Chapter 79
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 79
Chapter Title: The Black Demon
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“I’m telling you, if we get close and fire our cannons, their ships will be smashed to pieces!”
“Their ships are too fast! We can’t get near them!”
“You frustrating fools! When their ships fire, they have to turn their sides toward us! That’s when you close the distance!”
In naval warfare, a difference in cannon range meant that the enemy always held the initiative.
But they already knew the British cannons were superior; it wasn't exactly news.
Wasn't that why they had brought a force more than twice the size of the enemy's?
No matter how long their range, a ship couldn't retreat while firing, so if they kept closing the distance, they would eventually enter their own effective range.
They would surely suffer significant damage, but even the commanders knew from the start that they couldn't sink all the British ships here.
It would be enough to sink just two of them, even if it cost them ten of their own ships.
Unlike the enemy, who would need months to send new warships, they could organize additional forces at any time.
“Do not be afraid! Their cannons are not infinite!”
“If we try to force our way in, our losses will be too great!”
“To retreat now would be to render our comrades’ sacrifices meaningless! Do not waste the opportunity your allies have created for you!”
Despite his confident words, not only Governor-General Lin Zexu but also the field commanders leading the charge had almost no real experience in naval combat.
The Qing navy's command structure was often chaotic, and command during battle was usually entrusted to local military officials.
But how many opportunities had they ever had for live-fire combat using cannons?
Especially against those black ships spouting strange smoke, they had never even simulated a battle, let alone trained for one.
They had seen ships that emitted smoke before, but they had been completely unaware of the existence of a warship so bizarrely shaped. It couldn't be helped.
Still, in the end, they were all ships floating on the sea. If a cannonball hit one, it would punch a hole, and if it had a hole, it would sink. Wasn't that how it worked?
They just had to get within range and pound them with cannon fire.
However, this hopelessly naive thought was brutally shattered in less than half an hour.
*BOOM!*
*CRACK! CRASH!*
“More incoming!”
“One ship heavily damaged!”
“What are our men doing! Are we still not in range?!”
“Aaaargh!”
They didn't know what kind of trick the British were using, but their cannons not only had a longer range but also seemed far more accurate than their own.
Every shot they fired seemed to blow up one of their ships. They began to worry that their numbers would be halved before they even got close.
But no matter how they looked at it, something was strange about their inability to close the distance.
Even with a difference in range, it couldn't be five or ten times greater. So why couldn't they fire on the enemy yet?
Even if the enemy ships were faster, they had to turn to fire, which should have narrowed the gap.
Come to think of it, it didn't seem like the enemy ships had turned at all while firing.
“Don’t tell me they mounted their cannons on the stern?”
But that would mean an absurdly small number of gunports, resulting in a significant loss of firepower.
Fortunately—no, through dreadful misfortune—that question was easily answered as he watched the black British warship, which was sending his men to a watery grave, through a spyglass.
“The cannon… it’s turning?”
*BOOM!*
Unlike their own ships, which had most of their cannons fixed on the sides, the cannons of that black demon ship moved here and there, rotating as they spat fire.
It meant that not only was it faster and had a longer range, but it was also firing unilaterally from an angle where it couldn't be hit.
Thankfully, it seemed that not all the British warships were equipped with these moving cannons, but that one black ship alone was enough to give the Qing navy a taste of a nightmare.
Free-ranging fire, unrestricted by the ship’s movement.
With every roar, fragments of their own ships exploded into the air.
It wouldn't have been so infuriating if they could at least fire their own cannons, but what kind of battle was this, where only one side was taking a beating?
“Aaaargh! You damn British bastards! If you aren’t cowards, stop running and fight properly!”
*BOOM!*
Of course, unless they had collectively lost their minds, the British had no reason to come into a position where they could be hit.
Should they change their strategy now? Pull back their ships and fight a defensive battle with the support of the coastal batteries?
But after boasting so loudly to the Governor-General, the consequences of returning with only their own men sacrificed, without even firing a single proper shot, were all too obvious.
Since they were already riding a tiger, they had to see it through to the end and sink at least one or two of the enemy ships.
Whether by a stroke of luck or a mistake born of the enemy’s overconfidence in their technology, the distance between the black demon ship and their own began to shrink.
“Good! It’s within range! We’ll get that one at least!”
“Aim carefully! You must hit it!”
The distance was a bit tight, but it was within effective range nonetheless.
They poured all their pent-up frustration and the grudges of their fallen comrades into the shot.
*BOOM!*
The cannon of the Qing junk ship spat fire toward the black vessel, their Nemesis.
Even with low accuracy, a single hit would surely damage the ship.
If its speed dropped even slightly, they could surround it with their ships and unleash a barrage of cannon fire.
Just then, one well-aimed cannonball flew true and collided beautifully with the black demon ship, sending fragments of the enemy vessel flying into the air with a *CRASH!*
…or not. It merely made a loud clang before falling harmlessly into the sea.
“...Did it miss?”
“I-It definitely hit, though?”
“D-Don’t tell me it bounced off…”
At someone’s murmur, the soldiers’ faces filled with terror.
It was already a struggle just to get within range, and now their cannonballs couldn't even penetrate the enemy's armor? What kind of sick joke was this?
“D-Don’t panic! Their iron plates can’t be infinitely strong. If we get closer and fire, we can definitely break through! Reload—!”
*CRACK!*
“Aaaargh!”
“H-Help me!”
“I don’t want to diiie!”
