Chapter 95 The Impact of Testing
ps: The name is coming! What about the recommendation? What about the collection? Come on!
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In the bridge of the cruiser Baltimore, George Dewey frowned tightly, and the small torpedo ship with strange flags hanging on the other side of the telescope surged with an ominous omen in his heart.
"Which country's warship is that? Why did it appear in Hawaii? Why stop the U.S. Navy? Doesn't he know that in front of him are two cruisers far more powerful than him?
The same doubts surged from the hearts of every naval officer in the bridge. They stared at the torpedo ship blocking the channel, and then slowly turned their heads, and their eyes were all focused on George Dewey.
Suddenly, an orange flare rose from the opposite side! Just like the fireworks set off at the celebration, it exploded in the sky, gorgeous and brilliant!
Signal bomb? What are they going to do!
"First-class combat readiness!" When everyone was stunned and watched the flare explode, George Dewey had put down the telescope: "Repeat, this is not an exercise!"
"The bell..."
On the Baltimore and Boston, there were harsh alarm bells at the same time, wearing white navy uniforms. The sailors who were just watching the scene on the deck just now ran to their positions like an ant nest.
"Send the flag. Tell them that we are the US Navy! Let them leave immediately!" After giving the order, George Dewey raised the telescope again. In order to help him get this mission opportunity, his good friend Roosevelt put a lot of effort into it. Seeing that Hawaii was close in front of him, he did not want to give up the plan because of a small torpedo ship.
The signal officer left quickly and rushed into the bridge again in less than a while: "Report, they replied that they were the Royal Hawaiian Pacific Fleet, which was conducting exercises with the Chilean Navy, and said that we had broken into the exercise area and asked us to stop moving forward immediately!"
"The Pacific Fleet of the Kingdom of Hawaii? Haha, when will these wild monkeys have a fleet!" Next to him, several staff officers laughed after hearing the report, and even the correspondent who came to report laughed.
In the bridge, George Dewey was the only one who didn't laugh. He stared at the torpedo ship not far away and looked at the constantly fanning flag. His eyebrows were full of gloom.
Through the telescope, he can clearly see the yellow-skinned and black-haired sailors on the cruiser. They are not Chileans or native Hawaiians! It is regarded as an evil and ugly yellow monkey by the United States. When will they have their own fleet? Could it be that the Beiyang Fleet, which can only hide in the bay, has arrived here?
But the flag clearly says that it is the Pacific Fleet of the Kingdom of Hawaii! And those sailors did not wear long whips, but had flat and short hair, which looked very neat.
Judging from their skilled flag language, this sudden appearance of the Pacific Fleet is obviously not a mob that has only been formed for a day or two. Who the hell are they?
George Dewey was not sure, but he still decided to try the details of the other party. Hawaii is very important to the United States. He can't lead two cruisers around half the earth by himself, but he was scared by a small torpedo ship that suddenly appeared!
"Tell them that I don't care who they are. This is the U.S. fleet. We are visiting Hawaii. Let them leave immediately!" George Dewey thought for a thought and said in a low voice again, "Tell them that I don't mind sinking any ships hostile to the United States!"
As the signal officer ran out again, in less than a while, the torpedo ship blocking the road sent out a series of flag signals, and suddenly turned to the inland sea of Hawaii.
"Well, don't weigh yourself!" Seeing the other party leave, George Dewey was finally relieved and snorted coldly, "Order the fleet to move forward. Our friends are still waiting!"
Soon, black smoke reappeared from the chimneys of the two cruisers, but to George Dewey's surprise, just ten minutes after the re-departing, a large number of black smoke suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.
"Two-point direction, two protective cruisers! The flag is unknown!"
"At twelve o'clock, one ironclad ship, two torpedo ships! The flag is unknown!"
"In the direction of ten o'clock, two cruisers! Hang the Chilean naval flag!"
Reports one after another made the officers on the Baltimore nervous. In fact, there is no need to report anymore. Shortly after those smoke columns appeared, George Dewey had seen the warships appearing on the horizon one after another through the telescope, except that the speed of the other party was so fast! My heart fluctuates like a tide!
"How did these damn warships appear? Didn't the intelligence department say that there is no armed force in Hawaii!" Looking at the torpedo ship that had blocked the road before flying the same flag in the middle of the formation, George Dewey almost fainted.
