Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 424 The Outbreak of the Anglo-Spanish War
On July 20, 1904, the British fleet officially arrived at the port of Cádiz, Spain, where it spent more than ten hours replenishing supplies and resting before continuing south in a grand procession, planning to cross the Strait of Gibraltar.

When the fleet requested permission from the Spanish to dock for rest and refitting, Rear Admiral John, the commander of the fleet's flagship, was still slightly nervous.

Because he was leading a hastily assembled fleet, which did not have a commander, but was instead commanded by the flagship commander, who was in charge of the fleet.

Although a major general is already in the ranks of generals, he is still the lowest-ranking officer among generals. Major General John has not been the flagship commander for long, and he is still very nervous about such an important mission.

As the temporary commander of the squadron, Rear Admiral John was well aware of the true purpose of his fleet. Although the British navy was more than twice the size of the Spanish navy, it was not the entire Royal Fleet that was responsible for provoking Spain, but rather this squadron composed mainly of five battleships.

If Spain had just kept quiet, they could have easily obtained supplies and successfully completed their patrol mission to earn some credit.

If the Spanish are unwilling to submit, Rear Admiral John, as the commander of the squadron, needs to prepare for war and rendezvous with the Mediterranean Fleet as soon as possible to guard against a Spanish undeclared war.

Britain has no intention of backing down on the issue of Portugal, as it concerns British control over Gibraltar. If it has already conceded on Portugal, should it also concede on Gibraltar?

Having retreated again and again, where can Britain possibly retreat to?
At this time, there was no Boer War to interfere, and Russia, Britain's biggest threat, had just suffered a crushing defeat in the Far East.

Under such circumstances, if Spain does not know how to be accommodating, the British Empire would not mind using its naval power to make Spain understand that the world's leading naval power is not to be trifled with.

Britain's previous concessions to Spain had reached its limit, and the British Empire would never give up either Portugal or Gibraltar.

If Spain insists on pressing the issue on these two points, then the British Empire will have no choice but to fight Spain and let their respective military strength determine the final outcome.

Leaving the port of Cádiz and heading along the Spanish coastline, Major General John was in a fairly relaxed mood.

Judging from Spain's current actions, they will most likely choose to back down. After all, the British Empire has deployed warships this time, and in terms of naval power, Britain is not afraid of any country.

Even this single squadron, combined with the Mediterranean Fleet, is already comparable in size to the entire Spanish naval force.

What gave Spain the ability to rival the British Empire in the naval arena? Britain also possessed a series of naval forces with battleships, including the Channel Fleet, the Home Fleet, and the Atlantic Fleet.

The deployment of just a few battleships could represent at least a third of the Spanish navy's strength. Under these circumstances, Rear Admiral John had reason to believe that Spain would back down, as not every nation was willing to confront the British Empire, the most powerful country in Europe and even the world.

When the British fleet was sailing happily into the Strait of Gibraltar, they suddenly realized something was wrong.

They entered the Strait of Gibraltar from Cape Marroquí, the southernmost city in Spain, and the fleet sailed along the southern coast of Africa, almost seeing Ceuta ahead.

Just when everyone thought they could easily pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, a Spanish fleet suddenly appeared in front of them.

The Spanish fleet, flying the flag of the Kingdom of Spain, stood expectantly. Upon seeing the arrival of the British fleet, the Spanish fleet pointed their cannons at the British warships, clearly displaying hostile intent.

"Shit, what are these Spaniards doing?" After hearing the report from the lead battleship, Rear Admiral John, the fleet's interim commander, was somewhat annoyed and couldn't figure out what the Spaniards were up to.

However, to remain vigilant, Rear Admiral John still ordered the lead battleships to communicate with the Spanish warships using flag signals and inquire about their purpose.

Meanwhile, Rear Admiral John ordered the other warships to be ready for battle at any time and to aim their cannons at the Spanish warships.

Naval warfare differs from land warfare; being prepared or unprepared makes all the difference. Currently, British warships are being targeted by Spanish vessels. If any unforeseen event leads to a naval battle, enemy shells will rain down on them like they're free.

If the British fleet is unprepared, it will be very difficult to effectively target enemy warships during enemy bombing.

This would result in a dire situation where British warships would be relentlessly attacked while struggling to hit Spanish ships. Such a naval battle was unwinnable, so British warships had to prepare all possible countermeasures before the war even began.

On the Spanish side, the commander of the Spanish Mediterranean Fleet, Vice Admiral Roque Alvarez, was leading the warships that blocked the Strait of Gibraltar from the entrance to the Mediterranean.

"Your Excellency Commander, the British fleet has been signaling to inquire about our purpose in blocking the Strait of Gibraltar. They are demanding that we clear a passage for them to enter the Mediterranean Sea," a messenger approached and respectfully reported to Lieutenant General Rock Alvarez.

