From Robinson Crusoe

Naval warfare differs from land warfare. Without solid ground to rely on, sailors on board not only have to attack enemy ships, but more importantly, they have to protect the ship beneath their feet.

If their ship is severely damaged, even if they win, it will be a Pyrrhic victory.

The cost of a leaking ship is often the destruction of the vessel and loss of life.

Monidez had close ties with the Royal Portuguese Navy and had learned some tricks for training sailors to fight at sea.

……

By the mid-17th century, after nearly two centuries of sea route opening, veteran captains who frequently traveled the seas and the navies of various European countries had summarized systematic tactics from the early chaotic naval warfare models.

For example, the fleet column formation tactic.

This tactic emphasizes that all warships line up in columns at certain intervals and concentrate their firepower on enemy ships using broadside guns.

This tactic can maximize the firepower of warships, and is especially suitable for dealing with enemies of equal strength. Against pirates with insufficient firepower, it can gain an overwhelming advantage in a short period of time.

In addition to column tactics, the Dutch also took advantage of their ships' high mobility and command capabilities, arranging their ships like a sword to cut off the enemy ships' communication, and then concentrating their forces to encircle and annihilate a small number of enemy ships.

Of course, although artillery played an increasingly important role in naval warfare during this era, traditional and bloody boarding maneuvers still occurred frequently.

When pirates raided for treasure, they had to board the ship and seize control to obtain the treasure. Sinking the ship directly was just a waste of cannonballs, and besides, cannons weren't the pirates' forte.

They would use the high maneuverability and flexibility of their small boats to approach the larger ships, and then use grappling hooks or specially made long ladders to board and engage in hand-to-hand combat.

……

In the age of sailing ships, people, as the soul of the ship, determined the outcome of naval battles.

The skill in maneuvering the sails, the captain's command, the coordination between the helmsman and the sailors, the accuracy of the gunners in firing the cannons, the speed of loading cannonballs, and, when necessary, the rowers' rhythm and endurance.

There are also the ship's supplies, including ammunition and supplies, ship repair materials, and so on.

At this time, the core of naval warfare lay in both firepower configuration and tactical coordination, which was completely different from modern beyond-visual-range warfare.

The captains of the three armed merchant ships sent by Monidez were all veteran sailors with naval combat experience, and their thinking was limited to the traditional naval warfare model.

"Pirates? Everyone's seen them."

Even the most formidable pirates cannot escape the tactic of using high mobility to approach their targets, launching boarding maneuvers under artillery cover, and ultimately achieving victory through numerical superiority and a ferocious fighting style.

Normally loaded with cargo, the already slow speed and maneuverability of the armed merchant ships were further exacerbated, and occasionally, passengers who were not good at fighting were also on board.

The large volume of cargo also reduced the storage space for ammunition, making it difficult for these large ships to compete with the pirates' small boats. It was common for ships to be seized and all sailors and passengers to be captured.

But things are different now. They came specifically to "suppress bandits," so they emptied the cargo from the ship, taking only the necessary supplies and enough cannonballs to fire forty rounds.

Under such firepower, any pirate would be routed and forced to flee in disarray.

None of the three captains questioned whether the voyage would end in a disastrous failure.

As they approached their destination, they felt no fear of impending battle. Instead, they were filled with anticipation about how rich the treasure that Kylian had been robbed of must be, and whether they could profit from it.

……

At this moment, neither the sailors on the ship who were on lookout duty nor the captain standing on the deck realized that their enemy had already observed their movements in advance and activated the powerful hearts of the two "steel sea monsters".

……

Time is life; time is the chip on the scales of victory and defeat.

From the moment the enemy attack was discovered, Sunday entered a state of war.

Through observation, he roughly estimated the speed of the three enemy ships. After a simple comparison, he found that his own warships had an absolute advantage in speed.

According to intelligence obtained from Spanish sailors, their artillery was also far superior to that of the enemy ships.

Then things will be much easier—

Sail directly to the side of the enemy ship, upwind, and fire at it from outside its range. Once the enemy ship is unable to defend itself, decide whether to engage in boarding action.

Sailing ships have the fatal flaw of being dependent on wind direction, while their steamships are not so affected by wind.

