One by one, the shells kept falling, splashing a lot of water. [Full text reading]

The sound of a loud explosion enveloped the entire sea in stormy waves. A powerful explosion caused a tumbling stir of seawater. Bursts of waves kept lapping against the side of the Dutch battleship. After the waves in front were broken, more waves swept in the back, and there was a steady stream. The battleships with slightly smaller tonnage shook involuntarily.

In the South Seas, fish are abundant. Especially near the port, there are large schools of fish. On a clear day, their presence can be observed with the naked eye. At that time, as long as the fishing boats went to sea, they would definitely have a harvest, and they would never return empty-handed. Of course, when the big war came, all the fishing boats had already quietly ducked. As a result, these poor fish, all of them, fell victim to shells.

The explosion of the shells stirred up a column of water, the highest of which was even more than ten meters. When it is blown by the sea breeze, it becomes a large water curtain. In the gorgeous water curtain, there are many fish that have been killed and injured by the explosion. Some of those poor fish were blown directly onto the deck of the battleship by the wind. On the deck of Vice Admiral Seedorf's flagship, a large number of dead fish also fell.

Of course, not all fish are dead. Some of the fish were only stunned for a while, and when they landed on the deck, they immediately became lively again. For the sake of their own lives, they desperately jumped around the deck, trying to jump back into the sea. At a glance, the entire deck is full of countless sea fish jumping, which can be regarded as a small spectacle. Unfortunately, at that time, there were no cameras.

Seedorf's brow suddenly furrowed.

Damn, the artillery in the port next to Pakistan is so ferocious!

It is no wonder that all the fleets of the White Army Navy dared to leave the port, leaving behind the safety of the port next to Pakistan. This is not the carelessness of the naval fleet of the White Army, but the fact that they are confident that they will not benefit the Dutch. Perhaps, it was deliberately arranged by the White Navy to lure the Dutch Navy to attack the port of Pakistan. From this point of view, this attack by the Dutch Navy is not easy to succeed!

However, now, there is no turning back. The current Dutch Navy is definitely difficult to ride a tiger and is struggling. If they retreat in disgrace and the news spreads, I am afraid that the other Western powers will deeply despise the Dutch. The position of the Dutch in the Far East, as well as the reputation of the Dutch Navy, was definitely going to plummet.

War is sometimes strange. It was only a small defeat, but it could lead to the defeat of the whole battle. The present is a great example of this. If the Dutch were unable to take down the port of Balinbian and withdraw in disgrace, the other powers would see the weakness of the Dutch navy. They will definitely take advantage of the situation and rush to the top. This is the last thing the Dutch want to see. This is how the Spaniards fell.

Esco's brows suddenly furrowed, and he said with a somewhat nervous expression: "Your Excellency, it seems that the artillery in the port of the white-clothed army has a larger caliber!" ”

Seedorf nodded solemnly and said slowly: "Not bad! ”

They were all generals with very rich experience in naval warfare, and based on the explosive power of the shells, they could deduce the truth of the facts at once. Although they couldn't know exactly the caliber of the white-clothed army's coastal defense guns, they hadn't been so evil as to be. However, it is certain that the caliber of the shore defense guns of the White Army Navy is definitely larger than that of naval guns.

The 75 mm naval guns owned by the White Army Navy are already very powerful. For the battleships of the Dutch Navy, a shell with a caliber of 75 mm was already unbearable. If it is a cannon of a larger caliber, I am afraid that if a shell falls, the entire battleship may be shattered. In other words, the sailors did not even have the opportunity to dive.

If it was a battle on the sea, Seedorf might also be able to use some flexible tactics to counteract the power of the white-coats' large-caliber artillery. However, now it is time to storm the port, and there is only one way to go. Seedorf could not think of any maneuverable way to make the shore defense guns of the White Army Navy lose their power. This is because the Dutch naval fleet must enter through the main channel next to Palin, so that it can shoot at close range and destroy all the equipment and facilities in the port.

However, the power of the coastal defense artillery of the white-clothed navy is really terrifying. Even Seedorf's flagship, a big guy with a displacement of more than 1,500 tons, did not dare to easily withstand a blow from the shore defense artillery of the white-coated army. As for other warships with a smaller displacement, even less so. Seedorf had no doubt at all that a single shell could bury a battleship.

What's worse is that the hit rate of a fixed battery is much stronger than that of a floating battleship. The advantage of fixing the turret is that you can test all the shooting parameters in advance, and when necessary, call up the parameters and adjust the shooting according to the parameters. In this way, the hit rate is higher than that of the target. Seedorf conservatively estimated that if the Dutch fleet insisted on entering from the main channel, it would lose at least five or more warships.

Such a loss did give Seedorf a headache. If only the loss of five ships of minimal displacement is lost, then that's all. But what if his own flagship was included? Who can guarantee that the shells of the shore defense artillery of the white-clothed army will not fall on his flagship? In the Eastern world, there is a proverb that says that the thief captures the king first. If he was the commander of the shore defense guns of the White Army, he would definitely focus on shelling the flagship of the Dutch naval fleet!

