Frontier Army Warrior

Chapter 1244 Diving Equipment

After a moment's thought, he immediately gave the order.

"All warships, move forward three miles, and fire back immediately upon reaching the destination."

Mizukawa Hideya understood that rather than passively taking hits, it was better to charge forward into the artillery's firing range and launch an indiscriminate bombardment.

With hundreds of cannons, there must be enough shells to hit the target.

Upon receiving the order, the pirate warships at the forefront immediately started moving forward.

Braving artillery fire and going against the current to cross the three-mile waterway was no easy feat.

After the cannons crashed into the water and exploded, they created water columns several meters high, blocking the warships' path.

The entire warship formation, those that could still move, charged forward.

At this moment, the eight cannons on the Zhenxi No. 2 warship had already fired six shots in turn, and some of the cannon barrels were glowing red.

Cao Chuhang ordered Zhenxi No. 2 to reverse and turn around.

The massive ship began to move, slowly turning the eight cannons on the other side to the front.

The artillery of Zhenxi No. 2, thanks to the use of the shell device designed by Lin Feng, greatly shortened the loading and firing time and eliminated the need for the gun body to cool down.

However, after every six or seven shots, the barrel would overheat and require time to cool down before it could be used again.

As Zhenxi No. 2 turned around, the pirates' warships also entered the firing range and began firing across the mound.

As soon as the cannon fired, cannonballs landed near the Zhenxi No. 2 warship, sending up high columns of water.

Cao Chuhang immediately ordered the warships to move back three miles and continue firing.

The two sides then engaged in blind firing, bombarding each other with artillery fire without being able to see each other, regardless of whether they hit their targets or not.

Nevertheless, due to their large number, high size, and excessive concentration, four or five of the pirate warships were sunk by the cannons of Zhenxi No. 2.

Three other ships caught fire.

The pirates' cannons were not long enough, and although they fired two rounds, they were unable to hit the Zhenxi No. 2 ship.

The Zhenxi No. 2 warship moved three miles back, then anchored to stabilize the hull, adjusted the cannons, and continued firing.

Mizukawa Hide lost his composure; if he didn't turn the corner first, he wouldn't be able to hit the target at all.

However, once they pass the bend in the river, both sides will be able to see each other immediately. They will be able to see the Zhenxi Army's ships, but their cannons will not be able to hit them, which will put them in an even more passive position.

Seeing that the Zhenxi Army's artillery was firing at the air as if it were free, regardless of the specific target, they just kept firing.

Because the pirates had many warships, a few cannonballs would inevitably land on their ships, causing them to rock and sway violently, with wood chips flying everywhere.

The artillery fire from the Zhenxi Army was intermittent, presumably to cool down the cannons.

Mizukawa Hide immediately ordered all warships to increase their speed, turn around the river bend, approach the Zhenxi warships, and try to sink them.

He had no other choice. Rather than waiting here to be beaten, he might as well take a gamble. Relying on his superior numbers of ships and cannons, he figured he couldn't possibly lose to a large ship.

Dozens of pirate warships began to accelerate and rush towards the bend in the river.

Zhenxi No. 2 also received a report that the pirate warships were about to charge up and fight to the death.

Cao Chuhang immediately ordered the warships to turn around and continue to maintain a distance from the pirate ships.

After all, the enemy has too many warships, and even a hero can't fight against four hands. We must use our strengths to overcome the enemy's weaknesses.

Lin Feng was helpless as he was chased by the pirates' warships; there were simply too many enemy ships.

He stood on the deck, frowning as he pondered a solution.

If only I could invent a diving device, a bunch of water monsters could dive underwater and blow up pirate warships...

The idea only flashed through my mind; I can't create something that advanced right now.

However, it's still worth exploring how to do simple diving.

Thinking of this, Lin Feng waved his hand and gave the order.

"Retreat and shake off their pursuit."

Although Cao Chuhang did not understand Lin Feng's battle intentions, he was very efficient in his execution. Upon hearing Lin Feng's order, he immediately used the megaphone to command the sailors to row the boat faster and leave.

The Zhenxi No. 2 ship was very fast. When the dozens of pirate warships turned the bend, they could only see the huge warship of the Zhenxi Army from afar, and only a blurry shadow remained.

Mizukawa Hide glanced at the messy river surface, feeling extremely frustrated.

Their own cannons couldn't keep up with the range, and their ships couldn't match the speed either. They had no choice but to order all their warships to return to the dock.

This time, the Zhenxi Army's artillery bombarded and sank four warships and damaged seven or eight others, resulting in extremely heavy losses.

However, this battle is still worth fighting. At least in the next engagement, all we need to do is bring all our warships close to the Zhenxi warship and bombard it with cannon fire, which will eventually sink the enemy.

Although Mizukawa Hide's warships were not large enough and were far less advanced, they had the advantage of large numbers. Even if a few more warships were lost, as long as the goal was to sink the Zhenxi Army's warships, it shouldn't be a big problem.

Lin Feng ordered Zhenxi No. 2 to retreat all the way to the dock at Yingjian Gorge.

Instruct someone to notify the engineering battalion to collect tanned sheepskin or cowhide, requiring it to be thin and clean.

Lin Feng then summoned several engineering officers in charge of technology and, through a combination of words and gestures, explained to them the tools he was to make and the specific requirements.

It's actually quite simple. Lin Feng just wanted to sew some airtight leather bags. Once inflated, these bags could be taken underwater by water ghosts to temporarily make him feel like he was diving.

This method is simple and effective, and the skin is not difficult to make.

Soon, in less than a day, several sample pelts were delivered to Lin Feng.

Lin Feng directed several members of the Water Ghost team to tie the air-filled leather bags to their bodies with net-like ropes.

The bladder has a tubing that is held in the mouth and held in place by the teeth to prevent air leakage.

The members of the underwater team then attach heavy objects to their bodies before diving underwater.

Many officers followed behind Lin Feng, watching the scene before them with curiosity. After a short while, they understood the reason behind it and suddenly realized the truth.

But after thinking about it for a while, I wondered why I couldn't think of such a simple method.

Especially Cao Chuhang, the captain of the Zhenxi No. 2 ship, had spent half his life dealing with river water, but had never thought of diving in this way.

When he understood Lin Feng's intentions, he felt ashamed and sincerely admired Lin Feng's wisdom.

The regent before us, though young, has risen to such a high position not by chance, but entirely by his exceptional personal strength.

Regardless of what others thought, Lin Feng stood earnestly on the riverbank, silently calculating the diving time of the underwater team members.

The water surface was not calm; the current and the surging waves obscured the bubbles that were rising from time to time. Without careful observation, it would be impossible to notice anything unusual in the water.

After about 15 minutes, the first water ghost surfaced, unable to hold on any longer.

A few breaths later, three or four more water ghosts surfaced.

Lin Feng watched as several water ghosts climbed ashore, pondering to himself.

This is still static diving. If they were to perform a mission, under intense conditions, the diving time would be reduced by a third.

So here's the problem: if the air content of the bladder is increased, diving becomes difficult because the buoyancy is too great, and a person simply cannot dive down, requiring more body weight to be added.

These issues must be taken into account. If, as before, a water ghost can't hold its breath and surfaces in the river, it will face attacks from warships and pirates all around.

The chances of escaping alive are slim.