Clouds covered the sky and the waves rose to the skies.
Moriad stood on the undulating bridge. The small sail on the horizon appeared in the round frame of the monocular in his hand.
At this moment, Moriad was very excited. You've finally arrived, Sea King's Fleet!
It had been two months. Moriad could no longer remember how many times his Ironclad Fleet had been disappointed and helpless. The Sea King Fleet had repeatedly escaped from their search and pursuit.
What frustrated him the most was that he wasn't able to complete the mission Claude gave him, which was to have Seaking send the two Shiksan standing folk onshore as reinforcements.
All of this happened after the armoured fleet's assault on Northbay. Northbay was the largest and most productive bay in Canas and the eastern part of Freia.
Countless ships from the north and south gathered here, turning the three Canasian towns along the coast into prosperous trading cities.
The Nasri and Canas Duchy's newly formed cruiser fleet was stationed here.
Ever since Shiks lost the Alliance they rented, Nasri and Canas lost their own ocean-going fleet.
Fortunately, Shiks paid them a sum of money and Nasri and Canas planned to use it to build a new ocean-going fleet.
After three years of hard work, they finally had a cruiser fleet of more than twenty warships.
It was at this time that General Moriad launched a surprise attack on Northbay. The unprepared cruiser was completely annihilated in front of the ironclad warship.
Eleven new warships were set ablaze and sunk in Northbay amidst countless onlookers. Sixteen sailing warships were captured by Ironclads and forty-eight ships belonging to Shiks, Nasri and Canas became spoils of war. Under the light of the setting sun, Ironclads and the captured warships left Northbay and sailed away.
The ambush at Northbay made Ironside famous. Almost everyone knew about the black smoke-belching, monstrous armoured ships that even cannons couldn't destroy. More importantly, they were faster than sail ships at sea.
From then on, Ironside lost its concealment in the eastern seas. Wherever it appeared would become a forbidden ground for ocean-going ships from Shiks, Nasri and Canas.
However, Moriad regretted making a huge mistake. Due to Ironside's exposure, Seaking no longer dared to set foot in the eastern seas.
He should've first ambushed Seaking and annihilated the two standing corps en route.
In the end, the ambush at Northbay alerted Seaking and Seaking changed their plans. They sent two Shiksan corps ashore at Garuza, Nasri's port.
There were two large ports and four smaller ones in the northern waters of Nasri. Seaking's fleet usually docked at Port Camilas, which had the best facilities.
This time, the two standing legions that were transporting reinforcements were also preparing to dock at the port of Camillas. In the end, Moriad led the Ironclad Fleet to lie in ambush outside the port of Camillas for seven days. The news he received was that the Sea King Fleet had anchored at the port of Garuza.
It was a small seaport town that had developed from a small fishing village, about three hundred miles away from the Camillas seaport.
Moriad hurriedly led Ironside to Garuza Port, only to find that Seaking had long since disappeared. The two Shiksan corps that landed had also left the port town.
He had made a wasted trip and gained nothing.
Very soon, Moriad discovered that the ironclad fleet was constantly being monitored in the eastern sea. Ships from other countries passing by and fishing boats in the coastal waters made the ironclad fleet the center of attention no matter where they appeared.
Under such circumstances, the armoured fleet would never be able to find any trace of Seaking.
Even though the region had spies in those regions and countries, they weren't able to reach the higher echelons of society. Most of the information they received was based on speculation and hearsay.
Ironside ran back and forth at sea but couldn't find any trace of Seaking.
Fortunately, the spies they sent to Shiks finally reported that Seaking would be transporting a batch of military equipment and supplies to Nasri. However, the date of departure was unknown.
In order to prevent the enemy's spies in the eastern seas from discovering Ironside's tracks, Moriad came up with a plan to deceive everyone.
General Moriad formed a large fleet of sailing warships and ships he had captured. He put the spare steam engine on the deck and started it. Under the escort of two ironclad transport ships, the fleet swaggered towards the port of Florida with thick black smoke billowing out of them.
The remaining 20 armored warships and armored transport ships put up their sails and slowly turned to the ocean.
From there, they would start the steam engine and head straight for Nasri's border waters.
At the border between Nasri and Mambamark, there was an island called Sanrusk Islet. It wasn't big and only had a small fishing village and a huge mountain that was covered in pine trees.
According to folklore, this small island was the incarnation of a hero named Rusk. He killed a large sea monster that was harming this area. After he was exhausted, he turned into this small island and protected the ships and coastal fishermen that passed through this area.
That was why the sea was also known as Saint Rusk Island. The Nasri Kingdom and the Mambamark Kingdom had once fought over the ownership of the sea, but because the Nasri Kingdom was too powerful, the Mambamark Kingdom could only swallow their anger and give the sea to the Nasri Kingdom. They only asked for the fishing rights of the fishermen along the coast.
The 20 battleships and transport ships of the Ironclad Fleet were now hidden behind St. Rusk Island. They were also camouflaged with pine branches cut down from the island, trying to avoid being discovered by passing ships.
After waiting patiently for more than ten days, Seaking's fleet finally arrived.
