The artillery battle between warships at sea is long and extremely torturous, and it cannot be done without enough patience - of course, for the "enemy fleet" without artillery, the situation is completely different.

Yang Song could see the water columns splashed around the target ship by each round of shells fired by the battleship. From time to time, he could even see the target ship being hit by a bullet and catching fire, or a target ship being sunk.

If these target ships are really enemies, and many warships have been sunk at such a long distance, as long as there are people on them, they will definitely feel fear.

At a distance of about three thousand meters, the battleship's eighteen main guns are at their maximum power. If the "enemy fleet" continues to move forward, it will enter the effective range of the other two breech-loading guns.

Logically speaking, at this time Li Bao should make the judgment that "the incoming enemy fleet should turn around and run away."

But maybe Li Bao wanted to test the combat effectiveness of the other two new warships, so Li Bao's judgment at this time was "the incoming enemy fleet launched a desperate charge."

Soon, the enemy fleet entered the effective range of the cruiser's main gun. The cruiser's main gun was the eight 120mm caliber breech-loaded cannon with an effective range of 2,500 meters.

The main guns of different ship types are different. The main guns of the new battleships are eighteen 180 mm breech guns, while the main guns of the cruisers are 120 mm caliber breech guns. The smallest cruiser has

The frigate has only one type of artillery, which is six 80mm caliber breech-loading guns.

Because various warships have different uses, it is impossible to equip all warships with the bulky 180mm caliber breech-loading gun.

The purpose of the battleship is to be the main force of the fleet, so it has a large number of artillery pieces and is equipped with three new types of artillery pieces, which can be used in various combat scenarios at both distance and near distance.

The purpose of the cruiser is to patrol the ocean and supplement the firepower of the fleet. Therefore, even though it has a relatively large hull, it is not equipped with many artillery. Instead, it has a carrying capacity that is not much different from that of a battleship to provide sufficient ocean-going self-sustainability.

The role of the destroyer frigate is to escort, scout the fleet and conduct daily patrols. This is a type of warship that cannot go into battle alone. It is also the largest and fastest type of warship.

Anyway, each of the three new battleships has its own purpose, and now that the main guns of the cruisers and the secondary main guns of the same caliber on the battleships have also started shooting at the "enemy fleet", the water column splashing around the target ship can be seen with the naked eye.

There are more.

Similarly, as the two battleships joined the attack with a total of thirteen (half) 120mm caliber breech guns, the speed at which the target ship was sunk significantly increased exponentially.

Until the last target ship was sunk, it was still more than a thousand meters away from the squadron. Even the three new warships equipped with the largest 80 mm caliber breech guns had no chance to perform until the end.

The 80mm caliber breech-loaded gun with an effective range of "only" 1,200 meters is originally a "close combat" self-defense and expulsion weapon. It is normal that it has no chance to appear in this "battle".

Li Bao finally judged: "The incoming enemy fleet was completely destroyed, the enemy's main fleet failed to escape and was completely wiped out, the first fleet was completely victorious, and this exercise is over!"

Yang Song participated in the entire exercise and had a clear understanding of the navy's combat effectiveness. In particular, the powerful combat effectiveness of the three new warships gave him a sense of satisfaction that "living up to expectations".

Yang Song clearly understood the power of the new artillery of the three new warships, and its ultra-long range and precise accuracy were refreshing to him.

Although the effective range of a few kilometers is too short compared to the effective range of those warships in previous generations that could easily exceed tens of kilometers, but it also depends on who you compare it with.

Compared with the old sailing battleships, even the 80mm caliber breech gun with the closest range of the new battleships has an effective range of 1,200 meters? Compared with the old sailing battleships, the most powerful 180mm caliber front gun

The effective range of the smoothbore flintlock cannon has been extended as well.

Considering this, Yang Song asked Li Bao, who reported to him the completion of the exercise: "Is it true that the new artillery cannot be installed on sail warships?"

Li Bao wanted to deny it, but he suddenly thought of a plan and replied: "Report to Your Majesty? The new artillery, which only has a caliber of 80 mm, may be equipped on sailing battleships? But even if it can, the number will not be too many.

We still need to make certain modifications to the sail warship."

After Yang Song heard Li Bao's answer, he considered it carefully for a moment and then continued to ask: "Are the new 80mm-caliber artillery equipped with the new battleship the largest number in the new fleet?"

When Li Bao heard this question, his eyes suddenly lit up and he replied excitedly: "Yes? Your Majesty, I will apply to the Equipment Department for more 80mm caliber breech-loading guns when I get back."

What do Yang Song and Li Bao mean to equip this small new type of artillery on sail warships to enhance their combat effectiveness? Then after the subsequent new type of warships are built one after another, they will replace the artillery? This will not happen

It's a waste.

Even if the artillery has a life limit? But this small new artillery can also be used to train a large number of qualified gunners in advance. No matter how you calculate it, it is a sure profit. Of course, if Zhang Juzheng learned about it, he would not think so.

On the way back, Yang Song couldn't bear the loneliness and came to the lower artillery deck of the battleship to carefully examine a large number of this new type of artillery.

Suddenly? Yang Song discovered a detail, that is, this breech-loading cannon did not have the fusillator of the old artillery. He couldn't help but ask: "How is this artillery fired?"

