Chapter 60

Due to the great distance, the first shell fired by the Dingyuan did not hit the German ship. Nevertheless, the shell caused a significant shock to the German ship, as the huge wave created by the 305mm shell made everyone on board tremble.

The distance gradually narrowed to 4,000 meters, which was within the effective range of the Dingyuan and the Zhenyuan. The two ships aimed their cannons at the German flagship, the Grosser Kurfürst. The shells used by the two ships were loaded with black powder, which was relatively outdated at the time. For the same weight, black powder had less power and produced a lot of smoke, which would greatly affect the subsequent operations of the gunners.

The main gun shields of the two ships had been removed, not only to allow the thick smoke to dissipate quickly, but also due to a painful lesson learned during the Battle of Fushima. During that battle, fragments from Japanese shells penetrated the gun shields, ricocheting off the walls and causing heavy casualties among the gunners.

Despite the removal of the gun shields, the smoke did not dissipate completely. The gunners endured the pungent smoke, loaded the few high-explosive shells they had into the gun barrels, and prepared the propellant. After the preparations were complete, the guns fired in unison.

The German warships were designed with the idea that as long as the ship did not sink, it could be towed back to port for repairs. Therefore, the main armor of the Brandenburg-class battleships was 400mm thick, far exceeding the 355mm armor of the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan.

Several shells hit the ship's side near the waterline, but the steel-faced composite armor proved effective. This armor had a hard outer layer of steel and a softer inner layer of iron. Due to the different physical properties of the two layers, incoming shells would change direction at the interface, making this composite armor more effective than homogeneous armor made of a single material.

The impact of the shells shook the ship, but did not pose a fatal threat. However, the upper deck of the German ship was not protected. A shell penetrated the deck and hit the sailors' quarters, causing a massive explosion and a fire. The German ship had to divert some personnel to extinguish the fire. Additionally, the main gun at the bow was hit with a devastating blow, and the explosion and flying shrapnel caused the twin 260mm gun barrels to break, resulting in heavy casualties among the gunners.

In naval battles of that era, no one could sink the enemy with the first shot. Therefore, the key to victory was not only who could hit harder but also who could withstand more. The German ships, with their high speed, quickly brought the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan within their range. Despite the different ballistic parameters required for the 35-caliber and 40-caliber guns on the Brandenburg-class ships, the German sailors demonstrated excellent military skills, quickly completing the calculations and firing shells at the Beiyang Fleet's flagship, the Dingyuan.

The Dingyuan and the Brandenburg-class battleships were built by the same German shipyard, the Vulkan shipyard, and had the same composite armor. Therefore, the Brandenburg-class shells could not penetrate the Dingyuan's armor. However, the buildings on the deck were hit. The Brandenburg-class shells used picric acid, which was much more powerful than black powder.

Picric acid, chemically known as 2,4,6-trinitrophenol, with the 2,4,6 indicating the positions of the nitro groups on the benzene ring, can be processed into a powerful explosive, commonly known as yellow explosive. The explosive used on the Brandenburg-class ships was specially modified to create extremely high temperatures at the center of the explosion, capable of melting steel.

When the shells hit the Dingyuan's deck, a large fire broke out. The wooden deck burned fiercely, and the thick smoke surrounded the lookout tower, making it impossible for the observers to see the target and calculate the ballistic data. The main guns of the Dingyuan were effectively out of action.

While the Dingyuan and the Grosser Kurfürst were exchanging fire, the four ships on the right flank of the Dingyuan, including the Zhiyuan and the Jingyuan, had entered the enemy's range and inserted themselves into the enemy's formation, leading to a chaotic battle.

Such chaotic battles were common in steam-powered naval engagements, where the fixed formations were lost, and each ship fought independently. The thick smoke on the sea made it difficult for the flagship to command and control the entire battle. Both fleet commanders, Ding Ruchang and Dietrich, ordered their ships to fight independently.

In this situation, the high speed and high rate of fire of the German ships gave them a significant advantage. The Beiyang Fleet's ships were showered with shells, and the four German cruisers, like fierce wolves, trapped the armored cruiser Jingyuan in the center.

The armored cruiser, unlike the protected cruiser, had a flat deck without the sloping sides of the protected cruiser. It had only a single layer of flat steel armor to protect the ammunition and engine rooms. This armor had a fatal flaw: if the outer hull was breached, seawater would flood the ship, accumulating above the armor and causing the ship to sink.

This fatal flaw soon became apparent in the battle. The Jingyuan, under the attack of the German ships, was hit by dozens of shells, began to take on water and tilt, and the engine room started to flood. To prevent the boilers from exploding, the captain of the Jingyuan ordered the boilers in the flooded compartments to be shut down. As the water continued to rise, all the boilers on the Jingyuan were eventually shut down, and the ship lost all power.

The tilting of the ship accelerated its sinking, and the captain of the Jingyuan was forced to order the crew to abandon ship.

Throughout the battle, the Beiyang Fleet also continuously attacked the German fleet. However, due to the generally slower rate of fire of the Beiyang Fleet's guns, they were at a disadvantage throughout the engagement.

The battle lasted four hours. With the sinking of the Jingyuan, the German fleet withdrew first, followed by the Beiyang Fleet.

This battle, known as the "Battle of the Yellow Sea," marked the first clash between ironclad fleets in human history. On the German side, one cruiser was out of action, and the other ships were damaged to varying degrees. On the Beiyang Fleet side, the Jingyuan sank, and the Zhiyuan, which had been damaged in the Battle of Jiaozhou Bay, lost its combat capability. Notably, the Dingyuan was hit by 187 shells, but none penetrated its armor.

The German fleet sailed south and entered the British colony of Hong Kong. The British promptly adopted a diplomatic mediation stance, and the Qing government, eager to avoid further conflict, agreed to pay five million taels of silver in military compensation. The "instigator" of the conflict, the captain of the Zhiyuan, Deng Shichang, was dismissed from his post, stripped of his title "Gelasa Baturu," and exiled to Taiwan.

On November 25, Deng Shichang stood on the ship bound for Taiwan, gazing through the porthole at the mist-shrouded island. Just as he had done 38 years ago when he brought the Zhiyuan back to China, he looked out over the vast Bohai Sea at the land he loved.

He had long been prepared to die for his country, but he never imagined he would end up as a prisoner, exiled to Taiwan. He lowered his head, dipped his brush in ink, and began to write on the white rice paper, as if to pour out his unfulfilled ambitions.

He wanted to express his heart's desires through the zither, but with few who understood him, who would listen to the broken strings?

He did not know that soon he would meet a captain with the same patriotic spirit, and in a strange place, he would have the opportunity to realize his aspirations.

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