I Became a Captain of the British Empire

Caribbean Naval Battle (3)

The bridge of the battlecruiser ‘Repulse’.

I put my hand on the window and looked out. The right hand holding the binoculars trembled.

My eyes are shaking. The twisted heartbeat travels through the blood vessels and dominates every corner of the body.

The gunfire turned into a hot wind and brushed my cheeks.

“The first round of fire!”

Repulse’s No. 1 gun turret roared alone. I squinted my eyes at the roar. But I didn’t let go of my binoculars.

The distance from the enemy ship is less than 20,000.

We were barely within range of each other.

“Enemy ship, return fire!”

“Change location! Raise the signal and turn the key! Uro 25!”

“Uro 25!”

Repulse turned, and Tiger crossed behind him. Tiger, who turned the ship at an angle, fired a salvo as it was. All eight main guns were on fire.

“The gunnery field! Tiger shot! Be careful of landing confirmation!”

“Yes, I checked!”

Moments later, Repulse also opened fire with her four remaining guns. As soon as the gunfire hit my ears, I immediately gave an order.

“Send a signal and turn the key! 25 to the left!”

“25 to the left!”

Shortly after turning the key, the steel hull tilted. The bow turned back pushing the waves. Soon after, the watchman screamed as if screaming.

“Red bullets are coming!”

Several columns of water gushed up behind Puffung-Repulse. A strong splash of water hit the ship’s hull. Around the time the surface of the water became normal again, the watchman posted a report.

“A shot, it’s still close.”

“Isn’t that right… .”

Near the enemy battlecruiser, the rising water column was clearly far from the ship’s hull. Since it is fired during rapid maneuvering, safety is obviously reduced. I’m sorry but I can’t help it.

“Up to 15,000 is approached like this. If you go that far, you can get an effective hit!”

He clenched his fists tightly and said to the officer.

He nodded his head with a hard face.

“I’ll try to hold on somehow.”

As if in response to the resolve, the main gun spits fire.

* * *

The bridge of the battlecruiser Constalation.

“Two enemy battlecruisers! Continued Approaching! Distance 18,000!”

A cry of astonishment entered the bridge. The captain looked back at the admiral with nervous eyes.

“Now it’s really close combat. Admiral!”

“In Jutland, we fought at shorter distances than this. What are you so afraid of?”

Admiral Ian only responded like that. The captain couldn’t stay still when he heard that.

No matter what Jutland says, it’s already been well over 10 years.

“Admiral, it’s different now! Even at this distance, they can deliver enough effective hits!”

“Are you not trusting the defense of this ship?”

The admiral glanced at him with narrow eyes. The captain shrugged and stopped. At the moment of tension, the admiral opened his mouth again.

“Well, I guess. I am not overconfident either.”

The admiral shrugged lightly. The captain had to struggle again to hold back the insults. The admiral calmly turned his head to look at the chief of staff and continued.

“But I’m not stupid enough to choose the option of running away. More than that, the enemy’s maneuver seems to be the problem now.”

“Both ships are maneuvering by alternating positions.”

Admiral Ian nodded with satisfaction to the chief of staff who immediately replied.

It was as it was said. The two battlecruisers approaching Constellation were steadily closing the distance, dodging between the water columns.

“It’s a situation where we could collide, but we manage to keep our breath together. Haven’t our gunnery commanders adapted yet?”

“yes! Hits are coming soon!”

After answering in a loud voice, the captain approached Jeon Seong-gwan. The admiral continued to talk with the chief of staff behind the back-and-forth.

“At least in the Ranger, it’s hard to expect a hit.”

“Because the target is doing that from the rear. It doesn’t seem too bad to concentrate fire on the lead ship.”

“That way, the aft ships can fully deploy their firepower unhindered.”

He said as he looked at the sea struggling with gunfire. Numerous columns of water were rising beside his flagship.

“And they’re both shooting at this flagship.”

“You’re trying to break the chain of command and give yourself a chance to escape.”

The chief of staff replied in a calm tone. The admiral sighed alone. Concern was his share as the decision-maker.

“I can’t help but think that way for now. So, chief of staff, what about the destroyers?”

“I just sent a signal.”

quick judgment.

The admiral raised the corners of his mouth one by one.

“good. Let’s go to the operation.”

On both sides of the smoke screen that was scattered on the blue horizon, there was a long line of smoke from the destroyer’s chimney. The smoke from the main artillery fire passed in front of the bridge window.

