The thunderous roar of naval artillery shattered the stillness of the Caribbean dawn. Amerathia's dreadnought-class battleships, their massive steel hulls gleaming under the morning sun, unleashed barrage after barrage upon Havana's coastal fortifications. Smoke and fire erupted from Spanish defensive positions as Amerathian shells tore through stone walls, reducing them to rubble.
On the deck of the USS Dominion, Rear Admiral Edward Langley peered through his spyglass, observing the devastation along the shoreline. Spanish artillery crews scrambled to return fire, their outdated muzzle-loading cannons struggling to keep pace with Amerathia's rapid-firing naval guns.
Langley turned to his executive officer. "Send word to the landing forces. We begin the assault within the hour."
