Out on the high seas near Southwater Port, aboard the Brunas No. 1 Warship's bridge, the captain was sitting in his chair, leisurely enjoying his breakfast.
The first mate stood beside him and reported on the warship's consumption, "We have enough fuel to last another two days at most, and the food on the warship is almost depleted as well, captain."
In fact, due to retrofitting, the warship's sustainable capabilities at sea had greatly increased, and the carrying capacity of fresh water and food was beyond the scope of the sailboat era.
However high the self-sustainability, the food and fresh water onboard, including coal and shells, were all being constantly consumed.
The Navy is an expensive branch of the armed forces, where every voyage, every battle, and every patrol is a process of burning money.
In these days, the Brunas No. 1 had fired more than 250 shells and sunk over 70 various vessels.
Don't be fooled by this terrifying hit rate—the effect of the attacks was actually achieved by getting up close and personal, a result of face-to-face combat, not a development in the naval gunnery technology of the time.
Before the support of radar, there was no chance for any significant improvement in artillery technology, and as for accuracy, there was no need to take it too seriously, one could just look on casually.
Still, after nearly 300 shells, the Brunas No. 1 needed to replenish its ammunition. Including the consumption of coal and food, it was indeed time for them to return to Brunas.
They were not like the handguns in Hong Kong movies, capable of firing like submachine guns without needing to reload...
The captain dipped his bread into the sauce on his plate and said, "I've just received a telegram from Brunas; they sent Brunas No. 2 here three days ago, we will set sail and leave here at this time tomorrow."
"They're coming tomorrow?" The first mate, hearing that reinforcement was on the way, looked more relaxed and asked.
To be honest, these past days had been tough for them commanders. Being vigilant at the enemy's doorstep was extremely draining for everyone.
With just over two hundred men lying in wait on the sea lanes, facing an enemy tenfold or hundredfold their number, they certainly needed some rest.
The captain also seemed much more at ease. He took a bite of his bread, chewed a few times, swallowed, took a sip of hot water before continuing, "The captain of the Brunas No. 2 sent a message, they're not far from here. They'll soon join us."
Having a telegraph machine was convenient, allowing everyone to transmit messages using a prearranged codebook. Since there was no such thing as electronic surveillance in this world, they didn't have to worry about the enemy finding out their approximate location.
Similarly, because there was hardly any concern about encrypted messages being leaked, there was no need for complex encryption systems for communication—they could be sent casually.
Therefore, the telegraph system, which only Tang Mo could use, was a one-sided, convenient, and transparent communication system—safe, efficient, and without any drawbacks.
The first mate's expression was filled with surprise as he immediately asked, "In a few hours?"
"Yes, in a few hours." The captain swallowed the last bite of his meal, nodded, and placed the plate on a small table next to him.
As he was wiping his mouth, an officer on duty hurried over, stood at attention, and saluted, "Captain!"
"What is it?" The captain looked at the officer, seeing excitement in his eyes.
Sure enough, the officer excitedly reported to his immediate superior, "On the northern seas, we've spotted a fleet!"
The captain was stunned, dragging out his response in disbelief, "Huh?"
"Elf warships! Roughly ten, and they are changing course..." reported the officer loudly, who had just received the news from the lookout post.
For two consecutive days, they hadn't encountered a single enemy warship they could attack. Southwater Port had become completely paralyzed; most of the returning vessels of the Poplar Kingdom had been sunk, and the remaining ships in the port dared not to set sail.
Due to the Poplar Kingdom's recent frenzied expansion, the surrounding kingdoms were wary, leading to almost a complete halt in trade between them and the Poplar Kingdom.
With fewer ships from other nations, the Brunas No. 1 did not need to distinguish between the vessels of other kingdoms as much, indirectly enhancing the efficiency of this blockade.
However... after many ships had been sunk, the complete collapse of Southwater Port caused a slight depression among the officers and sailors of the Brunas No. 1.
On one hand, they didn't want to waste precious shells firing at coastal defense batteries and risk damage to their own ship by getting too close.
On the other hand, they couldn't wait for passing transport ships, and it had been a while without any significant victories. This left them feeling bored and yet obliged to stay alert for the possibility of a major battle.
The captain nodded and instructed his adjutant, "Assume a battle stance. Adjust the course of the warship, cross paths with the enemy! Increase speed! Take advantage of our speed to find the best position to engage!"
"Increase speed!" The adjutant immediately shouted to the petty officer stationed by the communication pipe.
"Increase speed!" the petty officer relayed the command loudly through one of the tubes.
