Chapter 93
The Mexican-French War (8)
Albin Roussin, who had been overseeing the establishment of the French Naval Academy, École Navale, in Brest, was supposed to become the French Minister of the Navy, but due to a sudden change in circumstances, he became the admiral of the expeditionary fleet.
“We have to admit that Mexico's shipbuilding technology has already surpassed ours, France.”
Admiral Roussin's words, calmly uttered at the beginning, prompted a rebuttal from one of his captains.
“To say that they have surpassed us, France could also build that ‘rotating turret ship’ if we put our minds to it. The ironclad made of wrought iron is expensive, but we just need to install it, and the steam engine's capabilities are only slightly better than ours, according to estimates. The rotating turret and the large-caliber cannons are the problem, but our engineers can certainly build them after a few months of trial and error!”
“Those few months of trial and error, plus the time it takes to build a ship, would take at least three years from now. The Mexican Empire seems to have already gone through that period. So, isn't that the difference in technological prowess?”
“… You are right. I apologize.”
“No, it's fine. So, I assume we all agree on this point.”
Admiral Roussin had been briefed in detail on the nature of the previous battle. After carefully reviewing it, he concluded that the enemy's technological level had already surpassed France's, and that even with this huge fleet, they could be defeated.
It was he who had gathered every single battleship France had, not leaving a single one behind. That was the condition under which he accepted the position of commander of the expeditionary force, not the Minister of the Navy as originally planned.
He vowed not to make the same mistake as his predecessor, underestimating the enemy and becoming complacent.
‘I will give it my all.’
“The rotating turret ships will inflict unimaginable damage on our battleships. To counter this, we need to utilize the frigates and brigs, especially the brigs effectively.”
“Is it possible to stop the rotating turret ships with brigs?”
His subordinate commander asked with a puzzled expression.
“In this operation, we have a clear numerical advantage in battleships, but we have an even greater advantage in the overwhelming number of smaller warships. I heard that the Mexican rotating turret ships have an extremely low freeboard. That means that if a brig approaches close enough, they can't ignore it and have to attack the brig first. If they get close enough to make contact, even a collision could capsize them.”
Admiral Roussin believed that the rotating turret ships were a greater factor in the defeat of the first battle than the armored frigates. The fatal flaw of the rotating turret ships was their low freeboard, making them suitable for use only near the coast.
One of his subordinates, after a moment of thought, countered Admiral Roussin's idea.
“That's true, but the rotating turret ships are steam-powered. Ordinary brigs can't keep up with them. They will retreat and rotate their turrets to hunt down our ships.”
He pointed out the speed advantage of the rotating turret ships. Admiral Roussin answered immediately.
“Let them hunt.”
“That… You mean to use the brigs as bait.”
“Yes. The rotating turret ships have another fatal flaw. It takes a very long time to reload those ridiculously large, large-caliber cannons. The enemy has four rotating turret ships, and even if they have increased in number, if we spread our 60-plus frigates and brigs around, it won't be difficult to neutralize them. Then, we can just destroy the enemy battleships during that time.”
It was a ruthless plan that would demand a heavy sacrifice from the allied smaller warships, but the expeditionary force commanders didn't react negatively.
Because it actually seemed like it would work.
“They said the enemy has very few smaller warships… It seems like it could work.”
“Once we set sail, we won't have time for meetings like this, so if you have any questions, speak now.”
There were no objections.
**
March 1840.
“French scout ships! They seem to be steam-powered. Should we follow them immediately?”
Admiral Martínez, who had already spotted the enemy scout ships, answered his aide's question. He had retained command of the fleet after their victory in the first battle against France.
“They are faster than us. It seems they have learned something.”
The French scout ships were not armored, making them faster than the Mexican fleet, which was composed of armored ships.
“Yes, before, they were caught off guard, and we reached the enemy scout ships faster.”
“That's right. We can't let that happen this time. But we have to follow them. We went all the way out to meet them.”
“Yes, the sooner we engage, the better.”
The order to proceed at full speed was issued immediately.
It was obvious that the enemy would come to Cuba again. There was no better target. Going straight to Veracruz would be very risky, as they could be surrounded, and the defensive installations were a burden.
This time, we were waiting for the enemy fleet not off the coast of Cuba, but much further away, at the entrance to the Caribbean Sea, and as expected, they were heading straight for Cuba.
The French fleet soon came into view.
“There are 22 battleships!”
“25 frigates, and over 40 brigs!”
The lookouts reported one after another.
“They really brought everything.”
“Yes. Even for France, that must be all they have. It seems they learned the lesson that complacency leads to defeat, but I'll teach them that it wasn't enough. Prepare for main gun fire!”
“Yes! Prepare for main gun fire!”
“Prepare for main gun fire!”
Our fleet consisted of only 10 ships, six armored frigates and four ironclads. But size wasn't everything.
These ironclads weren't just more heavily armored. They were also superior in speed and range.
The four 300mm main guns mounted on the bow and stern began to reload rapidly. The main guns, which had a slightly smaller caliber but a significantly increased rate of fire, could fire one round every four minutes.
“Ready.”
“Fire!”
Boom!… Boom!
The Mexican Empire's warships opened fire from a distance where even the battleships' cannons wouldn't dare to attack.
Whizz!
Whizz!
Thud!
Bang!
The two main guns fired hit the sides and decks of the French battleships.
