At 6:15 pm, the naval battle started again. "Nagato" and "Mutsu" could only use the remaining six rear main guns to fight back, while the six battleships of the Republic Navy had 30 forward main guns. However, at high speeds
During the march, the main guns of both sides failed to hit each other, and sometimes the fired shells even missed the mark.
The rumbling sound of artillery on the sea and the two battle fleets chasing each other. Such scenes can easily bring people's minds back to the era of giant ships and cannons during World War I. But in fact, in this era, even the Nagato-class 410
The main gun with a diameter of 1.5 mm is also difficult to deal a fatal blow to the enemy's heavy battleship wrapped in thick armor. Times have changed. The heavy shells fired by the battleship are terrible, but it is difficult to sink a heavy battleship.
Chen Shiying stood in the command tower of the Qilianshan, holding a telescope in his hand and observing the situation on the sea through the observation port as high as a person. From time to time, there were thunderous explosions on the sea, and missiles fired from the enemy ship
The shells stirred up several five to sixty-meter-high white water columns in front of the Republican fleet, occasionally blocking the sight of the observers on the warship.
"azimuth 173, large enemy water target discovered!" On the smoky sea in the distance, each battleship of the Republic Navy will stir up a white water curtain when it fires a salvo with its five forward main guns. When these sprays gradually fall back,
The unique tall tower masts of Japanese naval battleships will reappear in the field of vision of observers. However, after this salvo, two more Japanese battleships emitted black smoke from their chimneys and appeared in front of the battlefield.
It turned out that the Japanese warships Fuso and Yamashiro that were towed behind rushed into the battlefield. The two Japanese warships failed to see clearly the signal sent by the "Nagato" to turn around in the setting sun, and the two Japanese warships suddenly entered the battlefield.
"Daredevil" saved Sue Nobumasa, but sent himself to the gate of hell.
"Right rudder 15, attack the two approaching Japanese ships!" Chen Shiying frowned and readjusted his deployment, which meant that he was ready to abandon the already severely damaged "Nagato" and "Mutsu". Two minutes later
, after each ship readjusted its shooting range, it began to attack the "Fuso" and "Yamashiro" that broke into the battlefield.
The battleship of the Republic Navy made a right turn maneuver and directed all its broadside firepower at the "Fuso" and "Yamashiro". The captain of the "Fuso", Rear Admiral Shinoda Katsukiyo, quickly judged the situation on the battlefield.
, he was determined to sacrifice himself in order to preserve the "Nagato" and "Mutsu" that the Japanese were proud of.
"Fuso" and "Yamashiro" are the first-class "dreadnoughts" built by the Japanese Navy themselves. The two ships were built before World War I. However, because Japan lacked the industrial technology and experience to build large warships at the time, these two warships were
From the moment it was launched, it was labeled a "defective battleship".
Despite this, this battleship equipped with six twin 360mm main guns has strong firepower and protection, although the two turrets arranged amidships cannot fire on both sides due to the shooting boundary.
Although the two Japanese battleships were slower, when they didn't want to run away, there was not much the Republican Navy could do against them.
In the naval battle that followed for nearly an hour, two old Japanese battleships that were nearly 25 years old stubbornly resisted the fierce siege of six new battleships of the Republic Navy. From dusk until evening, the two Japanese ships were at least close to each other.
Two thousand rounds of artillery shells of various sizes were fired, and the whole body was covered with blazing fire. Almost the entire superstructure was razed to the ground, but it was still floating stubbornly on the water.
The hulls of the "Fuso" and "Yamashiro" have been riddled with holes, and their original appearance is almost unrecognizable. Thick smoke sprays out from all parts of the hull. All their superstructures are like ships.
The bridge, masts, chimneys, turrets, etc., had all been blown to pieces, and several cruisers also joined in the siege of the two poor Japanese ships. The two Japanese ships were covered with damage.
On the ship, from bow to stern, shells exploded one after another, like two huge fireballs, burning on the sea, and the firelight reflected the already dark sky.
The few remaining small-caliber anti-aircraft guns on the Fuso and Yamashiro were still firing shells. Although it was in vain, shells of this caliber could not cause substantial damage to the destroyers.
Thick flames burst out from the middle of the "Yamashiro". Ten seconds later, a huge mushroom-shaped fireball rose into the sky hundreds of meters high. Under the light of the fire, this ship with a displacement of 32,000 meters
The huge battleship weighing 1,000 tons began to bend downward from the explosion point in the middle, while the bow and stern were raised high above the water, pointing toward the sky.
Only a few minutes later, in the red light of the explosion, except for some debris and burning oil floating on the sea, the giant ship had disappeared under the water.
"The Yamashiro has sunk!" the young officers in the war room jumped up excitedly and shouted.
"Order the 'Kunming' to approach and kill it with torpedoes!" Chen Shiying suppressed his inner excitement and issued an order to the fleet to use torpedoes to attack the still stubborn "Fuso". He had to admire the Japanese.
With such tenacity, the deck of the Japanese warship was almost submerged in the water, and it was still fighting back with the few small-caliber cannons on the ship.
The cruiser "Kunming" approached to a distance of less than three thousand meters from the "Fuso" and fired two torpedoes at the warship that was still lingering on the sea.
With several loud noises, the Japanese battleship disappeared on the water, leaving only a few burning debris on the sea. Along with the dispatched fleet, the "Liuzhou" and "Hengyang" destroyers turned on their searchlights on the water.
The Japanese sailors who fell into the water were searched and patrolled, and the main fleet of the Republic Navy was sorting and gathering the formation.
"Order the fleet to prepare to return!" Chen Shiying looked up at the twilight sky in the distance with some reluctance, and gave the order to return.
Night had come, and he did not want to take the risk of chasing Japanese deserters. The Japanese destroyers scurrying around at night were a great threat. The powerful Japanese Type 93 torpedo left a deep impression on him.
This was an almost perfect victory. Except for the heavily damaged "Shishang", this heavy cruiser tried to lead a cruiser detachment to use its speed to intercept the escaping "Nagato", but was intercepted by the Japanese "Fuso"
The two battleships "Yamashiro" and "Yamashiro" were severely attacked. The superstructure was almost collapsed, the two main gun turrets were blown up, and the bow of the ship was also cut off by a 360 shell.
Thanks to the Germans' sophisticated watertight compartment design, the battleship, which was severely damaged and took in as much as 2,000 tons of water, still staggered back to the base the next morning, accompanied by two cruisers, even though the speed had dropped to 15 knots.
But I can still persevere.
The Battle of Dongsha can be regarded as a very meaningful victory. The Republican Navy sank two Japanese battleships and two heavy cruisers at the cost of sacrificing 156 people, injuring 357 people, severely damaging a heavy cruiser, and slightly damaging two battleships.
The cruiser and a destroyer severely damaged two Japanese battleships and two heavy cruisers. This major result gave the Republic Navy, which had been suppressed by the Japanese navy since the Sino-Japanese War, finally a day of pride and pride.
On the fleet's return journey, at 3 a.m., the President of the Republic and the National Defense Council sent a congratulatory message to the fleet, congratulating the Republic Navy on its "historic victory."
As the navy celebrates its major victory, domestic calls for a "counterattack on Taiwan" are growing. The Republican Army is also sharpening its knives, stepping up training of landing troops and preparing transport ships. The whole Taiwan is in turmoil, and the Japanese are stepping up their defenses. Aircraft from both sides are flying.
Fierce battles take place over the strait almost every day.