Seven Seas Beacon Fire

Therefore, when Zhu Miaoyun saw the Federalist telegram, her first thought was of these underwater assassins.

“The Federation, which we can easily imagine, is also well prepared,” Li Che said. “The current commander of the Federation’s Pacific Fleet is McGiffin, who has literally deployed all the forces at his disposal. Their destroyers have practically sieved the waters around the battleships.”

"Use sonar?"

"No, it's a sonar. The world's first marine sonar was tested by Britain in 17. It was based on a transmitter-receiver device that emitted sound waves at a high underwater altitude. The distance to the target was calculated by measuring the time interval between the transmission and reception of the sound waves, and the direction of the target was determined by a compass receiver."

This sonar is still one of the top secrets of the Royal Navy of Victoria. It can be considered a product of the British people's desperation when they were driven to the brink by the Leithani submarines. They started researching sonar in order to detect underwater submarines.

But if I remember correctly, the first experiment with this technology didn't take until several years later (historically, 22 years). British scientists then experimented with sonar and established the Underwater Detection Institute in 27, while the Commonwealth didn't produce their first sonar until the 30s. There's no way they could possibly produce a sonar now.

“Well, I didn’t expect that this thing isn’t available yet. McGiffin?” Zhu Miaoyun felt that the name was somewhat familiar, but she didn’t have a deep impression of it.

"Haven't you read the book I bought before? This is about a very brave foreign sailor from your Beiyang Fleet era."

"You used my money to buy these books when you were inside me. I'm already being lenient by not holding it against you, how could I possibly go and read them all?" Zhu Miaoyun snorted and turned her head to the side: "Is this why you're all frowning at night?"

"Of course not," Li Che said. "The Federation is having a good time now, but there will be a time when they'll be held accountable. The troops they've deployed to the Eastern Capital battlefield are like their 'pill.' Last time, the Sishui fleet was slightly squeezed on its return voyage, and the Federation's reaction was stronger than anyone else's."

Generally speaking, it's very difficult for warring parties to reach a tacit understanding; they rarely cross that line. McGiffin broke this tacit understanding right from the start. If McGiffin hadn't been completely unaware of the situation within his troops and the existence of such a 'tacit understanding,' then it could only be said that he had no regard for the fact that his own vital organs were being exploited.

"Could you please not use such vulgar analogies?"

"Just get the gist of it." Li Che flipped through the documents sent by the Navy Department and casually asked, "So you really don't have anything else to do today? You've come to see me at night before, but never this late."

“It’s just…” Zhu Miaoyun suddenly became a little hesitant, which was quite rare for her. Seeing that Zhu Miaoyun was stammering and unable to speak, Li Che turned his head in confusion and said, “You’re not usually this fussy. Don’t be so girly. Just say what you want to say.”

"I'm a girl, so what if I'm a bit effeminate?!" Zhu Miaoyun shouted, somewhat dissatisfied. "I want a house!"

Li Che stopped holding the pencil. He couldn't help but pick at his ear with his finger. "Did I hear that right? You want a house?"

This request is really... Li Che couldn't help but shake his head. Buying one or two houses would be a piece of cake for both his father and himself.

Why does this girl suddenly want a house? Anyone who doesn't know better would think that Zhu Miaoyun was suddenly born in Jiangxi.

What kind of house do you want? How big is it?

“Any detached house will do, as long as it’s quiet enough for one person and not too far from here,” Zhu Miaoyun said. “I know there are some rumors going around. If I continue to live in your house, you’ll probably face even more gossip. I don’t want to live at my uncle’s house either. I don’t even know him. So I think I’m going to move out on my own.”

At this point, Zhu Miaoyun winked playfully, "That way, it'll be easier for you to come and touch my door at night by yourself."

"I see." Li Che nodded. "Finding a place won't be difficult, but you don't need to worry about what others are saying. You know I've never cared."

Zhu Miaoyun shook her head: "You may not care, but I can't not think about you. You belong to me now, you know? I'd be considerate and caring even if I were raising a cat or dog, let alone you?"

"I think your analogy, while not crude, still has some issues. If possible, please don't compare me to cats and dogs next time," Li Che offered his small protest. "I'll take care of this for you when I come back next time."

"Waiting for you to come back?" Zhu Miaoyun frowned slightly. "Where are you going this time?"

