Holy Roman Empire
Chapter 375: The Laughingstock of the Naval Circle

The vast azure ocean stretched endlessly, wave after wave surging forward, crashing against the rocks with a ground-shaking roar, spraying snow-white foam.

Russian Rear Admiral Popov stood proudly on the ship’s deck, listening to this captivating melody. Over the past few days, he had led the Russian navy to eradicate many pirates, swelling his personal purse.

The Californian government was quite generous to this “guardian”, not only allowing him to keep all the spoils for himself but also offering enticing bounties.

Fifty dollars for killing a pirate, five hundred dollars for capturing one alive. It seemed the Californian government was still worried the Russians might kill indiscriminately, so they adjusted the bounty amounts, using high rewards to encourage the Russians to capture pirates alive.

U.S. Naval Captain Magill exclaimed excitedly, “Admiral, ahead is San Clemente Island. Three days ago, a group of pirates suddenly occupied it, posing a serious threat to our maritime security. Please, you must eliminate these troublemakers.”

Captain Magill harbored a deep hatred for pirates, and it was not without reason. The United States Navy had limited numbers of warships on the West Coast, gradually depleting in the fight against pirates.

Being unable to defeat pirates at sea became a source of shame for the U.S. Navy, as well as a personal embarrassment for him in his military career. To make matters worse, the main forces of the United States Navy were stationed on the East Coast, and the federal government dared not divide its forces.

The few shipyards on the West Coast had not escaped pirate attacks, leaving ship repairs difficult and the construction of warships out of the question.

Now, hope had to be pinned on the Russians. Although the fleet led by Popov was somewhat outdated, it was still superior to the ships Magill commanded.

Before the outbreak of the Civil War, the U.S. government did not prioritize military preparedness, and the limited navy was stationed primarily on the East Coast. The West Coast, undeveloped at that time and without external threats, naturally received less attention.

Adding up all the large and small warships of the US Navy on the entire West Coast, there were not even twenty ships in total, with an average age of over ten years — their combat effectiveness need not be mentioned.

However, the navy was still the navy, always stronger than pirates. Even though there was support behind these pirates, they had not yet gone mad enough to sell warships to them.

In the initial stages of the war, they could still suppress the privateer fleets (pirates). But as the number of battles increased, these warships were gradually depleted in the fighting, until the pirates eventually gained the upper hand.

Now, with Russian assistance and under strong demands from the Californian government, the U.S. Navy and Russians formed a coalition, preparing to eradicate the pirates entrenched in the Channel Islands.

With a disdainful glance at Magill, Rear Admiral Popov nonchalantly remarked, “Rest assured, they’re just a bunch of pirates.”

Brimming with confidence, Popov did not yet know what enemy he would soon face, as he strode step-by-step into the gates of hell.

……

A pirate underling said ingratiatingly, “Lieutenant Commander, our men are ready and just waiting for the Russians to take the bait.”

“Shut up, Will. Don’t be an idiot. You will call me Captain now. If you leak our identities, you’ll be facing a court martial!” the British Lieutenant Commander Gurney berated him sternly.

This is no joke; if the Royal Navy were to be exposed masquerading as pirates, it would undoubtedly cause a major incident.

In any case, those bigwigs backing them would absolutely never admit to the roles they played in this. This mess would be solely theirs to deal with.

If it weren’t for the arrival of the Russians cutting off their source of wealth, they wouldn’t have gone to such extremes.

To annihilate a Russian fleet under the guise of pirates not only humiliates the Russian government but also arouses suspicion from the outside world.

Most of the pirates on the West Coast were driven there by the Royal Navy from the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia, so their combat capabilities were naturally poor.

If they actually had the strength to annihilate this Russian fleet, they would have long ago landed ashore and plundered San Francisco, instead of being content with raiding passing merchant ships.

Realizing his mistake, Will quickly corrected himself, “Yes, Captain!”

