Chapter 985： Fisherman (1/2)

”emission!”

”Change formation!”

...

A great battle that attracted worldwide attention was launched in the Philippine Sea. The billowing smoke was clearly visible from dozens of miles away.

With a loud ”bang”, the ”Naniwa” that rushed forward unfortunately became the first victim. The rushing sound of water started from the stern of the ship, which opened the prelude to the sinking.

An officer cried out: ”Captain, the warship is seriously damaged, and rescue is impossible. The ship is sinking!”

The enemy’s battleship’s main gun hit the enemy’s battleship as soon as it entered the battlefield, and the ”Nanisuke” possessed by the mold **** was naturally going to be cold. As a thin-skinned cruiser, the ”Nanisuke” obviously bears a burden that should not be borne by itself.

As Captain Togo Heihachiro, he wanted to cry without tears at the moment. Who knew that the Spaniards on the opposite side would put their battleships and not fight, and ran to bully them as ”Little Douding”!

”Shut up, order the troops to continue firing on me. As long as the ship has not sunk, the shelling cannot stop!”

The warship that has been hit hard cannot withstand the toss, the more you insist on firing the guns, the faster the warship will sink.

Togo Heihachiro naturally knew such a simple truth. But there is no way, this is where the battlefield Naniwa is located, even if it wants to withdraw from the battlefield, it is too late.

Anyway, the ”Nanisuke” can't be kept anymore, it's better to take the opportunity to fire a few shots, and maybe even be able to take an enemy warship to bury it.

As for stopping losses in time, abandoning warships and jumping into the sea to escape, such things are very common in European countries, but this is not feasible in Japan.

The glory of the soldiers determines that they can't do this. At this time, they abandon the ship and escape, and they don't even want to raise their heads for the rest of their lives.

The officers and soldiers of the ”Nanisuke” chose to fight to the end. As the commander of the total fleet, General Yuhiro Ito could not sit idly by. The navy is not an army horse dung. You can have as much as you want. It is very important to train a qualified naval soldier. Expensive.

”Naniwa” was doomed to fail, and the hundreds of officers and soldiers on the warship could not just give up.

Now we are in a decisive battle with the Spaniards, and we don’t know how many warships will sink. If they all coexist with warships, it is unknown how much the Japanese navy will remain after this battle.

”If the order continues, all officers and soldiers must abandon the ship and escape if the warship is seriously damaged and cannot be rescued. Heihachiro Togo is ordered to execute the order immediately.”

The episode did not affect the development of the decisive battle. The key to determining the outcome of this war is the battle of the battleship. The thin-skinned cruiser is to contribute to the enemy's record.

The sinking of the ”Naniwa” was not an end, but a beginning. Immediately afterwards, the ”Fuso” followed in the footsteps and opened the prelude to the sinking.

Watching all this happen, Ito Yuhyung is helpless. If possible, he would not do it. But the reality is cruel. The Japanese army has only two former dreadnoughts, while the enemy has three former dreadnoughts.

There is no way, the Japanese government can only buy the British Far East Fleet in a hurry. This fleet is invincible in the Far East, but in essence it is only second-rate.

The most advanced warships are all occupied by the local fleet. It is the turn of the Far East Fleet that are older warships, and there are only two ”pre-dreadnoughts”.

There is a clear gap in the performance of the old British warship against the new French warship that has just been in service for three or four years. In addition, the Japanese army was forced to go to the battlefield just a few days after the acquisition, and the operation was not proficient enough, and it was even more disadvantaged in the fight.

The current advantage of the Japanese Navy has been concentrated on the number. The original warships + the purchased British Far East Fleet, both in terms of number of warships and total tonnage, far exceed the Spanish expeditionary fleet.

”The quality is not enough, the quantity will come together.”

The principle that ants often kill elephants is also applicable in the navy, but the price paid is a bit high.

This has been proved now, and the ordinary warships sent to entangle the Spanish battleship are now performing the most tragic scene.

The roar of artillery fire continued. No matter how tragic the battlefield was, no Japanese warship chose to retreat. On the contrary, several Spanish warships withdrew from the battlefield after being damaged.

Observing the ship from a distance, Governor Chandler, who was on the front line, was looking at the battlefield with a telescope, and a clerk was holding a pen and continuously recording on paper.

A similar situation is happening not far away. Everything that happens on the battlefield is precious experience, vital to the Holy Roman Navy, which lacks naval battle experience.

Governor Chandler, who was born in the navy, has clearly realized this. At present, the observation ships of the Shinra Navy have been distributed in all directions of the battlefield. Hundreds of officers are observing the battlefield from various directions and collecting data.

If you look closely, you can also find dozens of airships in the sky, also looking down below, flying at a height of only a few hundred meters. If it weren't for the sound of the gunfire, you might still be able to hear the ”click” of the camera.

These actions of treating the warring parties as having nothing, naturally caused dissatisfaction with the navies of Japan and the West, and then the two navies unanimously decided to ignore the existence of these peskys.

”Your Excellency, it's time to eat.”

The voice of the attendants awakened the fascinated Governor Chandler from his ”hobby”. There is no doubt that it is not his job to collect data. Leaving the Governor's Mansion to join in the fun is obviously beyond the scope of his work.

However, the Austrian South Pacific has always been calm. There is neither a serious threat nor a place to expand. There is not much work that belongs to the governor.

It makes sense to inspect the sea in my free time. As for whether the Philippine Sea is counted as the sphere of influence of the Holy Roman Empire, this question will be counted as long as Governor Chandler has the final say.

Just find an island or a reef, plant a flag, and run the boat to enclose the land.

Anyone who has an opinion can discuss with the Shinra Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or have a friendly discussion with the Shinra Navy.

Looking at the watch in his hand, Chandler nodded: ”It's really time, let's have dinner! Let the boys take turns to eat, every scene on the battlefield must be recorded.”