The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 981 Sunset in the Coral Sea

March 12, 1886, dusk, Coral Sea.

The setting sun dyed the sea a blood red as two massive fleets sailed toward each other at a speed of 18 knots.

The Royal Navy's Australian fleet was arranged in three columns. The first column, centered around one HMS Orion and four HMS Dreadnoughts, was a powerful force; the second column, centered around four Mighty-class battleships and three Duncan-class battleships, was weaker; and the third column, centered around four Invincible-class battleships, was a fast force. The sixteen battleships and battlecruisers sailed side by side at a speed of 18 knots.

The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Southern Pacific Fleet formed a battleship column with four "Qianlong II" battleships as its core, and four torpedo columns patrolled the perimeter with four "Donghai-class" armored cruisers as its lead ships.

On the bridge of the HMS Orion, Sir William Horatio Key lowered his binoculars, his brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the Taiping Army to launch a preemptive attack—four battleships against sixteen battleships and battlecruisers—it was tantamount to suicide!

"Sir, 18000 yards away," Major General Montagu reported. "The enemy fleet is heading southwest at 18 knots."

Sir Key nodded: “Order the first battleship to turn northwest, and the second battleship to turn southeast, forming a crossfire.” He drew two arcs on the nautical chart with his finger, “Have Vice Admiral Fisher’s fast formation cover the flanks to prevent a surprise attack by the enemy torpedo formation.”

The orders were swiftly relayed through flag signals and light signals. The massive British fleet began to change formation, like an eagle spreading its wings, ready to tear its prey apart.

At the same time, on the bridge of the Tianjing, Luo Xinhua was also observing the enemy situation. Through his observations and the telegrams sent back by the Honghu airship, he had grasped the movements of the British fleet.

"The British are trying to outflank us," Deng Shichang whispered. "Admiral, should we send four lightning strike squadrons to launch the first lightning strike?"

Luo Xinhua shook his head: "No rush. Let the torpedo squadron launch an attack after the British capital ships are all damaged." He turned to the communications officer, "Order all ships to aim their main guns at the enemy flagship 'Orion,' and prepare their secondary guns to intercept torpedoes."

The atmosphere on the sea grew increasingly tense. The distance between the two fleets had closed to 15000 yards, within main gun range. The British fleet opened fire first—the Orion's five twin-mounted 13.5-inch main guns spewed huge fireballs, shells whistling towards the Tianjing.

"Form a shelling plan!" Luo Xinhua roared. "Concentrate fire on Ship A2!"

According to the naming rules commonly used by the Taiping Navy for enemy target ships, the three British squadrons were named "A", "B", and "C" respectively. The "A No. 5 ship" was the second battleship in the "A Squadron", namely the "Orion" with a standard displacement of 22000 tons and five twin 13.5-inch main guns.

This ship was undoubtedly the ace among all British battleships and battlecruisers. If they could deliver a few hard blows to it, the Pacific Navy's chances of winning would be much greater.

As the two formations were still far apart, all 10 13.5-inch shells fired by the British, unsurprisingly, missed their mark, creating 10 huge columns of water three to four hundred meters behind the stern of the "Tianjing".

Immediately afterwards, the four "Dreadnought" class ships opened fire in turn. However, only one of them aimed all eight of its 12-inch main guns at the "Tianjing". The other three ships aimed their main guns at the "Beijing", "Jintian", and "Yongan", three "Qianlong II" ships with a standard displacement of 2.15 tons. They were all off target.

Luo Xinhua put down his binoculars and smiled at Deng Shichang beside him, saying, "It seems the British haven't made much progress in artillery."

邓世昌则眉头轻皱：“根据情报，英国人的13.5英寸舰炮在5000米距离上针对均质钢的穿深可达403毫米！而我们的主装只相当于393毫米的均质钢。而且，‘猎户座’号的航速比我们的‘潜龙二’快2节.”

"I understand!" Luo Xinhua nodded emphatically. "That's why we're focusing our fire on that 'Orion' missile." He asked loudly, "Do we have a bombardment plan?"

