Leizhou Peninsula Xuwen territory, Hai'an Port.

Shortly after dawn, the tranquility of the harbor was shattered. On the road leading to the port, military trucks loaded with soldiers and equipment of the Southwest Army drove into the port.

On December 5, 1931, the Southwest People's Army's campaign to cross the sea in Qiongzhou officially began. At the shrill sound of the charge, the soldiers, carrying combat packages and rifles, jumped out of the trucks quickly, and from time to time formed a platoon.

By the time the sun had just jumped over the horizon, the port had already gathered a large number of troops.

Huo Dingguo, commander-in-chief of the sea-crossing operation, and Chen Jitang, director of the Guangdong Provincial Political Axe, appeared at the military port. With Huo Dingguo's order, the Fifth Division, the main force of the Southwest People's Army, immediately ran and boarded the ship.

There are no large transport ships in the military port, only a few ordinary transport ships of the Southwest People's Army Navy and some small and medium-sized cargo ships requisitioned from the river and sea transportation company under the Shusheng Group. The new Hai'an port is new and has enough to provide 10,000-ton ships to dock, making it one of the earliest coastal ports to be built in the fourth five-year plan for southwest China. Because of its proximity to Qiongzhou, the Southwest People's Army has deliberately strengthened its construction, not only in the construction of the harbor, but even on the top of the hill behind the harbor, you can see several large antenna networks rotating in the direction of the sea 24 hours a day.

Of course, in addition to these advanced auxiliary equipment, the two Ruili-class destroyer warships berthed in the harbor and the dense anti-aircraft guns in the port defense facilities also prevent the enemy from doing whatever he wants.

When the Fifth Division boarded the ship one after another, the two Ruili-class destroyers numbered 301 and 303 also sounded their whistles and slowly left their berths, resounding throughout the harbor, as if they were the loudest military horns.

One of the two advanced destroyers with a full load displacement of 2,280 tons was built by the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai and returned to the Fangchenggang Shipyard for outfitting, and the other was later built by the Horseshoe Bay Naval Shipyard. The total length of the ship is 104.29 meters, the total width is 11.04 meters, and the draft is 3.15 meters. The design of the warship abandoned the traditional design thinking, neither using heavy armor protection, nor the super-large caliber naval guns that are still favored by the navies of various countries, but adopted a new 150mm naval gun. However, the dense anti-aircraft gun barrels, the large-caliber torpedo tubes on both sides of the deck, and an unknown weapon system consisting of a dozen short barrels newly arranged in front of the main gun are all combined fangs of the Ruili-class destroyers.

Standing on the 301 ship, Huo Dingguo took a deep breath of the sea breeze with a slightly fishy smell, but he did not feel the slightest discomfort, but felt that his whole body was boiling, and standing behind him was Chen Jitang, and he couldn't help but raise his binoculars to look at the officers and soldiers of the Fifth Division of the Southwest People's Army who were still boarding the ship one after another in the distance.

"It's spectacular." Compared with two years earlier, when Chen Jitang wanted to deal with Chen Ce, he had to rely on a few broken planes as a deterrent, and all he could get was some fishing boats, but now, seeing the motorized cargo ships densely departing from the port, and then looking at the new warships under his feet, how can he not be emotional.

Huo Dingguo nodded, as if he remembered the plot when he crossed the sea to Yueben, "Yes." When I went to Ben, I was still in the cabin of a British ship. When they arrived at the port of Yokohama, the entire ship was detained by the Saimoto Navy. Even the ships of the British had to bow in front of their own powerful navy. Let me think about it, the caliber of those giant cannons is probably more than 400 mm. ”

"It is said that my warships are often tens of thousands of tons, which is indeed large enough, but we started late in the southwest, and it doesn't matter if the displacement of the warships is smaller. He said that his martial arts thinking was too crazy. As a former coastal warlord, Chen Jitang was of course aware of some of the movements of the Yue army, especially the fleets of various countries that roamed around China's territorial waters from time to time, among which the fleet of the Yue people was the most rampant.

Huo Dingguo smiled mysteriously, and didn't say anything, but said vaguely, "Director Chen, since you got on the boat today, you won't come in vain." You and I will be an alternate witness to this battle across the sea. ”

"Of course, of course." Chen Jitang didn't know the inside story, but just laughed.

