At around 2 p.m. on March 2, Yerk had just gotten up after taking a nap, and the first mate Oss went straight to the cabin where Yerk lived.

"General, the lookout of the light cruiser Gray Zebra found that there were many puffs of soot in the southeast direction, and I suspect that the main force of the Zhou family's coastal defense fleet has appeared!"

When Yerk heard this, his spirit couldn't help but perk, "Great! Os, let's go to the bridge immediately! ”

Although the main force of the Zhoujia coastal defense fleet, as Yerk wished, finally appeared, the scale of the Zhoujia coastal defense fleet at this time far exceeded Yerk's expectations.

In the bridge of the battleship Red Horned Eagle, Yelk put down the binoculars with a solemn face, then turned to the first mate Oss and said, "Send a report to Vice Admiral Peg immediately."

Tell Vice Admiral Peg that the main force of the Zhou family's coastal defense fleet, with all main gun battleships and battle cruisers combined, is not 11 as we think, but as many as 25.

However, our Third Fleet is still confident that it will defeat each other and achieve a victory for the Royal Navy! ”

First mate Oss said with some hesitation: "General, we only have 6 battleships with full main guns, aren't we ......?"

Before Oss could finish his words, he was interrupted by Yerk, "Don't forget that we still have 9 all-steel battleships, and we have the strength to fight against them!"

In addition, through the previous naval battle of Xiangshi Island, it has been proved that the Zhou family's coastal defense fleet has a very obvious gap with the Royal Navy of our Silver Wolf Empire in terms of personnel quality, and I don't think we are inferior to the other party in terms of strength!

Os, remember! We, the Royal Navy of the Silver Wolf Empire, have never flinched in the face of any enemy, and this time is no different! ”

Oss had been Yerk's first mate for several years and knew Yerk's character very well.

Hearing Yerk say this, Oss knew that Yelk had made up his mind, and perhaps even if Lieutenant General Peg gave Yelk an order to evacuate, Yelk might not be willing to listen.

"General, I will immediately notify the teams and switch to a battle formation!"

Previously, Yelk set 6 all-main gun battleships as the first team, 5 all-steel battleships as the second team, and the remaining 4 all-steel battleships as the third team.

10 large armored cruisers, 20 light cruisers and 20 destroyers were divided into 10 warships by Yerk, from the fourth to the thirteenth war, each of which had 5 warships of the same type.

Peg, the commander of the Silver Wolf Empire's expeditionary fleet, received a telegram from Yerk, and his first reaction was that the messenger had sent the wrong number.

Captain Onusa of the battleship of the Devil's Claw Eagle with all main guns said with a serious expression: "Vice Admiral, I have repeatedly confirmed that the transmitter did not mistake the numbers, and the Third Fleet led by Commodore Yerk did encounter 25 battleships or battle cruisers with full main guns. ”

Hearing this, Peg was silent for a while before asking, "Onusha, do you think you should let Commodore Yerk lead the Third Fleet to retreat?" ”

"Lieutenant General, presumably with Brigadier General Yerk's arrogant character, even if you order him to retreat, he will not carry out the order.

What's more, the strength in the hands of Brigadier General Yerk is not weak, and with the previous performance of the Zhou family's coastal defense fleet in the naval battle of Xiangshi Island, I think it can still be fought! ”

Peg nodded slowly, "It's true that the older you get, the less guts you have."

Send a telegram to Brigadier General Yerk and tell him that I will be responsible for all the consequences! ”

In the bridge of the Zhenhai, the flagship of the coastal defense fleet, the captain Chen Yongliang reported to Song Limin: "Song Zhi, it has been confirmed that the opposite side should be the warships of the Third Fleet of the Silver Wolf Empire Navy.

This included 6 all-main-gun battleships and 9 all-steel battleships, and the combined number of large armored cruisers, light cruisers, and destroyers was about 50. ”

Although the coastal defense fleet now has a number of battleships and battle cruisers with full main guns, the flagship of the coastal defense fleet is still the all-steel battleship Zhenhai.

However, now Song Limin is no longer the captain of the Zhenhai, but Chen Yongliang.

Chen Yongliang is also the old man of the coastal defense fleet in Ganyang City, and his cousin is Chen Yongchang, the commander of the seventh formation of the coastal defense fleet.

Song Limin immediately said expressionlessly: "Order the first formation, the third formation, the eighth formation, and the ninth formation to meet the enemy with four parallel battle lines, and prepare to seize the 't' prefix!"

Order the fifth formation to break away from the main fleet and look for fighters on its own!

Order the 7th Formation and the Task Force to continue with the formation of four battleships to prepare for the enemy's torpedo attack! ”

At this time, the main force of the coastal defense fleet departing from Crescent Island had already converged with the raiding fleet led by Wang Hongchun.

As a result, the coastal defense fleet had a total of 18 battleships with full main guns, 7 battlecruisers, 3 all-steel battleships, 8 large armored cruisers and 12 light cruisers.

Although in terms of the number of warships, the 48 ships of the coastal defense fleet are less than the 65 warships of the Third Fleet of the Silver Wolf Imperial Navy.

However, in terms of the overall quality of warships, and even the total tonnage, the coastal defense fleet is much better than the Third Fleet of the Silver Wolf Empire Navy.

