Chapter 110: Tribute from the Straits Fleet
Chapter 110 – Tribute from the Channel Fleet
The deck of the Beagle.
Elder covered his cracked tiger’s mouth and sucked in a silky breath, “Fuck! That hurt!”
Arthur glanced around at the sailors who were resting on all fours against the parapets and masts, pointed to several battleships seven or eight times the size of the Beagle in the sea ahead, and opened his mouth to ask.
“What’s all this about?”
Elder scowled and nudged at Arthur, who, seeing his look, understood and took his pipe out of his pocket and lit it for him.
Elder took a drag, and only then replied with a contented question.
“That’s really the right person you’re asking. Admiral Edward Codrington, former Admiral of the Mediterranean Fleet, now Admiral of the Channel Fleet, and an old boss of my uncle’s.
Back then, he also used to participate in the Battle of Trafalgar, when he served as the commander of the reserve detachment fleet under Admiral Nelson, and led the army to heavily damage the flagship of the Spanish Navy, the ‘Prince of Asturias’.
As a highly successful and highly decorated veteran general, if it were not for a small mistake in the previous two years, he would not have been removed as commander of the Mediterranean Fleet and transferred back to the domestic Channel Fleet as a mascot.
If we go by the normal development of an admiral, a person with seniority and war service like Admiral Codrington should have been promoted to Admiral by now.”
“Minor mistake?” Arthur asked, “Is the Royal Navy so strict with admiral promotions? Such an outstanding admiral is stuck in the promotion channel because of a small mistake? What exactly did he commit?”
Elder smacked his mouth with his pipe, “It’s not a big deal. It’s just that during the Greek War of Independence in 1827, Admiral Codrington, who was the commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, led the combined fleet of Britain, France, and Russia, and destroyed all of the Ottoman Turkish Empire’s sea power in the Battle of Navarino.
If I remember correctly, in that battle Admiral Codrington sank and captured more than sixty ships of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, including three large battleships, more than two dozen cruisers, and a whole mess of ships, without paying the loss of a single ship.”
Arthur’s eyes couldn’t help but jump when he heard this, “You call this a trivial matter? Wasn’t the battle pretty well fought? What kind of mistake did the Admiralty make, and even if they don’t recognize it, why did they transfer Admiral Codrington back home to sit on the bench?”
Elder looked at his good brother, who put his shoulder to Arthur’s chest.
“Arthur, why don’t you understand? You should have this kind of thing in your Scotland Yard, right? It’s like, your Scotland Yard police are born to investigate cases, but there are cases where whoever investigates has bad luck. And the generals of the Royal Navy are also born to win battles, but there are victories who fight who are finished, and General Codrington is a typical example of this situation.”
Arthur heard this and frowned in thought for a moment, but it soon dawned on him.
“General Codrington’s dismissal for winning a battle should have something to do with the ‘Continental Parity Policy’ set by the cabinet, right? After defeating the Ottoman Turkish Empire’s navy, then the eastern shore of the Mediterranean will become the Russians’ domain, and I’m afraid that’s something the Foreign Office doesn’t want to see.”
Elder nodded slightly, “Arthur, true to form. In fact, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Admiralty had given many orders to Admiral Codrington before, telling him to ignore the provocations from the Ottomans and to solve the problem in a peaceful way as much as possible.
Admiral Codrington had also tried to mediate for peace, he sailed his fleet into the Gulf of Navarino to deter the Ottoman army, and also sent a messenger to demand that the Ottomans must abide by the truce agreement with Greece and withdraw their troops from the Peloponnese immediately.
But the Ottomans, apparently, did not like to listen to persuasion, and not only did they not withdraw their troops, but they also killed the messenger sent by General Codrington, and then took the lead in opening fire on General Codrington’s fleet. What happened after that, you should be able to imagine ……”
Arthur wiped the sweat in front of his forehead, “No wonder General Codrington directly ordered the sinking of the Barbary Pirates’ ships without even asking, he does have a reason to have so much fire in him against the Ottomans. After winning the battle, but also made so suffocating, in my place I guess I also have to find a place to vent a little.