After the entire division boarded the ship and left the port, Huo Dingguo and Chen Jitang came to the lookout room on the destroyer.

"I said, brother, we really built this ship ourselves? It's a big guy. Ye Mingguang trembled and took the cigarette handed over by Huang Bing, a private in the navy of the 301 ship, put up the lighter in Huang Bing's hand, and smoked it in two puffs.

Huang Bing's position is relatively special, and he is also one of the few people who are allowed to smoke on the warship, smoking an egret cigarette in his hand, and said proudly, "Of course." The warships under our feet, large and small, are all produced by us in the southwest. Well, this telescope is made in Kunming, this smoke is made in Yuxi, and this lighter is made in Guilin......"

"It's not a foreign product, good fellow. Eh, I said Brother Huang, I have followed you since I got on the boat, is this job to accompany you to see the sea? Since being hired by the squad leader of the Southwest Army a few days ago, Ye Mingguang has always felt foggy, first he saw the Southwest Army, which was completely different from the previous Guangdong Army, and was shocked by those strange guns and artillery, and then boarded the ship in the morning, that kind of grand scene, so that Ye Mingguang, who had only seen more than a dozen fishing boats going to sea together, was still trembling with his hands and feet. The more this happened, the more uneasy he felt, these soldiers were obviously going to war, and what would he do with a grass farmer who could only fish.

"Not bad! Comrade Ye, we just want you to help look at the sea. Huo Dingguo's voice sounded, although Private Huang Bing had been staying in the observation room and didn't know him, but when he saw that it was a man with a yellow star on his shoulder, he immediately threw the cigarette into the ash box, put his feet together, and saluted with a snap, "The 301 ship looked at Private Huang Bing, I have seen the general!" ”

Generals, generals? When Ye Mingguang heard this, his feet were soft, the biggest official he had ever seen was the village chief and the officials who came to visit the township, of course, the squad leader a few days ago was also counted, but he never expected that the dignified general would actually come to him, and he also talked to himself, he suddenly stammered a little, and he wanted to salute but didn't know how to put his hand, so he swallowed dryly, "I, my name is Ye Mingguang, yes, I am a fisherman." Generals have also been seen. ”

"Comrade Ye, don't be nervous, you are not a soldier. Whether it's a general or a soldier, there's no need to be so restrained. Military regulations can't control you, haha. Huo Dingguo patted him on the shoulder, and seeing that the cigarette in his hand was about to burn, he took out a pack of Chinese cigarettes he bought at his own expense and handed it to him, "Come, keep it for smoking." This time, we are looking for you, mainly to let you follow the landing force to observe the high tide situation along the coast of Qiongzhou Island, although we have done a lot of preliminary work, but no fisherman who is most familiar with the sea to lead the way, this high tide period, everyone is not sure. ”

"No, no problem, I'm the best at it." Speaking of the bank, Ye Mingguang didn't stutter anymore, and suddenly became energetic. He is a decent person, he is not afraid of being treated by the soldiers, he is afraid that he will not be able to help, so he is called waiting to be anxious.

"Okay, you and Comrade Huang Bing are responsible for observing the changes in the tide, and if you find anything abnormal, you must warn as soon as possible."

At the same time, in Haikou Harbor, a small gunboat formation was sailing out of the dilapidated harbor and heading towards the Qiongzhou Strait.

This is Chen Ce's naval force, a naval force composed of five small gunboats, and it is by relying on them that Chen Ce has evaded Chen Jitang's offensive before.

And now, Chen Ce personally led the army, and wanted to rely on this "only navy in the southeast" to prevent the landing of the southwest army.

"Uncle!"

On the Haikou gunboat, Chen Liren saw his second uncle standing there watching the sea with a heavy heart, and stepped on the deck and walked over.

"Liren, why are you here. Didn't I let you stay in Haikou Town? ”

Seeing his nephew Chen Liren suddenly appear on the gunboat, Chen Ce was a little annoyed, he didn't have any bottom about this sea battle, and the whole person felt uneasy. So he deliberately left this nephew in Haikou and did not let him board the ship.

Although there are many men in the family, this nephew is the most promising and self-reliant. When he was young, he traveled thousands of miles to study in the southwest, and although he kept writing letters for a few years, until now, his family does not know what books he is studying in the southwest. He never asked his family for money, because he studied there for free. Even if he needed to pay some fees because he didn't have a poverty certificate, he made up for it by his own work-study.

