Chapter 40

As the sun set and the evening glow spread, the vast Yellow Sea was bathed in a deep blue and golden hue. The waves lapped gently against the steel hulls of the warships, sending up white, frothy splashes. On the high masts, the red and yellow dragon flags fluttered in the wind, waving proudly.

On the broken, uneven flying bridge, a tall middle-aged man stood by the railing, his clothes fluttering in the breeze. A gentle wind blew, warm and soothing, and the bald spot on his forehead reflected the sunlight, shining brightly.

"Hey, Mr. Hannagan, how about a bottle?" A voice with a heavy British accent called out from behind the middle-aged man. He turned around to see a blond, hook-nosed British man holding two bottles of champagne, waving and smiling at him. The middle-aged man laughed and said, "Mr. Dalier, you really know how to be considerate. I won't be polite. It's just a pity that my collection is all in the Weihaiwei base, so I can't bring it for this celebration."

Mr. Dalier popped the cork, and the aroma of wine filled the air. He raised the champagne bottle high and said loudly, "For the three hours of battle, for the heroic legend, for this glorious victory, let's drink to this bottle!"

The bottles clinked, making a pleasant sound, and the two men laughed, finishing their drinks in one go.

After downing a large bottle of old champagne, even though Mr. Dalier had a good tolerance for alcohol, he couldn't help but feel a bit tipsy. He shook his slightly dizzy head and said, "Mr. Hannagan, I remember you had a lot of bandages on your head. When did you take them off?"

Hannagan chuckled and said, "I thought those bandages were damaging my image, so I secretly removed them without the doctor's permission. God is truly merciful and kind. If that shrapnel had gone an inch deeper, I would already be reporting at the gates of heaven."

Looking at the deep, gruesome wound on Hannagan's right cheek, Mr. Dalier couldn't help but shudder. He paused, as if thinking of something, and frowned slightly, saying in a low voice, "Mr. Hannagan, not only did we not rescue the Japanese sailors who fell into the water, but we also used machine guns to shoot and kill them. Isn't that inhumane?"

Although the champagne was given by Mr. Dalier, Hannagan still glared at him and shook his head, saying, "Mr. Dalier, I have to say, perhaps you are more suited to be a priest than a soldier. Two months ago, the Japanese used machine guns to shoot our soldiers who fell into the water, causing over 800 deaths. If I hadn't been a good swimmer, I would have been one of those corpses. How could I stand here today?"

Mr. Dalier was stunned, speechless.

Hannagan patted Mr. Dalier's shoulder, his breath reeking of champagne, and said, "Mr. Dalier, I know you British like to talk about gentlemanly conduct and imagine war as a duel between knights. But these Japanese clearly don't belong to that category. Devils from hell cannot be reformed; they must be destroyed with the holy sword of light! Besides, there were only about 300 people on the 'Hashidate' cruiser, less than half the number of casualties in the Battle of Fushima. Even if we killed them all, we would still be at a disadvantage, don't you think?"

"Not just the 'Hashidate,' but also the five Japanese warships that sank earlier, we didn't rescue any of the survivors. Six warships, with over 1,500 crew members on board." Mr. Dalier felt a pang of sympathy, crossed himself, and said softly, "May the souls of the deceased enter heaven, amen."

Hannagan rolled his eyes and mumbled a few words, ignoring the British man's compassionate gesture.

The 'Hashidate' was the third ship of the 'Matsushima' class cruisers, named after a famous scenic spot in Japan. During a full-speed sea trial six months ago, steam leaks occurred in the No. 4 and No. 5 boilers. Although the boilers were replaced due to the visit of German battleships to Weihaiwei, the two new boilers still had frequent malfunctions. After nearly three hours of intense battle, a major rupture occurred in the water pipe joints, and scalding steam raged in the boiler room, causing the two boilers to shut down.

With one-third of its power output lost, the 'Hashidate' slowed to 10 knots and could no longer keep up with the main fleet. Perhaps knowing that staying behind would result in greater losses, the Combined Fleet had no intention of turning back to rescue the 'Hashidate' and continued to rush forward at over 13 knots. Seeing this, Liu Bucan was overjoyed. He had already planned to give up the pursuit, but the Japanese had unexpectedly left a gift for the Beiyang Fleet. He immediately ordered the fleet to encircle and attack with full force.

