Seven Seas Beacon Fire

"These two battlecruisers in front of us have absolutely no actual combat capability." Lin Zhiyuan shook his head, probably feeling ashamed that he had such a foolish staff officer under his command: "So, we tricked these two ships out of the way by putting on an act?"

"Yes, the results are even better than we expected. This was originally just a backup plan, to trick them into revealing these two slow-moving ships. That way, even if we couldn't catch up with the two battlecruisers, we could still make an example of them without exposing our navy's top secrets."

Their goal was to make the people of Yingzhou believe they were truly protected by the Yingzhou navy, but we know they don't actually have that capability.

Chapter 270 They fought! They fought! They fought! (1)

When Kuroki Takeshi received the distress telegram from the battlecruiser Atago, he excitedly pumped his fist in front of the other officers of the garrison fleet, whose faces were filled with worry.

Such a move naturally aroused the doubts and confusion of the other officers and men on the bridge - the two battlecruisers that Yingzhou had spent a lot of money (relative to their own economic strength) to buy were now being chased by what was probably the most powerful battleship in the world. How could the commander laugh in the face of such a terrible situation?

Does Your Excellency Commander possess some secret to victory? Does the garrison fleet harbor some previously unseen secret weapon?

Kuroki Gouichi put his hands behind his back, a confident smile on his face, and looked like he had victory in his grasp: "Gentlemen, today will be a brand new festival for the garrison fleet. What we are celebrating is not that we have gained two more precious and powerful capital ships to join our fleet, but that we will show the world today the courage and spirit of our Yamato people!"

Today, we have more than 30 journalists from no fewer than six countries aboard our warship. We are going to show our prowess to these friendly journalists. We are not facing a powerful and invincible opponent. The ancient country to our west is now long since decayed, and they are trying to intimidate us with their last two fangs.

However, we have seen through their bluster. I know some of you fear they will launch a strong interception operation against us, but I can tell you today that this will not happen. If the Tang Empire truly had such a resolute attitude, we would not have acquired four capital ships before! A cannon without the courage to fire is powerless!

"Our Yingzhou is destined to build a powerful navy in the future with the help of our allies. These two battlecruisers are not the end, but only a brand new beginning for the expansion of our garrison fleet. Our Colombian and Victorian allies possess a large number of high-performance and cost-effective warships. We will continue to take the sword from our allies and use these ships to defend the hard-won independence of Yingzhou!"

Kuroki Gotsuki's speech was very powerful and persuasive. Although it was a little less impactful than that of a certain art student who failed the college entrance exam, Kuroki Gotsuki had already learned to use some hand gestures to accompany his speech.

This is what a naturally gifted player is like.

As he finished speaking, the other Yingzhou naval officers also started to applaud. Most of them had an "I see" look on their faces. At this moment, their applause was enthusiastic and their expressions were excited, as if the rise of Yingzhou and the glorious future were right in front of them.

Although a few officers still looked hesitant, everyone was basically clapping. It was as if someone was about to play a song like "I came from Shandong, to give you a snow-white dress, and to eat Cantonese food" on a speaker. So, they could only join in the clapping.

At this moment, a senior colonel in the bridge, dressed in the uniform of the Yingzhou Garrison Fleet but with a somewhat Western appearance, approached Kuroki Takeshi, who was in high spirits, and bluntly expressed his desire to go over there with the admiral of the Yingzhou Garrison Fleet to have a talk.

Such behavior is almost unimaginable in the strictly hierarchical Yingzhou garrison fleet. Not to mention senior colonels and generals, even those of the same rank would probably get slapped if a junior didn't treat his senior with enough respect.

However, Kuroki Gouji did not show any displeasure on his face, because the person in front of him was actually one of the naval instructors sent to Yingzhou by the United States of Colombia.

Although the Yingzhou Navy had some foundation, firstly, they did not previously possess dreadnought-class ships, and secondly, the current size of the Yingzhou garrison fleet has increased significantly compared to the past. These rapidly expanding naval officers and soldiers naturally require more training and guidance.

After all, they can no longer expect to send soldiers to study in the Tang Dynasty to acquire high-quality professionals, so they naturally have to rely on the instructors of the Colombian Navy.

