"How will the British fight?"

Zhang Bao turned his head to look at Chen Huacheng.

Zhang Bao was a Tanka pirate who took refuge in the Battle of the Pearl River Estuary.

He is also the adopted son of Zhang Hong, the former secretary of the Admiralty of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Hong is already the head of the Admiralty, and Zhang Bao is also the governor of the Indian Ocean Fleet.

Chen Huacheng is a green battalion general who surrendered to Cheng on the battlefield in Ganzhou, Jiangxi.

However, he was a hereditary general, and he was only sixteen years old when he took refuge, and then he turned to the Nanchang battlefield, the Nanjing battlefield, and the Central Plains War.

He fought until he was 20 years old, and after four years of fighting, he was promoted due to merit, and then he was arranged to go to the Naval Officer Academy for further study.

It can be regarded as a new generation of naval officers.

Chen Huacheng's results are still very good.

Otherwise, it would not have been possible to become the chief of staff of the Indian Ocean Fleet of the Ming Navy in just over a dozen years.

So.

He was well aware of the combat mode of the British Navy - after all, whether in the academy or in the army, the navy of the British Empire was the first imaginary enemy of the Ming Navy.

Although they joined the three "Giant" class battleships, it is unlikely that their tactics will change much, the horizontal team will be added to the column, the horizontal team will attack from the front, and the column will detour from the flanks, among which the three giant-class battleships and the twelve Warrior-class battleships will definitely be the core of the horizontal team, and the other cruisers will detour to the flanks. ”

"The horizontal team is attacking head-on, and the column is flanking and outflanking, why is this British still playing the tactics of the army on the sea." Zhang Bao shook his head.

"What are we going to do?"

"We can put on a posture of going south to Madagasda and entice them to turn south, and then we want to go northwest to the south of the Maldives island after the day comes."

The answer was Zhu Yimian, the captain of the Zhenwu.

"Not bad! Shoot them off and block their chance to return to their home port and force them to fight! ”

Zhang Bao nodded appreciatively.

In fact, compared to the decisive battle of the white open posture.

If the British did not want to fight, but kept a fleet in the Indian Ocean, it would be relatively more troublesome for the Ming Empire.

But.

The commanders of the British Navy certainly did not want to abandon the Maldives either.

If you lose this base.

They would have to shrink back to Madagasda.

So.

From the Strait Governor's Mansion to India, the Ottoman Empire, and East Africa, it completely belonged to the Ming Empire.

With numerical superiority, how could they retreat without a fight?

Due to the fact that the forts on the ports of the Maldives were armed with a large number of fortress guns.

So.

If the British Navy sees that the situation is not good, it will shrink back directly, or they can easily return to Hong Kong to replenish after they have run out of ammunition and fuel.

This is also relatively unfavorable to the Ming Navy.

Therefore.

Zhu Yimi's method is already very old-fashioned.

Everything has been taken into account.

April 23, early morning.

When the first rays of sunlight came in through the portholes.

The third son of the emperor of the Ming Empire, the king of Jin, and Zhu Yimi, the captain of the Zhenwu ship, have been dressed neatly.

On the dark blue naval officer's uniform, the national emblem of the sun and the moon and the golden emblem of the navy reflect the sunlight and shine.

As the flagship, it is naturally impossible for the Zhenwu to shrink back in this big battle.

As a flagship.

It's definitely going to be the front!!

Although it has been practiced in exercises countless times.

But.

Really went to the battlefield.

This is the first time.

In accordance with the regulations, Zhu Yimian calmly issued various orders.

He stood on his conning tower, holding a telescope and looking out at the ocean ahead.

"Lao Dou was twenty-five years old when he first went to war, but he was already the best doctor at that time."

Zhu Yimian suddenly remembered the "Ming Dynasty Royal History".

Because by now, he has nothing to do as a captain.

The officers were busy in an orderly manner according to the rules of war.

After a night of chase, the Indian Ocean Fleet of the Ming Navy managed to get stuck between the Indian Ocean Fleet of the British Empire and their home port, the Maldives.

According to the plan.

If the British did not dare to fight a decisive battle.

Then take advantage of the situation to requisition the forces of the princes from India and storm the Maldives - a lonely port without the support of the fleet will never be able to hold on for long.

However, Zhu Yimian was very sure that the British would not leave without occupying it.

If he were the commander of the British fleet, he would never have abandoned his home port without firing a shot - all the more so that the British now have the advantage, at least from the medical record.

"Report to the captain, everything is ready!"

Zhu Yimi's adjutant came quickly.

Zhu Yimian nodded: "Report to the General Command, our ship is fully ready for battle, and it is expected to start engaging the enemy fleet in an hour and a half!" ”

"Yes!"

Half an hour ago.

A telegram was sent from the cruiser Honglie, which was responsible for monitoring enemy ships.

The British fleet took advantage of the darkness and returned to the north.

So.

Now the navy of the Ming Empire is already in full swing.

In an hour and a half at most, the naval battle will begin.

"They thought they could take us around in circles, but they certainly didn't expect our ships to be able to keep in touch with each other even if they were out of line of sight!"

Chen Huacheng said.

"It might catch them off guard."

"It's just a bit of an accident, anyway, if you want to fight a decisive battle, you still have to close the distance!" Zhang Bao said.

Before that.

Zhang Bao, the governor of the Indian Ocean Fleet of the Ming Navy, has reorganized the fleet.

12 town-class battleships were the first squadron.

The 12 Hon-class cruisers were the second detachment.

Twenty Wei-class frigates are the third squadron.

Each has its own job.

In addition, armed merchant ships sent by the Indian vassals were on standby 20 nautical miles away.

With the order given.

The commanders of the detachments rearranged the combat positions according to the grouping, divided and adjusted the order of the shelling, and FM radio to facilitate communication with the command of the flagship at any time.

When 15 nautical miles away, there is a large column of smoke.

Zhang Bao took a deep breath.

"It's finally here!"

Although as a veteran officer of the Ming Navy.

His experience in naval warfare was already very rich.

But command a huge ironclad fleet to fight a decisive battle related to the fortunes of the country.

This is the first time this has happened.

"Hang the battle flag!"

Zhang Bao ordered loudly.

"Turn on the fleet radio and telegraph to the ships: The emperor has a will, this war is related to the rise and fall of the empire, and the officers and men of the ships will work hard to determine the hegemony of the Indian Ocean in a war!"

"Long live Daming! Long live the Emperor!! ”

As the battle flag was raised.

The officers and men of the ships raised their spirits one after another.

The level of education of the officers and men of the Navy is much higher than that of the Army.

After many years of cultivation by the Ming education system, most of them are fanatical nationalists.

Time.

The officers and men of the ships shouted long live.

This naval Armageddon, which is related to the fate of the nation, has begun. (End of chapter)