As many as 24 battleships of the Chinese Navy arrived in Portsmouth, and this news was also learned by the British Admiralty. Secretary of the Navy Charles. Sir Adam hurriedly reported to the Prime Minister, Earl Stanley. However, they had no other way but to order the defenders of the Portsmouth military port to do their best to hold the military port and protect the Portsmouth shipyard.

After all, in the face of the huge force of up to 24 battleships of the Imperial Chinese Navy, the British Navy simply could not cope. This is especially true when the main forces of the British Navy have already been annihilated. All the British Navy could do was to use shore defense artillery to return fire. However, relying on the shore defense artillery of the Portsmouth military port, no one knows whether it will be able to withstand the Chinese Navy.

"Order all ships, according to the original plan, to prepare to attack!" On the battleship 'Emperor Guangwu of Han', Admiral Wei Yong, commander of the 1st Fleet of the Imperial Navy, gave the order.

Suddenly, 24 battleships of the Imperial Navy were less than ten kilometers from the Portsmouth military port, and their main guns were aimed at the fortifications on the shore. In order to ensure their own safety, these warships are moving on the sea. After all, the defensive power of a battleship can never be compared with the shore defense batteries on the shore. You can only improve your own safety by constantly changing your position. On the other hand, the shore defense batteries on the shore are fixed targets, and they can only rely on thick skin to resist attacks.

"Fire!" With the order of the gun commander on the battleship 'Emperor Guangwu of Han', the three triple 305-mm guns on the battleship immediately opened fire. Nine armor-piercing shells weighing more than 300 kilograms flew towards the shore in a whistling manner.

The firing of the 'Emperor Guangwu of Han'. As if it were a signal. The rest of the battleships also opened fire. At one time, 24 powerful battleships on the sea. Began to pour shells on the shore at the maximum rate of fire.

In an instant, the entire coast was enveloped in artillery fire. After the explosion of a powerful cannonball. Bomb craters were left on the coast.

"Boom!" A 305-mm shell hit one of the British coastal defense batteries, but the powerful armor-piercing shells only blew up some cement blocks, exposing the steel bars inside, and did not damage the main structure of the coastal defense batteries at all.

The fortifications of the British Navy are not tofu scum projects. Their shore fortifications are very strong. Even though the Imperial Navy's 24 battleships opened heavy fire, they were not able to quickly destroy these shore fortifications.

"Fight back! Fight back now! Sink those Chinese warships! "John. Lieutenant General Vicente commanded loudly. In the face of such sharp and fierce artillery fire, even the strongest fortifications. There are times when you can't resist it. Only by counterattacking and sinking the Chinese warships can the crisis be resolved. Of course, it is not so easy for shore defense artillery to hit targets moving on the sea surface.

"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! The British Navy's shore defense artillery began to roar, one after another, and the shells roared into the sea, blasting up columns of water on the sea. However, this did not cause much damage to the Imperial Navy. Shore defense artillery of the British Navy. The firing range is generally only about eight kilometers. After that, God willing!

"Boom!" A 280-mm armor-piercing shell hit a small shore defense battery, which contained only two 155-mm shore defense guns. Compared to those batteries that have large-caliber shore defense guns. The defense of this shore defense battery was undoubtedly much weaker.

In the violent explosion, the entire shore defense battery was destroyed. The shore defense artillery inside was blown up. As for the British artillery inside. They were all killed.

Fierce battles were fought here, both by the Imperial Navy and the British Navy's shore defense artillery. They were desperately trying to shoot out the shells in the hope of sinking the enemy's battleship.

"Boom! Rumble! "Two shells hit one of the British Navy's shore defense batteries in quick succession. Inside this shore defense battery. There were two 280-mm shore defense guns. The defense is very strong. However, after being accurately hit by the naval guns of the Imperial Navy, although they were not able to tear through the defense of the shore defense guns, the shock wave generated by the explosion of the shells still shook the British Navy shore defense artillery inside alive.

Fortunately, the British Navy was very well prepared, and immediately someone rushed in and carried out the comrades who were shocked to death inside, and the replacement gunners entered and continued to fight. In less than ten minutes, the shore defense battery began to fire again.

"Damn! That's pretty much! Aim for me! "British Vice Admiral John Murphy. Vicente held up a telescope and observed the battle from a hidden spot. Seeing his own shore artillery, which almost hit the enemy's battleship, John . Lieutenant General Vicente couldn't help but feel very sorry. After all, it would be great if you could hit the other side!

