Chapter 0729: Fearless unto Death

"Well done! We've taken out eight armored cruisers and nine protected cruisers of the island nation's navy. Coupled with the five capital ships sunk earlier, this marks an immense victory!" Rear Admiral Mauff, Chief of Staff of the German Expeditionary Fleet, beamed with satisfaction.

"Indeed! The total tonnage of enemy warships destroyed by us now exceeds hundreds of thousands of tons. In the annals of the past centuries, such a feat qualifies as a monumental triumph. Yet the battle is far from over. We shall sink even more of their ships," Vice Admiral Spee declared with unshakable confidence.

The Imperial Japanese Navy still retained 14 capital ships in its Combined Fleet. Letting them escape was out of the question for Vice Admiral Spee. Although, apart from the three remaining Kongō-class battlecruisers, the rest were antiquated pre-dreadnoughts. Nonetheless, even a mosquito has its meat! At this juncture, there was no room for pickiness.

Initially, Vice Admiral Spee intended to finish off all the cruisers before turning to the capital ships. However, circumstances now forced a change in strategy. The remaining four protected cruisers would have to be spared temporarily as the enemy's torpedo assault had commenced. Over 30 destroyers charged at the Expeditionary Fleet with reckless abandon.

"All ships, prepare to defend against the enemy torpedo attack! This is their last gambit—stand firm, and victory is ours!" Vice Admiral Spee commanded with a thunderous voice.

The Expeditionary Fleet's light cruisers and destroyers sprang into action, forming multiple defensive rings around the battlecruisers. The Japanese destroyers, weighing merely 300–400 tons each, were small and vulnerable. Even the 88mm guns on the German destroyers posed a mortal threat to them, let alone the 150mm main guns of the cruisers.

Though the combined tonnage of the enemy destroyers barely exceeded 10,000 tons—less than half that of a single battlecruiser—the Expeditionary Fleet treated the situation with utmost vigilance. They understood all too well that while the destroyers themselves were not formidable, the torpedoes they carried were deadly. Even the 450mm medium torpedoes could inflict catastrophic damage on a battlecruiser.

Every sailor manned their post with unrelenting focus. All available guns, from massive main batteries to 150mm secondary guns, 120mm rapid-firing guns, and 88mm quick-firing guns, were primed and aimed at the advancing enemy destroyers. Allowing even one of these vessels to approach the capital ships would spell disaster. The cruisers and destroyers were even prepared to sacrifice themselves by intercepting torpedoes meant for the fleet's main assets.

Such acts were common in naval warfare. Compared to capital ships, cruisers and destroyers were far cheaper. Their loss, though regrettable, would not significantly impact the German Navy's combat effectiveness. Conversely, the loss of a single battlecruiser would be a severe blow. Thus, the sacrificial strategy was deemed a reasonable trade-off.

"Fire!"

At the gunnery officer's command, the Mackensen-class battlecruiser unleashed its trio of triple-mounted 380mm guns.

The colossal shells hurtled through the air, slamming towards the oncoming Japanese destroyers.

However, using main guns against destroyers was far from ideal. While a single hit could obliterate these small vessels, achieving such precision against nimble targets proved challenging.

The battlecruiser's secondary 150mm guns, 120mm rapid-firing guns, and 88mm quick-firing guns roared to life as well, unleashing a storm of shells in an effort to sink the enemy destroyers before they could launch their torpedoes. Only by neutralizing the threat early could the fleet's capital ships be assured of safety.

The other battlecruisers joined the barrage, and the cacophony of gunfire grew deafening, like thunder rolling across the sea.

Boom after boom reverberated as the Mackensen and its escorting ships—a light cruiser and two destroyers—concentrated their fire. Perhaps due to its status as the flagship, the Mackensen became the primary target of four Japanese Kamikaze-class destroyers.

Amidst the cascading spray of water from missed shells, the destroyers pressed on like arrows loosed from a bowstring.

A 150mm shell struck the bow of the Hatsushimo, tearing a gaping hole in the hull of the 450-ton destroyer. Flames erupted from the damage, yet the ship continued its desperate charge.

"Push her faster! Once we close to 1,500 meters, launch the torpedoes!" Captain Takemasa Sabu shouted, undeterred by the inferno.

To achieve maximum speed, the boilers of the Hatsushimo were pushed to their limits, driving the decade-old vessel to a blistering 30 knots. The crew knew such strain could render the boilers irreparable, but none cared. Their sole focus was reaching the enemy's capital ships and launching their torpedoes, even if it meant the destruction of their own ship.

This suicidal resolve was shared by every captain in the Japanese Combined Fleet. Their determination to defeat the German Expeditionary Fleet left no room for hesitation, not even for their own lives.

A 380mm shell finally struck the Hatsushimo, vaporizing the vessel in a fiery explosion and taking Captain Takemasa's life with it.

The loss of the Hatsushimo did nothing to deter the remaining Japanese destroyers. On the contrary, it seemed to intensify their resolve. The Kamikaze, Miyuki, and Uzuki surged forward, braving the relentless German gunfire.

A 150mm shell smashed into the Kamikaze's conning tower, killing Captain Hayashi Kwan and the bridge officers. Yet, as though driven by sheer will, the destroyer pressed on without faltering.