Chapter 530 The First of Great Xia
In recent years, the galleons and clipper sailing ships of Tai-Yuan have become the symbol of Tai-Yuan's maritime fleet. Their massive hulls and sailing speeds, which far exceed those of Tai-Hsia ships, have left a deep impression.
Many of the high-ranking officials of the Great Xia Dynasty who participated in the martial arts demonstration had seen or learned about the Great Xia's giant galleons and large clipper ships. Wang Yushi had even observed the first-class Da Yuan ship, a large warship, up close.
However, the five steam-powered sailing ships leading the large fleet that was now speeding toward the sea shocked everyone present.
Tall, large, and long—these are the three words that describe the entire ship. Compared to the first-class ships and clipper high-speed sailing ships behind them, the steam sailing ships are like children compared to giants. Steam sailing ships with a displacement of over 5,000 tons are beyond the comprehension of the people of Daxia.
"How can there be such a huge ship? How many years old must the giant tree have been used to build its keel?"
"Oh... Your brother's ship has a steel keel!"
"Using steel for the keel?" Wang Yushi turned to look at Qin Mo. She knew she hadn't misheard, but she still wanted to confirm it. After all, she couldn't imagine modern steel such as I-beams and U-shaped steel being used in shipbuilding processes like keels, side keels, and ribs.
Wang Yushi suppressed her thoughts, wondering if a steel keel ship would sink easily, and turned her gaze back to the steam-powered sailboat that had already begun to turn around on the shore.
The appearance of the steam-powered sailboat gave Wang Yushi and the others a strong visual impact. There was a spacious deck between the four towering mainmasts, and two tall smokestacks spewed out blue smoke, providing it with ample power.
The steam engines on board used the highest quality anthracite, which provided ample heat while reducing the amount of smoke remaining. It is said that during World War I, experienced crew members could distinguish whether a distant ship was a warship or a civilian vessel simply by the color of the smoke column on the horizon, as only warships used the best coal.
Powered by steam, the massive ship nimbly turned around, revealing the three layers of gun ports on its sides, which once again drew gasps of amazement.
Equipping a ship thirty feet long with hundreds of cannons resulted in an extremely high density of firepower. When the cannons fired in succession, the continuous and dense sound of the cannons was even more exciting than the most intense drumbeats, constantly striking the hearts of the audience.
Five steam-powered sailing ships fired in succession, plowing through the barren land between the Da Yuan army and the Da Xia army. The first-class sailing ships that followed followed suit, plowing through the land once more. The dense cannonballs created gullies and ravines, and the dust and smoke that flew up covered the entire barren land.
The desolate beach was filled with the neighing of horses. The cavalry of the Great Xia were trying to control their warhorses. Since the advent of cannons, the warhorses of the Great Xia had been using earplugs, but the dense sounds of fire made the warhorses sense great danger through their animal instincts.
When the dust settled, the army's formation was complete. The rows of black infantry cannons raised their muzzles and began to roar again, first clearing all obstacles within 500 paces, and then accurately firing their shells at a distance of about 1,000 paces.
"Forward...forward..."
"Praise...praise...praise"
The riflemen of the high-ranking officer moved, running forward resolutely and in unison amidst the flying shells, while the artillery commander shouted loudly to adjust the design angle and elevation of the artillery to avoid accidentally hitting his comrades.
"There's such a tactic? Qin Mo, you've been hiding a lot of good stuff!"
Zhao Qirui was the person with the most experience using artillery besides Qin Mo. When he saw the artillery, which had always been used as a siege weapon, being used in this way, he couldn't help but praise it loudly, which made Qin Mu and Qin Kan next to him frown.
However, they also noticed that Qin Mo's artillery and riflemen coordinated their tactics very effectively. The artillerymen kept extending their fire forward, while the riflemen fearlessly followed behind, advancing without hesitation. This artillery technique alone was something the Imperial Guards and the Royal Guards couldn't handle.
"I only recently developed this battle tactic, and in the process, I've accidentally injured countless of my own men..."
Qin Mo naturally wouldn't tell them that all of his artillery pieces were rifled cannons, whose accuracy, range, and projectile stability were far superior to those smoothbore cannons. Moreover, the placement of the cannons and the range of support they could provide were all calculated and practiced frequently, involving mathematical knowledge that was at the high school level. Even if you watched it a dozen times, you still wouldn't be able to learn it.
When the artillery fire stopped, the riflemen of the Da Yuan army had already taken up firing positions 500 paces in front of the center of the Da Xia army. Even though the soldiers of the Da Xia army were all elite soldiers selected by the Da Yuan army, they were a little stunned by the Da Yuan army's combination punches. Faced with the dense black gun barrels in front of them, their formation obviously became restless and chaotic.
"Beep...beep...beep"
A series of whistles sounded in the army, and the riflemen began to retreat in squads, covering each other quickly and orderly. In less than fifteen minutes, they had rearranged their defensive formation at a safe distance.
"Ahem! My troops' martial arts demonstration is over. I would like to ask Your Majesty for your comments!"
“........”
Wang Yushi glared at Qin Mo with sharp eyes and said coldly, "I cannot comment on this. Please let the Grand Commander and the General judge such battle formations!"
Zhao Qirui and Qin Mu exchanged a glance, both with solemn expressions. Although Zhao Qirui did not have any ill feelings towards Qin Mo, the strength of the Dayuan army had exceeded his expectations. Dayuan was located overseas, and Daxia was powerless to control it. Now, Qin Mo had already shown the signs of a powerful and ruthless leader, which was not a good thing for the Daxia Empire.
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