Chapter 221: Just a Little Bit More
With the propulsive force generated by black powder, the “Wanjin Rocket Projectile” could reach a maximum speed of 150-250 meters per second after launch, from an initial 30 meters per second. Subsequently, due to increased air resistance and weakened propulsion, it would descend to 80-100 meters per second.
This speed is average, unlike later rocket projectiles which generally start at 800 meters per second, such as the BM30 “Smerch,” with an initial velocity of 850 meters per second. However, in the Japanese Medieval Period, this was sufficient. Fired from about three li away, it left Nohara Saburo with only about ten seconds to react.
On land, ten seconds is enough time to perform many actions, even enough to roll eighteen different ways with three “lazy donkey rolls.” However, at sea, ten seconds is not enough for a sea vessel to make any evasive maneuvers, not even to slightly alter its course.
Indeed, Masamune Tokitada hadn’t even figured out what was flying towards him, nor had he issued any orders, when the “Wanjin Rocket Projectile” had already… flown over his head.
Well, the lowest one just grazed the top of the deckhouse of the “Dragon King Maru.” If the “Dragon King Maru” had been a little slower, or if the rocket projectile’s launch angle had been a little lower, it probably would have hit.
This was a matter of great fortune, as it had nearly sent the elite samurai of the Kinoshita Family to their deaths in one go. However, Masamune Tokitada felt no relief at this narrow escape. With his neck twisted at an almost breaking point, he tracked the rocket projectile, watching as it hit a ship behind the “Dragon King Maru.”
Out of twelve rocket projectiles, three detonated prematurely due to substandard propellant charges and excessive air pockets during layered combustion. Of the remaining nine, four deviated too far from the target area due to detached balance rods and flawed tail fins, flying into empty sea areas. Finally, only five reached the intended area—two missed, kicking up large splashes of water, and three hit two Kan-sen ships and one Kobaya ship.
The Kobaya ship was too small, and its planks were not thick enough. Before the delayed fuse could detonate, the rocket projectile, with its sharp warhead, pierced the entire ship diagonally, sinking straight into the seabed. The immense kinetic energy caused a spray of wood splinters, causing the six or seven water bandits on deck, who were preparing for battle, to cry out and fall.
The Kan-sen ships fared much better. The carefully selected linden and elm wood provided excellent resistance, forcing the rocket projectiles to remain within the hull. As the delayed fuse ignited the priming powder, the priming powder then ignited the warhead mixed with combustion agents. The hull of one Kan-sen ship instantly expanded, turning countless planks into shrapnel that swept across the sea surface. Subsequently, this Kan-sen ship erupted in a massive fireball that rose into the sky, and then, blown by the sea wind, it rapidly descended like a covering hat, washing over the entire fleet again.
When Masamune Tokitada finally regained his senses and could see the Kan-sen ship clearly, he found it had broken in two. Only the bow was still burning fiercely, stubbornly sticking out of the sea. As for its more than eighty crew members, hardly any sounds of their struggle were heard, and they were currently nowhere to be found.
A single strike to destroy a ship…
If the “Dragon King Maru” had been hit…
Compared to a Kan-sen ship, the “Dragon King Maru” only had thicker planks and a sturdier keel. Its defense wasn’t significantly stronger. After all, it was still a wooden ship, and its limit was withstanding ordinary iron cannonballs. To resist an explosive shell with a combustion agent was a bit too much.
Historically, with the widespread use of explosive shells, wooden galleons decisively exited the stage of history. Otherwise, why would everyone be rushing to build ironclad ships?
Isn’t it because wood simply couldn’t withstand them!
Now, Masamune Tokitada also felt like building an ironclad ship, but he clearly didn’t have the time. In fact, in the one or two seconds he was lost in thought, another hit Kan-sen ship suddenly exploded. The entire stern was instantly blown to smithereens, and the bow rose high into the sky like a middle finger for a moment before beginning to sink into the sea in a peculiar posture.
“What kind of weapon is this? A cannon?”
Masamune Tokitada was bewildered. He had spent his life at sea and had never heard of such a powerful weapon, nor had he imagined such a weapon could be fired from three li away.
If he had to give an answer, he could probably think of cannons. He heard they were a type of weapon similar to matchlock guns, but fired larger projectiles with greater power.
Masamune Tokitada’s personal samurai were also shocked by this extraordinary strike. No one answered. Even the two who had been quick to chime in earlier had their mouths agape, not uttering a sound.
Is Nohara Saburo sick? If you had such a weapon, why didn’t you bring it out sooner? We could have negotiated!
Actually, if you think about it, the Hojo Clan are all paupers. There isn’t much profit to be made in the Izu Sea Area, so it doesn’t seem like a big deal to cede it to the Nohara Family. This battle could have been avoided entirely.
…
“My apologies, Your Highness!”
On the foredeck of the “Chita,” a low-ranking officer from the Imperial Guard was filled with shame.
He was the “Wanjin Rocket Projectile’s” human rangefinder. In this era, Yuan Ye couldn’t conjure radar even if he wanted to, and precise rangefinding in a short time was a significant challenge. He had been troubled by this for a long time. Finally, the consultant Izumi Heiji gave him the answer: trust people. Some individuals are exceptionally talented. If you truly need to judge distance, find someone who can look at it and tell you how far away it is.
Yuan Ye, adopting an attitude of listening to advice, ordered A Man to find such people. He discovered that human talents are indeed diverse. He actually found several such individuals who, with a glance, could report the distance between two points. The most skilled could estimate distances within one to two meters within five li.