Although the 'Hashidate' fought fiercely, it was no match for the nine ferocious Beiyang warships. Soon, the 'Hashidate' was hit by countless shells, its bridge destroyed, and its waterline shattered. Water flooded in, and the ship tilted sharply. At 16:10, the 'Hashidate,' one of the three scenic ships of the Japanese Navy, capsized and sank in the vast Yellow Sea. Faced with the floating Japanese soldiers, the Beiyang sailors, remembering the nearly 1,000 Beiyang soldiers killed in the Battle of Fushima, were filled with rage. With the tacit approval of Ding Ruchang, the Beiyang fleet began to use small-caliber machine guns to systematically eliminate the nearly 500 Japanese sailors who had fallen into the water. At 16:50, the last machine gun on the 'Pingyuan' stopped firing, marking the end of the battle.

The world-renowned Battle of the Yellow Sea finally came to a close in the brilliant afterglow of the setting sun. In this battle lasting over four hours, the Japanese Combined Fleet lost two new cruisers ('Kasuga' and 'Hashidate'), two old ironclads ('Fusō' and 'Hiei'), and two auxiliary warships ('Seikyō Maru' and 'Akagi'), totaling 17,300 tons. The total number of casualties was 1,662 (1,547 from the six sunken warships), with 175 injured.

Compared to the losses of the Combined Fleet, the Beiyang Fleet's losses were much lighter: they only lost two ramming cruisers ('Chaoyong' and 'Yangwei'), totaling 2,700 tons. However, under the prolonged bombardment of the Japanese Navy's quick-firing guns, the 'Zhiyuan' and other ships were severely damaged, and the 'Kaifeng' battleship lost one of its main turrets, nearly causing an ammunition explosion. Thanks to the timely rescue by torpedo boats like the 'Fulong,' the Beiyang Fleet only suffered 347 casualties and 122 injuries.

From the perspective of battle losses, the Beiyang Fleet was undoubtedly the victor. However, if we look at the overall war situation, their path was still long and arduous. Although the Combined Fleet lost more ships, most were second-line, outdated vessels, and six of the eight new cruisers remained. The Beiyang Fleet still had a disadvantage in terms of gun firing speed, especially with the black powder high-explosive shells and solid, non-explosive armor-piercing shells, which were far less powerful than the Japanese Navy's shells filled with Shimose explosive. Most importantly, Japan could mobilize the entire nation to purchase warships; on the day the war broke out, they ordered two large battleships from Britain with a displacement of over 12,000 tons, which would give them an absolute advantage in a few years. The Qing court, however, was complacent and focused on maintaining stability and compromise. This time, they narrowly escaped disaster due to the absolute superiority of their first-class battleships over the Japanese cruisers, but what about next time?

The evening wind howled, and the waves surged. The remaining Beiyang warships formed a normal double-column formation, with the heavily damaged 'Kaifeng' battleship still leading the way. Colonel Claude stepped out of the command tower, looking at the injured and disabled German sailors, feeling a deep sense of melancholy and bitterness. Although the pay for mercenaries was generous, and there was a large compensation for injuries or death, was this life of living on the edge, constantly facing death, really suitable for German Navy officers? The victory in this battle would undoubtedly earn him a substantial bonus from his employer, and he could advance rapidly in the navy. But why did he feel no joy at all?

On the stern of the 'Fulong' torpedo boat, Lin Lizhong looked at the gradually receding battlefield, his expression complex, unable to speak. In that sea, his 'Yangwei' ramming cruiser, which had accompanied him for eight years, and over a hundred brave sailors found their final resting place. His brother-in-arms, the captain of the 'Chaoyong,' Huang Jianxun, had also perished with his ship. Whether it was emotional attachment or military dedication, only he himself knew.

In a daze, Lin Lizhong seemed to be transported back twenty years, to the classroom of the Fujian Shipbuilding Academy, to the newly varnished desk. The sun shone, birds sang, and he and the tall, upright young man sat on the same bench, reciting the patriotic and heroic war song taught by the instructor.

"Who says we have no clothes? I will share mine. When the king raises his army, I will sharpen my weapons and fight with you..."

"Who says we have no clothes? I will share mine. When the king raises his army, I will sharpen my weapons and fight with you..."

Lin Lizhong recited softly, a smile gradually appearing on his face. Twenty years had passed, the landscape had changed, but the friendship they had built through the navy remained as solid as a rock, enduring and unbreakable. The engines roared, and the waves lapped pleasantly. He smiled slightly, but it seemed more like a tear.

A drop of water fell on the deck, splashing up a small droplet. Lin Lizhong slowly raised his head and saw countless silver threads falling from the sky. In a moment, his vision became blurred, feeling the water lines crisscrossing and flowing freely on his face.

"It's... raining," Lin Lizhong said in a hoarse voice.

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