In fact, even at the cost of losing five ships, Seedorf did not dare to be sure of victory. There are too many favorable factors for coastal defense artillery, and it is actually unwise for naval warships to forcibly engage in a confrontation with shore defense artillery. The artillery on land is more powerful than the naval gun, with a long range, a high hit rate, and a stronger ability to resist hits.

The Dutch suddenly dispatched the main fleet of the navy this time to attack the port near Pakistan, but they were just bullying the white-clothed navy for the first time, and they may not have deployed their shore defense artillery yet. Unexpectedly, the white-clothed army and navy had been waiting for it for a long time. Under such circumstances, if they insisted on continuing to fight, the Dutch would have to pay a considerable price.

However, if the Dutch did not insist on going to war, the balance of war power would surely be tilted in favor of the white-coat navy over time. The white-coat army and navy in the eastern world, but they have the advantages of time, place, and people, which are incomparable to the Dutch. The further back you go, the greater the superiority of the white-coat navy. By that time, the Dutch were afraid that they would not even have the courage to take the initiative to attack the port of Pakistan.

Unless the Dutch are willing to give up their interests in the Far East, their only chance is to act decisively now. Before the wings of the white-clothed navy were fully grown, he decisively waved his blade to cut off the claws of the white-clothed navy, and strangled the white-clothed navy in the cradle as much as possible. Even if it can't be stifled, it is necessary to create some difficulties in the process of the growth of the white-coat army and navy as much as possible. If this cannot be done, when the white-coated army and navy really grow up to be sincere, the Dutch will only have to taste the bitter fruit.

Esko also realized the embarrassment of His Excellency the Vice Admiral, so he said understandingly: "Your Excellency, will we reconnoiter carefully?" There is a book in the Eastern world called "The Art of War", which has a sentence called "Knowing oneself and knowing one's opponent, winning all battles". I have to admit that we know too little about the ports in Pakistan. ”

It's an excuse to go down the stairs. Scouting, which encompasses a very wide range of meanings. It can not only reconnoiter the movements of the ports in Pakistan, but also reconnoiter the movements of the fleets of the white-clothed army and navy. The Dutch navy could continue to scout as long as it wanted. As for the fighting on the side of Pakistan, it was naturally temporarily stopped until there were clear reconnaissance results.

Of course, Esko is not talking nonsense, blindly slapping Seedorf's sycophants. His words actually make sense. As a matter of fact, before the Dutch navy launched the battle this time, the reconnaissance work on the Pakistani side was indeed not meticulous enough. The fact that the Dutch navy did not even detect the shore defense guns in the port adjacent to Pakistan cannot but be said to be a huge dereliction of duty.

However, Esko's words, instead of having the effect of persuasion, aroused Seedorf's fighting spirit. He subconsciously clenched the vice admiral's sword. After all, he was the commander of the Dutch Far East Fleet, and he looked at the problem from a completely different angle and height than Esco. Esko's words made him suddenly understand that once even he, the commander of the fleet, lost the courage to continue fighting, then the Dutch in the Far East would probably be completely finished.

On the contrary, only by fighting can the Dutch get out of their predicament. Regardless of the outcome of the battle, the Dutch could not back down. Even if you die in battle, you must not give in. If you accidentally die in battle, you will arouse the hatred of the other Dutch. Seedorf was absolutely loyal to his country. As long as the fight is beneficial to the country, even if it is at the expense of oneself, it will not hesitate.

"Keep going!"

"Machine-seeking shelling!"

Seedorf categorically gave the order to continue the fight.

He ordered his vice admiral's flag to be raised to the very top of the flagship's mast.

This is to tell all the other Dutch naval officers and men unequivocally that the Fleet Commander is determined to fight to the death, if not cowardly, to fight bravely!

Sure enough, Seedorf's move aroused the courage of a considerable number of Dutch naval officers and men, and the morale of the originally low morale gradually rebounded. No one wanted to admit that they were cowards, and all the battleships followed Seedorf's flagship operation closely.

Esco was also infected, and his blood was surging, and he was eager to immediately wield his sword and engage in hand-to-hand combat with the White Navy. He walked to the edge of the flagship's deck, took over the work of the flag whisperers, personally waved the flag, and directed the battleship into the main channel.

The firing range of the naval guns of the Dutch Navy is only about five kilometers at the farthest. For smoothbore guns, this is already the ultimate firing range. The British large-caliber redcoat cannons, when firing solid bullets, the longest range is actually about five kilometers. Naval guns had to take into account the problem of recoil, which was very limited in terms of power and range. Moreover, compared with the strength of solid bullets and grenades, the difference in power is too far, and the two cannot be said to be the same at all.

In addition, the hit rate is also a big problem. The hit rate of the smoothbore gun, like the smoothbore gun, is beyond the full control of the gunner. The farther the shot, the greater the margin of error. At a distance of five kilometers, shooting with solid bullets, the landing point of solid bullets is really not flattering, and it is good to have a hit rate of one in a thousand. In other words, out of a thousand-round shell, only one or two shells can accurately land on a fixed battery next to Pakistan.

