Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 674 The Far East Naval Battle (Part 2)

Courbet, eager to turn the tide, ordered his fleet to advance, attempting to close the distance and exploit its numerical advantage and the rate of fire of its small and medium-caliber guns. However, the complex waterways around Kunlun Island limited his maneuverability, preventing the French forces from fully deploying. Instead, their close proximity gave Iranian small torpedo boats, hidden further away, an opportunity to strike.

At around 9:10 a.m., the first turning point in the battle occurred.

A 284mm armor-piercing shell fired from the "Kala" finally hit the forward main gun turret of the "Hero" with precision!

"Bang—Clang!!!"

A deep, resounding crash, like the striking of a giant bell, rang out! The frontal armor of the "Hero" main gun turret was violently blasted open. Although not completely penetrated, the immense impact severely damaged the turret's internal mechanisms. One main gun jammed instantly, unable to rotate, and several French gunners inside were stunned or killed. Thick smoke billowed from the turret's observation seams and breaches.

"Report! Forward main turret damaged! Firepower reduced!" The bad news reached Koubert's ears.

"Damn it!" Córba slammed his fist on the command platform, his face turning ashen. He realized that he had not only fallen into a trap, but his opponent's tenacity and precision far exceeded his expectations. This damned body of water left him with power but unable to use it to his full potential.

The damage to the forward main gun turret of the Hero was like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of the French officers and soldiers. Their previous fervor and confidence were shattered by the iron fist of reality, replaced by a gradually spreading unease. Their firepower advantage had been weakened, and the initiative on the battlefield remained in the hands of the cunning Iranians.

Vice Admiral Courbet forced himself to calm down. He knew he had to reverse the tide immediately. "Order HMS Duperelle and HMS La Gallisoni to advance and provide cover! Use their firepower to suppress the Iranian cruisers! The rest of the ships, follow the flagship, maintain formation, we're breaking out! We can't be trapped here!" He decided not to linger on the hidden HMS Carrai any longer, and to try to use their numerical advantage to force their way through the Iranian fleet's blockade and into more open waters to launch a counterattack.

However, Major General Tabari did not give him that chance. He keenly sensed the change in the French army's formation and their intentions. "Trying to run? Not so easy."

He then ordered six torpedo boats to attack, their target being the French main fleet, which was slowed down by attempting to turn and whose formation was in disarray due to the damage to its flagship!

"Torpedo boat spotted on starboard! Approaching at high speed!" The lookouts on all the French ships sounded the alarm almost simultaneously, their voices filled with terror. In that era, torpedoes were an extremely deadly threat to large warships.

"Hard to port! All secondary guns and rapid-fire guns! Aim at the torpedo boats and intercept them! Now!" Courbet's pupils contracted as he roared hoarsely. He knew all too well that if these torpedo boats got close, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The French fleet was thrown into even greater chaos. Ships made emergency maneuvers to avoid the attack, attempting to align their bows or sterns with the direction of the approaching torpedo boats in order to minimize their projected area to meet the impact.

Iranian torpedo boats, braving a hail of bullets, approached relentlessly at speeds exceeding 20 knots, employing violent zigzag maneuvers. Shells rained down around them, creating dense plumes of water, with occasional direct hits.

"emission!"

With the desperate commands of the torpedo boat captains, several white torpedo trails, like the javelins of death, suddenly pierced the azure sea and sped toward their respective targets—especially the conspicuous Hero, billowing black smoke!

"Torpedo! Torpedo track spotted on starboard!" The lookout's voice on the Hero was choked with sobs. Courbet watched helplessly as those white death lines stretched rapidly through the water, heading straight for his flagship. A chill ran down his spine. "Full speed reverse! Hard to starboard! Evade!" He made a final push.

However, the Hero's massive body made it slow to turn, while the torpedoes were too fast!
At 9:22 a.m., the decisive blow came.

A torpedo was launched and accurately hit the Hero's starboard side, midships, below the waterline!
Boom! ! !

A deafening explosion, far more muffled and deafening than any shell hitting its mark, rang out! The immense impact caused the Hero to tilt violently to port, and a sickening metallic tearing sound echoed from within the ship. The explosion ripped a massive hole below the waterline, and icy seawater rushed into the compartments.

Almost simultaneously, another French cruiser, Admiral Duperelle, was also hit in the stern by a torpedo. Its rudder was destroyed, and it lost its maneuverability, spinning helplessly in place. It became a sitting duck for the Iranian cruiser and was soon riddled with holes by the intense gunfire, slowly sinking.

With the flagship severely damaged and a cruiser sunk, the morale of the French forces completely collapsed. The remaining ships no longer cared about formation or orders, fighting independently, desperately turning and fleeing in the direction they had come from.

"Pursue them! Don't let them get away!" Rear Admiral Tabari naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity to expand their gains. The Qala, leading the Iranian fleet, bombarded the fleeing French ships like wolves chasing a pack of sheep.

Another French gunboat, while fleeing, was hit in its ammunition magazine by the heavy guns of the "Carly," causing a massive explosion and instantly disintegrating. The sea was littered with French sailors struggling to survive, floating debris, and burning oil slicks.

Supported by his confidants, Courbet was forced to abandon the rapidly listing and sinking Hero and transfer to a destroyer that had come to his rescue. He looked back at the giant ship that had once represented his glory and ambition, slowly sinking into the oil-slicked and wrecked seawater, his heart filled with endless regret and shame.

In this battle, the French Far East Fleet suffered a devastating blow: the flagship Hero ironclad was sunk, the cruiser Admiral Duperet was sunk, and a gunboat was sunk.

Several ships, including another ironclad, HMS Triumph, were severely damaged. Casualties exceeded 1,500, including a large number of experienced officers and sailors.

The Iranian Far East Fleet lost one torpedo boat and suffered minor damage to several others. Personnel casualties were less than one hundred.

The naval battle between the two countries has come to an end, but it was not a battle without spectators.

A gunboat of the British Far East Fleet happened to witness the battle firsthand, a situation that was quite opportune. Its captain provided a detailed report on the performance of both sides in the naval battle, concluding with his own summary and comments.

"Both sides put on a brilliant performance in this naval battle, but the Iranians' performance was stunning, a perfect combination of firepower, protection, and speed. I have reason to believe that the Empire will also need to face a similar situation in the future."

(End of this chapter)