"Boom! Rumble! "Two shells exploded near a British shore defense battery, blowing up two huge craters, a burst of sand and rocks, splashing dust and smoke, almost the entire shore defense battery was enveloped in it.

The British Navy built a large number of shore fortifications at the Portsmouth Naval Base. However, in the face of the heavy shelling of as many as 24 battleships of the Imperial Navy, it still seemed somewhat difficult to bear. Even though these fortifications were very strong, they were inevitably destroyed after being hit in succession.

One after another, shore defense batteries were destroyed, which also caused the British firepower to continue to decrease.

"Boom!" The battleship 'Ziying' of the 1st Fleet of the Imperial Navy, which was sailing on the sea, shook violently, and the officers in the bridge fell to the deck at once.

"What's going on?" The captain of the battleship Ziying asked loudly.

"Sir, the bow of the ship has been shelled. A hole was blown out of the deck, and some brothers were killed. However, there was no other damage! ”

"Order the battleship, keep firing! Fuck those damn Brits! "The captain of the battleship 'Ziying' did not expect that his battleship would become the first battleship of the Chinese Navy to be hit, and he was very dissatisfied.

In the fierce exchange of fire between the two sides, the British Navy's shore defense batteries were constantly removed, and the Chinese Navy's battleships began to be hit. It's just that these injuries are often not fatal. In the event of heavy damage, the Imperial Navy's warships will be withdrawn from the battlefield as soon as possible to avoid being sunk.

Every warship of the Imperial Navy is precious, and it cannot be lost here.

The fierce fighting continued until dusk, when the Imperial Navy had all but destroyed the fortifications outside the harbor built by the British Navy. And the Imperial Navy, too, paid a lot of losses. Three battleships were hit, two were slightly injured and one was seriously damaged.

The seriously wounded battleship 'Qinzhuang Xiangwang' had withdrawn from the battle, and the unfortunate battleship had been shot near the waterline, and although the loophole had been plugged, it was obvious that it could no longer continue the battle. Two destroyers escorted the battleship 'Qinzhuang Xiangwang' to the shipyard in the Azores for minor repairs, after which the battleship returned to China for a major repair.

Although the Imperial Navy also suffered a lot of losses. However, such a small loss could not make the Imperial Navy retreat.

The next day, February 19, 1855, the Imperial Navy began to gradually clear the fortifications on both sides of the waterway. In order to ensure their own safety, the warships of the Imperial Navy were not allowed to penetrate deep into the waterways. Otherwise, they will be flanked by the British Navy's coastal artillery, and the British Navy's coastal fortifications can only be cleared from the outside.

In this case, the progress will not be very high. However, safety is guaranteed.

After three days of hard work, on 22 February, the Imperial Navy finally entered Portsmouth Harbour. None of the Imperial Navy's eight 'Eastern Han class' battleships were damaged in this fierce battle. Once the ship had entered the harbor, it headed straight for the Portsmouth shipyard.

At this moment, in the shipyard, those workers are still desperately building warships. In particular, the four 'Nile-class' battleships, which are in the final outfitting operation, are about to be completed.

When the battleships of the Chinese Navy came in, the workers of the British Navy shipyards realized that danger was coming. Previously, although there had been a rumble of artillery outside the military port, the person in charge of the shipyard had sued them. The heroic coastal defense artillery of the Royal Navy will withstand the attack of the Chinese. But it is clear that they have been deceived!

"Run! The Chinese battleships came. They're going to kill us all! ”

Countless British shipbuilders threw away their tools and fled. However, it was too late.

Entering the harbor, the Imperial Navy's battleships began a heavy bombardment. Shells exploded in the Portsmouth shipyard, fireballs rose and the entire shipyard was destroyed by heavy shelling by the Imperial Navy.

During the shelling of the shipyards, the warships of the Imperial Navy used high-explosive shells, which were even more powerful and terrifying.

The entire Portsmouth shipyard was in flames, and the shipbuilders who were still working could not escape. In the heavy shelling of the Imperial Navy, they were killed one after another. After all, for a country's shipbuilding industry, these skilled workers are also a great asset. After these workers were killed, it was not so easy for the British shipbuilding industry to recover.

And the battleships that were still being built in the dry dock were also destroyed in the shelling.

As for the four 'Nile-class' battleships that were being outfitted, they were attacked by armor-piercing shells. The battleships in the dockyard were destroyed by the battleships of the Imperial Navy, like stationary targets. And this also represents the complete end of the British Navy's road to supremacy. (To be continued......)

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