Munitions Empire

"Eighteen folds in a thin-skinned, hefty-filled dumpling..." This phrase is used to describe Dog-Ignore buns, but at this very moment, it seemed quite fitting to describe Shireck's battleships as well.

What was a thick armor for other warships was like a sheet of cowhide paper in front of the Tang Army battleships' 305 mm caliber guns.

Seeing his own warships, as huge as mountains, explode and capsize on the sea, Shen Hai Yinan felt like he was about to cough up blood.

The Navy he commanded was Shen Country's last hope, with many of these warships having been purchased through donations and fund-raising efforts by His Majesty, the King, and the country's nobles and ministers.

To assemble such a powerful fleet, the entire Shen Country had practically pawned their own trousers. If anything went wrong with this fleet, then he, Shen Hai Yinan, would almost certainly become the nation's criminal.

Therefore, he knew he must either retreat with the fleet intact right now and then commit suicide to apologize for the disgraceful incident of a sunken battleship, or he must lead the fleet to completely annihilate the Tang Imperial Fleet in front of him to compensate for the loss of a battleship.

Unfortunately, he was clearer than anyone that neither option was achievable. He could neither guarantee the fleet's safe return given their slower cruising speed, nor could he ensure the complete destruction of the Tang Army's fleet.

However, he must try! If he gave up now, he would indeed be responsible for Shen Country's downfall, but if he turned defeat into victory, he would become the hero of the entire nation!

"How much longer until we can fire?" Shen Hai Yinan asked his adjutant with a sense of urgency, unable to wait any longer.

Before the adjutant could reply, the Shen Country Navy's salvo once again commenced. A sequence of booming artillery drowned out other noises, illuminating the sea with flashes of fire; it was a spectacular sight.

The moment he heard the sound of his own cannons, Shen Hai Yinan silently prayed in his heart, hoping that his guns would be extraordinarily lucky and strike the enemy's ships—it was his last hope. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire

However, if prayers had been effective, Tang Mo might have long since been cursed to death by Shireck's people.

Shen Hai Yinan's prayers were doomed to be ineffective; the more someone prayed for something purely based on luck, the less likely it would happen.

So, during the second round of volleys, the Shen Country Navy could only watch the columns of water rising nearby, stunned. They had tried their best, the shells' impact points had gotten closer, but still, none hit the Tang Army's Navy.

As the distance between the two fleets closed, cruisers from both sides began their artillery duel, turning a once sporadic, earth-shattering artillery roar into a dense, rain-like pattern.

A barrage of 150 mm caliber guns joined the fierce artillery feast, with columns of water regularly rising near the battle lines of both sides, causing everyone to grow exceptionally tense.

Not all warships are invincible, so even the combat involving smaller caliber guns is a matter of life and death for the captains of destroyers and cruisers.

Because of the higher rate of fire, battles between smaller calibers were even more brutal and bloody. Soon, a Shen Country warship was hit by a shell, followed by a Tang Army ship starting to smoke after being hit.

Both sides kept pouring their ammunition toward each other's battle lines, firing nonstop in a frenzy, slightly numbed by the chaos.

Compared with land army battles, naval battles were more like a routine job where each person played their part. The gun loaders couldn't see the enemy's warships; they were simply responsible for continuously loading the cannons within the enclosed turrets.

At the same time, soldiers in the boiler rooms were relentlessly shoveling coal into the boilers and twisting valves to ensure the giant machines, as tall as buildings, produced the power the captains required.

Half, or perhaps the majority of soldiers, couldn't see the enemy at all. A second before their death, they would not even feel the war had erupted around them.

"Fire!" the cruiser captain, peering through his telescope, mercilessly gave the order to attack. On a nearly parallel course off his starboard side, a line of Shen Country warships was relentlessly firing in his direction.

Flashes of gunfire twinkled ceaselessly along both sides' battle lines, and billows of white smoke spread through the blackening sky, a sight incredibly magnificent.

Suddenly, a Shen Country cruiser was hit and caught fire; below the already smoky funnels, more thick black smoke billowed from the point of impact.

On this side, a Tang Army destroyer had been hit, its metal hull twisted and compartments wrecked, with the dead sailors lying haphazardly in what was left of the cabins, blood streaming along the wires and pipes.

Meanwhile, the Shen Country battleships that had begun to turn came under another salvo from the Tang Army. The originally fourth in line was hit, emitting thick black smoke.

