Chen Li's patrol boat formation did not forget to do its business when it was running wildly, and a series of flag signals were accurately transmitted to the Americans -- "Welcome to the Cologne minefield!" ”

Knowing the truth or falsehood of this day immediately made Lieutenant General Schile also crazy, this place is still more than 20 nautical miles from the port of Cologne, and under the thick mist of the early morning, the vision is also greatly affected, if you completely ignore the warnings of the Colombians...... It is estimated that the damned Chinese guys must be making small moves, but there are a few anchor mines floating in front of the big fleet in front of them, and it is definitely a fatal move to break through like this!

However, if underwater minesweeping is really launched, it is clear that his plan to quickly approach the port of Cologne for deterrence will definitely be in vain...... But for a battleship, the terrible power of mines is enough to make anyone have a psychological shadow......

Rear Admiral Wallend, the staff officer of the fleet on the side, put forward his suggestion at this time, "General, the anchor mine should be marked to the depth of the water, and it is impossible to let it be in too deep a sea area, so I suggest that a small boat be sent immediately to measure it, and at the same time to clear the front passage...... Vickers-class destroyers are equipped with underwater demining cables, which should clear a safe passage in no time! ”

After some consideration, William? Lieutenant General Schiller could only accept the advice of Major General Wallend for the time being, after all, any kind of loss, especially one without results, was unacceptable!

"Patrol boat No. 021, damaged by US Navy shelling!"

"The minelaying of the patrol boat squad in the No. 7 sea area has successfully delayed the US fleet!"

"HNA 211 Reconnaissance Team has observed that the U.S. fleet is carrying out minesweeping operations!"

The news of the first confrontation between the Chinese and American navies was sent to the Atlantic Fleet Command in the port of Cologne less than 20 minutes later. Tang Qingshan and Cai Yi have long been sitting here, and the confrontation in the Atlantic will change what level of war, after a large amount of intelligence is gathered. Still unable to make a final decision, the latest order from the Ministry of Military Affairs in Beijing puts the power to implement the plan on the two of them.

Tang Qingshan immediately picked up the phone, and a few minutes later, a dark-skinned, curly-haired, stout man in a Colombian military uniform walked into the command room. General Santandel, the special envoy appointed by the President of Colombia, Tania.

"My friend, General Santander, the Americans shelled in defiance of the sovereignty of your country. Having shelled your country's military ships on patrol duty, I suggest that President Tania consider declaring war on the United States! After Tang Qingshan exchanged a little pleasantries, he immediately went straight to the point, "Of course." The Chinese military will fully assist your country. Safeguard the sovereignty of your country! ”

Santander has no features, the standard South American short and fat appearance, but it is obviously not a simple character, "General Tang, President Tania must not ignore the provocations of the United States, but to declare war on the United States, we must get security guarantees from your country, after all." The influence of the United States in the Americas will put our country in an extremely unfavorable situation! ”

Tang Qingshan smiled slightly. The Colombian side wants to make conditions, which was expected, and he responded to the other party with a straight face and a very tough attitude, "If President Tania can't be tough, he will definitely not be able to participate in your country's presidential election next year, and this incident will inevitably be used by the opposition party, and I am afraid that he will be impeached in a few months...... Especially, if we achieve an advantage in the war against the United States!"

Santander's original plan was to take advantage of this last opportunity to reap some benefits, but he didn't arrive first Chinese so tough, and when he was thinking about whether to soften his body, Cai Ye on the side had already come over to play a round, "General Santander, in this situation, if the Americans blockade the port of Cologne, your country still has to declare war, and take advantage of the opportunity of a military conflict, it is better to strike first...... Of course, we will give our full support to your country's righteous actions! ”

"General Tang, General Cai, I should be able to persuade President Tania to declare war on the United States, but the assistance promised by your country before ......"

Tang Qingshan slapped Santander on the shoulder, interrupting the plan to continue to make capital, "The military aid promised before will be fulfilled immediately, and in addition, for your outstanding contributions, General, we will pay an additional 1 million yuan for the activity to facilitate your lobbying of the Bogotá Council!" ”

As soon as he heard about the 1 million activity funds and military aid materials, General Santander was immediately interested, and just a few minutes later, the two sides had reached a tacit understanding, and when the Colombians were sent away, Cai Ye had already put out the drafted telegram!

"In accordance with the China-Colombia Defense Treaty, we have obtained the necessary reasons to take action, and I propose to immediately telegraph Beijing and Ambassador Huang Zunxian to declare war on the United States no later than sunset today!" Cai Ye looked at the military hat in his hand, and unhurriedly put forward his own opinion, as the commander of the 20th Army, he now also commands the 7th and 9th Marine Divisions under the Atlantic Fleet, but the defense is covered by the entire Panama region.

