Chapter 1870 Battle of the North Sea (6)
He originally thought that these warships were a fleet sent by the Navy Headquarters to carry out a mission, but now it seems that things are not that simple.
Just as the colonel was thinking, the fleet in the distance was getting closer and closer.
Because of the conversation with the Marines just now, the distance between the six warships and the warships of the naval branch was rapidly shortened. Now, even standing on the deck, the colonel could clearly see through the telescope the six warships that were approaching rapidly thousands of meters away.
On the other side, the six mysterious warships also attracted the attention of other sailors.
They gathered on the deck, whispering and talking, with panic-stricken expressions on their faces.
Long before the branch navy discovered the Rockefeller Kingdom fleet, the Rockefeller Kingdom fleet had already detected through advanced reconnaissance equipment that there were naval ships belonging to the World Government sailing not far ahead.
"Report to the General!"
Esdeath's deputy quickly walked up to her, saluted, and reported.
"Five wooden warships have been spotted ahead. Judging from their models, they should be a fleet dispatched by a nearby naval branch!"
Upon hearing this, Esdeath's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at the distant sea level, as if she was thinking about something.
After a moment, she decisively ordered: "Get closer!"
"Yes!"
The deputy immediately took the order, turned back to the command platform and gave orders to the surrounding warships.
In an instant, the Rockefeller Kingdom's fleet quickly adjusted its course and pounced on the World Government Navy warships in front of it like a group of hungry wolves.
At the same time, on the World Government Navy's warship, Captain Branch stood at the bow, observing the distance with a telescope.
When he looked through the telescope and saw the Rockefeller Kingdom's fleet surrounding them like a swarm of locusts, his pupils suddenly shrank and a strong sense of uneasiness surged in his heart.
His hand moved across the telescope as quickly as lightning, moving the lens upwards, trying to see clearly the flag flying on the enemy warship.
When he finally saw the flag clearly, his expression instantly became solemn.
"Not the Seagull Flag!"
The branch colonel's voice unconsciously rose an octave, with a hint of incredible shock.
He stared closely at the flag that combined the shield and sword. Various fragments of memories flashed through his mind, but he still couldn't remember where he had seen this flag.
"and many more……"
The branch colonel muttered to himself.
"Why does that flag look so familiar? I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
His brows were furrowed tightly as he thought hard, but the vague memories seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog, making it difficult for him to reach them.
This feeling made the branch colonel's brows tightly twisted together, as if he was oppressed by an invisible force and couldn't breathe.
An ominous premonition surged in his heart, and this feeling became stronger and stronger, making him feel heavier.
However, as time went on, the branch colonel gradually noticed something unusual.
He raised the telescope again and carefully observed the six ironclad ships opposite.
Suddenly, his eyes widened, and the uneasiness in his heart was confirmed - the ironclad ship on the opposite side seemed to be showing signs of encircling them!
This discovery made the branch colonel's heart beat faster. He immediately put down the telescope and stopped thinking about what the flag was.
There was only one thought in his mind: Danger! Action must be taken immediately!
"Get ready for battle!"
Without hesitation, the branch captain roared, his voice echoing off the sea.
His order was like a thunder, breaking the silence.
"Push the cannon out!"
He continued to shout, a hint of urgency in his voice.
The soldiers moved quickly, pushing the heavy cannons out of the holds in preparation for a possible attack.
"Order all fleets to be ready to retreat at any time!"
The branch colonel's roar drifted on the sea breeze and reached every ship.
He knew very well that it was not wise to fight head-on against such a powerful enemy.
The best strategy is to preserve your strength and wait for the opportunity.
The branch colonel is not a fool. Before serving as the branch colonel, he also received professional training at the Naval Headquarters.
He knew clearly how big the gap in strength was between wooden ships and ironclad ships.
Although it cannot be said that wooden ships will definitely not be able to defeat ironclad ships, the possibility is extremely small, even less than one percent.
Rather than gambling on the tiny possibility of sinking the enemy, it is better to retreat decisively and save your own life and the lives of your soldiers.
In this way, he can report the situation here truthfully to his superiors and wait for higher-level decisions and support.
Colonel Zhibu quickly took out a camera specially made by the Navy Headquarters from his pocket. This camera has a powerful zoom function and can clearly capture distant targets.
He skillfully aimed the lens at the vague outline in front of him, and as the focus was adjusted, the warship in the distance gradually became clear.
Through the camera lens, the branch colonel could clearly see the flag flying on the warship, which was the flag of the Rockefeller Kingdom.
He pressed the shutter without hesitation to capture this important scene.
After finishing the filming, the branch colonel shouted to the people around him with a serious face: "Retreat!"
There was a hint of anxiety and panic in his voice.
Upon hearing the colonel's order, the navy members of these branches began to panic.
They were already nervous about this mission, and now seeing the colonel so flustered, their anxiety was magnified several times.
Turning a sailboat around is difficult in itself, let alone in such a tense situation. The sailors were almost in a panic.
They were all sweating profusely, but still couldn't complete the U-turn smoothly.
At the same time, the Rockefeller Kingdom warships heading towards them were getting closer and closer and could be seen clearly.
The crew on the warship was on high alert, ready to attack at any time.
"Fire!"
The captains of the warships gave orders almost at the same time.
The next second, the muzzles in front of the warship suddenly fired out shells, which streaked across the sky like meteors and flew straight towards the branch warship in front.
With the precise assistance of the intelligent system, the first round of shelling achieved amazing results.
Three branch warships were hit by shells, one of which was severely damaged. The shell hit its belly directly, causing a violent explosion.
The fifty-meter-long warship was cut in half in an instant, and the huge impact force caused the warship to slowly sink to the bottom of the sea.
Accompanied by a loud crash, sea water rushed into the broken part like a flood breaking through a dam, quickly flooding the cabin.
"Help!"
Suddenly, shouts of terror were heard on the originally silent warship.
The marines held on to the cables tightly, looking at the whirlpool below with fear on their faces.