Among the instructors sent by the Colombian Navy, this instructor named Harrison was the most special. He was half Taiwanese and half Chinese. Although he had some Western features, he still looked more like an Eastern man. Thus, this Colombian Navy lieutenant, who had no language problems, was quick-witted, and had excellent professional skills, was sent to Taiwan.

Of course, after arriving in Yingzhou, all of these instructors were uniformly granted the rank of senior colonel, which was obviously to make it easier for them to manage the naval officers and soldiers under their command.

After Harrison and Kuroki arrived at a corner of the bridge, Harrison went straight to the point: "Commander, I hope you understand that the terms signed between our country and your country do not include assisting the other party in engaging in direct armed conflict with the Tang Empire's navy—no matter which side initiates the conflict, we absolutely cannot intervene. This is an order issued by the military a while ago, and we must carry it out."

Harrison's words made Kuroki Takeshi's expression turn slightly unpleasant. At such a critical juncture, Harrison, as a representative figure among the fleet's instructors, said that no matter which side started the conflict, they, as front-line instructors, would absolutely not participate in the war. That was essentially a clear indication that he wanted to distance himself from the situation and avoid liability.

“Our gunners are confident they can take down the target.” Kuroki Takeshi pretended not to understand. “And I think if all goes well, we won’t even need to use artillery.”

"I hope your enemy will act as you expect." Seeing that he couldn't persuade the fleet commander in front of him, Harrison could only leave after saying this.

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The main force of the Yingzhou garrison fleet had a very lively journey ahead, especially on the battleship Amaterasu, where dozens of journalists from various countries strolled around and visited various places after leaving port.

For journalists these days, even something as trivial as defecating in a battleship's toilet can be news, since no one has ever reported on it before; it's a completely new field.

Unbeknownst to these reporters, two battlecruisers and two battleships to their north were engaged in a chase, with the two battlecruisers gradually increasing their speed to 25 knots to widen the gap between them. Then, they slowed down to 23 knots because, after creating some distance, the two battlecruisers had to reduce their speed to conserve fuel. Otherwise, if they were to break down at the entrance to Edo Bay, it would be a real mess.

After several hours of this mutual approach, the reporters were told they could proceed to the navigation bridge, where the garrison commander, Takeshi Kuroki, was located. Based on the telegrams exchanged between the two ships since their last meeting, it was now confirmed that they were not far apart.

In this situation, he did not give the order for the officers and soldiers in the five turrets to lift up the armor-piercing shells and propellant packs. He was currently directing several servicemen to clean up the bridge of the ship.

This was clearly part of the reception for journalists from various countries; today, Kuroki Takeshi was determined to turn his battleships into an excellent propaganda stage.

As the sailors led the reporters onto the bridge of the HMS King, these reporters, who were taking pictures of the magnificent sight of the ship's bow cutting through the waves, could never have imagined what an unforgettable day they were about to experience.

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P.S.: I'm so sleepy I can't stay awake any longer, so I'll stop here for now and wait until tomorrow to start fighting.

Chapter 271 They fought! They fought! They fought! (2)

As a battleship built in the 10s, although the King-class battleships were designed with the necessary flagship facilities in mind from the beginning, the style of the Leitanian warships at that time was that of a "Malaysian cerebellum".

Because the bridge, mainmast, and forward funnel are connected, although the superstructure of Letanian warships still looks beautiful and symmetrical, the bridge space is actually relatively small compared to other countries, only slightly better than the battleships of the Kingdom of Syracuse or the Empire of Ursus.

Therefore, when dozens of reporters poured into the bridge of the ship, the space inside, while not as crowded as an early morning subway line like a sardine can, was at least as crowded as a traditional secondary school classroom in the compulsory education stage.

In addition, some reporters with cameras had already set up tripods inside the bridge, which naturally made people feel even more cramped inside.

Harrison had sensed something was wrong from the beginning, and now seeing Kuroki Takeshi bring all these reporters to the bridge, he felt even more uneasy. He really didn't understand what these Japanese were thinking. Even though he had half Japanese blood, he couldn't understand how they could bring unauthorized people to the bridge during combat.