"We'll soon be fighting the Federation on the front lines. I'll definitely be going to the naval forward port. Don't worry, I won't be going to the front lines. It's very safe."

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Chapter 145 Exchange of the Son (1) The Emperor personally led the expedition?

At the end of September, Li Che was not the only one preparing to depart from Yingtianfu.

Li Zongdi reigned peacefully as emperor for only two months after the founding of the dynasty. After the troops preparing to aid Yanping had been assembled and trained, the Tang emperor naturally took on the role of commander-in-chief.

Under these circumstances, the emperor's preparation to personally lead the expedition naturally drew much opposition from both the court and the public. After all, everyone knew that the domestic situation was far from stable. Although Li Zongdi had temporarily suppressed the political turmoil with his prestige, battlefield victories, and some forceful tactics, everyone knew that it was still far from being able to completely secure the throne.

Just as the Napoleonic Empire flourished with Napoleon's success and collapsed with his defeat, in a sense, the fate of the Tang Dynasty now rests on the shoulders of Li Zongdi. If anything were to happen to him, the newly stabilized situation of the country would immediately crumble. For many, it wasn't necessarily a matter of great loyalty to the newly established Tang Dynasty, but they knew that this was the best solution to prevent the country from falling into turmoil and civil war.

No one wants to see a country that has just gotten back on track fall into turmoil again.

Upon hearing the news, Li Che immediately rushed to his grandfather's place. When he saw the old man, he found that not only his grandfather, but also his father and Mr. Fifth were there. It seemed that the two of them had come to persuade his grandfather, but looking at the two men standing outside the door with their hands in their pockets, it was clear that the old man had kicked them out.

Li Che had already learned some news on the way, such as that his grandfather had set up several special official positions, and Li Zongdi had appointed himself as "General of Heavenly Strategy" and Li Renchi as "General of Divine Strategy".

------

Leaving aside the somewhat "retro" terms like "General of Heavenly Strategy" and "General of Divine Strategy," these special symbols represent the special duties and ranks associated with them, and can be considered part of the army's rank and position system inherited by the Tang army from the Ming Dynasty to the present.

During the Ming Dynasty, the army rank corresponding to major general was assistant general, to lieutenant general was deputy general, and to foreign general was grand general. Above grand general, corresponding to the rank of foreign marshal, was the honorary title of Grand General.

"Tian Ce" and "Shen Ce" can actually be seen as honorific titles, but these two titles are very special. Everyone knows that since Li Shimin, the position of Tian Ce General has naturally become closely associated with the throne. As for Shen Ce General, since the establishment of this official position in the Tang Dynasty, it has always been held by powerful ministers.

Therefore, the old man's intention in setting up these two official positions is quite clear—he wanted to personally lead the expedition, and all domestic affairs would be handled by the Crown Prince overseeing the country. In order to give the Crown Prince more effective power to manage all major affairs across the country, he specially granted him the position of General of the Divine Strategy.

If this were placed in a typical political drama or a succession struggle drama, such as "Nirvana in Fire" or "Yongzheng Dynasty," in a film or television work where princes are vying for the throne, then if any prince in the plot were to obtain a position similar to the Shence General, it would be no less significant than gaining a match point in a competition.

Anyone would be overjoyed by this, just like the fourteenth prince in the Yongzheng Dynasty who received the title of Grand General. This special position itself represents a kind of "political promise." Of course, whether the promise is fulfilled is another matter.

However, Li Che did not seem to see any joy on his father's face. But it was easy to guess that his father was not a power-hungry person. His father was probably afraid that his father would "act recklessly in his old age" and make a mistake, which would not only bring him a bad reputation, but also plunge the whole country and the nation into turmoil again.

After greeting his father and Fifth Master at the door, Li Che first peeked inside curiously. Not seeing the old man, he lowered his voice and asked softly, "Are you two sunbathing outside?"

"I'll expose you..." Perhaps mindful of Mr. Fifth's presence, Li Renchi abruptly stopped mid-sentence of his profanity: "Go in and try to persuade your grandfather. Now that he's the emperor, he can't take the same risks as before. If you can convince him, I..."

As Li Renchi was speaking, he suddenly realized that he didn't seem to have any leverage over his son. After a slight embarrassment, he put his hands behind his back and said, "I can help your son out if it's not too much."