“The enemy is approaching at full speed in this direction!”
“Turn! Maintain distance from the enemy fleet!”
“Yes!”
The French Navy, having learned something, had deployed a large number of steam-powered ships, but they were still smaller warships.
Even the armored frigates, and the massive ironclads, were faster than the enemy's main force, the battleships. This meant that if they moved in the same direction, they could never catch them.
Boom!… Boom!
The ironclads' main guns continuously roared, while the armored frigates protected them.
***
“Another new ship?”
Admiral Roussin felt his carefully laid plans crumble in an instant.
“It seems they don't intend to engage in close combat.”
“That's right. I would do the same. There's no way… to catch them.”
The enemy's new ship was an ironclad the size of a battleship, with four main guns mounted on it. It had a freeboard on par with battleships, and the caliber of the main guns was slightly smaller, making their rate of fire much faster.
It could be said that it was a warship that eliminated all the drawbacks of the rotating turret ships. The only drawback, if you could even call it that, was that it was slower than a steam-powered ship, but it was still faster than a battleship.
The wind was helping them, giving them a speed of 12 knots, but it was meaningless. The enemy was also using sails.
Boom!
Whizz!
Bang!
“Should we continue the pursuit?”
The situation was so bad that his aide was the first to ask, his voice filled with anxiety. Thankfully, or perhaps unfortunately, the enemy's new ships numbered only four, so the fleet hadn't suffered any serious damage yet. However, they were being hit unilaterally, and Admiral Roussin was filled with despair at the lack of a way to close the distance.
It would take another five days to reach Cuba. How much more would they be pounded during that time?
‘I vowed not to be complacent, but it was arrogance to think they would fight the same way as before. It's only been a few months…'
It was unfair. Admiral Roussin felt that way, but reality was harsh.
The Mexican Empire's new ships were attacking unilaterally, and they would have to go another five days to force a fight.
Admiral Roussin felt as if he were sweating profusely.
It wasn't just a feeling.
As commander of the expeditionary fleet, Admiral Roussin maintained a stoic expression to hide his agitation, but he couldn't hide the color of his face.
His aide pretended not to notice, but Admiral Roussin's pale face spoke volumes about the current situation.
Boom!
Whizz!
Bang!
The sound of the Mexican fleet's bombardment seemed to hasten Admiral Roussin's decision.
‘If we advance to Havana Harbor in Cuba as planned, we will be pounded for five days, arrive, and then fight the entire enemy fleet.’
There was no way Mexico would let them off the hook just because they had done enough. They would continue to attack, maintaining their distance. So, they would have to attack the harbor, which they couldn't escape from, to fight properly, but in that case, they would also have to suppress the harbor defenses, which would mean being surrounded on both sides.
‘That's suicide.’
If things went really well, they might be able to barely win, but it was clear that the French fleet would suffer catastrophic losses.
‘But should we retreat? Is that a viable option? Is the great French fleet going to turn tail without even fighting the enemy properly?’
Even if they retreated safely, they would be branded as cowards who had run away without fighting. And that's not all, the king and the government would blame Admiral Roussin for the defeat.
Dishonorable retirement would be a blessing, and they might even end up in prison. And if it didn't end there…
Boom!
Whizz!
Bang!
The cannon aimed at the battleship missed. It hit the brig next to it. The brig was pierced by that single shot.
“Aaargh!”
Fortunately or unfortunately, a shell landed nearby, but a soldier who survived screamed.
Admiral Roussin made his decision only after hearing that agonizing scream.
“Retreat! Retreat immediately!”
The shame of considering only his own safety while making such a major decision was the driving force behind his decision.
He had decided to use the brigs as bait because he thought it was the only way for France to win the war. But to continue advancing without retreating, to go all the way, would be a decision to sacrifice his troops for his own honor, not for France.
“Admiral! Retreat without fighting?!”
“They won't let us fight. We still have five days to reach Cuba, and if we keep getting bombarded for five days, it's obvious what will happen to our fleet!”
As the admiral feared, many officers were dissatisfied, but thankfully, they understood why he had given this order.
As the French fleet began to turn, the Mexican fleet also began to turn.
“They are pursuing us after all.”
They had gone from pursuer to pursued, but one thing remained unchanged. They were being attacked unilaterally.
The favorable wind had become unfavorable, and the fleet's speed slowed considerably.
A hellish time had begun.
Boom!
Whizz!
Bang!
The French grand fleet had to endure the endless barrage of shells.
“Hold on! Their fuel and ammunition will run out eventually!”
The officers encouraged their men and did their best to escape, but reality was not so kind.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
They began to attack even the smaller warships, using the faster armored frigates. The smaller warships were spread out widely around the battleships, so they were being hunted down by chipping away at the edges.
The Mexican new ships and armored frigates fired continuously, as if they had set a goal to use up all their shells.
“Swap positions with the ships that have been hit! Take the hits in their place!”
“Abandon any ships that are about to be halved! If the ship next to you is in bad shape, dock with it immediately and rescue the crew!”
Admiral Roussin continued to command without sleep, trying to minimize casualties.
The Mexican Empire finally let them go when they were halfway across the Atlantic.
They had truly used up every single shell.
Thanks a lot for the chapters 89 to 93, naval battles, politics in México an France... the university, economical growth and infrastructure they have everything to keep reading this novel.
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