nucmednet Chapter 202 The Old Sailor
Chapter 202 The Old Sailor
Seeing a large group of Chinese cruisers encircling them, the Japanese troops did not back down, forming ranks and pointing their cannons forward.
Ten years ago, in the Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese army nearly annihilated the Beiyang Fleet. This year, they also wiped out the Russian fleet. Now, the Japanese naval officers and men are so arrogant that they wish they had eyes on the top of their heads.
They wouldn't even consider these Chinese naval forces a threat!
Unfortunately, they miscalculated today! All the warships in the East China Sea Fleet are equipped with radios, making communication convenient.
At 9:20, the Chinese ships opened fire first. The Japanese ships retaliated by firing back.
On October 1, 1905, the Sino-Japanese naval battle broke out!
The Japanese warships suffered heavy losses as soon as the war started! The Chinese side had already designated targets, with two or three ships each to beat the Japanese ships in one fell swoop.
Less than half an hour into the battle, one Japanese cruiser was sunk. Another was also hit and began to smoke.
The naval officers and men, who had been holding back their anger for ten years, opened fire fiercely on the Asahi ship.
Thanks to Shen Lian's strong support in recent years, the navy has not lacked funds. The hard training they had been doing in peacetime has now paid off, and everyone's artillery fire has become increasingly accurate.
This prompted the navies of various countries watching from the sidelines to nod in approval, praising the naval commander for his skillful command and accurate artillery fire.
"Retreat! Retreat!" On the smoke-filled Japanese warship Kitano River, Rear Admiral Sato, commander of the Japanese squadron, wiped his sweat and shouted.
He had just witnessed the Kitakami River explode, catch fire, and sink into the sea. His own ship had also been hit. He was finally afraid!
Unfortunately, it was too late! Four cruisers from the East China Sea Fleet had already blocked all his escape routes. How could he let the duck that was already in his mouth get away!
Other ships that couldn't get in had no choice but to vent their anger on the Japanese torpedo boats and gunboats, forcing these small boats to hide and scatter.
These are all small boats, weighing a few hundred to a thousand tons. How could they withstand the attack of a cruiser? A single 203mm shell would take them down.
At 10:32, the Japanese flagship Kitano River, having been hit by about ten shells, exploded. It then slowly sank into the water.
The remaining three torpedo boats chose to scuttle themselves, and the two transport ships surrendered! The East China Sea Fleet achieved a complete victory!
"Long live! Long live!" The officers and soldiers of the East China Sea Fleet roared in unison!
Many captains ran to the deck, knelt at the bow, and wept! Ten years! A full ten years!
My Chinese fleet can finally take revenge!
The excited atmosphere was infectious. Sa Zhenbing raised his gloved hand and rubbed his reddened eyes. He looked up towards the north!
Without that man, there would be no East China Sea Fleet today, let alone the victory we have today!
"Send a telegram to the Marquis! I have annihilated the Japanese fleet. Requesting further instructions!"
"Well done!" Shen Lian nodded upon receiving the telegram. The annihilation of this squadron was entirely expected. There was nothing surprising about it; the real decisive battle was yet to come.
"Tell Old Sa to send warships to blockade the Bohai Sea and prevent a single Japanese supply ship from passing through. Shell the Japanese strongholds along the coast. Force the Japanese navy to come and fight!"
. . . . . .
"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Our navy has won its first battle, sinking twelve Japanese warships!"
"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! Our East China Sea Fleet has annihilated the Japanese fleet!"
"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!"
"Kid, give me one!"
"Me too! Hurry up!"
"I want one too!"
The newsboy's cries immediately caused a sensation, and the customers in the teahouse rushed out, surrounding the newsboy and snatching all the newspapers from his pockets in no time.
The war in the north is now the biggest concern for the people of Shandong, and everyone is eagerly awaiting news from the newspapers every day.
This battle not only determined the success or failure of hundreds of thousands of Shandong New Army soldiers, but also the future of Shandong.
The war had been going on for nearly a month, and good news kept pouring in from the front. The Shandong Daily's circulation had also skyrocketed from 20,000 copies a day to over 100,000 copies. And the numbers were still increasing rapidly; there weren't enough newspapers to go around each day.
The newsboy wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned smugly. Today's newspapers sold like hotcakes; they were gone in a flash. And many people even gave him extra money—he'd made a killing today!
No, I have to hurry back and get more newspapers! The newsboy took a sip of water from his bamboo tube and then hurriedly ran back.
An officer with graying hair, dressed in the uniform of a naval ensign, handed a handful of coins to the newsboy. The newsboy took a newspaper and hurried to the roadside to read it anxiously.
A moment later, the officer suddenly knelt down facing north with a thud!
"Sir, brothers! We have finally won! You can rest in peace now!" The officer cried out in anguish, then burst into tears.
Passersby stopped in their tracks upon witnessing this scene. Many had tears in their eyes.
His name was Ren Tao, and he was a captain in an inland river fleet. He originally came from the Beiyang Fleet and served as a sailor on the Zhiyuan warship.
During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Ren Tao witnessed the disastrous defeat of the Beiyang Fleet. After the Zhiyuan warship was sunk, only a handful of the more than two hundred officers and men on board survived; he was rescued by friendly forces nearby.
After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Beiyang Fleet was completely annihilated, and the surviving officers and soldiers scattered in all directions. Ren Tao also returned to his hometown of Weishan Lake to make a living by fishing.
It wasn't until Lord Shen took up residence in Shandong and reorganized the East China Sea Fleet that these former officers and soldiers of the Beiyang Fleet were reinstated.
However, Ren Tao was too old to continue naval operations, so he was eventually assigned to the inland river fleet as a boat captain, responsible for escorting supplies and suppressing pirates.
Today, he went ashore to purchase supplies and unexpectedly saw news of the fleet's great victory.
Thinking of his brothers who had died tragically and Lord Deng, he was so moved that he couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Sir, the ground is cold! Get up quickly!" An elderly man in his sixties or seventies stepped forward and helped Ren Tao up.
"Uncle! Thank you! I lost my composure!" Ren Tao said, wiping away his tears.
"Young men, you've worked hard! The court wronged you in the past. But now, with the Marquis here, everything is fine. Work hard under the Marquis's command!"
"Eliminate the Japanese as soon as possible! Avenge our fallen brothers!" The old man patted Ren Tao on the shoulder.
"Yes!" Ren Tao stood at attention and respectfully saluted the old man.
"Alright, alright! Hurry up and go! You're an officer, it's not good for you to be surrounded like this!" The old man waved his hand.
Ren Tao nodded, adjusted his hat, and strode away!
"Baka yarou! Chinese, die, die!" Upon receiving news of the annihilation of the entire squadron, Togo Heihachiro flew into a rage. He swept the items on his desk, scattering them all over the floor.
"Pass down the order: the navy must launch an attack within three days. Anyone who dares to slack off will be sent to a military court!"
"Yes, sir!" the chief of staff hurriedly replied and left. The commander's temper is getting worse and worse!