"Reporting to the Admiral, the bombardment plan for the 'Tianjing' has been completed!" The captain, who was in the command tower of the Tianjing with Luo Xinhua, put down the megaphone in his hand and reported loudly.

"Good!" Luo Xinhua roared, "Tell the fire control room to give them a good beating!"

At Luo Xinhua's command, the four "Qianlong II" ships opened fire almost simultaneously, their 32 305mm main guns roaring as shells pierced the sky and headed straight for "Orion".

"We're under concentrated fire!" the British lookout shouted.

Sir Keith rushed to the observation window and looked out, only to see columns of water rising one after another around his flagship. Although it wasn't quite a pincer or strafing shot, the accuracy was far better than his own!
“该死的”基爵士一边骂一边在心里盘算“猎户座”号的防御能力——305mm的哈维钢等效360毫米的均制钢，在5000米距离上硬扛对方的305毫米穿甲弹理论上是可行的。但是“猎户座”号的炮塔、司令塔和甲板装甲可没那么厚真要让4条“潜龙二”在5000米距离上集火还是非常危险的！
"Maintain a distance of over 6000 meters!" Sir Keith had been calculating for a while and had just given the order to maintain distance when a cry of alarm came through the loudspeaker from the observation post: "Artillery fire! The enemy's second volley!"

"How could it be so fast?" Sir Keith was speechless. Could it be that the artillery corps of the Pacific Navy really had some kind of "mathematical enhancement magic"? Just by chanting a spell, the ballistics calculation equations were produced?
"Clamp fork."

Before Sir Keith could figure it out, the enemy had already launched their first flank! At that moment, the shells fired by Orion and Dreadnought were still far from the Tianjing!
Two minutes later, the first cross-shot arrived as expected! And it even came with a near miss!

A 305mm shell landed 20 meters to the starboard side of the Orion, and the shockwave from the explosion shattered several armor plates, causing seawater to rush in.

Sir Keith stumbled and had to grab the porthole to avoid falling.

Montagu, who was standing nearby, quickly stepped forward to help Sir Keith up. "Sir, should we turn and rush out of the crossfire zone?"

Since the opponent has launched a cross-shot, it's only a matter of time before it hits. But if it turns and accelerates out of the cross-shot zone, then Orion's previous rounds of correction shots will have been in vain, and it will have to start all over again.

Just as Sir Keith was hesitating, the lookout shouted again: "We've launched a crossfire!"

I got stuck in my forks. That was really tough!
"Maintain course. Return fire!" Sir Keith gritted his teeth. "Aim at the enemy flagship and give it a good thrashing!"

Before he could finish speaking, the lookout cried out again, "Cannon fire!"

The Taiping Navy's four "Qianlong II" class submarines have begun firing!
On the sea, gunfire crisscrossed into a fiery net. The 305mm main guns of the four "Qianlong II" battleships of the Taiping Navy continued to roar, and shells rained down on the British flagship "Orion".

"Hit!" The observer shouted excitedly in the fire control room of the Tianjing.

A 305mm armor-piercing round slammed into the Orion's main armor belt, exploding into a blazing fireball. However, the thick Harvey steel armor withstood the blow, leaving only a grotesque dent on its surface.

"Continue firing!" Luo Xinhua coldly ordered, "Aim at the bridge and turrets!"

The Orion's counterattack was equally fierce. All five twin-mounted 13.5-inch main guns fired simultaneously, shells whistling across the sea and exploding into towering columns of water around the Tianjing.

"Strafe!" the British lookout shouted excitedly.

Sir Keith's tense nerves relaxed slightly—finally, they hit a cross-shot, which means the next round is likely to be a direct hit!

However, the Taiping Navy's gunnery crew always seemed to be one step ahead. "Second hit!" the observer on the Tianjing reported again.

