Pirate Kingship.

Chapter 520: Northern Snow Wind, Royal Oak

Countless ship ridges split the white waves, like brave knights fighting in close combat.

Gun smoke filled the entire ship, the main sails were furled to prevent being ignited by sparks running around on the deck, and the hot shells whizzed through the upper, middle and lower gun decks.

boom! boom! boom! boom!
In the scorching flames, wood chips flew everywhere, and human bodies hit by heavy artillery were blown into a bloody mist in mid-air, with broken limbs and arms scattered everywhere.

But unfortunately, the brutal battle has just begun.

"Fire back! After one salvo, all gun crews are free to fire back!"

"All gunpowder monkeys move, gunpowder, I need more gunpowder."

"Fire all the shells as quickly as possible."

The fast sailing ships manufactured by the Kingdom of Hattings were very different from the large galleons of the Kingdom of Castile.

The former has a smoother and more graceful shape and a larger aspect ratio, which is the first factor in increasing sailing speed.

The Hastings clipper had a lower hull, fewer superstructures, and the towering poop was replaced by a flatter double-decker rear deck.

Even if they do not have the courage to completely flatten the decks of heavy cruisers, the height of their forecastle and poop towers is 25%-45% lower than that of standard large galleons.

In addition, the former can be equipped with more sails, and the improvement of sails also enables fast sailing ships to have more outstanding performance when sailing against the wind at large angles.

In short, this type of ship was designed entirely for artillery battles from the very beginning, and it was never considered to be used as a platform for boarding battles.

Therefore, at this moment, the civil war of the Strait Fleet is undoubtedly the peak showdown of this era between "linear tactics" and "linear tactics".

Once a battleship enters its combat position and forms a battle line, it is strictly forbidden to leave its own queue and "sail on its own". Violators will be treated as deserters.

In wartime, there is a high probability that you will be shot dead on the spot, without even the chance to be brought to a military court.

In addition, the training and even the race of the weapons personnel on both sides are exactly the same, with the same strengths and weaknesses, and the consequences of close artillery fire on each other are extremely tragic.

"what--!"

"The waterline has been hit. Shipwrights and damage control team, hurry up and take over."

"Doctor! I'm applying for a quota for [Super-Speed ​​Healing]. Bandaging doesn't work and the bleeding won't stop."

"Reload! Shoot freely until you knock them down!"

The sound of gunfire, screams and officers' shouts intertwined together, bringing this civil war to a climax right from the beginning.

A true third-level battleship with more than 74 guns is completely different from a cruiser.

一艘最常见的74炮三级舰火力配置通常为：32磅炮二十八门、24磅炮三十门、9磅炮十六门，一次性投射质量高达恐怖的1760磅。

Some people say that wooden battleships equipped with heavy artillery are like a group of eggshells wielding hammers, which is the other extreme compared to the bastions with strong defense and weak attack.

Although this statement is a bit exaggerated, the effect of close shooting within a hundred meters is indeed similar to the army musketeers shooting in a line at a distance of twenty meters.

You should know that the officers in the Age of Discovery all learned some military common sense.

When the 32-pound gun is loaded with 8 pounds of propellant, it can penetrate the oak bulwark by 1.2 meters when fired from a distance of one thousand meters.

The sides of the hull are made up of densely packed ribs, with the thickest part reaching up to one meter.

However, when facing an iron ball fired from a cannon hundreds of meters away, it can still be easily penetrated. When the distance is shortened to within a hundred meters, the defense is even more impressive.

It would be as ridiculous to believe that a seemingly thick oak bulwark could stop a rifle bullet as to believe that a car door could stop a rifle bullet.

That's just a false sense of security created by the "brain" for the soldiers.

Of course, the navy needs to rely on solid iron balls that will not explode, and continuously fire hundreds or even thousands of rounds to turn the enemy ship's hull into a hornet's nest.

But even so, the battleship will not necessarily sink, because the underwater part of the hull is still intact.

This might not be a good thing for the soldiers, as it meant they would have to endure longer periods of shelling.

