Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 427 Night Raid on Malta
While the Royal Spanish Army launched a massive offensive against the Gibraltar fortress, the Spanish Navy also mobilized on a large scale, targeting Malta, the main base of the British Mediterranean Fleet, in the central Mediterranean.

Malta is located south of Sicily, Italy, east of Tunisia, and west of Greece, right in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea.

Britain chose Malta as the main base for its Mediterranean Fleet precisely because of its important strategic location. The Mediterranean Fleet on Malta could support Gibraltar to the west and the Suez Canal to the east.

If the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal were the foundation for Britain's control over the Mediterranean, then the important naval base of Malta was the very foundation of that control.

Knowing the importance of Malta, the Spanish Navy chose the island of Malta as its first target when attacking the British Mediterranean Fleet.

Although it is called Malta, the complete Malta is made up of several islands. Malta is just the largest of them, and there are also Gozo, Comino, Cominoto, and Filfra, among others.

The British Navy was based on Malta, the largest island in the world, which was the real target the Spanish Navy wanted to attack.

The British Mediterranean Fleet had approximately 8 to 10 battleships, with the Formidable-class battleships likely being the most numerous, numbering around 4 to 5.

In addition to the Formidable-class battleships, the British Mediterranean Fleet should also have the Old Man Star-class and the Duncan-class battleships, with approximately two of each type.

To ensure the success of the attack, Spain deployed a rather impressive fleet. This fleet was led by the brand-new flagship, the Dreadnought, and the battleship Courage, which was about to complete its naval trials, also joined the attacking force.

The HMS Fury, which was launched in April, did not participate in this operation. After all, the Fury's biggest mission at present is to find all the problems during the naval aviation testing phase and solve them all before it enters service.

除了2艘无畏级战列舰之外，西班牙海军还将出动4艘君主级战列舰和2艘斗牛士级战列舰，巡洋舰则抽调5艘装甲巡洋舰和12艘轻型巡洋舰，还有高达12艘潜艇跟随。

It is no exaggeration to say that such a large and luxurious fleet could rival the navy of any country in the world.

If it were a surprise attack, even the entire Royal Navy of the British Empire would suffer a major setback under such a surprise attack.

The firepower of the Dreadnought-class and Monarch-class battleships goes without saying, and the torpedo tubes carried by those 12 submarines are also quite exaggerated in caliber.

If a torpedo can hit a British warship, whether it is a battleship or an armored cruiser, it has a chance to kill it instantly.

Spain did not expect to annihilate the British Mediterranean fleet in a single attack. For Spain, sinking or damaging just a few battleships in this attack would achieve its intended purpose.

Spain's primary objective was the two Duncan-class battleships, which were determined to be destroyed.

The British Duncan-class battleships are new warships built in the last two years, and the two Duncan-class battleships of the Mediterranean Fleet were only commissioned in the first half of this year.

If two Duncan-class battleships were sunk, and a few more old-star and Formidable-class battleships were damaged, the British Mediterranean Fleet would essentially be rendered ineffective.

Even if the British support fleet arrives in the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean Fleet will not be able to quickly engage in naval battle.

At that point, it won't be the British Navy chasing the Spanish Navy anymore; it will be the Spanish Navy chasing the British Navy.

Once Britain lost its naval superiority, Spain could not only surround Gibraltar with impunity, but also launch attacks on some of Britain's more important overseas territories, such as Egypt and South Africa.

By then, the British will be fretting about how to end this war. After all, Spain's land forces are formidable. If Spanish troops were to land in Egypt, South Africa, or India, the first thing to collapse would not be the British Empire's finances, but its colonial system.

Because Malta is thousands of kilometers away from mainland Spain, a surprise attack on the British fleet stationed in Malta would require traveling thousands of kilometers and taking several days.

When the Spanish fleet finally arrived in Malta, it was July 25, 1904.

Around 11 p.m., the Spanish fleet finally arrived at the port of Valletta on the island of Malta. Although it gets dark later in the Mediterranean in summer, it usually gets dark around 8 or 9 p.m., and by 11 p.m. the sky was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything without lights.

Several days had passed since the two countries declared war, and the British Mediterranean Fleet naturally learned of the outbreak of war.

In order to preserve the strength of the Mediterranean Fleet, the British Navy ordered the Mediterranean Fleet to remain in port and conserve its strength, and not to launch a counterattack against the Spanish fleet without authorization, but to wait for the arrival of the support fleet from the home fleet before making any further plans.

