Time flew by quickly.
The next day, Pippi the "Thorn-Crowned Sea Snake" caught up with the Storm Horn. Under Elvin's order, it dived into the water to accompany the warship. It would become another unexpected trump card of the Storm Horn.
Of course, it was best not to use it when facing Shilius.
During this period, in the mental network, he also saw the Red Maple rushing north after the mission failed, and the pale Grand Knight Griffith on the ship.
Elvin hesitated again and again. For the sake of his own "survival", he finally chose not to take the risk and fight.
He would never underestimate a peak Grand Knight. Taking advantage of his weakness might not be enough to kill him. Especially since it was Olivia's first time using [Shattered Star], she had no idea about the effect of witchcraft. She could not determine his true injury.
Moreover, they already knew that the Alliance had unknown detection methods.
If Griffith was faking it, and he rushed up in a hurry, he might be given a "Cold" instead.
"I'll let you go for now. When the final battle comes, I'll get back at you with interest. Lieutenant General Elvis should be interested in the life of this peak Grand Knight. I only need to be responsible for backstabbing. "
The two quasi-legendary warships headed north and met up with their respective troops.
On the ninth day.
Because the plan to kill the Storm Horn was thwarted, the two sides were unable to create an advantage in terms of quasi-legendary combat power. The battle was considered a draw. Shilius did not find another opportunity to take advantage of. In the end, the Alliance's reinforcements successfully entered the battlefield.
Of course, the strongest country in the sea also had the pride of the strongest country. No longer entangled in conspiracies and tricks, it also gathered its fleet and took a stance.
The battlefield was chosen to be in the largest bay on the west coast of the southern continent — the Bay of Benin, also known as the "Slave Bay." To the north of this sea was Nigeria, a colony of Faletis that had not been affected by the war. To the southeast was Lobito, where Shilius' Luanda Cape was located.
Between them, there were many colonies, tribes, and states in the vast area of the Southern Continent. The famous slave supplier, the Kingdom of Dahomey, was located here.
Relying on the colonies and ports on the shore, both sides had relatively sufficient supplies and ammunition. Even if the warships were damaged, they could quickly evacuate to the dock for repair and re-enter the battlefield.
As the two sides stopped their guerrilla warfare, the strength comparison was clear.
The Tulip Family:
There were twenty-three battleships as reinforcements. Even if more battleships could arrive, they would not be able to make it in time for this battle. Among them, there were six patrol ships and supply ships, and seventeen battleships that were fourth-grade and above.
After Ilya, one of the pillars, retreated, and the colonial naval bases were ambushed, there were only sixteen battleships above level-four in total, including Gör and his "May Wind" that had returned.
After the two sides converged, there were a total of 33 battleships, in addition to a number of patrol ships supporting the fleet.
However, no one would count the cruisers as part of their combat strength. With a group of light cavalry mixed in with a group of heavy-armored Knight, let alone fighting a battle, the consequences of marching together would definitely be disastrous.
The commander of the fleet was still Lieutenant General Temple Elvis, who had the highest military rank and was the strongest in the Southern Continent.
On Shilius's side:
The expeditionary army originally had a total of thirty-one warships. Since the start of the war, ten of them had either been captured or sunk. Most of the remaining warships were third-rate and fourth-rate warships that were as tall as city towers.
In addition to the naval fleet owned by the colonial garrison, the total number of battleships reached forty. Moreover, the ratio of third-rate warships had an absolute advantage. Even if the Alliance's fleet was united, the disadvantage was very obvious.
In this naval battle, the commander-in-chief of the navy was still Lieutenant General Griffith, while the other Lieutenant General Ricard was the commander-in-chief of the army.
In the battle launched by both the sea and the land more than a month ago.
Under the command of the latter, the army had won successive victories in the siege of the Tulip colony and even took down the "Rand gold mine". The results of the battle were much more eye-catching than the navy under Griffith's command.
At this point in the war, deep hatred had been formed, and it was impossible to return to the state before the war.
At this time, even an oracle might not be able to stop this battle with a total of seventy-three battleships and a total force of more than thirty thousand people.
No matter which side it was, the significance of this battle was extraordinary!
In the early morning, the mist on the sea had not completely dispersed.
But the two fleets were like giant white clouds with positive and negative electricity, slowly approaching each other. As long as there was a collision, it would shake the Southern Continent and even the entire human world!
"Raise the commander's flag!"
Shilius was the first to move. On the flagship of the army commander-in-chief, Lieutenant General Ricard, the San Juan, the flag that represented the highest command was raised.
A few decades ago, the concept of battleships was first proposed by the Shilius.
However, although the main warships of the various countries imitated Shilius and called themselves "battleships", after decades of development and the influence of various naval concepts, technological standards, resource limitations, and other factors, the performance and characteristics of the battleships under the same name differed greatly.
