Chapter 39

Amidst the warships maneuvering and merging, coal smoke surging, and the roar of cannons, the flames danced wildly.

After more than two hours of intense battle, the Combined Fleet was already in a rather disadvantageous position: their four cruisers had to face the eight warships of the Beiyang Fleet. Although Japan still had a significant advantage in firepower, they felt increasingly strained under the encirclement of the Beiyang Fleet, centered around the ironclad "Zhenyuan." As the battle dragged on, the well-trained Beiyang Fleet personnel gradually adapted to the picric acid shells of the Japanese fleet, improving their firefighting efficiency. Moreover, with multiple targets, on average, one Japanese warship had to face two Beiyang warships, further dispersing their firepower, and the damage to the Beiyang Fleet was brought under control.

The artillery duel continued for nearly another half hour, and the flagship "Matsushima" of the Combined Fleet suffered heavy damage: at 3:30 PM, a 305mm shell from the ironclad "Zhenyuan" directly hit the fourth secondary gun position on the bow of "Matsushima." A 120mm gun weighing over two tons was lifted by the explosion and landed precisely on the ammunition pile on the deck!

"Around 3:30 PM, the flagship was hit by an enemy shell, and the ammunition on the forward deck was ignited. Instantly, it felt like thousands of lightning bolts struck, and even though I was in the enclosed command tower, I still felt a sharp pain in my eardrums. Commander Ito struggled to his feet and ordered me to go to the forward deck to assess the situation. I pushed open the already deformed iron door and found that the forward deck was no longer a scene of the human world," a Japanese naval lieutenant named Takahashi Michiko described in his diary after the event.

"Before my eyes were raging flames, and around me were blood-soaked corpses. Blood flowed like waves past my feet, and the air was filled with the smell of burning and dizziness. A moment ago, the forward deck was crowded with people, but now there was not a single standing figure; a piece of intestine fell into my arms with a 'plop.' After a long while, my ears gradually cleared, and I heard the heart-wrenching screams of the survivors, like the cries of ghosts."

Toxic smoke spewed, and the flames burned fiercely. The toxic gas produced by the burning lyddite spread everywhere, and after a brief inhalation, Ito Sukenobu felt dizzy and nauseous. His attendants quickly brought wet towels to cover his nose and mouth. After a moment, he counted and found that about 30 bodies lay haphazardly in the towering flames at the bow! Seeing this scene, Ito Sukenobu's heart sank. So many had already died, and if the wounded were included, the "Matsushima" had lost most of its combat capability!

Should they continue the fight?

Ito Sukenobu clenched his fists, his veins bulging, and his usually kind face appeared extremely fierce under the gray sky. If they continued to fight, the Beiyang cruisers were not to be feared, but the threat of the three ironclad battleships could not be resolved. The sinking of the Combined Fleet's main warships proved that these cruisers could not withstand the 305mm or 283mm heavy guns of the enemy. Once hit, the lucky ones might survive, but the unlucky ones, like the "Takachiho" earlier, would be instantly sentenced to death!

The three 320mm guns that were originally highly anticipated performed terribly on the battlefield today; in two and a half hours, the three guns had only fired eight shells, and only one hit the target, while the rest did not land within 200 meters of the enemy warships. More seriously, the flagship, in a recent battle with the Beiyang "Pingyuan," had its main guns destroyed, meaning the Combined Fleet now had only two 320mm guns to provide firepower. With a firing rate of one shell per hour and poor accuracy, relying on them to eliminate the threat of the Beiyang ironclads was like a dreamer's fantasy!

At this moment, the chief of staff, Genichi Kuroi, whispered, "Commander, the Beiyang Fleet is rampant, and our large guns have poor accuracy, making it difficult to achieve anything. We should temporarily withdraw to the home port and wait for the two 'Fusō'-class battleships to be completed and delivered before making further plans..."

Before he finished, the captain of the "Matsushima," Shimazu Seizō, raised his eyebrows and shouted angrily, "Genichi, do you know what you are saying? The battle has reached this point, and there is no reason to retreat! If we retreat now, how can we face the brave officers and men of the Imperial Japanese Navy who have sacrificed themselves?"

Genichi Kuroi countered, "As a commander, one must have a broad view and a comprehensive grasp of the situation, not be blinded by a single leaf or obsessed with the gains and losses of a single city. The artillery duel has lasted for over two hours, and although our quick-firing guns have hit the enemy ironclads multiple times, they have only caused fires and not fatal damage. On the contrary, our warships cannot withstand the enemy's main guns!"

"Spreading false rumors," Shimazu Seizō snorted, "That 10,000-ton battleship has lost its main guns, and this is the best time to destroy it. If we retreat now, and it recovers, it will cost us a great deal to sink this evil German battleship in the future!"

