Munitions Empire

On the vast ocean, a massive fleet is advancing, consisting of five aircraft carriers, five battleships, and dozens of cruisers and destroyers, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Right behind this fleet, destroyers guard the countless supply ships, dragging the fleet's speed down to less than ten knots.

These supply ships, full of various materials, support the fleet's operations in the open sea. Compared to similar ships from the Tang Empire, their drawback is that they are simply too slow.

The Great Tang Empire's military supply ships can reach a maximum speed of around 30 knots, which is over 55 kilometers per hour, allowing them to accompany the main fleet without any drag.

But besides the Great Tang Empire, no country is willing to equip less important supply ships with military propulsion systems, after all, building warships with such systems directly seems more cost-effective.

Of course, the Great Tang Empire's supply ships have one slight flaw, which is that they generally aren't loaded as much because they need to ensure speed and have a certain self-rescue capability, ensuring higher safety.

These seemingly unimportant metrics make the Great Tang Empire's navy transport ships appear less formidable compared to their competitors: Great Tang Empire's transport ships are large in tonnage but have low carrying capacity, fast in speed but low in carrying capacity, safe and reliable but low in carrying capacity...

Behind this transport fleet is a faster commercial ship fleet, with various types of ships that look less orderly.

Some ships have a displacement of twenty to thirty thousand tons, some have just over ten thousand tons, and some have only five or eight thousand tons.

Such ships are also endless, filling the entire surface, their rounded bows pushing white waves in the sea.

The engines of the Sea Spitfire Fighter jets roar, whistling as they soar above these ships. Two planes fly in formation, like falcons surveying their territory.

Seeing these enormous ships below, the pilots of the Laines Empire can't help but feel a surge of pride. Such a massive fleet is invincible in the world.

Twenty years ago, the entire world couldn't assemble this many ironclad warships, and this fleet before them could easily destroy any coastal city in any country in the world.

Now, this fleet is advancing towards Dragon Island, imposing and overwhelming! As long as they can silently approach Dragon Harbor, take off aircraft to destroy the Tang Imperial Fleet there, the world's wealthiest island will belong to the Laines Empire!

It's said that the Tang Country has stored a large amount of gold on the island... It's said that the island's research institute is filled with various technical drawings... It's said that the petroleum refining equipment there is incredibly advanced.

In short, as long as Dragon Island is captured, the Laines Empire will immediately become the strongest country in the world! Without exception! If they succeed, the next decade or even century, the Laines Empire will surely become number one in the world!

Emperor Leines I of the Laines Empire has put all his belongings on the line this time, and as the emperor of the empire, he is determined to embark on a great personal expedition!

Indeed, the Laines Empire's naval fleet is almost entirely deployed, with the most advanced five aircraft carriers leading the charge, followed by three comparatively inferior carriers at the rear.

To fill the numbers, the Laines Empire has also modified some merchant ships, turning them into "aircraft carriers," though they can only carry about a dozen aircraft, entirely following the strategy of escort carriers from the World War II era.

Anyway, relying on their mediocre aircraft performance, even with smaller flight decks they can take off and land, it's just that the number of takeoffs and landings is somewhat limited.

Moreover, according to the ideas of the Laines Empire's navy designers, they didn't expect these temporarily modified carriers to undertake the task of launching aircraft for combat.

They are essentially transport ships, used to replenish aircraft for the carriers when the losses are too severe.

Because during the mission, the Laines Empire's carrier fleet not only needs to defeat the Tang Country's naval fleet but also be responsible for suppressing Dragon Island.

This task is indeed too heavy because Dragon Island may deploy Tang Country's jet fighters. To ensure air superiority over the landing site in a short time, more aircraft, more expendable aircraft, are key to victory.

According to Leines I's plan, with the support of the temporarily modified small carriers, he can carry an additional 300 aircraft.

This is equivalent to equipping the entire fleet with five more large carriers, enhancing combat power that cannot be underestimated.

Also, these small carriers can take on escort duties during operations, staying close to the subsequent landing troops, providing protection for the fleet.

Exactly, behind this vast fleet are countless cruise ships and professional landing ship teams transporting tens of thousands of soldiers.

Long-distance cross-sea landing! Even the US military during World War II dared not play such a tactic, but the Emperor of the Laines Empire dares! Moreover, he has cleverly combined the attack on Pearl Harbor with the Normandy landing, going all in with this!

Standing within the bridge of the Laines, Emperor Leines I, full of aspiration, fantasizes about flattening Dragon Island, even imagining subsequent landings on Western Continent.

That is his future, his future! The great Laines Empire is about to achieve victory, and the world's history will move towards a new future under his wise leadership!

He will correct the erroneous laws of the Great Tang Empire, steering the world back on track! The noble system and bureaucratic hierarchy that have been in place for centuries—how could they be overturned by merely one Great Tang Empire?

Like an ant trying to stop a chariot, self-overestimating! The wheels of history will crush the body of Tang Country, and he will become the beacon for all nobility, rich merchants, landlords, country scholars, and bureaucrats worldwide!

"No Tang Country ships have discovered us yet, right?" After imagining all this, Leines I turned to his trusty aide Blomayer.

Blomayer, the naval commander of the Laines Empire, nodded slightly and replied, "Your Majesty! The perimeter guard fleet and patrolling aircraft have not reported back any information! This proves we have not yet been discovered!"

"Good! Maintain the course! Even the heavens are helping me! We are bound to win this war!" Seeing that they are about to enter Dragon Island's waters, Leines I nodded satisfactorily and said.

The high-levels of the Great Tang Empire will never imagine... there is a fleet coming to attack them! They will never imagine there's another fleet already so close!