"Liren, you are always so disobedient. Back then, I wanted to send you to study in Great Britain, but you went to Kunming alone. Now it's good, the war is approaching, and you don't stay in the southwest, but run back. Although the southwestern political axe does not have a navy, this is a war after all. It's better for you to go away a little bit. Chen Ce was preoccupied, and reprimanded Chen Liren on the spot.

"Second uncle, my aunt has already told me about your deal with Colonel Deng."

"Huh, deal? The kindness of a woman is more than enough to achieve and more to lose! Now, Chen Ce no longer avoids this nephew, he did accept Deng Wenyi's money, and he was also moved by his promises. Deng Wenyi showed him Chairman Chiang's handwritten letter of appointment, appointing him deputy director of the Nanjing Nationalist Axe and Naval Operations Department, and in addition to the 200,000 oceans handed over to him, as soon as the war is over, regardless of success or failure, he will be promoted and go to Nanjing to take up his post.

Chen Liren took two steps forward, leaned against the railing, endured the turbulence of the gunboat, looked at the sea in front of him and said, "Uncle, aren't you all curious, what books have I read in the southwest all these years?" Maybe I shouldn't have been hiding it from you. I am actually a cadet of the Fangchenggang Naval Academy now, and I have been awarded the rank of second lieutenant, and I am about to enter the Southwest People's Army Naval Force. ”

"What ???"

Chen Ce was shocked when he heard this, turned around and grabbed his nephew tightly. This is good, the formation set off to organize the Southwest Army to land in Qiongzhou, but he didn't expect that there was a person from the Southwest People's Army standing in front of him. "Liren, are you crazy? Why join the Southwest Army? ”

"Second uncle, why can't I join the Southwest Army? Maybe you think that I am still the child who didn't understand anything a few years ago, but I still have to say that looking at the whole of China, only the southwest can save this nation, and only the southwest can make everyone live a good life. ”

"Liren, this is all a trick of politicians, and politicians are not all so demagogic. They are blinding you. ”

"Second uncle, it's not me who is being deceived, it's you. With only five or six gunboats, you can't even make a splash in front of the Southwest Navy, do you really think that the Kuomintang wants to rely on you to block the Southwest Army? They are just going against the southwest in everything and are reactionary in everything. ”

"In the entire southeast, except for the Nanjing political axe, I have never seen a single medium [***] ship."

"Second uncle, we can't be frogs at the bottom of the well, the strength of the Southwest Navy is no longer something that these gunboats can resist. Stop early, not only to avoid letting these Qiongzhou sons and daughters go to death, but also to end up well. ”

"Bastard, are you cursing your second uncle!!" Chen Ce didn't understand that a few gunboats might be able to block a few sea ships, but if the air force was dispatched to the southwest, he would have no way to deal with it. However, these are not his concerns, whether they succeed or fail, Chairman Chiang's promise is the most important thing.

The quarrel between the two immediately attracted the attention of the sailors on the gunboat, Chen Ce avoided his head and did not speak, Chen Liren wanted to say something, but saw Deng Wenyi walking up from the bilge.

"Your name is Chen Liren, right? I am Deng Wenyi, the special commissioner of the Central Political Axe in Nanjing. Deng Wenyi walked over, did not get angry, but looked at this young man with interest, he had heard the conversation between the two below the deck just now, "I can't see it, you are actually a naval cadet of the Southwest Military Academy, and you can be regarded as a family student, and you have embarked on the old road haha." ”

"Deng, Section Chief Deng, the child is young and ignorant, you adults ...... a lot" "It's okay, the young man can't see the overall situation clearly, I don't blame him." Although the southwest is somewhat reactionary, the talent it has cultivated is still good. After this deed, if Liren wants to, he can go to the Admiralty, and I will vouch for him. "A hot-blooded young man like Chen Liren, Deng Wenyi has seen a lot, many of these people who are not deeply involved in the world have never seen the temptation of wealth and power, so they are so idealistic. If you really want him to go to Nanjing, after seeing the central political axe in power, these bullshit ideals and factional disputes will be thrown down by him, only a high power, more money and more women are the most practical.