Tang Qingshan held the thick tactical report and didn't raise his head, but immediately added, "Telegraph to General Lu, whether our defensive line in Panama can finally drag down the Yankees, we must paralyze the Americans' forces on the west coast and Australia!" ”

West...... The eyes of the two immediately focused on the Pacific Ocean, although the Yankees' large fleet was almost under the city, but they were obviously sure how to meet the enemy, but the really dangerous enemy was already lurking behind them!

At 9:11 a.m. on July 19, 1912, William? Given the strength of China's Atlantic Fleet, he sent only five battleships and 11 destroyers to launch a sea blockade program codenamed "Goshawk" 15 nautical miles northwest of the port of Cologne.

In the next half hour, the United States intercepted and seized four Chinese merchant ships and two Colombian fishing boats, and the US destroyer also engaged in a long-distance exchange of fire with the Colombian gunboat that rushed to hear the news......

The Colombian side was obviously furious, and at 12 noon on the same day, it presented an ultimatum to the American side, demanding that the American fleet immediately withdraw and release the detained ships, which obviously could not get any positive response, and at 1 o'clock in the afternoon of the same day, the Colombian President Tania summoned the American minister in Bogotá, declared that the two countries were at war, and demanded that the United States be responsible for all the consequences!

Three hours later, at 3:30 p.m., Chinese Ambassador to the United States Huang Zunxian rushed to the White House to meet with US Secretary of State Knox and handed over a diplomatic letter in person, saying that in view of the military action initiated by the United States, China will help Colombia defend its homeland security in accordance with the "China-Colombia Defense Treaty", and at the same time declare war on the United States.

The news of the declaration of war immediately shocked the world, and the US Navy, which originally planned to exchange the blockade for the initiative, also had a plan to declare war, but it did not expect that China's declaration of war would come so decisively and quickly, and Secretary of War Henry **** Sheng immediately held urgent consultations with President Taft, and at 5 p.m. on the same day, formally declared war on China, and at the same time, the US government quickly put forward a request to the British side to declare war on China at the same time.

Before nightfall, William, who was preparing to further expand the range of his cruise in the outer seas? Vice Admiral Schiller was unexpectedly attacked, and two ships of the Second Destroyer Detachment under the jurisdiction of the fleet were suddenly attacked by three Chinese destroyers and two gunboats directly north of the port of Cologne, and the two sides exchanged fire along the coastline at a distance of 6,000 meters.

When the battleship Kansas hurried to support nearby, the Chinese battleship broke away from the battle at the first time, counted the battlefield, and the two sides wounded each other, but there was no decisive result at all, but only an hour later, the destroyer Manly, who rushed to rendezvous, accidentally hit a mine that God knows when in the waters less than 3 kilometers away from the battlefield.

More than 300 kilograms of explosives directly blew up the bow of the destroyer of more than 1,100 tons, more than 30 people, including the captain Henry, were killed, and the remaining personnel were rescued by the destroyer that arrived later, but this tragic situation made Vice Admiral Schiller realize that the adequacy of the Chinese's preparations for war had greatly exceeded the expectations of the US military.

Seeing that night was falling, the Chinese Atlantic Fleet never dispatched too many sea forces, which made Vice Admiral Schiller even more puzzled, and he almost did not do much ideological struggle, he immediately chose to temporarily abandon the original plan and took the initiative to withdraw the blockade line by 10 nautical miles...... In his opinion, at least at this distance, there is no need to worry too much!

But what he never expected was that what he should be worried about at the moment was obviously miscalculated......

As soon as the sun set, the battleships USS South Carolina and USS Michigan, which escorted 4 supply ships from the port of Limon, entered the Panama region along the coastline of Costa Rica, but 150 nautical miles east of the port of Limon, they were attacked by at least 4 Chinese submarines that had already been ambushed and waiting, and 8 torpedoes pounced on the battleship Michigan at the stern of the fleet from multiple directions under the cover of night!

Although the battleship Michigan noticed it shortly after the torpedo was fired, the ambush circle constructed by this attack was too perfect, and although the battleship made an emergency turn to evade, the god of fate apparently did not favor the Yankees, and finally a 530mm torpedo accurately hit the stern of the battleship, causing serious damage to the armor belt under the waterline of the Michigan's tail waterline, and it had to be injected with 400 tons of water before regaining balance.

To make matters worse, the battleship's power system was badly damaged, it almost lost its ability to maneuver, and only partially regained power after the subsequent rescue damage and had to return to Port Limón under the escort of two destroyers! (To be continued.) )