Canteen System Assistance Notes

But this was just a normal part of cruising in tropical waters, so Captain Edston didn't pay much attention to it. He rubbed his forehead to wake himself up from his sleepiness. "Beep, beep—"

The second-in-command's voice came from the brass voice tube on the bulkhead, his thick Scottish accent coming through the tube, making it sound a bit muffled. "Sir, are you awake?"

"Ah... Um, Commander, what's wrong."

"We just received a situation report from Mombasa, sir, about the German raiders. Do you want it delivered to you now?" "Okay."

A minute later, the sleepy Edleston received the telegram from the communications sergeant on duty. He stood up, washed and changed his clothes, then picked up his peaked hat and went to the bridge.

"Suspected merchant ship attacked. Later, a telegram was sent to clarify... The high-frequency directional estimated location is..." The colonel briefly read the intelligence summary and simply signed the document. "I understand."

He looked towards the east, and the color on the horizon was already slightly white.

For any Royal Navy warship, a full-crew battle readiness drill in the mess hall, starting with the sound of Reveille, is an essential daily routine. Although the dawn light had not yet fully appeared, the crew of Shropshire had already been busy with the sound of the full-crew battle readiness bugle call.

They took their positions, and by the time Captain Edston stepped onto the open bridge, the heavy cruiser's clerk, signal clerk, junior sailors, and heads of navigation, observation, and communications departments had already crowded into this not-so-spacious space, ready.

Edston glanced at his stopwatch and said, "Kuh... Considering the crew is only two-thirds full, that's just fine. Commander, have the gunnery officer scan the horizon with the director."

"Yes, sir, do we need to restore alert level 3 from now on?"

"Okay, then have the chief engineer come see me," Edston nodded and added.

"Aye, Sir. What a beautiful day."

"Just a little hot, Lieutenant Commander," the Colonel replied. Five minutes later, the gunnery officer reported, "The horizon is clear, no targets." Everything seemed normal. He glanced at the ship's clock and thought. It was 4:35, daybreak in the east, and the sea was calm.

If we speed up, will there be a chance... Edston took out his pipe, lit the tobacco with a match, and began to smoke. Soon, with the sound of the Marine bugler's "All Clear," the daylight of February 3, 1941, began.

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Soon, a Canadian chief engineer in a jumpsuit climbed out of the hatch and saluted Captain Edleston. His transatlantic accent was quite unusual among the British. "Chief Engineer, how much fuel do we have?" Edleston asked bluntly. "I remember she had a refueling in Durban."

"90%, sir. At her current speed, she'll have no problem reaching Singapore," the chief engineer replied without hesitation. "How about increasing it to 25 knots?"

"Then the battery life may be reduced by half."

According to fluid dynamics, maintaining a speed below 20 knots is quite easy. However, above 20 knots, water resistance increases dramatically, the power required also increases exponentially, and fuel consumption becomes very significant. Although long endurance is a fundamental design requirement for a County-class heavy cruiser like the Shropshire, sailing at speeds above 25 knots would turn this "economical" heavy cruiser into a fuel-guzzling Leviathan.

Speeding up isn't cost-effective, but the ship's fuel can sustain it, so it's an option. Captain Edston took a puff from his pipe and then moved to the chart table on the bridge.

"Hmm... Navigator."

"exist."

"Have you seen the Norwegian merchant ship's SOS message forwarded from Mombasa and the attached direction-finding log for the Halfdaf?" "Yes, sir."

"Mark it."

The navigator understood the situation and took up a pencil, ruler and compass to mark the approximate location of the signal on the chart, showing the relative distance from the ship.

As that location was now quite far from Shropshire, he had to

Lying on the nautical chart, operating with great force.

"The location is approximately 40 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles. If it is indeed a German disguised raider, based on the standard speed of 12 knots for auxiliary cruisers, then this is the range she can reach within 24 hours, considering the time difference of about 19 hours..."

