot control the fire, they will follow suit.
"Order the fleet to select large enemy ships to fire in addition to the approaching arson ships!"
Colonel Sholes Baker, who led the main fleet, saw that the battle situation of the main fleet was not optimistic. In particular, the attack of the commando commanded by Putmans himself was not going well, and all six battleships were hit by bullets and caught fire.
Although the Dajuan fleet responsible for the roundabout attack on the left wing was progressing smoothly and had sunk and destroyed no less than ten enemy ships, Colonel Baker still ordered the fleet to destroy Zheng Yiguan's capital ship as soon as possible.
If Zheng Yiguan rushes ahead of his own side and defeats Putmans's main fleet, then there is no doubt that it is impossible for the large fleet to make a comeback successfully with his own strength.
Colonel Baker has been around Daguan and the wider Formosa Island for many years, and he is very aware of the military strength Zheng Yiguan possesses. The ship in front of him is only equivalent to half of the strength of the former pirate leader.
If Zheng Yiguan is given time to put all his chips on the table, it will definitely not be matched by these seventy-seven battleships.
If we can defeat Zheng Yiguan's fleet today and allow our own fleet to enter Damuan Bay, it will not only be able to relieve Bolger, but also cooperate with the defenders to fight a turnaround.
Otherwise, he would have to lead a large fleet to fight guerrillas in the waters around this area. It would be quite difficult to live a life of grabbing watermelons when there was nothing to do.
This is also a helpless move. Even if these sixteen warships are all of the "Hector" level, it can only be a daydream to fight against the thousands of ships in Zheng Yiguan's hands.
The current situation is very clear. In order to withstand the fierce attack of the Putmans fleet, Zheng Yiguan retracted all the battleships in the middle, causing a lot of holes in both wings.
It depends on whether Colonel Schuers Baker and Major Luc Mullen, deputy commander of the fleet, who are responsible for the assault mission on the left and right wings, can seize the fighter plane and establish victory in one fell swoop.
Zheng Jun's enemy at sea, the "Hector", was still as brave and invincible as a few years ago, destroying four medium-sized warships of Zheng Jun in a row.
The other warships in the fleet were not to be outdone, and the left wing fought vigorously. The current position was considered to have sailed into the side and rear of the enemy's formation, which was extremely beneficial to the Dutch side.
"Brothers! Give me a few more 'whaling harpoons' and destroy the Hongyi flagship!"
"Go back to Fourth Master! There are only two 'harpoons' left!"
"Huh? So fast?"
"...Fourth Master! Do you still want to fight?"
"Of course we'll fight! Get closer! Hongyi's flagship turns and wants to run away, don't let it escape!"
In general, Zheng Jun warships are generally one to two knots faster than Dutch warships when the wind is downwind, and two to three knots slower when the wind is against them.
Unfortunately, the Zheng Jun fleet had the upper hand today, which allowed the entire fleet to maintain higher mobility than the opponent.
In naval battles in the past, blocking position was more important than formation. Whichever side can block the windward position can take the initiative on the battlefield, because it can release the arson ship at will.
After understanding the key points of the prince's formation, the Zheng brothers all understood the truth, that is, the formation is actually more important than the position.
Whoever can grab the "T-head" will have the upper hand.
Between wind direction and formation, the latter is more important than the former.
If something happens unexpectedly and you can't grab a T-head, then settle for the next best thing.
On the contrary, if you can seize both the position and the wind direction, and the strength gap between the two sides is not large, and the leader does not make any major command errors, your side's chance of winning will definitely exceed 70%.
As for whether it will be a big victory or a tragic victory, it depends on the on-the-spot performance of the sailors and gunners under his command...
Zheng Zhifeng's strategy today is very simple, that is to create a "Great Wall of China"!
Taking advantage of the tailwind, they set up a long snake formation and forced the Dutch to rush into the formation.
