Chapter 101 The First Naval Battle (1/3)

As the pirate fleet approached, the situation on the island became clearer.
The slowly starting behemoth in the harbor and the seemingly just returned battleship outside surprised Blair slightly.
The power behind this island is really generous, leaving a battleship to guard the island.
But even with battleships guarding it, in his eyes, just two 'cumbersome' battleships are nothing but meat.
But looking at the people preparing on the island, this was a preparation for battle.
Blair didn't intend to start a conflict here directly, at the very least, they had to get within firing range before turning hostile.
Call the signalman on the ship and give the order.
"Activate the universal light and flag signals, and tell them that we are a merchant convoy from the south. Ask if we can stay nearby for the night, and if conditions allow, inquire about the possibility of obtaining supplies from them."
Quickly light a fire and then use the lamp language and flag language to send signals to the island.
Lin Feng, who was observing through a telescope, looked at the waving flags with some confusion for a moment, what are they saying?
Turned his head to look at the messenger who was also observing, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
“They said... they are a southern merchant group and want to rest near us for a while. They also asked if we have any extra supplies, as they want to replenish their stock.”
Upon hearing this answer, Lin Feng was slightly taken aback.
Merchant caravan?
Is there still such a thing?
But the mission introduction clearly stated that it was about pirates, so how did it become the chamber of commerce now?
But on second thought, if it were really pirates, finding an island with supplies, they wouldn't announce themselves as pirates in broad daylight.
That definitely needs a change of identity and a different excuse to be accepted by others.
And the merchant fleet sailing on the sea is the most relaxing excuse for people.
Especially after disguising, all the people standing on the deck in uniform 'sailors', most people would definitely mistake them for a real merchant fleet.
But unfortunately, Lin Feng, who had the task prompt, was already prepared.
Watching the opponent constantly waving the repeated flag, Lin Feng touched the stubble on his chin and thought about asking the messenger next to him.
"Is our signal flag the same as theirs?"
"No, they use the universal signal flag for navigation, while we have our own set for internal message transmission. Each fleet has its own set of signal flags."
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng nodded in relief.
"Reply to them, they can stay but cannot approach the island... How much is five hundred meters? Ten sails?"
"Well, Ten sails."
The messenger nodded in agreement.
"Reply to them in this way, there is no trade for the time being. At the same time, use our own flag language to signal to others, continue to execute the complete annihilation. Wait for the other party to enter the attack range and then take action directly."
For the upgraded Black Coral, a distance of 500 meters is where its three types of cannons can unleash their maximum destructive power.
Precision is especially crucial at this range, which is the limit distance.
If it's a little farther away, the only cannon that can accurately hit is the bottom row of 32-pound heavy cannons.
After receiving the instructions from Lin Feng, the other party also obediently lowered half of the sail to slow down, seeming to really just want to rest nearby for the night.
But even if the other party obediently stops to rest according to the instructions, Lin Feng would not hesitate to choose to annihilate them.
The Black Coral, patrolling on the sea, was already prepared to attack when it spotted the enemy. As the enemy fleet approached, the gun operators continued to adjust the shooting parameters.
And the newly launched Robin suffered from insufficient power, so it can't turn for a while. We might have to wait a while for Robin's support.
But this waiting time is enough for the disguised island to launch a first strike.
In order to ensure a strategic advantage, the temporary commander of the Robin, Blair, decides not to wait for support from the Robin and launches an attack first.
He uses the fixed rangefinder on the ship to gauge the distance of the opponent.
800……700……600……
When we reach this distance, theoretically the other party should have already fully lowered their sails and stopped the ship, but they are still sailing with half sails.
It seems that the other party is at least pretending to let them lower their guard.
Fortunately, Lin Feng had already given the order, and when the enemy ships entered the attack range, the Black Coral fired 32 cannons on the starboard side in succession.
The orange flashes of the cannon fire illuminated the entire side of the ship.
Iron balls of different sizes and specifications fly rapidly towards the target with the help of gunpowder.
For dealing with long-distance targets, it is usually preferred to use single iron pellets for bombardment, ensuring accuracy and lethality.
It is only after approaching within 300 meters that canister and chain shot will be used to inflict damage on personnel and masts.
The iron balls fired from the cannon heavily pounded on the flagship of the pirate fleet under various blessings.
Although the distance of 500 meters is the optimum angle for various cannons, it is difficult to hit the target with the moving and inherently inaccurate cannons.
Most of the projectiles fall into the sea, creating splashes of water.
The sudden attack startled the pirates, they weren't ready to attack yet, why did the other side suddenly open fire?
Attacking a merchant convoy is not something a legitimate state power can do.
Is this a hidden pirate stronghold?
Rokun thought of countless possibilities in his mind, and only the last one is logical. Otherwise, why would the other party open fire without saying a word.
But at this moment, the incoming cannon fire leaves no room for him to continue thinking about anything else, and he quickly orders a counterattack.
"Left full rudder! Form up for attack!"
The battle between the sail warships is very simple, forming up, circling, exchanging bombardments, and when necessary, engaging in close combat by boarding.
It's best to use the cannon function first in this situation, to reduce the enemy crew on the deck and reduce the danger for boarding operations.
The pirate fleet has been engaged in long-term sea battles, and after a brief moment of panic in the face of this sudden situation, they quickly entered into combat mode.
The first flagship led the counterattack with the sound of the horn.
However, before they could turn, the Black Coral had already launched three or four rounds of attacks with a good firing angle.
As the distance between the two sides continued to close, the gunners on the Black Coral were also in position, and most of the subsequent rounds of gunfire hit their targets.
This was a deadly threat to the smaller pirate flagship.
The entire right wing has been heavily bombarded, leaving many large holes in the ship and causing numerous casualties.
Seeing that they finally had a clear shot, Roqun quickly ordered to open fire and attack.
"Attack! Attack! Attack!"
Under the urging of the captain, the gunners lit the fuses and began to counterattack.