West of the Shinpu Archipelago, in the Yangtze Trench, at the temporary anchorage of the East Sakura Navy's Cangdong Task Force, the previously damaged yashima had been fully repaired.
On the large map of the Cangdong Sea Area, a thick red arrow representing the Task Force was pinned like a nail on the Shinpu Archipelago; the blue markers for Taixi, Hexing, and Tongzhou had been removed by the staff officers.
A group of East Sakura Navy junior officers, dressed in dark uniforms, whispered around the table, their soaring spirits evident despite their lowered heads.
Indeed, the primary 'blood-making organ' of the Cangdong Sea Area—the Shenpu Shipyard—was now in their grasp, the fleets of the three main archipelagos had been annihilated, a breach had been opened, and the Cangdong Inspection Fleet remained motionless. The situation was excellent.
"Cangdong Task Force Commander, Major General Kawara Youichi, arriving!"
"Click!"
The sailor at the door stood at attention, announced his name, and saluted with his rifle.
The discussions in the conference room ceased abruptly, followed by a series of 'click' sounds as everyone stood at attention.
Major General Kawara, with his handlebar mustache, stepped in. He had a crew cut, a square face, and bright, piercing eyes.
He pressed his hands down, signaling the start of the combat meeting.
"Gentlemen, I have good news: our army's offensive in the Cangdong Sea Area has been remarkably successful. Resistance fighters in Shinpu have been completely cleared out by the Marine Corps, the enemy's main fleet has been annihilated, and the eastern gate of the Qian Cang Empire, a transit hub for goods and trade, has now opened its arms to us."
"Headquarters has expressed its commendation to us."
He smiled, produced a telegram, and looked around. Seeing the room still silent, he continued,
"Gentlemen, the Empire's elite fleet has moved north to deter, the last hidden danger has been eliminated, and "victory" is within reach!"
"His Majesty has also issued new orders!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present again stood up in unison, standing stiffly like pens. Kawara Youichi opened the telegram handed to him by his aide-de-camp.
"Headquarters Navy Department Directive No. 17 – Military Affairs Department Chief Ijuin Goro – By Imperial Edict, Commander Kawara Youichi of the Cangdong Task Force is ordered: 1. The Task Force must destroy coastal defenses and secure control of the three islands of Hexing, Taixi, and Tongzhou within twenty days, ensuring coal supply. 2. In the course of preparing for operations, should the Cangdong Inspection Fleet provoke or interfere, the Task Force is authorized to use force in retaliation. 3. Intercept refugees fleeing from the Cangdong islands, and if resistance is met, force may be used!"
"Long live the Empire! Long live His Majesty!"
"Long live the Empire! Long live His Majesty!"
150 nautical miles north of the Taixi Archipelago, a thick fog enveloped the area. The deck, corridors, and even the cargo hold of a freighter originally used for transporting minerals were packed with nearly 3,000 refugees, struggling to navigate the sea.
After a while, the fog thinned considerably, and the captain finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, navigating in fog made it easy to get lost, and they hadn't brought much coal.
"Captain, our ship is veering three compass points north!"
"Correct the course immediately!" Veering a full three compass points, the captain was so angry he wanted to curse! He walked to the ship's rail, preparing to smoke a cigarette to calm down.
"Captain! Unidentified vessel spotted astern on the starboard side!"
The lookout's shout made the captain drop his cigarette.
His freighter was the last to leave port, and there were no friendly ships left in the nearby waters, so...
Taking the binoculars, the captain tremblingly found the grayish-white silhouette and also saw the blood-red flag.
"Range—7500 yards!"
Captain Shimamura Hayao of the East Sakura protected cruiser Suma glanced at his target—that slow-moving medium freighter.
"The Taixi Island coastal artillery should be trembling under the yashima's 12-inch guns by now..." Shimamura checked his watch and chatted idly with his First Officer.
Half a month prior, after the main Cangdong Allied Fleet was annihilated, the Suma and Akashi had penetrated Taixi waters for reconnaissance.
As a result, they were attacked by the defending Taixi coastal artillery with 8-inch (203mm) shore guns. The Akashi was heavily damaged and is still undergoing repairs in the Shenpu Shipyard's drydock. Although the Suma escaped, it left Shimamura with a psychological shadow.
However, thinking that the enemy was probably now wailing under the yashima's 305mm shells, Shimamura Hayao felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
Historical photo of the Suma protected cruiser
"Range—6000 yards!"
The ship's bow-mounted 40-caliber Armstrong 152mm quick-firing naval gun slowly rotated, already aimed at the vulnerable prey ahead.
"Three-round salvo, warning shot!"
"Boom"
"Boom"
"Boom"
.....
After the shells left the barrel, the gun's barrel returned to position under the combined action of hydraulic and spring mechanisms. The gunner then pulled open the breech and reloaded. The clever design allowed its maximum rate of fire to approach 7 rounds per minute.
This type of naval gun had become the most widely used quick-firing naval gun in this world, with major powers largely achieving self-production.
Three columns of water erupted, and Shimamura seemed to already see the frantic expressions of the crew on the freighter.
"Flash a signal light, order the vessel to stop for inspection! Marine Corps prepare to board!"
Shimamura Hayao and everyone on the Suma were ready to escort this freighter back to port.
At this moment, something unexpected happened!
"Boom"
"Boom"
Two thick columns of water exploded 600 meters off the Suma's starboard side, staining the sea yellowish-green.
It was large-caliber high-explosive shells using picric acid! Shimamura immediately realized: "Battleship-level firepower?!"
"Boom"
"Boom"
These two shots were a little closer, and Shimamura also clearly saw the enemy that had suddenly appeared.
"Bearing 075, range 13500 yards! One battleship! Type unknown! Speed being calculated."
The lookout reported the enemy's position in alarm.
Shimamura Hayao's mind exploded with a buzz—he snatched the high-magnification binoculars from a nearby staff officer, while simultaneously giving instructions to the radio operator.
"Radio the fleet, our ship has encountered an enemy battleship!"
"Boom" "Boom"
This time the shelling was even closer; the surging waves violently crashed against the hull, nearly knocking Shimamura off the bridge.
Could it be the Qian Cang Empire's Inspection Fleet interfering? Shimamura Hayao raised his binoculars, but the ship's silhouette in the binoculars, taller and more majestic than the yashima, did not match any Qian Cang Empire battleship he remembered.
"It's a British Empire-made Dreadnought-class battleship!" the First Officer finally confirmed the enemy's identity.
"Radio operator..."
Shimamura Hayao realized the seriousness of the situation. Regardless of where the enemy came from, the appearance of a dreadnought in the Cangdong Sea Area was extremely bad news for the Task Force. This development had to be communicated to the fleet as quickly as possible!
However, the next two columns of water directly bracketed the Suma at a distance of a few dozen meters, and Shimamura watched helplessly as the waves snapped the communication antenna.
"It's over..."