However, it is fortunate that the French fat man is not in the pirate ship, or according to the Codrington general this momentum, it may really sink them together. After all, I’m afraid he has a bit of a temper about the Foreign Office’s policy.”
“Who says not?”
Elder shrugged, “General Codrington’s war career should be at an end, and the Foreign Office hates generals who don’t follow their orders. Oh, I can’t really say that, after all, there was a Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, who hated being commanded by the Foreign Office & War Office before him.”
Colonel Fitzroy, who was on the sidelines, heard this and couldn’t help but speak up, “Elder, it’s not the same. The distinguished generals of the Army can be capricious, but the Royal Navy’s definitely not.” Elder froze and asked, “What’s the reason for that?”
Colonel Fitzroy replied seriously and gravely, “Because the Royal Navy has plenty of generals who can fight; Richard Howe, John Jervis, Cuthbert Collingwood, William Cornwallis, just to name a few, are all famous. But the Army has only produced one Arthur Wellesley in centuries, so we can baby the Duke of Wellington.”
When Colonel Fitzroy said this, there was a roar of laughter on board.
The sailors followed suit and said, “Who says otherwise? After all, here in our Royal Navy, defeating the French is nothing rare. And in the Army, a small Waterloo battle is blown out of proportion.”
When Dumas, who had been sitting by the mast resting, heard this, he rose in anger and said, “I beg your attention! You Englishmen can win but with a little more luck, if you have the ability, don’t pull in Prussian reinforcements, I’ll see how you can win the Battle of Waterloo!”
Unexpectedly, when he said this, the sailors not only did not refute, but on the contrary, they nodded their heads and said, “You Frenchman, of all the things you have said today, this is the one that sounds the best.”
Colonel Fitzroy also rushed up to calm him down, “Mr. Dumas, don’t be angry. In fact, I still agree with the technical ability of you Frenchmen, and England is not superior to your motherland France in all aspects.”
Dumas sniffed and restrained his fiery temper, “Mr. Colonel, you are indeed different from these vulgar sailors. Your manner of speaking is such that one can tell that you have received a considerable amount of higher education.”
Colonel Fitzroy narrowed his eyes and smiled, “That’s right. Only England and France combined their efforts to accomplish the most powerful weapon of the 19th century!”
“Whoa?” Dumas queried, “What is the most powerful weapon of the 19th century?”
When the sailors saw his dumbfounded look, they all laughed so hard that their mouths twisted.
Arthur sympathetically stepped forward and whispered in his ear, “Don’t you know? Mr. Dumas, the most powerful weapon of the nineteenth century was a sea vessel captured from France and piloted by an Englishman.”
Dumas was about to get angry, who would have thought that a pleasant sound of military music suddenly played on the sea.
It was the march of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom – Heart of Oak.
All the sailors who had been lazily squatting on the ship have stood up, even the always out of tune Elder also collected his face and stood upright, toward the flagship of the Channel Fleet ‘Conqueror’ ship salute.
Only heard a whirring sound, the towering ‘Conqueror’ guardrail side slowly stretched out a springboard, from top to bottom extended to the deck of the ‘Beagle’.
Several officers in full Royal Navy red and black uniforms and epaulettes came down at a stiff pace.
They stood on the deck and first scanned the deck, then spoke at Colonel Fitzroy, “Robert, you’ve done well today.”
Colonel Fitzroy hurriedly stood at attention and saluted, “For Nelson!”
The officer nodded, then asked, “I wonder, where is that Scotland Yard police inspector, Mr. Arthur Hastings, at this time?”
At this moment, Arthur, who was leaning against the parapet and smoking a cigarette, heard this and snapped the ashes from his pipe towards the outside of the ship, and then raised a hand in a gesture, “I am Arthur Hastings, what do you want to see me about?”
The officers walked up to him and glanced at his red-stained blouse and the corner of his mouth where blood hung, then nodded gravely and slowly raised their hands in salute.
“Mr. Hastings, the Commander of the Channel Fleet of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Vice Admiral Edward Codrington, Royal Navy, White Flag, is here to see you.”
(End of chapter)