si-mexico Chapter 973 Island Raiders (Part 2)
Chapter 973 Island Raiders (Part 2)
When the general saw that Qin Hui did not answer, his fear intensified, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
His voice trembled with tears as he mumbled, "What do we do? It's all over! It's all over..."
Qin Huizhi remained silent, only turning his gaze from the despairing Qing army fleet to the distant Qiongzhou Island.
What can he do? What can he do?!
The Fengtian army had fast ships and powerful cannons, while our side couldn't even launch a counterattack.
This was a dead end. We should have run away with the family head and the others back then!
Qin Huizhi leaned on the railing and looked out at the sea.
The water splashed up by the bow of the ship was snow-white, and the sea beneath it resembled a gaping maw of abyss, so deep it seemed capable of swallowing one's soul.
An idea inevitably arose in Qin Hui's mind.
He knew that, given his past actions, it was impossible for him to obtain a pardon from Li Che.
If I were to die now, perhaps I could die a quicker and more painless death.
Qin Huizhi gazed at the water, and his left leg had already taken a small step forward without him noticing.
A sea breeze suddenly woke him up.
Is the seawater a little too cold at this time of year?
. . . . . .
Meanwhile, the Qing army's clipper ships had reached the outer perimeter of the Southern army's fleet.
Li Sheng knew that artillery had a slow rate of fire, and its accuracy against these scattered small targets was questionable.
Therefore, he decisively chose the tactic of close-range shooting.
More than ten clipper boats skillfully cut into the chaotic left flank of the Southern fleet, forming an attack line with each boat spaced hundreds of meters apart.
As the signal flags were waved, all the clipper boats turned almost simultaneously, pointing their broadsides at the huddled Confederate ships.
"Approaching enemy ship!"
Li Sheng walked onto the bridge and declared loudly, "This is the second time our navy has launched an attack since Japan. Gentlemen, you must do your utmost to achieve a complete victory and enhance the prestige of our navy!"
The sailors roared in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Li Sheng raised his left hand and shouted, "Artillery ready—"
The gunners quickly took their firing positions, and the guns, at varying heights, were all aimed at the distance.
"Fire!"
The next moment, a roar shattered the calm of the sea.
Boom boom boom——
Hundreds of cannonballs whistled through the air, targeting the most conspicuous large ships in the fleet, and crashed down.
Most of the shells fell into the water, creating towering white columns of water that crashed down like a torrential downpour.
However, a few lucky shells hit their targets precisely across a distance of several miles!
Wood chips flew everywhere, the screeching sound of ship planks breaking was mixed with the screams of the Southern soldiers, and it all erupted in an instant.
Two large ships were hit.
A large hole was torn in the side of a ship, and seawater rushed in, causing the ship to list at a visible speed.
The other ship had its mast broken, and its huge sail, wrapped in ropes, crashed down, crushing several unlucky soldiers who couldn't escape in time.
The left flank of the Southern fleet was instantly plunged into a hellish scene.
The already chaotic and disorganized ships, completely lacking command, scattered and fled immediately after being attacked.
Some drove forward, some ran back, and some, in a moment of confusion, even drove towards the clipper boat fleet.
Many ships collided in the chaos, breaking apart and sinking into the sea together.
Some fishermen were forcibly conscripted and made their choice the instant the cannon fired, jumping into the sea without hesitation.
They were all men who made their living in the sea, and they were excellent swimmers. Although they were still far from the shore, they might still have a chance to swim back while they were still in good physical condition.
It's better to fight to the death for a chance of survival than to stay on the ship and become a sitting duck.
Taking advantage of the Southern soldiers' inattention, the old fisherman grabbed a harpoon from the side and stabbed it into their backs.
As the Southern soldiers cried out in pain, he roared at his stunned daughter, "Sister, jump ship!"
Fortunately, the daughter was quick-witted and did not disappoint her father's desperate act. She immediately pushed aside another soldier and jumped into the sea.
The fisherman's daughter could swim, while most of the Southern soldiers who had just held their lives in their hands were not good swimmers.
The old fisherman took one last, reluctant look at the fishing boat before throwing his harpoon at the angry soldiers who were chasing after him. He then turned and jumped into the water with his daughter.
The father and daughter were lucky; after the old fisherman saw that, he consciously slowed down the boat, and their boat was closest to the shore.
Other ships, however, were not so lucky.
Especially the large ships that the officers were on, which were already slow, were at the very front of the entire formation.
"Run! Run faster! Run as fast as you can!"
On a ship that had not yet been hit, a Southern general was shouting at the boatmen with all his might.
The boatman looked helpless. Could this boat really be sped up so easily?
How fast it goes depends entirely on the wind and the frequency of the oars.
However, many of the recruited rowers jumped ship.
Left with no other choice, some Southern soldiers had to take their places, and the ships slowly moved forward.
However, they soon discovered that Qiongzhou Island ahead was not a path to survival, but rather a deeper despair.
The next moment, more than a dozen Qing army warships appeared directly in front of the fleet!
The Second Fleet of Daqing has arrived as scheduled!
Governor Jie An stood with his sword in front of a clipper ship, personally leading the vanguard fleet to the front line to intercept them.
The First Fleet ambushed Naozhou Island, while the Second Fleet took a longer route and ambushed near Qiongzhou Island.
Although Jie An was more senior than Li Sheng, he knew that he was a junior in the navy, so he took the initiative to apply to be a lieutenant.
The Second Fleet approached head-on, with the flags of the Daqing Army lined up in a row. Because it was coming with the wind, it was moving faster than the First Fleet.
Before long, the soldiers on the Confederate ships at the forefront could clearly see the dark muzzles of the clipper ships, and felt as if their breath had stopped.
With ambushes ahead and pursuers behind, their hastily assembled fleet was now trapped like turtles in a jar.
The loud cannon fire startled Emperor Wenchu, who was huddled in the cabin, and made him jump up.
He scrambled out of the cabin, his cloak slipping off, and grabbed the railing to look outside.
With just one glance, the blood in his body froze instantly.
On the sea, the Southern fleet was in complete chaos.
The towering Fengtian Army warships resembled a bloodthirsty swarm of sharks, constantly spitting out tongues of fire.
The shells whistled down, and our own ships either burst into flames or snapped in half and slowly sank.
The soldiers who fell into the water struggled in the waves like ants, while those who didn't fall into the water huddled on the deck like quails.
Counterattack? With what can we counterattack?
With only bows, arrows, swords, and spears on board, how can they fight against a clipper ship that is fully equipped with cannons?
Emperor Wenchu gripped the railing tightly, his nails almost digging into the wood, his body trembling uncontrollably.
His facial muscles contorted; he wanted to cry, but could only utter strange 'giggle' sounds; he wanted to laugh, but his lips could only twitch nervously.
"It's over...it's all over..." he muttered to himself, "I can't even go to Qiongzhou now...heh, hahaha, hahahaha!"