Only by rushing to the rear of the Zheng Army fleet, that is, farther north, can the Dutch fleet regain the advantage of the tailwind.
Otherwise, they will always have to fight a headwind battle and must always worry about the arson boats released by Zheng Jun.
"Fourth Master! The left and right wings may be breached by Hongyi!"
"Don't worry about it, let's let Hongyi be proud for a while! Let's hit Hongyi in the middle!"
Zheng Zhifeng knew that his side had too few heavy artillery. Even though there were more than 400 ships, his side was inferior to the opponent in terms of firepower.
Therefore, we must concentrate our firepower to severely damage Hongyi before we can turn danger into safety.
The simplest and clearest way is to first destroy the Hongyi fleet attacking from the middle.
Although this fleet has the largest number of warships and seems to be the most powerful, it is because of its large number that it is easy to start.
Go and capture the Hongyi Squadron that is outflanking it. It’s hard to say whether you can capture it or not!
Moreover, if the troops are divided into two wings, the defense in the middle will be weak, and Hongyi must break through.
By then, the Hongyi fleet will have the advantage of downwind, and the formation of its own fleet will be scattered and difficult to gather.
Zheng Zhifeng believed that the twenty or thirty warships in the middle of the attack could be severely damaged first, forcing Hongyi to consider the follow-up possibilities.
In the end, the Red Yi fleet was driven out of the battlefield waters. Although this was a bit unsatisfactory, our own strength could only go so far at the moment.
From the actual situation, it seems that the possibility of severely damaging the entire fleet or even annihilating the Hongyi fleet is slim. There is nothing wrong with being more pragmatic.
However, there is an unexpected surprise this time!
That was when Zheng Zhifeng saw an old acquaintance appear on the opposite battleship through the telescope!
A few years ago, when Zheng signed a contract with the East India Company, this old acquaintance was the person in charge of the signing.
That's Putmans!
Considering that this guy's previous position was not low, even though he was later transferred.
Seeing him now, he must have been promoted. In terms of rank, he should be higher than Bolger.
The warship with this guy must be the flagship. If it can be sunk while taking advantage of the situation and cause chaos in the Hongyi fleet, the price paid by oneself may be smaller.
Although Zheng Zhifeng's flagship was hit by multiple bullets, none of them were fatal. The mast was not broken, and the hull below the waterline was not hit. It was good that it was hit by solid bullets.
Going with the wind and chasing against the wind, and the distance between the two sides was very close, less than 200 steps, Hongyi's warship was severely damaged by the "whaling harpoon", and the time required for the pursuit was very short.
"Fourth Master! There is a Hongyi battleship blocking our way for the Hongyi flagship!"
"No matter what ship! Anyone who stands in the way will die!"
Zheng Zhifeng's flagship was originally stuck in place to facilitate the launch of anti-ship missiles. Now if it wants to pursue the target, it must raise the sails again.
At this time, the "Mendy", which was at the end of the assault team, made the final turn according to the order of Fleet Commander Putmans.
This sudden maneuver caused the warship's side and rear to face Zheng Zhifeng's flagship. What was even more annoying was that it continued to fire.
Can this be tolerated?
Of course I can't bear it!
This is a typical push-on-the-nose move!
"Use a harpoon for me! One is enough!"
The distance between the two sides was less than thirty steps. Zheng Zhifeng did not believe that such a close distance and facing such a large target could allow the anti-ship missile to deliberately miss its target.
"Look at it!"
The artillerymen were busy installing a "Whaling Harpoon" II on the launcher, taking advantage of the interval between enemy ship's firepower, aiming at the target, igniting and launching.
The tail of the "whaling harpoon" sprayed a flame that was more than ten feet long. After turning off the damping mechanism, it flew out of the battleship with the help of powerful thrust and rushed towards the target not far away.
"Fight quickly!"
Although they have not been exposed to this special weapon for a long time, the sailors and gunners in the East India Company's fleet have already realized the horror of this thing.