Tragically, the desperate shouts of the officers were drowned out by the wails of the soldiers whose morale had already hit rock bottom, failing to spread at all.
And the subsequent roar of the Nemesis’s cannons silenced the screams of the Qing soldiers with an eternal hush.
One ship, and then another.
The Qing ships vanished from the waters off Guangdong, and the sea, once stained with cannon fire, screams, and shrieks, reclaimed its tranquility within hours.
The first official naval battle in history between the British Empire and the Qing Dynasty thus concluded with a shocking result: 34 Qing junks completely destroyed, 1,600 casualties, against 0 British deaths and 7 injuries.
With no fatalities, the kill ratio was incalculable.
The gap in power between the two nations was such that it could not even be expressed in numbers.
***
Ultimately, the most important thing in war is morale.
And what sustains that morale is an overwhelming victory.
The first naval battle—or rather, a display of firepower so one-sided it was embarrassing to call it a battle—sent immense shockwaves through both nations.
The Qing Dynasty was horrified by the British Empire’s overwhelming power, while the British Empire, despite their expectations, couldn't hide their surprise at just how weak the enemy truly was.
“My word, is this real…? Ahem, a great victory is certainly a good thing, but I feel quite bewildered.”
“Didn’t I emphasize this repeatedly? If we fight on the sea, it is physically impossible for them to sink our warships.”
For the Qing to sink one of their ships, they would absolutely need the help of their land-based batteries.
The moment they abandoned their defenses and went on the offensive with their own ships, this disastrous outcome was a foregone conclusion.
“But I can’t understand it. Why on earth did they come charging out with those wooden ships? What were they banking on?”
“Perhaps they thought that if we tried to flee, their land batteries wouldn't be able to hit us?”
“I suppose… well, seeing how confidently they came out, they must have genuinely thought they could win. For our part, we should be grateful.”
“Still, they’ve had a bitter taste of reality now. They won’t be foolish enough to try and face us head-on at sea again.”
Looking at the battle results alone, it was a victory of historic proportions, yet George Elliot still looked as if something didn’t quite sit right with him.
“But wasn’t the Qing Dynasty the most powerful nation in Asia, one that everyone was wary of? Is it possible that this battle was just bait to test our strength, and their real forces are waiting up north?”
“Over 30 of their ships were destroyed. If that was just bait, I’d be astonished in a different way. That’s highly unlikely.”
“But then, what has Europe been so wary of all this time…?”
What else could it be?
They were just intimidated by its size and reputation, shadowboxing with themselves all this time.
“In any case, now that you’ve seen for yourself the difference in strength between the Qing forces and ours, Admiral, it should be easier to formulate a detailed strategy. May I ask what your plans are moving forward?”
“If they’re capable of assessing the situation, won’t they contact us to negotiate? You said you would handle the negotiations, Minister, so when that time comes, I will provide solid support from the rear.”
“Indeed, Lin Zexu is likely to propose negotiations. But the war will inevitably resume right after, so it would be best to continue your preparations.”
“Are you saying the negotiations will fail?”
“Of course. We intend to demand the cession of territory, and there is no way they will accept that.”
This was another area that was difficult to comprehend from a European perspective, but the dynasties of the Central Plains would never voluntarily cede their own territory.
They had paid indemnities countless times in the past, but giving money could be rationalized with a mental victory.
They could claim they had thrown it to them as travel expenses for their journey home, or passed it off as a consolation payment.
But ceding territory could not be spun into a mental victory by any logic.
Giving up one's own land, no matter how it was phrased, was nothing short of surrender.
Therefore, the Qing had no choice but to vehemently oppose the cession of territory, as it could crack the very foundation of their Sinocentric worldview.
In the original history, they refused to even consider ceding territory until it became absolutely impossible to resist. It would be no different now.
The will of the Qing would not be broken by the destruction of a mere 30 ships.
“Then we have no choice but to continue the war. They won’t engage in a full-scale battle now, so a naval blockade to strangle their major cities should be effective. If we drag it out, they’ll be the ones suffering, and you can use that as leverage in the negotiations, Minister.”
“Yes. Militarily, that would be the perfect approach. However, it will be more effective if we add a diplomatic touch, so I will lend a hand there.”
“A diplomatic approach?”
“The Qing are so desperate to avoid ceding territory because they fear the celestial order will be shaken. In that case, if we keep shaking the very order they wish to protect, they’ll have no choice but to come to the negotiating table. And as it happens, this large-scale naval battle has produced a result that is perfect for advertising.”
The overwhelming difference in power between the two nations and the resulting outcome of the naval battle.
If they documented all of this—the complete paralysis of Qing cities along the coastline and the blockade of supplies—it would make for excellent propaganda.
“We just need to widely publicize to their tributary states how much of a paper tiger the Qing is, and how its past glory has long since faded. Fortunately, we have friends on our side who are itching to record and spread such information.”
“You’re referring to the Dutch.”
“Yes. If we give them the information and ask them to spread it around, they will deliver the news with great enthusiasm.”
*The Qing Dynasty is being utterly crushed by the British Empire.*
*Therefore, you too should quickly open your ports, accept advanced civilization, and diligently prepare. As a start, how about establishing diplomatic relations with us, the Netherlands?*
It was a chance for them to make that kind of pitch to all sorts of countries. There was no way they would refuse their request.
Originally, the news might have only reached Japan, but if they fanned the flames, it wouldn't end there this time.
Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Ryukyu, and even Joseon.
If all of them learned the detailed account of this war, I wonder how they would react. I suppose we'll just sit back and watch.