Chapter 432

In the vast and boundless azure sea, waves continuously surged and crashed into the rocks, emitting earth-shattering roars and splashing snow-white foam.

The Russian Army's Major General Popov was standing on the plywood, listening to the moving music in high spirits. Over the past few days, he had led the Russian Navy to eliminate many pirates, and his personal wallet was also bulging.

The California government was very generous to this "guardian angel." Not only did all the spoils belong to them, but they also offered a tempting reward.

Killing a pirate was 50 dollars, and capturing a pirate was 500 dollars. Obviously, the California government was still worried that the Russians would kill innocent people, so they adjusted the amount of the reward and encouraged the Russians to capture the pirates alive with a high reward.

The US Navy's Colonel Magill said excitedly, "General, San Clemente Island is just ahead. Three days ago, a group of pirates suddenly occupied the island and seriously threatened our maritime security. Please be sure to destroy these bastards."

Magill hated pirates, and it was not without reason. The number of US warships on the West Coast was limited, and they were gradually exhausted in the fight against the pirates.

The navy could not defeat the pirates, which became a disgrace to the US Navy, and the shame of his military career. Now that the main force of the US Navy was on the East Coast, the federal government did not dare to divide its forces.

The few shipyards on the West Coast could not escape the pirates' attack. At present, it was difficult to repair ships, let alone build warships.

Now they had to pin their hopes on the Russians. Although the Russian Army's fleet led by Popov was a little old, it was still better than the warships used by Magill.

Before the outbreak of the civil war, the US government did not pay attention to armaments at all, and the limited navy was also placed on the East Coast. The West Coast had not yet developed in this era, and there were no foreign threats, so naturally, it was not valued.

On the entire West Coast, the US Navy had less than 20 warships of all sizes. The average age of the warships was more than 10 years, and their combat effectiveness was not worth mentioning.

Of course, the navy was still the navy, and it was always stronger than the pirates. Although these pirates had support behind the scenes, they were not crazy enough to sell warships to the pirates.

At the beginning of the war, they could still suppress the privateers (pirates). However, as the number of battles increased, these warships were gradually consumed in the war, and in the end, they were suppressed by the pirates.

Now, with the help of the Russians, and under the strong request of the California government, the US Navy and the Russians formed a coalition, ready to destroy the pirates entrenched in the Channel Islands.

Rear Admiral Popov looked at Magill with disdain, and then said indifferently, "Don't worry, it's just a group of pirates."

Popov, who was brimming with confidence, did not even know what kind of enemy he was about to face. Step by step, he walked into the gates of hell.

…

A small pirate leader said fawningly, "Major, our men are ready. We're just waiting for the Russians to take the bait."

"Shut up, Will, you fool. Call me Captain now. If your identity is exposed, you'll be court-martialed! "British Major Gurney sternly reprimanded.

This was no joke. If the news of the Royal Navy impersonating pirates got out, it would definitely cause an earthquake.

In short, the big shots at the back would never admit their identity, so they could only take the blame themselves.

If the Russians hadn't come and cut off everyone's source of income, they wouldn't have gone so far.

Using the name of pirates to destroy a Russian fleet was a slap in the face to the Tsarist government, and it would also arouse the suspicion of the outside world.

Most of the pirates on the West Coast were driven over by the Royal Navy from the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, so their combat power was naturally low.

If they had the strength to destroy the Russian fleet, they would have landed and looted San Francisco a long time ago. How could they just rob a passing merchant ship?

Will quickly changed his words and said, "Yes, captain!"

Gurney glared at him and said unhappily, "Send someone to inform the other captains to get ready. They can't miss out on this farce. Without professionals, how can we prove the strength of the Pirate Alliance? "

The "Pirate Alliance" was the scapegoat that the British found for this incident. No one would believe it if the pirates who were in a state of disunity managed to destroy the Russian fleet.

In order not to arouse the suspicion of the outside world, the masterminds behind the scenes introduced the Pirate Alliance. This explanation was much more reasonable. Even though the strength of the pirates was limited, ants could bite an elephant to death.

As long as there was no obvious evidence, even if the Russians guessed that they were plotted against, John Bull could take the blame.

…

Through the binoculars, Major Gurney could see the Russian fleet approaching. Naturally, they were greeted by real pirates. As the Royal Navy version of "pirates" lying in ambush at the back of the island, they naturally could not show themselves in advance.

As long as the battle started, Gurney didn't have to worry about the Russians escaping. After all, the Tsarist government was poor. Ever since the Near East War broke out, the Russian Navy had been stagnant.

Of course, General Menshikov, who came from the Army, deserved a lot of credit.

Ever since he promoted the Army Drill to the Navy, the Russian Navy's land combat ability skyrocketed. Because the Navy's food was better, the young men all had good bodies, and their combat ability even surpassed most of the Russian Army.

In terms of the Navy's land combat ability, probably only Prussia, which directly transformed the Army into a Navy, could match it. Other countries had to send in Marines.

Fortunately, the British were prepared to fight the Russians at sea. If they waited for the Russians to dock, they would understand the Navy's peak land combat ability.

What gave Major Gurney confidence was the speed of the warships. The Tsarist government couldn't bear to replace all warships with steam engines. It required a large investment, and it wasn't economical.

Even the wealthy John Bull had only modified a portion of the warships. Sails were still one of the main sources of power in this era. Usually, people were willing to use cheaper power when they weren't in a hurry.

In order to wipe out the Russians, John Bull naturally sent out a fast ship equipped with a steam engine. At full speed, most of these warships could run at a speed of 14 to 17 knots.

On this breezy day, the Russian Army warships could run at a speed of 10 knots. Even with God's blessing, this was already a gap in the times.

Looking at the panicking pirates, Rear Admiral Popov gave an experienced order, "Attack!"

Looking at the fleeing pirates, Major Admiral Popov felt a sense of accomplishment, as if this was the happiest moment of his life.

Without any hesitation, the Russian-American Joint Fleet chased in the direction of the pirates. Danger was approaching them.

Soon, they came to the corner of the island. The pirate ship sent out a signal, and the "pirates" hiding in the north suddenly came out.

The roar of the cannons instantly stunned Major Admiral Popov. How could the enemy have an ambush?

Before he could figure it out, the Russian-US joint fleet was at an absolute disadvantage on the battlefield. The pirates who had fled in all directions had now joined the battle.

Formations and whatnot didn't exist anymore. When they were pursuing the pirates, the Russian-American Joint Fleet swarmed in. Now, after the sudden attack, it was a mess.

After sensing that something was wrong, the experienced American warships spontaneously started to run. This was the experience they had accumulated over the past few years. If they couldn't win, they should run.

Popov was furious when he saw his comrades running away one after another. They were fighting for the Americans, but when they encountered danger, the Americans ran away without saying a word.

"Retreat!" Popov gritted his teeth and ordered.

If they started to run now, it would be lucky if half of the warships could escape. The cannons were still roaring. The warship "Moscow" was hit five times in a row. Finally, it died and slowly sank.

Without needing Popov's order, the people on the ship spontaneously started to abandon the ship. Everyone squeezed into the lifeboats and slowly left the battlefield with white flags.

…