North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 211 Surrender or Sink
“What Fuck…!!!”

Vice Admiral Alonso, who commanded the main fleet of the New Grenada Republic Navy, looked on with utter despair at the countless shells that were raining down on him!
"Boom, boom, boom, boom...!"

Under his horrified gaze, hundreds of 100mm, 155mm, and 203mm high-explosive shells exploded near the flagship named after Bogotá, the capital of the New Grenada Republic!
"Boom, boom, boom...!"

Hundreds of huge water columns shot into the sky from the sea near the "Bogotá" ship!

The sea was churning and surging like a boiling pot!
The sailing frigate "Bogotá" was also hit directly by seven high-explosive shells.

"Boom, boom, boom...!"

In the blink of an eye, the sailing frigate "Bogota" was riddled with holes.

Wood chips and debris flew everywhere on the ship, and the huge explosive force leveled the deck of the "Bogotá"!
Even more terrifying were the high-explosive shells that hit the ship's hull directly, creating several huge bullet holes in the hull of the "Bogotá".

"Boom, boom, boom...!"

The 1,600-ton sailing frigate shuddered violently as it was blasted down by a barrage of shells.

Then, the "Bogota" was tossed high into the air by the surging waves...!
More near misses occurred around the Bogota, and the powerful shockwaves caused tons of damage to the sailing frigate.

"Click, click...!"

The hull of the "Bogotá" was rapidly torn apart. Surging seawater rushed in through the ever-widening cracks.

Before the stunned eyes of thousands of people in the New Grenada Navy, the battered and wrecked flagship "Bogotá" slowly sank to the bottomless depths of the Pacific Ocean as it was battered by the surging waves...!
"What the fuck...!"

"Firing at a distance of over seven thousand yards, how... how is that possible...!"

"What kind of naval guns are they equipped with? How...how could their range be so far...?"

"How could their naval guns be so powerful...!"

"A single salvo, just one salvo, sank our flagship... This... This is absolutely impossible...!"

Under the watchful eyes of the New Grenada Navy, their flagship, the "Bogotá," gradually disappeared into the sea.

Along with the Bogotá, Vice Admiral Alonso, commander of the Pacific Fleet of the Republic of New Grenada, and almost all of the fleet's staff also sank...!
The new Grenada Pacific Fleet, having lost its commander, fell into a brief state of shock and stagnation!
"Boom boom boom boom...!"

"Boom boom boom boom...!"

……

At that very moment, the California Coast Guard fleet, consisting of one cruiser, six frigates, and six patrol ships, unleashed a deafening roar once again with hundreds of guns of different calibers!

"Boom boom boom boom...!"

“Swish, swish, swish, swish…!”

Hundreds of whistling shells once again hurtled towards the New Grenada Pacific Fleet on the opposite side.

"Boom, boom, boom...!"

The deafening roar of exploding shells jolted the New Grenada Navy back to its senses.

The second round of shelling was aimed at the "Panama," the largest frigate in the New Grenada Pacific Fleet.

Like the "Bogotá", the "Panama" sailing frigate, with a displacement of nearly two thousand tons, was also unable to withstand a salvo from hundreds of large-caliber naval guns.

"Boom, boom, boom...!"

Under the watchful eyes of thousands of people from both sides, the Panama was directly hit by more than a dozen high-explosive shells.

The powerful explosion cut the Panama ship in half.

Moreover, one of the shells penetrated three decks and hit the Panama's ammunition magazine directly.

"Rumble...!"

After a deafening explosion, the Panama was reduced to countless fragments in the utter shock of everyone present.

The largest sailing frigate in the New Grenada Pacific Fleet, the "Panama," disappeared from everyone's sight at an extremely fast speed!
"No... how could their volley fire be so fast...!"

"Their range is too long...!"

"Their shells are too powerful!!"

"Their rate of fire is just too fast...!"

"This is not a war...this is a one-sided massacre...!"

"By maintaining this formation, we're essentially lining up to be slaughtered...!"

"Charge! Charge forward! Forget about formations!!"

"Charge forward and engage them in close-quarters artillery combat... fight them on the sidelines...!"

"Charge...charge forward...charge!!"

With the remaining fifteen New Grenada Pacific warships out of unified command, all the captains had the same thought in mind.

Charge! Charge forward and engage the enemy ships in close combat, even boarding maneuvers!
Almost simultaneously, the fifteen sailing warships began to turn, pointing their bows at the California Coast Guard fleet.

Fifteen sailing warships, their white sails billowing like clouds, all taking full advantage of the wind, launched a desperate, suicidal charge towards the California Coast Guard fleet seven thousand yards away!
It must be said that the Navy of the Republic of New Grenada is not lacking in courage; in such a one-sided situation, not a single warship chose to retreat!

At that moment, they truly demonstrated the courage, pride, and honor of being in the Navy!

The fifteen sailing warships, ranging from several hundred tons to over a thousand tons, accelerated quite quickly with the wind at their backs. In the blink of an eye, many of the warships reached speeds of over ten knots.