* * *

The water column sinks. Let’s put our heads up first. The soaked deck is visible. In front of the burnt-down main turret No. 2, the surviving turret No. 1 emits a roar.

At the same time as the smoke flashed, I looked back at the helmsman.

“Turn the key! 25 to the left!”

“25 to the left!”

Gunfire flashes in the distance. U.S. battlecruiser salvo fire. A storm that covered the sea approaches Repulse.

In an instant, my eyes froze.

To be precise, the floor is tilted. The repulse, which received momentum and turned, passed the tiger as it was.

“Red bullets are coming!”

As the distance was shortened, the impact time also decreased noticeably. Scary to lower my head, the shock shook the bridge.

“Report the situation!”

“Red bullets, close-up bullets!”

“The bulkhead is flooded!”

The sound of the footsteps of the conservatives echoes all the way to the bridge.

Even if it was a close-range bullet, the impact was transmitted to the unarmored compartment, and the damage continued to accumulate. Its speed has already been reduced to 23 knots.

Damn, my mind is sleepy.

I approached the front of the Jeonseonggwan and shouted as it was.

“The gunnery field! Hit bullet yet!”

“sorry! I will make a narrow gap soon!”

I wanted to bite my tongue, but I barely held it back.

Shooting during rapid maneuvering is probably the limit.

There were moments when I missed the right time to fire and couldn’t pull the trigger at all.

At least this is a good thing. Things are just too bad.

“Chief of the flyer, the enemy can’t even fire a hit.”

The officer from the side said. His tone was trembling too, but his expression was barely visible.

“It seems that the situation is still the same whether over there or over there.”

“Once the activation pattern is read, it’s over. There is no time for this.”

A situation that is no different from a deadline.

To make matters worse, an alert was sent from the destroyer warying the left and right.

“Acates, enter the battle in Acasta! Enemy destroyer approaching! 270 and 180 bearing respectively! Distance 7,000!”

I quickly turned my head.

Destroyers rushing in smoke from both sides. Our destroyers try to stop them with gunfire, but they are too few in number. 6v2 fight. In an instant, Acasta’s ship is engulfed in a column of water.

“Tell the destroyer to retreat this way and engage the auxiliary battery.”

“Yes, Admiral!”

The sound of the secondary cannon echoes through the deck. There is only one surviving secondary battery, the rear secondary battery, but since it is a turret type, it can be aimed from either side.

That was fortunate. Tiger’s secondary battery was intact, but only the starboard gun was firing. The course of the approaching destroyer was engulfed in a column of water.

Well, though, Tiger’s 6-inch secondary cannon is powerful enough for that. Like naval guns in the battleship era, secondary batteries stored on both sides continuously fire. In an instant, a destroyer is engulfed in flames and explodes.

Embarrassed enemy destroyers all turned around and showed their broadside. Something fell off the deck and splashed on the water.

“Enemy destroyer, torpedo fire!”

“Check the torpedoes!”

He gritted his teeth and gave the order.

This is serious.

“They’re trying to corner us.”

“yes?”

Seeing the officer tilting his head, he continued his explanation.

“I’m blocking it with torpedoes so it doesn’t fall back.”

“that… ! Are the enemies prepared for a head-to-head battle with us?”

“I guess so. It’s a ploy to beat us down for sure.”

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Perhaps he liked the expression of hitting and catching.

“We will change formation during the next Japanese Civil War.”

“How are you going?”

I thought for a moment before opening my mouth.

“Call Tiger.”

After a while, the gunfire sounded again. A spray of water enveloped Repulse, and the front of her eyes were filled with pure white water columns.

close bullets. but it’s narrow Hit bullets will come soon.

“Turn the key! Uro 25!”

The floor moved with a loud metallic sound. Repulse and Tiger swap positions. The rear watch gave out a report like a scream.

“Port, approaching torpedoes! Defense 190! Distance 2,000!”

“Agency! slow down! Medium speed!”

When I gave the order in full force, the engineer asked back with a puzzled look.

“yes? You mean here?”

“Where did Bokmyung go!”

“Ah, yes… ! Yang Hyun middle speed!”

Tightly, I clenched my fists. He turned his head and looked towards the rear. The chalk-lined torpedo trail quickly approached Repulse.

