Using a thunder head made of a beautiful woman's head, the Bofors steam gas torpedo basically does not have the common defect of not exploding after hitting the target, which is a very common defect for torpedoes in this era, and this is why this type of torpedo still firmly controls the market.
, more than a third of the same torpedoes imitated by the British will not explode after hitting, unless the torpedo is purchased from Bofors.
Three heavy-duty torpedoes with a combined 600 kilograms of antimony and antimony charges exploded instantly under the waterline of the Oregon. A huge fire ball arched up the starboard side with a water column that reached the sky, looking like magma ejected from the seabed.
The huge power and water pressure impact suddenly shattered the armor of the Oregon's waterline, and then tore a large hole more than 60 meters long under the armor belt of this latest battleship, with tens of thousands of tons of sea water
Under the pressure of his own weight, he poured it in crazily, and in the blink of an eye, the huge body began to tilt to one side.
This scene shocked all the officers and soldiers on the warships of the United States and Spain that were fighting on the sea. Even the captains of the two destroyers who had just fired the torpedoes did not expect that this thing was so powerful. They all held up their binoculars and looked at
There was astonishment.
In fact, except when the Guangyi sank the Akijinshu, this was the first time the Bofors torpedo showed its power in actual combat. Although that naval battle has become a model for naval research in various countries, the Akijinshu is only a small protected cruiser after all.
That it was sunk all at once can only be said to be surprising, not to say outrageous.
But this is a first-class battleship, the true king of the sea, a symbol of a country's maritime status, a strategic-class sea fortress worth tens of millions of dollars each, but in the end, two ships were worth only more than one million dollars.
The small destroyer was killed. You know, the Oregon didn't even take a single shell.
At this moment, Admiral Cervera on the Empress Theresa felt that his world view collapsed.
Rear Admiral Sampson's world view on the Indiana also collapsed. He never expected that the first battle damage would actually occur in his own fleet. And it was the Oregon, the number one main force, and there were only a few minutes before the battle started, and this battle
The tragedy was completely avoidable. It was all just because he underestimated his opponent. In the final analysis, he, like Cervera, did not take these small destroyers seriously. If it were the German or British generals who had enough experience in exercises, they would not make this mistake.
This is wrong. The British Navy has not yet figured out how to ensure that when a Sovereign-class battleship faces a Viper-class destroyer alone, it will not run into the torpedo firing range.
"Damn it. The four ships behind the messenger, the USS Olympia, USS Atlanta, USS Boston, and USS Raleigh, are to attack the three ships of the Queen Theresa and drive away these damn wild dogs!" Looking at the rapidly sinking Oregon, he said to
He shouted at his fleet chief of staff, Commodore Dewey, because there was no need for an Asian squadron. So General Dewey had no stage to display his abilities, and now he had no choice but to follow Sampson. His Asian squadron in history was now absolutely useless.
Most were also in the Atlantic Fleet.
If Sampson had done this from the beginning, maybe the Oregon would not have fallen to this point. Unfortunately, there is no if in this world. He went out in front of the fourth ship of the Olympia and aimed directly at the three ships of the Queen Theresa.
When the destroyers arrived on the right, these small warships also discovered their intentions. The six destroyers immediately accelerated to escape. The high speed of 35 knots made all the American warships have no choice but to watch them escape into the distance.
However, these small destroyers, whose morale is currently high, are not running away. They are giving way to their own battleships. The six destroyers that ran to a safe distance then drew a huge arc on the sea. Actually, six destroyers were running parallel to each other.
He headed straight for the Atlanta at the rear.
Seeing this situation, the four ships of the Olympia were not interested in flanking the Empress Theresa. They quickly stared at these small warships with all their attention. All the artillery of various calibers opened fire wildly before the destroyers could enter the range. However, what caused them to collapse
Yes, these small warships are actually as good at playing naval guns as they are.
Although the 75th naval gun is not very powerful, these small guns have a range comparable to those of the large-caliber main guns on cruisers. Even most of the artillery of the fourth ship of the Olympia cannot shoot farther than them. Both sides are firing at each other almost at the same time.
Open fire. At this time, the Americans realized that not only did they have a range of nearly ten kilometers, but they also had a terrifying rate of fire of dozens of rounds per minute. The six destroyers had twenty-four 75-gun guns on the bows, and they just hit four large protected cruisers.
It became a sea of fire.
The American sailors struggled to hold on amidst the bitter sour flames and poisonous smoke, aiming and shooting with all their strength, hoping to stop the advance of these destroyers. Fortunately, their efforts paid off, and they hit 35 hits at a distance of nearly ten kilometers.