Li Bao heard this and replied: "Your Majesty, the firing mechanism of the new artillery is that the firing pin excites the mercury in it to ignite the propellant pack."

"Mercury fulminate?" Yang Song asked with some surprise: "Has mercury fulminate been invented?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Li Bao replied: "I heard from relevant researchers that it was precisely because of the invention of the activating agent fulminant that this new type of artillery was successfully developed."

"That's it." Yang Song didn't expect that he would get such a big surprise here, but he knew how big the weapons revolution this stimulation method would bring.

Later, Yang Song learned from Li Bao that the development of new muskets was also in progress, so he did not intend to get involved in this aspect. After all, he still knew that there were experts in the art industry, and he also believed in the Daxia Empire's

The strength of researchers.

…

After witnessing and participating in the naval fleet's exercises, Yang Song was about to return to Zhongjing, but before returning, he suddenly asked Li Bao about the current status of the fleet.

The Exploration Fleet was a fleet established from the very beginning of the Xia Kingdom, responsible for exploring the sea areas of this strange world. The Northern Ice and Snow Island was one of the results of the Exploration Fleet more than 20 years ago.

Until now, the mission of exploring the fleet has never stopped. However, as the exploration of the surrounding sea areas is completed, each subsequent voyage of the exploring fleet will take longer and longer, but the results will be less and less.

For decades, the surrounding waters of this continent have been explored and cleared. The offshore waters are okay, but the endless storms in the ocean are the enemy of the exploration fleet. The sail warships simply cannot withstand it.

So taking the opportunity of Yang Song's inquiry, Li Bao also reported to Yang Song the bottlenecks of the probing fleet.

When Yang Song learned about this, he didn't need to think too much to know that Li Bao was applying to him again to replace the warships of the exploration fleet.

In recent years, the exploration supervisors have gained nothing except knowing that there is an island of unknown size at the southern end of the Apocalypse Peninsula.

Therefore, Yang Song was still hesitant to replace the exploration fleet, but after thinking again and again, he decided to replace the ships of the exploration fleet as well.

Anyway, a sheep is driven, and a group of sheep are also driven. Now that the navy fleet has decided to change its equipment, it doesn't matter the few ships that are exploring the fleet.

Moreover, if the rest of the navy's fleets have plans to change their equipment, it will be detrimental to the unity within the navy and it is easy to lose military morale if the fleet is not investigated.

Besides, although the exploration fleet has achieved little at this stage, the adverse impact of the ships accounts for a large part of the reason.

But what about after the replacement? It’s hard to say. Ocean storms that were impossible to break through in the past may be broken through with larger and stronger new ships.

Yang Song has always longed for the benefits of discovering the New World - Yang Song still remembers the central idea of ​​the theory of sea power - mastering the entire world's seas is equivalent to mastering the entire world.

Therefore, although the number of the exploration fleet is much smaller than that of other fleets, it will always exist in the Xia Kingdom's naval sequence until the entire face of this world has been explored.

But when the day comes when this world is completely explored, it is estimated that the future of Xia Kingdom will also become a sea of ​​stars - at this time, the exploration fleet will exist in another form!

…

"Li Bao, since the ships of the exploration fleet have to be replaced, what about the new organization of the exploration fleet?" After thinking about it, Yang Song asked Li Bao, who was waiting on the side.

Li Bao replied to Yang Song's question, which he obviously agreed to: "Your Majesty, the new formation of the exploration fleet is one battleship, three cruisers, and five transport and supply ships."

Without Yang Song's questioning, Li Bao explained why the exploration fleet was organized in this way: "The farthest voyage of the exploration fleet today is the persistence time of supply. In order to allow the exploration fleet to sail further, the number of Yuan transport supply ships is indispensable.

.”

"Even the exploration fleet will go back to challenge the ocean, so the small destroyers and frigates that are not suitable for the ocean have not been incorporated into the exploration fleet." Li Bao said: "And the exploration fleet has special characteristics, and there are too many combat warships and there is no need.

.”

"Therefore, one battleship and three cruisers will be the main force of the exploration fleet." Li Bao thought for a while and finally said: "I think about it, even if such a fleet cannot defeat the enemy, it can still protect itself.

.”

"You are right." Regarding Li Bao's statement, Yang Song also nodded in agreement.

Yang Song looked at Yu Hu who had walked in front of him, and finally turned around and told Li Bao: "Don't let up on the exploration of the fleet. In addition, didn't you say that the large island discovered in the south might be a continent? Next, explore the fleet.

Before you finish changing your clothes, let’s go explore this sea area.”

"I obey the order." Li Bao cupped his fists and saluted Yang Song, who was sitting on the imperial carriage. This solved one of his worries.

After the exploration fleet failed to produce results for a long time, Li Bao was even a little worried that Yang Song would disband the exploration fleet because of this.

Now that Li Bao learned that Yang Song had not given up exploring the fleet at all, he was secretly relieved.

In addition to the role of the exploration fleet, the exploration fleet is also a member of the navy and a combat force of the navy.

If Li Bao had just handed over the command of the fleet and the exploration fleet had been abolished, or if the other fleets had plans to change their fleets, but the exploration fleet was not available, people would inevitably think that Li Bao was an ungrateful man who scolded his mother after eating.

The villain's impression.
Chapter completed!