"Colonel Deng, it's not that I'm young and ignorant, but that's the case. Today's southwest is no longer something that these gunboats can stop. Those who know the times are handsome, and the precipice is the right way. Although I am on the task of being a superior, I am even more reluctant to have any accidents between my second uncle and these soldiers. Chen Liren didn't hide anything, the original task content was like this, and the superiors sent him back to Qiongzhou in advance, just so that he could persuade Chen Ce to surrender and solve the Qiongzhou problem peacefully, not wanting to cause innocent casualties.

Deng Wenyi shook his head, this young man is still too young and ignorant, the Southwest Navy is recognized, and as the head of the Intelligence Section, he has not received any information about the Southwest Navy, even if there are some small boats, they will not all be sent to the Qiongzhou Strait. Even if they came, the gunboat formation blocked the artillery bombardment, and then fled away, it could be regarded as completing the task assigned by President Jiang. In his opinion, for Qiongzhou, which is lonely overseas, the principal can't swallow this breath and stumble on the southwest. First shelled the landing force, then raised the slogan of armed counterattack against the occupation of the southwest, and then fled to Nanjing with a formation of gunboats to create a heroic navy to counterattack the southwest.

"Second uncle, you ......"

"Someone, tie up this disobedient son for me." Chen Ce decisively tied up Chen Liren, although he still felt very sorry for this nephew in his heart, but now that Deng Wenyi, a figure related to the future of the Chen family, was here, he had to do so.

Deng Wenyi nodded with satisfaction and went into the cabin again.

Seeing this, Chen Ce walked up to his nephew Chen Liren and said in a low voice, "Liren, don't make any more trouble." The opportunity for our Chen family to fly and flourish is today. You don't want to hurt your comrades, and I don't want to kill my countrymen. When the war began, I ordered my brothers to deliberately deviate. ”

"Uncle ......"

"Okay, I've made up my mind, since you've learned the skills of the navy, come with me to Nanjing. There will be an opportunity for our Chen family, a world you have never seen before, a hundred times stronger than your second lieutenant rank. ”

Chen Liren was a little annoyed when he saw that the persuasion was ineffective, but when he thought of some details, he felt a little more at ease. Maybe things will take a turn for the better, it depends on how the second uncle chooses when the Southwest Navy appears. Now, I've laid the foundation anyway.

Seeing that his nephew no longer spoke, Chen Ce calmed down instead, and said in his heart that even if there were some gunboats in the southwest, it would be a big deal to get a tie. If it is a few planes that come to bomb themselves, the 'anti-aircraft machine guns' that are especially strengthened in the formation should be able to play some role. The ship is small and the target is small, and on the whole, even if you can't stop the other party from landing, it's no problem to withdraw.

As for Qiongzhou Island, less than two regiments of infantry are outdated in equipment, and even if the other side crosses the sea in a fishing boat, it will not be able to stop it. Therefore, early in the morning, Chen Ce ordered the troops, once the other side successfully landed, lay down their arms and not resist. The real place of collision was chosen by him on the sea.

Time passed quickly, and the narrow Qiongzhou Strait was only twenty nautical miles, and it would not take long for the gunboats to make a trip. For the two head-on fleets, the speed was even faster.

"Report to the commander-in-chief, there is a call from the front-line airfield, and the naval aviation fighters have discovered the gunboat formation to which Chen Ce belongs, the number is six, and there are several converted fishing boats equipped with cannons."

The communications staff officer snapped a salute and handed the document to Huo Dingguo.

Huo Dingguo looked through it carefully and nodded, "Call back to the military department, just say that everything is going according to plan." ”

"Yes!" The communications staff officer saluted again and was about to go out when another piece of information arrived.

"Report, the military department called, the radar of Leizhou Airport has just discovered the fleet of another country that is heading towards the Qiongzhou Strait."

"Huh? Which country is it from? ”

Huo Dingguo's heart jumped, and he couldn't help but be overjoyed, Jiang Taigong fished, but the fish were not enough, but another master really came, "Leizhou Airport is dispatching fighters to the sea area where the radar found the target, and there should be a result soon." ”

Huo Dingguo nodded, and said to Chen Jitang, who was a little worried on the side, "Director Chen doesn't have to worry. The liberation of Qiongzhou was the first sea-crossing campaign in our southwest, and it was all in our plan whether foreign forces wanted to intervene or come to watch. Yesterday, we received information that the second detachment of the British Far East Navy stationed in Hong Kong had left the port. I can tell you with certainty that the battle of crossing the sea was only part of this plan to raise the tide. ”