"Please also mark the 36- and 48-hour range circles." "No problem, sir."

Soon, several navigation circles based on the origin were drawn, - - circles within circles, like three illusory cages based on mathematics and deduction being pulled out from the cruiser and spread out to the vast Indian Ocean.

Ahead, a huge fan-shaped area was created by the colonel's brain, representing the area she could reach within this period of time. The area where the three rings and the fan-shaped area intersected was the possible encounter area between the two ships.

Edston stared at the chart with a frown on his face. "Lieutenant Colonel, have there been any changes to K Squadron's position and mission?"

“No relevant notification has been received so far.”

"If the speed is increased to 26 knots and the course remains unchanged, please also mark our ship's position on the chart."

Looking at the route on the nautical chart, Edston was thoughtful.

Since the beginning of the war, Shropshire has been running around in the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, taking on the task of escorting and intercepting illegal blockade ships. The few interception missions she has carried out have almost all returned in vain. In addition to training, her slender BL 8-inch

The Mk VII guns were rarely fired, and the crew was holding back, and Edleston knew it.

Although it was extremely difficult to capture a well-camouflaged German raider in the open sea, he seemed determined to do something about it.

"Lieutenant Commander, increase the speed to 26 knots."

"Yes, yes, sir."

In the distance, the sun slowly rose above the horizon, and the cabin was filled with the smell of milk tea, scrambled eggs, fried bacon, and sausages. At the same time, the Parsons heavy oil boiler of the Shropshire began to increase the amount of oil it sprayed, releasing the oil from millions of years ago.

The vast solar energy in front of it drives the softened boiler water, transmits power to the high-speed rotating steam turbine, and ultimately stirs the sea water, pushing the ship forward to accelerate and track the invisible enemy.

A big net is quietly unfolding in the western Indian Ocean.

Chapter 399 Glass Hammer

"All crew members, take your positions!"

The Pandaria's tail platform, large enough to accommodate two whale disassembly operations, had long since been stripped of much of its equipment, and even the superstructure had been reshaped. Then, the Colombo shipyard laid two intersecting catapult tracks on the platform. These tracks were hollow, large enough to accommodate a set of gunpowder-powered catapults each.

This modification allows the Pandaria to operate two small seaplanes: catapult launch against the deck wind and then reclaimed by a water crane. Two J2R "Little Beaver" (formerly the historical DHC-2) military aircraft produced in this time and space can extend the ship's reconnaissance capabilities to a distance of up to 400 kilometers.

"Operation deck clear, wind speed on deck is 16 knots! Prepare for takeoff—"

The pilot had been on standby in the cabin for a long time. As the commander on the side of the catapult track made the take-off action, the gunpowder in the catapult was ignited. Driven by the mini-Wasp engine, the fully loaded "Little Beaver" took off into the wind, passed over the side of the bridge, slowly climbed upwards, and flew into the distance.

"Captain, is this maneuver included in the Royal Navy's cruiser catapult drill?"

Lieutenant Commander Clayton looked at the aviation commanders on the stern platform who were posing in strange positions, and was a little confused, "Why don't I remember learning this takeoff command maneuver?

"Well, who knows?" Navigator Haddock shook his head. He blew into the flask in his hand and changed the subject. "But we've been on Level 2 patrol alert for a day straight. Today is the second day. It seems that the ship is in good condition, which is good."

"Yes, in the vast ocean, even finding the 'Admiral Scheer' is such a difficult task, let alone a ship whose specific identity is unknown-

But we must not show mercy to the wicked who work deceitfully—we will surely find the secret

of her. "

Temporary Fleet Captain Clayden turned his gaze from the porthole to the ship's clock on the wall. It read 6:2 AM, and the calendar beside it showed it was February 4th, three days after the unidentified distress message had been received.

The Indian Ocean Yemen Squadron, led by the Pandaria, has been searching for a whole day.

