Zhutian: Starting from the Space-Time Merchant

Chapter 649 Wash your neck clean!

The 19th century was a period of rapid development in naval shipbuilding technology.

In less than a century, the mainstay of naval warfare changed from the sailing battleships of the classical era to the short-lived ironclad warships.

From its appearance to its power system and firepower system, everything has undergone drastic changes.

Its combat performance has also made a qualitative leap, profoundly changing the way the navy operates.

Ten years ago, during the Opium War, the British sent fewer than twenty warships to the Far East.

The most powerful were only three third-class battleships, most of which were old men who had fought under Nelson.

These are the most standard sailing warships.

Now, only ten years later, the mainstream of the navy has gradually shifted to iron-hulled paddlewheel warships.

However, the iron-hulled paddlewheel warship was a fleeting phenomenon.

Just last year, both England and France began designing and building a revolutionary new type of warship: the propeller-driven steam battleship!

The new battleships, equipped with steam engines, armored hulls, and rotating turrets, swept all sailing warships into the dustbin of history.

Of course, the British Navy, which operates under the dual-power standard, has a massive fleet of hundreds of thousands of tons and cannot replace all its ships in a short period of time.

The equipment will be gradually replaced based on the importance of each fleet.

Without a doubt, the Far East, with its weak military strength, was placed last.

Lin Daozi saw the English fleet through his telescope; of the twelve ships, eleven were sailing wooden ships, and only one was an iron-hulled paddle steamer.

"White background with a red cross".

"St. George's Flag~"

Lin Dao put down his binoculars and picked up the walkie-talkie. "Attention all ships, aim your guns and fire!"

"In today's battle, we must sink all twelve of these dilapidated ships of the Baiqiang Guifang!"

"One ship escaped, so all of you will have one month's salary confiscated!"

"If you've sailed away from three or more ships, tie your leggings and get ashore to carry a musket!"

Lin Dao didn't distinguish between land and sea; in his eyes, they were all the same.

In practice, those who operate boats do indeed receive higher pay than those who walk on land.

They ate well, dressed well, and even their salary was more than that of those who carried muskets.

Naturally, more people are willing to board the ship.

All the ships got busy.

The first few dozen boats were all converted fishing boats.

The hull steel plates were thickened, a new type of marine engine was installed, the hull structure was reinforced, and most importantly, a large 130 mm diameter pipe was firmly installed at the bow.

It was all thanks to the help of good friends that the modification was done at a specialized shipyard.

Lin Dao believed in their technology and capabilities.

During the previous test launch, the small boat, weighing several hundred tons, was indeed not shaken to pieces.

Lin Dao likes big pipes, but he also knows that he can't only have big pipes.

Stability adjustment system, hydraulic auxiliary system, electronic auxiliary locking system, etc., are all included.

In the modern world, forget about civilian use of these things; how many eyes would be watching them closely?

The English fleet was led by two third-class battleships.

Following behind were two fifth-class cruisers and two sixth-class frigates.

Behind the warship were five troop transport ships.

Finally, there was the iron-hulled paddlewheel gunboat, the Nemesis.

This iron-hulled paddlewheel warship participated in the Opium War ten years ago and was the first iron-hulled paddlewheel gunboat to appear in naval battle in history.

The Englishmen on the two third-class battleships felt no fear when they saw the massive fleet surging towards them from upstream; they even loudly mocked the natives for being reckless.

They turned the sails and laid the boat sideways on the river, revealing its wide and sturdy gunwale.

This is how sailing warships fought, relying on dozens of cannons mounted on both sides of the ship.

But in Lin Dao's opinion, this was simply insane, exposing his ship's hull to the muzzle of a cannon.

Lock on, load, adjust, fire!
The deafening roar of the cannon fire shook the surface of the river.

With the addition of an electronic locking system and an auxiliary stabilization system, it can achieve almost nine out of ten shots within a kilometer.

The 130mm cannon fired a high-explosive shell, tearing through the air with the astonishing sound of a truck crashing through a tunnel, and plunged headlong into the belly of the third-class battleship.

The high-explosive bomb exploded instantly, shattering everything around it.

Looking through Lin Dao's telescope, the third-class battleship looked as if it had been bitten by a giant beast, with a large chunk of flesh missing in the swollen area.

And this is just the beginning.

The violent explosion ignited the gunpowder barrels inside the ship's cabin. In addition, the sailing warship had no watertight doors or partitions below the deck, which was just a large open-air dormitory.

The detonated gunpowder exploded like a string of ten thousand firecrackers during the Lunar New Year, crackling and popping in succession.

'Boom boom boom~'

One shell after another flew in, crashing into the belly of the two sideways third-class battleships.

Explosions, a series of explosions, a dense barrage of explosions.

The sailing warships, made of oak, were highly defensive.

However, under the impact of revolutionary technology, it is essentially no different from plywood.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the two third-class battleships, having taken a heavy hit of cannonballs, had their hulls shattered, their keels broken, and their towering masts collapsed with a sickening 'screech'.

The surging river rushed in and quickly dragged the invaders, who had come from afar, to the bottom of the river.