Lieutenant General Rock Alvarez nodded and said nonchalantly, "Tell these British people that the Spanish Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet needs to conduct naval exercises in the Bay of Algeciras. We have already laid a large area of ​​mines, and this area is temporarily impassable."

Let them wait 24 hours until our naval exercises are over and all these mines are removed. We will then naturally clear a passage for them.

If they insist on passing through this area, then remind them that triggering the mines has nothing to do with us; it's their own fault.

Lieutenant General Roque Alvadres was not joking; the Mediterranean Fleet has indeed deployed mines in specific areas of this sea.

If this British fleet ignores the warnings of the Spanish Navy, they will most likely plunge headlong into Spain's minefield. That would be quite a spectacle, since the Spanish Navy has already warned the British that if they insist on passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain will not bear any responsibility.

"Damn it! These Spaniards are clearly making things difficult for us; they have no intention of letting us cross the Strait of Gibraltar." Upon hearing his messenger's report, Major General John immediately understood the Spaniards' purpose.

Although the other party also said that it was a naval exercise, why did they have to wait until the British Navy was crossing the Strait of Gibraltar to conduct the exercise?

Furthermore, Spain has more than just this small coastal area. If they really wanted to conduct exercises, they could have done so in the Atlantic Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Why insist on blocking the Gulf of Algeciras between Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea?
"General, what should we do?" Major General John's adjutant asked.

For the British Navy at present, their options are few. They either ignore the Spanish Navy's warnings and force their way through the Gulf of Algeciras.

If the Spanish had indeed laid mines in this area, and if they were unlucky, the British fleet could lose several warships.

Even if the British Navy accidentally struck a mine in these waters, Spain would have ample excuse to shirk its responsibility.

However, it would be unacceptable for the British Navy to be blocked in the Strait of Gibraltar by the Spanish Navy.

Their purpose in this trip was to intimidate Spain. If they were blocked by the Spanish navy in the Strait of Gibraltar, wouldn't they be the ones being intimidated by Spain instead?

If Rear Admiral John were truly trapped in the Strait of Gibraltar by the Spanish Navy, he would lose his post and become the biggest scapegoat in this incident upon returning to Britain.

After a moment of contemplation, Major General John finally spoke: "Tell these damned Spaniards that we are on an important military mission."

They must open a safe passage for us within two hours; they have no right to refuse us passage through the Strait of Gibraltar.

We will rest here for two hours. If the Spanish cannot clear a road for us within two hours, we will head to the Mediterranean on our own.

If anything happens to our warships during this period, it will all be Spain's responsibility for conducting military exercises in international waters without authorization. Do you understand?

Upon receiving Rear Admiral John's order, the adjutant quickly nodded and relayed the order to the other warships.

Upon learning the news, Lieutenant General Rock Alvadres was unconcerned about the British fleet's demands. His primary objective was to buy time, trapping the British fleet in the Strait of Gibraltar for 24 hours.

If the British are cornered, the two Dreadnought-class battleships just over 10 kilometers away will teach them a lesson. If the British are sensible, they could be humiliated by having their fleet blocked in the Strait of Gibraltar for a day.

Upon learning that the Spanish wouldn't clear a path for him as he had promised, Major General John's expression changed. He understood that his fears might be coming true. The Spanish were clearly not pushovers, and it seemed they had no intention of backing down.

So the question is, would Major General John be willing to be blocked by Spanish warships in the Strait of Gibraltar for 24 hours?

"Aim all the warships at the Spanish ships, and let the lead battleships fire a few shots as a show of force. I refuse to believe that these Spaniards would actually risk offending the British Empire and try to block us in the Strait of Gibraltar."

"Do they understand what they're doing? If the Spanish insist on provoking the dignity of the British Empire, I will show them why the Royal Navy can defeat the Invincible Armada, and why the world's leading power is the British Empire, not tiny Spain." Rear Admiral John was somewhat annoyed. As a high-ranking naval officer of the British Empire, he had never been threatened like this before.

In any case, the naval high command had promised him before his arrival that if necessary, they could fight a small naval battle with Spain.

Since these Spaniards are so ungrateful, it's time to make them understand why the British Empire is the world's leading naval power.

As the lead British warship began loading its ammunition, Vice Admiral Roque Alvarez of the Spanish Navy had already learned of the unusual movements of the British Navy.

Having anticipated that the British might resort to desperate measures, Vice Admiral Rock Alvarez had already instructed his naval officers and men to make preparations.

If the British Navy fires first, the Spanish Navy will respond immediately. In any case, some time has already been spent, and the Atlantic Fleet should be arriving soon on the west side of the Strait of Gibraltar.

If these British dare to launch an attack, the Spanish navy will completely surround the fleet and try to sink them all in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Although doing so might lead to a full-scale war with the British, for most Spaniards, it was just another war, nothing to be afraid of.

