Valentin sneezed, tightened his coat, soaked in the icy sea water for more than ten minutes last night, and fought fiercely for more than an hour after coming ashore. By the time he reacted to the cold, his whole body was almost numb. That is, the hairy bear has cold resistance in his racial attributes, otherwise, he may get seriously ill.

Although he had a cold, Valengin felt that last night's effort was worth it, if it weren't for the fact that he broke through the enemy's camouflage and then shot decisively. Otherwise, it's not just as simple as the Ascade running away with its tail between its legs!

The political commissar also said that judging from the reaction of the Ascade yesterday, they have been planning for a long time, and they are afraid that what they want to do is not just to seize the ship. Immediately after Ascade's cannonballs, counter-revolutionaries in Odessa began to respond, attacking the town hall, the post and telecommunications office, and the seat of the fleet committee in droves, and the battle lasted until ten o'clock in the morning.

If the Ascade hadn't been hastily attacked, if he had been well prepared, things might have turned out to be completely different. If these counter-revolutionaries had seized all the ships in the port, they would have been able to echo their accomplices in the city, and the Red Guards in Odessa, supported by the artillery fire of the warships, would not be a match at all. At that time, it was entirely possible for the counter-revolutionaries to seize Odessa!

Valentin was sincerely glad that he had been able to see through the enemy's disguise and force the enemy to rise up in advance, thus defeating them. The political commissar said that this time he would be given the first credit. Valentin didn't particularly care about the merit or something, he preferred the reward for joining the party - he wanted to be a glorious Bolshevik!

But in this matter, the political commissar alone said that it doesn't count. However, he has already agreed to be Valentin's party introducer. And tell him. With his usual performance and this exploit, it is enough to join the party!

Valentin was looking forward to the glorious moment of joining the party, and he couldn't wait. However, this does not mean that he has carried away and is already fluttering. Whenever he looked up and saw the Prut River sitting at the bottom, and saw those wounded comrades, his excitement was poured with cold water.

Although the conspiracy of the counter-revolutionaries was thwarted, the price paid was also quite high, and the Prut River was an old warship after all. Compared to the "new" Ascade, she is like an old woman who is about to lose her teeth. In a short but fierce artillery battle, the Prut River was hit by more than a dozen bullet holes, and the middle of the ship was full of bullet holes, and thick smoke and flames continued to burst out of these holes with the sound of explosions.

It wasn't until the end of the day that when the boiler room shook violently, thick black smoke with a large orange flame erupted from the chimney, rushing to an altitude of nearly 100 meters. After the violent explosion, flames poured up the flue, and the entire middle of the hull was filled with a sea of fire. The deck "climbed" little by little under the scorching heat.

The fire was raging in the middle of the hull, under the baking of the heat. The sailors discarded their winter woollen coats and fought the fire demons naked. Despite their best efforts, the Prut River is too old, and as a warship that has sunk once, her hull structure is very fragile, and the most important thing is that the firefighting facilities can't keep up at all!

The Askard's shelling destroyed not only the Prut River's boilers, but also the backup generators. Without electricity, the pumps would not work at all. The officers and men of the ship could only rely on a few old-fashioned hand-cranked water pumps to fight the fire.

The result was self-evident, the fire was uncontrollable, it intensified, and when the ammunition depot was also affected, the commissar ordered the opening of the sea valve and the filling of the ammunition depot with water. The icy waters stopped the flames from spreading, but they also ruined the life of the Prut River. If nothing else, the old ship will not be salvaged and repaired a second time, because she is completely worthless, and her next fate is likely to be to dismantle and reinvent on the spot.

In the past, Valentin was very complaining about serving on the Prut River, and this foreign warship that pulled out his teeth could not make him feel a trace of honor as a navy.

But now, when it was time to say goodbye to this old ship, Valentin was reluctant to give up. No matter how old the Prut River is, it is still a warship, and as a navy, if there is not even a ship, then what kind of navy is it? Indifferently, Valentin was a little sad and at a loss for his future military career.

While Valentin was at a loss, a few clouds of green smoke rose from the open sea, and it seemed that a ship was preparing to dock. Suddenly, Valentin put that little melancholy behind him, and a terrible thought popped up in his mind - could it be that the Ascade had gone and returned?

The thought made Valentin nervous, and now the harbor was in chaos, and with the Prut River sinking, there was little strength in the harbor to defend against the cruiser. Just as he was about to remind the commissar, the latter came over with some ease:

"The Mercury Memorial has arrived with the Ruthless and the Fury, which should be preparing for their port."

Valentin was instantly relieved, with the Mercury Memorial, and the ruthless and fury are also relatively new destroyers, with them should be able to contain the Ascade. However, Valentin did not expect that the situation would be far more complicated than he thought, because Eberhardt would have to deal with more than just the Ascade and two old destroyers.

It was not without reason that the Askid fled in the direction of Nikolaev, and in the waters near Nikolaev, four more warships hijacked by the rebels were waiting for the Askid - the light cruiser Diamond, two old Valiant destroyers, and an old gunboat Donetsk.