After receiving two telegrams on the afternoon of February 2, Pandaria, Badajie and Shanwei left their original route of returning to the Gulf of Aden by riding the ocean current and began sailing further south.

According to the possible sea areas designated by the navigator Captain Haddock, on the morning and noon of February 3, the flagship Pandaria released two sorties of J2R "Little Beaver" seaplanes to conduct reconnaissance operations towards the southwest. However, good things come to those who wait. These four sorties, with a total distance of more than 2800 kilometers of aerial reconnaissance, found nothing, and the fleet came up empty-handed.

So, everyone, already in a state of war readiness, could only vent their energy in combat drills, a last-minute cramming exercise. The three armed merchant ships practiced formation changes, camouflage removal, and gun range-finding exercises, using other ships in the fleet as imaginary enemy targets for a thorough simulated artillery battle. After all, as the Chinese crews had said, it was best to be generous with your estimate of the enemy. Since they were pursuing the German fascists, there was no guarantee that they would engage in artillery battles, so mutual training was a good idea.

Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. The fleet also took this opportunity to review its exercises and become more familiar with its own equipment.

Armed merchant ships, or auxiliary cruisers, especially those that were modified at the expense of the British, could not avoid the common problem of merchant ship armament in World War II - a mixture of old and new guns.

As the fleet's flagship, the Pandaria, the largest ship in tonnage, possessed the strongest firepower in the fleet. Because the tail platform was occupied by the seaplane catapult, the additional weapons installed by Colombo were basically piled near the hull and the chimney platform at the bulge of the ship.

2根来自不知道哪条战列舰的6寸廊炮被以"地平线"式的办法安装在了她舰腊的部位，拥有最远11千米的射程;而4门来自驱逐舰主炮、巡洋舰高炮QF445两用舰炮在左右两舷各自排开,安装在增设的耳台上。

The whaling gun with its towing cable and buoy was removed and replaced with a 20-cwt 76mm anti-aircraft gun. An anti-aircraft platform was added to the funnel area of ​​the hull, which was equipped with four 12.7mm quadruple Vickers machine guns. "K" depth charge guns and bomb rails were added to the stern and sides to deal with possible submarines.

This peculiar yet adaptable modification has rendered this unusual whaling mothership incapable of hunting whales. Now freed from the task of hunting whales, it can deliver a high-powered five-gun salvo when engaging the enemy head-on or while yawed. Of course, if facing an enemy from behind, only two guns remain.

The firepower configuration of the two companion ships, "Ba Dajie" and "Shanwei", was much more modest. Because both ships had to retain operational and transport capabilities, their huge hulls only had four large-caliber guns.

八大街号仅有3门老式的QF4/45火炮、1门来自某艘猎户座战列舰的6寸甲板炮，以及少量的12.7毫米维克斯机枪:甚至因为其舰腊空间狭小，6寸炮还是布置在舰尾的。"山威"号就更倒霉了，它只有一前一后布置的2门4寸炮，以及布置在侧舷的2门20英担的76毫米高射炮和同款12.7毫米维克斯。不过值得庆幸的是，各舰至少有3米水平的合象式测距仪，具备基本的火炮射击指挥能力，不再需要各炮位自己进行瞄准和测距。

When the three ships are together, if we only consider the artillery battle, it is also a disguised attack ship that cannot be easily attacked. Of course, due to the foundation of merchant ships and work ships

Except for the Pandaria, which has the ability to resist drifting ice, it is slightly stronger.

In addition, these ships had neither armor belts nor anti-torpedo bulges, so if they encountered serious naval guns or torpedoes, they would still be doomed.

The large and small guns on the three ships were normally tightly concealed by gun covers and camouflage shrouds, and were manned by "relatively ill sailors" who were prone to seasickness and vomiting—they were vomiting less and less recently—and the gunnery instructors sent by the British Navy initially trained them using the same methods as those used for Indians.