"Dad, what you're saying is a bit too stingy. This isn't excessive. How are you going to measure it? I haven't needed your help lately."

Are you sure you don't need my help when you're reading in the study at night?

"I need your help when I'm reading in the study... Oh! Sometimes I might need your help, Father."

Li Che smiled broadly and cupped his hands in greeting to his father again. It seemed that Zhu Miaoyun's actions of secretly going to his study at night under the guise of "no one knowing" were nothing but self-deception. However, he had already understood his father's unspoken meaning: on the important matter of his and Zhu Miaoyun's lifelong happiness, his father could choose to stand on his side.

"Is the old man's attitude very firm?"

“The Emperor has already spoken.” Li Renzhi began to address his father by his official title in a sarcastic tone: “If he dies on the battlefield, then let us establish a republic directly. The old man also said that the Fifth Gentleman will lead the country then.”

"Huh?" Li Che's eyes widened. As an international student from another world, he wasn't against a republic, but he didn't expect the old man to be so carefree. No, to be precise, he should be called a bit of a bachelor.

He turned his gaze to the Fifth Master, who also gave a helpless smile: "His Majesty values ​​me too much. My personality is somewhat weak, and I am really unable to shoulder this heavy responsibility. Neither His Highness the Crown Prince nor I want the country to take such risks in the future. Therefore, if His Highness the Grandson can persuade His Majesty, it would truly benefit the country."

Looking at Mr. Fifth's gentle and refined face, Li Che thought to himself that Mr. Fifth actually had a very good appearance. If he had grown a little beard and his hair a little longer, he would look quite like an artist.

However, he claimed that he was weak-willed... This reminded Li Che of someone in another world who also had an artistic appearance, was also considered somewhat weak-willed, but named himself "Steel".

Perhaps the weakness that ordinary people understand is not the same as the weakness that political animals understand?

After nodding, Li Che asked the guards at the door to go in and announce his arrival. Soon, the old man's strong voice came from inside the house.

"Come on in, we don't have that many rules in our house."

Li Che then quickly rolled inside.

The old man inside the house had already put on his military uniform and was clearly ready to leave. His hawk-like eyes were fixed on Li Che: "After I kicked your father out, I sent you here to continue as a lobbyist?"

"Grandpa, you have absolutely misunderstood me. I am firmly on your side. In front of you, I am just a sycophant who pleases the emperor. How could I possibly go against you?"

Li Che's words stunned everyone inside and outside the house. Li Zongdi, of course, was already prepared to see how this kid would convince him when he came in, and he was also prepared to give the kid a good scolding and kick him out.

Li Zongdi has always been very resolute about personally leading troops into battle, because he has spent most of his life as a soldier and commander. He has fought in many brutal world wars, and he is well aware of the risks involved in personally leading troops into battle.

However, his personality in this respect is the same as Napoleon's; he believes he can win and he doesn't believe he can lose!

After all, he had always been invincible on the battlefield. Even the Ursus man, Brusilov, had not gotten the better of him, let alone the United States' Pershing.

In Li Zongdi's eyes, Pershing was just a general who stood out among the short ones in the "military lowlands" of the United States.

But who would have thought that this kid would come in and say that he wasn't there to persuade him to give up the idea of ​​personally leading the army? Well, kid, I'd like to see what kind of "sycophant" you're going to be.

Meanwhile, Li Renchi, who was outside the door, was getting impatient. What nonsense was this kid spouting? It was one thing for his grandfather to personally command the battle on the front lines when he was a prince, but now that he's the emperor, he's still like this?

And why did you betray us the moment you walked in? Don't you have any backbone? It's not like your grandpa can eat you, so why don't you dare fight him?

Mr. Fifth stopped Li Renchi, telling him to calm down and not rush in, but to listen outside first.

"If you're not here to contradict me, then you're supporting my decision, aren't you?"

"Of course."

"Then you can go back."

Li Zongdi's words almost choked Li Che of his own words. The old man had seen enough of life to see that Li Che wasn't really on his side. He could tell at a glance that Li Che was just looking for an opportunity to be sarcastic. So Li Zongdi decided not to give the kid a chance to speak and told him to get out.

