Chapter 183 First Fleet

There are hundreds of uninhabited reefs scattered in the South China Sea, Dongsha, Xisha, Zhongsha and Nansha. For fishing boats and small boats, these islands and lagoons are places for them to avoid typhoons. Even for large warships, the narrow sea between the islands and reefs can be used to avoid strong if necessary. The storm.

Huangyan Island, Huangyan Island is the only island in the Zhongsha Islands in the South China Sea that is exposed to the surface. It is surrounded by a toll between half a meter and 3 meters from the water. The reef plate is shaped like an isosceles right triangle, and its interior forms a lake with an area of 130 square kilometers and a water depth of 10-20 meters. At the southeast end of the lagoon on Huangyan Island, there is a 400-meter-wide channel connected to the outer sea. The water channel is 9-11 meters deep and 360-400 meters wide. Because of this, there will be boats here to take shelter from the wind during the typhoon season.

However, in the past few days, the waters in this area have been closely guarded. Who would have thought that this lagoon would be the berth of the Zhenyang Fleet, which was conducting artillery training at the "Kaohsiung Sea"?

After receiving the report of the "discovery of the enemy ship" issued by Dingyuan of the second fleet of the Zhenyang Fleet, which is moored on Huangyan Island, did not turn on the radio silent at the first time, but waited for further information from the second ship.

The so-called further intelligence is "convelling intelligence". The code has been decided in advance, just a simple six words.

"The dishes are all here, and the chopsticks have been moved!"

On December 20, at 15:03 p.m., the Zhenyang Fleet received this signal, and all the radios of the First Fleet of the Zhenyang Fleet anchored here rang together. At the moment when the telegraph signal light was on, all the telegraphers straightened their chests at the same time, pressed the headphones in one hand and held the pencils in the other.

The "Jingyuan" battlecruiser bought the latest high-power radio telegraph from Marconi. Of course, there was also a reaction. In terms of concept, Jingyuan is the only warship that can use carrier-based telegraph to contact the Nanjing Naval Department in Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

At this time, several military musicians are working as wireless assistants together. They are not radio assistants, but responsible for the order. When the radio receives the signal, the code will be translated and then put into an envelope. They were responsible for running to the headquarters with the envelope.

However, when Tang Jianyuan, who was only 14 years old, was running to the command tower with an envelope, he could see the sailors training on the deck. As in the past, the Zhenyang Fleet is still preparing for the battle. The officers and soldiers are carrying out the last harsh training here, especially the night battle, from the beginning of the night. It lasted until dawn and only returned to the berth after sunrise.

The moxibustion on the equator made the warship at three o'clock in the afternoon like a huge oven. The sailors who trained all night could not rest in the cabin at all. In order to cool down the warship, the damage management team used training to wet the warship from head to foot, so that the sailors who had trained overnight in the cabin could have a good rest for a while.

And now this time is exactly the time to wake up the sailors.

"Get up, everyone!"

All the people in the ship got up together at this time, and at the same time, the flute player blew the flute at the sound tube.

At this time, Tang Jianyuan ran over, and he shouted loudly as he ran.

"Come on! It's coming!"

All the people of the damage management team who had just drenched the warship stopped their movements at the same time, and an impulse to stand up their hairs arose spontaneously. Then everyone dispersed and returned to their posts.

"The Second Fleet and the Combined Fleet exchanged fire!"

As the chief of staff of the Zhenyang Fleet, Shen Shou-Kon is one of the few calm and calm generals in the navy. In fact, after the Battle of Dadonggou, he was a rare generals who reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of the navy and the reasons for their failure. Moreover, his words were to the point and quite pertinent, and he proposed a lot of resources to revitalize the navy. Suggestions.

However, his surname has changed a lot after the Battle of Dadonggou. Most of the time, he is silent and expressionless, but he has his own advantages in the analysis of things, can summarize various affairs, and can quickly draw conclusions about the problem.

His calmness and neglect give people the impression of a cold-blooded animal, but this is not the case in his heart. After making the strategic decision of "Second Fleet Broken Arm", he also hesitated for a long time when selecting the officers and soldiers of the ship. From the beginning, to the selection of officers, to the selection of soldiers, he also He chose those officers with brothers and brothers, and finally selected his son into the Second Fleet. During the whole process, he was expressionless.

But when his son, after Brigadier Shen Ziyang came to say goodbye to him, he suddenly covered his face and cried.

"It's terrible to cry. It's really extraordinary!"

No one has ever seen him cry so sadly, not only for his son, but also for the thousands of officers and soldiers in the Second Fleet.

"Let's start!"

Standing in the conning tower, he searched the sea with a telescope. He vaguely felt that he could even hear the sound of gunfire.

At this time, the radio assistant Jia Tang Jianyuan rushed in.

"Your officer, telegram!"

In the report, he deliberately repeated another sentence.

"The Second Fleet, it's up!"

It started, Shen Shou-kone's heart trembled, and his thin fingers opened the envelope.

I looked at the content, "Okay!"