And that's exactly what the Mediterranean Fleet did. In the past few days, they strengthened the defenses of Valletta, the port of Malta, and increased patrols to prevent a surprise attack by the Spanish fleet.

When the Spanish fleet arrived around the port of Valletta, it naturally noticed the relatively tight defenses deployed by the British.

If they sailed openly towards the port, the British would surely have discovered them beforehand, turning the sneak attack into a fair and square contest.

Although the Spanish fleet was no less powerful than the British Mediterranean Fleet, the port was fortified with coastal artillery, which posed a significant threat to the Spanish warships. Naturally, Spain was unwilling to engage in a direct war with the British navy in the port.

Since they couldn't openly launch a surprise attack on these British warships, they had no choice but to use submarines, which were better at concealment.

Fortunately, a total of 12 submarines participated in this raid. Based on the ratio of two submarines attacking one battleship, these 12 submarines were able to raid at least 6 battleships.

If half of the raids succeed, that is, sink or severely damage three British battleships, the raid can be considered a complete success.

If they could achieve even greater results, the Spanish navy could even launch a counter-offensive, seeking out reinforcements from the British mainland to the Mediterranean and looking for another opportunity to annihilate the British fleet.

All 12 submarines deployed this time are the latest Spanish-built submarines, equipped with 381 mm torpedo tubes, and each submarine is equipped with 6 torpedoes.

Because submarine technology in European countries was not yet mature, they did not pay much attention to the armor protection of the underwater parts when building warships.

If hit by a 381mm torpedo, even the newest British Duncan-class battleships would require the sailors to pray for their survival.

As for the warship itself, if it were hit head-on by such a torpedo, it would be good enough if it wasn't blown into two pieces; maintaining its combat capability would be virtually impossible.

After a few minutes of communication, the 12 submarines slowly sank into the water dozens of kilometers away from the port, and then sailed toward the port in perfect unison.

On such a dark night, a submarine submerged more than ten meters underwater would be completely undetectable. Even if Britain doubled its port patrols, they still wouldn't be able to spot the submarines in the water.

Although the harbor had searchlights to illuminate the sea, these lights were clearly unable to penetrate more than ten meters underwater. This allowed the Spanish submarines to approach the harbor smoothly, with two submarines working together, each searching for its own target.

It must be admitted that the British are very wealthy. The Mediterranean fleet currently docked in Valletta is larger than the navies of many major powers.

In addition to the nine battleships, the port also has dozens of other warships of various types, with the cost of any one of them potentially reaching hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Since they were not detected by the British, these submarines would certainly choose more valuable targets when launching their attack.

According to the Spanish Navy's mission, the primary target of this raid was the Duncan-class battleship, the secondary target was the Formidable-class battleship, and the last choice was the Old Star-class battleship.

Apart from battleships, other types of warships were not within the scope of the Spanish attack. After all, apart from these battleships, other warships were unlikely to play a significant role in naval warfare.

In other words, armored cruisers and battlecruisers played a certain role in naval battles, but their role was significantly less effective than that of battleships.

Since they could launch a surprise attack on British battleships, they would definitely prioritize targeting British battleships.

It took nearly two and a half hours to approach the port and select their respective targets. Finally, at 1:30 a.m., the Spanish submarines launched their attack.

boom!
With a muffled thud in the ocean, a torpedo shot forward at incredible speed. At night, precise aiming is difficult; whether or not it hit its target could only be determined by the explosion after impact.

boom! Boom boom!

The good news is that the surprise attack by 12 submarines was quite effective. Before the British could react, three battleships were hit, and they appear to have sustained significant damage.

The other submarines either missed completely or hit less vital areas, so the battleships' combat effectiveness was not affected.

With several explosions, the British finally realized something was wrong.

The searchlights in the harbor were all turned on, and alarms sounded at the British naval base as sailors rushed to their ships.

Each of these warships had soldiers on board, and under their command, the ships started their propulsion systems, preparing for a decisive battle against the attacking Spanish navy. Although the British navy had anticipated the Spanish attack, it would still take at least several minutes for them to receive the news and for all the soldiers to board their ships.

This period provided the perfect opportunity for the Spanish submarines to launch their second attack. The six torpedoes they carried were not wasted; they certainly couldn't just launch a sneak attack and then withdraw.

Because the port was now brighter, the second raid was more successful than the first. Two of the three heavily damaged battleships were hit again, and then the battleships began to list, seemingly beyond saving.