When both are facing headwinds, the steamship can make the most of its speed advantage, while the large and bulky sailing ship cannot turn flexibly and cannot catch up with the steamship, so it can only be used as a target and be attacked continuously.

……

The sound of sailors running up and down the deck blended into a dense drumbeat.

The Steelbone had lowered its conspicuous "beggar's sails," leaving only its bare mast standing on the deck.

The steam engine roared, and the propeller spun faster and faster.

The gunners nervously adjusted the cannons, checked the shells, and mentally rehearsed the loading process during training, searching for the feel of firing with maximum accuracy...

Ironheart took the lead, and Steelbone, like two sharp swords released from a bow, cut through the waves and charged toward the three wooden sailing armed merchant ships.

By observing the information provided by their hands, the two ships continuously corrected their course, ensuring that their sides always faced the enemy ship's side.

The ship's cannons were far superior to the enemy's.

In a head-on clash with the enemy, the Steelbone and Ironheart had a significant advantage, and the sailors were not afraid even though the three wooden sailboats were a size larger than them.

While being large means having more artillery, it also means they are larger sitting ducks.

……

Although the three captains were immersed in the joy of impending victory, they did not lose their heads. After all, it would be too early to celebrate before they had obtained the ruby, which was larger than a pigeon's egg.

As experienced captains, they methodically managed the affairs on board.

As they approached the pirate-infested area, the ship's lookout became more alert, diligently observing the distant sea with his monoculars.

A little further ahead, according to the Spanish Navy's anti-piracy tactics, the small scouts responsible for reconnaissance should have been launched ahead of the larger ships to reach the waters ahead and bring back information about the pirates.

As the sailors on board were untying the ropes securing the speedboat, the lookout standing at the top of the mast suddenly cried out in alarm.

"pirate!
It's a pirate ship!

Immediately afterwards, his hand holding the binoculars trembled, and he let go of the binoculars.

The heavy monocular telescope fell from the top of the mast and slammed onto the deck with a dull thud, the brass-cast body denting the wooden deck.

"Damn it, you bastard!"
What are you doing? Aren't you just a pirate?

A sailor was walking under the mast and was nearly hit by the telescope. He was terrified when he saw the crater in the ground and couldn't help but look up and curse.

"My God!"

"These pirates are completely different from the ones we've encountered before!" The lookout at the top of the mast ignored the sailors below and hurriedly climbed down the mast to report what he had observed to the captain.

……

"what?
You mean, there are two sailless boats heading towards us against the wind at about 12 knots?

The captain was incredulous upon receiving the news. If it weren't for the fact that this lookout had followed him for many years without ever making a mistake, he would have instinctively slapped the rambling man.

"That's right!
And their ships didn't seem to be made of wood; they looked like they were made of steel or silver.

The lookout, facing the direction from which the enemy ship was approaching, still wore the look of terror on his face. Since birth, he had seen countless ships of all sizes, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a "monster".

"Give me the telescope!"

Without seeing it with his own eyes, the captain couldn't believe the lookout's account was true, so he hurriedly found a telescope and began to observe for himself.

A layer of gray clouds floated on the azure sea, and under this gloomy sky, two small black dots were expanding at a visible speed.

The captain's eyes widened as the outlines of the two ships gradually became clearer.

He could clearly see the two ships' sword-like shapes, their hulls that occasionally gleamed with silver light, and their spacious and clean decks.

The mast of the ship in front was nowhere to be seen on its deck.

The ship behind them had a mast but no sails, yet in this headwind, they somehow managed to travel faster than the armed merchant ships with their sails fully raised, as if an invisible force was propelling them through the sea.

"Damn it!"
What kind of ship is this?

Having been active at sea for many years, this was the first time the captain had encountered such a thing, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.

But the thought of the ship's brand-new cannons and ample ammunition lessened his unease considerably.

Estimated the speed of the two enemy ships, he immediately ordered all sailors to prepare for battle, while simultaneously using flag signals to alert the other two armed merchant ships—

Be prepared to engage the enemy.

The sailors bustled about the ship, adjusting the sails and rudder, and positioning the cannons so that the three ships formed a "hedgehog" with their broadsides facing the enemy.