He nodded to Tang Jianyuan. Then he went out. At this time, his expression was as usual, indifferent and even a little lonely. He got up and came to the officer's office.

As the commander of the Zhenyang Fleet, Liu Guanxiong has now walked out of the officer's private room and sat on the chair of his office, and then handed over the translation to the commander without saying a word.

After taking over the telegram, Liu Guanxiong immediately raised his head and looked at his chief of staff. The two soldiers from the old Beiyang Marine Division did not say a word at this time, but a smile appeared on Liu Guanxiong's face at this time.

"We're going to pay off the debt!"

All the generals of the Beiyang Marine Division owe a debt to the Chinese navy, which is the consensus of the navy. When speaking, Liu Guanxiong looked at the axis hanging on the cabin wall stained with Yang Yonglin's blood, "Xue Jiawu Shame!"

"Yuchen! Yuchen, if the princes have eyes in heaven, I hope to bless the Zhenyang fleet to win! The shame of ten years of snow!"

After saying that, he sighed and looked at Shen Shou-Kun. When he opened his mouth to speak, Shen Shou-Kun said with no expression on his face.

"Now it's my turn to go to the battlefield as a father!"

The sky is pressing on the terribly blue sea. The slightly slanting sun shines on the sea, and the blue of the sea under the delicate sun gives people a sacred feeling.

Sergeant Qian Baohe, the gunner on the "Zhiyuan" battlecruiser, like many comrades-in-arms, knelt on the side of the ship and bowed in the direction of his hometown, whispering words that no one knew.

Qian Baohe is from Fuzhou and an old sailor. In the Zhenyang Fleet, which has been in full of service for less than a year, the gunner who joined the navy three years ago must be an old sailor. Three years ago, when the sailor recruited troops in Fujian as usual. At that time, the elders of the clan found him who had just lost his father and advised him to join the army!

"Go to the army. There are a few taels of silver a month. You, the boss, are always the pillar of the family!"

At that time, more than 300 people in Fuzhou participated in the collection, but only 13 of them were qualified. The military pay of the navy was not as good as that of the army. They not only had to be literate, but also had to be strong, and they also had to be familiar with the surname.

They received five months of training in Fujian, and then received six months of artillery training in Yantai, and finally served on the Hairong. Later, with the expansion of the fleet, as an old gunner, he was naturally sent to the capital ship and became the third rear gun of Zhiyuan, responsible for using it from the ammunition depot at the bottom of the ship. The hoist loaded the shells weighing 650 kilograms into the gun.

When he received the report of finding the enemy ship, he was lying on the side of the cannon for maintenance, but his mind suddenly went blank and he couldn't move his hands.

"What will happen to China if this naval battle is defeated"

He used to only think about being a soldier to eat food, but now he only thought about this in his mind, and even tears kept falling down. Three years ago, he was a soldier to pay, but now?

I am a soldier of the Chinese Royal Guard Navy. If I don't try my best and be defeated, then China will be defeated!

"Okay, get out of the turret, kneel down to your family, and get ready to fight!"

As usual, when the soldiers were asked to kneel down to their distant families, Shen Shougun, the chief of staff of the fleet, was still in the officer's office. After handing over the translation of the telegram to Liu Guanxiong, he still stood there with a flash of sweat on his forehead.

"Order the fleet to leave the port"

He asked the commander.

"Hmm!"

Liu Guanxiong nodded.

If it means something before the battle related to the rise and fall of the nation is about to begin, I'm afraid there is only one sentence. At this time, there was no joy in his expression. In this short time, he had regained his composure. There was no more joy or solemnity, but only calmness.

At this time, as the commander of the Zhenyang Fleet, he needs to judge the upcoming naval battle with the most calm thoughts.

At this time, in the lagoon of Huangyan Island, the ships moored were just waiting for orders there. The ships have received the written documents prepared in advance.

They all know the order of departure, and the coal and fuel were replenished before yesterday. The steam engine had already been warmed up, and smoke was emitted from the chimneys of each warship.

With just an order, the whole fleet can leave silently one after another. There will be no crowd here to see off, and the sound of the salute leaving the port has only that solemnity.

When he received the telegram, Su Yueyang, a fleet staff officer, was on the back deck at this time. He was smoking and even preparing to write a short poem. As the planner of this naval battle, he had enough reasons to be nervous or happy. Unexpectedly, as the war approached, he became more and more calm. .

"The Second Fleet fired the first shot!"

The news of the start of the war came at an amazing speed. He dropped his cigarette butt casually. Su Yueyang walked up quickly. To be precise, he was running. Su Yueyang, who was only 23 years old, looked no different from ordinary sailors. He was full of muscles and his face was dark. In addition, his bald head looked like It is a standard sailor.

After returning to the staff room, he leaned his elbows on the table, leaned out his upper body, and turned his eyes habitually.

As a combat staff officer, he has completed 90% of the work he should do in advance. Next, he can only be tested through real war, but there is at least one more work that he must do right now.

Send a telegram to the base camp.

is a telegram representing the determination of the Zhenyang Fleet to His Majesty and the motherland before going to the decisive battlefield. As a combat staff officer, he must draft a telegram immediately.