However, once the ship encounters high sea conditions during retreat, huge waves will leak through the hole-ridden hull, and the capsizing of the ship will eventually be an inevitable outcome.

Just ten minutes after the first shot was fired.

call--!
The [Golden Deer] and the Seventh Fleet consisting of thirty warships of level five and above, surrounded by a large group of storm elves summoned by Byron, successfully seized the upper hand and arrived in front of the Sixth Fleet of the Security Fleet under the Earl's Party.

Before the foreign aid of both sides joined the battlefield.

The Count's Party has a main fleet equipped with at least ten third-level ships: the Second Fleet and the Fourth Fleet, as well as the Security Fleet and the Sixth Fleet.

The royalist side had the main Third Fleet, the Security Fifth Fleet, and the Colonial Seventh Fleet.

The commanders of both sides each dispatched three fleets to fight against each other.

The principle of the horse racing story is the same. The Kingmaker Warwick originally planned to let his weakest security fleet withstand the Third Fleet, the only main fleet of the royal party.

His strongest Second Fleet defeated the Royalist Party's second-ranked Colonial Seventh Fleet, and his second-ranked Fourth Fleet defeated the opponent's weakest Security Fleet, the Fifth Fleet.

We don't pursue complete victory, as long as we can break up two of the battle lines.

In this way, we can concentrate superior forces to encircle and kill the royalist party’s third fleet in the shortest time and at the lowest cost!
The commander of the 4th Fleet of the Earl's Party, Fox Douglas, the Angry Fox, relied on the ability of the strange battleship Vanguard to "seize the initiative" and successfully cut into the upper hand of the Security Fleet and opened fire first.

But when the Sixth Fleet of the Earl's Party, which was destined to become cannon fodder, relied on its own maneuverability to actively attack the Third Fleet where Edward IV was.

However, he was intercepted by Byron, who had already obtained the intelligence of the Earl's party's military deployment from the bottle devil and the succubus.

Shout to Edward IV:
"Don't panic, Your Majesty. I'm here to save you!"

Then, regardless of whether the other party agreed or not, it relied on its unparalleled mobility to take over the enemy's weakest Sixth Fleet.

Taking advantage of the situation, Edward IV's Third Fleet was pushed to the side of Warwick and the Second Fleet that were rushing behind.

In the chaos of battle, no one has time to think so much.

Moreover, each of them felt that they still had a trump card in their hand and the margin of error was still within a controllable range, so by accident a three-party battlefield was formed.

As for why Warwick chose to sacrifice his Sixth Fleet instead of filling it with his ally's pirate fleet?

He is not stupid.

Just like in a siege, the troops deployed must be elite troops that obey orders. If any general is stupid enough to put the "slave army" in a key position, just wait for them to collapse at the first sign of trouble, bringing down the overall situation.

If you want to harm your teammates, you must be skillful.

"Huh? Eight Fingers, we actually ran into an old acquaintance?"

Byron held the steering wheel, activated the dragon taming technique and merged himself with his "dragon" [Golden Deer], leading the Seventh Fleet to take the lead and meet the Sixth Fleet face to face.

I discovered that there was an old acquaintance in this cannon fodder team.

Moreover, it was this "big enemy" who once chased them and forced them to flee for their lives, and almost killed them in the "Novice Village".

Eight Fingers, the honest man who was in charge of leading Deathwing as Byron's guard, also recognized him and grinned, revealing his white teeth:
"It's actually the Severe! Apparently the great Holy Spirit didn't favor them today."

Coming towards them was the Level 8 cruiser HMS Severe, which had chased the Man-eating Shark all the way through the Strait of Dover (Chapter ).

It seems that when the royalists and the earls had not yet split, they worked together to capture the remnants of the Lancaster Party, but accidentally let Byron escape.

This resulted in a bleak future for all crew members on this warship, which originally belonged to the Sixth Fleet.

Two years have passed, and we are still only able to guard this small cruiser, with no chance to upgrade to a battleship.

This time, he was sent by Warwick as cannon fodder in the war for the throne. His fate was really rough.

