Chapter 42

Just as Qing Ying was overwhelmed by the changes he had made to history, the outcome of the Battle of the Yalu River had already been relayed by the foreign envoys in China to Europe, thousands of miles away. The news that China and Japan had engaged in a fierce naval battle, the first of its kind in the steam age, swept through the naval departments of all the European powers like a hurricane.

Due to the Earth's rotation, there was a 6 to 7-hour time difference between Europe and Beijing. When the envoys learned the results and sent the news back to their home countries by telegraph in the middle of the night, it was already dusk. Despite the late hour, naval specialists in each country, upon learning of this historic event, sprang into action as if wound up by a spring. Even without any overtime pay, these people immediately began working with great enthusiasm.

What, you ask? Why were these naval department personnel so eager to do such voluntary work? The reason was clear. This naval battle was not only another large-scale sea engagement following the Battle of Lissa but also the first pure steam-powered naval battle in human history, free from the constraints of sail. There was much to learn and reference from it. The late 19th century was a peak period of rapid scientific and technological advancement, with a plethora of new ideas and technologies emerging. In the field of naval affairs, there was a cacophony of voices and a myriad of schools of thought. The Big Gun Battleship School, the Small Ship Torpedo School, the Green Water Chaos School, the Long-Range Raiding Ship School... the number of theories was overwhelming, and each school had already formed a relatively complete system. The two sides engaged in endless debates to control the direction of their country's naval development, making it difficult to determine which was superior or correct. The conclusion of the Battle of the Yalu River provided an excellent case study. With this practical example, many previously contentious issues would now have clear answers, which was crucial for naval decision-makers in planning the overall strategy. If some insights could be gleaned from the battle's process and outcome, the construction of the national navy would avoid many detours!

As the detailed accounts of the battle continued to be transmitted back to their home countries, these experts, with their deep expertise in naval affairs, produced lengthy analyses. Just one day later, various official commentaries were published in the major newspapers of the powers.

The Germans were naturally the most excited. Whether it was the "Dingyuan"-class ironclads built for the Beiyang Fleet in earlier years or the "Brandenburg"-class battleship recently sold to the Qing court, they played a pivotal role in the battle, performing almost flawlessly. The next day, the *Berliner Tageblatt* devoted a large section to detailing the battle, lavishly praising the performance of the three major ships: "... A slight analysis of the battle reveals this conclusion: The Qing Empire's victory in this naval battle was decisively due to the warships purchased from the German Empire. The 'Dingyuan' led the fleet in a high-speed charge; the 'Zhenyuan' fought on the front lines, sinking an enemy ship with a single shot; the 'Brandenburg' acted as the arbiter of the battlefield, sinking four enemy ships in a berserk frenzy. No other country's warships could match the German Empire's in this, the first steam-powered naval battle in human history!"

"Facing the intense fire from the Japanese Combined Fleet's rapid-fire guns, the three main ships built by the German Empire stood firm like reefs in a stormy sea and pines in a gale. No matter how dense the enemy's fire, they remained unshaken! This battle fully demonstrated the unparalleled excellence of German warships. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the designers, shipyard workers, and all those who have silently contributed to the construction of the Imperial Navy's warships. You are the future and pride of the Imperial Navy!..."

Compared to the German media's self-congratulatory and verbose praise of their own main ships, the *The Times* of Britain provided a much more pragmatic commentary. They detailed the causes and course of the battle and offered a precise analysis of the outcome. "... When the Japanese fleet approached in a single column, the Qing Navy chose to form a wedge line to meet them. Clearly, the Qing Navy's commander aimed to replicate the 'Battle of Lissa' 28 years earlier. Despite their ultimate victory, many glaring issues were exposed."

"First, the German battleship was far more advanced than the rest of the Qing Navy, a product of broadside warfare, yet it was grouped with two end-on ironclads, limiting its firepower to one-third at the start of the battle. If the Qing had adjusted their formation, placing the battleship with two 'Zhiyuan'-class cruisers to counter the Japanese First Flying Squadron, the battleship's immense power would have secured an even more glorious victory. Second, when the two fleets met, for some reason, the Qing fleet, despite knowing the Japanese fleet's flanking maneuver, still sailed at a mere 6 knots. This allowed the Japanese First Flying Squadron ample time to execute a flanking maneuver, leading to the rapid collapse of the Qing right wing. If not for the Japanese fleet's own blunder, exposing their vulnerable rear to the Qing main force, the Qing Navy's victory would have been much harder and far from the ease it appeared."

