Iron Dynasty Chapter 1072

“The intelligence is not inaccurate. The Chinese Empire truly possesses firearms capable of continuous firing. This is exceedingly terrifying.”

On the deck, Corbán was observing the imperial fleet's status. Upon noticing the weapons unleashing a barrage from the deck, his heart plummeted.

“The Chinese Empire is far too formidable. With such armaments, we are destined for slaughter on the battlefield,” Philine declared with grave sincerity.

Corbán concurred, nodding. “Precisely why we must secure their advanced weaponry at any cost and dispatch it back home for replication.”

As he spoke, he suddenly observed the light on the imperial fleet's flagship extinguish. A surge of elation coursed through him. “Excellent! Their commander is aboard that warship. Direct the soldiers to concentrate their assault on this vessel. Once their flagship is captured, utter chaos will ensue.”

Philine also noticed this shift. He regarded Corbán with a measure of awe. This renowned Spanish naval commander undeniably merited his reputation as Spain's maritime bulwark.

Despite the apparent disadvantage, they were engaging in a close-quarters battle, a remarkable feat indeed.

“All gunners, target the sixth warship from the left on the southwest flank!” Philine commanded.

“Boom boom boom…”

Simultaneously, the other warships began to focus their combined firepower on the King-Class ironclad. Under the curtain of the warships' artillery barrage, the smaller vessels in the sea rapidly advanced towards the King-Class.

Corbán watched this unfolding scene, a cold smirk gracing his lips. His gaze then shifted to an ironclad positioned in the southeast. This particular ironclad was situated at the periphery of the imperial fleet.

He issued an instruction, “Dispatch soldiers immediately to assault the foremost warship on the right flank. With their flagship currently under our siege, the remaining warships will undoubtedly hasten to its aid, neglecting the vessel on the edge. Let us seize that ironclad!”

“What a masterstroke!” Philine exclaimed, his excitement palpable. He signaled the signalman with the lantern at the deck's edge to transmit another order, directing a segment of the smaller boats toward the eastern side.

Aboard the King-Class, marines were sustaining continuous casualties under the enemy's shelling. Since the searchlight had been extinguished, it appeared all enemy firepower was being concentrated upon the King-Class. The enemy's explosive shells relentlessly impacted the deck.

The intense assault inflicted heavy losses upon the marines aboard the warship.

“General, the danger here is extreme. You must retreat to your cabin,” Liu Chen urged Yue Yun. The King-Class represented the core of the ironclads, and Yue Yun was the heart of the King-Class. Any harm befalling Yue Yun would mean a catastrophic defeat in this naval engagement, even in the event of a technical victory.

Yue Yun's expression was stern. “I had presumed that once the ironclads were deployed, the Qingzhou fleet could operate without inhibition. This naval battle has truly been an eye-opener. His Majesty was correct: we should underestimate the enemy strategically, but we must approach them with utmost seriousness tactically.”

With that, he instructed Liu Chen, “Issue the order for the King-Class to alter its course. We shall leverage the maneuverability of the steam warships to annihilate the enemy vessels. We cannot afford to be overly audacious; in a conflict with such a numerical disparity, we are at a significant disadvantage.”

As the two conversed, soldiers brought forth a spare searchlight. Following its installation, the searchlight resumed its illumination.

Liu Chen surveyed the more than sixty burning sailing warships dotting the sea. Although the enemy's wooden boats were drawing nearer, the enemy's losses during this bombardment were also substantial. After all, the resilience of ironclads far surpassed that of wooden sailing warships.

Nodding, he promptly had the searchlight relay the order for the fleet to reform its formation. This time, they would annihilate the enemy warships while underway.

As for those small wooden boats, they would simply be left to drift upon the sea.

Upon receiving the order, the ironclad fleet immediately set sail anew. Exploiting their speed advantage, they consistently maintained a distance from the small wooden boats while remaining within machine gun range.

This tactic, akin to 'kiting,' rapidly exhausted the soldiers aboard the small boats. The steam warships relied on the power of their engines, whereas the smaller vessels depended on manual effort.

Corbán's countenance darkened upon perceiving the imperial fleet's repositioning. Due to the element of surprise, the imperial warships had initially been anchored, which had facilitated their approach. But now, their commander had evidently recognized this vulnerability, prompting all warships to weigh anchor and set sail.

What was most infuriating was that these ironclads, despite appearing clumsy, were not slow at all. While smaller boats might have been able to keep pace with sailing warships, they couldn't even begin to catch these steel behemoths. Being unable to pursue, the small boats were instead being 'kited' by the enemy vessels.

Philine’s expression of excitement vanished. They found themselves in an awkward predicament: entirely on the defensive, unable to retaliate.

“Boom boom boom…”

The advancing ironclads relentlessly bombarded the sailing warships. Their rotating turrets provided the capability to assault the foe from any angle.

“Sixty-five ships, seventy ships, eighty ships…” With each hit on an enemy warship, Liu Chen dutifully reported the tally to Yue Yun.

Having broken free from the small boats' entanglement, their assault grew increasingly effortless. The tide of the battle had decisively turned in their favor once more.

“Leave no one unscathed. Dispatch ten warships to flank them and seal off the Ganges River's mouth,” Yue Yun commanded.

In accordance with his order, ten ironclads detached from the main fleet and steered directly towards the entrance of the Ganges River.

Corbán observed every move of the imperial fleet. He lowered his binoculars slowly, exhaling a heavy sigh. “It’s not that my command was lacking, but that the imperial fleet's ironclads are simply too formidable. Without ironclads of our own, the era of European maritime dominance is likely lost forever.”

Though Philine found it difficult to accept, the sight of eighty burning sailing warships adrift at sea compelled him to concede. He now grasped Corbán's sentiment.

“Retreat!” Corbán issued the decisive command. The imperial warships continued their barrage unabated, the enemy fleet suffering continuous losses. Once the mouth of the Ganges River was blockaded by the imperial warships, escape would be impossible. The speed of the ironclads ensured they would be sunk one by one.

“Understood,” Philine replied, his voice betraying a slight tremor.

This order was particularly harsh, signifying the abandonment of the sailors aboard the small boats lost at sea. Yet, he had no alternative but to obey. Preserving a portion of the fleet for the future was preferable to a complete annihilation of the army.

With this grim realization, he instructed the signalman to relay the order for retreat. The captains of the seventy remaining warships had been anticipating this command; now, they set a course for the Ganges River's mouth at any cost.

A triumphant grin spread across Yue Yun's face aboard the King-Class. To him, the remaining enemy vessels were mere prey. Following this engagement, the shipping route connecting India and Europe would be under the dominion of the imperial navy.

Even if they sought refuge within the Ganges River, evading their control would ultimately prove futile.

“Commencing tomorrow, warships will patrol the Indian coast in groups of three, intercepting and sinking any supply ships originating from Europe.”