Chapter 350: Calculations in the Fire‑Control Room

"Sergeant," Han Si lowered his voice and asked, "Did we really sink two Yingguo warships?"

Huo Si Te nodded: "The broadcast said so. The Indefatigable and the Queen Mary."

A low cheer rose in the turret. But Huo Si Te did not join. He had seen too much, knew the truth of war—behind every victory lay countless deaths. Yingguo men died, Deguo men died. In the sea, before steel and flame, everyone is equal.

"Don't rejoice too early," he said in a low voice, "the fight isn't over. Yingguo's main force is ahead; what's coming next is the hard battle."

"But we have twenty‑two Dauntless ships!" another loader, eighteen‑year‑old Fu Li Ci, said, his eyes flashing, "We can defeat anyone!"

Huo Si Te looked at the youth, recalling himself eight years ago—equally passionate, equally believing in the Empire's power. But now, he trusted training, discipline, and a bit of luck.

"Fu Li Ci," he said, "at sea, numbers aren't everything. Position, timing, weather... all can change everything. Do you remember the first lesson I taught you?"

"Remember, Sergeant," Fu Li Ci straightened his back, "'In the turret, you only need to do three things: aim accurately, load quickly, stay calm.'"

"Right," Huo Si Te patted his shoulder, "Now, do those three things. The rest, leave to God and the commander."

The turret's communicator suddenly sounded, a broadcast from the bridge: "All hands, anticipate enemy contact within twenty minutes. All battle stations, prepare for combat. Repeat, all battle stations, prepare for combat."

The atmosphere froze instantly. Everyone returned to their stations, eyes fixed on the instruments or guns before them.

Huo Si Te put on his headset and linked to the fire‑control center: "Forward Main Gun turret ready, awaiting target data."

"Received, forward Main Gun turret. Stand by," the fire‑control officer said, his voice calm and professional.

Waiting. This is the longest part of a naval battle. You know the fight will erupt, you know shells could fly at any moment, but you can only wait, in the steel cage, listening to your own heartbeat, counting each second.

Han Si began murmuring a prayer. Fu Li Ci checked the position of his gas mask. Huo Si Te closed his eyes, mentally reviewing emergency procedures—if the turret is hit, if fire breaks out, if the magazine is in danger…

What he didn't know was that, a few miles away, in the fire‑control room of the Yingguo battleship Duke of Iron, a group of Yingguo officers were doing almost the same thing.

The Duke of Iron's fire‑control room lay below the bridge, a cramped space packed with instruments, calculators and charts. Here, fire‑control officer A Qi Bo Er De · Shi Mi Si Shao Xiao and his team were making final preparations for the upcoming battle.

"Target estimated bearing 045, Distance fifteen thousand yards," a calculator reported, sliding a measuring ruler quickly, "based on sonar signals and the latest report from the Betty fleet."

Shi Mi Si Shao Xiao stared at the Demelick calculator before him—a complex mechanical computing device that integrates distance, bearing, speed, wind direction and other parameters to compute the gun's firing data.

"Visibility?" he asked.

"Currently about eight hundred yards, but the forward scout reports the Deguo fleet's direction may have thinner fog, possibly over a thousand yards."

Shi Mi Si frowned. A thousand yards is almost point‑blank for a battleship Main Gun. But the problem is, in dense fog, even if you can see the enemy, you may not see the whole fleet, preventing effective fire distribution.

"We need more precise target data," he said, "notify the lookout and the reconnaissance aircraft—wait, can the recon plane take off in this weather?"

"Impossible, Major," the communications man shook his head, "visibility on deck is too poor, taking off would be suicide."

"Then we'll have to rely on eyes and sonar," Shi Mi Si walked to the speaking tube, linked to the bridge, "Sir, fire‑control room report: we need more precise target positioning data. Current error could be up to three nautical miles, which will affect the accuracy of the first salvo."

The bridge was silent for a few seconds, then General Jie Li Ke's calm voice came: "Major Shi Mi Si, do you know what a 'crossing T' requires?"

"I know, Sir. It requires the enemy to pass vertically across our line of battle from the front."

"Then tell me," Jie Li Ke's voice showed no ripple, "when the enemy passes vertically in front of you, does a three‑nautical‑mile distance error affect your fire?"

Shi Mi Si was stunned. He instantly understood the general's meaning.

In a crossing T posture, the enemy's entire Column would be exposed to your broadside fire. A distance error means you might hit ships at the front or rear of the Column, but either way you'll hit something. Because the target is so dense, so massive, it's almost impossible to miss.

"It won't affect us, Sir," Shi Mi Si replied, a hint of respect in his voice, "In fact, as long as they enter range, the entire line of battle can fire."

"Very good," Jie Li Ke said, "Then be ready. When the order is given, I want all Main Guns of the Duke of Iron—remember, all Main Guns—in thirty seconds to complete the first salvo. Then maintain maximum rate of fire until I order stop."

"Yes, Sir!"

Communication ended. Everyone in the fire‑control room looked at Shi Mi Si.

"You all heard that," Shi Mi Si inhaled deeply, "This isn't a precise sniping; it's a firepower crush. We're not aiming at a single enemy ship, but bringing the entire Deguo fleet into our fire range."

He walked to the chart, using a red pen to draw a fan‑shaped area: "Based on calculations, the Deguo fleet will come from this direction. Our line of battle is in this direction. When they appear in the fog, they may first see our scout ship Marbello, then the Duke of Iron, then sequentially the others behind."

"Which ship should we fire at first?" a young officer asked.

"Whichever ship enters range first, we fire that one," Shi Mi Si said, "But remember, the fire order comes from the flagship. We wait until the entire line of battle has a good firing position, then fire together. That will be…"

He glanced at the wall clock: "... around 18:30. If everything goes as planned."

The fire‑control room fell silent. Everyone silently calculated the time in their heads.

18:30. Less than forty minutes left.

At 18:22, on the lookout tower of the Deguo light cruiser Frankfurt, second‑class sailor Ai Li Xi · Ke Lao Si was straining his binoculars to pierce the dense fog.

He had stood at that spot for four hours, his eyes sore from prolonged focus, yet he dared not relax. At sea, the lookout is the fleet's eye, and today the fog rendered those eyes almost blind.