Another battleship was also in poor condition; its side hull was severely deformed, and its bottom was taking on water rapidly. Sooner or later, it would sink as a large amount of seawater rushed in.

In addition to the three battleships that were hit initially, the second raid also hit two British battleships. These two battleships were in significantly better condition than the other three.

At least for the time being, there was no risk of sinking. Under the control of British naval soldiers, the battleship's gun turrets had been adjusted to search for the Spanish navy.

After two consecutive surprise attacks, the submarine's approximate location had been revealed. Realizing that further attacks would be fruitless, the Spanish submarine decisively chose to continue sinking and withdraw, leaving the naval battle to the surface fleet.

Several kilometers from the port, the Spanish navy could clearly see the chaos in Valletta harbor. After observing that several British battleships were already heavily damaged, the Spanish fleet no longer hesitated and sailed towards the port in a grand procession.

Although the raid was successful, this was not the end of the matter. The naval fleet had not yet played its role, and it would be even better if a few more strategic ships could be sunk.

The British Navy was now on edge, cautiously observing the waters outside the harbor. As the Spanish navy drew closer, they quickly spotted the fleet, and alarms sounded again.

"Enemy attack! Activate all coastal defense batteries! I'll leave these damned Spaniards here to die with our warships!" the British Mediterranean Fleet Commander-in-Chief said angrily.

The Spanish attack resulted in the loss of at least three battleships for the Mediterranean Fleet, a significant blow to him as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.

The British Navy had warned him to be wary of a Spanish naval attack and to wait for reinforcements before making further plans.

If this surprise attack affects the subsequent naval operational plans, even the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, as a high-ranking officer in the British Navy, will certainly have to take the blame for the war effort.

Unless he can keep some of these Spanish naval ships in port to make the British losses appear less significant, he risks not being held accountable after the war ends.

Following the order, the coastal defense batteries in Valletta harbor were activated, all aiming their cannons at the distant Spanish fleet.

Valletta's geographical location is quite unique. If you consider the surrounding land as a complete T-shape, there are two bays within the right angle, and each bay has an opening at the corner, serving as its outlet to the sea.

Both bays share a common characteristic: they are deep and have relatively precise outlets to the sea.

The slightly narrow bay enhanced the defensive capabilities of Valletta harbor, allowing for the deployment of more coastal artillery batteries and creating a dilemma for attacking fleets.

To advance deeper into the bay, they would face being sandwiched between coastal defense batteries on both sides. For a retreat, the narrow, not-so-wide bay significantly increased the difficulty of the fleet's withdrawal.

Turning and turning around a warship is not easy; it either has to make a very sharp turn or linger in place for a long time.

This bay is clearly not suitable for making a large bend, which means that it is virtually impossible for a fleet that enters the bay to leave again.

This is why the British Navy felt no fear towards the Spanish fleet that dared to enter the Gulf; on the contrary, they were filled with joy and excitement.

At this point, the Spanish fleet was seen by the British naval soldiers as prey that had already fallen into a trap, just waiting to be harvested.

Did the Spanish Navy not understand the characteristics of this bay? On the contrary, the Spanish Navy not only understood the characteristics of this bay, but also knew that once the navy entered this bay, it would be very difficult to withdraw.

So why did the navy still enter this bay? Of course, it was to further expand their gains and cripple the British Mediterranean fleet in one fell swoop.

Although entering the bay meant facing coastal defense batteries on both sides, these batteries were not a fatal threat to the Spanish Navy.

The British hadn't expected a naval attack on Malta's port, after all, their navy was the best in the world, so why should they fear an attack from another country?
Although there are quite a few coastal defense batteries in Valletta's port, most of these cannons are products from more than ten or even several decades ago and have not been replaced for a long time.

This also means that these coastal defense guns have a common drawback: their rate of fire is extremely slow, and each shell requires a long time to reload.

As the Spanish fleet officially entered the Gulf, it immediately engaged in fierce combat with the British fleet. At this time, the British Mediterranean Fleet still had six battleships capable of fighting, along with dozens of cruisers of various types, other warships, and coastal defense batteries. For a time, it truly fought the Spanish fleet to a standstill.

But as the coastal batteries began loading shells, Spain once again gained the upper hand. In order to quickly establish an advantage in this naval battle, the Spanish did not intend to hide the Dreadnought, but instead chose to let the Dreadnought play its advantages, using its extremely fast-firing guns to quickly strike the British warships.

