The Amsterdam originally turned to the left and south. However, the Liaodong was as agile as a snake, making a big circle to the south before turning back to the north. In any case, it didn't need to borrow the wind, so it didn't matter which direction it turned. When the Cape of Good Hope exploded under the joint attack of both sides, the A ship had no choice but to turn to the right and north. It had to face the enemy from the side in order to display its firepower.
This repeated change of direction made the remaining six ships of Roy's fleet extremely passive. The sails were constantly changing in order to make use of the wind as much as possible. However, the headwind was actually a diagonal route, which left Sir Thomas Roy with few options.
At this moment, the rudder of the Liaodong, which used a lot of immature technology, failed. It turned to the left at a speed of fifteen knots, and the waves at the bow were like broken jade, surging endlessly.
The six ships didn't understand what was going on with the White Devil. However, as long as the two sides were parallel to each other and were close to each other, it would be an opportunity to open fire that couldn't be missed. Therefore, whether it was the Liaodong, the Amsterdam, or the other sailing ships, all of them were firing cannonballs with all their might at this moment.
The two sides were within a hundred meters of each other, and like eggs swinging a sledgehammer, both sides had the ability to break the other side's defenses. The first to make a contribution was the Lowland of Roy's fleet. This six-hundred-ton armed merchant ship just happened to have a dozen or so cannons on its right bow loaded, and it fired fiercely at the Liaodong in front of its muzzle.
A dozen cannonballs hit the Liaodong head-on at close range, piercing through the side of the Liaodong in one breath and opening up three holes. Seeing that the White Devil was hit, all the gunners and crew of Roy's fleet were extremely excited. They cheered and hugged each other. Although it was just a few inconspicuous holes, it showed that their side was not without the ability to fight back.
It also showed that this devil-like warship was not invincible!
Thus, on the Prestige behind the Lowland, all the gunners on the starboard side rubbed their hands, waiting to show their skills and fiercely beat that damned White Devil. The Prestige was even bigger than the Lowland, with a displacement of 700 tons. It was even equipped with 32-pound cannons, and its firepower was one of the best in the fleet.
However, while Liaodong, whose rudder was stuck, was still charging forward foolishly, the six main cannons on the deck turned at the same time. The muzzle of the cannon, which was originally aimed at 90 degrees to the side of the ship, now moved to a position 45 degrees to the front left.
Through the binoculars, the captain of the Prestige clearly saw this incredible change. He stared at those black muzzles and murmured, "Damn it, the muzzles of this ship can actually move?"
Boom! Boom! Dazzling cannon fire erupted on the surface of the sea.
The Liaodong's main cannon fired continuously. It gave up on the Lowland, which had hit it, and aimed at the Prestige, which posed the greatest threat to it. The six main cannons fired at oblique angles, and the cannonballs flew a distance of 150 meters and poured into the side cabin of the Prestige.
Four of the six cannons were hit. The Liaodong's main cannon once again displayed its great power, and its penetrative ability was extremely strong. It blasted the thick oak hull of the Prestige into pieces. In contrast, the cannonballs hit by the Lowland were like opening a few ventilation windows for the Liaodong. On the other hand, the holes made by the Liaodong were like floor-to-ceiling windows.
The scene behind the floor-to-ceiling windows was extremely miserable. At a glance, it was full of broken wood, broken ribs, and limp limbs. There were also a few cannons that had deviated from their original positions due to the bombardment. The body of the cannon, which weighed several tons, was tilting and rolling inside the ship. Even if there were survivors, they would still let out miserable screams under the weight of the heavy objects.
By the time the Liaodong really passed by the Prestige, the cannons that could be fired had been reduced by half. Even if the other half could fire, they would often misfire. Only one or two cannonballs hit the Liaodong's hull. Only then did the gunners of Roy's fleet understand what a rotating turret was. Its range of fire was 360 degrees without any blind spots.
However, the Liaodong was not without losses. There were several black holes on its beautiful white hull. It was these holes that encouraged the gunners of Roy's fleet to continue working hard. Although their ships were at an absolute disadvantage, they still had to spit a few mouthfuls of saliva at the enemy.
The large caliber cannons were slow to load, but the Liaodong continued to move forward. When it passed by the fourth and third ships of Roy's fleet, it could only attack with a few self-defense cannons. The main cannons stopped firing. The two enemy ships could finally boldly open fire at the Liaodong, and they fired 30 to 40 cannonballs in one breath.
At this time, the Liaodong, which was stuck at the helm, was still moving, and the distance between it and Roy's fleet was even pulled to within a few dozen meters. The gunners of the two enemy ships were probably experimentalists. Half of the cannonballs were actually cannonballs and chain shells that were specially used to clean up the deck and masts of the enemy ships.
The Liaodong did indeed have a mast that was specially prepared for the lookout. No matter how advanced the revolutionary army's technology was, they could not come up with radars these days. Long-distance reconnaissance relied on the eyes of the lookout. However, since they were already engaged in close combat, the lookout on the mast naturally retreated. Obtaining information relied on the observers in the bridge.
However, the gunners of Roy's fleet were unwilling to let go of the mast. Their chain shells flew out and whipped toward the Liaodong Warship, easily cutting off the wooden mast within a distance of several dozen meters.
In addition, there were also cannonballs and grapefruit cannonballs that were used to clean the deck of the Liaodong. Thousands of cannonballs covered the sky and covered the earth. These things were specifically used to target the exposed crew members on the deck and kill unprotected targets.