"117 sailing warships, 92 of which are third-class light fast cruising warships, 20 second-class three-masted sailing cruisers, and 5 first-class five-masted sailing battleships. They're moving in five formations.
Also, there are close to two hundred ocean-going transport ships … "
Soon enough, the lookout on the warship reported the composition of Sea King's fleet in a clear manner.
However, based on the distance, it would take the transport fleet more than an hour to reach Sanrusk Islet.
The wind was blowing northeast and Seaking's fleet was sailing against the wind, so they couldn't pick up speed.
"All crew, check the combat readiness again.
When Seaking's fleet passes through Sanrusk Islet, we'll attack and catch them off guard, "Moriad said fiercely.
As long as Seaking's fleet was destroyed, Shiks wouldn't be able to rise again.
It could no longer rely on this fleet to strut around in the eastern seas and meddle in the affairs of Freia Continent's eastern regions.
They weren't caught off guard. After all, the rumbling of the 20 warships' steam engines had already caught Seaking's attention.
A few level-3 fast cruisers even left their formation and headed for Sanrusk Islet to see what was going on.
Seaking's fleet might've mistaken the thick black smoke rising from the back of the islet as a fire or something. They didn't expect Ironside to be lying in ambush there.
The commander of the Sea King Fleet was not a fool. He had already learned some details about the Ironclad Fleet from various sources. He also knew that the Ironclad Fleet was no match for the Sea King Fleet.
In the ambush at Northbay, Ironside wiped out the newly formed cruiser fleets of Nasri and Canas under the watchful eyes of the onlookers.
Almost none of Ironside's ships were damaged. That was a fact everyone could see.
How to deal with a fully-armored warship had become a common problem for all fleets on Freia.
Seaking's fleet was no exception. However, the sea was so big. Couldn't they just hide if they couldn't win?
If they hadn't received intelligence that Ironside was threatening the captured ships to return to Port Floria, Seaking wouldn't have taken the risk to escort the transports in Nasri's waters.
However, the commander of Sea King's Fleet realized that he had been fooled when he saw twenty Iron-armored Warships that were emitting black smoke and rumbling noises from behind St. Rusk Island.
He had no choice but to fight to the death. He ordered all transports to dock or flee as soon as possible.
Seaking's fleet, on the other hand, surrounded the ironsides and ordered them to use more projectiles and kerosene bombs before firing their cannons at close range. It was common knowledge that long-range cannons were useless against ironsides anyway.
There was another way to deal with the ironsides, and that was for both ships to get close to each other and fight.
They could use their advantage in numbers to seize one of the ironsides. That way, even if it was a pyrrhic victory, it wouldn't be a loss. They would be able to develop their own ironsides back at home.
More than 100 sailing warships against 20 ironsides. It was hard to say who would emerge victorious, but both sides had a chance of winning.
The two fleets that were spewing iron and fire collided with each other. Sea King's Fleet suffered a great loss at the beginning of the battle. Nearly ten Level 3 cruising light warships were hit by the white phosphorous bombs and were set ablaze.
However, Seaking's fleet had the advantage in numbers. The following warships swarmed forward and separated the five or six ironsides that were charging at the front. They were now surrounded.
The burning level-3 cruising warships even took the initiative to crash into the ironsides, hoping to perish together with them.
Four or five ironsides that arrived later also sped up. They fired their cannons and rammed into the entangled ships, intending to rescue their comrades.
As a result, he was also surrounded by enemies on all sides. He had to face countless grenades and kerosene bombs thrown at him.
Black smoke and flames from the explosions also flashed on the ironsides. The sailors on the deck suffered heavy casualties.
Seaking's fleet was not having a good time either. After the chaotic battle, the sea was filled with burning and smoking warships. It was no longer possible to see the situation of the battlefield.
All that could be heard were the continuous sounds of cannons and explosions, screams and cries for help. Sailors and crew members holding lifebuoys could be seen on the burning sea from time to time …
After waiting for nearly an hour, the commander-in-chief of Seaking's fleet finally received two pieces of news, one good and one bad. The good news was that two of the enemy's ironsides were under control on the surface. However, they did not expect that the interior hatch of the enemy's warships was also made of iron. The remaining enemies on the two ironsides had retreated into the cabin to guard themselves. There was no way to open the heavy iron door and control the entire ironsides.
The bad news was that Seaking's fleet had lost three sub-fleets. The burning warships on the sea were all from the three sub-fleets. Most of the warships were busy fighting the fire.
The thick smoke on the sea made it impossible for them to continue fighting or catch up with the enemy's warships.
The remaining enemy ironclad warships had learned their lesson and no longer engaged in a chaotic battle with the burning warships.
Instead, they used their speed to cruise around the periphery and bombard the pursuing sailing warships with long-range cannons.
The commander-in-chief of Seaking's fleet was faced with a painful choice. He could either abandon the warships that were fighting and retreat immediately. This way, he could save most of the transport ships and the two sub-fleets of Seaking's fleet.
He could also send the remaining two sub-fleets into the battlefield and fight to the death with the enemy.