Shilius's ships were as tall as fortresses, carrying the most elite army of this era.
Due to the more developed industrial system, the cannons on the Tulip's side were more sophisticated, and their warships were shorter and more agile.
Boom!
The flagship of the fleet let out a signal cannon.
As expected of the number one fleet in the world, the entire Invincible Fleet immediately lined up according to the order of battle. The ships were either full or retracted, and adjusted according to the state of the neighboring ships. In the shortest time possible, the famous "New Moon Formation" had been set up.
It had a pair of wings that pointed directly at the enemy, and a thick central area.
This formation was the most advantageous for the Shilius warships, which had tall ships that resembled fortresses, because they … had an invincible army!
Ever since the rise of Shilius two hundred years ago, until the name of the Invincible Fleet was truly established, they had always relied on their elite army soldiers. While the army was what they relied on, it also became their shackles to a certain extent.
The strength of the army meant that they had to rely more on the army. While the commander of the army had the highest authority on the warships, the choice of tactics was naturally tilted toward boarding.
The reason why the New Moon Formation was so intimidating was that the Alliance's fleet could only attack the two wings that it stretched out. However, the strongest warships of the fleet were waiting there. If any of these warships were seriously damaged, they could easily return to the central area of the fleet for protection.
On the other hand, if any of the Alliance's warships recklessly charged between the two corners, they would definitely be surrounded and cut off from the rear by the powerful Shilius warships from the left or right wing.
At that time, they would be surrounded, and the warships on the flanks that had the advantage of the wind would easily capture them in the narrow waters.
"Invincible Fleet! Defeat them head-on! "
"Eternal Fire, holy and divine!"
"For His Majesty the King!"
Opposite them, the Alliance was obviously under a lot of pressure.
This was the first large-scale battle in the battle line. Facing the menacing Shilius, the commander knew that he had to encourage the soldiers.
The voice of the pinnacle Grand Knight, Lieutenant General Elvis, rang throughout the fleet.
"Soldiers, we were once like all the sailors on the continent. We could only reach the world's farthest ocean by following the Shilius' ships. The Santa Cruz were born to travel unimpeded in the world's most turbulent and treacherous seas.
Of course, they were powerful.
But!
Now, they want to trample on the Tulip Alliance and take away the wealth and minerals we have spent two hundred years working on!
....
If they are victorious here, they will come to the Alliance's mainland in the future, take away our land and homes, enslave our children … and destroy the faith of the goddess.
Now, answer the Shilius with the guns in your hands. Do you agree? "
"No!!!"
The lieutenant general raised his command flag to mark the position of the commander of the fleet, and then gave the first order.
"Battle line, seize the wind!"
Abandoning the outdated command methods such as signal cannons and signal flags, all the officers of the fleet above the rank of captain had already connected to the mental network.
Lieutenant General Elvis had a god's view and could see every corner of the battlefield. Orders could be transmitted to a certain combat module of a certain warship. It was as if the fleet was his own limbs, and he could command it as he wished.
This was a carefree feeling that he had never experienced in his decades of military career.
* Whoosh whoosh whoosh … *
The fleet responded to the order and moved as if they were even more well-trained than the invincible Shilius. They quickly formed a column.
The Tulip Alliance's' Naval Combat Regulations' clearly defined the column as the standard formation for naval combat. "All warships of each flotilla must do their best to maintain a line with their flotilla captain …"
At the same time, the Alliance's battle line began to circle around to gain the upper hand!
Most people often had the wrong idea about sailing ships, thinking that they were pushed by the wind.
In fact, the biggest source of power for sailing ships was the so-called 'Bernoulli effect', which meant that when air flowed through a curved surface like an airplane's wing, it would create a forward and upward attractive force.
It was also because of this that sailing ships could move in a certain direction against the wind.
When sailing with the wind, the Bernoulli effect would disappear, and the ship would not be able to reach its maximum speed.
Therefore, warships usually did not sail with the wind at the tail, and would usually sail with the wind at an angle. Now that the wind was from the southwest on the sea, and the enemy was sailing in a northeasterly direction, then the Alliance's fleet would be parallel to the enemy's port side, and they would be in the upwind position.
Whoosh!
The first line of 33 warships advanced in a slanted manner, going against the aggressive "New Moon Formation" in the clear sun and cool breeze. And on the leading warship of the line of warships, one after another, greenish-black human heads were raised high up in the air!
It was a heavy blow to the morale of the Shilius soldiers.
"Shilius Navy's Deputy Commander, Steel Knight Kungang Taita has been beheaded!"
"Shilius Navy's Deputy Commander, Steel Knight Kungang Taita has been beheaded!"
“.....”
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