Another 305mm shell accurately hit the starboard armor belt of the Orion. The shockwave from the explosion caused the ship to shake violently, and seawater seeped in through the seams of the armor. The damage control team frantically worked to repair it.

"Damn it!" Sir Kee gritted his teeth. "Maintain course and continue the counterattack!"

"The gunfire is coming again."

Before the observation post's shout had even faded, the Orion was hit by two more shots. One hit the bow, creating a large hole, while the other blew away a 6-inch secondary gun.

Meanwhile, the British battleships also began to achieve results. The Beijing had its superstructure penetrated by a 12-inch shell, causing a small fire; the Jintian withstood two 12-inch shells, only suffering minor dents.

While the two sides' main warships were engaged in fierce combat, the British Second Battle Column—four Majestic-class and three Duncan-class ships—had quietly completed its outflanking maneuver and approached the Taiping Fleet from the southeast.

"Admiral!" Deng Shichang pointed to the nautical chart, "The British second column is already within firing range!"

Luo Xinhua frowned slightly, but quickly calmed down: "Order the First Torpedo Column to be on alert and not let them get too close to the ships of the First Column. Continue to concentrate fire on the Second A!"

Minutes later, the 10-inch main guns of the four British Majestic-class battleships began to fire, shells raining down on the four Submariner IIs like hail. However, at a distance of seven or eight kilometers, these shells posed almost no threat to the Submariner IIs' thick armor, leaving only charred bullet marks on the hulls.

"Their armor is too thick!" Several captains of the Majestic-class and Duncan-class ships shook their heads helplessly.

However, none of them dared to get too close to the "Qianlong II"—the Majestic-class and Duncan-class were both "thin-skinned battleships" that overemphasized speed. If they got too close to the "Qianlong II" and were hit hard by its 305mm guns, wouldn't they be finished? Besides, there was also a torpedo squadron following behind the four Qianlong IIs sneakily, just waiting to fire torpedoes!
On the other side of the battlefield, the British ship HMS Orion, despite its strong armor, suffered severe flooding in its bow after a dozen or so rounds of shelling, reducing its speed from 18 knots to 16 knots.

"Sir, our speed has decreased!" Montagu said anxiously.

Sir Keith's face was grim: "Continue the fight! As long as the main cannon can still fire, we cannot retreat!"

Just then, a booming sound came from the sky, growing louder as it approached.

"Airplanes! The Taiping Army's planes are here again!" the lookout shouted in terror.

Luo Xinbei led 15 "Flying Swallow" aircraft back to the battlefield. This time, their target was clear—the Orion's smokestack and engine room!

"Dive!" Luo Xinbei pushed the control stick hard, and the plane swooped down like a falcon.

The British fleet's secondary guns opened fire wildly, but the Flying Swallows nimbly weaved through the barrage.

"bomb!"

One after another, 25-kilogram bombs whistled down, raining down on the Orion's deck. One of them, without missing a beat, smashed directly into the Orion's smokestack!
boom--!
A violent explosion came from inside the ship, completely destroying one engine room, and black smoke billowed from the funnel.

"Engine room damaged! Speed ​​reduced to 12 knots!" the British damage control team reported desperately.

Sir Keith's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"Orion has slowed down!" the observer on the Tianjing shouted excitedly.

Thick smoke billowed from the Orion's engine room, rising into the twilight sky. Sir Keith stood on the bridge, his face ashen, his fingers gripping the handrails tightly. The speed had dropped to 12 knots, and the entire warship, like a lame giant, left a crooked trail on the sea.

"Sir, we must retreat!" Major General Montagu's voice was filled with barely concealed anxiety. "The engine room is severely damaged; if this continues..."

"Retreat?" Sir Keith turned abruptly, his eyes burning with unwilling fury. "No! Order the Orion to turn 30 degrees to the right and charge at full speed toward Alpha 1!" He pointed to the giant ship flying the dragon flag in the distance, his voice hoarse, "Even if we sink, we'll take their flagship down with us!"

