Ming Zuo

From the Linqing hemispheric experiment to the unpowered hang glider, and then to the hot air balloon, people have learned about air and aerodynamics.

Through the observation of the wind, seeing the devastating power of the gale, many scientists started thinking again.

Since the wind formed by air flow is so powerful, can it be used as a driving force for progress?
After more than a decade of research, compressed air has become a reality.

With the continuous improvement of manufacturing technology, especially the needs of steam engine manufacturing, pistons also came into being.

With these two things, the piston engine appeared.

Based on the principle that the military is the frontier of science and technology, the first place where the piston engine was applied was the torpedo.

Before being equipped with the Navy, the torpedo has gone through more than a dozen rounds of tests, and the effect is very good.

Facing such a weapon with a speed of more than [-] knots, the sail warship has almost no possibility of dodging unless it is found at a very long distance.

However, the first half of the torpedo's voyage was almost underwater, and there were no signs of it from the sea.Even if there is, it is minimal in a chaotic battlefield.

When I find out, I'm sorry, I can only resign myself to fate.

That's how the Spaniards are now.

They were delighted that they were about to approach the ocean-going fleet, and they only cared about speeding up the ship, but they didn't notice that the danger came from the sea.

Eleven torpedoes quickly drilled into the Spanish fleet.

It was also a coincidence that the battleships at the front all missed the torpedoes.But the latter ones were not so lucky.

The hull suddenly trembled without warning, and then the earth dragon rolled and exploded, sending the battleship into the air.Before it falls, it will completely disintegrate.

All kinds of debris collapsed and flew in all directions, forming a second round of storms.

Although the other nearby warships had dispersed far enough, they were still affected.

The sails of many warships were torn into rags, and the speed dropped a lot.

The crew on the deck also seemed to be swept away by the torrential rain, and the sudden bloody rain made people sick.

Seeing that about half of the ships in the entire fleet disappeared, the surviving Spaniards were all dumbfounded.

In the end what happened?
what happened?

Why is it that the battleship in the rear was destroyed?
They didn't see the ocean-going fleet firing, nor did they see shells flying over!
The first battle of the torpedo has achieved rich results, which greatly boosted the morale of the officers and soldiers of the ocean-going fleet.While everyone was cheering, the intense loading immediately began.

This program is really fast.

A torpedo weighs more than 15 kilograms, and even with a crane, it takes [-] minutes to complete the loading.

A real blast to launch, to fill a crematorium.

But looking at the sharply reduced Spanish warships, the artillerymen decided to defend their main position.

Cannons of various sizes fired in turn, trying their best to project firepower towards the Spaniards.

Because the distance is close, the hit rate has risen sharply.

Moreover, the participation of small and medium artillery in the battle has increased the coverage.

As we all know, in naval battles, coverage is hit.

A round of salvo, eighty or ninety shells, one hit, that is the result of the battle.

The fastest Spanish fleet was finally buried 500 meters away.

The sad and angry soldiers hugged the masts and sank to the sea together. They could only watch desperately as the warships of the ocean-going fleet quickly moved away, leaving behind a cold background.

Since when did the great Spanish Armada come down to what it is today?
Unexpectedly, without even firing a single shot, he became a ghost on the bottom of the sea.

Similar scenes keep happening throughout the sea area.

The Spaniards tried to take advantage of their own large number of ships to carry out large-scale interspersed movements in an attempt to complete the outflank of the fourth detachment, thus limiting the speed of the ocean-going fleet and forcing the fourth detachment to fight close combat.

But in the eyes of the Spaniards, the vast and flat sea, the Imperial Navy can still create a terrain that is beneficial to itself.

"Dump fire oil!"

Seeing that a Spanish fleet was about to outflank, the naval commander made corresponding deployments.

At the rear of each battleship, black pipes were opened one by one, and black oil was poured into the sea, quickly forming a large strange oil area.

This oil area happened to be stuck on the way of the outflanking Spanish fleet.

If they want to complete the outflank, they must break through from the oil area, otherwise they can only watch the imperial navy wreak havoc on friendly forces from a distance.

However, the Spaniards did not know the purpose of the dark liquid that was poured into the sea.

Although if they wait, the waves will wash away the oil in three or four hours.It's a pity that they can't afford to wait. By that time, I'm afraid the friendly army will be finished.

Watching the Spanish fleet rushing into the oil area recklessly, the naval commander couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.

"Let the rocket!"

The rocket launcher on the ship was aimed at the relevant sea area long ago, and quickly fired two incendiary bombs after receiving the order.

The commander of the Spanish fleet was very nervous, watching the rockets coming and trying to avoid them.When he saw that all the rockets fell into the sea, he was slightly relieved.

Unfortunately, his rejoicing was a little too early.

After the rocket exploded, it quickly ignited all the kerosene, forming a large sea of ​​flames almost in the blink of an eye.

Just at this moment, the Spanish fleet was all inside, and before they had time to dodge, they saw ferocious flames climb up the hull and began to devour it.

The Spaniard was terrified and desperately tried to get out.But the close distance at this time has become an insurmountable moat.

The flame fueled by kerosene burned so fast that it spread across the entire ship in less than 10 minutes and detonated the gunpowder.

Amidst the sound of explosions one after another, one Spanish warship after another began to disintegrate.

So far, the Spanish majestic offensive has been almost resolved.

When the Spaniards were unable to continue their offensive, it was the turn of the ocean-going fleet.

The third team, holding back their stomachs, finally made their way around.

Faced with the obstruction of a small number of Spanish warships, Xu Dongyun ordered to open fire with all his strength on the spot.

The poor Spanish blocking forces were all wiped out after only persisting for less than 10 minutes.

The third team pulled up at full speed and slid close to the periphery of the Spanish main force.

During the gliding process, all the warships fired seven to eight rounds of salvo, and delivered more than [-] shells of various types.

The Spanish fleet was attacked from two sides and lost three-quarters of its combat power so far.

Be it Juan Jose, the rest of the generals, or even ordinary soldiers are completely desperate.

Defeat became the only option for the Spaniards.

They scrambled towards the Strait of Gibraltar.

The south and north are occupied by ocean-going fleets, and the west is the vast Atlantic Ocean.If you want to escape back to the mainland, you can only take the Strait of Gibraltar to the south coast of Spain.

But the entrance to the narrow Strait of Gibraltar has been mined by the ocean-going fleet.

As the Spaniards escaped for their lives, explosions sounded from time to time, sending warships one after another into hell.

This short escape route was full of blood and tears of the Spaniards.

In the end, after paying a heavy price for more than 40 warships being sunk by mines, they finally fled into the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Spanish fleet originally had a size of more than [-] ships. After this battle, there were only less than [-] severely damaged warships of various sizes left.

Spain, an old powerful country, has been completely reduced to dust! (end of this chapter)