As they say, time is money in battle. A moment’s action changes the battle situation. If you get just one chance… .

“Speed, 19 knots!”

“Torpedoes approaching continuously! Distance 1,000!”

Now, a fainting voice crosses the bridge. Eyes trembling with anxiety.

But I kept my mouth shut. The Tiger, which passed by the rear, evaded the torpedo by moving gracefully like a whale.

A torpedo trail passing by Repulse’s bow. Again, a column of water from a 16-inch shell covers my eyes.

“Red bullets, bullets! Narrow gap!”

“Report the damage!”

“doesn’t exist!”

An opportunity arose.

“Yanghyun exclusive! It’s okay if the organ explodes! Run at full speed!”

vibrating hull. The noise of the boiler spreads through the chimney into the sky.

Repulse spurred out of the waves with a huge amount of smoke.

“22 knots speed!”

“Torpedo! Distance 500!”

A torpedo coming straight towards the hull. Draw a sharp line like the tip of a spear.

“Turn the key! Fifteen to the left!”

“15 to the left!”

A tilted, slanted floor. It shakes so much that it gives me motion sickness. I have no choice but to live.

Even as they struggled to balance on the chaotic bridge, the torpedo mercilessly closed the distance.

“Distance, 300!”

The watchman, who had shouted so much that his voice was hoarse, turned his head with urgent eyes.

Everyone looked outside in a cold sweat. The bottom of the chin boils. The back of his hand convulsed as he watched the torpedo flying like an arrow.

One, two, three…

“Torpedo, range 100!”

In an instant, Repulse gained momentum and turned the hull. The bow pushed by the waves turned as if brushing the sea. Then a sharp wake brushed past the tail.

“Torpedo, passing… .”

A sigh of relief filled the bridge. A cold sweat brushes your cheeks.

Because of his wobbly legs, he leaned his hand on the bridge railing. The battle isn’t over yet.

“What about Tiger?”

“Currently engaged!”

Koogoo Palace-

Tiger, which moves in the opposite direction to Repulse and fires a volley from its 13.5-inch main gun. Beside it, a column of water from a 16-inch gun rises high.

“Chairman, at this rate, I will be far from Tiger.”

“That is the purpose.”

The operative opens his eyes wide.

Glancing at him, he said,

“We have to let at least one of them live.”

Deliberately ignoring the operative’s eyes, I turned my eyes to the bow deck where they fired wildly. Bright yellow blisters hit the surface of the water.

“Enemy ship, range 16,000!”

Enemy battlecruisers noticeably approached. The four turrets and cage-type masts are clearly visible.

Just then, a column of water rose in the distance. Repulse’s counterattack finally landed near the enemy ship.

“The 5th bullet, close bullet!”

He clenched his fists and nodded his head.

At this distance, you can’t get an effective hit. All you have to do is get it right!

As if pouring cold water on that prediction, another report followed.

“Enemy ship, change course! Leaving to bearing 010 based on this ship!”

Enemy battlecruisers turning bow. The two ships leave formation at once. However, the 8 guns are still looking this way and shooting fire. A composition that turned at an angle to the outside of the battlefield.

The operation officer, who was watching the enemy formations carefully, asked.

“Are you retreating?”

“No, I’m trying to fight at an advantageous distance.”

work got boring After all, the enemy doesn’t stay still… .

If you are simply trying to increase the distance, you can push forward again and charge. But with a composition like that, they can fire all their guns this way. It means that you have to go in under the fire as it is.

Moreover, due to the problem of the opponent’s posture, the inclination angle of the armor must be increased and the distance must be reduced. At least not with the Tiger’s 13.5-inch caliber gun. Hitting power comes out when you approach at least 15,000.

What you can hit at this distance is,

“Cannonade, can you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you!”

only repulse

“Please.”

A moment of bewilderment was heard from inside the palace hall. I continued talking without paying attention.

“I’m going to open the side for a while and fire a salvo. Will you be able to land a hit on the enemy ship then?”

silence. cold sigh.

That would be asking too much. Only 4 main guns are available. It is difficult to even make a compromise at this level. You must form a barrage with at least 6 main guns.

But now, I had no choice but to fight with this. While waiting impatiently, the gunnery commander finally opened his mouth.

“I will hit the target within 3 shots.”

“… I believe you.”

I don’t know if it’s confidence or desperation. But there was no hesitation in the firm voice. Taking comfort in that, I raised my head. A distant roar roared across the sea.