Although the knotted small boat is incredible, it is obvious that the Americans were lucky today. Two destroyers were hit one after another, and one of them was on fire. They had to retreat. The remaining four ships also retreated, but they did not leave.
Continue to stare at the four Olympia ships from a distance, ready to pounce again at any time.
With them watching eagerly from the side, the four Olympia ships did not dare to attack the Empress Theresa. The six destroyers held back four large protected cruisers.
"It's too fast. You're basically invincible at this speed." Dewey exclaimed as he watched this scene.
"They are too small and can only be attacked by sneak attacks. Once they encounter the intensive firepower of the large fleet, an upright attack will only lead to death. A random 203mm artillery shell can sink them in one fell swoop." Sampson said disdainfully.
, as soon as he said this, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, and he and Dewey turned their eyes forward at the same time. These destroyers were indeed too small, but there were bigger ones opposite him!
"Quickly, order the New York and the Brooklyn to attack the Princess Astraas immediately. Be careful of the Bishop Snenos and Tocana, as well as the destroyers behind them." Following Samp.
Sen's anxious order, the armored cruisers New York and Brooklyn behind them also left the Queen Theresa and moved forward to attack the three diesel cruisers from the flank.
Almost at the same time they moved forward, the Bishop Snenos on the opposite side obviously also thought of Sampson's concerns. The four-thousand-ton armored cruiser immediately increased its speed to a top speed of thirty knots, pushing against the Indiana.
Intense artillery fire rushed towards it, and there were also two triple torpedo launch tubes on its bow.
The sailors on the Indiana were so frightened by this scene that they did not want to be buried in the sea like the sailors on the Oregon. So far, not a single living person has emerged from the whirlpool! No one is waiting for anything at this time.
The order was given, not even caring about their main opponent, the Princess Astraas, and all available artillery fire was directed towards the Bishop Snenos.
The 330 main gun, the 203 secondary gun, the 152 secondary gun, and even the 76 secondary gun added up to dozens of rounds per minute, desperately pouring shells towards this terrible enemy, and the flames of the explosion instantly enveloped it.
Bishop Snenos, unfortunately, this Soryu-class cruiser produced by the Swedish Young Shipyard made extensive use of watertight cabin design during construction, and used the best alloy armor available today, as well as the less powerful nitrocellulose shells on the Indiana.
, I really can’t do anything about it for a while.
Fortunately, the firepower of the New York and the two ships also joined the blockade at this time, especially the 330 main gun on the Indiana exploded, and actually hit two consecutive hits, and one of them even hit the command tower, knocking out the Bishop.
The captain was seriously injured, and in the temporary confusion, the cruiser, which had actually entered the torpedo range, finally retreated because it was not very sure.
Although its raid was temporarily prevented, the poor Indiana was also beaten into a mess by the remaining two enemy ships. Even the front main gun was blown up. In addition, it also lost a secondary gun, which had sharp firepower.
It was reduced by one-third. Fortunately, the New York and the Brooklyn arrived at this time, and the three ships combined their efforts to escape the fate of the Oregon.
But even so, Sampson broke out in a cold sweat. He found that he was actually lucky today, because it was obvious that the opponent was also unfamiliar with these high-speed ships and torpedoes. It was only during the battle that he gradually began to understand his own advantages.
Otherwise, three cruisers came up to attack at the same time, and at this time, he was already on the seabed with the Oregon.
Fortunately, at this time, the three ships, the Massachusetts, the Maine, and the Tennessee, which were engaged in a fierce battle with the Queen Theresa, also achieved their first victory, a completely expected result.
The Spanish ship Oquendo was sunk.
This armored cruiser with a displacement of 6,000 tons has been challenging the Massachusetts alone. The two sides are not at the same level at all. What's more, the armor of these battleships built by the Spaniards is very thin. It is already good enough to last until now. In 330
Under the bombardment of the millimeter giant cannon, it quickly lost its combat effectiveness. Then the Massachusetts, which was rushed to close range, penetrated the armored belt with its main gun and sank. This result somewhat restored the morale of the Americans, and cheers erupted on the sea.
.
However, just as the Oquendo sank, something incredible happened to everyone. The six destroyers that were originally hiding behind the Astrias suddenly rushed out and attacked the Massachusetts, Burma and Burma respectively.
The Inn and the Tennessee each fired two torpedoes.
Looking at the approaching torpedo tracks in the distance, the sailors on these three warships even had an unreal feeling. You must know that they are separated by at least ten kilometers. Such a distance can even connect the main guns on many warships.
It can't even be reached, let alone this is a torpedo. It would be a fantasy to hit it from such a distance!