I Am Louis XIV

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In subsequent history, almost no one mentioned this battle, because before and after this, there were countless battles involving hundreds of ships. This battle with only one-tenth of the number of ships in the past was not even mentioned. Think this can be regarded as a war - although some people claim that this is the first time that French steam ironclad ships have appeared on the battlefield, but the wonderful thing is that at that time, neither the British nor the French left any Related records below.

As the Duke of Vendôme had estimated, the British fleet commander was old William Penn. This was Old William Penn’s second independent command of the battle, and it was also his last chance. For this, he had already planned For a long time, he even did not hesitate to let his son William work as a French engineer in Dunkirk for more than ten years - although Charles II has always been very affectionate to the French King Louis XIV, which made many conservatives He was dissatisfied with him, but old William felt that as long as Charles II was king for a day, he would not be without the ambition that a king should have.

And to be honest, Louis XIV only had a mild attitude on the surface and did not hesitate when he should take action. Otherwise, how could Britain lose Dunkirk? Not to mention that Charles II was willing to sell Britain's last foothold in France at such a low price. Louis XIV was also taking advantage of the situation at that time - given that the relationship between Charles II and Parliament was already shaky at that time, a No, the execution platform in front of the White House banquet hall will be erected again.

There was also the subsequent incident of the British and French allied forces intercepting the Dutch Parliament's escape fleet - it is no exaggeration to say that the British were purely thankless. Louis XIV first kept the news that Charles II had got a son secret, but at the last moment Only then did the Duke of York, the commander of the British fleet, learn of the matter. Although the Duke of York knew that this was a British conspiracy, he had to quickly return to London and seize the time to stabilize his position and appease his supporters.

As a result, all the rich assets accumulated by the Netherlands for nearly a century belonged to the French.

Louis XIV never despised Charles II. Anyone who can become a king will not be as useless as people think. The "Happy King" and "Banquet King" are just a disguise for Charles II, and he pretends It is no different to be a benevolent and tolerant monarch. When necessary, they can be unexpectedly despicable and ruthless.

Behind them are their families, tens of millions of people, and a vast country.

I am the country, and on the other hand, the country is me.

When Louis XIV went on conquests, Charles II did not stop. After getting rid of the shackles of Parliament, he followed the example of Cromwell and Louis XIV and established his own standing army on land. On the one hand, he inherited the ambition of his father, Charles I, and continued to strengthen Britain's maritime power. Unlike the French, the British were able to build ships themselves and were also good at sailing on the sea. In order to prepare military expenses, ship manufacturing and maintenance costs, Charles II not only vigorously developed business and allowed the existence of privateers, but also began to buy and sell titles despite the opposition of the court and the court.

As far as Louis XIV knew, there should be more than two hundred British ships now, or even more.

The ships that Jean Bart saw through the telescope were not the kind of small fleets that ordinary people would understand. Although there were only twelve in total, there were seven first- and second-level battleships, four third-level battleships, and one extraordinarily large one. and the astonishing flagship, the Sovereign of the Sea, which killed Charles I.

This ship was almost comparable to the reinforced ship of Calais, with a length of more than 120 feet, a width of more than 45 feet, and a tonnage of more than 1,500 tons. Due to the insistence of Charles I, the original nine The ten cannons were also expanded to one hundred and four. Although during the manufacturing process of this ship, the British complained endlessly because of the increased taxes and even threw their king on the guillotine, but once it was completed, No one is surprised by its magnificence.

Old William was also one of them. His heart was beating like the waves hitting the side of the ship. After being appointed as the commander of this fleet, he almost never left his heart. He touched every part of the Sea King, including the cannonballs with a maximum net weight of sixty pounds. He fell in love with this ship as deeply as a young man falls in love with a charming lady. He had already fought it. He made up his mind that he would fight on this ship until the end.

Of course, first of all, he wanted to become the glorious beginning of the British fleet with this ship.

Unlike some generals with old ideas, old William didn't care about hanging the Prince of Orange's flag on the mast, nor did he care about removing the coat of arms and decorations belonging to Charles I, nor did he care about destroying them in an unfair way. The alliance between Britain and France - it's a pity that things were not as he originally expected. The French were not unprepared. The fleet that was originally said to be withdrawing to Calais suddenly turned back, but he was not afraid. Look at those ships. ! It's ridiculous, they actually used the heavy Calais boat!

"No!" Only a few minutes had passed since he saw the French ship. Old William suddenly shouted: "No! No, they are going too fast!"