The messenger stumbled off to deliver the order. The Orion, trailing thick smoke, led four Dreadnought-class ships in its charge, its five main gun turrets simultaneously turning towards the Tianjing, the muzzles slowly rising in preparation for a final stand.

On the bridge of the Tianjing, Deng Shichang slammed his fist on the chart table: "Admiral, the British have gone mad! That Orion is approaching our ship with four Dreadnoughts!"

Luo Xinhua sneered and grabbed the megaphone: "Attention all fleet members, execute 'Dragon's Roar' contingency plan! First, second, third, and fourth torpedo strike columns, launch immediate attack, target enemy A-class formation!"

The moment the order was given, the four torpedo boat squadrons of the Taiping Navy sprang into action like swords drawn from their sheaths. The lead ship "Donghai" with six county-level destroyers cut in from the northwest, while the "Nanhai" with four cruisers and eight torpedo boats flanked from the southwest. The third and fourth columns, led by the "Xihai" and "Beihai," held off the British fast formations on both flanks. Engines roared across the sea, and dozens of ships streaked across the water, leaving white trails as they pounced on their prey like a pack of wolves.

On HMS Invincible, the flagship of the British fast column, Vice Admiral Fisher's forehead was beaded with cold sweat. His four battlecruisers were supposed to intercept the torpedo fleet, but reality was cruelly despairing. HMS Invincible had been hit by bombs and was now only able to maintain a speed of 21 knots; HMS Undefeated was taking on water on its starboard side and could barely keep up at 20 knots. The two warships, like lame hunting dogs, could no longer catch up with the agile Taiping destroyers.

Although the other two Invincible-class destroyers could lead their respective squadrons to intercept the enemy's torpedo columns, the two Invincible-class destroyers were no match for the enemy's four columns.
"Lieutenant General! The enemy torpedo fleet has broken through the interception line!" The staff officer's voice was filled with fear.

Fisher watched helplessly as the Taiping Army's light cruisers, destroyers, and torpedo boats, under the cover of a 14200-ton armored cruiser, passed through the blind spots of the "Invincible's" guns. Just as he was about to turn his guns around, the "Donghai's" 240mm main guns suddenly fired in unison, the shells creating a wall of water around the "Invincible," forcing the giant ship to turn and evade.

At 18:47, the first wave of torpedo attacks commenced. The "Donghai" launched six 533mm torpedoes at a range of 3500 meters, while its "Jinshan"-class cruisers, "Xian"-class destroyers, and torpedo boats braved the hail of bullets to advance to within 3000 meters, releasing more than 80 torpedoes. The sea surface was instantly filled with white trails of death, like a net woven by the Grim Reaper.

The lookout on the Orion practically shouted himself hoarse: "45 degrees to port, torpedo swarm! More than 50!"

"Damn Fisher!!" Sir Keith's roar echoed across the bridge: "Hard to port! All secondary guns, fire at will!"

But it was too late. As the Orion clumsily turned, three muffled explosions rang out on its starboard side. The first torpedo tore through the bow anti-torpedo strip, and seawater rushed into the forward ammunition magazine; the second struck the bulkhead of the engine room, completely paralyzing the propulsion system; the third shattered the starboard rudder, and the giant ship began to spin helplessly on the sea.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Luo Xinhua personally led four Qianlong II-class battleships to press forward. At a distance of less than 4000 meters, thirty-two 305mm main guns unleashed a massacre. The Tianjing hit the Orion's bridge with a salvo, and the fireball from the explosion instantly engulfed the entire conning tower; the Beijing concentrated its bombardment on the turrets, detonating the ammunition magazine in turret B, and the earth-shattering explosion blew half of the turret into the air.

As the sun dipped completely below the horizon at 18:55 PM, the Orion was listing at a 25-degree angle, and sailors were fleeing across the deck. Sir Key was forcibly pulled onto a lifeboat by his staff. Looking back, he saw his proud flagship slowly sinking amidst a series of explosions, the orange glow of the flames illuminating the entire sea.
(End of this chapter)