On May 11th, the twelfth year of Qian Sheng, in the eastern waters of the Kingdom of Lieji, a ship with distinctive features sailed in this sea area.
If you know something about the Daheng Empire's navy, you will be able to tell at a glance that these battleships are Yuanlin-class destroyers belonging to the Daheng Empire.
This warship is the largest series of ocean-going combat warships built and put into service by the Daheng Empire Navy since its unification. More than 30 ships have been built and put into service. It is the largest number of ocean-going combat ships currently in service in the Daheng Empire. .
After several years of development and multiple batches of upgrades, even the tonnage has gradually increased from 1,000 tons in the first batch to 1,300 tons in the latest batch.
If it were placed in other countries, it would probably be one batch per level, but the Daheng Empire Navy doesn't really like to do it this way, but prefers to do it in series.
Therefore, Yuanlin-class destroyers, strictly speaking, belong to a series of destroyers, divided into two categories and six batches, basically a new batch every year, gradually improving performance.
The latest batch of Yuanlin-class destroyers, the Lightning Strike model, which started construction this year, is equipped with a series of new power technologies such as coal-fired fuel-injection boilers and water-tube boilers. The speed has been increased to 27 knots, and hardened armor is used to strengthen the side hull protection. It can effectively resist the attack of small-caliber rapid-fire artillery, and the corresponding tonnage has also been increased to 1,300 tons.
However, although the Yuanlin-class destroyers have been upgraded and have multiple batches, their basic appearance characteristics and combat positioning have not changed.
This type of destroyer is a fleet model that emphasizes rapid-fire gun firepower and endurance. Its main combat mission is to accompany the battleship, act as a close guard for the battleship, and use intensive rapid-fire firepower to conduct anti-lightning operations.
In addition, there are ordinary models, which are widely used for various chores, including overseas garrison, escort, patrol, etc., replacing a large number of tactical positions of third-class cruisers in the previous fleet.
The lightning strike model emphasizes high speed, lightning strike capability, and torpedo attack capability.
Although limited by the shortcomings of contemporary torpedo technology, the Yuanlin-class destroyer's lightning strike capability was not brought into play in the last Battle of Bova. However, the destroyer's ocean combat capabilities, coupled with high speed and rapid-fire gun firepower, still make it possible to use It can effectively undertake the combat missions of many third-class cruisers.
This is why the Daheng Empire did not build a large number of third-class cruisers like other navies, but only built a small number of Yuchi-class third-class cruisers, and the design purpose of the Yuchi-class third-class cruisers was to use this class of ships as The destroyer fleet leader uses, to a certain extent, the Tamachi-class third-class cruiser, which is a further enlarged destroyer.
Judging from the design and construction ideas of the Yuchi-class cruiser and Yuanlin-class series destroyers, it can be clearly seen that the Daheng Empire Navy is completely different from other navies in the development of light ships.
The Daheng Empire Navy pays more attention to light ships of more than 1,000 tons. Relatively speaking, it is not very interested in the enlargement of simple torpedo boats. Although it has also built some second-class destroyers of more than 500 tons, but after building six, There is no further explanation, and this second-class destroyer is not suitable for transoceanic operations, so this time the mobile fleet does not carry a second-class destroyer, let alone a third-class destroyer.
Yuanlin-class destroyers have been built in large numbers, served extensively, and have been around for a long time. Therefore, navies around the world basically know that there are a large number of such destroyers in the Daheng Empire Navy.
The appearance of this Yuanlin-class destroyer in the Bova waters naturally means that the Daheng Navy is coming!
Surrounding the ship, there are four other warships flying the flag of the Daheng Navy. They all belong to the Fifth Destroyer Fleet of the Daheng Empire Navy's First Mobile Fleet and are led by Sun Yuanwei, the Daheng Empire's junior navy officer.
The destroyer fleet exists as the vanguard of the first fleet, walking in front of the fleet, and the distance between them is relatively large, in order to search the sea area ahead and provide early warning for the main fleet behind.
To the right of the fifth destroyer is the third destroyer fleet.
A total of ten warships from the two destroyer fleets were searching forward in a semicircle. Because the weather conditions were good, the distance between each warship in the two destroyer fleets was actually very far. Without a telescope, it was actually only
Only a vague shadow can be seen.
After each ship is spread out, its coverage area is very wide, enough to provide sufficient warning time for the battleships behind it.
Behind the search fleet is a high-speed mobile formation composed of the Third Cruiser Fleet and the Fourth Cruiser Fleet, led by two Fengyang-class armored cruisers and composed of six Kelan-class armored cruisers.
The eight armored cruisers in the formation include four Crane-class armored cruisers that participated in the Battle of Bova, and the commander of the formation is Lieutenant Commander of the Navy Ren Zhongping.
Behind it on the right side is a battleship formation composed of four Jingzhou-class battleships. This third battleship formation is also the core formation of the First Mobile Fleet. Needless to say, its combat power is powerful. This formation is led by Admiral Weng Zhexi.
Qing personally directs.
At the same time, several battleships of the Fourth Destroyer Fleet served as escorts on both wings.
Behind the battleship formation are the four Zhendong-class second-class cruisers in the sixth cruiser formation behind them.
Because the Zhendong-class second-class cruiser is still a dome-armored cruiser, and in the last Battle of Bova, the dome-armored cruisers on both sides did not perform well, and both suffered heavy losses. This is because although the dome-armored cruiser
It seems that the use of dome armor saves armor tonnage, and the use of coal bunkers as auxiliary protection means, but this method is okay in the era of non-rapid-fire guns. However, after the era of rapid-fire guns comes, this protection mode has problems.
A large number of rapid-fire cannon shells directly drilled holes in the side of the dome-armored cruiser, which can directly destroy a large number of gun emplacements on this type of warship and kill a large number of personnel.
How should I put it? Medium-caliber rapid-fire guns pose too great a threat to a warship without side armor.
In the Battle of Bova, the four Crane-class armored cruisers were also attacked by a large number of 120mm rapid-fire cannons from Garfia, and were hit by many bullets. However, due to their excellent protective performance, these rapid-fire cannon shells did not
Although it caused too many casualties to the Crane-class armored cruisers, these four battleships maintained their combat effectiveness from beginning to end.
After returning to Lane Military Base, I can make some repairs and use it to fight again.
On the other hand, the two Xia Lin-class second-class cruisers, after all, are dome-armored cruisers of more than 4,000 tons, and they are still lying on the slipway for repairs.