“Grandpa, if you are going to personally lead the expedition, you will need people to serve you, right?” Li Che said loudly, disregarding everything else. “Like the troops you have gathered in the south to go to Yanping, they will need to travel by boat. After all, your engineering corps cannot build a pontoon bridge to Yanping from here. So how to get your troops up there is the navy’s responsibility. Grandpa, if you really want to personally lead the expedition and win the battle, then I think it is necessary for us to have a good discussion.”

Li Zongdi raised an eyebrow, clearly indicating that Li Che's words made sense. Li Zongdi nodded and said, "I almost forgot that you're now wearing a navy uniform. You can now represent the navy's stance?"

“When I first joined the Navy, I certainly wasn’t good enough, but now I’m quite influential in the Navy, thanks in part to my grandfather.” Li Che’s tone carried a hint of arrogance, after all, some people outside were already jokingly saying that Li Che was now the de facto Minister of the Navy, and some Navy officers and soldiers even called him the “uncrowned minister.”

"You have indeed achieved some results in the past few months, so what do you want to discuss with me now?"

"Time." Li Che continued, cupping his hands in reply, "Grandpa, sending troops to the island involves the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers, so we must be cautious. The main force of the Federation Pacific Fleet is still intact, while our fleet has not yet recovered to its best condition. Under these circumstances, even if the Navy uses all the capital ships it has available to escort the convoy, it will be difficult to guarantee the safety of the transport fleet."

"So you're trying to oppose us indirectly too? Let me tell you, I'm not completely ignorant about the navy. The Federation's battleships only go 21 knots. We just need to requisition a batch of high-speed cruise ships that can go over 22 knots, and then use a few battlecruisers from the navy to escort them and drive away the cruisers and destroyers that try to attack the transport convoy. That way, we can successfully send the troops to the island. And at that speed, it's difficult for submarines to ambush us during the day. Do you think I, your grandfather, don't consult with my staff to get a full understanding of the situation before going into battle?"

Li Che knew in his heart that he might have underestimated his grandfather in this regard, but he certainly couldn't admit it out loud: "Of course I didn't think so. Since Grandpa already knows so much, then that's fine. There's no need for me to explain some things again. I'll just give you the conclusion. Grandpa, what you said above are all about dealing with some conventional threats. But on the battlefield, we have to face more complex situations. For example, the method of transportation by high-speed cruise ships that you mentioned still has risky aspects."

That is, after the transport fleet enters the port, it will take a considerable amount of time for the high-speed cruise ships to unload the troops and the munitions stored in the cargo hold. If the enemy's main fleet were to come and bombard us under such circumstances, our troops would certainly suffer heavy casualties.

The solution to this risk is actually quite simple: let our main naval fleet engage in a decisive fleet battle with the main federal naval force, a battle that both sides are preparing for. Regardless of the outcome of this naval battle, it is unlikely that the remaining main warships of the federal navy will be able to launch another bombardment in the short term. This way, Grandpa and the troops you lead can complete the landing more safely, right?

You only need to postpone your personal campaign slightly, until the naval battles have concluded, then you can lead the army yourself.

Chapter 146 Exchanging Pieces (2)

"Everyone, I've explained the situation to you all. His Majesty has always been a leader who leads from the front. He's more like a veteran than an emperor. I've tried my best to delay His Majesty's personal campaign schedule. I'd like to know, without affecting the navy's combat readiness, when is the earliest we can seek a direct confrontation with the Federation Navy at sea?"

Li Che arrived at the "Dingyuan" battleship under pressure. This battleship was currently serving as the flagship of the newly reorganized Dragon Flag Ocean Fleet of the Great Tang Royal Navy and the fleet's combat command. He shared this pressure with all the senior officers of the entire ocean fleet.

Seeing everyone's solemn expressions, Li Che spoke again: "Of course, the key point is to advance the time as much as possible without affecting the navy's combat readiness. Ultimately, we cannot allow the navy to engage the enemy in an incomplete state due to a rushed timetable. We cannot repeat the mistakes made during the An Lushan Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, when Emperor Xuanzong repeatedly urged Gao Xianzhi and Geshu Han to send troops, which ultimately led to the wrongful killing of good generals and the loss of troops and the harm to the country."

