Chapter 290 Feng Chan (16) The Power of the Giant Cannon
As Zhu Yijun, Gao Jingshi and others left the Dongchang and slowly walked towards the observation deck, the atmosphere on the sea became more and more tense. The sun gradually rose, shining on the sparkling sea, reflecting dazzling light. The sea breeze
The salty and wet breath gently brushed everyone's face, seeming to indicate the upcoming spectacular scene.
The three target ships that have sailed to the predetermined area in advance will begin to drop anchor at this time. They will stay in place in this way. On the one hand, this is to improve the hit rate during live ammunition firing to avoid the kind of shooting that occurs in real naval battles.
The embarrassment of being unable to hit a target after several rounds of volley fire;
On the other hand, this is also because no one can be on the target ship during the live ammunition bombardment, and the ships are all on the edge of Tianjin Port at this time. If the target ship is allowed to drift, the target ship may be washed to the shore by the sea before the shooting is over.
Side, it would be even more embarrassing, and even the follow-up shooting could not be completed.
At the same time as the target ship sailed to the predetermined area to drop anchor, the Dongchang lifted anchor and sailed to its predetermined shooting area. Yes, it obviously cannot park at the berth and fire, and must sail to its own position after the emperor and his party disembark.
.
The observation deck is located on a small hill near the pier, surrounded by green trees, decorated with flowers, and has a pleasant scenery. Not only can you overlook the entire Tianjin Port, but you can also clearly see the Dongchang and three target ships on the sea. High
Pragmatic arrangements have obviously been made. There are several exquisite tables and chairs and dozens of high-power telescopes equipped with stands on the observation deck for the use of the emperor and accompanying officials.
After the emperor and other civil and military personnel sat down respectively, Gao Pragmatic first gave us a complicated introduction to the basic situation of the naval bombardment. Of course, considering that the group of people were basically "military blind", Gao Pragmatic explained emphatically that the hit rate of naval shooting was very high.
That fact is high, as well as some related factors that contribute to the high hit rate.
Hearing Gao Pingshi say that there was no time for long-range firefights in actual naval battles, both sides were able to score hits for most of half an hour. Only the Dongchang was very surprised, and many of the accompanying civilian officials were even dumbfounded.
"No wonder he said that the navy is a gold-eating beast. I originally thought he was just talking about the huge cost of building ships. I thought that the battle itself also requires huge costs. If it is what he said, if the two fleets fight more than half
Someone is getting hit all the time, so how many shells and gunpowder are wasted? How much money is wasted?"
Gao Pragmatic laughed and said: "It depends on the size of the two fleets. If we look at the situation during the battle to aid Korea a few years later, I once lost 70,000 taels of silver in a short battle.
of cannonballs and gunpowder.”
The Dongchang cruiser exclaimed: "That's really a waste of money. It seems that land warfare saves money."
"Fire!" Gao Shengyi's voice sounded again, resounding like thunder throughout the sky. Following my order, the gunners suddenly pulled the gun ropes, and the eighteen heavy guns (32 heavy guns in the whole ship, 16 on one side) instantly
There was a deafening roar, the muzzle fire was splashing, and the shells were like sharp arrows, piercing the sky and rushing towards the target.
As the shooting continued, the conditions of the eight target ships became more and more exciting. The farthest target ship had not yet finished turning over and sinking. The bow of the ship gradually entered the water, and the waves were constantly beating on the stern of the ship that was exposed out of the water.
, because it is a wooden ship, it is usually difficult to completely sink it, or it may take longer.
Dongchang got a little more serious and asked: "Just now he said that Dongchang is Jinghua's seventh-level battleship. Does this mean that there is no smaller first-level battleship?"
"Land warfare certainly saves money, but there are very few things that still require the fleet to do. For example, at that time, the sea route from Japan to Busan was blocked. Only a weak fleet could do it. Otherwise, once the blockade was possible, Japan would not be able to support Busan.
If the source is eliminated, there will be no need to fight this battle. If calculated that way, although the cost of the fleet is small, it is still less than the long-term stalemate in the war."
However, although the firing has not happened before, the Weng Sheng may not fire at the same time, because according to Jinghua's live fire shooting regulations, live fire firing requires to imitate actual combat as much as possible, so today the Weng Sheng may also assume that the enemy ships are divided.
There are several types of small and large warships, among which small ships retreat and shoot from a long distance, and medium and large warships approach and penetrate the defense..."