"Is that so? Then can our two destroyers deal with each other? ”

"I don't think it works, the other side has a light cruiser, it's a three-ship formation, it's not something that our two destroyers can deal with." Huo Dingguo was not in a hurry, but reassured him, "Don't worry, everything will change and it will be revealed." ”

"Order the ships to slow down, and order the 303 ship to move closer to us." Huo Dingguo was not a naval officer, and the orders he issued were just combat plans that had been prepared a long time ago, and Ge Yunsheng, the captain of the 301 ship, naturally readily obeyed the orders of the commander-in-chief of the sea-crossing operation. "Yes!"

"Aircraft of the Southwest Army!!"

When the sound of the engines of the planes sounded over the sea, Chen Ce knew that it was the air force of the Southwest Army that came, and there were no third-party planes here, there were only two broken planes in Qiongzhou, and the rest were the Leizhou Peninsula airfield set up by the Southwest Army in Zhanjiang on the opposite side.

However, just as Chen Ce was about to order the formation to prepare for air defense, the two fighters turned around and flew back. This made him a little confused, what happened to the Southwest Army, did the war have to be met first before the war started? Or do you really want to rely on Liren to persuade yourself to surrender?

Unable to figure out the situation, he immediately ordered the formation to slow down and move forward.

More than 20 nautical miles away from Chen Ce's battered gunboat formation, a three-ship formation was sailing in a non-combat formation toward the middle section of the Qiongzhou Strait.

The three warships all flew the flag of the Royal Navy of the British Empire, and the flag of the country with the word rice and the navy flag crossed by the big red cross were displayed proudly. The one at the front was a big guy, the British Royal Navy's Linsen-class light cruiser: the Penelope. With a full load displacement of 6,715 tons, it is definitely a giant level in the southeast of China.

"Major General Edgar, we're about to reach the predetermined sea." On the Penelope, the flagship of the three-ship squadron, a naval major is reporting to the supreme commander of the formation, Rear Admiral Edgar.

Edgar smoked the large pipe in his hand and ordered, "According to the original plan, sail into the strait." When the Chinese also want to cross the sea to fight, we just went to see how their fishing boats brought troops ashore. Perhaps, we can inadvertently sink a few small boats, hahaha...... When the time comes, it will be reported to the Admiralty that their ships are too small, and the waves from the navigation of our cruisers are too large. ”

The fleet of the British Royal Navy did not care in the slightest that this was already China's territorial waters, and in their opinion, the world's seas should be open to the British Empire.

"Buzz ......"

When a plane flew in the distant sky, Major General Edgar knocked on the table with his pipe with some exasperation, "Damn Chinese, damn planes." Command the air defense group to be ready to knock these birds down at any time. ”

Because southwest China has an air force, and the Far East Fleet has also raised its air defense, it is only because of this that a sufficient number of anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns have been added to some important ships, of course, this sufficient number is only what they think.

At this time, Edgar did not seem to have thought about what the result would be if the Chinese sent many planes to attack these three Royal Navy warships at this time.

"The majesty of the Royal Navy is not something that the Chinese can offend." That was what Edgar had in mind.

"It is reported that the British warship is still heading towards the strait after discovering our plane."

After Huo Dingguo received the information, he knew that it was time to carry out the next plan. Ge Yunsheng, the captain of the 301 ship, immediately ordered the flagship to turn around and head in the direction of the British small fleet, leaving the 303 ship to deal with the possible Qiongzhou gunboats.

Soon after the 301 sailed, it encountered the British fleet.

"Warning! Warn! This is China's territorial waters, please change course immediately. "The protest was sent to the British fleet in universal code, and the pilots turned on the radio at the same time and shouted to the other side in simple English. And at the same time, the 301 ship also played a flag to make the other party retreat.

"God, these Chinese actually want us to retreat?? Tell them that what Chiang Kai-shek said doesn't count, that their ridiculous territorial waters will not even have three nautical miles, that this is the high seas, and that we have the right to sail. Major General Edgar angrily ordered such a reply. Order the front main artillery to prepare for shelling, damn it, to the yellow-skinned monkeys, we have to be tough and tough. The fact that the army is a waste does not mean that the great Royal Navy will also be afraid of the Chinese. ”

The British fleet did not turn, but came at high speed, which was also expected in the plan. How could the British Royal Navy, which had been arrogant for hundreds of years, succumb to the southwest, which had no navy.

