On the morning of April 13, the fifteenth year of Yongli, it was at six o'clock.

The north latitude is 13 degrees and 9 minutes, the east longitude is 80 degrees and 27 minutes, the sea outside Madras, the southwest direction is Qingfeng southward, and the sailing is three northeast directions, and thirty-five nautical miles northeast directions.

Navigation log records, visual confirmation of the frigate Venus and the European fleet.

On the flagship of the Great Fleet, the sailing officer recorded the navigation log, and the cannons and signal flags that entered the state of war have already been released. The busiest one is the communication officer. At this time, due to the curvature of the earth, the main battleships of the Great Fleet cannot see the location of the enemy fleet. Only a few frigates located in front of the Great Fleet can see clearly. Because it is necessary to inform the flagships without visual contact, all frigates led by the Venus, and the rest only maintain the observation state. The reason is very simple. Although the United States has the most complex and advanced signal flag communication methods of this era, for security and confidentiality, only reliable communication officers can grasp all signals. Among the frigates, only the major communication officers on the leading ship can communicate with the flagship without barriers.

The observer on the mainmast of the Venus reported the situation of the enemy fleet to the communication officer. The communication officer used flag language to report to the flagship mainmast observer. After summarizing the information, it was passed to the communication staff of the command headquarters on the stern of the ship. The communication staff reported to the command room and marked it on the map.

This is a complex communication line. Because the morning mist and long distances are not so reliable, the flag language can only be tried continuously. For example, when the enemy fleet was first reported, the fog blocked the view of the watchman of the China Watcher, the number of ships reported exceeded 60, and the number of ships was six.

But even so, this communication method is still out of reach for Europeans. The Spanish reconnaissance ships that came to investigate after visual contact with the Venus Star could only inform the European Combined Fleet of the number of ships, and the arrival and direction of the large fleet from the southern coastline. The specific combat formation, type of ship, degree and sailing equipment were not known. It was not until the large fleet and the European fleet entered their sight that Druittel truly understood the strength of the large fleet, and the large fleet had already set up its formation at this time.

Simmons, who received the news, rushed from his bedroom to the combat command room. The staff had already conducted a map demonstration. On the huge map, the European Combined Fleet had already arranged a long snake formation. The head of the snake was in the outer sea and the tail of the snake was still lying in the port of Madras. The port blocked some ships, so it was only possible to determine that there were sixty warships, of which more than forty were the main battleships. As for how many warships and how many main battleships were still there in the port, it was not clear.

After the warship models were placed on the map, Simmons said: "Wuwei did a good job. It can be seen that the European fleet was leaving the port and was caught by us. Haha, it's really God helping me. Since I have bumped into it, I must not let this fleet escape. The Indian Ocean is their burial place!"

Soon, Wuwei took a notice ship to approach the flagship. After entering the war room, Wuwei did not have too much politeness. He and Simmons and others were both acquaintances, and directly introduced the situation in the port of Madras: "If Venus is right, the enemy's main force has left the port. I have been mined and sunk in Madras several times. The number of three-masted main ships I observed has never exceeded forty-five.

Now the fleet is about four knots, and the wind is weak. We have occupied the upper hand again, and our strength is better than the enemy. We have set up a formation in the high seas and oceans. The European Combined Fleet is not an opponent!”

"General, the enemy fleet is more than thirty nautical miles away from me. Calculate the distance of its relative movement. It should be seven to eight hours before the fire will be exchanged. Can the enemy escape back to Madras in this period?" Simmons asked. In eight hours, the time is still very abundant. If the Europeans are determined to be the turtle, it will be difficult to deal with it. At that time, the Europeans will occupy the geographical advantage of ports and castles, and the large fleet will have no support. If the 6 teams in the large fleet are not impossible to attack ports and fortresses.

Wu Weishi picked up the teacup on the table, set a few points on the port channel, and said, "Druittel did not clean the channel. The ship that I sink was just cut by him. The shipwreck was still valid. Even if the Europeans fled back to Madras at all costs, eight hours would not be enough for them to enter the port. Your Excellency, if a ship was stranded in the process, it would be disastrous."