After the convergence of these ships, the strength of the rebels became seven, including one first-class protected cruiser, one light cruiser, as well as four destroyers and one gunboat. Numerically, it greatly surpassed Eberhardt's fleet, and was almost twice as strong.

Of course, it's just a matter of numbers. It's hard to say about the quality, let's say the Diamond, which was nominally a light cruiser. But in fact, the ship is just over 3,000 tons. It's not fast either. The maximum speed is only 19 knots. In terms of firepower, it was even weaker, and the three-thousand-ton ship was equipped with only 4 75-mm guns and 8 47-mm guns, which is simply sorry for this body.

In the words of the Russian historian Nekrasov, this was a very light light cruiser. In fact, the Diamond is more of a replacement for the Royal Yacht Standard, a royal ship whose main mission is to be used for review. Of course, what is more amazing is that this excursion ship actually participated in the Battle of Tsushima and escaped to Vladivostok. I have to sigh at the size of his life.

Even more interesting is yet to come, the Donetsk gunboat, which has almost half the displacement of the Diamond, is much more powerful on paper than the Diamond, with two old 35x caliber 203mm main guns and one 35x caliber 152mm secondary gun. To put it mildly, it may be more appropriate if the armaments of these two brothers are replaced. Of course, Donetsk is an old ship that was commissioned in 1890, and its maximum speed is only about 13 knots (in 1918 it was estimated that it could only maintain a maximum speed of 8 to 10 knots, the ship is too old).

As for the few destroyers that remained. The Brave class is an old destroyer that participated in the Battle of Tsushima, with a displacement of only 350 tons. The speed is only about 25 knots, not to mention the weapons and equipment, which are so weak that they are a mess.

To put it mildly, the rebels' four destroyers together are not as big as the two ruthless-class destroyers under Eberhardt's command. In other words, to remove the moisture on the paper, the strength of the two sides should still be half a catty to eight taels.

As long as Alberhardt can get rid of the Ascade, the rest of the old ships will be fine. But how easy is it to get rid of the Ascade? Mercury Memorial and Askard are also half a pound against eight taels, and their technical and tactical performance is almost identical, and it is not easy for anyone who wants to clean up.

On the other side, although the Ruthless and the Fury are very strong, the rebels have many ships after all, and the four old destroyers plus the Diamond and the Donetsk are enough for them to gnaw. There is no certainty of victory on either side, and it is very difficult to say who will kill the deer!

Eberhardt's formation was moving from west to east, still with the Ruthless and Fury in the forefront, and behind the Mercury Memorial, it maintained a speed of about 15 knots to search and advance, and in the afternoon, when it was about to reach the sea near Ochakov, the two fleets collided head-on.

At this time, the sky is also more beautiful, the slight breeze blows away the mist on the sea, and a red sun looms among the clouds. At about the same time, both sides discovered the other's presence, signaling the inevitability of a fierce battle.

"Send them a telegram!" Eberhardt said contemptuously, "Tell them to surrender immediately!" ”

However, before the telegraph operator could send the telegram to persuade him to send it, the receiver first received a telegram from the commander of the opposing formation.

"This is Rear Admiral Kalanin, and on behalf of the authority conferred on me by the Provisional Government of Ufa, the only legitimate and effective government of a foreign country, all the officers and ships of the Black Fleet must be at my disposal...... I command you to stop the ship at once! ”

"Major General Garanin?" Eberhardt smiled slightly, but the political commissar standing next to him could see a trace of contempt in the old man's smile, and immediately, Eberhardt turned his head and asked, "When will Garanin be promoted to major general?" The fools of the Admiralty actually let this fool be promoted, they are simply blind! ”

The commissar pouted and did not say anything, although he was transferred from the Baltic Fleet, but in contact with the sailors, I heard them talk about the various grievances of the fleet commanders. He also heard about the contradictions and conflicts between Eberhardt and the Major General Garanin.

In the Black Sea Fleet, Rear Admiral Kalanin, it should be said that at that time was only a colonel, and Colonel Kalanin at that time was the captain of the previous flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, the Yevstafi (Empress Maria replaced Yevstafi's flagship after its commissioning). At that time, Galanin had always been at odds with Eberhardt, disagreeing with every order of the commander, and always trying to replace the opinion of the fleet commander with his own.

Of course, if Colonel Galanin really had two brushes and could make some more correct comments, Alberhardt would not mind speaking widely. The problem is that this product is just a half bottle of vinegar, and every time he gives some suicidal opinions, he always thinks he is clever.

For example, in the previously mentioned battle of Cape Saleh between the Goeburn and the Black Sea Fleet, there was a dense fog in which the enemy's situation was unknown and the ranging was completely wrong. The Colonel Garanin took it for granted that Eberhardt turn the column into a horizontal column, believing that in doing so, no matter which side the Goeburn came from, he would be able to turn the rudder and seize the T-head.

