Munitions Empire

A chaotic war presents a significant challenge for the decision-makers and commanders on both sides. It tests their abilities and challenges their understanding.

Bernard was utterly bewildered by everything unfolding before him; he truly didn't understand why the enemy would make such strange decisions.

He personally witnessed the enemy's sail warships splitting into two groups, moving in opposite directions.

Several warships turned their rudders to the left and broke away from their own fleet, fleeing without looking back. Meanwhile, most of the enemy ships were now turning their rudders to the right, seemingly intending to take a position across his path.

Following a brief moment of stupor, Bernard suddenly realized that he didn't know what to do about the current battle situation. He couldn't fathom what was going on in the mind of the enemy commander.

Clearly, most of the warships were following the command to engage his fleet in a decisive battle; otherwise, they wouldn't be positioning themselves across his course.

But then there were a few other ships, executing the opposite command, preparing to leave the entire battlefield—an action that was obviously illogical.

Clueless about the enemy's motives, he was at a loss about how to respond.

There was no precedent for this in their own exercises; commanders on both sides would find ways to turn defeat into victory, fighting to the last man rather than conceding easily.

Thus, in Bernard's mind, the possibility of the enemy's chaos and rout was subconsciously dismissed; he had almost no experience with such scenarios.

In the Great Tang Military Academy, the students wouldn't normally consider the option of retreat. After all, in both equipment training and tactical thinking, they were far ahead of the era.

"Dividing forces... what is going on?" Finally, he decided to consult his aide for a different perspective.

The aide was also unsure about the current situation. In his view, the enemy splitting forces under such disarray equated to seeking their own destruction.

"I don't know, Commander... However, I think we should dispatch a warship to follow those ships!" After pondering, the aide spoke up.

"Hmm?" Bernard looked toward his aide, waiting for an explanation.

Choosing his words carefully, the aide continued, "The enemy has traveled from afar, they definitely have supply transport ships nearby. Perhaps... there might be a discovery."

After thinking it over, Bernard nodded in agreement with the aide's suggestion: "I agree with your opinion. Let Brunas 6, which is following at the rear, pursue the ships on the left!"

"Understood!" The aide immediately went to issue the order.

Thus, under General Valen's binoculars, the Great Tang Group's fleet also dispersed. One warship, billowing with smoke, charged towards those escaping sail warships, while the rest headed straight for him.

Then, the warships fell into line, readying their broadsides. The gun turrets on the warships remained trained in the direction of his fleet.

Quickly, really quickly—the Great Tang Group's warships adjusted their firing angles and continued bombarding Taren Kingdom's sailboats, which were much depleted by then.

It was a truly desperate slaughter; every sail warship hit by the 150mm caliber guns met a tragic fate.

It was a one-sided massacre, with one side attacking and the other passively enduring the blows. On the Taren Kingdom's warships, about a kilometer away and powerless to return fire, the sailors could only watch in horror as their comrades' ships were sunk and their friends perished.

"Boom!" With a loud explosion, another warship was hit by a shell. With optical sights, the accuracy of the guns at 1000 meters was devastatingly high.

The ship that was hit in the stern lost most of its tail, and without a rudder, it could only slow down and leave the formation.

But this was definitely good news for them, as they might not sink immediately and would no longer have to face the dreadful onslaught of fire.

Shortly after, another warship was hit by a 150mm shell and was blown apart into pieces.

Those who have not faced gunfire cannot comprehend its true power. The artillery, known as the God of War, is not praised without reason.

Even in the twenty-first century, countries didn't completely relinquish artillery; in fact, there was even an intention to further enhance its use.

The destructive power of a shell was also much greater than anyone could imagine. Even a 37mm secondary gun firing at a steel hull could punch a hole as big as a washbasin! ṟåℕօᛒЕ§

What's more, they were now using 150mm guns against wooden planks. Just look at the steel-reinforced concrete buildings destroyed by 150mm howitzer shells—those are tens or hundreds of times harder than wooden hulls...