The Dreadnought battleship was already larger than other warships in terms of displacement and size, so the British immediately focused their attention on this rather large warship.

Their fears came true. The combat power of the two Dreadnought-class battleships was far superior to that of ordinary battleships. With their high-rate-of-fire guns, the two Dreadnought-class battleships alone could overwhelm six British battleships.

If it weren't for the coastal defense batteries interfering with these two battleships, the British Navy might have already been defeated by them.

At this moment, everyone in the British Navy, from the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet to every British soldier on every warship, had the same question: where did this enormous ship with its incredibly fast-firing cannons come from, and why did Spain have such a powerful warship?
With the addition of two Dreadnought-class battleships to the battlefield, the British Navy lost all confidence. They had assumed the Spanish Navy had become prey in a trap, but they hadn't realized that the real prey was themselves, and that Spain was merely posing as the prey; they were, in fact, wolves in sheep's clothing.

The naval battle lasted for several hours, with the Spanish navy essentially fighting on their own doorstep, clearly aiming to render the British Mediterranean fleet ineffective.

And that was indeed the case. After the naval battle, five of the nine battleships of the British Mediterranean Fleet were sunk, two of the remaining four were heavily damaged, and only the two old star-class battleships were still combat-ready.

More than a dozen other cruisers and other warships of various types were lost. Fortunately, the Spanish Navy's targets were not these small warships; otherwise, it is possible that none of the dozens of cruisers would have survived.

Even the coastal defense batteries on both sides of the bay were mostly destroyed by the Spanish navy. If they hadn't almost run out of ammunition, the Spanish navy wouldn't have ended the battle so easily.

Of course, while the British Navy suffered such devastating consequences, the Spanish Navy also incurred considerable losses.

西班牙一共出动了8艘战列舰、17艘巡洋舰和12艘潜艇，顺利返回西班牙的只有6艘战列舰、12艘巡洋舰和11艘潜艇。

Although the naval battle resulted in the loss of 5 battleships and serious damage to 2 battleships for the British Mediterranean Fleet, Spain also paid the price of losing 2 battleships and seriously damaging 2 others.

The good news is that neither of the two sunken battleships nor the two heavily damaged battleships were Dreadnought-class battleships.

The Dreadnought-class battleships demonstrated their superiority over other ordinary battleships to the fullest extent. Due to their extremely high speed, British battleships found it very difficult to hit the Dreadnought directly.

Although it's inevitable to be hit once or twice in naval battles, the Dreadnought-class battleships have extremely good armor protection. In addition, since these shells did not hit vital parts, the two Dreadnought-class battleships only need simple repairs to be put back into the battle.

Of the two battleships that sank, one was a Matador-class battleship and the other was a Monarch-class battleship.

The Matador-class battleships were the previous generation of Spain's main warships. The loss of such battleships was not a major blow to Spain, since these warships would be decommissioned in a few years anyway. It was just a matter of a few years earlier.

It's a pity that the Monarch-class battleships were sunk. These battleships entered service as early as July 1893 and as late as January 1896, which is about ten years ago.

These battleships still possess considerable combat capability. Even if they cannot meet the needs of the European home fleet, they can still serve for more than ten years if dispatched to the African or Philippine fleets.

Both heavily damaged battleships were Monarch-class battleships. Although they could be put back into battle after repairs, the repair time for both battleships was several months, which basically ruled them out of the next naval battle with Britain.

While the loss of several battleships had some impact on Spain, the good news was that Britain suffered even greater losses than Spain.

After the surprise attack on Malta, Spain still had a total of 21 battleships, 19 of which were combat-ready.

On the British Navy's side, their total number of battleships was reduced to only 30, with only 28 of them capable of combat. The gap between them and Spain in the number of battleships narrowed once again.

Considering that Britain could not commit all its battleships to the battle against Spain, as other regions also needed battleships as flagships to enhance the fleet's prestige.

Taking all factors into account, Britain had fewer than 20 battleships available for naval combat, a number that was not far behind Spain's 19 combat-ready battleships.

More importantly, two of these 19 battleships were Dreadnought-class battleships. This naval battle has fully demonstrated the superiority of the Dreadnought-class battleships over ordinary battleships. Given the current naval sizes of Spain and Great Britain, Britain no longer holds a naval advantage in this war. If another decisive naval battle were to break out, Spain might very well emerge victorious.

(End of this chapter)