For a reinforced concrete fort, the power of a solid bullet is indeed a bit small. At most, it's just a crater in the hard concrete floor. If you want to smash the reinforced concrete concrete, it is not something that ordinary solid bullets can do. Caliber at least 150 mm or more. Of course, if someone is unfortunate enough to be hit by a bouncing solid bullet, the consequences are also very serious. However, such casualties are basically negligible.

In order to effectively inflict losses on the White Coats Navy, it is necessary to pass through the main channel and fight to a distance of about three kilometers. At this distance, a few hundred cannons of the Dutch Navy can fire a salvo of chain or shotgun. Only the overwhelming shotguns have a chance to sweep away all the officers and soldiers of the white-clothed army.

"Want to be close to the port? Dream on! ”

"Think our howitzers are eating dry food?"

It was certainly impossible for the clouds to give the Dutch a chance to get close to the port.

"Aim for the main channel and shoot quickly!"

Yun Qifeng quietly sneered and pressed the pennant in his hand down fiercely.

All the howitzers had already adjusted their firing elements on the main channel, and as soon as Yun Qifeng gave the order, the gunners quickly corrected the firing coefficient. The ammunition hand pushes the heavy shell into the chamber and closes the bolt. The shooter then pulled the fire. Soon, a large number of shells roared towards the main channel. The entire main channel was shrouded in the power of a grenade explosion. The waves roll like boiling water.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, an earth-shattering bang came.

Yun Qifeng, who was holding a telescope to observe the battlefield, subconsciously moved the telescope away.

However, a large Dutch battleship was hit in the tail by a grenade, and the grenade exploded, instantly blowing the second half of the Dutch battleship to pieces. The huge fire produced by the explosion was very dazzling, as if it was dozens of times brighter than the sun. Yun Qifeng, who was caught off guard, suddenly felt a tingling pain in his eyes, and he couldn't see anything in an instant. It was as if the sky was full of firelight, and it was like it was bursting in front of his eyes. He rubbed his eyes several times in a row before he gradually returned to normal.

The damage caused by the 105 mm grenade is simply too great. There was simply no way for the damage management personnel to save the battleship. They looked at the ruined battleship, dazed and at a loss. Immediately, a large amount of seawater poured in, making the Dutch battleship, with a displacement of nearly 1,000 tons, keep sinking the stern and the bow constantly cocking. All the debris on the deck, as well as all the supplies in the cabin, all rolled and fell into the dark water.

The Dutch sailors on the battleship felt bad and jumped into the water to escape. The large battleship seemed to be dragged by an invisible hand, and sank rapidly. Because the battleship sank so fast, a huge whirlpool was formed on the surface of the sea, swallowing up all the debris around it. Many Dutch sailors, before they had time to swim far, were swept up in the ferocious whirlpool and disappeared without a trace.

Seeing all this, Seedorf's face was naturally not good-looking.

The battleship sank so quickly that there was no time for the sailors to escape, it was terrible. There has never been such a precedent in previous battles. In previous battles, no matter how fierce the battle, as long as the sailors were willing to escape, there was always a chance. Large warships, basically very few sunk.

"Boom!"

When he was depressed, another deafening loud bang came.

However, it was another large Dutch warship, which was unfortunately accurately shot by the shore defense guns of the white-coated army. The fate of the Dutch warship was even more tragic. The shell hit the middle of the battleship directly and exploded in the middle of the deck, as a result, the battleship was broken in two from the middle on the spot, and completely broke in two. Before the Dutch sailors on board could react, the two warships were plunged deep into the sea.

It is estimated that many of the Dutch sailors on this battleship died and do not know how they died. Especially the sailors inside the cabin, it may not be clear at all what is really going on outside. I have to say that their fate is indeed too tragic. Maybe a second ago, they were still praying for God's blessing. And the next second, they saw God.

According to the establishment, there were a total of 358 Dutch sailors on this Dutch battleship. Seedorf conservatively estimated that at most only 1 in 10 people had a chance of surviving. There's still a chance. As for how many people actually survived in the end, only God knows. In the vicinity of the sea where the battleship sank, no living person has been found for the time being.

The loss of one or two battleships, of course, is nothing. As the commander of the fleet, vice admiral of the Dutch Navy, the loss of several battleships was quite bearable. The problem is that, judging by the shattering of these two warships, the situation is indeed somewhat dangerous. Although Seedorf had been mentally prepared before, he also took measures against his surname for some unexpected situations that might arise. However, now I find that everything I have done before is completely insufficient!

Don't look at the small number of coastal defense guns of the white-clothed army, the key is that the power of the shells is too great, as long as one shot is hit, the consequences will be very serious. Such a threat would be fatal to any Dutch warship. Because, no one can guarantee that the shells of the white army will not fall on their bodies. In other words, no one knows when bad luck will come. I have to say that such psychological pressure is indeed a bit uncomfortable.

(To be continued)