Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Chapter 1508: Chapter 1414: Changes in the Maritime Situation

Joseph heard this and also showed a smile:

“It seems I need to write a congratulatory letter to His Majesty Carlos.”

In recent years, after England successively lost Rotterdam Port in the Netherlands and Cuxhaven Port in Hanover, Porto has been their last major supply port on the European Continent.

That means, in the future, the British fleet can only interfere with the North Atlantic shipping lanes by setting out from home country. This greatly reduces their supply efficiency and response speed compared to before.

More importantly, the distance for British transport ships to support the Gibraltar Fortress has suddenly increased more than four times.

The French and Spanish Allied Army capturing Gibraltar is just around the corner!

Bertier continued:

“Your Highness, the Juno Corps has now been reinforced, including 8 newly manufactured 330-mm Mortar Cannons.”

This short-barreled projectile cannon was specifically developed by the Namu Royal Iron Refinery for attacking fortresses, capable of firing shells weighing up to 72 kilograms, using a curved trajectory to bombard the fortress from above.

Moreover, this cannon can use “Spherical Explosion Bombs” containing internal gunpowder, commonly known as shrapnel shells, causing massive damage to the enemy inside the fortress.

Yes, the shrapnel shells of this era have very limited explosive power due to the slow detonation speed of black powder — an ordinary 12-pounder artillery firing shrapnel shells could only kill soldiers within 5 meters of the impact point who were unprotected. It was less effective than using a solid shot, which could randomly bounce and roll dozens of meters ahead, and with luck, crush a larger group.

But this 330-mm Mortar Cannon is different. A shell weighing 72 kilograms can contain at least 20 kilograms of black powder, so even if the detonation speed is slow, the sheer weight of it can crush you — its damage radius can exceed 25 meters.

Besides the cannon being too heavy and having significant ammunition consumption, it has almost no drawbacks, belonging to the strongest firepower technology can achieve now!

In fact, besides the giant Mortar Cannon, more than 10 thirty-six pound ship-mounted cannons have been deployed around Gibraltar, tearing at the fortress day and night.

“According to the General Staff’s plan, the Juno Corps will occupy the Gibraltar Fortress by the end of this year.”

Joseph nodded: “Please tell General Juno, even if it’s slightly delayed, it’s okay. Try to minimize soldiers’ casualties.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Bertier had just left when Marquis Leesar, the Navy Minister, followed closely and saluted Joseph:

“Your Highness, the British have fled from Porto…”

Joseph raised his hand to interrupt him:

“I already know this news, you don’t need to repeat it.”

He shook his head inwardly, with the General Staff and Navy Department not united, collaborative combat in the future is just a dream. It seems establishing a unified Ministry of Defense soon to manage the army and navy is necessary.

Marquis Leesar paused for a moment, then said:

“Your Highness, after losing military ports on the Iberian Peninsula, England’s control over the Bay of Cadiz area will greatly weaken.

“The Spanish Navy Department wants to increase the number of merchant ships going to America, hoping we can dispatch fleets to assist them in escorting.”

When England dispatches fleets from home to the Bay of Cadiz, that is, the Atlantic Ocean route off the coast of Spain, they have to travel approximately 700 nautical miles.

This way, many battleships have to sail between their home port and destination at sea, causing the actual density of ships used for blockade to decrease.

And America is Spain’s economic lifeline, Madrid constantly looks forward to more ships being able to go to America. Now is the perfect opportunity.

Joseph hearing this, furrowed his brow and asked:

“What’s the opinion of the Navy Department?”

He now intends to develop the independent operational capabilities of each department, so he requires any matter to come with a plan before reporting to him.

Marquis Leesar hurriedly said: “We think that currently, the risk of deploying a fleet in the Atlantic Ocean is still significant, and we should continue utilizing gaps in the British fleet with a focus on small merchant ship team transport.”

He’s referring to the mode currently adopted by French and Spanish merchant ships.

The Atlantic Ocean is vast, even if the entire British fleet is dispatched, it can’t entirely block all routes, with many French and Spanish merchant ships gambling on luck to head to America.

About six or seven tenths of merchant ships can evade the British battleships’ surveillance and slip into the open seas.

Of course, most shipowners are unwilling to bet a third of their fortune, so since the war started, Spain’s Atlantic shipping is only half of normal times, and France has under a fifth left —

The Spanish Navy is willing to risk escorting merchant ships, the gold and silver mines in America are their lifeblood. France’s focus is on the European continent and the Mediterranean Sea, there’s no need to risk.

If they could increase the number of escort battleships, they could push through small British fleet gaps to continue shipping out.

But this would also bring new risks — a large number of escort battleships would attract the British Navy’s main forces to encircle, and once they were locked on, the losses would be much higher than scattered merchant ships.

Joseph remembered that, historically, after the Great Orders, France chose large-scale escort mode, resulting in the battles of “Glorious June 1st” and “Cape Saint Vincent” two major encounters.

These two battles caused the French and Spanish combined fleet to respectively lose 7 and 4 battleships of the Third Level or above, and there were more other lower-class battleships.

Especially the Battle of Cape Saint Vincent, where the British used 15 warships to defeat the Franco-Spanish fleet’s over 30 warships, showing the gap in capability between the commanding officers and sailors of both sides.

It’s affirmative that the Navy Department’s judgment is very correct — after all, the current French Navy hasn’t suffered significant losses of excellent noble officers due to the Great Orders like in history.

Joseph looked at Marquis Leesar: “So, you think we should reject Madrid’s request?”

“In the current reality, it is best so, Your Highness.”

Joseph nodded: “Perhaps we can use other means to help them.”

He clearly knows, Spain has gone through prolonged sieges in Porto and Gibraltar battles, and its fiscal deficit is already very severe, and it is necessary to lend a helping hand, especially since in the last Anti-French Alliance war, Spain also sent troops to Mantua.

Besides, at least for now, France very much needs the Spanish Navy.

Marquis Leesar asked: “What do you mean?”

“Increase our maritime trade volume to divert the British fleet.”

“Ah?”

Joseph looked at the map on the table:

“Our country’s and Spain’s coastline is very long, if we fully utilize the ports, the British can only further disperse the fleet for blockade, greatly increasing their patrol gaps.”

Currently, the coasts France can use also include Holland, even Denmark will provide some convenience.

That is, almost the entire West Coast of Europe is where French and Spanish merchant ships can set sail.