As Wu Weishi analyzed, Druittel was in a dilemma at this time, rushed into the ocean, lost its battle, and returned to the port, and could not retreat without losing. Even if he immediately ordered his return to the port, it would take at least ten hours for all the fleets that had left the port to return, which means that at least ten ships could not enter the port. The hero's determination to cut off his arm was not without Druittel, but he had to consider another issue, that is, if an accident occurs when a return to the port, if a main fleet sanks the reef, it will completely block the port, and the ships inside cannot come out, and the fleet outside cannot defeat it, then returning to the port is suicide.

More importantly, the Venus took the lead in the emergence of the European Combined Fleet departing from the south. When a fleet-type reconnaissance warship such as a three-masted frigate appeared, and someone on the main mast plate used a signal flag to convey the news to the south, Druittel sent a reconnaissance ship south to investigate and determine the size and location of the enemy ship. It was also before the reconnaissance ship had visually contacted the large fleet that the Great Fleet Command had combined the reconnaissance information of the Venus and Wuweishi information and issued combat orders.

When the European Combined Fleet was now, the large fleet sailed northeastward, which means that the European Combined Fleet occupied the t-head. At this time, the large fleet was not a one-character column, but a double-row column in parallel. The reconnaissance ships were in a horizontal formation in front. Simply put, they advanced with a slight formation. The reason for maintaining this formation was the balance in terms of degree and control vision.

When leaving the Dragon Cave, the large fleet advanced with all members and opened the search screen to the maximum extent, which led to a slower degree. When receiving a notice ship sent by Wuwei and confirming that the European fleet was still in Madras, it was changed to a search column. If it was a smaller fleet, three columns and a reconnaissance horizontal array would be formed. However, in order to improve the degree, two columns could only be adopted. The reason is that the large fleet is composed of two fleets, the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Base Camp Fleet.

The two fleets cooperated skillfully within the internal forces, but they were relatively unfamiliar with each other, so they formed their own battle line columns to advance.

After receiving news from Wuwei, Simmons ordered to maintain the existing formation and attack the entire line rather than form a battle line. The reason for Simmons's order was that the European fleet would return to Madras regardless of everything. In his order, the base camp fleet, namely the Dragon Fleet and the Kirin Fleet, rushed straight to the enemy's formation on the sea, while the smaller Indian Ocean Fleet, the defender Eagle Fleet, attacked the Madras port. If the enemy returns to the port, the Eagle Fleet would cut off the enemy's return array. If it does not return to the port, follow the flagship order and turn right at the right time to form a battle line with the main force of the base camp, and compete fairly with the European Combined Fleet.

It can be said that Simmons did not want to give Europeans some chance. Even if they could not completely wipe out, they could still fight hard and completely gain the upper hand. However, Simmons never expected that the killer moves he arranged for Druittel had received miraculous effects from the beginning, because at 3 o'clock in the morning, the Spanish reconnaissance ship Piura established visual contact with the large fleet, and reported to the flagship Golden Lion that the thirty-two enemy fleet ships, most of which were the main battleships, and the column advanced in the southwest direction of the flagship.

Obviously, Piura only saw the Dragon Fleet, the Kirin Fleet and some reconnaissance ships in the large fleet, but did not see Li Beiji's Eagle Fleet. According to Simmons' order, six heavy patrols in the reconnaissance fleet joined the Eagle Fleet, and the remaining frigates formed an auxiliary fleet. At the 7th hour of the lunar month, Piura again reported the message. This time, at the request of Druittel, it was reported how many main ships there were above the two-layer artillery deck in the United States Navy fleet.