"Damn, they have such a big ship, it must be the Yankees, no, maybe the Dutch sold it to them." Seeing the destroyer of the other side, although the displacement is not large, Edgar is still very uncomfortable in his heart, the Chinese actually have a decent warship, should they find an excuse to sink it? Strangled their navy in the cradle.

Major General Edgar has been hesitating whether to go crazy or not.

On the 301 ship, Chen Jitang was also quite dissatisfied when he saw that the British warship was so arrogant, "Dingguo, what should we do?" ”

Huo Dingguo smiled, "The British are used to being arrogant, although they can't sink them now, they can humiliate them fiercely, wait to see a good show." ”

Ge Yunsheng immediately ordered the 301 ship to slowly retreat at the speed of monitoring the British fleet.

"The Chinese are really cowards, hmph, do they want to use their air force against us. Command the air defense groups, pay attention to air defense. "Major General Edgar is not worried about the small number of planes of the Chinese, in his opinion, the southwest is too big, just that little plane, the entire Leizhou Peninsula will not be divided into a few. The three-ship formation of the Royal Navy, with the cruiser as the flagship, was more than enough for them.

On the other side, when Chen Ce finally saw the landing fleet coming from the direction of the Leizhou Peninsula on the opposite side, the whole person was stunned, and he could see very clearly in the telescope that the other party was actually a warship of 2 or 3,000 tons.

At this time, he somewhat believed the words of his nephew Chen Liren, who said that there was no navy in the southwest, and this warship alone could send the entire gunboat formation to the bottom of the sea.

"Liren, this is the warship of your Southwest Navy?" Chen Ce asked his nephew on the side, Deng Wenyi also frowned, the originally planned shelling plan seemed to be delayed.

"Second uncle, you'll know just wait and see." Although he did not know the specific plan of action, when he saw the landing fleet slowly coming to a halt on the opposite side, he had a premonition that something was going to happen.

This gunboat formation was also spotted by the landing flotilla opposite, and the 303 ships immediately maneuvered and were ready for battle, however, no guns were fired.

Just when the two sides were at a stalemate, and Chen Ce's side didn't know what would happen next, the entire sea area suddenly boiled.

In the distance, at the junction of heaven and water, a huge warship gradually revealed its superstructure, and then, even without binoculars, the entire warship could be seen, it was too big, compared to these gunboats, transport ships, and even destroyers, the big ship made everyone's mouth feel dry.

"It's Kunming!!"

Suddenly a neat cheer broke out on the 303 ship, and the captain of the 303 ship shouted excitedly in the communication broadcast: "Attention of all departments, attention of all departments, three nautical miles ahead is our first aircraft carrier in the southwest, the Kunming." Comrades, it is our Chinese aircraft carrier !! ”

Due to the establishment of the 303 ship, it is not in the aircraft carrier escort fleet, and it is a little unfamiliar with the Kunming.

When the entire small aircraft carrier formation was displayed in front of everyone, everyone realized that a huge aircraft carrier was surrounded by five smaller warships. Only the captain of the 303 ship fully recognized the model of these warships. The surface forces of the entire Southwest Navy, which have been developed for many years, are almost all included in this aircraft carrier task force battle group.

In the original task force, the Kunming and Chengdu aircraft carriers were the flagships, and there were two Yucheng-class cruisers, three Guilin-class destroyers, and two supply ships.

Today, this fleet has only one aircraft carrier and several frigates. The other aircraft carrier, the Chengdu, was nowhere to be seen.

If we count the remaining four Kunming-class destroyers, the southwest has a total of two aircraft carriers, two light cruisers, three new-style destroyers, four old-fashioned Kunming-class destroyers, and a total of 11 large warships in recent years.

Although, one of the two aircraft carriers is a flat-topped ship conversion of the Americans, although the two Yucheng-class cruisers had just been tried at sea at the Horseshoe Bay naval base just a month ago. Although the construction technology of these destroyers does not meet the top standards of the West (the construction technology is not up to the standard, the design concept and the concept of ship firepower arrangement exceed it), although the southwest has only built a total of four destroyers and two light cruisers in recent years, this is the first time in the world.

This will also be the first official announcement by the Chinese to the world: at the end of 1931, the Chinese once again had a self-reliant and unyielding naval force.

