Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology-Chapter 1186: WWI: Battle of the Atlantic (1)

5th February 1701

Vijay sat in his office, alone, with only the sound of the fan blades spinning, curtains rustling, and papers fluttering being heard. Leaning back in his chair with a thoughtful expression, he read the intelligence report sent from Europe, personally sent by Director of Bharatiya External Pragya European division Dorian Radu.

As he continued to peruse the document, his brows wrinkled into the shape of a dried-up river bed. The Europeans had truly gone insane. Vijay had expected a strong reaction from the Europeans to the Empire’s actions in the Americas, but not to this extent. As he read the intelligence reports on the military spending of each country in the European Union, he paused. He couldn’t help but think about Pakistan from his last life, a nation that had built its military disproportionate to its own economic capability. Now, the European Union seemed no different.

From what he read, for the past year and a half, and more aggressively over the last four months, the British, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and even the Prussians had been pouring massive sums of money, human resources, technology and everything else into the army and weapons research. According to conservative estimates, the total spending seems to have reached several billion, which, if his calculations are correct, is roughly equivalent to a billion varaha.

What was more concerning was their naval expansion. Over the last year and a half, they had manufactured and commissioned more than 300 battleships and nearly 1000 warships, frigates and Clippers included. Although none could rival the Ramachandra Class or the Maharaja Ramachandra Class, the force was still a serious threat to the Empire’s battle groups, which were mostly equipped with the Delhi Class.

Although they were still unable to manufacture a steam engine like the Bhairavi Jalapudra, one compact enough to be installed in a naval warship, they were not far from developing their own automobile engine suitable for cars, roughly equivalent to the first generation of the Balwan engine.

At first glance, it might seem as though the Europeans were still decades behind, especially since the Empire’s Balwan engine research was nearing the completion of its seventh generation. However, in engine development, the first breakthrough is always the hardest. Once the initial model is achieved, improvements can be made rapidly through iteration, and new generations do not necessarily require a full year each. Moreover, unlike the Bharatiya Empire, which pioneered this field from scratch, the Europeans already had a clear blueprint of what to aim for.

Additionally, Vijay received intelligence that the Europeans were already testing their own torpedo and rocket technology. Even though he knew it would take them a long time to match the Bharatiya Empire, it was undeniable that they would soon be able to resist far more effectively. And on top of all that, their Mediterranean Fleet, stationed on the coast of Egypt, is becoming more restless, sending several reconnaissance vessels through the Suez Canal to scout ahead.

"Looks like I hit a nerve," he grunted. Deciding to set sail for the Red Sea to handle the situation personally, he boarded the Maharaja Ramachandra Class, the most advanced battleship in the world. However, the moment he made up his mind, a strange tingling sensation rippled through his thoughts, making his expression turn thoughtful and the orders he was about to give the captain stick in his throat.

"Your Majesty?" the battleship’s captain called out in confusion, but Vijay did not respond. Instead, a sly smile slowly formed on his face, sending a chill down the captain’s spine.

Vijay turned to him and ordered, "Chart a course to Cape Town."

The captain was taken aback. He had expected orders to head for the Red Sea, not Cape Town. Had something happened there? Though puzzled, he kept his thoughts hidden and saluted sharply.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Settling in his personal room within the ship, Vijay shook his head and sat on his bed, "Poor bastards.." He muttered.

The Europeans were doing a convincing job of making it seem like they intended to attack the Red Sea. They had sent reconnaissance vessels, their Mediterranean fleet was unusually restless, and intelligence from his own channels through the Bharatiya External Pragya suggested the same. On top of that, it made sense logically as well. The root of all their problems was the Bharatiya Empire. If they could breach the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, they could turn it into their own naval base and strike the Empire whenever they wished.

Even if Vijay were in their position, he would have been tempted to do the same. Their deception was effective, so much so that Vijay himself had been almost fully convinced, right up until the moment he made his decision. Unfortunately for the Europeans, that very moment revealed the truth. They were out of luck. Vijay realised their actions were merely a feint, and that their real target was likely the African colonies they had lost.

When he decided to head to the Red Sea, he felt no sense of danger at all. This confused him because whenever he was about to step into a battlefield on the verge of erupting, he usually felt a subtle sense of threat. Even if the chances of him being harmed were extremely low, they were never zero, and the lingering risk of death always existed. Yet this time, when he made the decision, that sense of danger did not rise in the slightest.

Curious, he made another decision in his mind to head to the Atlantic battlefield with full commitment. Instantly, the sense of threat surged, almost raising goosebumps across his body. He was all too familiar with this phenomenon, and the implication was clear.