To explain the embarrassing scene of British-built warships sinking in large numbers during the battle and to avoid a potential crisis in the export of British warships, the *The Times* provided a special explanation: "... Of the 8 warships that sank in this battle, many were indeed built by the British Empire; however, this does not indicate any flaw in British-built warships. The sunken ships were all over 10 years old and outdated, unable to meet the demands of modern naval warfare. Their sinking, while unexpected, was also understandable."

"By contrast, the warships built by the British Empire in recent years fully justified their buyers. The 'Ginowan' cruiser, built for Japan, inflicted the most critical blows on the two Qing right-wing ships, and the performance of other British-built warships was commendable. The Japanese Navy's defeat was not due to the weakness of the British-built cruisers but because they faced battleships that were not much weaker than the Royal Navy's 'Majestic'-class battleships, which they were ill-equipped to handle!"

After deflecting responsibility, the British did not forget to throw a pot of dirty water at their old rival, France: "... Cruisers are not designed to engage battleships, a fact the British Empire has long made clear. It is evident that the British Empire has a deep understanding of naval affairs, showing foresight and insight. In contrast, a certain country, whose fleet is second only to the Royal Navy, has a poor understanding of naval matters. They ignore the right path and seek shortcuts, attempting to counter battleships with cruisers equipped with a single large-caliber gun, which is absurd. The results proved that this approach failed to achieve its intended purpose; the accuracy of the small ships with large guns was poor, and in the final battle, a cruiser was lost due to boiler failure. The decisive role in the battle was played by the rapid-fire guns produced by the British Armstrong company. This country can only add a bit of humor to the afternoon coffee break."

In this first naval battle of the steam age, the three Japanese warships designed by France—Matsushima, Itsukushima, and Hashidate—performed poorly. Their 320mm French Canet guns could only fire once every hour on average, with poor accuracy, far from the Japanese Navy's expectations. Despite this, the French, unable to bear the British ridicule, retaliated. In the *Le Figaro* of September 19, the French published an enlarged and cropped photo taken by American James W. McGiffin, showing the sinking of the British-built *Fusō*. They vividly described the powerless battle and rapid sinking of the British warship, a mix of fact and fiction that left readers heartbroken. In the end, the French also blamed the Japanese, claiming that the poor performance of the three warships was due to the Japanese Navy's conscription of inexperienced farmers as sailors and poor maintenance, not the French design.

Despite the differing opinions in the newspapers, the analysis of the battle was clear. In a report submitted to the navy, Tirpitz pointed out that the Beiyang Fleet's victory was not due to the Austrian wedge formation used in the Battle of Lissa or Ito Sukeyuki's negligence but because of the mighty battleship *Kaiyuan*. The secondary armament of this ship was sufficient to suppress enemy cruisers, and its high-speed, light-ammunition main guns had a high hit rate at the current engagement distance of about 3,000 meters, posing a fatal threat to the lightly armored cruisers. The significance of battleships was perfectly demonstrated in this first naval battle of the steam age, and the various schools of thought in naval affairs began to converge.

"We need battleships!"

PS: Regarding the issue of the Qing, I feel it necessary to clarify. This book is absolutely not a call to revive the Qing. The term "Qing" I have consistently used should make that clear. If I truly wanted to revive the Qing, why would I use the term "Qing" and "old witch" repeatedly? In fact, I am extremely opposed to the Qing. However, for the protagonist to change the outcome of the First Sino-Japanese War, the simplest method was to help the Beiyang Fleet win the battle, hence the previous plot developments.

The number of favorites is growing very slowly without recommendations... Please consider adding the book to your shelf. Clicking "Add to Bookshelf" is just a small effort for you but a great motivation and comfort for me.

Finally, a bow of gratitude to Weiwei Cai for the support~~~

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