"God!" In the face of such a huge lineup, even Lieutenant General George Dewey, known for his calmness, couldn't help shouting in his heart. In addition to the light cruiser flying the flag of the Chilean navy, the Pacific Fleet, which seems to have suddenly emerged from the bottom of the sea, has five warships, one of which is an ironclad!
Even if the Chilean navy chooses to be neutral, with two cruisers, facing five warships, one of which is an ironclad, both tonnage and quantity, has been completely defeated. How can this complete the task?
In the bridge, almost all the officers were dark, and the sailors in the battle position were afraid to come out, for fear that the shells would fall in the next second.
Looking at the flag hanging high and called the flag of the Kingdom of Hawaii flying in the wind, George Dewey knows from anyone that this mission has failed. Maybe those idiots on the island have been taken by others!
But he is unwilling!
From the Civil War to the Battle of New Orleans, from the Atlantic blockade naval squadron to every important port in the Atlantic and Pacific with the ship, he seemed to pass by the damn goddess of luck and do nothing in the navy.
This time, Roosevelt finally persuaded Mahan to persuade Mr. Minister to lead the fleet and "assist" the sugar merchants to control Hawaii, but who would have thought that it was such a situation to bypass half the earth, which he did not expect in any case, but if he returned like this, he would not hope to leave just now. Get a foothold in the revived U.S. Navy!
So, he needs to make a bet, at least to figure out what kind of guy is suddenly on the opposite side! Thinking of this, a cold light suddenly appeared in George Dewey's eyes: "Accelerate, rush over."
Acceleration? Rush over?!
The communications officer opened his mouth and looked at the oncoming seven warships, and then at George Dewey in front of the command post. After a moment of hesitation, he suddenly gritted his teeth and ran to convey the order.
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"The Americans are coming!"
"War preparedness!"
"All of them enter the battle position!"
When two cruisers flying the Stars and Stripes appeared in the telescope, the mate of the Flying Fish, who was on duty on the bridge, almost instantly, they sounded the alarm bell, ordered the firing of signal bombs, and sent someone to inform the captain. After seeing the signal bomb, the alarm was scattered. The ships of the Pacific Fleet, which had just been formed for two years, were suddenly in a mess, and there were running soldiers everywhere.
Under the command of the captain of the sea, the helmsmen turned desperately and leaned closer to the Flying Fish to grab a favorable position.
The gunners pulled away the gunners and shook the handle hard to adjust the coordinates. The filler rushed into the ammunition compartment, carried the shells to the trolley, carried them to the gun position, and filled them into the chambers.
The world in front of him seemed to be in chaos, but to everyone's surprise, the three fleet commanders standing in the command tower of Long Xiao did not issue any instructions, but quietly looked at the chaotic sailors, as if it were just an ordinary exercise at this moment.
Chen Ping stood on the flying bridge outside the bridge cabin, watching the sailors rushing, frowned, but did not make any command.
Although the Pacific Fleet has been established for two years, and although the sailors have undergone countless exercises and dragged the Chilean navy to conduct many actual combat exercises, after all, it is a exercise. When they really face the enemy with warships, no one can overcome their fear and panic.
This is a road that must be taken by themselves. Except for the shouts of officers at all levels, no one can help them. Even as the chief of staff of the fleet, they can't replace the sailors to overcome their fear. What's more, at this moment, his attention is completely focused on the order that the young master just sent.
"Full force to intercept the U.S. fleet and avoid direct fighting!"
Long Guozhang and Tan Xiaozeng frowned. As fleet commanders, no one likes this kind of order! Ambiguity and contradictions often affect the decision-making of the army, and even the final result.
As a young master who drafted the command outline by himself, if it was not necessary, he would never deliberately send such a vague order, so when they received the news, they could imagine how important the young master sent this sentence.
What on earth does the young master know to issue such an order?
Long Guozhang and Tan Xiaozeng turned their heads and looked at Chen Ping on the cabin bridge at the same time. Unfortunately, there was no time for them to continue to figure it out. When their eyes just fell on the bridge, the nautical man exclaimed in his ear.
"Report, the Americans are rushing faster!"
"Acceleration? Come on!"
In doubt, Chen Ping has rushed into the bridge quickly and raised the telescope.
In the lens, the current American cruiser on the opposite side began to gradually enlarge. The bow logo and the name of the side of the ship were clearly visible. The sharp collision angles under the waves loomed from time to time, and thick black smoke kept coming out of the chimney, staining a large part of the sky.
