Chapter 155: "The Changting requests permission to withdraw from the battle line and return for repairs!"

At this moment, the enemy's Third Fleet had fallen into complete chaos, presenting an extraordinary opportunity to inflict a devastating blow upon their naval forces.

Among a relatively modest naval strength, the attack capabilities of the submarine fleet stood out with particular prominence, rendering it difficult for the enemy to easily violate these waters, as though they were private domains.

With its torpedoes reloaded, Submarine Number One sailed slowly through the dark sea, resembling a hungry, predatory beast silently hunting for prey in the shroud of night.

Having already sunk an armored cruiser, Shen Honglie craved an even greater victory and was determined to send a battleship to the bottom of the sea.

Meanwhile, aboard the enemy battleship Fuso, the command headquarters of the Third Fleet had descended into a state of extreme disarray.

Over the past ten minutes, they had received a succession of frantic reports regarding multiple vessels struck by torpedoes, involving cruisers, destroyers, and even battleships, while the identity of the assailant remained a complete mystery.

"Reporting to the General Officer, the Wunan has completely sunk. The crew is struggling to escape, but the enemy's sustained attacks prevent us from mounting any rescue operations!"

The expression on Lieutenant General Xiaoying’s face was grim to the extreme. This was unquestionably the most severe loss they had suffered in recent years, surpassing even the casualties sustained in prior engagements with the Xiongchao navy.

A flash of despair crossed his eyes, his heart filled with profound anxiety and burning fury.

"Your Excellency the General Officer, the battleship Changting has been struck by four torpedoes, and her hull is taking on water rapidly!"

"The Changting requests permission to withdraw from the battle line and return for repairs!"

Before the communications officer could finish, Lieutenant General Xiaoying nodded, his expression severe as he granted permission:

"Order them to disengage from combat immediately, provided they still possess the capability to maneuver!"

Today's combat situation was exceptionally perilous.

As the Changting attempted to withdraw, her hull was unfortunately struck by another two torpedoes.

The ship’s waterline armor was blown wide open, and seawater rushed in like a torrential rapid. Shortly thereafter, a violent explosion ripped through the internal ammunition magazine, breaking the vessel directly in two by the sheer force of the blast. The crew were plunged into disaster before they even had time to react.

Even though the battleship Fuso was stationed several kilometers away from the battlefield, the terrifying shockwave and searing heat were still palpable.

"General Officer, the Changting has been subjected to a barrage of enemy torpedoes and has completely..."

Before the sentence was finished, Lieutenant General Xiaoying angrily waved his hand to interrupt, his face turning livid.

"What! Do you take me for a blind man? My eyes still function!"

He sneered, "With the fire blazing this brightly, do you suppose it is possible for me to miss it?"

In the midst of his speech, Lieutenant General Xiaoying roared in fury:

"Who on earth are they? Do they dare to face us openly? We fight a righteous and honorable battle!"

At that exact moment, the alarm klaxons aboard the Fuso blared suddenly, and cries of panic echoed throughout the entire vessel.

Sailors standing on the deck turned pale as death, pointing toward the dark sea and screaming in terror:

"Torpedoes! Look! Several high-speed torpedoes are approaching the port side!"

Accompanied by their screams, several massive searchlights switched on instantly, illuminating the rapidly approaching torpedoes leaving trails of bubbles in their wake.

Watching these torpedoes loom larger by the second, Lieutenant General Xiaoying’s pupils constricted, and he shouted at the top of his lungs with every ounce of his strength:

"Hard a-starboard! Emergency evasive maneuver!"

The Changting had already vanished beneath the waves; should the Fuso suffer the same fate,

then for them, ritual disembowelment would no longer offer release, and not even turning to ashes could wash away the stain of such disgrace.

As Lieutenant General Xiaoying’s commands were relayed with utmost urgency, the Fuso initiated emergency maneuvers, struggling to evade the incoming lethal torpedoes through a sharp turn.

