Realm of Power

It is really not easy to determine when the Great Battle of Anta, which determined the hegemony of Central and African waters, began. If we count from the first time that the Imperial Navy defeated the Aden Navy with a huge advantage at Qinglong Bay in the southern waters of Central and Asian waters, So the outbreak occurred in the sixth year of the imperial calendar, so the battle had already begun six months ago, when the main force of the Aden Navy completely annihilated the remnants of the Nansi Navy on Taihu Island. , clearing the way for an all-out march into Central Bia, it was already the middle and late stages of the entire battle. The angry and angry Aden Navy began a full-scale counterattack with a main fleet of more than 200 warships, and more than 200,000 Lu family members gathered The hustle and bustle resounded in the Gulf of Aden. With the full support of the Lu family, it was originally expected to require two months of preparation. Its general strategic deployment was nearly completed ahead of schedule in mid-June.

Under the scorching sun, under the summer sky in June, inside the Aden Naval Headquarters, which was generally gray-white, the Commander-in-Chief of the Aden Navy, Gude Yago, stared at the report in his hand for a few minutes, took a deep breath, and pressed it on the table. Then he raised his head and looked at a naval admiral in front of him, and said with a solemn expression, "You want to tell me that you followed those three South African warships for three full days, and the final result was to watch them enter Devil's Reef. And helpless?"

"Yes, Mr. Goodyear, it's not that we didn't enter Devil's Reef, but because the tide had begun to ebb and they realized that there was no hope of escape. The Nanxi people rushed into Devil's Reef in one breath. If our warships followed, once the water level was completely If you go back, you will only get stuck in Devil's Reef." The naval admiral looked embarrassed. Devil's Reef is a ripple of islands and reefs between the Bia Sea in the waters of Aden and is located northwest of the most important strait corridor.

The huge coral reefs exposed above the sea are intertwined next to each other. After sunset, they will be covered by the rising tide of the sea. Only then is it possible to pass, because it is a straight line crossing, crossing from the location of Devil's Reef, which can greatly reduce the need to go around the strait. time, so some daring smuggling ships will choose to cross Devil's Reef, but those smuggling ships are not large in size, and there are ships on both sides to meet them. The entire Devil's Reef is fifty miles long. Once you enter, you will be stuck in it if you cannot get out before low tide. Although the Nansi Navy warship It's old, but it's a heavy-tonnage warship after all. Entering Devil's Reef is basically a death sentence.

"Since we didn't go in at that time, did we send someone in after dawn? Their sails were damaged. In that case, it would be impossible to cross Devil's Reef." Brother Gudeya stood up and asked in a solemn voice,

"What the Commander said is very correct. Early the next morning, we used eight small sampans to form a search team and entered Devil's Reef. We found three stranded South African warships more than 20 miles away from Devil's Reef. , the people above have already left, they probably chose to hike across Devil’s Reef, and they must have fed the sharks on Devil’s Reef.”

There was a strange expression on the face of the naval admiral, and he grinned, and even felt a sense of joy at the misfortune. Devil's Reef is not only dotted with reefs, but also has many ferocious marine life, among which the sharks of Devil's Reef are the most famous. , there are often rumors of a fleet that failed to break into Devil's Reef, and finally wanted to get out of Devil's Reef, but was trapped by sharks. The rumors of swarm devouring are all true stories, many of which were told by survivors who survived the catastrophe. For example, there was once a large smuggling ship that wanted to cross Devil's Reef and got stuck. One hundred and sixty-three people on the boat chose to swim out of Devil's Reef, but in the end only three people came out. The others became breakfast for the Devil's Reef sharks.

"I'm not interested in whether the Nanxi people have all fed the sharks. What I care about is where are the twenty sailing warships that these Nanxi people spent a lot of money to buy from the Falcon Empire?" He stared at the aisle of the Admiralty Department where people were coming and going outside the floor-to-ceiling glass window. He turned his back to the Admiral of the Navy and said in a solemn voice, "Although the Taihu City of the Nanxi Navy has been completely destroyed, when I think about the twenty ships left by the Hunter, The sail warships built under the supervision of the Eagle Empire are missing, and it feels like a thorn in the back. The main force of the navy is about to attack. The Lu family is urging them every day. Once the main force of the navy leaves the Gulf of Aden, these twenty sail ships of the Nanxi people will Warships will become the largest naval force in the Gulf of Aden. If it is a head-on battle, we are naturally not afraid. We are just afraid that Nanshan will disrupt the maritime logistics line for transporting supplies."

