nucmednet Chapter 207 Annihilation of the Japanese Warships
Chapter 207 Annihilation of the Japanese Warships
"Commander, we can't advance any further! The Chinese battleships are too accurate, and they can fire their main guns simultaneously—it's too dangerous!"
Seeing the Shikishima sink, Akiyama Saneyuki hurriedly offered advice.
"Retreat! Commander, this is clearly a Chinese trap, we've all been fooled!"
"Baka! How can the great Japanese Navy be defeated by the Chinese Navy!" Togo Heihachiro roared, glancing behind him.
Although the Japanese army suffered heavy losses, he believed he could still put up a fight against the Chinese army. He would never stoop to such a humiliating retreat!
"Pass down the order, turn left!" Togo Heihachiro shouted. The Japanese fleet began to slow down and turn.
This was also the weakest point for the Japanese army. The East China Sea Fleet was not the same as the Russian army a few months earlier, so they seized the opportunity to open fire fiercely.
The battleships unleashed their full firepower, firing wave after wave of fire from the Japanese ships. Soon, amidst a deafening explosion, the Japanese battleship Fuji broke in two and sank rapidly into the sea.
"Commander, we can't fight anymore, let's retreat!" Akiyama Saneyuki said anxiously.
"Baka! Fire! Fire on the Chinese flagship!" Togo Heihachiro shoved Akiyama Saneyuki aside and roared.
The Japanese fleet finally managed to turn around and move in parallel with the East China Sea Fleet. However, at this point, only about thirty Japanese ships remained, and of the battleships, only the flagship "Mikasa" remained.
"Hand over the Mikasa to us, the other warships are free to fire!" Sa Zhenbing ordered.
The two flagships clashed one-on-one, and he also wanted to see just how powerful his latest battleship really was.
Both warships were seething with rage and unleashed a barrage of shells at each other.
The first to suffer were the Japanese cruisers, which were bombarded by the battleships equipped with fire control systems. Warships were continuously sunk, caught fire, and exploded.
These cruisers, weighing only a few thousand tons, appeared utterly powerless before the massive guns of battleships. A single 343mm main gun could cripple or even sink a cruiser.
Even if their 204mm main guns hit the enemy, it would only be a tickle!
The three battleships of the East China Sea Fleet accelerated and approached the Japanese ships, causing the Japanese cruisers to scatter and flee. The other Chinese cruisers seized the opportunity to follow up and beat the fleeing enemy.
Meanwhile, the battleships ahead were quickly engaged in a firefight. Togo Heihachiro, unaware of the power of the fire control and observation system, dared to engage the Taishan in a firefight.
After only two rounds of firing, the Mikasa was hit in the bow by a single shot. The forward triple main gun turret was destroyed, and the artillerymen were almost entirely killed or wounded. Togo Heihachiro was also knocked to the ground by the shockwave.
Akiyama Masayuki hurriedly helped the flustered Hachigo Heihachiro up.
"Commander, let's retreat! If we delay any longer, we'll miss our chance!" Akiyama Saneyuki's eyes were filled with tears; the losses today were too great.
After this defeat, the Japanese army could never recover! Their national strength was too weak, and they simply could not afford to build such a large fleet again!
Togo Heihachiro also came to his senses, and he finally felt fear!
"Turn left! Retreat! Everyone retreat!"
Unfortunately, it was too late for him to run! The Taishan fired a salvo, and a shell entered the Mikasa's belly near the funnel and exploded in the engine room.
The Mikasa's main engine was destroyed, and high-temperature steam violently erupted, turning all the Japanese engine room crew working inside into lobsters.
The Mikasa, having lost power, began to drift on the sea!
Two cruisers nearby attempted to approach for rescue but were sunk by the Taishan!
"Raise the banner and force Togo Heihachiro to surrender!" Sa Zhenbing sneered.
"No! I will never surrender!" Togo Heihachiro roared, his face ashen.
“Commander! There’s an old Chinese saying: ‘Where there’s life, there’s hope!’ You are the most outstanding naval commander of the Great Japanese Empire, and the Empire will need you in the future!” Akiyama Saneyuki advised.
"That's precisely why I cannot surrender to the Chinese! You know Deng Shichang from China ten years ago, right? He had the courage to die for his country, and I cannot bring shame to the empire!" Togo Heihachiro said calmly.
"Akiyama-kun, you are an invaluable talent! The reconstruction of the Imperial Navy will still require your help. After I die, you should surrender with the remaining officers and soldiers!"
"Akiyama-kun! I'm begging you!" Togo Heihachiro bowed deeply.
"Commander! I..." Akiyama Saneyuki was at a loss. He really didn't want to die, but he didn't know what to say in this situation!
With a "bang," Togo Heihachiro sat down in a chair, drew his sidearm, and shot himself in the head.
"Commander!" Akiyama Shinichi cried out in anguish! Hearing the commotion, the officers rushed in.
There, Togo Heihachiro lay sprawled on the table, his head covered in blood! A pool of blood was spreading across the table.
"chief of staff?"
"His Excellency the Commander, unwilling to suffer humiliation, has taken his own life!" Akiyama Masayuki said sorrowfully.
The officers stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do!
"The commander ordered surrender before committing suicide. Go and prepare!" Akiyama Saneyuki waved his hand.
"No, we will never surrender! We'll fight the Chinese to the death!" a Japanese captain roared.
"How can we fight? If we dare to fire, the Chinese will kill us instantly!" Akiyama Saneyuki retorted.
"We cannot surrender! I would rather drown myself than be captured by the Chinese!" the captain said, looking up at Akiyama Saneyuki.
"Have you forgotten how we dealt with the Russian soldiers who scuttled themselves? The commander ordered us to surrender so that everyone could remain alive and contribute to the reconstruction of the Imperial Navy. Do you want to kill us all? Huh!" Akiyama Saneyuki roared.