However, the gunnery instructors soon discovered that these sailors, despite having never handled naval guns before, were exceptionally proficient in artillery knowledge. Within a short time of verbal and hands-on training, the cadets had quickly mastered the artillery maneuvers, firing, calibrating, and directing fire. They could deploy and remove camouflage in just five minutes, and achieved a hit rate of approximately 3.2% at two-thirds of each gun's maximum range, achieving a "good" standard.

"Captain Haddock."

"I'm here." The captain turned quickly, clutching the small flat flask emitting a strong fragrance. "Commissioned General."

Gazing from the bridge, the gun crews on the ship's firing platform had just concluded a training exercise. Led by the Chinese acting captain, "Mr. Zhong," who was always on the front lines, the crews had just completed an emergency drill. The gunners filed out of the cabin, removed their camouflage, took their positions, cranked their guns to simulate firing, and finally, withdrew and donned their camouflage. All in all, it took less than 30 minutes.

The foredeck now looks like it is piled high with three large potato crates, with no sign that there were once three guns there.

"If, and I mean if, we actually encountered a German raider, do you think we could defeat her?"

"If we have three ships, we can definitely do it; if we have one, I have confidence in our boys." Captain Haddock replied, "For targets worth capturing, I've heard the Germans like to fire first, force the enemy ship to stop, and then board it for inspection - this way we don't have to engage in long-range artillery battles with them. However, we may need to be careful of German torpedo attacks, as their ships always seem to carry several torpedoes.

"Well. If that's the case, we'll be in the same position as the Q-ship - we can also raise the St. George flag and catch them off guard." Admiral Clayton nodded. He was well versed in naval history. During World War I, the British Q-ship had used this method to sink several German submarines.

However, close combat would inevitably result in losses. He asked the operator, "Radio room, have our planes detected anything?"

'Not yet, sir.' The messenger picked up the receiver and asked, and the radio room quickly sent back a message, "Red Sea Shark 1's reply signal is normal, no abnormalities reported." "Okay."

At this moment, the messenger suddenly pinched the earphones and listened carefully. Then, someone on the bridge seemed to be shouting, reporting some information.

"Sir," the messenger covered the microphone and reported quickly, "Port side, the lookout has spotted something! They seem to have seen a column of smoke!" Smoke? Smoke!

The two exchanged glances, then sprinted out of the navigation bridge and onto the spacious wing bridge. In this spot, once designed for observing whale plumes, Lieutenant Commander Clayden raised his binoculars and faintly spotted a faint plume of smoke in the distance. "Lookout reporting, port side, Red-65 spotted a ship plume, over 25 nautical miles away, sir! We've spotted a ship!"

Chapter 400: "Osaka Customs Mei Niang Dormitory"

"Lookout reporting, port side, Red-65 spotted a ship's smoke column, distance over 25 nautical miles!"

Affected by the curvature of the earth, even in clear weather and calm seas, a 1.7-meter-tall lookout with the best optical equipment at sea level can

It is also impossible to observe targets more than 5 kilometers away. However, in "Pandali

On the towering observation deck of the Ya*, the visual ability of the human eye will be greatly expanded. By using optical equipment to measure the rising smoke column, this whaling mother ship without radar can barely obtain a little bit of "beyond visual range" reconnaissance capability.

"The smoke column is so pale. Is it a diesel ship?" Major Clayden pressed his glasses against the lookout's large telescope, carefully distinguishing the smoke column that was not in line with the color of the sky.

"Captain Haddock?"

"It's possible, but a coal-fired engine can do the same. As long as she's at high speed, the boilers are hot, the coal is burning well, and the smoke column will be lighter - but in any case, she must be at high speed." "Messenger, have the gunnery officer measure her speed."

"Yes, sir. Gun Control, velocity measurement on the port target!"

"Report to me directly after the distance measurement is completed, Mr. Haddock, you will control the course!" "Okay, okay, sir! Navigator, take the course!"

