When the first rays of dawn broke, the sound of cannons roaring shattered the tranquility of the sea.
The first to open fire was the spice ship, the Happiness. When they saw the Jackdaw raise its black flag, their last glimmer of hope was dashed.
In order to ensure the safety of the cargo, the Bliss had chosen a relatively unpopular route. They had also done a good job of keeping the route a secret. After leaving the port for more than a month, nothing had happened. Just as they were about to pass through the dangerous area where pirates roamed the most, they did not expect to fail at the final step.
When the sun rose, they could finally see the Jackdaw. Even though they were mentally prepared, when they confirmed that it was a warship, a look of despair appeared on their faces.
The tragedy that happened in Charleston two months ago had spread throughout the colonies. Two governors-general and a high-ranking naval officer died on the same night. At the same time, Charleston was heavily bombarded. It was probably the worst loss the empire had ever suffered in the New World. Other than that, there were also rumors that the navy lost a frigate that night. However, compared to what happened before, not many people paid attention to it.
Now that they saw the Jackdaw in front of them, everyone on the Happiness could not help but think of that rumor.
The only thing worse than encountering a group of pirates was encountering a group of pirates in a warship.
However, none of the men who could survive in this sea region were cowards. Even though they knew that their side was at an absolute disadvantage in terms of firepower, none of them were willing to bow their heads and admit defeat just like that.
What's more, the cargo on the ship was worth more than enough for them to risk their lives for it. Without hesitation, the twelve cannons on the Happiness fired at the approaching Jackdaw.
In the end, most of the cannonballs missed. Only one grazed the side of the ship. "Captain, should we return fire?" a rookie cannoneer asked the figure in black.
"Let's wait a little longer." Zhang Heng looked at the Happiness and shook his head.
The Jackdaw had just entered the enemy's firing range. In theory, they could fire back, but the chances of hitting the target would be low. If they were too far away, the cannonballs would not be as effective. With the firepower of the Jackdaw, as long as they were close enough, they would be able to knock out the target in one round. This would avoid a long, drawn-out battle.
Of course, they would have to endure a few waves of attacks. However, with the sturdiness of the Jackdaw, it was not a big deal.
Soon, the Happiness's second wave of attacks arrived. With the previous test shots, the cannonballs were much more accurate this time. It was obvious that the enemy cannoneers were very experienced. Three of the cannonballs hit the side of the ship, and one hit the sail. Fortunately, they were fine, and the pirates breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the third wave of attacks was not so easy to deal with. By now, the Jackdaw was not far from the Happiness. They could even see the enemy's silhouette. The cannonballs that fell from the sky created a few holes on the deck. Another one landed on a part of the ship that was not protected by the metal plates. Seawater immediately flooded into the bottom of the ship. When the carpenters on the ship saw this, they immediately picked up their tools and rushed down to repair the damage.
At this time, the number of requests to fire increased. Even Billy could not help but look at Zhang Heng. However, the latter did not say a word.
Although Zhang Heng had participated in many battles on the Sea Lion, this was the first time he personally led a naval battle. It was different from before. At that time, all he had to do was protect himself, wait for an opportunity to eliminate the threats around him, and if he had the strength to spare, he could save some of his companions in danger. That was more than enough to complete his mission.
Other than having to pay attention to the situation on the battlefield when he snatched the Scarborough, most of the time, his eyes were focused on something not too far away from him. This was similar to how he operated during the Soviet-Finnish war. However, this time, he was commanding an entire ship. The only thing he needed to think about was how to win the battle with the least amount of damage.
The Jackdaw's firepower was undoubtedly far superior to the Happiness's. However, the cannoneers' skills were the exact opposite. This was more obvious when they were firing from a distance. However, as the distance between them shortened, the difference in accuracy between the two sides would decrease. After all, as long as they were close enough, even a newbie would have a hard time missing their target.
That was why Zhang Heng chose to brave the gunfire and rush to the front of the Happiness. However, when the fourth wave of attacks landed, the pirates on the deck started to get injured. Zhang Heng himself was grazed by a flying piece of wood, but his face remained impassive. He continued to observe the Happiness with his binoculars. When he saw the cannoneers reloading the cannons and preparing for the next salvo, Zhang Heng finally issued a new order.
"Lower the sails and decelerate. Full right rudder."
The pirates had been waiting for this order for a long time. As soon as they heard it, they retracted their sails as fast as they could. The Jackdaw managed to evade the next round of attacks by decelerating. At the same time, the Jackdaw began to sway until it was parallel to the Happiness.
Although sailboats in this era were equipped with bow and stern cannons, they were mostly used in emergencies. The main firepower of a sailboat relied on its broadside cannons. That was why Zhang Heng had to make sure the Jackdaw was close enough to fire at its target before launching an attack. That was also why Zhang Heng wanted the Jackdaw to get close enough to fire at its target.
Once the battle started, it would be extremely difficult to adjust the distance between the two ships.
The pirates had been bombarded by the Happiness's cannons earlier, and they were furious. When Zhang Heng gave the order, the cannoneers immediately retaliated with their fiercest attacks. All the cannons on the ship opened fire at the same time. Although nearly half of the cannonballs fell into the water, the rest of them caused considerable damage to the Happiness.
One of the 24-pound cannons managed to hit the Happiness's auxiliary mast, breaking it in half and crushing two sailors to death. The sails on the Happiness also covered three cannons.
After witnessing the might of the Jackdaw's cannons, the sailors on the Happiness were in a state of panic. Although some of them tried their best to return fire, they were quickly overwhelmed by the barrage of cannonballs. If Zhang Heng hadn't specifically instructed the cannoneers to aim higher, the Happiness would have been severely damaged by the second volley of cannonballs.
The battle went as expected. After two rounds of cannons, the Happiness realized that they would only suffer more casualties if they continued to fight. Although they were unwilling to give up, they had no choice but to surrender.
Zhang Heng wasn't as excited as the others on the Happiness. He knew that the most dangerous moment was about to come. According to Carina, there were 30 sailors on the Happiness. What was even more troublesome was that there was a group of naval cadets who wanted to hitch a ride with the Happiness. There were about 20 of them, and they were all strong young men.
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