"Commander, there is something I don't know whether I should say?" After hearing Brother Gude's words, the naval admiral's face changed and he hesitated.

"Tell me." Brother Gudeya turned around from the window. The sunlight shone on him from the window, and the pale roots of his hair were crystal clear.

"My subordinates believe that the twenty sailing warships mentioned by the insiders in Taihu City are not certain, and they are just heard. Moreover, the remaining Taihu City of Nanxi Navy has been uprooted. Even if there are twenty sailing warships, They can't find enough sailors to pilot it. Instead, they have been struggling with this matter. They are afraid that it will cause dissatisfaction with His Majesty the King and the Lu family, thinking that our navy is deliberately using this as a reason for delay."

After listening to the admiral's words, Brother Gude's face was silent. Could it be that he was too nervous about these twenty sailing battleships? After all, Nanxi is a thing of the past, or as this subordinate said, even if Nanxi really has twenty sailing battleships, there will not be enough sailors to drive them. Battleships are not ordinary ships, and you cannot just find a sailor. operate

The accumulation of a navy has always been a long process. The emergence of a maritime power often requires more than two or three generations of experience. In many cases, experience is enough to determine the life or death of a naval battle. The sea is vast, and in the vast sea, what is there? When there is a hurricane, when the undercurrent turns, and the wind direction changes at that moment, it takes long-term experience to judge. The remnants of Nanxi have died on Taihu Island. Where can we find sailors who can operate these warships now? ?

"It seems that I thought too much"

Brother Goodyear rubbed his temples with his fingers and asked the admiral to leave. Then he turned around and his eyes fell on a pile of information on the table. Compared with Nanxi, the movements of the South China Sea Fleet in the Falcon Empire were more affected. The nerve of the commander-in-chief of the Aden Navy. This information is based on the relationship between the Aden Navy and the Falcon Emperor in the past six months or so. The detailed records of the battles between the Imperial Navy and the Royal Navy in the waters of Central and South Africa, and the brutal agitation therein, are enough to move people. For most of the Aden Navy, the Imperial Navy is still mysterious, and the main ones it fought against were the Kingdom of Aden in Central and South Africa. naval squadron, and every time the results were reported back, there was an uproar within the navy.

Although judging from the number of warships, the number of warships in the Falcon Empire's South China Sea Squadron is less than thirty, and it does not have the empire's powerful sea fortress Dragon class. However, the Aden Navy Squadron, which is still suppressed, retreats step by step. According to the previous battles with According to the admirals who fought against each other, the Imperial Navy has strong ships and powerful guns, as well as naval warfare weapons such as Thor. Its tactics are even more varied, revealing a very obvious pirate style. The combat style is fierce and fierce, and it is good at maneuvering warships over long distances. Shoot, fight if you can, and run if you can't win. This has been the case for several sea battles. Fight and run until the Aden Navy is exhausted or has no intention of fighting anymore. The long-range killing power of the Imperial Thor and the maneuverability of the Dragon Fang battleship Pushed to the limit, even if the Aden Navy has a large number of advantages, it cannot withstand the loss of one ship. In the end, it can only retreat to the strait and no longer dispatch such stupid methods. The result is to reduce losses, but it will also reduce the entire China-Belgium navy. Sub-sea area surrendered

The latest report shows that the Falcon Empire Squadron appeared in the Six Cities Port in the central waters of Central Asia. In other words, the Falcon Empire Squadron currently in front of the Aden Navy is not the main force, at least not a complete squadron. , What a God-given opportunity, Brother Gude's old eyes flashed with a trace of heat, he picked up the pen on the table and quickly wrote down the combat order on a piece of paper produced by the Falcon Empire, and finally landed on He signed his name at the cashier's office. Ever since the Falcon Empire created Imperial paper that was stronger than Chinese and Asian paper, and with the extension of the Empire's trade lines, this cheap and high-quality Imperial paper has become There is a trend that even the Kingdom of Aden is purchasing this kind of imperial paper in large quantities. Although Aden has tried to imitate it, the effect is not as good as the imperial paper. It is either too brittle and breaks when touched, or it lacks toughness.

"Send this order"

Gudayago walked to the door with the order, the naval combat target, Anta!