And beside him, several staff officers kept dancing pencils there.

"Receive the information that the Second Fleet started the naval battle, the Zhenyang Fleet immediately dispatched and anniied it completely!"

"That's good!"

Su Yueyang nodded, which showed his determination. The staff officer stood up immediately. When he was about to go to the chief of staff with a draft, Su Yueyang suddenly said something.

"Wait a minute."

Then he already took a pencil in his hand. He took the draft back and modified it slightly.

"Jiaoyang is in the sky, and the sea is as flat as a mirror! Zhenyang takes over the enemy, and the country waits for a good news!"

After sending an agreed telegram, Shen Shou-on asked Liu Guanxiong, "Do you want to order to leave the port!"

After obtaining the commander's consent, he consulted the navigation staff, and then ordered loudly to the signal chief, "Each team should leave the port in the predetermined order!"

The order was issued very quickly. From the long signal to the signal soldier's order to the signal soldier hanging the first signal flag on the mast, the whole process took less than 30 seconds.

The

command does not use wireless to reach each warship, but uses flag signals. The order reached the team from the fleet and the ships from the team.

The signal chief stood on the signal flag deck of Jingyuan. The shining signal flags were used to form the flag language, and the ships raised the response flag halfway after receiving the order. When the Jingyuan sent the flag signal, all the ships raised the response flags, all of which were clear.

"Various ships, received!"

The signal is shouting on the deck of the signal flag. After the nautical staff officer heard it in the sea breeze, he immediately repeated to Shen Shou-Kun, "Various ships, got it!"

Shen Shou-kung repeated it to Liu Guanxiong again. He nodded, so the navigation staff shouted to the signal chief, "Flight the flag!"

He ordered him to lower the signal flag.

At this time, it has been issued to the teams, "Reading to leave the port. The order to anchor.

The scene is the same on each ship. The horns are everywhere, and the messengers are running around the ship with a whistle. The anchorage on each ship rattled loudly, causing the hull to tremble.

"All personnel immediately rinse in turn!!"

Such an unprecedented order sounded on every ship, which was the last preparation before the war.

This is the habit of the British navy. Before the naval battle begins, every naval officer and soldier must take a shower and change into new clothes. This is to reduce wound inflammation, but this is not the last preparation. In order to receive the enemy in this naval battle, all officers and soldiers received six new military uniforms before departure. No one can predict the sea. When will the war begin?

If you want to take more showers, the original bath on the ship is really not enough.

They made a temporary shower from the iron box that was originally used to hold the hammock. The hammocks that soldiers usually use to sleep will be hung on bridges, cannons and other necessary parts as defenses before fighting, so those iron boxes are useless for the time being.

Because this iron box already has holes, it puts a canvas bag of the right size into it in advance, then puts fresh water into it with a water pump, and then blows in steam, so that the water can be heated simply.

"Imperial Navy, fight to the death!"

Shouting slogans, the sailors lined up in just a few seconds, took off their clothes and jumped into the canvas bath. The first bath was soapy water.

Like the Japanese joint fleet, the Chinese navy even wore brand-new underwear in battle, and they wore new clothes to fight. And these clothes have been poisoned by steam. After taking a shower, all the staff changed into these new depoisonous clothes. In this way, in the case of trauma, the possible surname of infection and suppuration will be greatly reduced.

"One, two, three, four..."

When counting fifteen, the sailors who bathed with soapy water immediately jumped into the next bathtub, which was used to wash the soap foam. This kind of combat bath took only 30 seconds per round, including changing clothes and changing clothes for only one minute. Then, they had to run back to their posts as fast as possible.

After the shower was completed, all the staff began to clean the inside and outside of the warship again.

According to the requirements of the Naval Medical Department, the ideal is to detoxify the whole fleet before the battle begins. Long before the departure, the military medical chiefs on each ship received this notice. The general ship was disinfected before fighting. This is to learn from the Japanese navy. In the Battle of Ma, the Japanese navy relied on the disinfection of the ship's body to reduce casualties.

When the enemy's shell explodes in the ship, the structures in the ship will form various fragments and fly into the bodies of the soldiers. If it is not treated in time, there will be pus infection, and many people will die because of this. If it is disinfected in advance, the occurrence of this infection can be reduced as much as possible.

First, wash the ship with soapy water. Then spray the disinfectant in the ship with a sprayer, so the warship on the voyage became a clean "disinfection room", and the disinfection work of the warship was done very seriously.

For the Chinese navy, this is necessary. It is necessary to save as many officers and soldiers as possible. For the Chinese navy with insufficient manpower, even a boiler soldier is valuable.

"Sprinkle sand!"

When the sea breeze passed from the aiming hole to the cannon, the gun commander behind the gun position gave an order to his subordinates. A heavy white cloth bag was stabbed by a bayonet, and then sand was sprinkled near the cannon. This was to prevent the soldiers from slipping here when the blood flowed into a river near the cannon.

On December 20th, at 16:20, all the ships of the Zhenyang Fleet were dispatched.

(to be continued)