The captain of the [Fortress Guard] with a shield hanging behind him was naturally unaware of the grudge between himself and the "Sea Hunter".

As the Golden Deer, emitting brilliant light like the sun, came charging from the upper wind.

Before he even got close to the effective range of 100 meters, he was so frightened that he couldn't help but raise his command knife and shouted, "Fire!"

The fifth-level ship has a front-to-back gun deck equipped with 20 12-pound guns and an open deck equipped with 12 6-pound guns. Of the 32 guns in total, half of them are flashing on the enemy side.

Sparse shells flew towards the Golden Deer.

But most of them could only create a splash in the sea, and the rest were easily blocked by the "border maze lock", without even touching the ship's teak sidewalls that were comparable to iron armor.

In the absence of an absolute advantage, the first volley is often the only decent shot by the weaker side.

After a salvo, each gun position would fire indiscriminately at its fastest speed until the enemy was beaten into submission.

But if the firepower gap is too big, it's like a skinny guy in a slapping contest who can slap the strong guy dozens of times and it's okay, but if he is slapped by the other side just once, he may be killed on the spot.

"not good!"

Even though the Severe had already accepted its role as cannon fodder, its morale plummeted after a round of salvos failed to hurt the enemy at all.

Byron had only one response. Under the precise control of his "shipmanship", the two 42-pound carronades on the upper gun deck fired one after another.

Two shells blessed with the Storm Weapon enchantment carried electric light and hit the [Severe] one after another like a sniper rifle.

One shell penetrated the 76-centimeter-thick lower deck bulwark diagonally and continued to fly until it hit the iron elbow of the other side of the ship.

The high-speed spinning enchanted shells did not kill anyone, but instead ricocheted downward at a subtle angle, piercing through the gun deck and then penetrating the lower deck and the bottom of the ship.

The sea water rushed in with a splash.

Another shell followed closely behind the first shell and passed through the hole it had made, also ricocheting downwards.

However, based on the first shell, it made a slight correction to its trajectory and penetrated the ammunition depot below the waterline with incredible accuracy!
However, Byron used the battleship to perform the [Gun Fighting Technique] he created, controlling the trajectory at will, and using a mere muzzle-loading smoothbore cannon to fire a guided missile. [Gun Fighting Technique] is more technical and universal than Storm Spirits and Gun Spirits, and is a practical ability that every [Storm Knight] can learn.

It is also jokingly called "carbon-based guidance" by Byron.

next moment.

Boom——! ! !
A tragic explosion occurred in the heavily protected ammunition depot located below the waterline.

The dazzling fireball expanded rapidly with the ammunition depot as its center, and the scorching high-temperature shock wave swept wildly in all directions.

The fragile oak hull collapsed instantly like a piece of paper. Both the planks and human bodies were easily torn into pieces and turned into ashes in an instant under the high temperature.

Even the cannons equipped on the ship were swept up by countless fire dragons, and were blown high into the sky and distorted beyond recognition.

"Hiss! The Severe exploded!"

Soon after the war began, Byron gave everyone a tragic start, and even made the Sixth Fleet, which was facing his front, gasp.

Just two shells sent the "Severe" into the sky, it was so terrifying.

They had originally thought that their survival rate would be slightly higher after avoiding Edward IV's main fleet, but now it seems that the Seventh Fleet that returned from the colonies is even more brutal.

But no matter how scared you are, you can only charge forward at this time.

The flagship of the Sixth Fleet, a level 4 rare warship [Northern Snow Wind], which was responsible for the final support, was lined up side by side with the leading [Golden Deer].

The captain swallowed dryly and encouraged his crew:
"Don't be afraid! The [Northern Snow Wind] is the most famous auspicious warship among all the warships of the Strait Fleet. It is an existence blessed by the Creator.

Even Raymond, the unlucky guy on the other side who always kills his teammates, is not worthy of being compared with us.

Don't worry, it's others who will die, we [Northern Snow Wind] will survive to the end!"