He immediately approached Kuroki Takeshi again: "When you say you don't need to use naval guns, do you mean to cram a bunch of irrelevant people into the bridge? The current navigation bridge is almost losing its normal tactical function!"

Facing this instructor who was half Colombian and half Japanese, Kuroki Takeshi remained silent for a moment before revealing his signature fake smile: "Colonel Harris, haven't you realized yet that those people you mentioned who are hindering command are actually the real audience for our grand show today?"

"A big show?" Harris frowned slightly. "Did you anticipate being intercepted by the Tang Empire's navy today?"

"Yes, the two battlecruisers were exposed shortly after passing through the Central American Canal. For some reason, the Tang Empire's cruisers appeared in the Chilean Navy's port."

"Why didn't you inform us of these circumstances?!" Harrison was truly furious, partly because of the unprofessional behavior of these Yingzhou naval officers and soldiers, and partly because they dared to suppress such important information.

"Why do you think we haven't informed your country of these circumstances?" Kuroki Takeshi's rhetorical question completely baffled Harrison.

"What did you say?"

"Why do you think we haven't informed your country of this situation?" Kuroki Takeshi said, "Our country is small and poor. It's not easy for all the citizens to come up with the foreign exchange to buy these two battlecruisers. Of course, we don't want anything to happen to these two ships, so we requested your navy to send warships to accompany them, but we were refused. Therefore, I think your naval leadership must know about this situation, but why you don't know... that's not something I can answer."

Harrison's facial muscles twitched slightly. Even without being asked, he could guess why—the higher-ups were unwilling to send a fleet to accompany and escort them because they didn't want to take political risks. However, the higher-ups also hoped that Yingzhou and the others could obtain these warships. The Colombian naval instructors, including himself, were very important to the combat effectiveness of this garrison fleet. So, naturally, they treated him and his men as high-end consumables.

You don't need to know so much about consumables.

Of course, the United States of Colombia might also believe that the Tang Empire will not resort to violence this time.

Just as the two were arguing, a gasp of surprise came from the bridge behind them, followed by a series of camera shutter clicks.

The two men first looked at the excited reporters on the bridge of the ship, and then followed their fingers to look north. On the distant, somewhat gray waterline, a figure painted with black smoke columns had emerged.

Kuroki Takeshi remained standing on the flybridge, gazing into the distance, while Harrison quickly moved to the fixed high-powered telescopes on either side of the bridge to observe the distant ship's silhouette—a wave-piercing ram-type bow with a somewhat retro feel, negative-backed main guns at the bow, three funnels (two large and one small), and a turret sandwiched between the two large funnels…

Without a doubt, the only ships in the world with such a layout are the Lion-class battlecruisers of the Royal Navy of Victoria. These two battlecruisers, which the Colombian government and Yingzhou had been planning for a long time and whose return journey had been full of twists and turns, were finally about to reach their destination. However, after Harrison confirmed the two battlecruisers through his binoculars, he did not look away, but continued to stare intently at the horizon behind them.

In the telegram, they learned that two Longyuan-class battleships were pursuing the two battlecruisers. Because the two battlecruisers were running low on fuel, they could only maintain a speed comparable to their opponents, so the situation was quite critical.

Sure enough, Harrison didn't have to wait long. Two even more imposing giant ships then emerged from the horizon, with the same negative-back turrets, thicker triangular masts, two funnels, and the same split camouflage pattern that was common in the wartime navy of the Ming Dynasty. These were indeed the posthumous offspring of the Ming Dynasty's Royal Navy, and now the most powerful trump card in the hands of the Tang Dynasty's Royal Navy, the renowned Longyuan-class battleships.

"The smoke from the Tang Empire's Longyuan-class battleships is less than we imagined," Kuroki Takeshi's words drifted on the wind from a short distance away. Harrison naturally picked up on his words: "It's probably because they use all-oil-fired boilers. The Queen Elizabeth-class battleships of the Royal Navy of Victoria don't produce much smoke even when sailing at full speed."

Regardless of the circumstances, things have come to this point. To paraphrase a Chinese saying, "Since we're already here," even if there are any grievances, we must now work together.