They come, the security.

Let it sink here.

From being shelled to sinking into the river.

In less than fifteen minutes, the two 'powerful' third-class battleships disappeared on the river.

This unbelievable scene left the English warships following behind completely silent. These were third-class battleships, and two of them at that!

After a series of crackling sounds, it was gone?
At that moment, no one in the fleet, whether officers or soldiers, laughed or talked about the natives anymore.

One white-haired captain even said that the native ships upstream were even more terrifying than the French fleet at Trafalgar more than forty years ago!
Back then, Nelson was there to inspire morale, but now the brigadier general is long gone.

The two fifth-class cruisers following behind almost simultaneously turned their sails, attempting to turn around.

If even battleships couldn't withstand it, they certainly couldn't either.

There's no way to fight back, so we'd better run away quickly.

Unfortunately, the forest path had closed the distance and there were no more obstructions.

The cannons roared again. The cruiser was far inferior to the third-class battleship and was easily destroyed by the shells.

It burned and sank at the same time.

Desperate, the British launched a counterattack, but the sparse shells landed far away on the bow of the ship on the forest road side.

We'll bombard them from outside our range, letting these pirates who rely on their technological superiority to wreak havoc across the world truly taste what despair is.

The two sixth-class frigates that had already turned around were quickly caught up and destroyed.

Knowing they couldn't escape, the troop transport ships decisively chose to beach themselves.

The people on the boat scrambled to escape, disembarking like ants.

Lin Dao instructed the fleet to pursue the iron-hulled paddle steamer and not to attack the troop transport ship that had run aground.

He wasn't after a few dilapidated wooden boats; he wanted to capture prisoners.

What excellent teaching materials! They allow soldiers to get up close and personal with these monsters beforehand.

If we meet again in the future, I'll feel much more at ease fighting back.

The iron hull of the paddlewheel gunboat did not serve any purpose.

In the face of large-caliber shells, there is little difference between an iron shell and oak.

The paddle wheels on the ship's side were all blown away by cannonballs!

The battle on the river went very smoothly; the British fleet sent from Hong Kong Island, including the cannon-loading ships, were all blasted into the riverbed.

However, things are a bit more complicated on land.

When they turned back, Lin Dao learned through the walkie-talkie that the foreign devils who had stormed the beach refused to surrender and were even firing their guns in formation.

Faced with this situation, Lin Dao did not hesitate.

"fire!"

After a fierce shelling, on the smoke-filled riverbank, someone raised a white flag with a tree branch and waved it.

"They won't learn unless they're beaten, that's the sword!"

After getting off the forest road, the first thing to do is ask where we are.

"Chief, this is Changshu in Suzhou Prefecture. Meili and Xupu Town are not far ahead."

"Oh." After confirming the location, Lin Dao looked at the disarmed Englishmen on the distant shore. "Let's go and take a look at these Bai Qiang Gui Fang."

Not all of them were white; there were also many who were dark-skinned, and some who had cloth wrapped around their heads.

"Your Excellency, General~"

The highest-ranking officer among the prisoners, a colonel, was brought before Lin Dao to negotiate: "We admit defeat and surrender to you."

"I hope to get the chance to redeem myself."

"Are you the regimental commander?" Lin Dao raised an eyebrow. "Which regiment are you from?"

There was no interpreter; the ship's interpreter had been blown up.

The colonel was surprised to find that among the natives, there were people who could speak such fluent English.

"Colonel John Campbell, 49th Heights Infantry Regiment, salutes you."

"Oh?" Lin Dao's expression remained unchanged. "The Duke Argyll's family?"

The colonel was genuinely surprised.

How could a native from the far East know his glorious family lineage just by hearing his surname?!

"You are truly learned," Colonel John said, bowing deeply. "Wise!"

"You people only bow and scrape and act like gentlemen when you're facing the strong," Lin Dao sneered. "But when you're facing the weak, you bare your fangs."

"This method won't work for me."

He waved his hand and said, "The usual procedure applies."

The boy soldiers quickly stepped forward and dragged Colonel John Campbell away.

Lin Dao was a man who always valued fairness and impartiality, treating everyone equally.

Regardless of the pro-independence camp, these invaders made the same arrangements.

Officers were not spared, and eleven out of every ten soldiers were executed. Anyone who reported or exposed those who had committed atrocities in the Central Plains was also dealt with.

The rest were kept as exhibits and displayed in various military camps for soldiers to visit.

They would then be sent to the mines to atone for their crimes of aggression.

Interrogation revealed that the British troops included the 49th Regiment, the 37th Madras Infantry Regiment from India, and Gurkha soldiers.

They were ordered to 'punish' Lin Dao.

The order was given by the Governor of Hong Kong, while the proposal was made by the Consul in Shanghai, Ali.

Having learned the whole story, Lin Dao didn't waste any words, and his army headed straight for Shanghai.

They selected a Gurkha soldier and had him deliver the news of the fleet's annihilation to the Kingdom of Ali.

Also sent was a short letter from Lin Dao.

There was only one sentence in the letter.

Wash your neck clean!

(End of this chapter)