Chapter 526: Hit the target
As a comprehensive enterprise at the forefront of the times, shouldn’t we try everything? This is very normal. We can’t not do it just because there are risks, otherwise how can we show our pioneering spirit?
Whether submarines are worth investing in or not, no matter how many written reports are written, they are not as useful as a single victory. And now Sheffield feels that the DuPont family's cargo ship loaded with saltpeter is the best test subject.
Currently, the logistics into Delaware have been cut off, and the only thing that cannot be cut off is the sea transportation line. This is not something that a company can do unless there is an order from the federal government, which is obviously impossible.
What to do? We can only take certain risks and send the submarine out to try. Generally speaking, submarines are a new weapon that is not well known by many people and has a strong concealment. Moreover, Sheffield blew up his own submarine and played a trick of thief crying thief. Almost no one believed that domestic submarines could go out to sea, so it is not easy to associate this with.
The slave owner feels that this risk is worth taking. It is only natural for senior German fans to conduct practical exploration before the Germans.
Sheffield discussed the specific details with the head of the bodyguards for a while to ensure that the success rate would be increased. It was definitely not a simple matter to accurately intercept the DuPont family's freighter on the sea, and there was no global positioning system in this era. Then we could only think of ways to make up for it. In the wolf pack tactical operation, several ships were generally sent out to hunt and conduct reconnaissance at sea, and usually attacked at night. As long as a submarine discovered the Allied escort fleet, it would send a radio to find all the submarines that were close to it and launch a surprise attack on the enemy at night.
The usual practice is that when a target is found, the ships will sneak through the gaps or flanks of the enemy's escort fleet, avoid their firepower attack barrier, and approach the target. During the day, the ships occupy favorable attack positions in all directions, hiding underwater, and suddenly rise to the surface at night, firing torpedoes at the target at the same time.
However, the German Navy during World War I implemented unrestricted submarine warfare, which can be regarded as an early variant of wolf pack tactics.
Although the bodyguard leader was told that he could only attack once and that the submarine could only carry one torpedo, Sheffield did not say how many submarines to send out, so the exact statement was that each submarine could only carry one torpedo.
"We have suffered losses at sea. During the Civil War, the Confederate sea transport lines were blocked by the Yankees, which prevented us from obtaining external supplies. This shows how important it is." Sheffield put his hands in his pockets and whispered, "Isn't it because the Yankees' navy is strong? This is what they deserve. Now it's just a little interest. Let's test the waters with the DuPont family!"
Jesla understood what his boss meant and knew that his boss's ambitions went far beyond this. Although Sheffield had never said anything to them publicly, some of his preparations clearly went beyond the scope of business competition.
"Don't make random associations!" When the bodyguard leader was thinking about something, Sheffield suddenly glanced at him with a penetrating gaze, "There is still a long way to go. I am mainly worried that some people will hate the rich, and hating the rich is not a good thing."
He stopped his confidant from thinking about it, but as a boss, it was okay to think about it. If New York was blocked by submarines one day, what would the scene be like? He really wanted to see if New York was really invulnerable.
The conversation ended here. Even Alice Roosevelt, who was not far away, did not realize the two-faced nature of the slave owner. "Except for what?" Alice Roosevelt asked with concern when she saw Sheffield return.
"Be prepared to respond. I've been sued in federal court." Sheffield shrugged and lied without blushing. "The DuPont family and the Delaware government sued United Company for unfair competition. I was wronged. Everyone knows that I'm a law-abiding businessman. Unfortunately, there are always people who want to drag me down. That's the downside of being too kind."
The slave owner was as shameless as the Indian brother at this time, shirking his responsibility completely, just like the Indian brother who pretended to be white in front of people of color and fought for equal treatment in front of white people.
Although Alice Roosevelt was not inexperienced, she was not able to see through the slave owner's elaborate disguise. She really thought that her man was in trouble and became worried. "What should we do? The Delaware court has already made a case law that may be unfavorable to you."
That would, of course, mean that the authority of the Delaware state government would be destroyed as well. Of course, Sheffield did not say it out loud. He made a helpless expression and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. I believe that white is white and black is black." Neither white nor black, it is still a colony of the British Empire and there is no need for slave owners to interfere.
Sheffield United is indeed ready to respond to the lawsuit. It can ignore the authority of the Delaware court, but it will not give the federal court any trouble. The more the Democrats control the federal government, the more they will do this kind of superficial work. Otherwise, it will easily give the opposition party a handle. After all, America has its own national conditions.
