My Italy

The battle off Santiago had reached a critical moment, at least for the Spanish fleet.

The fight between the two Garibaldi-class cruisers and the two Pennsylvania-class cruisers continued, with both sides trying their best to throw cannonballs at each other accurately.

Some people may want to ask, isn't there another Maria Teresa-class patrol vessel? Why didn't you see it?

In fact, it is very simple. Since the Maria Teresa class did not perform well on the battlefield, it was directly sent by Colonel Ramos to support the two Venetian class ships. Facing the seven protected cruisers of the United States, the pressure on the two Venice-class cruisers was too great. Although the Maria Theresa-class did not perform very well on this 10,000-ton patrol battle (a 7,000-ton patrol needs to ensure a speed of 20 knots, in terms of firepower In terms of protection, certain concessions must be made), but facing the protected cruiser, it can be used to its full potential.

"Boom boom boom!"

A new round of salvo fire from the two Garibaldi-class ships started again. After passing 13 rounds of 254mm artillery shells, some fell into the sea after a distance of three thousand meters, and some plunged into the hull of the Pennsylvania or New Jersey. On board, the violent explosion caused huge damage to the two ships.

The two Garibaldi-class ships were also bombarded by artillery fire from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Their 305mm main guns and 152mm secondary guns were also constantly counterattacking against the Columbus and Francisco.

After a long exchange of fire, both Garibaldi-class cruisers suffered considerable damage. Among them, the No. 3 main gun turret of the Columbus was damaged and rendered useless, and a 254mm gun barrel of the Francisco was also broken. In addition to the main gun, the 76mm gun and 57mm gun suffered heavy losses.

In addition to the loss of artillery, the Columbus's hull suffered considerable losses, and many of its armor plates were knocked off. However, the most serious injury was the huge gap under the bow of the ship, which was hit by the 305mm main gun on the Pennsylvania. This gap also caused dozens of tons of water to enter the bow of the Columbus, and also slowed Columbus's speed. .

As for the Francisco, the situation was not much different from that of the Columbus, both suffered considerable losses.

Of course, the Pennsylvania and New Jersey were not faring well either, and their losses would not be lower than those of the two Garibaldi-class cruisers.

However, although the injuries between the two seemed to be similar, the officers and soldiers on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey were frightened, because they all saw the powerful combat effectiveness of the two Garibaldi-class cruisers. After fighting for so long, the three Maria Teresa-class patrol ships were just a make-up. It was these two battleships that really caused huge harm to them, but they understood it too late, or they were just a little unlucky.

No, a 254mm shell fired from the Francisco hit the right side of the New Jersey with a shrill scream. The shell tore through the upper layer of 102 mm thick armor without any suspense and exploded inside the hull.

The vast energy released by high explosives. The temperature and pressure of the surrounding air increased to a terrifying level in an instant. The fiery red surging air waves carried a large number of irregular twisted shrapnel and liquid metal flying into the sky, erupting like a hurricane and volcano.

More than a dozen American sailors didn't even have time to hum before they were instantly swallowed up by high-temperature shrapnel. In an instant, their limbs were severed and their blood spurted out like a flash flood. The violent explosion also swept through the adjacent cabins. The flames and air waves reached it, the flames rolled wildly, the steel armor shattered, and it was a mess.

The huge hull of the New Jersey suddenly shook violently, making a heart-stopping tearing sound, and fire and smoke billowed out from the holes. It looked extremely embarrassed and miserable.

It was obvious that the New Jersey had been badly damaged.

"Let the New Jersey retreat immediately, and we will cover its evacuation. In addition, send a telegram to Major General Samplin that we failed to install the patrol formation. Please consider it carefully."

Seeing that the New Jersey was severely damaged, Colonel Simpson immediately ordered her to evacuate. A cruise ship that had been severely damaged could not stay any longer and needed to leave quickly.

As for his own battleship, he will try his best to hold off the other two ships. For this reason, he is willing to sacrifice himself here. Of course, if he fails to die here, then he will let those idiots in the battleship design department know what happened to the naval officers and soldiers driving the garbage they designed.

Colonel Simpson's dissatisfaction was deeply felt by Rear Admiral Samplin on the Oregon. "Damn, the performance gap between these battleships is huge."

In front of his eyes, the shallow-water heavy gunboat bm2 was already scarred.