After several naval battles in succession - the Mediterranean Campaign, the First Anglo-Dutch Battle, the Battle of Kentish Snooker, the Battle of Portland, the Battle of Gabbard Bar and the Battle of Scheveningen, the West Indies Expedition, the Battle of Losto After the Battle of Forte, this experienced veteran immediately estimated the speed of those Calais ships. The Calais ships were eliminated because they were too slow and could not seize the lead. But now, those following behind The Calais boat with its long white waves was at least 8 knots, that is, 8 knots per hour!

He immediately asked the fleet to change direction, because their ships, except for the Sea King, other ships, even the three-decker first-class battleship, still could not compete with the Calais ship carrying this speed - he I vaguely remembered that someone had indeed mentioned before that the scholars recruited by Charles II were studying a steam-driven machine. Although it was made of black steel, the power it produced could rival dozens or even hundreds of strong mules and horses. In comparison, it is tireless and can run day and night as long as there is fuel.

Are those waves that are like knives splitting the dark blue sea surface the traces left by the paddle wheels?

He held up his telescope and carefully searched for the location of the paddle wheels on the French ship, but to his disappointment, judging from the hull, the ship's paddle wheels were not paddle wheels, but concealed wheels, and they had been properly protected. , he was also counting the gun ports on the ship, and the more he looked at it, the more frightened he became. First- and second-level battleships generally carry more than eighty guns. An XXL model like the Sea King has more than a hundred guns. , has almost reached its limit.

But such a giant Calais ship can be said to be the last struggle of the Venetians. Because of the generosity of Charles I, they used the best keels and the best craftsmen. To put it simply, each of them is like a king on the sea. The size and gun ports of the ship will certainly not be smaller than that of the Sea King.

What old William didn't know was that their tonnage had long exceeded people's understanding at this time - the iron armor covering the whole body had exceeded 30 tons, which was the lowest calculated by craftsmen, scholars, and officers over and over again. Bottom line, they are the armored knights of battleships.

But the first appearance of these heavily armored knights was not as grand as people thought. Instead, it was quite low-key. After being covered with iron armor, the five Calais ships were painted with yellow-brown paint. They looked like an ordinary ship. The ships were no different, except that they were a little bigger. It was also because the commander of the British fleet was Old William that we could immediately tell that the speed of these Calais ships was much faster than ordinary ships.

"It seems that we have encountered a cautious enemy." Marshal Estrez said, and the deputy beside him nodded in agreement. This is the first time that a steam ironclad ship has appeared on the battlefield, and it has been replaced by an enemy who is not cautious enough. , even if he saw the speed of the Calais ship and the number of artillery, he would still be lucky and think he could give it a try - after all, even the Venetians no longer used the Calais warship more than ten years ago.

Marshal Esterres, like old William, is also a veteran from the Louis XIII period. This may be his last battle. When he heard that the king chose him to be the commander of this fleet, he burst into tears. , even if the command power is to be assigned to another naval admiral, Abraham Duquesne is the same.

At this time, their flagship, the first completed iron-clad ship, the King Power, which was "launched" by the king himself, had already crossed the original route of the British fleet. In other words, if the British fleet still followed the original plan Moving forward, the French fleet has taken the lead and has a huge advantage. However, the problem is that the British fleet begins to turn upwards when there is still a third of the way, but distances itself from them.

The two fleets walked miraculously side by side for about ten minutes, until both sides faced each other head-on. Their location was not the narrowest part of the English Channel, but it was almost there. If you want to describe it, it was like being forced to be in a three-dimensional space. The thugs fighting face to face in the alley had almost no room for turning and turning around - when there was no skill, the only way to solve the problem was with violence, as Barr saw, with gunfire rising and smoke filling the air.

Perhaps it was fate that the French Royal Power and the British Sea Monarch were each other's opponents. After a burst of probing artillery fire, they invariably switched to heavy artillery shells. On such a small battlefield, heavy artillery shells were used. The power of the cannonballs was greater and more terrifying than before. At this time, the tonnage of the ships was doomed to their success or failure - the huge Calais ship was like a fort floating on the sea, with all their muzzles open and constantly firing. Spewing golden red flames and black smoke, with a stable hull and a muzzle that is at least six feet above the waterline, there is no need to worry about being hit, or the shaking and movement caused by recoil affecting the aim and wetting the gunpowder.

The French ship's artillery also has a larger caliber and a longer barrel than the British artillery, which can shoot the shells farther and harder.

Under such bombardment, a British third-class battleship first had to withdraw from the battlefield because of a fire. Old William put down his telescope and "changed to white phosphorus bombs."