The Spanish even hoped for war, as military merit was the fastest way for most civilians to rise through social classes, and many soldiers in the army also wanted to get promoted quickly through war.

For Spain, which has been growing stronger over the past thirty years, a war of sufficient significance is needed to announce its resurgence.

By this time, both the Spanish and British navies had become aware of each other's unusual actions.

Major General John knew that the matter was beyond saving, and for the honor of the British Empire, they absolutely could not be stopped here by the Spanish navy.

"Fire! First, aim at 100 meters in front of the enemy flagship and fire a few shots to intimidate the Spanish Navy. If they still refuse to back down, then attack the enemy battleships directly and sink a few of their capital ships first." Rear Admiral John quickly issued the order.

Since words could no longer persuade the other side to back down, the only option was to demonstrate the British Empire's resolve through concrete actions.

Firing at a point 100 meters ahead of the Spanish naval flagship was a warning to the Spanish, letting them know that the British Empire was willing to pay the price of war for this.

Major General John's idea was good; he had hoped to intimidate the Spanish by firing cannons, making them understand that the British Empire was ready for war.

What he didn't know was that his firing action was seen by the Spanish Navy as a signal to start a war.

The Spanish Navy couldn't tell whether the British Navy was threatening or simply misfiring. Since the British Navy had opened fire, the Spanish Navy's response would not be slow at all.

Boom! Bang! Crash!

boom! Boom boom!

boom!Boom!

As soon as the British Navy fired the first shot, the Spanish Navy, which had been preparing to fire, immediately retaliated. Several battleships at the forefront opened fire simultaneously, firing dozens of shells in just a few dozen seconds.

The first shell fired by the British Navy landed successfully more than 100 meters in front of the Spanish flagship, while the shells fired by the Spanish side were all aimed at the British warships.

Because of the considerable distance between the two navies, the hit rate of these shells was not high. The Spanish Navy fired dozens of shells at once, but only a few hit the enemy warships.

This was only because the previous dialogue between the two warships caused the British warships to stop, while the Spanish side was firing at a stationary target, which improved the hit rate to some extent.

"The Dauntless and the Courageous can join the battle. Since these British have launched the attack, we cannot let any of their warships go back," Lieutenant General Rock Alvadres ordered.

Spain has clearly prepared for two scenarios. Either the British back down, or this incident ends with Spain humiliating Britain.

Either the British would not back down at all, then Spain and Britain would have to go to war over Portugal and Gibraltar.

Both Spain and Britain valued Portugal highly, which is why Portugal's civil war could quickly cause changes in the European situation.

When Major General John saw that the Spanish had also decisively opened fire, he immediately realized that war had broken out.

Although the enemy fired dozens of shells at once, only a few of them landed on the British warships ahead.

The good news is that only one of the leading British battleships was hit, and the hit was to a relatively thick armored area, so the battleship can still maintain its combat capability for the time being.

The remaining two shells hit an armored cruiser and a light cruiser respectively. The former was blown open with a large hole in its deck and was taking on water. Fortunately, the soldiers on board could still be rescued.

The latter was blown in two by the shell, and the two sections of the warship were sinking rapidly. The naval soldiers on the warship jumped into the sea in terror and scrambled to escape the sinking area.

The danger posed by a sunken warship is immense; whirlpools can easily sweep away soldiers. In the ocean, once swept away, there is virtually no chance of survival.

This is why the soldiers rushed to escape the warship; if they were too slow, they would be beyond saving.

"Damn it! Retaliate immediately! These damned Spaniards have gone mad; they've launched an undeclared war on us!"

All battleships and cruisers immediately launched a counterattack against the enemy, while the task of rescuing soldiers who had fallen into the sea was assigned to the smaller warships.

After rescuing all the soldiers, the fleet immediately withdrew westward. We needed to return to the Atlantic Ocean to ensure our safety.

"The Strait of Gibraltar is too narrow; it's not suitable for naval warfare. The Spanish Atlantic Fleet is nowhere to be seen. If we're blocked in the Strait of Gibraltar by these Spaniards, we're finished." Rear Admiral John's eyes immediately reddened as he looked at the heavily damaged armored cruiser and the light cruiser blown in two.

He wasn't worried about the two warships or the naval officers and men who had fallen into the sea. The main reason his eyes welled up with tears was that his fleet was in a rather precarious situation.

Before the outbreak of war, Major General John was able to swagger around in the name of the British Empire.

After the outbreak of war, the other side did not care that the British Empire was the world's leading naval power.

The Spanish Navy had only one goal: to annihilate the entire British fleet. As the fleet's commander, Rear Admiral John's future depended on the fleet's survival and the outcome of the battle.

If the fleet suffers heavy losses, or even if it is completely wiped out, then even if Rear Admiral John manages to return to London alive, he will inevitably be held accountable by the naval authorities, and his bright future will vanish.

(End of this chapter)