Chapter 772 Ranger Tactics (asking for double monthly tickets)
The British merchant ship never expected that it would be attacked by a French frigate while being escorted by a Royal Navy cruiser.
The boat suddenly became a mess.
The second officer directed the sailors to throw the cargo into the sea in an attempt to reduce the weight and increase the ship's speed to escape.
The gunnery commander whipped his whip to drive away the gunners huddled in the cabin, ordering them to fight back.
In this era of rampant pirates, merchant ships were equipped with cannons. Of course, merchant ships are far inferior to professional warships in terms of artillery power, quantity, and protection.
The gunner of this merchant ship was very lucky. A shell from the 18-pounder gun hit the "Overlook" in the ribs during the first firing.
However, the short-barreled gun on the merchant ship only left a dent on the side of the "Overlook", which then attracted a more violent attack.
After the French frigate fired more than ten rounds of salvos, the merchant ship was riddled with holes, but the British galley behind it also caught up.
It was very difficult for solid artillery shells in the sailing battleship era to sink an opponent. It usually took dozens of salvo rounds to do it, or a lot of luck to make a hole in the target below the waterline.
The "Yuanwang" was preparing to adjust its hull angle to fight, but accidentally destroyed the merchant ship's rudder in the last salvo.
The captain immediately changed his strategy and ordered him to abandon the target that had lost the ability to move, and instead pursue another merchant ship that had just disappeared on the sea level.
One nautical mile away on the sea, a British merchant ship named the "Box Jellyfish" burst into flames under the fierce bombardment of the "Big Tide". The sailors on the ship jumped into the sea one after another as the flames licked them, tragically The screams could be heard even from Maderno's side.
Half an hour later.
The "Overlook" circled the sea for a long time, but failed to find the British merchant ship that fled to the southeast. It seemed that the captain of that ship had very rich experience in escaping at sea.
When Maderno heard the order to abandon the pursuit, he shook his head regretfully, but he soon felt relieved.
That merchant ship could run so fast, it must have thrown all its cargo into the sea, which was enough to make the British feel distressed for a while.
He glanced again at the British galley that had been following them relentlessly, and smiled disdainfully.
After an hour at most, the boat will be thrown off due to the oarsmen's diminished stamina.
Immediately afterwards, the "Yuanwang" turned southwest and rushed to the agreed coordinates to join the other two ships in the formation.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the three French warships reunited, waving flags and communicating with each other about the achievements they had just achieved.
Both the "Seagull Wing" and the "Big Tide" sank their targets. On the contrary, the "Overlook" failed to sink either of them because of its greed for a "double kill".
Not long after, the flagship "Seagull Wings" signaled, ordering everyone to turn back and completely destroy the merchant ship that had lost its ability to move.
However, as soon as they sailed seven or eight nautical miles north, the battle alarm sounded again on the ship.
Maderno looked up at the lookout hand. The latter pointed to the sea in the distance and said loudly:
"There is a British cruiser 1.5 nautical miles ahead!"
What they didn't know was that British Commander Hicks had been destroyed by three merchant ships under his nose, and he was already furious.
He ordered his warships to search for French frigates in the nearby waters, hoping to sink one or two to save some face.
At this time, the British cruiser also discovered the French warship and immediately rushed over with murderous intent.
After the French frigate formation confirmed that there was only one cruiser nearby, the flagship "Wing of the Seagull" decisively issued an order to attack. Maderno's heart skipped a beat again.
It is easy to use speed to abuse merchant ships, but with the small size of our frigate, trying to challenge a 44-gun cruiser is like three hounds fighting a brown bear!
However, he remembered the "Ranger Tactics" he had trained before, and the tension in his heart dissipated slightly. He turned around and shouted to the sailors around him: "What are you doing standing around? Return to your post immediately!"
The British cruiser approached the "Gullwing" without fear. As long as it is within range, the ship's ferocious firepower can severely damage the frigate in a matter of minutes.
However, the flagship of the French formation flexibly turned around and pointed the three 32-pound guns at the stern at the British cruiser.
At the same time, the "Overlook" and the "Big Tide" each drew an arc and sailed towards the stern of the British battleship.
Ten minutes later, the stern cannon of the "Seagull Wing" opened fire first.
The French's favorite long gun finally exerted its theoretical range advantage at this time.
The British cruiser relied on its thick hull to pursue it with gritted teeth, but its bow cannon was extremely weak. The mainstream tactic of this era was to fire broadside heavy artillery. Who would install heavy cannons on the bow and stern of the ship? So almost only Can be beaten but unable to fight back.
After the British warship chased it for 4 nautical miles, it finally became clear that the French frigate in front was trying to tease it by suppressing its speed. Although the three 32-pound guns at the stern of the ship only hit it twice, they still made two eye-catching holes in its bow.
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Immediately, two other French frigates rushed over from the side and rear.
Hicks hurriedly ordered to turn and aim the broadside at the French, but the "Seagull Wing" immediately turned the bow and touched his stern at an extremely fast speed.
The three frigates were like light birds, circling around the British cruiser. If they had the opportunity, they would go up and fire a few shots. When the opponent was approaching, they would use their speed to get away.
This is the "Ranger Tactics" formulated by the French Naval Staff for steam warships - to avoid head-on confrontation, make full use of one's own speed and steering advantages, and wear down powerful but clumsy enemy ships bit by bit.
More than 20 minutes later, Hicks' flagship was completely devastated, especially near the waterline on the starboard side, which was hit by a 24-pounder cannon shell. Although the breach was not large, if the ship had to maneuver significantly, there would be an explosion there. Pour into the seawater...
A strong sense of fear suddenly surged in Hicks' heart.
If this trend continues, you will be sunk sooner or later.
He began to regret splitting up the formation to search for French warships. If the "Star Dream" was nearby at this time, the two ships could cover each other and they should not be in such a passive situation.
In fact, he didn't know that because the steam battleships of the French Navy had been in service for too short a time, and neither the captain nor the crew had mastered the "ranger tactics", otherwise his ship would have been sunk ten minutes ago.
However, the French frigate still has plenty of time to play with him slowly...
……
Eleven nautical miles outside the Port of Marseille, the British Mediterranean Fleet flagship "Victory" floats on the sea like a towering mountain.
This first-class battleship, which is more than 70 meters long, has a displacement of more than 3,000 tons, and is equipped with 108 cannons. It is the pride of the British Royal Navy, and its combat effectiveness ranks among the top three in the world.
At this time, in the spacious officer conference room of the "Victory", Lord Hood, the commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, was looking at the order just sent by the British Navy with a dark face.
"...Your Excellency failed to perform your due duties, resulting in multiple attacks on merchant ships in the Mediterranean waters..."
(End of chapter)