This sounds incredible, but there are similar examples in real life. For instance, in the past, some people could cut a jin of meat with a single slice, or half a jin, with perfect accuracy. Others who worked as bank tellers could tell you the total amount of money in a bag of coins just by weighing it, without even counting.
You could say these people achieved it through practice, but while many people practice, few possess such ability. There’s likely an element of innate talent involved.
This low-ranking officer is such a “rangefinding talent.” Yuan Ye gave him extremely high treatment, specially recruiting him into the army, making him an officer upon enlistment, and providing special dietary subsidies. He daily consumed supplements like cod liver oil to protect and enhance his eyesight, all to be able to determine the enemy’s distance within three to five seconds. At sea, it’s even more convenient. In good weather, ordinary people can spot the masts of large sailing ships from 70 li （ about 20 nautical miles ） away, see the hull from 35 li, identify flags within 20 li, let alone those with exceptional eyesight. These individuals are said to be able to see stars during the day; their eyes are incredibly sharp.
However, even though this “rangefinding talent” was excellent and diligent, the “Wanjin Rocket Projectile’s” first practical shot still missed. Even a slight miss is still a miss. The low-ranking officer felt he had deeply failed Yuan Ye’s expectations and even considered drawing his sword to end his life.
Perhaps it’s due to Yuan Ye’s status! After two years of disaster relief, Yuan Ye’s reputation on the Chita Peninsula is now comparable to that of gods and Buddhas. He could easily organize a large cult and achieve physical ascension. Ordinary people always hope to make a good impression on such important figures. Once they fail, their disappointment is amplified manifold, making them truly wish to die.
Yuan Ye is now somewhat accustomed to the attitudes of those around him. If he didn’t know very well that he was just an ordinary person in the Modern Era, he might even start thinking he was material for a great man.
He has a good understanding of himself and doesn’t take such attitudes to heart. He quickly comforted this “special talent” who had only recently joined the army, “Don’t worry, missing is normal. We’ll just try again. And this isn’t entirely your fault; it’s more likely due to the ship’s pitching. Re-measure the distance and see how far our flagship is from us now!”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
The low-ranking officer responded with gratitude. In a sense, failing to hit the target in one go had placed Yuan Ye, and even the “Chita,” in danger. Yuan Ye could have slapped him twice, and he would have understood. He immediately looked even more earnestly at the “Dragon King Maru,” praying in his heart that he would hit the target next time. In reality, his earnestness was useless; his rangefinding was an instinct, and he didn’t even know why he could clearly perceive how far away something was.
The “Chita” was now at full speed, charging forward forcefully to slow down the time for the enemy’s Kobaya ships to catch up. The pitching was quite severe, causing a slight delay in the loading of the second volley. Yuan Ye had already comforted his subordinate, but the synchronized ignition lines for the twelve new projectiles had not yet been connected.
He didn’t rush his subordinates; they were already doing their best, and rushing them would be useless. He simply looked up at the “Dragon King Maru,” which was still resolutely charging towards them, seemingly intending to ram them and sink them. He couldn’t help but say, “These water bandits have very tenacious fighting will. Aren’t they afraid?”
He had thought that after the thunderous strike, even if the enemy flagship wasn’t hit, the water bandits would waver. Even if they didn’t avoid battle, there would be confusion. However, the other side showed no reaction and was still charging towards them in a tight formation, their desire to fight still strong. Even from a thousand meters away, he could feel it.
“They are indeed quite interesting, not much different from the Imagawa Family back then,” A Man also looked at the approaching large Atakebune ship, her tone becoming cautious. When the Imagawa Family was at its strongest, they dared to sacrifice thousands of lives to pile up earthworks on castles. Now, it seems the Kanto barbarians are also quite formidable, more fearless of death than the heavily armored samurai of the Imagawa and Matsudaira Families.
As they were discussing the Satomi Water Bandits and the fierce customs of the Kanto barbarians, and showing them a degree of respect—on the battlefield, one has at least respect for those who dare to die, whether friend or foe—a sailor from the “Chita” rushed over and asked Yuan Ye, “Your Highness, the chief instructor is asking if we should change course to maintain your firing distance.”
“What is Mr. Yu Da’s judgment?”
“The enemy’s Kobaya ship fleet is about to catch up to us. The chief instructor believes we should break through the enemy’s intercepting fleet with them.”
In other words, it’s best not to slow down and turn, but to charge straight through relying on our size and firepower, to avoid being entangled by the enemy’s small ships early on and losing too much maneuverability. The troublesome aspect of Kobaya ships is that they can damage the oars of large ships, so even though the “Chita” is not afraid of fire attacks, it must try to avoid being surrounded and attacked by small ships.
If avoidance is impossible, then charge into the enemy’s large ships and engage in close combat. This way, with mutual obstruction, the enemy’s small ships will not be able to get close.
Yuan Ye didn’t understand naval warfare, so naturally, he could only trust his people. He immediately said, “Everything will be done according to Mr. Yu Da’s wishes. You don’t need to ask me again afterward; if necessary, you can directly give me orders.”
“Yes!”
The battle situation was urgent, and the sailor didn’t waste words. He saluted and returned to the deckhouse. At this moment, the rocket projectile launcher was ready. Under Yuan Ye’s command, it was adjusted again based on wind speed and relative distance, and then ignited.
Based on the loading time, this was the last launch before the two sides met. Once the battle became chaotic, it would be difficult to make such stable adjustments, and it would be impossible to attack the enemy flagship in an arc. Direct fire also has power, but with the enemy ships blocking layer by layer, it would be unlikely to obtain a direct firing solution for the “Dragon King Maru.”
This launch must be a direct hit!