Gurney glared at him, then said irritably, “Send someone to notify the other captains to prepare; they are indispensable to this farce. Without professionals participating, how can the strength of our pirate alliance be demonstrated?”

The “Pirate Alliance” was the scapegoat contrived by the British for this operation. If a scattered group of pirates destroyed the Russian fleet, no one would believe it.

To prevent suspicion from the outside world, the puppeteers behind the scenes put forth the Pirate Alliance. This explanation sounded much more plausible — although the pirates’ strength was limited, many ants can still bite an elephant to death.

As long as no clear evidence was left behind, even if the Russians suspected they had fallen victim to their plot, John Bull could still cover it up.

……

Through his telescope, Lieutenant Commander Gurney could see the Russian fleet approaching. Waiting to greet them were the real pirates, while his Royal Navy “pirates” lying in ambush on the far side of the island dared not reveal themselves prematurely.

As long as the battle started, Gurney wasn’t worried about the Russians escaping. After all, why would they? The Russian government was broke. Since the outbreak of the Near East War, the Russian Navy had essentially stagnated.

Of course, General Menshikov, with his background in the army, deserved much credit for this.

Ever since he had introduced army tactics to the navy, the Russian Navy’s ability to conduct land operations had soared. Moreover, thanks to the better provisions in the navy, the sailors were in great shape, with combat capabilities surpassing those of most of the Russian army.

In terms of naval land combat capabilities, only Prussia, which had essentially turned its army into a navy, could rival them. Other countries would need to deploy marine units.

Fortunately, the British were prepared to engage the Russians at sea. If the Russians decided to fight it out after landing ashore, they would soon realize what true naval land combat capabilities were.

What gave Lieutenant Commander Gurney confidence was the speed of the Russian ships. The Russian government could not afford to refit all their warships with steam engines, as this required a significant investment and was economically inefficient.

Even John Bull, with his deep pockets, only upgraded some of the warships. Sails remained one of the primary means of propulsion in this era, and generally, unless pressed for time, people preferred using the cheaper power source.

To completely annihilate the Russians, the vessels dispatched by John Bull this time were naturally fast ships fitted with steam engines. When operating at full speed, most of these warships could achieve speeds of 14 to 17 knots.

On this fine day with a gentle breeze, Russian warships could reach a speed of ten knots at best. Even with divine intervention, this represented a clear technological disparity of the times.

Seeing the panicked pirates preparing for battle, Rear Admiral Popov ordered confidently, “Attack!”

Witnessing the scattered pirates fleeing, Rear Admiral Popov felt a sense of accomplishment, as if this was the happiest moment of his life.

Without any hesitation, the Russo-American joint fleet pursued in the direction where the pirates were fleeing, unaware of the danger approaching them.

Soon they rounded the bend of the island, and a signal came from the pirate ships. The “pirates” lying in ambush to the north suddenly attacked.

The thunderous roar of cannons momentarily bewildered Rear Admiral Popov. How could the enemy have set up an ambush?

Before he could ponder this question, the Russo-American joint fleet found themselves at a significant disadvantage on the battlefield. The pirates, who had previously fled, now joined the fray.

Formation and tactics were out the window. While chasing the pirates, the Russo-American joint fleet gathered together and was now in disarray after the sudden ambush.

Sensing something amiss, the experienced American warships spontaneously began to retreat. This was a lesson learned over the past few years: if you couldn’t win, simply run away.

Seeing his comrades fleeing, Popov was infuriated. They were helping the Americans fight, yet when danger arose, the Americans fled without a word.

“Retreat!” Popov ordered through gritted teeth.

Now that they were retreating, if half the fleet could escape it would be fortunate. The cannons still thundered, and the “Moscow” warship was hit five times in a row, finally sinking slowly.

No orders were needed from Popov; the crew spontaneously began to abandon the ship. Crowding into lifeboats, they raised white flags and slowly left the battlefield.