Of course, this kind of superficial strength cannot completely determine the outcome of a naval battle, otherwise the coastal defense fleet would not have suffered so much loss in the naval battle of Xiangshi Island.

Just as the fleets of the two sides continued to close the distance, a lone light cruiser in the distance was watching the imminent naval battle.

This light cruiser flew the flag of the Royal Navy of the Red Tiger Empire and was an observation ship sent by the Fifth Fleet of the Royal Navy of the Red Tiger Empire.

Originally, this light cruiser named Wind Speed went to Xiangshi Island with the Silver Wolf Empire Expeditionary Fleet.

The Fifth Fleet of the Royal Navy of the Red Tiger Empire sent the light cruiser Fengsu as an observation ship, hoping to watch the naval duel between the Silver Wolf Imperial Navy and the Zhou Jiahai Defense Fleet up close.

Therefore, after the division of the Silver Wolf Empire Expeditionary Fleet, the light cruiser Fengsu chose to follow the Third Fleet of the Silver Wolf Empire Navy led by Yerk and went to Jingsheng Port together.

Danica, the captain of the light cruiser Wind Speed, put down the binoculars in his hand and couldn't help but say to the first mate Doro: "I hope that the navy of the Silver Wolf Empire can severely damage the Zhou family's coastal defense fleet."

Otherwise, with the strength of the Zhou family's coastal defense fleet, it will also be a great threat to our Fifth Fleet. ”

The first mate Doro said with a shocked face: "It's unbelievable!

A local family in the Han and Tang Empires actually had more than twenty battleships with full main guns!

Our Red Tiger Empire's Royal Navy in the New World has only more than thirty full-main gun battleships in the six main fleets combined, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it!

Where did the Zhou family get these all-main gun battleships from? ”

"Let the generals find the answer to this question!

Immediately report the situation here to the command of our Fifth Fleet by telegram!

By the way, what's the name of that island to the east? ”

"That small island is called Shark Island, and I heard that it got its name because of the large number of sharks in the surrounding waters."

"It seems that the sharks in this sea area are going to have an extra meal today."

Just after the main force of the coastal defense fleet and the third fleet of the Silver Wolf Empire Navy met unexpectedly, the lottery system suddenly refreshed a new task: to win the naval battle of Shark Island. (Reward 4-star raffle card, 40 points)

Battle of Shark Island?

And where is Shark Island?

When Zhou Ruizheng was puzzled, Song Limin's telegram arrived.

The main force of the coastal defense fleet intercepted the fleet sent by the Silver Wolf Imperial Navy to Jingsheng Port near Shark Island, including 6 all-main gun battleships, 9 all-steel battleships, and about 50 warships of other types.

Zhou Rui hurriedly found the chart and found the location of Shark Island.

Shark Island is located in the northwest of Jingsheng Port, about 350 kilometers away from Jingsheng Port, and is a small island with an area of less than 1 square kilometer.

Zhou Rui couldn't help frowning slightly when he saw the location of Shark Island.

Although Zhou Rui rushed to put the ducks on the shelves, he insisted on drawing a group of naval officers and men from among the nine ironclad battleships, two old light cruisers, and two offshore gunboats, and last night he had all the personnel of the two British Orion-class all-main gun battleships.

However, it was not until more than 10 o'clock this morning that the two British Orion-class all-main gun battleships left Jingsheng Port together with the Pinghai, Anhai, and Feirong.

It seems that the two British Orion-class all-main gun battleships should not be able to catch up with this Shark Island naval battle.

To be honest, Zhou Rui was very worried now, after all, the result of the Battle of Xiangshi Island had given Zhou Rui a very clear understanding of the gap between the coastal defense fleet and the Silver Wolf Empire Navy.

At this time, Liu Yiqiu walked into the room with a porcelain bowl, "I saw that you didn't eat a few bites of rice at noon, so I made you rock sugar white fungus lotus seed soup, you can eat a little!"

Is there any news from the coastal defense fleet? ”

"Song Limin of the coastal defense fleet has just sent back a telegram that the fleet that has blocked the Silver Wolf Empire Navy may be about to start fighting."

Liu Yiqiu's expression suddenly became nervous, "What is the strength of the fleet of the Silver Wolf Empire Navy?" How many battleships were there? ”

"The opposing side has 6 battleships with full main guns and 9 battleships with all steel, as well as about 50 warships of other types.

However, the number of capital ships of the coastal defense fleet is almost twice that of the other side. ”

"Can you win?"

Zhou Rui said with a wry smile: "I don't have a bottom in my heart, mainly because there are too many recruits in the coastal defense fleet, even if they are veterans, most of them are only a few months old." ”

"Don't worry too much, what should be done anyway has already been done, let's just wait for the result.

How about you try the rock sugar white fungus lotus seed soup I made? ”

Zhou Rui took the porcelain bowl, picked up the porcelain spoon in the porcelain bowl, tasted a bite of rock sugar white fungus lotus seed soup, and said with a smile: "It tastes good."

I didn't expect you, the eldest lady, to have the potential to be a good wife and mother. ”

As soon as Zhou Rui's words fell, Hu Yi walked in with a telegram.

Seeing Liu Yiqiu in the room, Hu Yi nodded to Liu Yiqiu before handing the telegram to Zhou Rui.

"Major General, Linxing City sent two infantry brigades of the First Division of the Zhenwu Army that had just been reorganized, and went to Huitong City and Yiguang City respectively."