Even if they won, they would lose almost the entire fleet. However, they might be able to capture a few ironsides. Even if the fleet was destroyed, it would still be worth it.
However, the current situation of the battle was unclear. The entire sea was covered in thick smoke and it was impossible to see the situation clearly. Was the situation of the enemy's ironsides the same as what was reported? Most of the enemy's ironsides were fighting together and only a few of them were fighting on the periphery?
If that was the case, then Seaking's fleet had a great chance of winning this battle with two sub-fleets and nearly fifty warships on the battlefield. Although it was not a hundred percent certain, Seaking's fleet had a great chance of winning this battle …
However, the commander-in-chief of Seaking's fleet did not think for long. He saw twelve ironsides emerging from the thick smoke-filled battlefield and galloping toward their fleet formation.
The masts and the cannons on the deck of a few ironsides, as well as the bridge, were still flickering with flames. Obviously, they had suffered a lot in the battle just now. However, because they were covered in iron armor, they were not seriously injured and could still fight.
Now that things had come to this, the remaining two sub-fleets of Seaking's fleet had no choice but to fight.
As soon as they made contact, Seaking's fleet sensed that the situation was not good.
The twelve warships of the Ironclad Fleet did not engage in a head-on melee with the Sea King Fleet. Instead, they took advantage of the speed of their warships to make a big turn in front of the Sea King Fleet. They maintained a distance of seven to eight hundred meters and bombarded the slow-moving warships with their cannons.
The sailing warships caught fire one after another, especially their huge sails and masts. They were like torches when they caught fire. The warships could only stay on the surface of the sea and become stationary targets.
The officers on the warships hurriedly lowered their wooden lifeboats. The sailors who couldn't find any lifeboats grabbed lifebuoys and jumped into the sea like dumplings.
A few of the burning sailing warships even exploded violently due to the ignition of gunpowder.
No one could stand being beaten without being able to fight back. After confirming that they could not catch up with the speed of the ironclad warships and seeing their own warships being hit and set ablaze by the enemy's cannons one by one, a few level-three light cruising warships broke away from the chasing formation and retreated. Soon, the remaining forty sail warships were in chaos. Some were still chasing, and some had already disobeyed orders and retreated from the battlefield.
Seaking's commander had no choice but to order the entire fleet to retreat and have the remaining warships return to Shiks on their own. After sending a signal of good luck to everyone, he personally brought up the rear and held off the four ironclads for nearly an hour before the warships exploded and sank to the bottom of the sea.
The remaining eight ironsides chased the fleeing sailing warships for nearly three hours and captured a large number of transports. They only stopped when the sky turned dark.
The Battle of St Rusk was the first major naval battle between an ironclad fleet and a sailing fleet in the world of Faslan. This battle marked the beginning of a new chapter in naval warfare that hadn't changed for nearly a thousand years.
Traditional methods of cannons firing at each other, leapfrogging and burning ships were about to be phased out. New methods of naval warfare were still being explored.
However, there was no doubt that the appearance of the ironsides in the region meant that traditional sailing warships had come to an end.
Shiks' Seaking fleet could be considered an elite force among the coastal nations of Freia. But in the Battle of St Rusk, despite having 117 sailing warships, they were utterly defeated by the twenty ironsides. The number of sailing warships that managed to escape to their home waters was less than a fleet.
The battle had a huge impact on the coastal nations of Freia. Many of them invested huge amounts of money into developing ironsides.
The simpler ones were to cover the sailing warships with a layer of iron or copper armour. The more complicated ones were to purchase all sorts of steam engines and firepower engines from the region and find ways to modify them into steam engines for use on ships.
The most common method was to send out spies to infiltrate the region in an attempt to obtain blueprints for ironsides, trains and new weapons.
The battle on St Rusk wasn't an easy one for Ironsides, especially since two-thirds of the ship's deck and bridge personnel were either killed or wounded. Every single warship in the fleet was heavily damaged.
The Shiksan cannons weren't to be trifled with either. The two ironsides that were almost captured suffered the most damage.
The new cannons on the deck and bridge were all useless, and cracks had appeared on the hull of the ship due to the collision. It could be said that only the hull was left of the ship. Fortunately, the ship's steam engine could still operate normally, keeping up with the speed of the fleet.
General Moriad, the commander of the fleet, was also wounded. He had almost been blown into the air by a projectile.
Fortunately, his aide-de-camp was quick enough to catch him before he fell to the ground. He only suffered a fractured right hand and an injured left leg.
However, the Ironclad Fleet's achievements in the naval battle of St. Rusk Island were also fruitful. They destroyed more than 70 sailing warships of Sea King's fleet, forced down 21 sailing warships during the pursuit, and captured nearly 100 ocean-going transport ships loaded with various armaments and supplies.
After the battle, the armoured fleet rescued another four thousand Shiksan sailors and sailors from the sea.
At the same time, there was an interlude. The ironclad fleet had used up all of their Blackstone fuel.
With no other choice, General Moriad ordered to land on Saint Rusk Island and cut down a large number of Pinus tabulaeformis. Using the Pinus tabulaeformis as firewood, the Ironclad Fleet returned to Florida Harbor with the captured ships …