"What should we do next, General?" Harrison deliberately emphasized the word "General," clearly indicating his serious doubts about the abilities of the high-ranking officers of the Yingzhou Navy, represented by Kuroki.

Kuroki Takeshi simply smiled and then gave the order: "Of course, continue forward. After intersecting with the Atago formation, turn around and use us to separate the Atago formation from the Tang Empire battleship formation behind it."

The Yingzhou naval officers who heard the order did not immediately pass it on. Instead, they all turned their attention to Harrison, the instructor of the United States Navy, who was the true soul and core of the Amaterasu battleship.

"Is it really that simple?" Harrison asked.

“It’s that simple.” Kuroki nodded in confirmation: “Once we’ve completed the turn, we can hand the reins over to these reporters.”

Harrison finally understood that people like Kuroki Takeshi were treating the warship's return to the country as a political event. Since it was a political event, it naturally needed to be resolved through political means.

The journalists invited aboard the ship were presumably there to capture photos that the Yingzhou government wanted to see, which would then be used to accuse the Tang Empire of "bullying small countries" and "trampling on freedom of navigation," thereby garnering sympathy and support for Yingzhou in the international community, and to unite the people domestically and suppress the pro-China faction within the country who were "devoted to China."

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"Did you see that, Editor-in-Chief? The two King-class battleships of the Yingzhou Navy are turning around; they're going to use their bodies to separate the two battleships and two battlecruisers of the Tang Empire!"

Thomson, who was excitedly observing through binoculars from the mast of the four-person yacht, said to the editor-in-chief, who was personally steering below, "We're still a bit too far away. If we could get closer... I think we could definitely take more stunning shots. Damn it, I'm increasingly convinced that I should still board that battleship. How can I give up the best first-hand photos for safety reasons?"

You could sense Thomson's regret from his tone, because what was happening on the sea was exhilarating. The weak and young Yingzhou naval officers and soldiers were now operating two battleships, and after making a 180-degree turn at sea, they bravely blocked the two battleships of the Tang Dynasty Royal Navy and the two battlecruisers that were being pursued.

Any bystander witnessing this lesson would have their mind filled with stories of the weak and brave fighting against the powerful villains. Especially considering that Yingzhou had been a vassal state of China for hundreds of years before this, it added a sense of rebellion against its "father" to the Westerners.

The distance between the two King-class battleships of the Yingzhou garrison fleet and the two Longyuan-class battleships was less than 8 kilometers and was gradually closing in. A dozen years ago, this distance might have been considered the range of long-range artillery battles in the pre-dreadnought era, but now, it was no different from the distance of lining up for a shot. The fire control system of the dreadnoughts could ensure considerable hits at such a distance.

At this moment, a total of 6 capital ships were sailing down the eastern coastline of Honshu Island. The two battlecruisers continued to maintain a speed of 23 knots, and Ryuen followed at a speed of about 23 knots. Only the two King-class battleships could only maintain a speed of 21 knots.

In fact, the King-class battleship's three propellers could output a total of more than 43,000 horsepower, but the King, which was not particularly large in tonnage, could only maintain a speed of slightly more than 21 knots. In comparison, the Iron Duke-class battleship, with only 29,000 horsepower, could also reach 21 knots. In fact, almost all of the large capital ships of the Leitanian Empire had this "waste of horsepower" situation. This was actually due to the improper layout of the three-shaft propellers, coupled with the problem of the hull lines of the Leitanian Empire's capital ships.

However, it is a fact that the two King-class battleships are slower than the other two types of warships. After turning, they were originally positioned between the Dragon Abyss and the Division-class battlecruiser. Now, the distance between the two sides is gradually closing from the initial 8 kilometers. Although the distance between the two sides is getting closer and closer, Blackwood is obviously not prepared to make any concessions.

He continued to maintain his current course and direction. If the Tang Empire wanted to pursue them, they would either have to go around them or ram them. Since the speeds of both sides were similar, if they chose to go around them, they might never catch up with the two battlecruisers. If they rammed them... that might be exactly what Kuroki wanted.

When he went to war today, he brought his family's heirloom sword with him. He was prepared to commit seppuku if he failed. In China, this would be comparable to carrying a coffin into battle.