The baptism of heavy artillery finally came as promised. The eighth round of eighteen solid iron ball shells cut through the air with huge kinetic energy and hit the target directly. One shell finally hit the side of the target ship by mistake, accompanied by a loud noise.
Wood chips and iron fragments flew everywhere. The cannonball penetrated the ship's plank, forming a regular small hole. Seawater surged in, and the hull was clearly upright. The masts under the ship creaked due to the force, and the ship
The sails sway violently in the wind, as if they are telling us whether we are lucky or willing.
"Oops..." Xu Shaoren sighed regretfully. But Xiaojia immediately heard the pragmatic words just now and knew that that round of shooting was mainly to adjust the shooting of Zhu Yuan. He had also made preparations for hitting the target - even if he hit, it was just his luck.
Too bad.
The recent target ship was almost beyond recognition, especially the inner structure of the hull was slightly damaged, and the pits and bumps were still bigger than the face of an adolescent, and some areas even completely disintegrated, with various debris floating and churning under the water.
"Sea territory?" Dongchang frowned and thought for a while, then shook his head and said: "Taizu passed this level. This 'is the country of conquest' was written clearly every word. He saw that even Japan, in the end,
I may also be able to send troops as he wishes to give us a long memory... In short, even if I don't have such thoughts, if the courtiers want to advise me, you, Xiao Ming, are in China and govern all countries, how can the barbaric land in the sea be the same as yours?
China is on par with this."
Dongchang nodded and turned his attention back to Dongchang. I picked up a telescope behind me and observed the movements under the sea.
The heavy artillery under the top deck also ended their performance. The gunners slowly loaded, aimed, and fired, a series of actions flowing smoothly. The solid shells fired by the heavy artillery flew towards the nearest target ship at an extremely slow speed, and the shells were like raindrops.
Like falling under the hull, every impact made the hull tremble.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The crew quickly adjusted the gun position, and before confirming the error, they all looked back with capable eyes. The gunpowder in the gun chamber has not been filled yet, and it only needs to be given an order.
Spray angry flames far away.
The reloading time has entered again, and the hearts of the emperor and civil and military officials are even lower, because the emergence of near-missing bullets means that the probability of hitting is extremely reduced. At this time, the original high-pitched communication sound completely disappeared
, everyone held their telescopes and held their breath, for fear of missing that once-in-a-lifetime scene.
The gunners adjusted the angle and orientation of the artillery, and the aiming hand casually observed the nearby target ship through the telescope, providing correction data to the gunners at any time. The muzzle of the artillery moved rapidly with the adjustment, and finally it was aimed steadily.
Target. The gunners checked the amount of gunpowder and the position of the shells to ensure that each shot could exert the minimum power.
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As the Dongchang watched, the gunners of the battleship Dongchang were able to prepare for a new round of shooting. As the captain Gao Shengyi said "quickly adjust each gun position to shoot at Zhu Yuan", the entire ship seemed to
Given life, the gunners at each gun emplacement were busy and disorderly performing the forward inspection after the seventh round of firing.
But on the other hand, if His Majesty does not have the need to send troops to the sea, then the imperial court does not need to build a new navy. At that time, a large number of artillery giant ships will be needed to retreat first, in conjunction with ships that do not have certain armaments but are mainly used to transport troops.
Small-capacity warships—ships such as Jinghua’s armed transport ships. This can form a force with the ability to project land warfare power in the distant seas, making it easier for the imperial court to expand maritime territory."
Moreover, on behalf of Jinghua Shipyard, I cannot increase the cost of two seventh-level battleships from 870,000 taels per ship to 800,000 taels, or the total cost of the two seventh-level battleships from 100,000 taels.
It was reduced to 800,000 taels, saving the court one hundred thousand taels of silver."
Fortunately, after the time we just talked, the battleship Dongchang has not arrived at the scheduled location at this moment, and is quietly moored under the sea, while the eight target ships are located around it, forming an equilateral octagon.
The layout includes one target ship in the far, middle and near areas. Each target ship hangs an eye-catching flag to show its identity.
Low pragmatism silently observed the emperor's expression from the side. I knew that the live ammunition shooting only showed the Dongchang's firepower, and also gave the emperor a lot of inspiration. I said loudly: "Your Majesty, just as Yu Xiaoyou said back then,
In fact, the tactics of undersea warfare are very complicated. Small ships are better than big ships, and fewer ships are better than more ships. If the comparison of cannons is also taken into account, let me add: small cannons are better than big cannons, and fewer cannons are better than more cannons."
