Chapter 1329 Artillery Fire Doesn't Believe in the Strange
Han Feng's breath condensed into white mist in the cold air of the bridge, and was quickly drawn away by the circulation system.
He stared intently at the enormous, suffocating shadow on the sonar screen. The sense of helplessness from the nightmare, the feeling of the world collapsing, intertwined with the deadly threat he faced in reality, twisting into a cold steel wire in his chest.
Having lived through the war years, bullets and carnage were commonplace for Han Feng.
Admittedly, the dream he just had made him a little scared, but what about ghosts and spirits?
If he truly believed in this stuff, he shouldn't be in the command center; he should be chanting sutras in some remote mountain temple!
Therefore, at this moment he felt no fear, only a complete weighing of the pros and cons:
Should we not attack? Pretend we didn't see it, betting it was just passing by and had no interest in the steel hull?
However, the aggressiveness of post-apocalyptic creatures has already served as a bloody lesson, with the mutated giant fish being a prime example.
This idea is tantamount to entrusting the fate of hundreds of soldiers on board to the "mood" of a deep-sea monster.
Han Feng has fought battles his whole life and has never had the habit of handing the initiative over to the opponent!
beat?
With a reflective surface nearly 100 meters wide and a depth of nearly 100 meters... at this distance and depth, the effectiveness of conventional anti-submarine weapons is questionable.
If an attack fails to kill and instead angers the opponent, it could backfire and bring danger.
Moreover, the unknown means unpredictable. There are too many strange things in this world. This thing doesn't have any incredible abilities, and it definitely can't grow this big!
Therefore, if an attack is chosen, in this remote and deep canyon area, a slight misstep could result in total annihilation.
"Damn it, if this were on land, my entire combined arms battalion could put him back in his mother's womb!"
The frustration of being stuck on the river and unable to use his brute strength made Han Feng curse inwardly.
Time ticked by in the almost frozen air, and the shadow on the sonar screen continued to move at that unsettlingly slow pace, as if taking a leisurely stroll or adjusting for the best attack position.
The beams of the searchlights futilely cut through the thick fog, unable to illuminate that fleeting, terrifying outline, only making the unknown darkness seem even deeper.
Xiang Qidong stood to his side and slightly behind, staring intently at the screen, awaiting the commander's decision.
The other officers and operators on the bridge held their breath, their eyes darting back and forth between Han Feng and the screen.
Han Feng's gaze shifted from the sonar screen to the radar screen, and then to the swirling, all-consuming fog outside the porthole.
He could almost feel the cold, primal oppression emanating from the enormous creature in the deep water beneath his feet, all through the hull of the ship.
Is betting on it harmless? No.
To entrust one's fate to the unknown? Absolutely not!
The last trace of hesitation in the old general's eyes was crushed, replaced by the iron will and decisiveness of a commander forged in the crucible of war.
No matter how great the risk, we must maintain control!
Even if the attack is ineffective or even causes disaster, it is still better than sitting and waiting to die, and putting your throat right in front of the monster's mouth!
He turned abruptly, his voice not loud, but like a hammer striking a steel plate, clearly echoing across the silent bridge and reaching the ears of the commanders of the "Jiangzhou" and other ships via the communication channel:
"Jiangzhou, this is Han Feng."
"Command: Launch a devastating strike on the unidentified large underwater target directly ahead. Repeat, devastating strike."
"You are in full command of this attack!"
The order was brief, granting frontline commanders maximum discretionary power and placing with them the greatest responsibility.
"Jiangzhou, understood! Mission accomplished!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the captain responded decisively in the channel. His voice showed no panic, only the composure and ruthlessness that came with being entrusted with a great responsibility.
Almost the instant the order was confirmed, the atmosphere in the combat command center of the "Jiangzhou" frigate changed abruptly.
The captain, an old colonel with a dark face and wrinkles etched by years of river winds at the corners of his eyes, had a sharp glint in his eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, he issued a series of clear and urgent commands like popping beans:
"Battle alert! Anti-submarine warfare configuration!"
"Sonar maintains continuous tracking! Fire control system activated!"
"Twin 100mm guns, replaced with high-explosive shells with depth-water proximity fuses, for rapid, suppressive fire on the target area!"
"Anti-submarine rocket depth charges, prepare for salvo firing across the entire side! Set firing depth to 75 to 95 meters, covering the target's core area and possible maneuver paths!"
"Prepare for emergency scramble of shipborne helicopters! Prepare depth charges!"
"Notification to the fleet: Our ship is about to launch an attack. All ships should strengthen observation and prepare for impact defense and emergency evasion!"
This captain, a veteran of the Yangtze River defense, was well aware of the complexity and unpredictability of the underwater environment. He knew that when facing a target of unusual size and unknown behavior, the first priority was not precise sniping, but rather to use the most intense saturation attack to disrupt it, damage it, and force it out of its lurking state, or...
At least make it back down!
"Fire!!!"
Thump th ...
The moment the captain gave the order to fire, the roar of the twin 100mm main guns at the bow broke the silence on the river!
Flames shot from the cannons, instantly illuminating the foredeck of the "Jiangzhou" and the thick fog ahead.
Specially designed high-explosive grenades, capable of detonating at specific depths underwater, streaked with scorching heat as they hurtled towards the shadowy waters a kilometer away!
The muffled thuds of shells hitting the water were heard one after another, followed by a deep and violent underwater explosion!
boom! boom! boom! boom!
A massive column of water, mixed with the flames of an explosion, shot into the sky, a spectacular sight even in the thick fog. The white water was tinged with orange-red, as if four violent flowers of death had bloomed on the river's surface.
The shockwave spread underwater, causing a clear tremor throughout the entire fleet of ships.
But this is merely the prelude to fire reconnaissance and suppression!
"Anti-submarine rockets and depth charges, all sides—volley fire!" The captain's roar echoed throughout the ship via the internal broadcast system.
On either side of the midship section of the "Jiangzhou", the two quadruple anti-submarine rocket depth charge launchers suddenly shuddered!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh! ! !
A series of even more ear-piercing and sharp whistling sounds tore through the thick fog!
Up to thirty-two robust rocket-boosted depth charges, trailing long, dazzling plumes of flame, burst violently from the launch tubes like a raging swarm of fire dragons!
They traced breathtaking high parabolas across the night sky. Upon reaching their apex, the projectiles separated from the rocket boosters. The heavy warheads accelerated due to inertia, nose down, like steel spears falling from the sky, slamming into the target waters at a near-vertical angle!
This time, the explosions were deeper, more frequent, and more terrifying!
Thump thump thump thump...!!
It wasn't a flower blooming on the water's surface, but a muffled thunderclap from the abyss!
A series of deep, heart-pounding explosions rolled in from the depths of the riverbed, as if the earth's internal organs were being struck repeatedly!
The river surface in the target area did not rise with many water columns. Instead, it was like a pot of porridge being violently stirred from the bottom by a huge force, boiling, churning and swelling violently!
Large gushes of murky silt, white bubbles, and the remains of aquatic creatures torn apart by the violent explosion surged up from the depths, turning the area into a filthy, deadly swamp.
