PS: The second update arrives, asking for subscriptions, monthly passes and recommended tickets! Thank you to DaNaWu for the monthly pass!

Both the Xinhua Navy and the British Navy were full of confidence in the upcoming naval battle, and they both believed that they would win this victory. Everyone knows very well that the naval battle they are about to fight will be a matter of victory or defeat in the whole war. Whoever can gain sea supremacy will have the initiative and will be in an invincible position. For this battle, both sides concentrated all their combat strength.

The British Navy is a huge fleet of 46 Apollo-class warships composed of all the 'Apollo-class' warships of the Far East Fleet and the Indian Ocean Fleet, under the full command of Rear Admiral Allen, commander of the Far East Fleet. On the Xinhua side, this is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th Fleets of the Navy, commanded by Rear Admiral Wei Yong, commander of the 1st Fleet. Moreover, the 5th Fleet was used as a killer feature. Rear Admiral Wei Yong, who commanded many large-scale naval battles in the Xinhua Navy, was also an experienced sail in this regard. Although he was not able to become the commander of the 5th Fleet, King Long Yufei had already assured him. When the 'Shang-class' cruisers are commissioned, the 1st Fleet will be converted into 'Shang-class' cruisers. At that time, the 1st Fleet will become the most powerful fleet of the Xinhua Navy. The size of the navy of the new country, for a long time, will also maintain five fleets. However, the number of warships will no longer be limited to 12, but will be further increased according to the defense area and combat mission.

On 30 June, the main force of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fleets of the Xinhua Navy was still in the sea area more than 100 kilometers north of Nantong Reef in the Nansha Islands. The 12 'Xia-class' cruisers of the 5th Fleet were more than 60 kilometers northeast of them. Every 6 hours. The two sides will send clippers to make contact to ensure that contact is not lost. After all, this time the British Navy is menacing. Relying on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fleets alone, I am afraid it will be difficult to defeat the British Navy. The 5th Fleet must have the effect of killing with one blow at the most critical moment.

When the fleet is on combat duty on the sea, communication with land is very inconvenient. Therefore, the commander has a lot of autonomy. Although now the news of Britain's official declaration of war on Xinhua has not yet reached the hands of Major General Wei Yong. But judging by his years of experience, I am afraid that war is coming. The smell of gunpowder seemed to be in the air. If you encounter the British Navy, even if you don't receive accurate information from home. Major General Wei Yong will also give the order to attack, and fight first before talking. After all, winning is all that matters. As for the rest, it will be left to the country to deal with. Rear Admiral Wei Yong believes that the commander of the British Navy is estimated to be the same. Now that war between Britain and Xinhua is inevitable. Then, there is no need to worry about some procedures.

On the afternoon of 30 June, Rear Admiral Wei Yong sensed that the war was getting closer to them, so he asked the other three fleets to come to the cruiser 'Xinhua' for a pre-war meeting. Commodore Xu Hai, commander of the 2nd Fleet, and Brigadier Admiral Liu Xu, commander of the 3rd Fleet, both rushed to the cruiser 'Xinhua' very quickly, but Commodore Lu Haipeng, commander of the 5th Fleet, was too far away from the main force of the fleet and did not arrive at the cruiser 'Xinhua' until 5 o'clock in the afternoon. After becoming the commander of the 5th Fleet. Commodore Lu Haipeng was very excited, this is the most powerful fleet of the Xinhua Navy at present. It is the main force of this naval battle. In the past, the navy of the new China Kingdom was equipped with sail warships, and for steam-powered warships, tactics were still being explored. But in the past few years, Commodore Lu Haipeng has led the fleet, and he has been gradually groping. By now, the 5th Fleet has fully formed combat effectiveness.

"Now that everyone is here, let's start the meeting. As we all know, the decisive battle between us and the British in this battle is very important, and it can be said that it is related to the life and death of Xinhuaguo. Therefore, we can only win and not lose this battle! Major General Wei Yong said with a stern face.

"Brother Wei, don't worry, we will definitely be able to win this time. We'll let the Brits know we're awesome. Brigadier General Lu Haipeng patted his chest and reassured. He seemed to have seen the scene of the 5th Fleet, under his leadership, fighting the British Navy. The thought of this makes him excited.

"Haipeng, a little stricter. Britain is not Spain or the Netherlands, they have been the dominant maritime power for hundreds of years. This time, the warships they dispatched were all 'Apollo-class' warships, and the performance of this kind of warships was better than that of our 'Shark-class' cruisers. For this reason, we must be cautious in this battle. Wei Yong said with a frown.