This shelling was truly devastating, toppling even the masts, and not a single ship was spared. One of the warships had a huge hole blasted through its hull, with everything near it destroyed.

Not even sparing a glance at their thoroughly decimated warship, the passing fleet of the Great Tang Group charged toward their next target.

As the number of Taren Kingdom warships dwindled, both sides unleashed a barrage of fire along their battle lines. This time, the Taren warships couldn't afford to focus on accuracy or orders, and they fired their cannons in a frenzy of desperation.

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The distance between the two fleets remained between 1000 and 800 meters, with the Taren fleet attempting to close the gap, only to realize their efforts were completely ineffective.

So, at an almost impossible range for hitting their targets, the Taren warships fired wildly, as if venting their rage.

The result was that only a few shells hit the warships of the Great Tang Group, and those that did were mostly unable to damage the steel hulls of the ships.

In contrast, the quality of the Great Tang Group's gunfire was astonishing. Almost every salvo managed to cripple a Taren warship.

Eventually, under immense psychological pressure and on the brink of total collapse, several more vessels from the Taren fleet desperately fled, turning their course to port without any regard for the consequences.

This flight threw the already diminished fleet into even greater disarray.

General Valen had fallen into despair, realizing that he could no longer command the fleet, for there were no ships left that would heed his orders.

The remaining vessels, a pitiful number less than twenty, were on the verge of being completely annihilated. It seemed the Taren Kingdom's lifeline at sea was about to be severed.

Even if a few ships managed to escape, it would no longer change the outcome. The Taren Kingdom was finished—completely and utterly finished!

All dreams of dominating the oceans, all the benefits of annexing Hotwind Port, had dissipated like clouds, fleeting and ephemeral.

As he watched his fleet disintegrate and his once brave captains fleeing in panic with their ships, he knew he had lost, and lost completely.

He had lost not only his future and everything he had but also the fate of the entire Taren Kingdom.

That was a navy of sixty-odd ships—first-rate sailing warships! Those were the foundation that the Taren Kingdom had painstakingly built up, one ship at a time!

A hundred-year navy is not just about the cultivation of naval technical talent or the establishment of a maritime nation; it is also about the accumulation of the warships themselves…

Building a wooden sailing warship is not as simple as one might imagine. The timber used for these warships takes decades to grow and years to dry, soaked in tung oil before it's finally ready to use.

So, the replenishment of several dozen large warships at once is simply out of the question. Just like the Poplar Kingdom, which virtually lost its naval supremacy after losing over thirty vessels.

This time, with even more ships lost, the Taren Kingdom faced an even grimmer reality—after all, they were not a kingdom with vast inland territory like the Poplar Kingdom; they were an island nation.

An island nation losing command of the sea is far more terrifying than a continental nation facing the same fate. By comparison, if the loss of maritime power means that Germany has cut off one of its arms, then the United Kingdom losing maritime power is akin to suicidal decapitation…

The remaining ships, now less than twenty, were unable to hold their ground because the fleet of the Great Tang Group was still attacking, relentlessly so!

Another volley of heavy cannon fire struck, sinking another Taren warship. Now, only fifteen vessels of the Taren Kingdom remained.

Yes, only fifteen remained. From the formation that had only recently numbered nineteen, three had turned tail and fled. Among the ones left, another was now struck and sunk.

Within Valen's line of sight, a ship raised a white flag, only to still be attacked by cannon fire, billowing thick smoke.

It seemed the opposing side had neither the patience to take prisoners nor any intention of sparing the Taren fleet.

Finally, Valen realized he had to do something to salvage his own honor or, perhaps, to cling to the last vestige of hope.

He turned to the ashen-faced officers beside him and shouted, "Quick! Relay my orders! The fleet must turn hard to port! Leave this sea area… Scatter! Let whoever can escape... escape!

Then, the commanders of the remaining ships, in a state of shock and despair, received a maddening order: "Disperse and leave the battlefield. Find a way to return to the Taren Kingdom."

But they quickly realized that it may already be too late for escape.

Because two more ships had been struck down and sunk…

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