"Headquarters, the British fleet formed a back-to-land battle formation in the Bay of Alanya!"
In the 10th year of the Ming Dynasty, when dusk arrived on September 28, the armored cruiser formation led by Chen Huacheng finally caught up with the escapees from Tamasi Island near a small bay called Aran Bay on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. The main force of the British-Indian Malacca Strait Fleet came out.
Probably knowing that they could not escape, the main force of the Malacca Fleet in the Straits did not continue to flee. Instead, they set up a "back-to-land battle" formation in the Gulf of Aram, which is only seven or eight kilometers wide, with its back to the land and facing the sea. .
Taking advantage of the dim light on the sea, Chen Huacheng, who was on the bridge of the Zhao Zilong armored cruiser, raised his telescope and looked towards Yalan Bay, about 20,000 meters away. Fifteen "beggar's battleships" of the British and Indian Navy are slowly forming a horizontal formation on the sea. The fifteen ships all have their backs to the land and face the sea. The two formations of the horizontal formation were "set up" on both sides of the entrance to the bay, so Chen Huacheng's fleet had no way of detouring and could only attack from the front!
And about 20 third-class cruisers, destroyers or small gunboats that followed the fifteen beggars' battleships huddled behind the fifteen beggars' battleships, assuming a posture ready to attack at any time.
"These British men are quite capable. No wonder they have been able to dominate the ocean for so many years." Chen Huacheng whispered while watching the battle, "It's a pity that times have changed..."
As he said that, he turned around and said to the left and right: "It seems that the commander of the British fleet is a little blind. I don't know yet that we already have steam gas that can hit several kilometers and reach a speed of thirty or forty knots." Where are the torpedoes!”
Although this kind of steam gas torpedo has already shown its power on the battlefield, and it also overturned a British armored cruiser.
But news spread very slowly these days, and it was normal for the British in Malacca to be completely unaware.
"Headquarters," at this time, a chief staff officer shouted, "look, the British have raised the Z-shaped flag!"
The Z-flag was commonly used by the Marquis of Nelson when he was fighting Napoleon's navy... He would raise this flag when he was fighting a decisive battle, and then issue an order such as "The Royal Navy requires each of you to fulfill your duties."
"You need to go all out!" Chen Huacheng raised the telescope and looked at it again, and suddenly emphasized his tone, "Send my general order... raise the bloody red flag!"
"Yes, Junmen!"
The officers on the bridge shouted in response.
"Send the order!" Chen Huacheng said, "We are also forming a horizontal formation...all the armored cruisers are lined up 10,000 meters away from the formation.
All cruisers, destroyers, and torpedo boats also followed behind the armored cruiser in order, preparing to charge! The order of charge is armored cruiser, cruiser, destroyer, and finally torpedo boat. However, except for torpedo boats, all other ships are not allowed to come within 4000 meters of the enemy's line... The enemy's 12-inch run is no joke! "
What Chen Huacheng put out was a "Naval Pig Attack" formation, but it was not a real pig attack, but a fake pig attack. It was a large number of armored cruisers, cruisers, and destroyers rushing together to attract the enemy's attention and cover the really deadly torpedoes. The speedboat rushed as close as possible to release the mine!
24 torpedo boats can launch 48 steam gas torpedoes. If this is done well, the British and Indian teams can be "capsized" in one go!
Chen Huacheng looked at his watch again. The time was already 6:55 pm. He smiled: "At 7:30... launch the general attack!"
"Yes, Headquarters!"
...
Rear Admiral Rodney, the commander of the British-Indian Malacca Strait Fleet, was very proud of his "Battle on the Backshore". In his opinion, this was simply a genius deployment, which would definitely help him and his fleet to hold on to Rear Admiral Corcoran's attack. 22 armored cruisers arrived (actually there were only 21)...and Rear Admiral Cochrane was only in the vanguard of Vice Admiral Hood.
Lieutenant General Hood has 22 battleships, 10 more than Guan Tianpei, and the battleships in Lieutenant General Hood's hands are not bad either. They are cutting-edge battleships built by the British working class who worked overtime 997 hours a day, and they are sure to win... ..
However, Vice Admiral Hood's fleet is far away in the Shidu Strait, a full 1,100 kilometers away from the preset battlefield in the Strait of Malacca. Even if it reaches the speed of 16 knots, it will take a day and a half! The armored patrol unit under Lieutenant General Hood rushed as hard as they could, probably at this speed. Hood's main fleet may be a little slower, and may be two or three hours later.
And Rodney's task is to command his Channel Fleet to drag it for a day and a half... As long as the 22 armored cruisers commanded by Rear Admiral Corcoran (actually only 21) arrive, his fleet is not completely finished. . Then it would be difficult for the Ming Navy's patrol unit to escape. Since the Ming army's patrol could not escape, Guan Tianpei's main fleet had no choice but to bite the bullet and attack!
By then, Guan Tianpei's 12 battleships will become the prey of Lieutenant General Hood!
Therefore, the rise and fall of the British Empire now depends on the struggle of Major General Rodney and his beggar battleships!
But... Rodney, who was ready to fight hard, suddenly found that his opponents were not going to fight hard. They actually formed a "three-row horizontal formation" that was more common in the era of galleys. Look at this Does it mean to "charge like a pig"?
The level of the Ming Navy cannot be that low, right?
Rear Admiral Rodney came from a naval family. He also fought with Nelson against Napoleon, and his level was quite good... so he immediately thought something was wrong!
There must be something weird in this!
But...he has been blocked in a bay now, with the land behind him, and there is no way to escape. What should he do?
As soon as he thought of this, a staff officer next to him suddenly shouted: "Major General... they are starting to attack!"
"What?"
Rodney quickly raised his telescope. It was already very dark at this time, but he could still see the black shadows on the sea rushing towards him with the help of the moonlight!
"Damn, what do they want?"
Rodney panicked.
"Major General, they, they don't want to sink us, do they?"
"Crashed?" Although Rodney found it unbelievable, beads of sweat the size of soybeans still rolled down his forehead.
At this moment, twenty or thirty sparks suddenly flickered in the black bank on the opposite side. This should be the muzzle flash of a large-caliber naval gun!
"He actually opened fire..." Rodney judged that the opponent was at least seven or eight thousand meters away. Could he hit from such a distance?
As soon as he thought of this, his eyes suddenly turned pale. When he looked up, he found that twenty or thirty "little suns" shining with white light suddenly appeared in the sky and were slowly setting - these were flares!
Are they going to... an artillery battle?
"Quick, shoot the flares!"
Rodney really can't figure out what his opponent is doing? But he can only prepare for an artillery battle... He has 30 12-inch cannons, which gives him an advantage!
"Boom boom..."
After a burst of gunfire, the sea several kilometers away in front was also illuminated by a pale white light, and the enemy ships on the sea were seen lined up in three rows, with the armored cruiser in front, the cruiser in the back, and the destroyer in the end (not visible). Seeing the torpedo boat), it is rushing towards itself desperately...it seems that it is going to sink its own ship!
"Crazy, crazy..." Rodney muttered, and suddenly he shouted again, "Fire, fire quickly, don't let their armored cruiser get close... sink it for me." they!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Command all ships to fire freely!"
...
"Fire now?"
Chen Huacheng, who was on the Zhao Zilong, couldn't help but feel proud when he saw muzzle flashes flashing out from the "beggar's version of the battleships" on the opposite side.
The British artillery fired early. With the current visibility, it was not easy to hit at this distance. This showed that they were a little anxious. And the faster their cannon fire, the more water droplets and waves will appear on the sea, and the easier it will be for those torpedo boats to approach concealedly...