It is difficult to describe the number of difficulties encountered during this period. In order to save valuable funds, train skilled shipbuilders to the greatest extent, and improve the level of shipbuilding to a greater extent, the southwest relied on the Jiangnan shipyard to build two unoutfitted warships in the early stage, and completed the construction of the Horseshoe Bay Naval Base. (Jiangnan Shipyard was responsible for the construction of supply ships and partially unoutfitted destroyers.) The USS Chengdu was converted from a flat-topped ship purchased by the American shipyard in Philadelphia. As if to show the strength of the new navy to more Chinese people, the task force headed by the Kunming adjusted the direction of the wind, and as everyone looked up, one carrier plane after another jumped from the deck and took off at an oblique angle. After a hovering in mid-air, three carrier-based aircraft formed a formation, and after taking off three, they quickly flew in formation in the direction of the British fleet.

"Not to bomb us." Chen Ce only felt a chill all over his body, the southwest military was too well hidden, not only wantonly developing the economy, encroaching on territory, expanding the army, and even silently raising such a huge navy, even if it was far worse than the Western powers, but in China, this is absolutely amazing.

Of course, he didn't understand how much money Zhang Shusheng invested in order to raise this navy, and the navy was a bottomless pit, which was really true.

"My boys, the Chinese are bluffing, nothing to fear."

Major General Edgar waved his hands and shouted at the sailors on deck, who had already made up his mind to disrupt the Chinese's plans to cross the sea.

However, after a few minutes, Edgar could no longer shout such imposing words, and instead stared blankly at the western sky.

In the northwest sky, a large group of neatly lined up fighters are flying towards this side. Edgar had never seen a warplane sink a warship in person, but he could already imagine the horror.

"Damn it Chinese, where did they get so many planes...... It's not close to Leizhou Airport, and they simply don't have time to mobilize so many planes......"

Thirty warplanes flew in the sky, in batches of ten, and slaughtered the British three-ship formation with great vigour.

"Ready to fire...... No, absolutely do not fire. Communications officer, ask about the other party's intentions......"

However, Edgar's words were not finished, the first batch of fighters had already flown over the warship, Edgar only felt cold hands and feet, so close distance, he could even see the Chinese fighters opening the bomb magazine.

"Enemy Attack !!"

When the air raid sirens sounded in the waters, Edgar saw with his own eyes the Chinese warplanes dropping countless huge bombs. That strange dive fighter can dive down at an angle so tricky that it can infuriate an anti-aircraft gun shooter, drop bombs one bomb after another, and only fall on the deck and the superstructure of the warship in an instant.

He even regretted not giving the order to open fire, and now it was too late for anti-aircraft shooting.

Major General Edgar, like all sailors, faced with such a formation of fighters diving and dropping bombs, his first reaction was to lie on the ground and find a corner to prepare to hide.

The British Royal Navy, which had not experienced war for almost a long time, was already at a loss, and some of the timid sailors were even so frightened that they almost cried. It was really an unprepared "air raid"

"Bang ......"

However, something surprising happened.

While most of the three warships were in a hurry to die, the shells dropped by the Chinese fighters did not explode, but rolled to the deck one by one, like a rain of iron bullets.

Many people even remembered the solid bullets that the Manchu Navy hit the British [***] ship back then.

"Hahaha...... The Chinese dropped solid bullets. Many of the sailors began to laugh wildly, but some noticed that something was wrong, because although the shell did not explode, there were words on it, a line of striking red English.

"British, get out of China's territorial waters, the territorial waters of the Chinese are not three nautical miles but thirty nautical miles!!"

Edgar was suddenly so angry that his face turned red, and he almost didn't mention it in one breath, he understood that he had been tricked by the Chinese, and the entire Royal Navy had been played by the Chinese in an extremely absurd way.

However, the tragedy did not stop, because the smallest of the three-ship formation sent an urgent report, "Report that the general, Colonel Nefer, the captain of the destroyer USS Mediterranean, was unfortunately hit by a bomb dropped by the Chinese and died on the spot!" ”

"Bang!"

Rear Admiral Edgar couldn't hold it anymore and fell headlong on the deck, completely fainting.

Shameful record, the Royal Navy Colonel was actually smashed to death by an iron bullet from the Chinese!! ——

(To be continued)