Looking at the larger and larger cruiser Baltimore, Chen Ping finally knew why the young master sent such a contradictory order! He is sure that there must be a bright-eyed and irritable madman standing in the opposite bridge. Otherwise, who would choose to accelerate the impact in an obviously weak situation!
"Block him!"
Almost at the moment of getting the answer, Chen Ping shouted. Long Guozhang and Tan Xiaozeng looked at each other and saw the fall in each other's eyes!
This is an era without radio. If the fleet commander's order to reach each ship, he can only rely on the flag and light signal standing high on the mast. Although Chen Ping reacts quickly, it takes enough time from the signal to the start of acceleration interception!
When the Baltimore took the lead, drew a beautiful trail on the sea and rushed to the junction of the fleet and two Chilean naval cruisers, the sailors of the Pacific Fleet widened their eyes and calculated whether the interception time was enough.
Suddenly, a huge shadow came into sight, and the cruiser on the left was like an arrow off the string, passing in front of the bow of the Longxiao and intercepting the channel of the Baltimore impact.
Everyone swallowed and watched the two ships soar on the surface of the water with dementia. They watched the Sky Surveyor and Baltimore gradually form a T-shaped shape. As the two ships were getting closer and closer, the gunners almost fired to rescue their companions!
Everyone knows that in this case, the Sky Surveyor, which blocks the collision angle on the side, even if it is not hit, it will at least suffer heavy losses. It is a question whether it can continue to serve. Thinking that the painstakingly established Pacific Fleet may lose a companion before it opens, everyone feels that there is a fire in their hearts.
These damn Americans!
In the bridge, Chen Ping and Long Guozhang calmly looked at the Sky Survey and walked away. Their fists could almost clenched out of the water. As long as the huge voice sounded, even if they violated the young master's order, they would tear up the madman opposite!
The Chilean sailors on the two temporarily rented Chilean naval cruisers stared even more. What are they going to do? Is it possible to witness a deliberately created tragedy when going to sea this time?
Equally nervous is the cruiser Baltimore! The sailors ran to the stern of the ship one after another, hoping to avoid the bow that was almost bound to be smashed. Officers at all levels in the bridge have already held everything they can hold, waiting for the impact to come, and their eyes are all focused on the little old man who is still standing upright at the window.
"Left full rudder, avoid."
When almost everyone thought it was impossible to avoid the impact, a voice finally sounded from the bridge of the Baltimore, and the captain almost used all his strength to turn the steering wheel quickly.
In their eyes, the Hawaiian cruiser, which suddenly accelerated and blocked the channel, was getting closer and closer. Everyone on the Baltimore was worried. No one could know whether George Dewey's order was too late. They only hoped that the warship could move with the rudder wheel as soon as possible to avoid the damn impact.
With the rapid turn of the Baltimore, the whole warship seemed to tilt more than ten degrees at once. The people on the ship suddenly staggered, and the hull pulled a huge arc on the sea.
Rapid evasion! Can you avoid it?
Although Baltimore was the first to avoid it, and the front of the Sky Surveyor also deflected the bow, no one could guarantee that it would hit it. After all, this is a warship at full speed, not a carriage that can stop on the land with a rein!
The two warships are like two somewhat out-of-control war horses. Even if one of them is put on the reins, it still rushes straight to the opponent under the action of the usual surname, and time seems to be frozen.
Everyone held their breath.
When the two ships in the retina almost overlapped, Baltimore finally turned its bow, shook its body violently, and finally formed a parallel line with the Sky Surveyor. The shortest distance between the two ships was even less than ten meters!
"An experienced guy with hot means!" Looking at the two ships gradually separated, Chen Ping and Long Guozhang were relieved. At the same time, this idea suddenly arose in their hearts.
Like them, George Dewey, who stared at the side of the Sky Surveyor, looked at the cruiser running back and forth on the opposite side, and there were soldiers who had returned to the battle position. He also exclaimed in the bottom of his heart: "A tough commander and a group of good sailors!"
"Send a signal, we are the U.S. Navy, ready to visit Hawaii!"
George Dewey gave the order with a gloomy face. Before the officers could react, he left the telescope in everyone's eyes and walked to the rest cabin. He is not a fool. When these warships appeared, he knew that Hawaii's operation was over. This impact was just a test!
Now he knows that an opponent has appeared in the Pacific Ocean!
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