“Tiger, Japanese fire!”

Tiger again covered the sea with fire from the ship’s guns.

At the same time, something flew in a beam of light and crashed into her hull.

Bright yellow debris splashing on the deck.

Sparks flashed on the aft deck.

“Tiger, Pitan!”

“Tell me to report the damage!”

A tiger exhaling thick smoke. But the brave steel mass did not stop there.

“Light signal. You can still fight.”

Correspondent makes a report.

The officer said, wiping away a cold sweat.

“The speed is also maintained, and it doesn’t seem like a big damage.”

“That’s right. It’s luck.”

A shape that fits the specific gravity requirements. But it’s hard to think that the next bullet will be like that.

Before long, Repulse’s main shells also landed near the enemy ship.

Geuntan again this time. Suddenly, no bullets come out.

As he nervously pursed his lips, the gunfire of the 15-inch gun pounded in his ears.

“The 7th bullet, launch!”

“Enemy ship, return fire!”

Eight guns flashing. Avoid. intuitively recalled. However, if you change your position here, you will have to recalculate the trajectory. Everything that has been shot so far becomes nothing.

have to endure

I closed my mouth and looked up at the ceiling.

In an instant, a shock hit the ship.

“Report the damage!”

“Aft deck hit! Fire!”

“Main turret 3 is broken, can’t turn!”

“Hurry up with the fire extinguisher! The turret must live!”

Enemy ships fired their guns again. They drive without giving them time to rest. But this isn’t out of hand either.

“The 7th bullet has landed!”

I grab my binoculars and stare at the battlecruiser. wait for the bullet to drop 1 second, 2 seconds… Time passed at the beat of my heart.

My throat tightened with anxiety. Every possible number seemed to squeeze my body. However, he did not back down.

It’s not that there is no back.

Then, a light flashed.

“I hit it!”

A salvo fell around the enemy ship. Two rising water columns.

Between them, two brief flashes were seen. A red glow erupted from the side of the hull.

In the blink of an eye, a flash of light flashed in the center of the enemy ship.

“A hit on the enemy ship!”

Cheers erupted as if the bridge was collapsing. Being wary of being too careless, he raised his voice towards the surroundings.

“Check properly! He’s not the kind of guy who’s going to collapse like this!”

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Personnel hurriedly return to their seats and raise binoculars.

As expected, when the smoke subsided, the guy was silently advancing, aiming his 8 main guns.

But it wasn’t without effect. Innumerable smoke was pouring from the two stacks, and it was clearly visible that the hull, which was advancing without hesitation, slowed down little by little.

“Looks like I got hit in the engine room!”

“good. Withdraw!”

At first glance, there was hope. He raised his hand and spoke to the communications officer.

“Call the destroyers! Deploy the smoke screen! As it is, break through the enemy destroyer fleet and leave the battlefield… .”

kw-

An unusual noise echoed through the ship.

what is it

It was a trajectory that flew faster than sound. It hit the side of Repulse straight ahead. It was a while.

An explosion of sound vibrated through the ship. In the midst of losing his balance and collapsing, a report containing astonishment was heard.

“Boiler number 3 hit, fire!”

Violent flames rose from the deck.

* * *

Battlecruiser Tiger’s bridge.

Captain Bedford looked at the flagship from the aft side with a tense face. Repulse, which had been pouring fire hard, was hit by a direct hit that flew like lightning and was spewing out countless fumes.

“Repulse, speed keeps decreasing!”

“Did the engine room get hit?”

This side, too, had already covered the ship’s hull.

Thanks to the zigzag maneuver, the fatal bullet was avoided, but it was only a matter of time before it was hit.

Bedford raised his eyes in thought. He glared at the two battlecruisers lined up on the horizon. Gunfire flashed in the burning gaze.

“Turn the boat. Course 220.”

“yes? But that’s the direction of the enemy fleet… .”

An officer with both eyes open.

Bedford responded calmly.

“If there is an enemy, shouldn’t we approach and fight?”

Because that’s the Royal Navy. I didn’t think any further. It’s just an innate fighting spirit. It may be their nature, carried over from Nelson’s days.

At least what is certain is that they recall very clearly what they have to do now.

“Let’s give them a shot. Like Trafalgar.”

Talking about the past battle for a century, the old captain raised his eyebrows.