Chapter 114: The Battle of the Mar Sea

"Heh, I honestly didn't expect His Highness Trexi to be so lax, but doesn't it all feel a bit too easy?" Across the Sea of Malhai, the Irish fleet sailed in a grand procession. This fleet comprised the finest forces at Prince Charlie's disposal: two battleships, one aircraft carrier, two battlecruisers, ten heavy cruisers, twenty light cruisers, and thirty destroyers of various classes. In reality, this represented two-thirds of the United Kingdom's naval strength. Under normal circumstances, the mobilization of two-thirds of the fleet signifies a massive military operation, much like the United Kingdom's War of Independence back in the day.

"So what? His Highness Trexi is still too young after all. Even his subordinates lack any real pedigree. Do you truly believe these people can handle us?" The person speaking was Junior Nelson's adjutant. His father was George Rodney, the captain of the HMS Rodney. If it weren't for the fact that Marshal Nelson the Elder possessed far greater qualifications and experience than George Rodney, the current position of Marshal of the United Kingdom Navy would not be his.

"Heh! You can't say it like that. Take a look at that fellow next to His Highness Trexi. On the surface, he appears to be a nobody, but in reality? He is a descendant of the Durandal family. If he weren't born of a concubine, he might well have been the one to inherit the name of Roland in this generation. Yet, his methods seem entirely on par with that very Roland." General Junior Nelson certainly had the connections to verify such things; looking into Roger's identity was no trouble at all.

"So what if he is? This is still..." Suddenly, an explosion erupted outside. The force was enough to effectively destroy a light cruiser, and the entire sea surface shuddered violently. Even General Junior Nelson could not ignore it. "Report the situation! What is happening?" "Report, Commander! Our J-class destroyer, number seven, has been struck by a sea mine. It is suspected..." Suddenly, another explosion burst forth near a York-class heavy cruiser beside the flagship, accompanied by a powerful water column that, while not particularly high, carried a shower of steel debris.

"Enemy attack! Submarines! All fleets into defensive formation! Launch all anti-submarine aircraft! Destroyers, commence depth charge bombardment! Deploy the anti-submarine mine-catching nets!" General Junior Nelson did not panic. Following the doctrines of the military academy, he began executing these steps with precision. "Report, Commander! A large number of enemy aircraft have appeared at one o'clock. Requesting fighter reinforcements!" At this moment, as if according to a prearranged plan, a submarine squadron suddenly emerged in waters where only Irish forces were supposed to be. While such a sudden turn of events might throw an inexperienced commander into disarray, General Junior Nelson had been tempered by Marshal Nelson the Elder, allowing him to keep his composure.

"Heh! So they know? Then there is no need to maintain radio silence. Commander Hull, give it your all. Release all mines and blockade the enemy fleet's path! Submarine second echelon, surface! Fire the circular torpedo array at a depth of three meters. The first volley must annihilate all escort vessels! Remember, our targets this round are not the capital ships, but all light vessels capable of anti-submarine warfare!" In the Wales camp, the student of Marshal Nelson the Elder was issuing orders to his combat units. Unlike other commanders, his orders were distinct: he had no intention of engaging the capital ships, focusing instead on the destroyers and light cruisers.

"Understood, Commander!" Although he did not know the exact background of this commander, General Hull obeyed the orders implicitly. If Marshal Nelson the Elder had put him in charge, there must be a reason. After all, his own background was not exactly spotless; he was a top-tier graduate of the submarine command department at the Europa Iron-Blood Military Academy and an experienced commander. If His Highness Trexi hadn't come to poach him, he would likely still be an obscure nobody bullied by his superiors. It must be said that while His Highness Trexi had recruited a group of unknowns, his intent was clear: to let this group trample over those arrogant generals and rise to prominence.

"S-61 through S-80, circular torpedo array, depth three meters, first volley! Fire!" As the order was given, several black "fins" suddenly appeared on the surface around the Irish fleet, followed by oxygen-propelled torpedoes capable of sinking destroyers and light cruisers. Furthermore, their running depth was perfectly set to three meters, right where they would devastate the destroyers and light cruisers.

"Damn it! What is the situation? Using submarines to target the main force—report!" As the commander-in-chief of the fleet, General Junior Nelson could not directly command the destroyer units; he could only order the destroyer squadron commander to carry out the task. Yet, General Hull and the mastermind behind him had exploited this, attacking the destroyer squadron directly to eliminate the very ships capable of countering the submarine force. What followed would be nothing short of a total, systematic annihilation.