With the Europeans’ actions laid out before him like an open book, he could not help but feel a hint of pity for them. If he had not been the one to make the decision, the Atlantic Navy might have suffered heavy casualties, and the Europeans might have truly had a chance to hurt the empire. But alas, he possessed an unfair advantage, one that rendered their efforts, no matter how subtle or well-planned, completely futile.

25th February 1701

The Atlantic Fleet was stationed in the colonies that had once been under European control. The days of its sailors and officers were usually relaxed, but after intelligence returned from their reconnaissance vessels reporting that the European Atlantic Fleet in the British Isles showed no signs of movement, their routine became even more peaceful.

The naval officers roamed the streets and roads of the port with their friends or partners, enjoying the beautiful day with their hearts content. The natives, after being freed from their servitude, treated the Bharatiyas like their family members, welcoming each and every Bharatiya like their own, taking them in with open arms.

Some sailors went fishing, some played volleyball on the beach, some taught the indigenous Africans football, Kabaddi, cricket, and other sports, while others went swimming in the deep sea.

Having no battle in his itinerary, even Yashvardhan Keshav Pandappani relaxed.

Standing by the window in his office and leaning against the railing as he gazed at the distant shore, he could not help but sigh. It had already been a year since he took over as the commander of the Atlantic Fleet, earning a promotion from vice admiral to admiral.

After achieving outstanding results in the War of Cape Town, he was promoted almost immediately. Since the former admiral of the Atlantic Fleet, Bahadur Shah, was already old and chose to retire, he was fortunate enough to inherit the position. Ever since then, he had been living the life he had aspired to for so long, a life envied by many.

Suddenly, an officer broke into the office with an ugly expression on his face. Yashvardhan immediately recognised the officer.

"What happened, Purandar?"

"Your Excellency, the Europeans are on the move; their target is most likely us."

"Huh, are you sure? The Atlantic Fleet is still stationed in the British Isles, and the intelligence confirmed this just a few hours ago."

Purandar became angry, "It’s not their Atlantic Fleet, Your Excellency, but their Mediterranean Fleet."

"What!!" Yashvardhan immediately widened his eyes, his face not hiding his shock and disbelief.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his brow furrowed.

"Yes, sir. The agents from the Bharatiya External Pragya stationed in Gibraltar, even risking exposing their identities, sent this news. They informed that they saw the Mediterranean Fleet exit the Gibraltar Strait with their own eyes."

Yashvardhan was confused for a moment. He received the intelligence reports about the Mediterranean Fleet getting restless in the recent months, and like everyone, he thought that the Europeans were going to break through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, but he was wrong? Could it be that the Europeans used a feint tactic so that the Empire would send more battleships to the Red Sea, so that they would be caught off guard when they attacked the Atlantic Fleet?

His mind cleared, and he somewhat understood the idea of the Europeans, but understanding is one thing, and handling it is another.

"Do we know their fleet composition?"

Purandar nodded with a grave expression,

"According to the report, they have over 90 British Sovereign Class, 70 British Nelson Class, 45 Spanish Santisima Class, 100 British Drake Class, 80 Dutch Zeven Provincien Class, 140 French Richelieu Class, 130 Dutch Amsterdam Class, 150 French Lafayette Class, 90 Portuguese Lisbona Class, 90 French Rochambeau Class, and over 50 Dutch Batavia Class warships."

The more Yashvardhan listened, the more unpleasant his expression became.

"The agents of the Bharatiya External Pragya conservatively estimate there to be around 1200 warships."

Yashvardhan was not afraid; after all, he commanded over 550 warships, including 4 Maharaja Ramachandra Class, 12 Ramachandra Class, and 80 Delhi Class vessels. He was confident he could defeat any fleet, even if the enemy outnumbered him by several hundred ships.

But this was different. This was not an enemy outnumbering him by a few hundred, but by nearly double. He was still confident he could defend the bases, and he did not fear conventional fleets while commanding the Empire’s full-metal battleships. However, he knew the cost would be high. The losses would be significant, and the battle could severely weaken the Empire’s naval power in the Atlantic.

"Who is commanding the enemy fleet?"

"Admiral Edward Russell."

Yashwant became silent. This was the same guy who commanded the Mediterranean Fleet that drove out the Bharatiya Mediterranean Fleet from the Mediterranean.

"What’s the ETA?"

"The estimate suggests anywhere from seven to fourteen days."

Yashwardhan took a deep breath and ordered, "Callback all the sailors and officers to their posts, and summon the five-star and above officers to a meeting."

Purandar nodded,

Just then, another communications officer barged in, his face filled with seriousness as he held an envelope in his hand.

"Your Excellency, His Majesty the Emperor has sent a message."