Chapter 36

As early as 1:10 PM, when the "Hashidate" cruiser reported that the four battleships of the rear squadron had not caught up, Ito Sukenobu already knew he had made a very low-level mistake.

While the Beiyang Fleet accelerated its assault, the four cruisers of the main squadron were performing large-scale turning maneuvers, and the quick-firing guns on their sides could not fire at the Beiyang Fleet's battleships. They could only watch helplessly as the Combined Fleet's main squadron was cut in two. At this point, Ito Sukenobu could only accept the reality that the Beiyang Fleet had successfully disrupted the battle. He ordered Admiral Hei Kōsan to quickly deal with the right-wing ships "Chaoyong" and "Yangwei" while praying that the two ironclads "Hiei" and "Fusō" of the rear squadron could hold out long enough for the four main cruisers to come to their aid.

With the rapid maneuvering of the First Flying Squadron, the "Kaigen" had a significantly reduced field of fire. Within a few minutes, the four heavy guns at the bow and amidships lost their firing angles, leaving only the main turret at the stern capable of continuing the attack. The First Flying Squadron, now under less pressure, bared its fangs and pounced, turning the two weaker ships "Chaoyong" and "Yangwei" into blazing infernos. The outcome was already decided.

However, what Ito Sukenobu did not expect was that the four ships of the Combined Fleet's rear squadron would quickly collapse under the Beiyang Navy's assault: the battleship "Hiei" sank in less than 15 minutes, and the ironclad "Fusō," which he had placed great hopes on, was surrounded and in grave danger. To make matters worse, the "Seikōmaru," carrying Vice Admiral Katsura Tarō, had almost lost its power and was in dire straits!

"Boom!" A massive explosion echoed from the northeast. Ito Sukenobu knew without looking that it must have come from one of the Qing ships, "Chaoyong" or "Yangwei." Although they were already like cooked ducks for the First Flying Squadron, Ito Sukenobu felt no joy. These two Qing ships were the weakest on the battlefield, aside from the "Akagi" and "Seikōmaru," with a combined displacement of only 2,700 tons. The Combined Fleet had paid a heavy price to sink these two small ships, losing all four ships of the rear squadron, with a total displacement of 9,400 tons!

"Report!" A voice from the speaking tube connected to the top of the mast suddenly called out, "Six Qing ships have been spotted to the northeast, approaching the Combined Fleet at a speed of 8 to 9 knots!"

"Another six Qing ships?" Ito Sukenobu jumped up as if he had been hit by a bomb, pounding the table and roaring, "Are you sure you haven't made a mistake? Do you know the consequences of a false report?"

After a 10-second silence, the voice from the speaking tube replied calmly, "Commander, I have eagle eyes and can see clearly: two of the ships have large ramming spurs at their bows, and four others are surrounding them. From their shape, they are undoubtedly four Qing torpedo boats!"

Ito Sukenobu clenched his teeth, his face turning ashen. He clenched and unclenched his fists several times before finally relaxing. It was clear that the Qing were determined to settle the score with the Combined Fleet today. Unfortunately, he had been misled by the incompetent intelligence department and had not brought all his ships. If the main force of the Combined Fleet had been present, they would have had nothing to fear from the Qing!

The battle raged on, with the sound of cannons and the roar of steam engines filling the air. Ito Sukenobu stood motionless in the command tower of the flagship "Matsushima," his face showing a mix of regret, unwillingness, sorrow, and anger. The officers around him, seeing his foul mood, dared not disturb him, and the command tower fell silent, with only the sound of the steam engines and the roar of the cannons remaining.

"I remember that the two old cruisers 'Chaoyong' and 'Yangwei' of the Qing do not have torpedoes, right?" Ito Sukenobu said suddenly.

Captain Nomura Sadayoshi of the "Matsushima" hesitated for a moment before confirming, "General, you are correct. Those two Qing ships do not have any torpedo weapons."

Ito Sukenobu nodded and said, "Send a signal to Hei Kōsan, ordering him to resolve the battle within 10 minutes. If necessary, he can close in and use torpedoes to finish off the enemy!"

"Hai!" The messenger did not dare to delay and quickly ran out.

Watching the messenger's retreating back, Nomura Sadayoshi felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Due to the limitations of the technology of the time, the 360mm torpedoes widely equipped on the Combined Fleet had an effective range of only 300 meters. They had to get extremely close to launch an attack. If the Qing ships' guns were not all knocked out, the hit rate at this distance would be 100%!

"Commander, this is a matter of life and death..." Nomura Sadayoshi muttered to himself.

