Chapter 153: The Dingfeng-class Battleship Suffers Severe Damage!

"Why is it that after we destroyed one of their battery emplacements, their firepower has not only failed to decrease, but actually increased?" His voice was filled with astonishment and unease.

As shells continued to whistle through the air, water spouts surged up around the main fleet.

Watching the ever-increasing columns of water rising, the expressions of the enemy naval soldiers grew tense.

Although their eight primary battlecruisers possessed formidable firepower, their defensive capabilities were relatively fragile.

Once accurately hit by fortress artillery, they would face severe threats.

Just as Teshima Kazuto was intently studying the navigational charts, his flagship suddenly vibrated violently. Caught off guard, he tumbled to the floor, striking his head against a corner of the wall.

His forehead bled profusely, causing him to briefly lose consciousness.

The operations officer nearby wore a look of terror at the sight, hastily stepping forward to ask with concern, "Your Excellency the Captain, are you alright?" Teshima Kazuto was quickly tended to, his wound bandaged in a timely manner.

When he regained consciousness, his first question, delivered with a hazy gaze yet still fixed on the strategic situation, was, "What is the extent of the damage to our warships?"

"Reporting to Your Excellency the Captain, the stern deck of our warship was pierced by a shell, triggering an internal explosion." His voice revealed worry and tension, eager to grasp the severity of the battle situation.

Upon hearing the detailed report of the warship's damage, Teshima Kazuto acted swiftly, his eyes tense and resolute: "Immediately order the other two Fuso-class battleships to cover our retreat."

His voice was urgent, betraying anxiety over the current predicament. "If the enemy launches a bombardment against us at this moment, our situation will be extremely perilous!"

At that moment, the operations staff officer also sensed the urgency of the situation and immediately responded to Teshima Kazuto's command with a solemn expression: "Understood! Your Excellency the General, I am going to transmit the order right away!"

When Vice Admiral Koga received the news that the flagship of the First Battleship Division, the Teifeng-class battlecruiser, had sustained damage, an extremely gloomy expression overshadowed his face.

He knew deep down that the crucial force for this assault on Blue Island consisted of those four Fuso-class battleships. If any single Fuso-class battleship were to withdraw from combat, it would inevitably result in a significant reduction in firepower output.

His brow furrowed tightly as he pondered anxiously: "Currently, only one Fuso-class battleship needs to be withdrawn, but what if the other three also demand retreat due to minor damages? How can the battle possibly continue?"

Yet, Vice Admiral Koga could not prevent the Teifeng from retreating. The Teifeng was already in a damaged state; if it were forced to continue fighting and suffered catastrophic losses, he, as the fleet commander, would bear the ultimate responsibility.

His heart was filled with apprehension; he might even face the grave consequence of having to commit seppuku to atone for the failure.

The value of the Fuso-class battleships was immensely high, and as a mere fleet general officer, he knew he could not shoulder such a monumental responsibility.

Therefore, after weighing the pros and cons, Vice Admiral Koga had no choice but to approve the retreat of the Teifeng.

Although his decision was heavy, his gaze revealed a reluctant determination.

The withdrawal of the Teifeng-class battlecruiser became a pivotal turning point on the battlefield.

In the ensuing combat, the enemy fleet managed to destroy another coastal defense battery of the fortress, while two Kongo-class battlecruisers suffered severe damage and were forced to urgently withdraw from the battlefield.

This further exposed the weak defensive points of the Kongo-class battlecruisers.

Despite their powerful firepower, once directly struck by shells, these battlecruisers would suffer grievous harm.

Seeing his fleet lose two more battlecruisers, Vice Admiral Koga wore a tense and solemn expression. Feeling the crushing pressure, he had no choice but to issue a temporary order to retreat.

Currently, the South Island fortress possessed a total of six coastal defense battery groups, three of which had already been destroyed.

Vice Admiral Koga decided that the remaining three battery emplacements could wait until tomorrow for an attack, which would also allow the naval officers and men to get some necessary rest.

After all, after a full day of artillery duel, the soldiers appeared thoroughly exhausted.

His voice betrayed fatigue and heaviness, and his eyes were filled with deep contemplation.

Meanwhile, Jiang Bai secretly instructed Shen Honglie to lead the navy in a covert surprise attack.

Although the available naval force was very weak, consisting of only twenty Phantom-class submarines, these submersibles had already arrived in the waters near the fortress before the outbreak of the war.

To avoid enemy detection, they had been hiding in a deep-sea fishing port in the northern part of South Island.

When the enemy's Third Fleet began its formal assault on Blue Island, the submarine force had already headed toward Blue Island.

Regrettably, the movement speed of the submarines was simply too slow.

Before the enemy's Third Fleet chose to initiate a retreat, Shen Honglie's submarine fleet had not yet reached Blue Island. Although they missed the opportunity for direct engagement, Shen Honglie did not consider this a major problem.

Lieutenant Commander Zhou Hang noticed Shen Honglie's displeasure and attempted to offer a suggestion, his voice carrying a slight tone of persuasion: "General, shall we choose another target for attack? There is still plenty of time, and we can select leisurely."

A flash of impatience crossed Shen Honglie's eyes as he responded tensely: "There isn't much time left now. Looking at these bastards, I'm absolutely furious! I truly wish I could drag all of them down to the bottom of the water!"

Just as the two were discussing, a sudden, deafening roar interrupted their conversation, causing a vibration inside the submarine and instantly bringing expressions of surprise and tension to both of their faces.

As a muffled explosion echoed across the sea surface, a dazzling ball of fire erupted from the port side of an enemy naval warship.

Even from a distance of over ten kilometers, the shocking flash of fire remained clearly visible.

Shen Honglie's complexion immediately turned angry and excited, and he cursed through gritted teeth: "These beasts actually dare to open fire first, how utterly impudent!"

As he spoke, he swiftly issued the order: "Order the torpedo crew to launch torpedoes immediately! We must sink this armored cruiser rapidly!"

Clearly, during the brief moment of his hesitation, some of the submarines had already taken action.

This meant Submarine No. 1 could no longer wait. If they delayed any further, once the enemy discovered the position of Submarine No. 1, not only would attacking the enemy warship become a hopeless endeavor, but they might also find themselves tightly surrounded by enemy destroyers with no way out.

Shen Honglie's brow furrowed tightly as he gave the firm and urgent command: "Commence torpedo launch!"

As the torpedo crew pressed the firing button, two 600mm heavy torpedoes shot out from the bow of Submarine No. 1, rapidly closing in on the armored cruiser Wunan.

At that moment, the enemy sailors aboard the Wunan were still oblivious to the impending crisis.

Observing the fiery glow in the sky, their expressions mingled with confusion and curiosity as they chattered among themselves: "Baka, what on earth has happened? Why are our ships exploding?"

"Could it have struck a reef?"

One sailor replied half-in-credulity: "Are you drunk? We are in the deep sea, how could we possibly strike a reef?"

Another said with unease: "Could this be an ambush?"

"But in these waters, we have no enemy forces whatsoever!"

Before the sailors could figure out the situation, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted right beneath their feet!

Immediately afterward, the deck rapidly bulged and split open, swallowed up by a massive fireball.

The rumbling explosions continued one after another, and the sailors who were still engaging in leisure activities on the deck saw their expressions transform from panic to despair. Instantly surrounded by the towering inferno, they did not even have the chance to cry for help before being reduced directly to ashes.