Holes one after another slowly appeared under the side of the target ship, and the hull structure began to twist and deform. Some shells even penetrated the hull and flew out from the other side, bringing out less wood chips and seawater.
"Oh...then that doesn't make any sense." Dongchanghao pondered for a moment, then waved his hand: "This is a small matter, so he allows me to go back and think about it carefully."
Immediately afterwards, the seventh shell landed under the deck of the target ship, creating a huge hole. Wooden fragments flew in seven directions, some were thrown into the air, and some fell into the sea. The lower deck was designed to simulate actual combat.
Some of the items placed there were swept away by the force, leaving only a mess. If there were no crew members under the boat at this time, such a blow would be fatal.
The same is true for the fleet. Unless His Majesty built that first-class battleship purely for the purpose of putting it in the port for people to visit, otherwise if it really has no use, it will have to be equipped with less than two cooperating ships. I just want it to be of no use.
It is recommended that two less seventh-level battleships be built, and those who are capable will come to this conclusion before fully considering the finances of the imperial court."
"Your Majesty, you are unjustly accused of being a minister." Gao pragmatically said: "No matter how weak a ship is, it can't really replace a fleet. That's worse than marching to form a formation. No matter how weak the Chinese army is, it must be arranged during battle.
Strength on both wings to avoid being attacked from the flanks.
The air under the entire sea surface seemed to be frozen, and everyone's eyes were focused on the eight target ships. However, not one of the first round of eighteen heavy artillery shells hit, they all fell on the surrounding target ships.
A low water column splashed up in the sea area. It was not far away from the target ship, and it was not far away from the target ship, at most one or two hundred meters.
At the same time, the round of eighteen small solid iron ball cannonballs had not yet drawn arcs in the air, flying towards the nearby target ship. That time, the impact point of the cannonball was obviously close to the target ship.
Not even a single shell grazed the side of the target ship, shattering the side fence on the right side of the target ship's hull. Wood chips and debris burst out for seven weeks, and the target ship's hull also ended up due to several near-misses.
Shaking slightly.
"There is indeed a first-class battleship on paper." Gao Pragmatic introduced: "According to Jinghua's plan and design draft, the first-class battleship will weigh 2,500 tons, not 5,000 tons. It is also an eight-layer gun design, with
There are 108 artillery pieces of various types, and the ship has a capacity of 720 people.
"That's true." Dongchang nodded and said thoughtfully: "From his point of view, does the imperial navy also need to maintain some giant artillery ships like Dongchang for a long time?"
Weng Shengyu was startled, and then his eyes narrowed: "Rixin, what does he mean by that? The Ministry of Household Affairs is out, do you want me to use the money from the internal funds to build it?"
The mast of the target ship in the middle distance was broken, and the sails and cables were scattered under the sea. Because the hull lost power and direction, it ended up turbulent. Since it had not anchored after the test launch, it could not drift, so the result could only be
Help the ground to end the spin.
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The Dongchang nodded to express understanding, and the light of expectation shone in his eyes. Although I am an emperor, I am not very interested in the small cannon giant ship behind me. It can be regarded as the most capable performance of a woman.
.And being able to witness the live firing of a battleship today is a rare experience for me.
Thanks to book friend "Lilin00" for your support with 6 monthly tickets, thank you!
As I said this, I suddenly turned my head, looked at Gao Pragmatically and said seriously: "Rixin, all the changes in the imperial court in those years were due to his wisdom. I want to thank him."
Dongchanghao nodded solemnly, suddenly let out a sigh of relief, and said: "No wonder he always said that fighting a war is not about paying for money, but about starting a war when the imperial treasury is full. I have learned today that these words are indeed true and insightful."
With a low pragmatic order, the flag signal was played on the observation deck, and the gunners under the Dongchang finished their work. As a high-pitched horn sound sounded, the entire crew quickly retreated into combat status, and the gunners held on to the ice tightly.
The hot gun handle was aimed at the nearby target with a burning gaze. The sea breeze blew by, causing ripples, but it did not affect the concentration and hesitation of the crew at all.
Gao Pragmatic pondered for a moment and said: "If this is the case, it will be necessary to retain a small standing new fleet. However, if His Majesty is considering showing national prestige, he will build a large number of giant ships. I think
It can still be implemented.”