As for the Delaware government's request for Sheffield to make a public apology in the newspaper, he did not respond. Don't we Dixies have any respect?
While the lawsuit was being filed, the submarine in the Houston dock was also filled with water and disappeared into the sea under the cover of night. No one noticed it, just as it was as natural as a person not being able to see his own ears.
In the eyes of some giants and citizens who pay close attention to the progress of the matter, the lively corporate confrontation is the topic of discussion. This happens to be an excellent cover for the underwater wolf pack. The vast Atlantic Ocean will witness the arrival of a new war model, although there is no war at this time.
The five submarines that attacked were all operated by employees of the Black Gold Company and obeyed the captain's orders. Sheffield was not modest. In fact, the force in his hands was stronger than the soldiers of the United States in terms of quality, and could not be weaker.
You should know that before World War I, the major European countries participating in the war were able to mobilize to the battlefield within two weeks. The national mobilization capabilities are not comparable to Europe, which is wrapped in high welfare a hundred years later. The United States army was much worse. It took a full six months of training before it officially entered Europe to participate in the war. After joining the war, it was ridiculed by the French army, and the combat effectiveness was at most that of a vassal state.
The quality of the individual members of the Black Gold Company is certainly better than that of the United States soldiers who can only act as fathers in front of the Spaniards.
The attacking submarines followed the knowledge of hiding during the day and coming out at night, and roamed underwater during the day. Only by occasionally extending the periscope could the seagulls in the sky realize that the sea surface was far from being as calm as it seemed.
As the sky gradually darkened, a submarine emerged from the water, causing a splash of water. Two people emerged from the submarine. They were both wearing large black cloak-like raincoats. One of them was holding a pair of high-power binoculars, constantly patrolling the sea.
"This is simply torture. I used to think I was fearless in the face of the ocean, but today I realize that was just my own opinion. The ocean is too awe-inspiring." One of them leaned on the fence of the command platform, even ignoring the danger of falling off, and said, "Being underwater and being above water are really different concepts."
"Times are changing. Who would have thought that ships could sail underwater?" Another person, who was obviously of a higher status and was the temporary captain of the submarine, put down the telescope and said, "It seems that there is no abnormality for the time being. Let's charge and let everyone come out to take a breath. Be ready to dive at any time if there is any situation."
In terms of the dimensions around the United States, there is still a long period of darkness in this month. The target is a 10,000-ton ship flying the flag of the United States, if the other party does not change the flag halfway. Of course, this is not a feature, as long as we still rely on the photos carried by the submarine for comparison, this era is so primitive.
Even decades later, when the Japanese Combined Fleet attacked Pearl Harbor, they actually identified their targets by looking at spy photos.
Along with this submarine, there are four other submarines. The five submarines will pull out a net, find the target of resistance and sink it. This requires everyone to stay focused at all times, but for the double salary this month, everyone is willing to work hard.
A few days passed like this. Through constant observation in the dark, the submarines waiting in the dark also corrected their routes to ensure that they would intercept the enemy in the sea area and not miss any fish that slipped through the net.
Even so, it was still a matter of luck to make an accurate interception. Even Sheffield in New Orleans did not hold high expectations, but just wanted to test it out. But the order was very bluffing!
Twelve days later, one of the submarines thought it had found its target. While following, the crew members in the submarine were nervously comparing the photos one by one with the freighter in the periscope. Finally, they confirmed that this was the target they were looking for. The captain immediately ordered to follow and look for opportunities to attack. "We only have one torpedo on board, and we only have one chance. We are fully confident to act."
Soon the sea became completely dark. There were lights flashing in the cargo ships on the sea, which served as navigation just like a lighthouse, and saved the followers a lot of trouble.
After a brief discussion, everyone agreed to use a left hook. If it was on land, everyone would be shooting face to face, but it was different on the sea. The sides of the ship were more conducive to attacking because the area naturally had a higher hit rate. The following submarine ran at full speed and drew an arc underwater, which looked like the trajectory of an overtaking vehicle.
"This is a fully loaded freighter, launch it and send it back to the embrace of Mother Ocean!" The captain, who had been holding the periscope, ordered. In the dark night, the torpedo flew out with a splash and headed straight for the freighter. The fire flashed and it hit the target.
(End of this chapter)
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