"Hard to starboard!" The captain picked up his binoculars to look towards the northern sea, ordering loudly while doing so.
The helmsman turned the wheel, loudly repeating the command, "Hard starboard!"
The captain put down his telescope and sneered with an order, "Load the cannons! Teach these foolish elves a lesson! Don't let a single one escape!"
The executive officer nodded slightly, then conveyed the captain's command once again.
It takes some time for a warship to pick up speed; the Brunas 1 had been cruising at a very low speed, and now that it wanted to suddenly accelerate, it actually needed time to do so.
Still, it was gradually increasing its speed, strolling leisurely, elegantly—or you might say, frustratingly slowly.
An officer came over, bringing the exact number of the elf warships, "The lookout tower confirms the number of enemy ships, 12 warships! Heading due south!"
"Change direction! Head due south! Notify the turrets to turn!" The captain also prepared to reveal his broadside turrets, ready to meet the enemy with the most advantageous firepower.
Relying on his superior speed, he planned to execute a crossing tactic, using a U-shaped maneuver to completely sink the incoming enemy ships.
This U would unfold around the enemy's battle line, with the Brunas 1 sailing parallel to the opponent, attacking every enemy ship on its side continuously.
Then, the Brunas 1, capitalizing on its terrifying speed, would turn at the head of the enemy's column, head towards the other side to meet the enemy fleet, and once again pass by all the remaining unsunken ships for a second opportunity to strike.
If there were still any that slipped through the net, relying on the higher speed, the Brunas 1 could catch up with them and sink them!
In short, the Brunas 1, with superiority in firepower, speed, and defense, could be described as having free rein against the old-fashioned sailing ships.
The first officer quickly confirmed their course, "Heading south! Speed 37 kilometers! Sea conditions good!"
"Visibility good! Aim complete! Enemy ships 4 kilometers away!" the officer in charge of weapons command reported loudly.
The captain once again raised his telescope, giving an order to adjust the heading, "Adjust the course by 4 degrees! Close in!"
"Adjust the course!" the helmsman again turned the wheel, loudly repeating the command.
The prow of the warship sliced through the sea, drawing closer to the enemy ships which had already arranged in a line in the distance, the gap between them closing bit by bit, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense.
Neither side sent any signals, for they had already regarded each other as the enemy. There was nothing to discuss; it was time to let the cannons do the arguing.
The Elf Navy seemed to be closing in as well, apparently planning to use their superior numbers to end the naval battle swiftly.
Inside the bridge of Brunas 1, the captain continued to command, "Hold steady! Report again when the distance is 2 kilometers!"
"Understood!" the executive officer, with hands behind his back, stood behind him, acknowledging the captain's command.
At the bow, the dual-mounted 120mm caliber cannon turrets had already turned to the side facing the enemy. On the side of the warship, the 75mm caliber cannon positions, gunners had already manned their combat posts.
Thanks to the tailwind, the speed of the opposite sailing ship was not slow, but compared to Brunas 1, which had already sped up to 35 kilometers per hour, it still seemed somewhat lacking.
As time passed by the seconds, both sides grew larger in each other's telescopes. Everyone was waiting for the distance to close, waiting for the critical moment when they were confident enough to fire and sink the enemy.
Clearly, the Brunas 1 had a longer range. The generational gap in targeting equipment and the superiority of the cannon's range allowed it to fire at a distance of 5 kilometers.
But to be on the safe side, the captain of Brunas 1 decided to let the enemy come within about 2 kilometers before opening fire.
And now, their distance had closed to less than two kilometers, a range at which the accuracy of Brunas 1's cannons was quite terrifying.
"Ready to fire!" the weapons commander, head held high, walked up behind the captain and reported.
"Fire!" the captain ordered without a moment's hesitation.
"Boom!" A few seconds later, the main cannon of the Brunas 1 warship fired, and three shells whistled towards the distant elf warships.
Unfortunately, two of the shells punched holes through the sails of the enemy ship, flew over the top of the enemy warship, and landed in the distant sea, raising huge columns of water.
The third shell hit one of the ships in the middle of the enemy fleet's column, causing a massive explosion that ripped a mast clean off the enemy warship.
Before the Elf Navy could even register their shock, a row of 75mm caliber cannons followed after, and this time... the Elf Fleet was utterly shattered.
Today's turn of events is too unexpected; I'll honor it by diving in first. Moreover, I guessed the scale wrong, haha. The will be updated tomorrow morning; I'm off to enjoy the spectacle, hehehe.