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The six additional ships of the Beiyang Fleet were the coastal defense ironclad "Pingyuan," the torpedo cruiser "Guangbing," and the four torpedo boats "Fulong," "Zuo Yi," "Zuo Er," and "Zuo San," which Ding Ruchang had dispatched to protect the landing site.

At 12:10 PM, the main force of the Beiyang Fleet spotted the approaching Combined Fleet. The "Dingyuan" immediately raised a signal flag, ordering the ships in the shallow waters to join the battle. Due to the distance, it took some time for the "Pingyuan" to react. It then called for the "Guangbing" and the four torpedo boats, which were towing civilian ships, to stop their tasks and head to the battlefield.

The "Pingyuan" was the first all-steel armored warship designed and built by the Foochow Shipyard, based on the French "L'Infernal" class mosquito ship. It represented the highest level of Chinese shipbuilding. With a standard displacement of 2,100 tons and a speed of 10.5 knots, it was equipped with a 260mm Krupp main gun, two 150mm Krupp secondary guns, two 57mm guns, two 47mm guns, four 37mm guns, and four 457mm torpedo tubes. The waterline was armored with 127-203mm thick steel plates, earning it the name "ironclad." When the Foochow Shipyard proposed the construction of the "Pingyuan" in 1886, it almost failed due to criticism and factional disputes. It was Empress Dowager Cixi who overruled the opposition and ordered its construction, one of the few good deeds she did during her long reign.

The "Guangbing," a sister ship of the "Pingyuan," was also an all-steel armored warship designed and built by the Foochow Shipyard. Completed in 1891, it had a displacement of 1,000 tons and a speed of 16.5 knots. It was equipped with three 120mm guns, four 57mm guns, four 37mm guns, and four torpedo tubes. As a torpedo cruiser, it had no armor protection. Before the war, the "Guangbing" replaced its old Krupp guns with 120mm quick-firing guns built by the Jiangnan Arsenal, significantly improving its firing rate. Its performance was on par with the 120mm Armstrong quick-firing guns widely used by the Combined Fleet. It's worth noting that the latest German battleships of the "Brandenburg" class were equipped with 105mm quick-firing guns!

At this time, Chinese industry was not as backward as many people imagine. In many areas, it had made significant achievements. The 120mm quick-firing guns, for example, were among the most advanced in the world. If used properly, they would have been a tremendous asset!

The addition of the six Beiyang ships made the northern battlefield, which had been gradually quieting down, tense again. At 1:55 PM, seeing the two weak Qing ships engulfed in flames and listing but refusing to sink, Hei Kōsan, who had been holding his breath since the start of the battle, finally lost his patience.

At this moment, the "Seikōmaru" of the rear squadron was already doomed, and the Combined Fleet had lost three ships without breaking through. The resistance of the two weak Qing ships was far beyond his expectations, as if just one more hit would finish them off, but they were like indestructible cockroaches! Hei Kōsan could not understand how the two weak ships "Chaoyong" and "Yangwei," which had no armor, could have held out for nearly an hour under the intense attack of four cruisers!

Seeing the six new Qing ships approaching the battlefield at full speed and the "Laiyuan" and "Jingyuan" cruisers aiming their guns at him, Hei Kōsan gritted his teeth and shouted, "Order the flagship to accelerate to 20 knots, turn two points to the right, and prepare for a torpedo attack!"

With Hei Kōsan's order, the "Kiyō" demonstrated its world-leading speed. The steam valves opened, and the two chimneys spewed out even thicker black smoke. The boiler pressure increased sharply, and the scorching steam drove the reciprocating steam engine to high speed. Within two minutes, the "Kiyō" accelerated from 12 knots to 18 knots, charging toward the "Chaoyong."

2,000 meters... 1,500 meters... 1,000 meters... 500 meters...

"Boom!" The aft main gun of the "Chaoyong," which was enveloped in flames, suddenly erupted with a brilliant fire, and a 254mm shell pierced the "Kiyō" with a thunderous blast. At the same time, the "Kiyō" veered, and two 360mm torpedoes, like two wild dogs, plunged into the water, shining with a despairing white light under the sun. The "Chaoyong," with its propellers shattered and no power left, had no means to avoid the attack!

PS: I took a day off today and drafted this chapter at the office. I just finished writing it and uploaded it. There should be a second update at 11 PM tonight, to make up for yesterday's chapter.

I have read the comments in the book review section and thank everyone for pointing out the issues. These comments carry the expectations and encouragement for the author, and I will work hard to improve. I just want to write a different Battle of the Yellow Sea, and after that, I will only touch on the Qing and the mites briefly. After the battle, I will focus on the protagonist.

Finally, I bow to thank Angel Wong for the support~~~~~ And I humbly request some more favorites...

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