Speaking of which, the three shallow-water heavy gunboats were unlucky enough. They were used as bait at first, and ended up having a fight with the fort. After attracting the Spanish fleet to engage in a battle, the three shallow-water heavy gunships hurried over slowly. However, due to the long distance between the two warring parties, the three shallow-water heavy gunships could only run at a maximum speed of 10 knots, so it was necessary It took a little longer.

But when they arrived at the battlefield, they were a little dumbfounded. The battlefield was divided into three parts, and they didn't know which part to start from. At this time, the Indiana caused heavy damage, and Rear Admiral Samplin quickly asked it to rush over to top it.

Major General Samplin was very dissatisfied with the performance of the Indiana class on the battlefield, especially after comparing it with the opposing Turin class. Before the battle with the Spanish battleships, he believed that although the Indiana-class battleships were not very good, they would not be much different in performance. Relying on a large number of cruisers, the probability of the U.S. fleet winning was still quite high.

However, this idea of ​​his has given up hope after the battle. The gap between the two sides is quite large. In addition to the performance of the warships, the training of officers and soldiers and the command are much higher than that of their own fleet. If it weren't for its superiority in tonnage and number of warships, defeat would have come faster.

But now, he needs to think about the U.S. Navy, which has done its best in this naval battle.

"Send a message to the bm3 and bm5 ships and ask them to hold off the enemy. Also send a message to the third formation to ask them to prepare to evacuate."

Yes, after losing several battleships, even Rear Admiral Samplin must admit that this naval battle cannot be won and the issue of retreat must be considered.

Following his order, the two shallow-water heavy artillery warships, knowing that they had been abandoned, had no choice but to step forward.

"Let's face the enemy, boys, we have no way to retreat. The Spaniards are nothing to be afraid of. Our 10-inch cannon can also knock open the opponent's armor!" An officer encouraged his subordinates to fight.

Seeing the two shallow water heavy artillery battleships approaching, Vice Admiral Sedra glanced at the two Turin-class battleships under his command. Now the two ships are riddled with scars. In terms of artillery alone, they have lost 3 356mm main guns and 9 152mm secondary guns. As for the 76mm guns and 47mm guns, the losses are even greater.

Of course, in addition to the loss of the naval guns, the hull was also riddled with holes, but the most important area near the waterline was intact, which also allowed the power of the two ships to be undamaged. Even the damaged Turin class cannot be humiliated by two shallow water heavy gunships. Yes, Lieutenant General Sedra considered it humiliating.

"Sink them."

Following Vice Admiral Sedra's order, the two Turin-class battleships immediately turned their guns towards the two shallow-water heavy gunships.

"Fire!"

Following an order, more than twenty large-caliber artillery pieces from the two warships sprayed tongues of fire into the distance, and orange flames and gunpowder smoke connected at the muzzles. The 427KG shell flew with a muzzle speed of more than 700 meters. It flew over the 3.5KM wide sea in less than 6 seconds, shrouding the two shallow-water heavy gunships in a column of water.

Five minutes later, a 427KG 14-inch shell plunged into the middle deck of the bm3 shallow-water heavy gunship! The 6-inch Harvey nickel steel armor cannot stop a hit from a 14-inch armor-piercing bullet.

The quenched and hardened projectile easily tore through the armor and plunged into the middle deck. After passing through 2 cabins, it exploded about a cabin away from the flue!

More than ten kilograms of explosives mixed with shrapnel and hull fragments turned the surrounding area into a burning inferno. The high-speed debris easily tore apart the cabin wall, and the shock wave and fire generated by the explosion spread to the surroundings along with the breach, and thick smoke billowed from the middle of the hull of the BM3.

"Fire and fight back against those Spaniards." The American gunner cursed while operating the artillery.

But those 10-inch heavy artillery that gives people a sense of security are not as good as people think. The US-made 10-inch 35L artillery is very backward in nature, and even the propellant is maroon gunpowder. The crude turret, outdated ammunition supply and loading system, and the thick smoke that persisted for a long time after firing prevented these 10-inch guns from exerting their power.

Countless 356mm and 152mm shells swept towards the American warship like raindrops. In less than 5 minutes, the bm3 was hit by at least 3 large-caliber shells. Each 356mm shell was like a heavy hammer. Constantly knocking on the fragile hull of bm3.

I saw a huge fireball hitting the bridge of bm3 hard. The flames after the explosion of the shell spread rapidly, almost completely covering the small bridge of the bm3. With the crackling sound of explosions and the continuous hitting of cannonballs, the wooden parts of the bm3 bridge quickly turned into ashes, and the steel brackets also softened and bent in the flames! It made a tooth-gripping squeaking sound under the heavy pressure. The days of the BM3 shallow water heavy gunboat are running out.

