Chapter 863: 771: Ranger Tactics (Request for Double Monthly Votes)

Chapter 863: Chapter 771: Ranger Tactics (Request for Double Monthly Votes)

The British merchant ship never expected that even with a Royal Navy cruiser escort, it would still be attacked by a French frigate.

The ship quickly descended into chaos.

The second mate ordered the sailors to throw cargo into the sea, hoping to lighten the load and increase the ship’s speed to escape.

The gunnery officer cracked his whip at the gunners hiding in the cabin, commanding them to retaliate.

In this pirate-infested era, merchant ships were always equipped with cannons. However, in terms of firepower, quantity, and defensive capabilities, merchant ships were no match for professional warships.

The gunners on this merchant ship were quite lucky — the first salvo fired from an 18-pound cannon struck the hull of the “Distant View.”

Yet, the short-barreled cannon on the merchant ship managed only to leave a dent on the side of the “Distant View,” which triggered an even more ferocious counterattack.

After more than a dozen rounds of volleys, the French frigate shattered the merchant ship, rendering it riddled with holes, but the British oar and sail ship was closing in from behind.

In the era of wind-powered battleships, it was extremely difficult to sink an opponent with solid cannonballs. It often required dozens of rounds of volleys or an extraordinary stroke of luck to create a hole below the target’s waterline.

The “Distant View” was preparing to adjust its angle for battle when its final volley unexpectedly destroyed the merchant ship’s rudder.

The captain immediately changed tactics, ordering the abandonment of the now immobilized target in favor of chasing another merchant ship that had just disappeared beyond the horizon.

Meanwhile, one nautical mile away, the British merchant ship “Box Jellyfish” was engulfed in flames under the intense bombardment of the “Big Tidal Wave.” Sailors, enveloped in the flames, jumped into the sea amid screams so harrowing that even those aboard the “Maderno” could hear them.

Half an hour later.

The “Distant View” completed a circuit of the sea but could not locate the Southeast-bound British merchant ship, revealing the resourcefulness of its captain in sea escapes.

Maderno heard the order to abandon pursuit, shook his head regretfully but soon accepted it.

The speed at which the merchant ship escaped likely meant they had dumped all their cargo into the sea — enough to cause the British some heartache.

He glanced again at the British oar and sail ship doggedly pursuing them, smirking disdainfully.

Within an hour, that ship would be left behind as the rowers’ stamina waned.

Subsequently, the “Distant View” turned southwest, heading to the agreed coordinates to rendezvous with the other two ships in the formation.

By 2 p.m., the three French warships regrouped, communicating their recent battle achievements via flag signals.

The “Seagull Wings” and “Big Tidal Wave” both sank their targets, while the “Distant View,” greedy for a “double kill,” failed to sink any.

Not long after, the flagship “Seagull Wings” issued a flag signal, ordering the fleet to return and completely destroy the immobilized merchant ship.

Yet, just after sailing seven to eight nautical miles northwest, the combat alarm once again rang out on the ship.

Maderno looked up at the lookout. The latter pointed toward the distant sea, shouting loudly, “1.5 nautical miles ahead—there’s a British cruise ship!”

They had no idea that the British commander Hicks, enraged by three merchant ships being destroyed under his watch, was now hell-bent on avenging them.

Hicks ordered his warships to search the nearby waters for French frigates, determined to sink one or two to reclaim some pride.

The British cruiser spotted the French warships and immediately charged forward with murderous intent.

After confirming that only one British cruiser was nearby, the flagship “Seagull Wings” decisively issued the order to attack.

Maderno’s heart tightened once again.

Bullying merchant ships was easy, but trying to challenge a 44-gun cruiser with their fragile frigates felt like three hunting hounds taking on a grizzly bear!

Yet recalling his training in “Ranger Tactics,” his anxiety lessened slightly. He turned and shouted at the surrounding sailors, “Why are you still standing there? Get back to your posts immediately!”

Fearlessly, the British cruiser advanced toward the “Seagull Wings.” Once in range, its ferocious firepower could severely damage the frigate within minutes.

However, the flagship of the French fleet skillfully turned its stern, aiming three 32-pound cannons at the British cruiser.

At the same time, “Distant View” and “Big Tidal Wave” each veered in an arc, heading toward the stern of the British warship.

Ten minutes later, the “Seagull Wings” stern guns fired first.

The French’s favored long guns finally displayed their theoretical range advantage.

The British cruise ship, boasting a sturdy hull, gritted its teeth and kept chasing, but its bow cannon was shockingly weak—given the era’s mainstream tactics of broadsides heavy cannon duels, few ships mounted heavy guns on their bow or stern—and thus it could only absorb hits without retaliating.

After chasing for four nautical miles, the British warship finally realized the French frigates were deliberately toying with it by restraining their speed. Though the three 32-pound stern cannons had only struck it twice, the hits left two conspicuous holes on its bow.

Soon, the other two French frigates swooped in diagonally from behind.

Hicks frantically ordered a turn to align his broadside against the French ships, but the “Seagull Wings” immediately wheeled around to swiftly angle toward his stern.

The three frigates, like agile birds, circled the British cruiser, firing opportunistically whenever they gained the chance but breaking away whenever the enemy got too close.

This was precisely the “Ranger Tactics” crafted by the French Navy’s staff for steam battleships—avoiding direct confrontations, making full use of speed and maneuverability, and gradually wearing down the powerful but clumsy enemy ships.

Within 20 minutes, Hicks’s flagship was battered beyond recognition. A 24-pound cannonball struck its starboard waterline, and while the breach wasn’t large, the ship began to take in water rapidly whenever it maneuvered extensively…

A strong sense of fear suddenly surged in Hicks’s heart.

At this rate, he would eventually be sunk.

He regretted splitting his fleet to search for French warships; had the “Starry Sky Dream” been alongside him, the two ships could have covered each other and avoided being put in such a vulnerable position.

What he didn’t realize was that the French fleet’s warships were still relatively new, and neither the captains nor the crew had yet fully mastered the “Ranger Tactics.” Otherwise, his ship would already be sunk by now.

Nonetheless, the French frigates had ample time to slowly toy with him…

…

Eleven nautical miles off the Port of Marseille, the British Mediterranean Fleet flagship “Victory” floated on the sea.

This 70-plus-meter-long, 3,000-ton, 108-cannon first-class battleship was the pride of the Royal Navy of England, boasting combat power that ranked among the world’s top three.

Within the “Victory’s” officer meeting room, the Mediterranean Fleet’s Commander-in-Chief, Lord Hood, glowered while reviewing orders just received from the British Navy headquarters.

“…Your Excellency has failed to fulfill your duties, resulting in repeated merchant ship attacks in the Mediterranean Sea region…”