Chapter 1039 Exposed (Third update, please subscribe)

In fact, the navy's ocean voyages are very hard. For large ships with a displacement of thousands or tens of thousands of tons, ocean voyages are just hard work. However, for small ships, ocean voyages are more than just hard work.

It can even be said that every ocean voyage is a test and a tribulation!

For a submarine with a displacement of only more than 700 tons, any ocean voyage is extremely difficult, requiring extremely intense work at every combat position. Officers and sailors spend dozens of days in a cabin filled with the smell of gasoline and various strange odors.

In order to be able to carry out ocean voyages, the narrow cabin was filled with a variety of supplies, and even the sailors' folding beds were filled with various canned foods.

For submariners, every day of ocean voyage is an unprecedented test. But that is why they are full of anticipation for the end of the voyage.

That evening, submarine No. 053 slowly entered the naval base on New Kinmen Island in the Chenggong Islands. Officers and sailors stood on the deck, looking at the approaching pier with anticipation, waiting to relax after going ashore.

Not to mention the drinks in the tavern outside the naval base, even the dark-skinned Melanesian girls in the tavern had become beauties like Diao Chan in their imaginations.

Not to mention ordinary sailors, even the captain Wang Bangji is looking forward to relaxing after going ashore. Of course, as an officer, he will definitely not go to those ordinary pubs. There is also an officers' club near the base, where there are bands, fine wines, and of course charming dancers.

Just as everyone was looking forward to the happy time after landing, they unexpectedly saw a lot of military police standing on the pier, led by several military judges.

As soon as we got ashore, the military judge came forward and said.

"Captain Wang, I am the base's military judge. I am under the order of the Navy Department and I ask you and your crew members to accept the investigation."

An order from the Admiralty?

"What happened?"

Wang Bangji said in surprise, and the sailors also looked at these military judges and military police in surprise.

What exactly happened?

Soon, they were taken to the military judge's office.

"Captain, I'm not very familiar with submarines, but I know they are warships that launch torpedoes from underwater. Can you explain the weapons of your submarine?"

In response to the military judge's questions, Wang Bangji replied.

"The Type 053 submarine is equipped with four 50cm torpedo tubes at the bow and two at the stern, carrying 10-12 torpedoes, and two 88mm guns on the deck."

"Well, how many torpedoes did you carry?"

"There are twelve in total, ten 50cm caliber eight-year war mines, and two 50cm caliber training mines."

"So is the training mine a torpedo specifically used for training?"

"Yes."

"Can you explain the mission of your voyage?"

"Our mission this time is a normal adaptive ocean cruise, which is a task that all naval ships must carry out. During the voyage, we need to complete 24 simulated attacks, including six mine-handling and launching training."

"Then please explain how the mine launch training is carried out."

Facing the military judge's request, Wang Bangji could only cooperate one by one and explain the process and steps of mine handling training. Listening to his explanation, the military judge asked again.

"You only have two maneuverable mines. How did you conduct six maneuverable mine launch trainings?"

"After launching, the torpedo needs to be recovered. When it is launched, the torpedo head will release yellow dye to mark the navigation track. We will follow the torpedo to find it and then recover it. After recovery, we only need to use an air pump to inject compressed air and replenish the dye, and then we can use it again."

"Did you lose your mines during training?"

"No. All the torpedoes are on board!"

…

"The torpedo was not lost recently. Based on the available intelligence, it is speculated that the British should have obtained a 6-year-old training torpedo."

In the office of the director of the Naval Intelligence Department, Zhang Dongke stood in front of the director and reported one by one.

"According to reports from the Navy's submarine forces and torpedo forces, during the six-year training mine operation service, they lost 13 training torpedoes in training. Those torpedoes that lost power would drift everywhere with the ocean currents. No one knew where they would drift to, or whether they would fall into the hands of the enemy..."

After a pause, Zhang Dongke said.

"To be honest, it's quite unexpected that it was not salvaged until now."

"Unexpected?"

Pointing to an upholstered armchair next to the large desk, Ye Yushi looked at the deputy director under him with sharp eyes.

"Now, unexpectedly, the Imperial Navy's trump card has fallen into the hands of the enemy. The British can copy the torpedo based on it. From then on, the torpedo is no longer a secret."

"Yes, Chief, but you and I both know that all secrets will not remain secret forever. Torpedoes... always need training. As long as they are launched, there is a possibility of loss. This is also true. After launch, ocean currents and waves may carry away the torpedoes without power. Sometimes there will be problems with the dye bottles."

Sitting in front of the director, Zhang Dongke answered directly.

"So, the officers should understand that secrets are secrets. If they want to keep it secret, they shouldn't train at sea at all. They should find a big lake and train in it. In this way, even if it is lost, it will be on our own territory!"

“You!”

Ye Yushi shook his head and said.

"The navy can't stay out of the sea, right? If it doesn't go out to sea, is it still a navy? Well, tell me everything you know about the British obtaining torpedoes."

"It's like this. According to the intelligence we have so far, the torpedo was found off the coast of Queensland, close to the East Australian Current. This warm current originates in South America and is the left branch of the South Equatorial Current in the Pacific Ocean. It flows southward along the east coast of Australia and finally merges into the westerly drift current. I guess the navy was training near the coast and the torpedo disappeared, so it kept floating along the ocean current until it was discovered and salvaged by British fishermen. Because it was an industrial product, it attracted the attention of the local navy," Zhang Dongke began to recount the intelligence he had.

"Now, the local British Navy has conducted a preliminary analysis of it. The analysis proves that this is a secret underwater weapon made by the Ming Dynasty. London has received the report from Queensland. I estimate that they will soon send the torpedo back to the UK for further analysis..."

"Ship it back to England!"

Ye Yushi made a direct gesture.

"Then find a way to intercept it at sea."

"Intercept it?"

Zhang Dongke replied,

"Director, if I'm right, the British will definitely send a warship to transport the torpedo back. Our people will have no chance to board the ship. Even if we send our submarine to intercept and sink it midway, what kind of diplomatic crisis will it cause? After all, the whole world now knows that we have a secret underwater weapon. If their warship sinks midway, they will definitely know that it was us who did it. Isn't that just admitting guilt?"

In order to keep a secret, reveal a bigger secret?

(End of this chapter)