Feeling a surge of anger at being repeatedly contradicted, Genichi Kuroi retorted coldly, "Well, I am dull, and I don't know what brilliant plan you have to sink that 10,000-ton ironclad. Is it to let the 'Itsukushima' and 'Hashidate' get within 1,000 meters to aim, turning the enemy warship into a beehive, or to let the 'Kiyoshima' rush to within 300 meters for a suicidal torpedo attack? Don't forget, the 'Dingyuan' and 'Zhenyuan' are still intact!"

As they argued, the stern of the "Kaeryong" battleship not far to the north suddenly erupted with a dazzling purple and red wave. The two men involuntarily stopped their argument; where their eyes reached, two towering water columns, over ten meters high, rose from the first independent squadron, and even from nearly three miles away, the surging white waves could be clearly seen.

"The main guns in the midsection have resumed firing!"

Shimazu Seizō was greatly alarmed. At 3:08 PM, the first independent squadron had just forced this battleship to retreat, unable to retaliate. Just over 20 minutes later, the Germans had returned and opened fire again! At this moment, the battleship, though covered in torn holes and black scorch marks, had no visible flames!

Even Genichi Kuroi, who advocated retreat, stared at the distant scene with a face full of shock and disbelief. After a while, he pointed to the "Kaeryong" battleship, which was charging furiously across the sea, his eyes filled with barely concealed anger: "Gentlemen, please look for yourselves. Just a moment ago, it was engulfed in flames, but now there is not a trace of fire. If we continue to fight, with the accuracy of the enemy's main guns, the Combined Fleet will likely be wiped out here!"

"Pass my order, turn the fleet, and return to Incheon Port." Ito Sukenobu's tone was calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself, but his face, now devoid of any color, revealed the immense pain and torment he was enduring.

Genichi Kuroi felt a sense of relief, but Shimazu Seizō was greatly distressed: "General! Even if we cannot sink their ironclads, sinking these cruisers is still no problem! The fires on those Beiyang cruisers are higher than the masts. If we continue for a little while, we can send them all to the bottom of the sea. If we retreat now, won't all our efforts be in vain?"

"A little while? Can you tell me how long this 'little while' is? Is it 30 minutes, an hour, or two hours! During this time, how many more warships and men will the Combined Fleet lose!" Ito Sukenobu, unable to bear it any longer, slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Steel warships, without taking on water or capsizing, can they be sunk by fire alone? Do you think this is still the age of wooden ships and sail?"

"However..." Shimazu Seizō clenched his teeth, the words stuck in his throat, unable to be spoken.

Ito Sukenobu took a deep breath, his body beginning to tremble. After a while, he continued in a hoarse voice, "Do I not know that this is a waste of our efforts? But if we continue to fight, even if we manage to sink those heavily damaged Beiyang cruisers, how many warships will the Combined Fleet have left? Without a guarantee of victory, as the commander of the Combined Fleet, I cannot let the elite navy, built with the blood and sweat of the Japanese Empire over decades, be exhausted in my hands!"

Shimazu Seizō felt a lump in his chest, bitter and speechless. After a moment of silence, he suddenly remembered something and his face changed: if they retreated now, what would happen if the Beiyang Fleet pursued them?

Seeing the worried look on Shimazu Seizō's face, Genichi Kuroi, who seemed to know what he was thinking, sighed, "You are overthinking it, Shimazu. The Combined Fleet's warships have taken on little water and are still faster than the slow Beiyang ships. Their fastest ships, the 'Zhiyuan' and 'Jingyuan,' have taken on a lot of water and cannot keep up with us. As long as we want to retreat, the Beiyang Fleet cannot stop us!"

As the signal flags on the flagship "Matsushima" indicated "withdraw and return to port," the first independent squadron, now reduced to three warships, made a large arc on the sea and quickly disengaged from the "Kaeryong" battleship. The steel shafts hummed, and the "Matsushima," "Chiyoda," "Itsukushima," and "Hashidate" cruisers began to accelerate one by one. The dials in the navigation room slowly turned and finally stopped at 13 knots. The seven Japanese cruisers formed two columns and raced southeast.

In the command room of the cruiser "Matsushima," the senior officers of the Combined Fleet were silent, as if they had lost a loved one. The damage control officer reported that the 305mm shell had detonated over a hundred shells on the forward deck, killing 28 people on the spot and severely injuring 88 others, with all the forward deck guns destroyed. Fortunately, the "Matsushima" had not taken on much water and could still travel at nearly 14 knots.

Ito Sukenobu looked back and, as expected, saw that the Beiyang Fleet, though relentless in pursuit, had taken on a lot of water in the previous battle, significantly reducing their speed. The distance between the two fleets had already exceeded 4,000 meters and was increasing at a rate of 2 nautical miles per hour. Ito Sukenobu sighed lightly, about to say something to encourage his subordinates, when the speaking tube connected to the mast lookout suddenly vibrated violently. He picked up the tube and heard an urgent and panicked voice: "Report, the cruiser 'Hashidate' has lost speed and fallen behind!"

PS: The number of new followers today is very low. Please give me some support... I bow in gratitude to nkj8084 for the tip.

Page break for ads

End of page break for ads