His first mate paused and said nothing. Old William's order was immediately passed on. As if in an instant, the cannonballs that landed on the French ship gave off a white light that was brighter than sunlight, and the thick smoke filled the air. The entire deck was exuding a disgusting smell. A crew member pulled his coat to cover his eyes and nose, and when he wanted to rush out, another white phosphorus shell landed on the mast above him, igniting the ropes and the ship. While he was sailing, bits and pieces of white phosphorus fire fell on him. They immediately burned and penetrated into his flesh. He immediately screamed and rolled desperately on the ground.

When he was pulled up, half of his body was black.

In addition to white phosphorus, the British white phosphorus bombs also added a special material that allows the white phosphorus to adhere to anything and burn. Old William saw the burning sails, decks and hull of the King Power, which were slightly loose. With a breath, these flames almost covered the poop and forecastle, as well as the black muzzles that looked like the eyes of death. But before he could smile, he saw sudden bursts of flames from all corners of the King Power. The white dust that came out - they are white like white phosphorus, but they are like its most deadly enemy. As soon as they fall on the yellow-green flame, the flame immediately goes out as if it has encountered water.

He placed his hope on the flames attached to the ship, but for some reason, they gradually extinguished. Old William stared closely at the places burned by the flames, and suddenly handed the telescope to the first mate beside him. : "Tell me, what did you see?"

The first mate did not say that he also had a telescope. He held up the telescope and looked at it. He was silent for a few seconds - if it were not during the war, he might have been silent for longer: "I saw black iron." He said.

Although they could hardly believe it, the texture of metal and wood could be seen anyway, and after burning off the surface paint, the joints between rivets and armor could also be seen. If there was enough white phosphorus, ——The temperature when white phosphorus burns can indeed melt black iron, but it is only a thin layer of white phosphorus. If it is wood, it can continue to burn, but it is powerless against a thick iron plate.

Marshal Esterres watched the ship's doctors running around. Generally speaking, there were only one or two doctors on the ship, but whether Louis XIV was in the army or the navy, the ship's doctors were always equipped with a ratio of one to fifty. , although there are women and even wizards among these ship's doctors, as long as someone is saved by them, the crew will not talk too much, or want to do anything to them covertly - first of all, thanks to the education provided by the king in the army Popularize the system. Secondly, even the most ignorant people are not stupid enough to joke with their own lives.

Of course, there is another reason, and that is that these ship doctors, even women, have great strength and agility. They shout, asking the crew to avoid the phosphorus fire and injured people, while quickly treating the injured - just For those who were burned to a small part by the phosphorus fire, they would cut off the injured person's clothes and flesh, otherwise the phosphorus fire would burn all the way to the bones; for those who were contaminated with too much phosphorus fire, they would either pull him to a place where dust is sprayed, or open a special The water storage tank directly pushes people into the water. Once they enter the water, the phosphorus fire will no longer burn, and it can also reduce the pain and damage caused by burns.

These wounded people will still need further treatment in the future, but now with the help of the wizard's medicine, they can at least ensure their lives are safe.

Marshal Esteres looked at the chaotic scene outside the window. "That's it," he said, "order all artillery to be replaced with white phosphorus bombs."

At first, he didn't quite understand why the king didn't allow him to use white phosphorus bombs first. After seeing those injured, he understood that such a vicious reputation must not fall on the French. At the very least, they must not be the first to use white phosphorus bombs. People who use white phosphorous bombs on the battlefield.

The French's revenge immediately fell on the British. Louis XIV used white phosphorus bombs much earlier than Charles II. Even the wizards would shrink back in front of this kind of flames that seemed to be drawn directly from hell. What's more, they are a group of mortals. Although the British have some precautions, they are more to prevent the white phosphorus bombs from shattering and spontaneously igniting during transportation and storage, so they only have sand and buckets. This cannot be blamed on Charles II, and there is no need to find it difficult to understand. ——Three hundred years later, there were still cases of treating soldiers harshly and treating them as tools and livestock. How much more so in the seventeenth century when nobles and commoners were considered to be two different creatures?

When the French white phosphorus bombs rained down on the British ships, the flames they caused rushed straight into the sky, as if the sunlight had dimmed a lot. The crew members who were stained with white phosphorus cried out, if there was anything more to do with white phosphorus. Fortunately, the officers who knew better jumped into the water directly. Some ignorant soldiers only knew how to roll on the ground - the flames of white phosphorus could not be extinguished by rolling. They were like countless pairs of tiny, long The mouth with sharp teeth gnaws down to the internal organs and bones until the oxygen is cut off by the flesh and blood. charcoal.