Although the speed is not as fast as the cannonballs, the lethality is much greater than the cannonballs.
No matter how powerful a battleship is, it will be scrapped after being hit four or five times by this thing.
Therefore, the sailors have prepared a lot of matchlock guns, but the shooting accuracy of the matchlock guns is really not flattering.
"Pah, pah, pah..."
A burst of white smoke appeared from multiple gun windows. This was the panicked sailors firing matchlocks to block the sneak attack of this thing.
The sailors also gave this thing many nicknames, such as "Fire Demon", "Fire Demon", "Eastern Devil", "Pirate Devil"...
But can mortals resist the devil?
Obviously not!
"Boom~!"
After a shocking explosion, the "Mendy" also lost half of its stern.
Fortunately, there is no ammunition stored here, it is just a cabin used to live in people, otherwise the loss would not be so small.
Even so, it scared the sailors and gunners nearby, and the stern of the ship was on fire, making the "Mendy" look a little embarrassed.
During this period, it was bombarded by dozens of artillery shells, which made everyone on the ship feel that the ship was simply on a mission of near death...
But it is more dangerous not to do this!
Attack the enemy's defense line alone?
What's the difference between this one and seeking death?
The flagship was forced to change course under the violent beatings of this group of pirates. If it didn't turn again, I'm afraid the "Good Luck" would end up now.
At this time, everyone wished that the "Mendy" also had more than a dozen pairs of oars, and quickly got a sail and oar integrated, so that the speed could be faster!
Zheng Jun's gunners are also very sharp-eyed, specializing in shooting those who are on fire and smoking. They will hit anyone who is on fire and smoking.
The reason is simply because the smoke is a reference, making it easier to aim!
It is also an extremely terrifying thing to be violently bombarded by a big Buddha machine at close range.
This thing is different from ordinary artillery that takes a long time to reload ammunition, but it can fire continuously.
The evasive action at close range directly caused the port side of the "Mendy" to be completely smashed.
It can be said that what the "Jawa" looked like before, the "Mendi" looks like now.
The only difference between the two is that the latter takes one less anti-ship missile than the former!
Even the "Java" couldn't withstand this level of firepower, and the "Mendi" naturally couldn't withstand it either.
What is even more worrying is that the whole ship is afraid that the pirates on the opposite side will shoot two more "Fire Demons" here!
The "Mendy" is already in this condition. If it takes two more "Fire Demons", there will be no need to struggle. Everyone can simply abandon the ship and escape.
It is no exaggeration to say that the ships in the assault team have been stunned by the unpredictable "Fire Demon".
Of the six capital ships, one was directly sunk and three were severely damaged, which was equivalent to losing more than half of their combat effectiveness.
However, this loss is only the prelude to this naval battle. The two sides are desperately fighting for who is the protagonist of this battle...
"Your Excellency, Commander, the situation on our ship is not optimistic. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold on for much longer!"
The adjutant reported the truth to Putmans and asked his superiors to make plans in advance, because the life of the "Java" had entered the countdown stage.
Do you think that by turning around you can get rid of the bad luck of being attacked by enemy fire?
That’s really too much to think about!
The instinct of a pirate is to bully the weak, and this is especially true in naval battles.
The burning and smoking "Java" is undoubtedly the best prey in the eyes of a group of pirates!
They don't care who is sitting on it, they will concentrate their firepower first and sink it first!
After Putmans ordered the turn, the flagship was hit by no less than sixty or seventy shells of various sizes.
But coupled with being hit by rockets three times before, this is terrible.
Even if it were replaced by the "Hector" of the same level, it still wouldn't be able to hold it.
Due to serious flooding on the port side, the "Java" had tilted significantly to the left side.
"Abandon ship!"
This will be the result no matter how hard you persist, so why not let your men escape as soon as possible.
As for Putmans himself, he could take a boat and board the "Courage" that arrived later.
This battleship was in much better condition than the Java and could serve as his temporary flagship.