Despite the approaching Dragon Abyss, Heimu remained completely unmoved. He was determined to stand in the current flight path and refuse to back down. Although the Tang Empire had called him twice over the radio, demanding that he immediately clear the way, Heimu simply instructed his men to reply that they had the freedom to navigate the route. Clearly, he had no intention of yielding.

Thomson and his party, who were observing all this from a distance, suddenly noticed that the four 420mm main guns of the Longyuan battleship had begun to slowly rotate, and these four awe-inspiring giant turrets had pointed their dark gun barrels at the Tianzhao battleship. This rather aggressive behavior was undoubtedly a threat signal being sent by the Tang Dynasty Royal Navy.

However, the King-class battleship in response also turned around its five twin 330mm turrets and pointed its guns at the other side without showing any weakness.

Thomson excitedly started pressing the shutter. This thrilling scene was hard for any reporter to resist. Perhaps everyone in the world subconsciously enjoys watching the underdog triumph over the strong. In addition, given the hostile relationship between Columbia and East Asia in this war, Harrison subconsciously preferred to see the Japanese achieve "victory" in such a standoff.

Moreover, it seems that when the Longyuan's cannons were turned around, the Tianzhao battleship quickly turned all 10 of its cannons around as well. This decisive response seemed to demonstrate their determination. The two battleships of the Tang Empire and the two battleships of the Yingzhou Navy maintained this standoff posture of pointing their cannons at each other's heads as they sailed south.

Meanwhile, the light cruisers accompanying both sides maintained a standoff at sea in almost the same manner.

"They won't just stay like this all the way to Edo Bay, will they?" Harrison wondered, seeing them getting closer and closer to Edo Bay, especially the two lead battlecruisers. In less than an hour, these two battlecruisers would enter Yingzhou's territorial waters. For the officers and men of the Yingzhou navy, victory was truly within reach...

However, at that moment, the battleship Ryuuen issued its third signal to the battleship Amaterasu to move aside. But this time, just as the battleship Amaterasu refused, the dazzling flashes of fire from the gun barrels extending from the broadside of the Ryuuen quickly drew everyone's attention.

"Hit! Hit! Hit!"

Thomson shouted excitedly, "The Tang Empire's battleships have opened fire!"

It wasn't a salute between two warships, nor were they small-caliber cannons used to shoot at floating objects, or even medium-caliber naval guns used to attack destroyers and cruisers.

The Tang Empire's battleships immediately opened fire on the Amaterasu battleship with their large 420mm naval guns at a distance of less than 4 kilometers. Thomson thought he had already captured enough explosive news by sailing with his editor-in-chief today, but he didn't expect to have an unexpected gain today!

Chapter 272 Otherwise, we'll send you to see Mazu!

"The first target ship of the King-class battleship of the Yingzhou Army responded with a light signal: 'We are conducting freedom of navigation in international waters. Your side has no right to interfere. Please keep a safe distance from us.'"

On the bridge of the battleship Longyuan, the navigator quickly reported the light signal sent by the Yingzhou Navy. Just now, the Longyuan broke the silence and sent a clear warning with light signals to the two King-class battleships of the Yingzhou Navy that appeared in front of them and completed their turn. The warning demanded that the Yingzhou Navy abandon its actions that increase regional instability and undermine regional peace, and immediately stop for inspection.

Such a request was naturally rejected immediately. However, after the Longyuan received the response signal from the battleship Amaterasu, both Lin Zhiyuan and Xu Yueming found the reply from these island nation dwarfs somewhat laughable.

“We’re telling them that their current actions are increasing regional instability and violating the spirit of the treaty negotiated in the past, and what do they talk to us about freedom of navigation?” Lin Zhiyuan’s expression was full of sarcasm. “Did these people from Yingzhou not study Chinese class well? If my son wrote an essay like this, he would definitely get a spanking from the teacher for going off-topic.”

"Exactly! We're right next to their territorial waters right now. Even if we're going to bring up freedom of navigation, shouldn't they be the ones protesting to us, and then we're the ones explaining that we have the right to freedom of navigation? They've got it all backwards!"