I have to say. This thing is too self-righteous. Take it for granted. The situation at that time was. The Goeben was no more than 10 kilometers from Eberhardt's formation, and at the speed of the Goben, it could be killed at any time before the fleet turned to regroup. At that time, the Black Sea Fleet, which had not completed the steering and formation, was afraid that it could only be beaten and could not fight back, and if it was not done, the entire formation would collapse.

In fact, the same lesson was not unlearned, and in the Battle of Tsushima, Rozhestvensky rashly changed formation before engaging the enemy, resulting in chaos throughout the fleet. The rash and reckless Colonel Galanin was copying Rogerstvensky's mistake and repeatedly demanding a change of formation.

Fortunately, Eberhardt was responsible at that time. insisted on the right approach, did not make rash turns, remained calm, and when the Goben rushed out of the dense fog, he immediately gave the Goben a blow to the head (in that naval battle, the Goben ate this cannon, and it was also this cannon that shattered Su Shun's confidence and made him retreat on his own initiative).

After the Battle of Cape Saleh, for this Colonel Kalanin, who likes to have a big mouth, likes to make random opinions, and likes to talk nonsense. Naturally, Eberhardt didn't have a good feeling, although he didn't kick this gang out of the Black Sea Fleet. Definitely won't be reused.

After that, the relationship between the two sides became worse and worse, almost incompatible, and it was not until after Eberhardt left that the Colonel Garanin attracted a second spring. Of course, Alberhardt did not expect that the two sides would meet again, and when they met, it turned out to be a hostile relationship. However, Eberhardt will probably be glad that this Gallanin is his enemy, because this pit daddy is a notoriously pig teammate.

In a similar mood to Eberhardt, Kalanin was also relatively happy, although after the October Revolution, his life was more difficult, and as a die-hard supporter of the Provisional Government, he was deprived of command by the Fleet Council early and imprisoned in Odessa.

At one time, this product was also relatively pessimistic, but who would have thought that there was no endless road. Last night, Konstantin released him from prison with fake documents and papers, and although there was a slight accident on the way to board the Ascade, the most difficult result was that he managed to break out of the cage and get a fleet that was not too small.

Like Eberhardt, Garanin was thrilled to return to command, and he couldn't wait to make a big show to the provisional government in Ufa. If he can win a good start, he, a rear admiral, may become a vice admiral or even an admiral.

Therefore, after the Diamond sent a telegram to say that it had encountered another fleet, the first thing that came to Gallanin's mind was to make a big move, and it was obvious that this fleet was most likely sent by the Fleet Committee to eliminate him, whether it was for promotion or to survive, he had to deal with this enemy.

In addition, the reconnaissance results sent by the Diamond were also relatively satisfactory, and the fleet was not large, with only three ships. And his strength is twice that of the other party, and he seems to be eating the other party steadily.

So, after sending that telegram, Galanin immediately ordered to speed up: "Full speed ahead!" Don't let the enemy run away! ”

Yes, he had the impression in his mind that he was stronger, and he was also a serious rear admiral, a profession plus a professional. And his opponents are not only weak, but also a group of half-hung rebel sailors. In terms of command ability, he is confident that he can throw off his opponent for eight streets.

Now, there is only one thing that Garanin is worried about, what if he scares the enemy away? Such a good start can't just give up! Therefore, without thinking too much, he decided to hurry up and rush forward, and he must not let the duck fly to his beak.

Thick black smoke erupted from the four chimneys of the Ascade, a testament to the incompleteness of the hasty accelerated burning. With the rapid and powerful rotation of a pair of propellers, the hull of the ship was pushed through the waves and rushed forward.

As the Ascade began to accelerate, so did the four destroyers guarding her, their speed getting faster and faster, and the Donetsk gunboat at the back of the formation looked more and more old. The old ship, which was not fast in its first place, was quickly left behind, as lonely as a lone wolf who had been expelled from the pack.

This approach is problematic, as a fleet, it should be carried out in an orderly manner, and Galanin, who is in a hurry to make contributions, simply can't take care of so much, in his opinion, the Donetsk is supposed to be a number, even if there is no him in the formation, it can easily eliminate the opponent.

It wasn't just the Ascade and the four destroyers that were speeding up rapidly, the Diamond, which was in the lead of the formation and acted as the eyes and ears, also began to accelerate wildly. Thinking about the Battle of Tsushima back then, the Diamond also broke out of the encirclement and escaped with one breath, and she is still repeating that scene today.

After engaging the enemy, when the Ruthless and the Furious rushed towards her in a group, the Diamond chose the most correct course of action, turning the rudder and retreating. With her meager firepower, she doesn't have much effect on the battlefield at all, at most she just tickles the other party. And if he stays on the battlefield, he will also hinder the main force behind, and the very self-aware Diamond chose to watch and play soy sauce, and the winner will be divided, whether it is to escape or to fight the water dogs, then she will have a chance to play again! (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank hzwangdd, comrade Potato in seconds!