There were only one or two ship doctors on the British ships. Charles II did not trust wizards enough to allow them to enter the army. The ship doctors here only knew how to bleed and amputate limbs. They were good hands in the slaughterhouse, but faced When it comes to white phosphorus, no one is more trustworthy than a three-year-old child.

The Sea King was undoubtedly focused on fire. Not only the Royal Power, but also the Calais ship on both sides of it also allocated part of its firepower to it. Unlike the Calais ship covered with iron armor, it was worth more than 40,000 pounds. The Sea King is just a wooden ship. Even if the deck and upper side are thick enough, it cannot withstand the burning of white phosphorus. In addition to white phosphorus bombs, the French also have charged artillery shells and submunitions - these are Louis X A new weapon developed by four scholars and craftsmen.

Unlike Charles II, who had made a big bet, Louis XIV apparently regarded the battle as a live-fire exercise.

Even if it is just a new weapon that is not yet complete, it has caused a big loss to the British. Some of the French ships had to abandon ship because of white phosphorus bombs, but these ships are not the main force of the French fleet, not to mention more After discovering that the British used white phosphorus bombs, the ships began to duck behind the Calais ship - just like ordinary soldiers hiding behind heavy armored infantry. Although they suffered certain losses, compared to the British... ...The King of the Sea alone is enough to balance the French people's minds.

The Sea King was still burning, but a second-level battleship beside it also sank. The soldiers who survived were crying and floating on the sea, trying their best to avoid the vortex and burning planks formed after the ship sank. The sails—all stained with white phosphorus. There were officers and captains sitting on several small boats. They seemed to have glanced at the Sea King on the boat. Instead of going to other boats, they rowed towards the white coast of Britain. Along the way, they tried to pick up as many soldiers as possible. The French He did not continue to attack them.

Breathless smoke had seeped into the forecastle.

"We're changing the flagship, Admiral!" an officer rushed in and shouted.

Old William recognized him as his communications officer: "Where is the first mate?"

"He's dead." The communications officer said, and then he coughed desperately. Old William looked out the window, surrounded by a gray veil.

"Which ship to change?" Old William asked. Although Charles II had decided to renege on the alliance with the French, it could not be said that he was timid, cautious, or despicably unwilling to take the responsibility of provocation. Instigating the dissatisfaction and anger of the people in the Dunkirk area against the French, while instigating the stranded soldiers of the New Model Army to start riots and carry out sabotage. However, while fighting without declaring war, they did not dare to hang their own flags. To hide behind the Prince of Orange's flag—as if the bell would not ring.

Because of the last reason, he was not even willing to send more ships. In his words, when Dunkirk was in chaos and France's occupied territories and mainland were in riots, King Louis XIV of France would certainly not be able to do anything. If Dunkirk is controlled as tightly as before, their fleet may not need to fight at all. As long as they cross the English Channel and arrive at the port of Dunkirk, soldiers of the New Model Army will come to welcome them.

By then, not to mention Dunkirk, maybe Calais will also be within reach.

In fact, no, the French are not that stupid. The reason why Louis XIV dared to put the Duke of Vendôme in Dunkirk, a veteran who was considered too old and had almost nothing to do, was because he did not need to be in Dunkirk at all. What a brave and astute general Kirk left behind - as people say, no matter how sophisticated the plot is, it is not worth a sledgehammer, and no matter how outstanding the general is, he cannot defeat such a sharp weapon as a steam ironclad ship. To turn the tide, the French only needed a little push to achieve Louis XIV's plan - an undoubted major deterrent.

Old William can imagine that this battle may not be remembered by too many people, but until Britain develops white phosphorus bombs and steam ironclads, or develops something to deal with them, Britain will not go to war with France again. .

How many years will that be? Anyway, he probably can't see his son... Now old William can only pray to God, praying that his son will not be caught, or if he is caught, they are willing to take all his surnames and origins into account. Go ahead and treat him like a nobleman.

"We don't have a flagship anymore." Old William said: "The French will not leave any ship behind." Since it is to deter the enemy, although the battle is small, the results must be extremely brilliant. Moreover, their ideas are the same. The use of white phosphorous bombs means that they will not capture the ship, only destroy it.

"Mr. Admiral..."

Old William touched the red and swollen eyes of the communications officer. They were trembling and shedding tears due to constant stimulation: "You are very young," he said, "You still have unlimited hope, just like my son. Now I will give you Two orders.”

"I'm listening, sir. Please tell me. I'll pass it on right away."

