"Boom! Boom!"
Just as Hong Renkun and Feng Yilong, good boys from God's family, were rubbing their eyes hard, four Homes-class armored cruisers and six destroyers sailing close to Guadalcanal opened fire together. Since the distance is only 8,000 meters, water columns continue to surge from around the large light cruiser Kongming.
The six British destroyers are nothing. These destroyers were originally designed to tow "aircraft carriers". Their firepower is not strong, and their tonnage is less than 1,000 tons. There is no way to compare with the heavy-mine escort-class destroyers. But their four Homers are very "targeted" armored cruisers!
Although this level of warship is branded as a patrol ship, its armor is not strong, its firepower is not strong, its standard displacement is only 9,800 tons, and its speed is not fast, only 23 knots. If you encounter hero-class, hero-modified, and more powerful battleships, you will be unable to defeat and run away, and you will be beaten to death very quickly. If you encounter a hero-class equipped with four 240mm cannons, you will probably be a target.
But if they encounter a warrior class or a guard class whose artillery is not that strong, they can take advantage of it. Because the armor of the Homes class is not bad, they are still branded as armored cruisers. Although they cannot withstand 240mm and 280mm artillery bombardment, it is unlikely that the 155mm cannon will sink them. The British's shipbuilding technology is not that good. Although their 14 6-inch main guns are not powerful enough, their firepower density is sufficient. Moreover, the layout of these 14 6-inch main guns is very distinctive. In addition to the double turrets on the bow and stern and the single turrets on both sides of the midships, there are also separate turrets on the sides of the bow and stern. There was a transept housing two 6-inch cannon. The two 6-inch guns installed in the turrets are not connected in parallel, but on the upper and lower floors. Thanks to this upper and lower artillery layout, the Homes class actually has two more 6-inch guns than the Kongming class, which is equipped with four triple 155mm cannon turrets!
However, the 12 155mm cannons of the Kongming class can be fired hard against one broadside, while the Homes class can concentrate up to nine 6-inch cannons on one broadside, which is three fewer than the Kongming class. However, now on the battlefield near Guadalcanal, the number of Homes-class and Kongming-class ships has reached 4 to 1! The four Homes-class ships can concentrate 36 6-inch cannons to bombard Guo Xiaobao's flagship Kongming. Number! The Kongming could only fight back with 12 155mm cannons. Even with the addition of a Warrior-class ship that helped the Kongming attack, its firepower was still at a clear disadvantage.
Guo Xiaobao raised his telescope and immediately saw four large pieces of flashing muzzle flash. Even though it was only a 150mm artillery fire, the sheer number still scared Guo Xiaobao. For a moment, he wanted to run away in the Kongming. This Kongming uses the same oil-fired boiler and steam turbine as the Zhongwang class. It has a powerful power of 40,000 horsepower, and no one in the world can catch up with it.
But Guo Xiaobao also knows that if he runs away... his career in this life will be over, and when he returns, he will be demoted and forced to retire. No matter how good a friend Zhuge Weidao is, the most he can do is arrange a job for him in the Zhuge family's property.
Thinking of this, Guo Xiaobao gritted his teeth, stamped his feet, and yelled: "Damn it, Zhuge Daozi told me my fortune, saying that I would be lucky if I met a noble person...I'm not afraid of that! Give it to me Accelerate, 27 knots, rush forward and release torpedoes!”….
"Yes, sir!"
When the captain of the Kongming heard Guo Xiaobao's words, he had no choice but to take the order, personally take over the rudder, swerve a few degrees, and steer the large light cruiser with a standard row of 13,000 tons and a full row of 16,000 tons toward the approaching ship. The British fleet rushed forward.
At this time, both formations formed columns and headed towards each other. Their routes were originally moving continuously, but now one side turns slightly while the other side maintains its original route, so they will naturally get closer and closer. When you get closer, you can release the thunder!
The Kongming class has two rotary five-unit millimeter heavy-duty torpedo launch tubes, with a total of 10 super-heavy gas steam torpedoes... Once fired, even the British battleships can't hold it.
In addition, the one warrior-class and three escort-class ships following the Kongming are also "heavy torpedo" ships. Both classes of warships are equipped with rotating five-unit 530mm torpedo launch tubes.
2 seats. The five warships carried a total of 50 medium and heavy steam gas torpedoes. If this was done... the British fleet on the opposite side would be completely wiped out!
But British Rear Admiral Boehmer also knew Guo Xiaobao's thoughts, so he would not give the opponent a chance to close the distance and fire torpedoes!
So Boehme also issued an order to deflect the course and keep his formation parallel to the opponent. In his opinion, as long as the opponent is not given the opportunity to get close to fire torpedoes, with his advantage of having more ships and more guns, it is impossible. Lose, unless his luck is particularly bad.
Well, in naval battles, luck is very important. Some ships are so prosperous that they cannot sink no matter how hard they are hit. Some were particularly unlucky, hitting rocks and mines, having ammunition depots exploding inexplicably, and sinking even if they stayed in the port.
Thinking of this, Boehme made a sign of the cross on his chest and whispered: "God bless the British Empire!" Then he began to concentrate on watching the sex. However, he never would have thought that on the Chinese ship Kong Ming, there were two people asking God for help at this time... and one of them had a closer relationship with God than Boehme could have imagined.
"God bless our Heavenly Father, God bless our Heavenly Father..."
While begging God, Hong Renkun stared intently at the "four muzzle flames" on the opposite side, and asked God and the old man for help.
Of course God is standing behind Hong Renkun - this is a must!
So those shells just fell one after another around the large light cruiser Kong Ming... This was a straddle fire! Normally, after a few cross-shots, it should hit. But these 4 Homes-class 36 cannons just lacked a little bit of luck, and they couldn't hit even after hitting them.
"How come you can't hit even after hitting me?" Boehmer muttered in a low voice. As soon as he finished speaking, the first hit of tonight's night battle came. However, it was not the Kongming that was hit, but a 155mm shell fired by the Kongming that hit the No. 2 chimney of Boehmer's flagship, the Monmouth. Not only did it blow out a big hole in the chimney, but the shell exploded. The sparks also ignited the lifeboat next to the chimney, causing a fire.
There is nothing worse than being caught on fire by your opponent in a night battle... The flames are so blazing that you can see them from afar!
"Damn it..." Boehme cursed - maybe he was scolding some God who didn't bless him?
Anyway, not two minutes after he finished cursing, his flagship Monmouth was hit again! This time, the 155mm shell directly hit the bridge! Although there was no breakdown, the shock from the distance still knocked everyone to the ground. The sailor steering the ship was no exception. When he fell, he brought a rudder with him, causing the Monmouth's sailing direction to deflect slightly. In order to keep the distance from the Kongming, the Monmouth had already After several turns, the formations of both sides changed from traveling in opposite directions to traveling in the same direction, circling together on the sea. Because the Monmouth had always occupied the inner circle, it could still try to keep a distance.
Of course, because the Kongming was much faster, the distance between the two sides was getting closer little by little.
But now, unfortunately, the Monmouth's course has taken a wrong turn and rushed towards the Kongming. Although this error only lasted for a minute or two, it still gave Kongming a chance to quickly close the distance.
"5000 meters!"
When Guo Xiaobao heard his captain reporting this distance, he immediately shouted excitedly: "Launch torpedoes... Shoot all the torpedoes for me! Shoot all the British ships!" It’s sinking!”
"Yes, sir!"
. .
Daluoluo