Having started to turn, the ship was struck near the stern, as shells pierced the rear main gun turret, causing a sympathetic detonation in the aft magazine.

The thick armor twisted and deformed under the horrific internal explosion and only after the savage shockwave tore through the compartment did it gradually subside.

In the instant of the explosion's expansion, the steering gear and drive shaft at the stern were completely destroyed, and after the warship's smokestack belched a burst of flames, the entire warship lay immobile, sprawled dead in the water.

In less than a minute, the stern of the warship began to sink at a visible speed, the aft portholes, which were previously above the waterline, were nearly swallowed by the waves.

"The enemy ship is turning!" the lookout quickly reported the enemy's maneuver since the previously calculated precise firing parameters seemed greatly off target.

"Near-miss rounds! The enemy vessel is extending the range! Recalculate parameters… for speed… let's reference the previous data first!" an officer shouted to the calculating soldiers in the dimly lit cabin under the yellow light, covering the telephone receiver with his hand.

They had just worked out the parameters to hit the enemy ship and had only fired two rounds of artillery when the enemy began to turn… it was simply torturous for those who studied mathematics.

Amid a round of curses, everyone got back to work; some began turning dials in front of them, aligning corresponding parameters to derive a relatively accurate firing solution.

Meanwhile, within the warship's command tower on the bridge, Bernard watched as the Shen Hai Navy's battleships began to turn, a victorious smile spreading across his face.

He had already severely damaged two enemy battleships, and now the balance of absolute numbers had shifted: a three-to-four ratio had become three-to-two, placing him in the advantageous position.

At the same time, through the previous engagements, he had become certain of the clear superiority of his own warships. Now free from his earlier tension, he was filled with the joy of impending triumph.

"Adjust our heading! Helm to starboard 5! Chase them down!" Bernard, not knowing the enemy's speed and angle of turn, could only vaguely use fine adjustments to maintain distance with the enemy fleet.

"Helm to starboard 5! Adjusting course!" The executive officer loudly relayed the command, and billowing black smoke poured from the smokestacks of both fleets' warships, indicating that both sides were continuously burning coal to maintain maximum cruising speed.

"Fengshun 31 has been hit by enemy fire, heavily damaged… Its speed can only be maintained at around 10 kilometers, and it has already fallen out of formation," an officer reported from behind Bernard, confirming recent losses.

"Fengshun 19 lightly damaged, Weigang 21 lightly damaged…" The officer continued to report, listing the light damage status of five warships in succession.

Hearing the string of losses, Bernard's face showed signs of strain. He looked toward the enemy and inquired, "What about our victories?"

"Sunk one enemy vessel, severely damaged two, and damaged six. The engagement continues," the officer immediately responded.

The news of the victories slightly improved Bernard's complexion; although the losses were still substantial, achieving such glorious results was very satisfying.

After all, the gap between smaller warships was not as vast as imagined, and the Tang Army had sacrificed some quality for quantity, making such an exchange rate notable.

"Let those who can keep up with the formation do so; those with reduced cruising speeds are to immediately leave the formation and are given leave to return alone or stand by outside the combat area!" Bernard gave the order.

"Understood, General!" The officer saluted sharply, then set out to convey Bernard's commands.

Shireck looked at his own battleship critically damaged during the maneuver and staggered, nearly collapsing.

It was as if he had experienced the impact of the battleship's explosion himself; he steadied himself on the table and it took a good while for him to compose his emotions.

The King of Shen Hai had entrusted the Navy fleet to him because of Shireck's decisive, daredevil, and uncompromising pirate nature.

But now, Shireck watched helplessly as more than half of his nation's most precious battleships were lost, leaving him completely disoriented.

He was ceaselessly considering how to lead the remaining fleet away from the battlefield to minimize losses while also contemplating how to explain the situation to his Majesty, the King.

At this moment, he was acutely aware that this was not an issue his own death could resolve; he had doomed the fortune of Shen Hai, personally delivering the entire naval fortunes of Shen Hai to hell.

"How, how can I... explain this to His Majesty?" Shireck looked at his executive officer in despair, not even considering the possibility of turning defeat into victory.

His executive officer's face was ashen, for he was afraid, full of fear, not wishing to accompany the general and be buried alongside this iron coffin beneath them.