A large number of people were controlling the sails on a sailing warship. Killing these crew members could effectively weaken the enemy's mobility. Destroying the mast and killing the crew members on the deck was the secret to winning a naval battle. However, after the gunners of Roy's fleet finished firing, they discovered that there was not a single person on the deck of the enemy ship. The enemy's turrets and bridge were completely sealed.
Not only were they completely sealed, but the defenses were also strengthened. The critical parts of the Liaodong were reinforced with hardened steel plates. When the cannonballs hit them, they would make a clear sound — Clang!
When the second ship of Roy's fleet entered battle position, this scene became even more obvious. The captain of this ship observed for a long time and finally discovered that the bridge in the middle of the Liaodong should be the command center. He ordered all the gunners on the ship to aim at the tall structure on the ship, wanting to kill the captain of this "white devil".
As long as they could destroy the head of this "devil", no matter how strong its body was, it would be useless, right?
Boom boom boom boom boom! The two ships began firing at each other. At this moment, the distance between the two sides was reduced to thirty meters, and the faces of the enemies could be seen with the naked eye. The cannons of the second ship all fired at the bridge of the Liaodong for a long time. Every time they fired, the crisp sound of metal colliding could be heard.
As the enemy bombarded the bridge, Zhu Chengxiu could only watch as the wooden planks on the inner wall of Liaodong crumbled. The outer armor plate was deformed by the cannonballs. Although the cannonballs did not penetrate, the kinetic energy transfer sent some of the decorations inside flying. The dignified commander of the navy could only hide under a stool and scream with her butt sticking out …
"My butt, my butt is hurt!"
A broken splinter pierced into Zhu Chengxiu's butt. Blood dripped down, and it was extremely tragic.
In response, the six main cannons of the Liaodong were loaded and fired at the second ship of Roy's fleet. At a distance of thirty meters, the enemy not only made the bridge of the Liaodong ringing, but also made a lot of holes in the hull. As a form of retaliation, all six large-caliber bullets were fired into the hull of the second ship.
Because the distance was too close, some of the cannonballs even shot in through the enemy's cannons. The cannonballs the size of a human head shot in and immediately shattered the several tons of cannons. The gunners on both sides of the cannons suffered secondary damage from the sputtering fragments. The gunpowder piled up on the cannons was the most deadly. It could easily be ignited and detonated, causing even more terrible damage.
Compared to the revolutionary army, which already used flintlocks to ignite, European cannons still commonly used ignition rods and even braziers. These flames flew everywhere when they were hit by the cannonballs, causing even more fatal damage.
After this round of mutual bombardment, the port side of the Liaodong Warship was almost blackened. It looked miserable, with many holes added to it. After all, it was one against many, and it was inevitable that it would be hurt if it was too close to the enemy. The second ship opposite it was even more miserable. The internal structure of the ship was severely damaged after the cannonballs hit it. Although the crew tried their best to save it, there were still explosions from time to time.
At this time, the Liaodong finally welcomed its last opponent. Sir Roy's Amsterdam performed a miracle under the priest's prayer. The whole ship completed the turn with the holy power, and dozens of heavy cannons on one side were all aimed at the Liaodong. Among them were the powerful 48-pound cannons. Even the Liaodong couldn't withstand a shot from these cannons.
The Liaodong Warship rushed straight over and perfectly collided with the muzzle of the A Warship. Sir Roy even guessed the truth behind this. The Liaodong had been arcing on the sea. He immediately concluded, "The rudder of this ship is stuck, and it can't get rid of it. This is indeed a miracle given to us by God. In the name of the Father, send this infidel ship to hell. "
The distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, and the gunners on the Amsterdam were getting more and more excited. They were already ready to give the enemy a fierce blow. Sir Roy's heart was full of excitement, excitement, excitement. The smile on his face reached fanaticism, and his eyes shone with the light of victory. Then he suddenly froze.
"This damn ship, it's not really going to hit us, is it?" Sir Roy froze for half a second. These days, the ruthless were afraid of the reckless, the reckless were afraid of the reckless, and the reckless were afraid of the stupid. Sir Roy was the reckless type, but now the enemy was acting like a fool. He didn't have time to give the order to fire, and instead shouted at the top of his lungs, "Turn, avoid the collision!"
On the Liaodong, Zhu Chengxiu, whose butt was injured, was hugging a pillar in the bridge and shouting, "Notify the whole ship, be careful of the collision, be careful of the collision!"
Everyone in the bridge, including those in the turrets and the engine room, was frantically looking for something to hold on to in a tight grip. Everyone knew they were in big trouble. Their own rudder had malfunctioned, and the boilers couldn't stop, so they could only crash into the enemy ship at full speed.
Meanwhile, on the Amsterdam, the cannoneers were hoping to deal a critical blow to the 'devil ship'. But now, everyone's expression changed greatly. Seeing the opposite ship 'fearlessly' crash into them, the people who were ready to fire slowly retreated in fear, trying to avoid this unbelievable disaster.
It wasn't easy for a sail warship to change direction. More than ten seconds later, the 'Liaodong' cut into the middle of the 'Amsterdam' with its hard ram at a speed of 15 knots. This strike was like a sharp blade stabbing into the enemy's heart, fierce and direct.
Under the enemy's strong resistance, the Liaodong was in the middle of sailing.
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