Yet for a colossal warship nearly two hundred meters in length, moving at a mere fourteen knots, attempting to dodge torpedoes hurtling at an astonishing speed of eighty knots was practically an impossible mission.

The torpedoes closed in swiftly, visible now within a mere hundred-meter radius.

The enemy sailors wore expressions of utter terror and panic, shouting to one another across the deck:

"Good God! Where did more torpedoes come from!"

"Get out of the way! We're all going to die!"

"Jump overboard! Jump into the water and save yourselves!"

Amidst the panicked cries of the crew, a six-hundred-millimeter heavy torpedo struck the battleship Fuso with pinpoint precision, hitting three meters below the waterline.

The violent impact detonated the internal explosives via the torpedo fuse. A deafening roar erupted instantly, and the ferocious energy of the blast brutally tore through the lower protective armor of the Fuso.

The explosion created a massive breach nearly three meters high and five meters wide, through which torrents of seawater surged madly into the interior of the Fuso.

Fortunately, another torpedo missed its target due to an excessively wide launch angle and the Fuso’s frantic evasive turns.

Had it hit, this single secondary attack would have been enough to send the already grievously wounded Fuso straight to the bottom.

Meanwhile, inside Submarine Number One, Executive Officer Zhou Hang peered through the periscope and reported the success with surging excitement.

His face beamed with the joy of victory:

"One torpedo has struck the enemy vessel! Just one more, and the enemy ship is certain to sink!"

Shen Honglie’s expression was a mixture of tension and anticipation as he asked urgently:

"Do we have any reserve heavy torpedoes left?"

"If we do, reload immediately.

A single hit has severely crippled the enemy," his voice carried absolute resolve and urgency, fully aware of the critical importance of a follow-up strike.

"One more, and we will send the enemy ship straight to the ocean floor!" Shen Honglie’s voice resonated with determination and unshakeable confidence, his steadfast gaze seemingly witnessing the enemy's impending doom.

"No matter how fortunate the enemy might be, a blow of this magnitude is enough to force that capital ship into dry dock for months!"

The nearby torpedo specialist responded promptly, his expression earnest, his voice laced with nervous excitement: "Reporting to the General, we still have torpedoes remaining. There is another one waiting in the stern tube."

"A total of two heavy torpedoes are available for use," he added.

Hearing the torpedo specialist's report, Shen Honglie waved his hand to give the order, his expression growing even more resolute: "Load the first torpedo immediately and prepare to fire!"

"Then use the stern tubes to target the enemy ship and deliver the coup de grâce!" His tone brooked no argument and radiated absolute authority.

"If both of these torpedoes strike true, sinking the enemy vessel is an absolute certainty!"

As Shen Honglie issued the new combat directives, the crew of Submarine Number One sprang back into motion with practiced efficiency.

Following roughly fifteen minutes of tense reloading operations, the first heavy torpedo was settled into the bow launch tube.

"Reporting to the General, the torpedo is loaded and ready to fire!" The crew members spoke in tones tight with tension and expectation.

Without a moment's hesitation, Shen Honglie gave the order, the fires of battle blazing in his eyes: "Fire!"

Accompanied by a heavy, muffled roar, the heavy torpedo was propelled swiftly out of the launch tube by compressed air, racing directly toward the battleship Fuso.

Simultaneously, Shen Honglie barked out instructions: "Alter course immediately! Bring the stern tubes to bear on the enemy ship!" His voice was urgent and decisive.

Submarine Number One executed a sharp, emergency turn.

During this maneuver, the torpedo launched from the bow struck the Fuso dead-center, tearing another gaping hole beneath her waterline.

As the turn completed, the second torpedo was discharged, hurtling toward the target at a breathtaking speed of eighty knots.

Less than a minute later, with a deafening explosion, the Fuso’s ammunition magazine took a direct hit, triggering a cataclysmic blast.

The already severely damaged and listing battleship Fuso was blasted in two, slipping slowly beneath the dark waves.

Shortly thereafter, leaking heavy fuel oil ignited, creating a magnificent sea of fire that illuminated the surrounding waters for hundreds of meters.