Years of life at sea have long since transformed the sailors into excellent warriors.

Even when hastily engaging the enemy, relying on muscle memory, they managed to maneuver the three ships into a column formation in a short time, slowing down to avoid breaking the formation while waiting for the enemy to come within range.

However, no one expected that this time their opponent not only had a unique appearance, but also fought in a way that was completely different from the opponents they had encountered before.

……

The Steelbone and Ironheart carefully estimated the distance and slowed down 1000 meters to the side of the three armed merchant ships.

They resembled two sharks swimming in the sea, baring their fangs as they moved around their prey.

The lookout observed their unusual behavior but couldn't figure out what they were trying to do.

The captain's ominous premonition grew stronger, but the enemy ships were not yet within their firing range, and launching an attack would be a waste of ammunition, so they had no choice but to remain still.

However, the armed merchant ships remained stationary, while the Steelbone and Ironheart were the first to launch an attack.

The long-barreled heavy guns, having already adjusted their firing angles and loaded their shells, roared in unison.

"Oh!"

The powerful recoil from the live-fire caused a roar in the ship's cabin, and then a heavy 30-pound shell was launched.

The sailors on the armed merchant ship closest to the two steel ships heard a thunderous sound and their ship shook violently.

On the side of the ship, a gunner was standing by the cannon, ready to load ammunition, when he was hit by a heavy shell that pierced through the hull.

The sailor beside him felt a hurricane sweep past him, and when he looked at his companion not far away, he found him smashed into a pile of minced meat.

The crimson flesh and scattered bones, mixed with fragments of clothing and mangled lower bodies, were plastered inside the cabin, sending chills down the spines of all the sailors.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment inside the cabin.

Panic then spread across the ship, accompanied by the smell of blood.

Sailors accustomed to suppressing pirates with firepower had never encountered such an opponent. They could accept losses and even death, but they could not accept being bombarded to death without even touching the enemy.

……

"A devil, absolutely a devil!"
These pirates are from hell! We must leave immediately!

With just one salvo, the long-barreled heavy cannons created several huge holes in the sides of the two armed merchant ships. Realizing that the enemy's range was far greater than their own, the captains immediately began to issue new orders to flee with full sails.

But like prey targeted by a hungry shark, once the shark has already torn open the wound and left a trail of blood, it's too late to escape.

Steamships are far more maneuverable than sailing ships. While sailors on sailing ships repeatedly perform various tedious operations and slowly turn their bows, steamships can achieve the same effect simply by turning their rudders.

Time passed second by second, and the distance between the two sides not only did not widen, but instead grew closer and closer.

900m, 800m, 700m...

Just as the two steel ships were about to enter the range of the armed merchant ship, the cautious Sunday reduced its speed and began to attack with mortars that could fire incendiary and explosive shells.

Seeing that the enemy was powerless to fight back, on Sunday the objective of killing the enemy was changed to capturing three ships.

Therefore, he did not use incendiary bombs in the first salvo, but instead used explosive bombs that were less lethal to wooden sailboats.

In previous experiments, the explosive bombs did not perform as well as expected.

The shells did not cause significant damage after exploding in the simulated wooden boat model.

On Sunday, he thought the attack would achieve a similar effect, both intimidating the enemy and reducing casualties, so as to force them to surrender as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, one of the explosive shells fired by the Iron Heart happened to hit a gunpowder barrel in the hold of the armed merchant ship, directly triggering a violent chain of explosions.

The unfortunate merchant ship suffered the least damage in the first round of heavy artillery fire and was the one with the best chance of escaping. However, it was hit by the explosive shell and turned into a firework, exploding "brilliantly" at sea.

After a deafening explosion, a huge plume of black smoke rose from the sea.

The raging fire excitedly licked at the asphalt resin and other flammable materials, spreading rapidly throughout the ship.

Cries, groans, thick smoke, and the remains of sailors filled the entire merchant ship.

Countless holes appeared in the hold, and seawater rushed in far faster than the sailors could bail it out, plunging all the sailors into despair.

When they, having lost their leader, fled from the flames and searched for their captain on the ship, they discovered that the captain had already been killed by enemy fire.

"They're completely finished!" (End of Chapter)