"Your Highness," Cheng Hengqi, commander of the fast fleet, glanced at Liu Duncheng and Sa Dingming, whose faces were solemn, and said, "The fast fleet has now basically recovered. The four super-dreadnoughts and four dreadnought battlecruisers are ready. In particular, our four dreadnought battlecruisers had their original 47-caliber guns replaced with 52-caliber guns, the same as the Haiting-class, during the previous overhaul, which has increased their firepower to some extent."

"Huh? I remember that the gun barrels of the Navy's four Dreadnought-class battlecruisers were 50 calibers long? And is it okay to directly replace them with 52 caliber gun barrels?"

"No problem. In fact, when the first two Dreadnought battlecruisers were commissioned, they initially used the same old 280mm/L45 guns as the pre-Dreadnoughts. Later, they were replaced with 280mm/L50 guns. Before that, our gun barrel standard was based on the Leibniz standard. It was only when we started developing the 330mm naval gun that we changed to the international mainstream standard. The original 50-caliber gun barrel included the propellant chamber."

This was simply an upgrade of the guns on the four dreadnought battlecruisers to the same type as those on the Seahawk-class battleships (12 guns, 280mm/L52). Since the breech of the 280mm guns remained unchanged except for the increased barrel length, simply adding a small amount of counterweight to the breech allowed for the use of longer guns in the original turrets. This is one of our current methods for enhancing the firepower of older warships.

Li Che nodded. The workload of this modification method was basically no different from that of replacing a normal gun barrel. It could be said to be one of the few ways to enhance firepower in a short period of time.

He recalled that someone in the navy had recently proposed replacing the triple 280mm naval guns with twin 330mm guns to upgrade the Sea Thunder-class battleships from dreadnoughts to super-dreadnoughts. Unfortunately, the navy did not have any spare 330mm twin turrets in its warehouses, and the factories could not start manufacturing and modification in time. Therefore, this method had to be shelved. Although the current modification only increases firepower to a limited extent, it is still relatively effective.

"It's better than nothing, I suppose." Liu Duncheng, who had been silent until now, shook his head. "Even with the new armor-piercing shells that we've just started producing in small batches, the power of the 280mm naval guns is really insufficient. The Federation only has those two Habsburg battlecruisers with relatively weak armor. Apart from those two ships, it's difficult for our 280mm guns to threaten almost any of their other ships. In the upcoming battles with the Federation, only our super-dreadnoughts equipped with 330mm naval guns have any hope of delivering a decisive blow."

At this point, Liu Duncheng looked up at Li Che and said, "Your Highness, I think we can cancel the gun barrel replacement work that we were originally planning to carry out on the last four dreadnoughts. This way, the maintenance work on these four dreadnoughts can be completed more than half a month ahead of schedule. At the latest, by next week, all the dreadnoughts and super-dreadnoughts in the navy can be put into combat."

"Not going to replace the gun barrels?" Sa Dingming was shocked by Liu Duncheng's words: "The gun barrels of those four dreadnoughts probably only have 50 rounds left to last!"

In those days, the barrel life of a large-caliber naval heavy gun was generally around 200 to 300 rounds, while a battleship typically had around 100 rounds of ammunition for each main gun. Although in most battles a battleship would not have the opportunity to use up all its shells, in the face of very intense combat, a barrel life of 50 rounds per gun was clearly insufficient.

"First of all, based on the information we have now, the 280mm naval guns have no chance of penetrating the main armor of any Federation battleship. In other words, all our dreadnoughts can only compete in terms of firepower when facing Federation warships. Of course, the Federation's 12-inch naval guns face the same predicament against us. We are evenly matched, and neither side's dreadnoughts can effectively penetrate the other's armor. Therefore, I do not think that the firepower of the dreadnoughts is crucial in the fleet battle that we may face with the Federation."

Liu Duncheng began to share his thoughts with everyone. His speech was very organized, which made everyone understand that he was not acting on impulse or out of flattery towards Li Che: "First of all, in all our past battles, only in the Battle of the Java Sea did our vanguard fleet fire more than 50 shells per main gun in a single naval battle. The warship with the highest ammunition consumption at that time was the Jingyuan battlecruiser, whose nine main guns consumed more than 670 shells, accounting for 67% of the ship's total ammunition consumption, of which armor-piercing shells accounted for more than 90%."