In situations like these, smaller warships can accelerate faster!
A full ten patrol ships, each several hundred tons in size, took the lead and charged ahead of the New Grenada Pacific Fleet!

Behind them were the remaining five sailing frigates.

These fifteen sailing frigates, with unstoppable momentum, formed an arrowhead formation and charged headlong into the California Coast Guard fleet in a suicidal attack.

……

Through his telescope, Vic witnessed the New Grenada fleet charging recklessly towards his side.

"Heh!" Vic sneered, "You think closing the distance will make things work?"

"Pass on my order: all ships, accelerate and maintain a high speed of 25 knots...!"

"Maintain formation, use our high speed advantage to keep our flanks engaged with the enemy...!"

"Order: All ships, fire freely...!"

"Since they are so brave, then send them all to the bottom of the sea... This is the best reward for your courage!"

……

Vic's order was immediately relayed throughout the entire California Coast Guard fleet.

Thirteen high-speed steam warships simultaneously began to accelerate!
Countless enormous chimneys once again spewed out thick black smoke, and the propellers splashed up huge waves, propelling the massive ship to race wildly across the sea.

At the same time, the hundreds of guns on the sides of the ship roared once again.

"Boom boom boom boom...!"

"Boom boom boom boom...!"

All the warships of the California Coast Guard fleet locked onto their prey, their angry cannons spewing uncontrollable flames.

"Boom, boom, boom...!"

The New Grenada Republic Pacific Fleet, which had already charged to within 4,000 yards, was shocked to find that no matter what it did, it could not get any closer to the enemy ship!
At a distance of four thousand yards, they were about to enter the firing range of their own ship's guns...!
But those damned steam warships on the other side started accelerating again...!
Under the utter astonishment of everyone in the New Grenada Republic Navy, the steam warships opposite them were perfectly aligned and reached an incredible speed of over twenty-five knots!
Even with a tailwind, we can only reach ten or so knots. How can we catch up?
Even more terrifying was that the enemy fleet, at such incredible speeds, was able to maintain a basic formation, keeping its hulls facing the enemy and calmly launching wave after wave of bombardment.

"Boom boom boom boom...!"

"Boom, boom, boom...!"

Under wave after wave of heavy artillery bombardment, the Pacific Fleet of the Republic of New Grenada continued to suffer hits on its warships.

Warships were constantly being hit and damaged, especially those sailing warships that were only a few hundred tons in size. They often couldn't withstand two or three shells.

One after another, sailing patrol ships sank to the bottom of the sea!
On the vast sea, there were floating debris and wreckage of warships everywhere, and naval officers and soldiers struggling and calling for help, submerged in the seawater...!
Just over fifteen minutes later, almost all of the New Grenada naval patrol ships were sunk.

Even those ships that were lucky enough not to be sunk had their decks riddled with holes and in a terrible state, some even engulfed in flames!
The remaining five frigates were also in dire straits. These five sailing frigates, each over a thousand tons, were also badly damaged. One of them, the "Columbia," had its superstructure almost completely destroyed, and a raging fire broke out on its deck.

With the fire out of control, the captain of the USS Columbia was forced to order the ship to be abandoned.

The two hundred or so surviving crew members of the Columbia plunged into the unfathomable Pacific Ocean like dumplings being dropped into boiling water.

"Boom...!"

At that very moment, the last patrol ship of the New Grenada Navy finally set fire to its ammunition depot amidst a raging inferno.

After a deafening explosion, the last patrol ship was completely reduced to fragments!

Immediately afterwards, another "BOOM...!" rang out. The Columbia, which had just abandoned ship, was once again struck by a high-explosive shell that pierced through three decks and detonated the ammunition magazine!

"Boom...!"

The Columbia was blown in two from the middle!

The two remaining sections of the ship were blasted high into the air, about twenty or thirty meters high, before crashing heavily into the sea with a loud "bang!"

Along with the dozens of crew members of the Columbia who hadn't yet managed to swim far, they were all sent flying into the air by the powerful shockwave!

"Crash...!"

The two remaining sections of the Columbia hull sank rapidly to the bottom of the sea after being flooded with seawater.

By this time, only four New Grenada Republic frigates remained on the sea!
Even these four surviving frigates are now riddled with holes and in a terrible state!
Most of the masts and sails that the four frigates were so proud of, towering into the sky, had been blown off.

The toppled masts and burning sails not only made these sailing frigates look terrible, but also reduced their speed again and again!
Up until this point, the entire New Grenada Republic Navy had not fired a single shot!
It wasn't that they didn't want to fire, but rather that they simply didn't have the chance to get within range of their own ship's guns!
Whether on frigates or patrol vessels, whether using 32-pound or 24-pound muzzle-loading smoothbore naval guns, none of them had a range exceeding 3,000 yards.

The Pacific Fleet of New Grenada couldn't even get close to them, let alone three thousand yards, or even four thousand yards.

……

"This is a completely one-sided massacre...!"