Anta is the name of a long and narrow island in the strait heading towards Central Asia. In Aden, it means a long knife thrust diagonally, and it also means a knife to split. It is currently controlled by the Imperial Navy. The Imperial Navy A simple naval port was built in Anta, which became an important support point for the Imperial Navy to suppress the Aden Navy. In a strategic position, it is definitely a top priority. If the Imperial Navy The military fleet is still in the South China Sea, and the Aden Navy naturally does not dare to offend Anta. However, since the main force of the Falcon Empire Navy Squadron is not in the South China Sea, it would be good to launch a fleet as the vanguard of the main fleet to capture Anta in advance. , even if it did not achieve a big effect in the end, it at least attracted the attention of the Empire's Southern Navy Squadron and provided a cover for the main force of the Kingdom's Navy to enter the Central Asian Sea.

On June 17, some Aden naval warships that had been huddled in the strait began to leave the strait and headed towards the target Anta

At the same time, the Falcon Empire's South China Sea Squadron, which was returning urgently, also rushed through the waters near Milin Island, where the wind and waves were very strong. In the dark night, the South China Sea was covered with heavy rain, boundless, and the surging waves were undulating. Crash into white waves. The sea and sky are intertwined with the darkness of the night and the shining raindrops. From time to time, a faint light will suddenly flash on the sea. In the darkness, the bow of a dragon tooth battleship emerges from the rushing waves, and then Take the first boat The Dragon Tooth Battleship appeared, and the following Dragon Tooth Battleships began to appear like swordfish tearing apart the waves. They were streamlined like long shuttles, tilted from time to time, and fell high to the sea, splashing. crystal waves,

Milin Island is a medium-sized island in southern Central Asia. It is named after countless banana trees growing on the island.

The wind on the sea was very light, but the waves were very strong. The Longya battleship was bumping quite hard in the waves. Although there was no wind, the surging waves still made the Longya battleship rise and fall unevenly. The specially reinforced masts also continued to There was a low grinding sound from the shaking,

"Commander, at this speed, I'm afraid we won't be able to reach Anta tomorrow morning." A navy captain reported to the squadron commander Casti standing on the bridge with a worried look.

"Don't worry too much. Storms like this can come and go quickly. Just keep sailing steadily."

Casti waved his hand indifferently. He has been in the South China Sea for more than half a year and has basically mastered the trend and climate in the South China Sea. As a person who is not from the imperial navy, he can jump After becoming the commander of the Imperial Navy Squadron, Casti was filled with gratitude to the Imperial Emperor who promoted him.

Even in the Strand Navy, although he was promoted to the position of squadron commander as an exception, the exclusion and distrust from all parties made him completely lose confidence in the so-called regular navy. However, in the Imperial Navy, This feeling is completely different. The Imperial Navy only recognizes talent, not family background. No matter who you are, noble, civilian, or pirate, None of these are important. What is important is talent and loyalty to the emperor. It is no wonder that the imperial army can sweep everything in the Obaro region and be invincible. Many of the generals are even former veterans from the conquered areas. The enemy's generals, but the empire does not care about these. This is why the empire has a brilliant military force with stars like clouds, whether it is the navy or the Lu family.

The emperor asked him to stop the Aden navy. Castil knew that this was an impossible task, but he still carried out the order without hesitation. None of the other navy captains stood up to question the emperor's decision. This was because everyone was so dissatisfied with the emperor's decision. Absolute trust and loyalty

"Commander, if I were the Aden Navy, when I learned that the main force of my fleet was no longer around, Anta would be the first one to attack. Likewise, as long as Anta is still in our hands, the Aden Navy would not dare to advance northward! It’s better to focus on Anta and fight a harassment war on a scale larger than ever before.” The discussion at the meeting seemed to still be ringing in Casti’s ears. Regarding setting the focus of the attack on Anta waters, the naval admirals All one expressed their agreement, not only because the Imperial Squadron has built a very stable stronghold in Anta, with three triangular-shaped forts composed of sixty Imperial Thunder Gods covering the entire Anta, but also because the Anta sea area happens to be In an area where ocean currents collide, an ordinary landing boat will be driven out of control by the ocean currents and even hover in place. If a large warship approaches the sea, it will be mercilessly bombarded by coastal batteries.

In order to take over this island, the Imperial Navy also struggled a lot. In the end, it decided to completely starve the Aden defenders on the island to death before boarding. Then it concentrated its efforts on building Anta Island into an Imperial Navy equipped with Thors. The fortress is like a huge nail, nailing any changes in the Aden Navy to the waters of Anta.