However, apart from our vanguard fleet in this battle, none of our other battleships have ever expended more than 50 shells in a single naval battle. It is possible for a warship to expend so many shells in a single naval battle, but the probability is very low. I think only battlecruiser fleets, which are more maneuverable and easier to engage the enemy, are more likely to encounter such a situation. Our battlecruisers have already replaced all the gun barrels that needed replacing, and I think it is very unlikely that our battleships will encounter such an extreme situation.

Secondly, even if such an extreme situation were to occur, these warships could still continue to fire. The standard for calculating the end of the service life of our naval guns is that the impact of the wear on the rifling of the gun on the firing accuracy exceeds the naval artillery standard. However, for the gun itself, it can still continue to fire a considerable number of shells without causing malfunctions or barrel explosions. In fact, a considerable number of our coastal defense guns and heavy siege guns modified by the army use so-called scrap gun barrels discarded by the navy.

Therefore, even after the gun barrels have reached the end of their service life, these warships can still fire, although the dispersion of the guns will be greater. However, I believe that even so, the dispersion will still be smaller than that of the standard battleship guns of the Federation.

Liu Duncheng's sarcastic remarks about the enemy made many officers in the meeting room, who were still feeling the pressure, burst into laughter. Since the Nevada-class, the standard battleships of the Federal Navy can be called the world's first tier in terms of size, tonnage, firepower and protection. However, the dispersion of the guns on these powerful standard battleships is really laughable.

Anyway, when the Ming army first encountered these standard battleships at sea and engaged in battle for the first time, the Federation's standard battleships achieved crossfire after only a few rounds of firing. This shocked the Ming army at the time, because the quality of the Federation Navy had always been comparable to that of the Chinese national football team. Suddenly, they were so accurate. It was as shocking as turning on the TV and seeing the Chinese national football team beat Argentina 2-0. However, they soon realized that it was the Chinese national football team playing against the Argentine women's national football team.

It was quickly discovered that although the Federation forces were firing across the barrage, the dispersion of their artillery was over 1500 yards. With such a large dispersion, it was difficult to hit the target even with a crossfire. Although the Federation forces later tried to control the dispersion using methods such as half-volley fire, the characteristic of the Federation Navy warships having a large dispersion gradually became deeply ingrained in people's minds.

"And I have another idea." After explaining why he wanted to send these dreadnoughts to the battlefield without changing their gun barrels, Liu Duncheng put forward a suggestion that sounded surprising, but made a lot of sense upon closer inspection, and even had a few anecdotes.

Tian Ji races horses.

Of course, a colder word could also be used to describe it.

Duizi.

"You mean, during the fleet battle with the Federation, we should adjust the order of engagement, so that our dreadnoughts fight against the Federation's super-dreadnoughts, and then our super-dreadnoughts fight against the Federation's dreadnoughts?" After listening to Liu Duncheng's explanation, Li Che quickly understood Liu Duncheng's idea. It was actually not complicated, and it involved a considerable amount of gambling—gambling that his superior ships could defeat the opponent's inferior ships before his inferior ships were defeated.

"Yes, after all, the standard battleships of the Federation are protected too well. Even our 330mm naval guns would probably have a hard time penetrating them at normal combat range without using the new armor-piercing shells. As for the new armor-piercing shells... the research and development work can only be said to be barely completed. The shells produced in small batches have only just completed the gun tables. The ammunition produced is only enough for each of our warships equipped with 330mm naval guns to equip each main gun with no more than 30 such shells."

In this situation, I feel that the current tactic of exchanging pieces is the most realistic and effective approach. This may be our last chance to engage in a decisive fleet battle of equal strength with the Federation forces. If we don't truly inflict a painful defeat on the Federation in this battle, then I worry…”

Liu Duncheng didn't finish his sentence, but everyone clearly understood his concerns. At least in this war, if it came down to a war of attrition and replenishment with the Federation, they would definitely be at a disadvantage. That's why they needed to achieve as many victories as possible in the upcoming fleet battle.

The officers present in the conference room of the Dingyuan battleship, including Li Che, did not all agree with this tactical plan, which had a gambling element, but the vast majority of them did not object to trying it out.

After all, as Liu Duncheng said, even the Navy's 330mm naval guns are still somewhat ineffective against the Federation's standard battleships.

In the limited engagements that followed, none of the Federation's standard battleships had their main armor belts breached by enemy fire during naval battles.