"The enemy's warships are simply too advanced and too powerful...!"

"This is not a naval battle of equal strength at all, but a complete and utter crushing defeat!"

"Let's retreat...!"

The captain of the surviving sailing frigate "Liberator Bolivar" closed his eyes slowly, overwhelmed with grief, and cupped his face in his hands.

Tears of pain involuntarily streamed down his face from between his fingers!
"Retreat... Continuing to hold out is no longer fighting, it's suicide!"

"retreat……!"

The "Liberator Bolívar," already riddled with holes and with two of its four masts broken, finally realized the situation and began to slowly turn around and retreat.

With the "Liberator Bolívar" leading the way, the remaining four sailing frigates also began to turn around and retreat in all directions.

……

"Trying to run away...?"

Vic ordered in a deep voice, "Follow them, use flags and lights to give them an ultimatum: if they don't surrender, sink them all!"

"Yes, Sir...!"

……

Moments later, the Liberator Bolívar and the other three remaining New Grenada sailing frigates received signals from the California Coast Guard fleet.

"Captain, the enemy has given us a flag signal...!"

"What flag signal...?" The captain of the Bolívar was still immersed in immense grief.

The Republic's Pacific Fleet, which he once took pride in, was largely sunk without firing a single shot in less than an hour of fighting.

My once so familiar colleagues and comrades, those so familiar warships, have sunk to the bottom of the sea forever...!
"Captain, the enemy has given us orders: if we don't surrender, we'll sink the entire fleet...!"

"Surrender... Sink them...!" the captain of the Bolívar groaned in anguish. "Do they really intend to wipe them out...?"

"Captain...!" The navigator, gripping the helm tightly, couldn't help but cry out, "Captain, we can't escape...!"

"They were going too fast... and we lost half of our sails, the hull was badly damaged in several places, and it was taking on a lot of water...!"

"We can only maintain a speed of three to five knots at most... while I estimate the enemy's speed has exceeded twenty-five knots...!"

The captain groaned in agony again: "Ha! Twenty-five knots...! We're like a flock of doves with broken wings under the muzzle of a gun...!"

"Surrender, Captain...!"

The navigator couldn't help but urge, "Continuing like this is completely pointless... We are responsible for the lives of two or three hundred people on board...!"

"Boom...!"

At that moment, not far from the side of the "Liberator Bolívar", another column of water shot into the sky.

The captain knew that this was a final warning from the enemy ship that was hot on their heels.

"Let's...surrender...!"

The captain closed his eyes in anguish, tears streaming down his face once again uncontrollably!

……

Moments later, the four escort ships, led by the "Liberator Bolívar", raised white flags in unison.

Then, the four battered frigates simultaneously lowered their few remaining sails and dropped their anchors.

Fifteen minutes later, several armored patrol ships approached and boarded the four frigates, taking control of them.

Meanwhile, the California Coast Guard began salvage and rescue operations for the sailors who survived the fall into the water.

Only then did this one-sided naval battle slowly come to an end.

……

Meanwhile, in Bogotá, the capital of the New Grenada Republic.

José Ilario López, the president of the new Republic of Grenada elected in 1849, is holding an emergency military meeting inside the presidential palace.

Almost all of the major commanders-in-chief of the New Grenada Republic, including the Minister of War, the Minister of the Navy, and the Minister of the Army, attended this important meeting.

"Minister Carlos...!" President López said in a deep voice, "You come and report on the current progress of the war...!"

"Yes, Mr. President...!"

Minister of War Carlos stood up and walked to the giant map of the New Grenada Republic hanging on the wall.

The Minister of War picked up his baton and pointed to the location of Panama on the map.

"Currently, according to known intelligence, the main force of the American Home Fleet, supported by dozens of transport ships, carrying four divisions, approximately 50,000 troops, is approaching the port of Colón in the Caribbean Sea."

"On the other side, the Earl of Gold Mountain, personally conferred by His Holiness the Pope, has also dispatched the California Coast Guard, with the support of the Pacific Fleet, to transport two brigades and an independent artillery regiment, a force of about 15,000 men, which is approaching Panama City."

Secretary of War Carlos said in a low voice, "At present, the intention of the United States to launch a pincer attack on Panama from the east and west with its army and navy is quite clear!"

"Our Atlantic Fleet and Pacific Fleet have now moved forward to the waters north of Colon and Panama respectively to intercept the two American armies."

Secretary of War Carlos continued, his tone filled with uncertainty, "Given the balance of power between the two sides, our Atlantic Fleet is almost certainly no match for the American Home Fleet."

"Our Atlantic Fleet can only serve to delay and hinder the enemy so that we can complete our military deployment in Panama."

"But our Pacific Fleet is slightly stronger than the United States Pacific Fleet."

"Even if we add the coast guard fleet of that count governor, our Pacific Squadron... well, it still has the advantage over us."

"Based on the joint assessment of our War Department and Navy Department, our Pacific Fleet has at least a 60% chance of winning...!"

(End of this chapter)