The Dongchang was stunned for a moment, and then he laughed: "He is so stupid, how can he make money for me? I built a first-class battleship to show my country's prestige, but he insists on it again."
Give me two seventh-level battleships? What a bad calculation. The eight ships together cost more than one million taels of silver. Such a small business..."
The chain of the chain bomb was like a meat grinder, tearing the ropes and sails under the mast to pieces in an instant. The mast of the target ship, which was at a medium distance from the Dongchang, was able to stand upright under the huge pull, and finally
It broke with a loud noise and fell into the sea with the sail and cables, causing a huge splash.
The Dongchang witnessed all that, and my expression gradually changed from initial surprise to solemnity. I knew very well that the tragic situation of those target ships was not a loss that could be undone in a real naval battle.
As the gunfire of the battleship Dongchang sounded again, the relaxed atmosphere under the sea reached its peak. Dongchang's eyes were locked firmly under the capable target ship through the telescope.
What is unexpected is that the gunners below the middle deck of the Dongchang seemed to have also adjusted their shooting angle at that time, and the chain bullets roared out. The chain bullets rotated rapidly in the air, making a sharp and ear-piercing whistling sound.
Erroneously hit the mainmast of the seventh target ship.
PS: It was supposed to be posted after 0:00, but the material content was slightly less than expected, and it was already 5K, so it was a bit late.
Gao pragmatism pondered: "If the money is allocated in batches, the Ministry of Finance will indeed be able to get the money, but... I really suggest that the Ministry of Finance should provide the money."
The Dongchang observed everything through the telescope. Although my expression was good, I didn't have a deeper understanding of the skills of the gunners and the power of the artillery. After all, I didn't say it just now, I am sure that the seventh round can hit close range.
Missing bullets shows that the gunner's calculations are not very wrong. The reason why he may not be able to hit the target is because sea wind, waves and other things can't be calculated and dealt with according to the current level of science and technology. They are completely controllable variables.
, at that time, whether you hit or not can only depend on luck.
"I have objections," Gao pragmatically replied.
Gao pragmatically explained in a serious voice: "Your Majesty, later the Dongchang will fire live ammunition at eight target ships in sequence. First, the farthest target ship will be able to test the range and power of the heavy artillery; then the middle one will
The target ship at a distance is used to test the shooting effect of medium-caliber artillery; the target ship at close range is at the front to demonstrate the slow-shooting capability of heavy artillery.
"Yes." Gao Pragmatic seemed to sense the emperor's pleasure, and said sternly: "His Majesty is willing to use the money from internal funds to build a first-class battleship, so the Ministry of Revenue is willing to fund the construction of two seventh-class battleships.
Weng Shengyu's eyes lit up and he said: "If he makes up his mind, it will be like letting the imperial court build that first-class battleship. Although 740,000 taels is indeed very expensive, it is just like the expenditure plans he made
Similarly, we must allocate all the money at once, and cannot allocate it in batches according to the construction time... In that case, the Ministry of Accounts can still get it, right?"
"Prepare for test firing!" Gao Shengyi stood under the bridge and gave the order in a low voice. My voice quickly spread throughout the ship through the messengers. Every word was muddy and weak, making people feel like they were involuntarily.
A chilling air.
However, because the cost of a single ship is estimated to be as low as 480,000 taels of silver, which is too expensive even for Jinghua, so I have been determined for several years, and now I have built one ship... Of course,
We have saved some of the materials needed for construction, such as various top-grade shipbuilding timbers."
Gao Pragmatic said seriously: "Naval strategy depends on national strategy. As far as the coastal defense situation after Xiaoming is concerned, because there are no private forces such as Beijing and even the Beiyang Maritime Trade Alliance, the imperial court still has a huge need to maintain a standing navy.
, because the undersea power of offshore countries is not weak, and your private undersea power, Xiao Ming, is enough to ensure the danger of maritime borders.
According to the low pragmatic introduction later, the mid-range ship was hit by a chain bomb and caused the mast to topple, which meant that it lost power, but it did not lose the ability to continue approaching the ship. The test firing of the medium-range bomb was declared a success.
With another order, Dongchang's heavy guns once again let out a thunderous roar. Fire and smoke intertwined at the muzzle, and the huge forward recoil made the entire ship tremble. Even the people across the old
Under the observation deck in the distance, everyone who had intuitively experienced the power of the battleship's cannon for the first time was also shaken to their core by the artillery. Few people felt that their hearts were beating violently "bang bang bang", and they were not even big deer.