The rangefinder atop the Pandaria's bridge removed its cover and, driven by a motor, began to turn, aiming at the faint column of smoke and the mast just emerging from the sea. This device, similar to a destroyer's optical fire director, could continuously track the target and, combining azimuth and distance data, calculate the enemy's approximate speed.

Because the fleet was in a search formation and had just been pursuing deck wind speed in order to release seaplanes, the Pandaria was not at the flagship position of the fleet, but was located southwest of the "Eighth Street" and "Shanwei", on the edge of the fleet - but now, the Pandaria could not directly lift off the camouflage and launch an offensive.

On the one hand, the enemy was still far away, and on the other hand, as an auxiliary cruiser, it was necessary to at least determine the identity of the enemy and complete the identification: it was impossible to hit the wrong ship!

As the two sides were about to come within visual range, the ship's radio room quickly initiated a voice call via TBS (Telecommunications System). While identifying themselves—the harmless fishing vessel "Pandaman"—the ship inquired about the other ship's identity and purpose, and, in accordance with standard merchant ship procedures, extended greetings of a clear and calm day. Using the TBS's secure frequency band, they also issued a warning to the rest of the fleet, urging them to remain on alert.

But the ship on the opposite side did not respond, but continued to maintain its course and approached the port side of the Pandaria.

"Commissioned Admiral, Captain, target ship Hong-63, distance 23 nautical miles. Gun control room speed measurement, target course 345, speed 13-16."

Known information is that the merchant ship was generally traveling from south to north at a speed of about 13-16 knots.

This is obviously not the speed of a normal merchant ship, but the accuracy of optical ranging...

Lieutenant Commander Clayton gripped her telescope, carefully observing the ship gradually emerging on the horizon. In just twenty minutes, she had gone from being able to see only a column of smoke to a vague silhouette of the ship. Through the high-powered telescope, the ship looked like a standard, common merchant ship, with a chimney and several mast-mounted unloading cranes, and it looked just as harmless.

"Captain, maintain course."

"Yes, sir. Set the speed for both cars and keep the rudder steady."

After giving the order, the Lieutenant Commander stomped down to the navigation bridge. Inside, almost everyone, from the captain to the operations officer, had already taken their positions. He shouted, "Navigation room, based on the target's speed and course, tell me how it will intersect with our ship!"

"Okay, sir!" The Chinese students taught by Mr. Haddock had obviously been doing this work for a long time. They immediately reported in their accented English, "If the target ship maintains its current speed and course, it will pass our ship's box at a course of 165-345. The contact time between the two sides is 1 hour and 10 minutes, sir!"

One hour... The commodore stroked his stubble, thinking. But before he could ponder for long, new information arrived from the radio room. "Sir, that ship has sent a contact message—open frequency, standard merchant ship code."

"Read it out."

"Hello, friends at sea. I am the bulk carrier 'Kashii Maru' of the Japanese Osaka Merchant Marine, sailing from Cape Breton to Muscat. Our TBS communication system is malfunctioning, and we would like to recalibrate our chronometers. Requesting communication by signal light—over."

Update: A Japanese bulk carrier, affiliated with Osaka Syosen, departed Cape Town. The TBS system was malfunctioning, and the Vice Admiral's mind raced. Previously, it had been "Kasai Maru" and "Katie Bruweg," and now "Kashii Maru." The awkward romanization of the ship's name was giving him a headache.

"Watchtower, besides her and our ship, are there any other ships on the sea?"

"No, sir! There are only three ships on the sea surface, if we don't count ourselves!" Are these three ships with three identities, or two ships, or even multiple identities of one ship?

The attackers were indeed constantly changing and concealing their identities; this, more than their onboard artillery or torpedoes, was their most crucial means of ensuring their survival. However, the "Kashii Maru" could indeed be just an ordinary Japanese merchant ship, passing through innocently. Accidentally attacking it or allowing it to approach was a potential error, and he could not afford either mistake.