Byron was fully aware of all the situations of the battleships under his kingdom. He even took the order from his father, the former naval marshal, and personally drove every battleship of level three and above in the Channel Fleet.

As his uncle handed over the crown intact to him, Byron also became the "owner" of most of the warships in the Channel Fleet.

Unfortunately, these were all "lost items" that were stolen, not his "investments", so he couldn't use the ability of [First Stock].

Of course, he also had a very fresh memory of the famous "Kitadi Yukikaze", and even thought of asking his father to give it to him as his flagship.

The reason is simple: this ship is so durable!

“The Kitachi Yukikaze was built more than 30 years ago and is truly an old ship.

However, after experiencing the Hundred Years' War, the War of the Red and White Roses, and the fierce battle between the two parties, it became the only surviving ship among the eight "Northland-class" battleships of the same period.

What is even more bizarre is that in every brutal war, the [Kitadi Yukikaze] participated in countless escort missions, and was responsible for serving as a close escort for third- and second-level battleships and even first-level ships.

Most of the escort missions ended in failure. The escorted battleships were beaten into sieves, but the navy itself was as unscathed as if it was on a spring outing.

That "Legendary Rival" Raymond can only kill his colleagues at most, but this battleship always kills friendly ships that are bigger and more expensive than itself!"

It was clearly assigned to be a bodyguard with a sword, but once it encountered danger, it immediately protected the boss in front of it, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and fought its way out of the encirclement.

At the beginning, it was just a series of coincidences, with no mysterious force involved.

But over time, the reputation of this battleship gradually spread, and even became a consensus among the navy and hostile countries. The [Kitadi Yukikaze] finally gained true extraordinary capabilities.

Unique ability "If your friend's ship dies, your own ship will not die":
“He can slightly interfere with fate, spreading the aura of disaster that gathers on him to friendly ships, especially those that are larger than him.

In other words, when shells come, it will thoughtfully help them re-plan their trajectories and show them a signpost: 'Hit the biggest ones! '

Then the larger sailboat nearby will take the hit instead."

Extraordinary abilities are always more reassuring than an illusory fate. After figuring out the principle, it was kicked into the security fleet that only had cruisers but no battleships.

No ship was bigger than this, so naturally there wouldn't be more victims.

During naval battles, you can also place a few inexpensive large merchant ships next to it to attract firepower for it, instantly increasing its survival rate.

Who can not love such an auspicious warship?

Byron is no exception.

"In order to maintain my image as a 'loyal minister', I had to join the main attack from the beginning. I was just trying to find a way to let Edward IV and Warwick fight each other until they were bloodied.

The [Northern Snow Wind] arrived at the right time."

The specific capabilities of the strange warship are military secrets to outsiders, and "Earl Byron Tudor of Stromgarde" should not know them.

As a result, his shells were unsurprisingly affected by the enemy ship's extraordinary abilities. After using "United We Stand" to protect his own fleet, he openly became a salary thief.

He focused most of his attention on the core battlefields of the Second Fleet and the Third Fleet.

Quietly waiting for the balance to tip, allowing this key minority to become the decisive force in the turning point of the war.

Then the fleet commander [Star Shooter] Barrett, aboard the Royal Party’s quasi-legendary battleship [Centaur], shouted:
"Constellations summoned! The entire fleet is enhanced in accuracy, the artillery range is increased, and the strike is penetrating! Fire!"

A bright starlight descended from the sky shrouded in gunpowder smoke and transformed into a centaur emblem above the entire Third Fleet, giving all dozens of warships a layer of silver edge.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
The battle line launched the first round of salvos from three hundred meters away, and countless shells fell on the heads of the Second Fleet with extreme accuracy.

Most quasi-legendary battleships have one or more capabilities that are close to the level of legendary battleships, and their impact range and strength can at least benefit the entire fleet.

However, because the [Ship Spirit] has not been born, it is like humans having a good physique but not learning the "flow mind" to perfectly control themselves and unleash 100% of their potential.

If they encounter a truly legendary battleship, they will be easily defeated.

As the name suggests, the capabilities of this ship, the Centaur, are related to Centaur.