When bm3 was destroyed, bm5 was about to follow its lead.

The bm5 was also hit hard, all the artillery on the fighting side were destroyed, and a large amount of seawater poured in from the side line. The already insufficient freeboard was further reduced, and the flames and thick smoke on the bridge less than 5 feet from the waterline had turned the battleship into a purgatory.

From time to time, American officers and soldiers covered in fire jumped into the water. As the seawater flowed through the damaged cabin and entered the engine room, the already overwhelmed boiler finally shut down. The large amount of steam gushing out from the breach seemed like the last breath of a dying man.

Immediately, the entire battleship slowly tilted to the left, and finally capsized quickly. The entire bottom of the ship was upside down on the sea, surrounded by struggling U.S. Navy personnel. The sounds of dying struggles were mixed with hysterical shouts and calls for help.

The two shallow-water heavy artillery ships were destroyed after only blocking for more than 20 minutes. Even the Oregon did not get far.

"Catch up and don't let the ship go."

Under the order of Vice Admiral Sedra, the two Turin-class ships increased their speed and chased the Oregon.

Although the speed of 16 knots is not fast, it is different when compared with the 13 knots of the USS Oregon.

"Let all ships evacuate quickly, and we will hold off our opponents."

Seeing that he could not escape, Rear Admiral Samplin also became fierce, saying that he wanted to let the US Navy retain more vitality no matter what.

"Report, Colonel Ramos reported that they have defeated the enemy's patrol formation, sank 3 Pennsylvania-class cruisers, 1 New York-class cruiser, and seriously injured one that escaped. We are now requesting instructions."

Vice Admiral Sedra, who was chasing the enemy ship, immediately ordered after hearing the good news. "Send a report to Colonel Ramos and allow him to pursue the fleeing US ship, using darkness as the guideline."

After allowing Colonel Ramos to pursue, Lieutenant General Sedra stared at the Oregon in front, preparing for a desperate battle, and laughed. "It seems that the enemy wants an honorable ending, so we will give them an honorable end."

As the warships of the two sides approached, both sides continued to project tons of ammunition on each other. At this time, it was a competition of firepower and protection to see who could overwhelm the other side first. There is nothing fancy about this kind of confrontation, everything depends on strength. In this high-intensity confrontation, the Indiana-class Oregon simply lacked confidence.

A 356mm shell flew in the air for 5 seconds and then plunged into the middle of the Oregon's hull, detonating the shell close to the waterline. This was an armor-piercing shell. More than 20 kilograms of explosives were detonated at the moment when the hull was torn apart. The huge impact directly opened a huge gap in the side string of the Oregon.

Then there was boom, boom! Two loud bangs sounded from the rear of the Oregon's hull!

At a distance of less than 3,000 meters, the rear main gun of the Isabel II fired two 356 mm armor-piercing projectiles into the stern of the Oregon at a nearly vertical angle. The first shell hit the main armor belt, and the huge impact hit the main armor belt of the Oregon. Although it did not penetrate, it tore an entire main armor plate from the hull, directly causing a hole to appear near the tail wheelhouse of the Oregon. A large opening of more than ten square meters.

Another shell directly penetrated the Oregon's upper armor belt, and then passed through several cabins before exploding above the wheelhouse. The huge shell directly destroyed the wheelhouse, and the entire battleship was suddenly in a semi-out of control state.

Facing the out-of-control Oregon, the two Turin-class ships did not continue to attack, but saved a little ammunition. Then the ship sank completely into the sea under the attack of three torpedo boats.

As for Rear Admiral Samplin, he returned to his beloved sea with the battleship.

Of course, the Oregon's obstruction was still very effective, delaying Vice Admiral Sedra and giving other warships time to escape.

The Oregon was also the last battleship to sink in the Battle of San Diego.

In this battle, the United States lost two Indiana-class battleships, three Pennsylvania-class cruisers, one New York-class cruiser, three shallow-water heavy gunships, and a second-class protected cruiser. The total tonnage lost was 100,000 tons and more than 6,000 personnel. The loss is not small.

On the Spanish side, two Maria Teresa-class cruise ships and one Venice-class cruise ship lost more than 20,000 tons of tonnage and more than 2,000 personnel. They also suffered heavy casualties.