"First: You select all crew members who are not over forty years old and evacuate the Sea King." Old William said: "When you return to London, you must tell everything you see, hear, and feel. Yes, tell the king and parliament the truth. Second..." He made a gesture to signal the other party to stop talking: "Second: Tell all people over forty years old, tell them that I will use the Sea King to launch the final attack. , I am with the Sea King, and I hope they are with me, and we will be with God."

The communications officer was stunned for a while, but he soon understood. He might have wanted to say something else, but Old William just pointed outside.

The smoke is getting thicker and the surrounding temperature is rising.

The communications officer did not hesitate any longer. He bowed deeply to Old William and ran out of the command room on the forecastle.

Old William continued to look outside. He could hardly see clearly. Only the deafening sound of shelling continued, but the vibrations from the hull under him told him that these loud noises came more from the French.

A few minutes later, a crew member with rough reddish-brown skin and gray-white temples ran in. "Young man is evacuating," he said, "What do you want us to do?"

"Go sail the boat," said old William.

——————

"What do you think they're doing?"

General Duquesne asked the people around him, but he didn't need to answer because he just said to himself out of habit, "Don't those British want their ships?"

He was on board another steam ironclad, the name of this ship was the Sun King. The crew would be proud to say that they served on the King's ship, and he was deeply honored to be captain of this ship. He was a Huguenot. The naval battle against the Netherlands was originally supposed to be commanded by him, but at that time the king was migrating the Huguenots. He was worried that this would be another St. Bartholomew's Massacre, so he did not dare to leave France. Later, He learned that the Dutch admiral Leut was killed in this battle, and he was so regretful that he almost committed suicide - what an honor it was!

So he ran to Paris and recommended himself to the king, but the king could not use him for a while, so he stayed in the military academy for a while, and then in the shipyard of Nantes, until the war started - although the king repeatedly stated that this The battle did not require two commanders. He still achieved his wish through Marshal Esteres - he is sixty-seven years old this year, and he is not young anymore, but his body is still very strong. This battle is Marshal Estrez's final battle was not his!

"Oh, let me think about it," he said. "That's not unusual. Pirates do it all the time." He cast a last glance at his sinking opponent. "Come on," he shouted. "Let's do it too." stand up!"

"Ah?"

"Fool!" General Duquesne said contemptuously: "Can't you see it yet?" He said: "The British are preparing for a last stand!"

The Sea King began to turn amid blazing flames and smoke. When it turned around, the King Power also discovered it. It was not uncommon in naval battles to ram the enemy with an irreparable ship. If it were on the vast sea, they might There is still room to turn around, but now, in the narrow strait, with ships on both sides, the possibility of evasion is too small - Marshal Esteres issued an order, asking the King Power to stop shooting immediately and retreat - What is difficult to do on a sailing ship and a galley is not difficult on a steam paddle wheel. There is a paddle wheel with the length of a human being rotating in the opposite direction under the hidden armor, stirring up the sea water. The King Power begins to slowly But step back firmly.

In front of it is the burning Sea King, which has become an expensive and huge torch after completely giving up on fighting the fire.

"what is that?!"

After being pushed into the cabin by the officers and looking outside for the last time, Marshal Esteres seemed to see something...

A young officer climbed up like a monkey, jumped down again, and shouted with an incredulous look: "That's the Sun King!" He took a breath: "That's the Sun King! Your Excellency, Marshal! It's... …It’s coming!”

As if to prove his words, as soon as he said this, a huge impact and shock came from outside. Everyone, including the marshal, fell to the ground together, and the bold officer actually climbed up again.

This kind of scene is absolutely unimaginable unless you witness it with your own eyes.

The two giants were twisted together, one was fiery red and the other was jet black. The flames and smoke were torn apart. The collision angle of the Sun King directly penetrated the waist side of the Sea King, because its weight far exceeded that of the Sea King. , the Sea King is being pressed toward the seawater by it.

Then, another benefit of using steam as power appeared. The Sun King retreated at a faster speed and brisker attitude than the Sea King, and then hit it again, widening the previous wounds. , seawater poured into the cabin like a tyrant, and the Sea King slowly lowered its arrogant head - perhaps feeling that this humiliation was not enough, the Sun King hit it a third time.

The last impact completely destroyed the Sea King. It burned, and a man suddenly walked out of the forecastle. His knees sank in the water. He raised his head, looked up at the Sun King, and then looked at the distance from him. It's just a few hundred feet of King Power.

"Who is that?" asked the officer next to Duquesne.

"It doesn't matter," Duquesne said. "He's going to die anyway."

I’m going out for dinner today, so I’ll update in advance and wish my readers a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day! Thank you everyone for your rewards, monthly votes, recommendations and support! The fish bows!