The Centaurs of the Mythological Age are the best archers and can greatly improve the shooting ability of the fleet.

Like the world-famous Hastings archers, the Hastings people have a racial bonus in the ranged attack track.

The other quasi-legendary battleship on the opposite side, the Royal Oak, is no worse.

Like the [Golden Deer] and [Dreadnought], its name itself carries a powerful supernatural power.

As long as an oak warship is given this name, it will immediately possess the corresponding quasi-legendary skills.

[Kingmaker] Warwick threw an acorn and shouted:
"Oak Blessing!"

The acorn instantly disintegrated, and from it grew an illusory oak tree a hundred meters high, which also produced countless acorns, which fell onto the warships of the side, and then grew more oak trees, producing more acorns.
In the blink of an eye, a battle line of oak warships turned into an oak forest belt, and all the warships became connected "roots".

The originally ordinary oak material suddenly became extremely tough, and the shells that could easily penetrate the bulwarks were partially bounced off and partially stuck inside the bulwarks.

Only the 42-pound main gun of the first-class ship could still penetrate the oak planks, but its power was greatly reduced.

The Royalist Third Fleet had to move closer to bring itself within the enemy's firing range.

In the Channel Islands, the oak tree has a special meaning. It symbolizes strength and tenacity. It is the national tree of Hattings and represents the country's indomitable spirit.

After activating the Blessing of the Oak, a series of related buff effects can naturally be provided to the fleet: Oak Guardian, Bowtruckle, Healing Aura, etc.

It is particularly worth mentioning that the three main islands in Byron's "Crown of Power" are represented by roses, thistles and clover respectively.

Legend has it that on Clover Island, the second largest island in terms of area, there existed an ancient extreme environmental protection organization called the Druids in mythological times.

The mythical creature Druid is also called Oak Sage and masters a variety of natural witchcraft.

He was a notorious troublemaker when the great red dragon Abaddon ruled here.

As a group of extreme environmentalists, they even want to ban everyone from using fire and force all intelligent creatures to return to the most primitive Paleolithic Age.

If these "Oak Sages" still lived on this land, they would certainly not like Byron's "Industrial Revolution" and would not allow him to replicate the colonial industrial center on the Channel Islands.

Fortunately, they have disappeared, right?
"Warwick!"

"Edward!"

On the Royal Oak and the Centaur, which were a hundred meters apart, Edward IV and Warwick stared at each other. This pair of once close political allies now wished they could tear each other's bones and eat each other's flesh.

However, due to the attack and defense of the quasi-legendary battleship, they were forced into a stalemate, and could only compete to see who had a stronger will and who had a greater ability to withstand casualties.

After they gritted their teeth and fired at each other for nearly ten rounds, they finally found it difficult to hold on any longer after hearing the painful groans of the wounded and even the nobles.

They all revealed their prepared cards at the same time and shouted:
"[Dauntless] help me!"

"King Edward, help me!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Byron and his father did not delay any time and commanded the fleet to land on the battlefield at the same time.

Apart from the heavily-armoured cruiser which was still kept as a trump card to guard against another old fox, the pirate fleet was the first to sail out of the "border maze", and then the ghost fleet also jumped into the material world from the edge of the world.

Then, they ignored each other, and moved in unison, with several squadrons in a "battle line" mode, and directly attacked the opponent's main fleet that had already experienced more than a dozen rounds of bombardment.

Those who know the matter can see at a glance that they are preparing to use the next version of "ship maneuver tactics" to break this version of "linear tactics".

It had been used once when we destroyed the Treasure Fleet, and it worked very well!

At this time, neither Edward IV nor Warwick realized it.

While the two supporting forces were dividing and dismembering the Second and Third Fleets, they also implicitly encircled the two quasi-legendary battleships, the Royal Oak and the Centaur, into the middle encirclement.

After all, in their view, half of the people inside and outside the circle are my people, and the situation is under control. How can it be considered an encirclement?
Wise! [The Emperor's New Clothes] Like them!

(End of this chapter)