The captain of the Longyuan was from Xuchang and was one of the few people on the ship who couldn't speak Mandarin well and had a heavy local accent. Therefore, he was usually taciturn, but it seems that he was amused by Yingzhou's prank.

“Since they’re avoiding the main issues, it means they know what they’re hiding.” Lin Zhiyuan shook his head and then turned his gaze to Xu Yueming, who was currently examining the charts that the staff officer had just marked, showing the routes of other friendly ships, including their own, as well as the Yingzhou Navy ships.

“Lieutenant Colonel Xu!” Lin Zhiyuan called out his name: “Regarding the replies from these Yingzhou people, do you think we need to use stronger language to warn them?”

Xu Yueming felt that this Colonel Lin either valued him and wanted to test him, or he disliked him and wanted to make things difficult for him. He was not sure which one it was, but it was obvious that a major general did not need to pay so much attention to a lieutenant colonel like him and mention him for every little thing. Even if I was temporarily transferred to your ship, it was not necessary.

"If you deem it necessary, sir, I think even using profanity is acceptable," Xu Yueming casually saluted. "We're here specifically to cause trouble, so there's no need for 'please.' Of course, there are even more direct and effective methods..."

"A more direct and effective method?"

"Body language is often more effective than words. Sir, you can just point the guns at them and then we'll be able to see how determined the Yingzhou Navy is."

Xu Yueming's words seemed to please Lin Zhiyuan, because everyone on the bridge could see the major general nod in satisfaction. Then everyone saw Lin Zhiyuan turn to the captain and say, "Did you hear what Lieutenant Colonel Xu just said? Do as he said. Aim our main guns at King 1, and notify the Dragon Gang behind to aim their main guns at King 2."

Upon hearing this, the captain looked at Xu Yueming and then at Lin Zhiyuan. Although many people on the warship had already made guesses and were mentally prepared before departure, it seemed that this time they were really serious!

"Do we need to load shells?" he asked a question that sounded somewhat obvious.

"Of course," Lin Zhiyuan said.

"So, do you need us to load armor-piercing rounds or semi-armor-piercing rounds?"

"A semi-armor-piercing shell?" Lin Zhiyuan was slightly taken aback. Then he looked at the silhouettes of the two King-class battleships outside the window. Then he looked at the captain's seemingly innocent eyes. How could he not understand what the captain meant?

Based on available information, although the King-class battleships had excellent protection, they were still designed with full protection, with a 200mm upper armor belt above the 350mm main armor belt, and more than 100mm of gun case armor above that.

These medium-thickness armors were primarily designed to prevent deck-washing by concentrated fire. After all, these designs on battleships before the outbreak of war were still products of the previous era's naval warfare experience. The battleships and armored cruisers of the late pre-dreadnought era had basically developed the deck-washing tactic to its peak and extreme.

Although in theory, dreadnoughts could deal with these previous-era adversaries from a distance, the designers were always worried about close-quarters combat. Therefore, they continued to use some of the armor protection design experience from the previous era to arrange large-area protective zones. As a result, in this world war, it was proven that most of these armors were ineffective – they were not thick enough to withstand medium-caliber shells, and they could not withstand large-caliber shells.

Of course, this excludes the early shells of the Victorian Empire; those junk shells often couldn't even penetrate the upper armor belt of a Leitanian Empire warship.

However, the distance between the two sides is now so close that they can almost see the faces of the people on the bridge of the other ship through binoculars. This distance is even close to the point that the torpedoes of the Dragon Abyss and the King can probably reach each other. Yes, battleships in this era still have torpedoes. Although the Dragon Abyss has eliminated the underwater torpedo tubes, it still retains two surface torpedo rotating tubes due to design inertia. The King-class battleships have fixed underwater torpedo tubes on the bow and both sides.

At such a distance, if an engagement were to occur, the trajectories of the large-caliber guns would be very flat. In terms of the projected area of ​​the shells, it is highly likely that the upper part of the ship and the superstructure would "catch" the shells.

The armor in these areas is not thick, and the 420mm semi-armor-piercing projectiles of the Longyuan-class should be able to penetrate them. The semi-armor-piercing projectiles with larger explosive charges can also kill the crew inside the ship to the greatest extent.