Old Edward Hobart Seymour had no mood to deal with the rumors spreading through the ranks. Continuing the attack on Crete was impossible.
In theory, he had to report what had happened here to the homeland as soon as possible. The threat from the skies was beyond his ability to handle.
In reality, however, old Edward Hobart Seymour gave no such order. He simply ordered the fleet to make all speed for Malta Island.
Now, old Edward Hobart Seymour no longer dared underestimate Austria as an opponent. The fact that the main force of the Austrian Imperial Navy had yet to appear only deepened his foreboding.
What was the main force of the Austrian Imperial Navy doing? There was a very real chance they had chosen to bypass him and launch a surprise attack on Malta Island.
If the New Mediterranean Fleet lost Malta Island, it would have no choice but to seek shelter in Cyprus, or even in the Ottoman city of Istanbul.
If that happened, the British Mediterranean Fleet would no longer be a sharp sword Britain had thrust into the Mediterranean. It would be a prisoner trapped in a cage, unable to put its strength to use, no matter how formidable it was.
It had to be said that the British naval commanders had a keen grasp of the big picture. After a single encounter, they had already guessed most of the Austrian Navy's intentions—though only most.
At this point, the British navy's ships were in the awkward midst of a transition between old and new. There were sail-powered vessels, steam-powered vessels, ships with mixed sail and steam power, multi-masted square-riggers, and ships with square sails on the upper masts and fore-and-aft sails below.
Different power sources, different designs, and products from different eras led to considerable