For the navy of this era, three-mass warships can generally be identified as main battleships, but there are no two-mass warships in the main fleet of the United States Navy. In order to count the number, they can only observe the artillery deck. However, all ships of the Kirin Fleet and the Dragon Fleet closed the gun doors on both sides. It took Piura a long time to come to the conclusion that the United States Fleet has determined to have sixteen main battleships, twelve single-deck warships, and four other ships are unclear. This is no wonder that Piura, the fog has not yet dissipated, and the frigates are at the forefront of the fleet are frigates that are originally at this position. When Piura was counting, it was attacked by the frigates Uranus and Saturn. The other European reconnaissance ships had long been forced to retreat.

But the intelligence brought by Piura was enough for Druidt to make a decision. In his opinion, the main force of the United States Navy fleet was not present. According to the intelligence, the strongest fleet was only twenty battleships and twelve frigates (in fact, this is also the real situation of the fleet led by Simmons). The European Combined Fleet had 72 warships. After seizing the British warships, the full load displacement of over 1,000 tons and the number of artillery more than fifty guns (including temporary pretended open-air artillery) were used forty-seven warships. If it was really a comparison of the actual number of ships between the two sides, Druidttl believed that the chance of victory was very high.

In fact, according to the analysis of Druittel and his staff, the main force of the United States Navy fleet should be divided into two groups, with one each east and west of Malacca, so that the combined fleet can gain resistance when it attacks the ports. However, Druittel did not know that Simmons chose a safe tactic this time, and there was also the tactic of offensive mine-blocking.

When Druitel was hesitating, the combat staff gave more detailed data. The comparison of the number of artillery ships on the battle lines between the two sides was about 3,100 to 1,600 (actually 1,548, because the Piura could not determine the model of the Simmons fleet battleship). Druitel glanced at the combat staff. He remembered that the middle-aged man's son and brother died in the Battle of Java, and he looked at the Chief of Staff Djot.

Djot coughed lightly and said, "Oh, the effective firepower comparison between us is 2,200 to 1,600, and we still have the advantage."

The comparison of the number of artillery given by the combat staff is not very significant, while the number given by Djort is more effective. The key is the power of the artillery. The artillery below nine pounds basically does not have the ability to break through when dealing with the battleships of the United States. The effective firepower comparison mentioned by Djort is the comparison of firepower of more than nine pounds. Druitt insisted on asking: "How many artillery above twelve pounds do we have?"

Druittel knew very well that the so-called effective firepower of the nine-pound cannon is only for the two third-level battleships, namely the Ai Beast-level and the Taiwan-level. It is not allowed to deal with first-level and second-level battleships without twelve-pound cannons.

"One thousand seven hundred and forty gates, we still have the upper hand, Your Excellency!" Djot said seriously.

"Maybe, my friend, but this is the best opportunity!" Druittel responded with a smile. The number of heavy artillery has an advantage, but it is just paper data. One thousand seven hundred heavy artillery is scattered on forty-seven ships, while the enemy fleet's 1,600 are concentrated on twenty battleships. Not to mention anything else, who can fight against the first and second-level battleships with about one hundred heavy artillery?

But as Druittel said, there will be no better situation than this. Everyone knows that if the United Fleet wants to win, it must defeat one by one, and Druittel has no better chance.

"Hang!" asked Druittel.

"The 22nd Festival of Wind, the fastest flight of the entire fleet is about five festivals!" the naval officer responded.

Druittel focused his attention: "Very good, send a commander to let His Excellency Raphael of the Guard Fleet pay attention to the distance from the enemy ships, follow the vanguard Fleet movement, and send General Djot to the vanguard Fleet flagship, General Djot, please give you everything."

Djot took off his hat: "The Utrodos will appear in the oceans of the East, and we will have a brilliant victory."

Accompanied by several staff officers, Djort changed to the vanguard fleet. Druitt turned around and saw a group of energetic trainee officers. They were watching him at the age of twelve or thirteen, one of them was his youngest son. Druittttt asked: "Grand, what can we do for you!"

Druittel felt sure of victory at this moment, and smiled and said, "Children, turn the circle counterclockwise, pray to God and the sea god, to make the wind smaller, as small as possible. The smaller the wind, the closer we are to victory."
Chapter completed!