The Fox of France

The firepower of the colonial cruisers was actually quite feeble, equipped only with a 75mm gun at both the bow and stern. For secrecy, these guns usually didn't even utilize recoil technology, but fortunately, this mission was deemed significant enough to warrant their use. Consequently, all three colonial cruisers were armed with recoil-operated 75mm guns for this operation. This upgrade multiplied their firepower efficiency several times over, yet due to their immobility and lack of armor, the French had to ensure a successful first strike; otherwise, the British, with their broadside of twenty guns, would dominate by simply maneuvering into position.

Particularly, the gun stations on the colonial cruisers were unprotected by turrets, having only a shield which could barely withstand rifle bullets—at close range, it was unreliable at best. Fortunately, the British had not yet noticed them. Captain Edmondo, who began his career as a gunner before becoming a captain, decided to take direct control. Discarding his hat, he personally manned the gun at the bow.

Sardinia Bay, located in the westerlies, faced the vast Atlantic to the west. Due to the influence of the westerlies, it was breezy all year round. However, at night, the land cooled faster than the sea, creating a higher atmospheric pressure over land, resulting in a net airflow from land to sea. This microclimate made the bay as calm as a lake at night.

Such conditions were ideal for long-range shelling. If not for the poor nighttime visibility making telescopic sights useless and forcing reliance on the naked eye for targeting, Captain Edmondo was confident of a hit with the first shot. Still, whether the first shot would hit was now a matter of luck and faith.

If the first shot missed, the subsequent rapid fire would be crucial. Thus, Captain Edmondo chose a semi-armor-piercing incendiary tracer round, designed for night battles. Fired, the shell would trace a bright, visible line, revealing their position—an unavoidable consequence of the firing noise and muzzle flash.

After loading the cannon, Captain Edmondo took another look at the enemy ship but lamented that only his bow gun was usable. Adjusting his aim, he prayed briefly, then closed one eye and waved his hand.

With a loud boom, a long tracer streaked towards the British sail frigate, the "Lucky." The "Lucky" was not so fortunate at that moment; the shell hit it. But in its misfortune, there was luck—it struck only a minor storeroom at the bow. The shell ignited some clutter there, causing a fire, but it was not severe enough to impact the ship's combat capabilities significantly.

However, had the shell struck just a bit further back, hitting the gun deck loaded with solidified fuel incendiary rounds, it would have quickly ignited a massive fire, enhanced by the well-ventilated and airy gun deck, and produced copious toxic smoke—potentially disastrous.

The "Trade Wind," revealed by the gunfire, was now spotted by the British, who took a moment to aim.

A soldier swiftly operated the lever, dropping a brass cartridge loudly onto the deck, while another prepped and loaded another shell into the breech, closing the bolt in a fluid motion.

Captain Edmondo gently adjusted the cannon with his right hand, closed his seeing eye once more, and waved his hand. A soldier yanked the firing lanyard, sending another shell towards the "Lucky."

This shell hit the gun deck of the "Lucky" and exploded, scattering sparks throughout. One spark landed in an open powder keg, igniting a fierce fire.

"Done, we've got it!" Captain Edmondo exclaimed. "Where's the other ship?"

As Captain Edmondo cheered, a burst of gunfire came from the "Lucky"—the British were firing back. Each of their twenty guns had been pre-loaded as they entered the bay. Though their response was hasty and their volley disorganized, the sheer number of shots, given the short distance of about 300 meters, meant that several hit the "Trade Wind."

The "Trade Wind's" thin metal hull was inferior in protection compared to the British sail frigate, so the iron balls easily breached it, significantly injuring crew members preparing to stoke the boilers.

However, the British's outdated solid shot was no match for the French's incendiary tracer rounds in terms of damage. Despite being hit by over ten British rounds, the two successful French hits caused far more significant damage. The fire on the "Lucky" had now visibly spread, lighting up the ship with flames bursting from several gunports.

The rumbling of the cannons had also alerted other ships

. The mixed passenger and cargo steamship "Atlantic Transporter" reacted first. This steamship, now powered down, couldn't fire up in time, but steamships like her often had something old sail vessels did not—a searchlight.

Without the steam engine, the ship's small generator couldn't operate, but the onboard batteries were sufficient to power the searchlight for a while.

Captain Aquero, a retired French naval officer now captaining for the "Europa Shipping Alliance" under contract with the Dutch Republic (its flag somewhat resembling the French), immediately realized what was happening when he heard the gunfire. He rang the alarm bell, rousing all hands, and issued an order to abandon ship.

This order seemed premature, but the crew didn't question their captain. They were close enough to swim to shore, and abandoning ship sooner rather than later meant safety, didn't it?

The sailors lowered the lifeboats, and some, more impatient, simply grabbed barrels and jumped overboard. Captain Aquero, however, went to the searchlight.

As the searchlight illuminated, its brilliant beam cut through the darkness like a sword. Knowing the positions of his own ships, Captain Aquero carefully maneuvered the light, avoiding his vessels and sweeping the dark seas to locate another British warship still hidden in the shadows.

The beam revealed another sail frigate, the "Miracle," attempting to maneuver around for a surprise close-range broadside attack on the "Trade Wind."

But the beam caught her, foiling her plans. The intense brightness of the searchlight made it impossible for the British on the "Miracle" to see the "Atlantic Transporter," which was lighting them up. Even without detailed visibility, it was clear to the British that only a French military ship would undertake such an action at this time.

Aware of the devastating potential of the French's incendiary rounds against wooden ships, the "Miracle" immediately made a sharp turn—not just to escape the beam but to bring her broadside to bear on the "Atlantic Transporter," though they could barely see her outline or pinpoint her exact location. They fired desperately in the estimated direction.

Like the "Lucky," the "Miracle" used solid shot, and because they couldn't see their "enemy," their accuracy was even poorer than the "Lucky's" initial volley.

But fortune favored the "Miracle" more than the "Lucky"; although only a few rounds hit, one struck the coal bunker and ignited the coal.

If crew were still aboard, this minor fire could have been easily extinguished, as coal burns slowly—once fully ablaze, however, it is difficult to extinguish. To minimize casualties, Captain Aquero had ordered everyone off the ship, so no damage control was possible, but for now, the flames in the coal bunker were not yet threatening to destroy the ship.

As the "Miracle" frantically fired on the "Atlantic Transporter," the other two French colonial cruisers began aiming their guns at the "Miracle."