Twelve Sailing Warships were neatly lined up in Morris Harbor. In a single week, the Steam Power Engines had all been installed, and after technicians finished their testing and debugging work, they successively walked down the decks.
The roar of the steam engines sounded, and the trial run officially began.
William had witnessed the combat effectiveness of converted Steam Warships in the Inland Sea.
Even the Stealth Warships that had fought three opponents at once at Guardpoint Ridge had been forced to drop their stealth status and engage the Steam Ships in direct, forced combat when they encountered them, which showed just how formidable the maneuverability and firepower of the converted Steam Warships truly were.
What surprised William even more was that Young Master Rowan did not strip him of his authority as a captain.
Command of this Naval Column was still firmly held in William's hands.
Rowan had previously discussed the question of who would command this fleet with David. Rowan's idea had been to have William step into a secondary role to assist David in leading the fleet.
However, David politely declined Rowan's intent. Although William was cautious by nature and did not think far enough ahead in his planning, his military command capabilities were by no means weaker than David's.
He was an officer who had served as a column captain in the Third Fleet for over a decade without getting promoted, which showed just how strong his combat capability was.
Indeed, the grassroots officers of the Third Fleet were top-tier talents.
In truth, driving William's fleet out to Morris Harbor was also a helpless measure.
The number of warships in Rowan's hands was down to just one, and the Iron Battleships had yet to form a combat group. With no goods on hand, his heart felt