Seeing Major General Wei Yong's expression, Brigadier General Lu Haipeng hurriedly shut up. Rear Admiral Wei Yong is the plenipotentiary commander of this naval battle, even if the 5th Fleet is strong, but Commodore Lu Haipeng still has to listen to Rear Admiral Wei Yong.

"When we have a fight with the British, we don't have to fight them. We will immediately send someone to inform the 5th Fleet, and the 5th Fleet must come at once and take advantage of the advantage of the battleships to attack the British Navy from the flanks and rear. I believe that with the strength of the 5th Fleet, it is quite capable of inflicting heavy losses on the British fleet. When the time comes, we will be able to inflict heavy damage or even annihilate the British fleet in one fell swoop. Major General Wei Yong said. Because the 5th Fleet is powered by steam engines, it does not need to consider factors such as wind direction, so it has more options when attacking.

"Yes, General, the 5th Fleet will guarantee the completion of the mission." Brigadier General Lu Haipeng said sternly.

"General, we don't yet know if we have officially declared war with the British. Do you wait for the news from home to arrive, and then decide whether to start a war with the British? Commodore Xu Hai, commander of the 2nd Fleet, asked with some concern.

"No, the fighter plane is fleeting, and we have to grasp it. I think that by this moment the fleet of the British would have long since left Singapore. In such a situation, does it make much sense to declare war or not? Defeating the British is the most important thing. Major General Wei Yong said.

The other fleet commanders all nodded. Outside the generals, the military order is not subject to it. What's more, the relationship between Xinhua and Britain is extremely tense now, and it is only a matter of time before war breaks out. As long as there is an opportunity, it is better to play late than early.

"That's it. If there are no objections, then let's go back. Let the brothers on every battleship, be ready. This time, we're going to take on the British in the best form. Major General Wei Yong said.

"Yes, General!" The commanders of the fleets, after standing up and saluting, left the cruiser 'Xinhua'.

As the order reached the ships of the Xinhua Navy, a tense atmosphere began to permeate the fleets. Although the Xinhua Navy has won many naval battles, this time the object of the battle is the British Navy, which is known as the supremacy of the sea. It's a lie to say not to be nervous. But, in addition to the nervousness, there is more excitement. The Xinhua navy had already defeated the Spaniards and the Dutch, and if it could defeat the British again this time, it would be a great honor for the entire navy.

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fleets of the Xinhua Navy, 20 kilometers apart, lined up in three columns at sea and sailed westward. In this way, the incoming enemy can be detected to the greatest extent, and at the same time, the various fleets can be contacted.

The navy of the new China and the navy of the United Kingdom are moving in the same direction. The British naval commander, Rear Admiral Allen, had learned from Governor Bonham before he set out, and Governor Bonham would formally declare war on Xinhua on the 28th. So, the British Navy was ready for battle. Although the Xinhua Navy has not yet received the news that the two sides have declared war. However, if they encountered the British fleet, they would also attack immediately. The battle will sound from the moment the two navies meet.

July 2, 1843, is a day destined to go down in history. On this day, in the South China Sea, a world-renowned naval battle broke out. The two sides of the war were the British Navy, the world hegemon, and the Xinhua Navy, the hegemon of the South Seas. The two sides invested more than 90 advanced warships, which can be called one of the largest naval battles in the world. This naval battle had a far-reaching impact, and was even called a turning point for Britain from prosperity to decline. Prior to this naval battle, Britain had maintained a rapid expansion and became more and more powerful. But after this battle, the British navy collapsed, and the road to expansion was completely blocked. With the unification of China by the new China, the national strength became stronger and stronger, and it launched a global competition with the United Kingdom. In order to compete for the vast colony, the two sides broke out into war many times. In the end, the powerful Britain was defeated by the Xinhua State step by step, not only losing its status as the world hegemon, but also completely reduced to a second-rate country.

The 2nd Fleet of the Xinhua Navy is located at the forefront of the entire fleet. The morning fog gradually lifted, and the lookout on the mast began to look around with a telescope. The sun has already risen in the east, and there is not much wind over the sea, indicating that today is a good day. However, too little wind is not a good thing for a sail warship, which will severely limit the speed of the warship. However, the main warships of both sides are sail warships, so this effect is mutual, and no one takes advantage. Of course, in comparison, the 5th Fleet of the Xinhua Navy has a great advantage.

At 8:45 a.m., in the western sky, one mast after another appeared. At this time of year, there will definitely not be so many merchant ships moving in droves. Therefore, the watchmen of the Xinhua Navy immediately sent out war information.

"When! While! While! When the alarm sounded, the officers and men of the Xinhua Navy quickly entered a state of combat readiness. The decisive battle between the Xinhua Navy and the British Navy has begun! (To be continued......)