bayedsolid Chapter 206 Battle of the Bohai Sea
Chapter 206 Battle of the Bohai Sea
News of the loss of Lushun quickly reached the Japanese front lines, and the Japanese divisions immediately halted their advance. They occupied advantageous positions and huddled together in a defensive formation.
Shen Lian knew what they were up to: they didn't want to admit defeat and wanted to wait for the outcome of the naval battle!
The new army was not in a hurry. They secretly deployed troops to surround the Japanese soldiers and cut off their retreat. Local militias also became active, striving to ensure that the Japanese soldiers could not seize a single grain of food.
Anyway, time is on our side, it's just a matter of who can afford to drag it out.
A fleet of dozens of warships was advancing rapidly over the Bohai Sea, the Rising Sun flag fluttering in the wind atop their masts. These warships were the Japanese fleet!
Urged by the government and the Ministry of the Army, Togo Heihachiro summoned all available ships, a total of fifty-six.
Although he verbally dismissed the Chinese navy, he still mobilized all his forces, preparing to wipe out the entire Chinese navy in one decisive battle.
"The Chinese warships didn't escape, did they?" As they entered the Bohai Bay, Togo Heihachiro asked, picking up his binoculars.
The sea was very calm, with only a few fishing boats occasionally visible. Upon seeing their fleet, they hurriedly fled to the shore.
"According to information from our reconnaissance ships and the British, Chinese warships are still off the coast of Lushun, and they are probably preparing for a decisive battle with us!" said the chief of staff beside him.
"Yay! I'm glad they didn't run away! I was worried I'd have to search everywhere for them!"
"Wait in comfort for the enemy to tire themselves out! Hmph, they'll need the strength to do that!" Togo Heihachiro was also a China expert and a big fan of Wang Yangming's philosophy. He could easily spout Chinese idioms.
"The Japanese army has finally arrived!" More than 100 nautical miles off the coast of Lushun, Sa Zhenbing nodded with a smile. The entire Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea were under the surveillance of the East China Sea Fleet.
The Japanese troops were discovered as soon as they entered the Yellow Sea!
Sa Zhenbing led the fleet to calmly form a battle formation, with all warships turned sideways and aimed south. He then began sending small boats to drop target ships about 10,000 meters ahead, and the ships began aiming and firing, adjusting their angles.
With these preparations, plus the fire control system secretly equipped on his warships, he was determined to teach the Japanese a lesson.
Defeating them is not the goal; Shen Lian's requirement is complete annihilation! Once Japan loses its navy, it's like a naked girl, completely at his mercy!
The two sides continued to close in distance without the Japanese fleet noticing. After they passed, about a hundred small boats appeared on the sea and began dropping spheres into the water.
As the two sides drew closer and came into view, Togo Heihachiro looked at the sparse twenty or thirty warships through his binoculars and a sinister smile spread across his face.
"The Chinese are no match for us! It's just those four battleships that are a bit of a problem! Once the battle starts, concentrate our firepower and sink them."
"Hmph, a tiny, cobbled-together navy dares to challenge the great Japanese navy!"
Although the Japanese only had three battleships, they were fearless. They had even defeated the powerful Russian army. China, a defeated foe, was naturally not a threat to them, especially since they had a numerical advantage in warships.
"Close to 8,000 meters and then turn to fire alongside the Chinese warships!" Although Togo Heihachiro was full of confidence, he was also unwilling to let his ship's bow rush straight in.
In this way, the Japanese warships would only have one gun turret at the bow that could fire, while all the cannons of the Chinese army could fire at them.
This is also why, during the Battle of Tsushima, he led his fleet to make a sharp turn ahead of the Russian fleet, seizing the T-junction. Ultimately, this led to a victory against overwhelming odds.
But now the Chinese fleet is all positioned horizontally, aimed at them. Clearly, there's no chance of seizing the T-series. He's not afraid to engage in a firefight!
To everyone's surprise, the East China Sea Fleet opened fire as soon as the Japanese troops got within 10,000 meters!
"Hmph! A newbie is a newbie. Do you think they can hit you from that far away? They're just firing to embolden themselves!" Togo Heihachiro mocked.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a shell struck a spot a few dozen meters from his flagship, the Mikasa, sending up a jet of water.
"What?! Why are the Chinese so prepared for this artillery barrage?" Togo Heihachiro asked, puzzled.
"Commander, the Chinese must have set the firing data beforehand! Otherwise, it wouldn't be so accurate!" Akiyama Saneyuki, worthy of being called the brain of the Japanese Navy, immediately figured out the reason.
"Baka! You treacherous Chinese!" Togo Heihachiro cursed.
"Send orders to speed up and disrupt the firing data of the Chinese fleet!" Togo Heihachiro knew this was dangerous, and his losses would certainly be significant.
The best strategy is to retreat quickly and find another opportunity to engage this fleet in a decisive battle. Since the entire Chinese fleet is now horizontally positioned, a swift retreat should be achievable.
However, his pride wouldn't allow him to run away after taking a few shots from the Chinese navy; otherwise, where would he put his reputation as a naval war god?
The Japanese fleet accelerated and advanced, with a large number of warships closing in within 10,000 meters. They were quickly met with a crushing blow.
Although only four battleships were equipped with the latest fire control systems for secrecy reasons, the other cruisers had already had their firing parameters set. No adjustments were needed; all they had to do was fire relentlessly forward!
Dozens of shells were raining down on the Japanese fleet every second, and soon warships were hit and caught fire. Other warships dared not go to their aid; everyone just wanted to get away from this death trap of concentrated shells as quickly as possible.
In just over ten minutes, the Japanese army lost more than ten warships. Seeing this, Togo Heihachiro nearly coughed up blood.
"Fire back!" Togo Heihachiro ordered angrily.
Although they were now within eight or nine kilometers, the Japanese artillery fire was clearly inaccurate and caused no damage to the Chinese navy.
Meanwhile, the East China Sea Fleet continued firing at the Japanese ships at its own pace.
With a deafening roar, the Japanese battleship Shikishima, which was at the forefront of the attack, was struck in the stern by a 343mm shell.
The rudder of the 15,000-ton battleship was damaged, and a large hole was blown in its stern. The entire ship immediately lost its direction and began to slowly veer off course.
"Well done! Quickly adjust the firing data, all four ships fire simultaneously, and sink the Shikishima first!" Sa Zhenbing gave the order with a smile.
"Boom boom boom boom boom!" The Shikishima was immediately engulfed in a hail of bullets, all 343mm shells fired from the battleship's main guns.
After only two rounds of shelling, this ship, a hero of the Battle of Tsushima, was engulfed in flames, with two large holes, each four or five meters wide, blasted into its hull, before slowly sinking into the sea.
"Wow! Why are the Chinese warships so accurate in their shooting, and can they even fire a salvo from their main guns?" The navies from various countries watching the battle were utterly shocked.
Has the Chinese Navy mastered fire control technology? That's impossible. We've only designed prototypes domestically; they're not even fully operational yet. How did the Chinese manage to do it?
On the British warship, several officers looked grave!