Chapter 135 against the horse

"The sailor! Line up for tea!"

At 1:20 a.m., according to the practice left during the tropical voyage, such an order was issued on every warship of the Second Pacific Fleet.

The tea prepared for the crew was packed in a huge copper teapot. The sailors held porcelain cups in their hands and waited in line to drink at various tea spots, but most of them did not have time to drink tea, or had no chance to drink tea.

Five minutes later, the main force of the Japanese Combined Fleet has appeared on the starboard side of the Second Pacific Fleet, and the number of Japanese fleet is increasing. Russian sailors can see it with the naked eye. The Japanese fleet is advancing in columns and trying to block their way.

All the Japanese warships are coming towards the Second Pacific Fleet of the two columns. In terms of speed, the Japanese warship has an absolute advantage. Looking at the high-speed ships, even idiots know that it is impossible to avoid this battle. At this point, naval and land battles are completely different.

When fighting on land, soldiers can escape to pits, valleys or woods, but there is no cover at sea. Everything will be exposed to people. On land, the commander does not have to go to the front line in person, but at sea, the commander has to watch the battle and share all the dangers.

And the flagship is the preferred target. When a warship sinks, people don't have time to put down the lifeboat. At that time, a person's life depends entirely on personal agility, personal physical strength and swimming skills. Of course, the most important thing is courage. After all, not everyone can swim in the sea of gunfire. SurVing. At that time, a young sailor had more hope of survival than a middle-aged captain or an old general.

Of course, it's just hope!

At 13:39 p.m., when the sun shone through the clouds and shone on the vast sea, the fleet was getting closer and closer. The officers on the ship wanted to recognize the enemy warship, and a captain standing on the turret pointed to the warship in the distance.

"Look! That's the warship Mikasa!"

"Nonsense, I heard that the Mikasa has been sunk!"

"Well, if he is "Mikasa", he must have floated up from the bottom of the sea again!"

In fact, the captain did see the "Migasa". He raised the battle flag of the marshal of Dongxiang and sailed in front of the Japanese main fleet. The battleships "Shikishima", "Fuji" and "Asaya", as well as the armored cruisers "Ikumo", "Yakumo", "Asama", "Azuma" and "Changpan", The "Pannote" followed him closely.

On the battleship Oregg, a small group of sailors gathered at the bow and stared at his main fleet with a melancholy expression. And the ship's priest Passy wore a holy garment, holding a cross in one hand and a holy water sprayer in the other, and hurriedly ran to the deck. Followed by his assistant was a sailor with a holy water plate in his hand. They stood in front of each turret. The priest sprinkled holy water on it, prayed in his mouth, and blessed the door with the cross. The muzzle of the cannon.

A sailor saw the priest's behavior and said.

"Brothers, look what the priest is doing! I don't think this thing can change our situation at all. We are about to sink to the bottom of the sea. When we become bait, God looks at us and doesn't even move an eyelash!"

His words were immediately opposed.

"Sn't up, you offend God's beast!"

"Block this miscellaneous mouth and don't let this miscellaneous nonsense!"

"Throw this bastard into the sea!"

Just as the sailors shouted, the signal of "ready to fight" was sent out. Everyone was busy preparing to fight. The originally noisy deck immediately calmed down, as if everyone had stopped moving. The sprinkler began to spray water columns at the bridge, and the cistern was already full of water, in order to prevent fires in the next battle.

Then the flagship Duke of Suvorov sent the next signal.

"The speed of the first team has increased to 11 nautical miles!"

The officers and soldiers of the Japanese navy on the bridge of the joint fleet flagship Mikasa finally saw the Russian Second Pacific Fleet, which they had been waiting for a long time, and almost the first time they saw the "strong Second Pacific Fleet", everyone was stunned.

When Major Security Qingzhong, the artillery chief of the Mikasa, saw the Second Pacific Fleet, he first blinked his eyes and hardly believed the scene he saw. He even thought he had an illusion. When he opened his eyes, he said a strange word after confirming that it was the Second Pacific Fleet of Luguo.

"The Luguo Fleet is majestically squeezed into a group like a group of octopus"!

Of course, the large fleet of more than 50 warships is majestic, but no one can understand the queue of more than 50 warships. It seems to be a column, but I don't know whether it's two columns or three columns. Anyway, it's in a hurry to the north. What kind of formations there are there? It's completely crowded into a group.

"Discover the main force of the Japanese fleet!"

When the scream sounded, Roedwinsky also saw the capital ship of the Japanese joint fleet from the telescope. The main ship was far smaller than that of the Second Pacific Fleet, but Roedstwinsky did not have any confidence to win, but just sighed. It's finally here!"

The combined fleet sailed from both the port and right sides of the Second Pacific Fleet. Behind the capital ships and armored cruisers were the guard cruisers that had contact with the Second Fleet in the morning. Almost every Russian sailor or officer would be in a panic when they saw the Japanese fleet, compared with the Russian navy. The chaotic formation, the neat formation of the fleet is admirable, and all the warships are like a huge machine, forming a whole to move forward.

The speed of the joint fleet is about 15 knots, but as they approach, it leaves a very fast illusion for every Russian naval officer and sailor. The blue-gray ships are very similar in color to the sea, which is almost difficult to distinguish, and the Russian warships painted in black carry eye-catching yellow chimneys. It's even more eye-catching.

At this time, the distance between the Mikasa and the Duke of Suvorov is only 10,000 meters, and it has entered the shooting distance. Because the Russian fleet was fully equipped with rangefinders, it usually began to shoot at about 12,000 meters, but Roger Strinsky was really not in the heart of fighting, so he did not issue an order to fire after entering 10,000 meters.

Originally, he had been regretting why he had transferred the four best warships to form another reading column far from the starboard side of the main fleet. In this case, he knew that he had no other choice at all. If he wanted to establish a single column of the right ship, then these warships must be left. Drive the thirteen chains.

At the moment of putting down the telescope, Roedstwinsky gave the order without even looking at the officers in the bridge.

"Increase the speed by two knots! Turn left for 45 degrees!"

Although he didn't want to fight, Roger Strinsky, who knew that he had no way to escape, still gave a battle order!

At 1:40, the Duke of Suvorov turned left 45 degrees, and the other three warships of the first battleship team also changed in turn. In order to be able to sail back to the front of the column, the warships of the first team, which had turned left along the diagonal, increased the speed of two nautical miles per hour, but this speed could not make these four The warships sailed to the front of the right vertical array together, because the ships in the right vertical array were still moving forward.

As a result, only the Duke of Suvorov and Alexander III sailed to the front. When the two ships were in front of the vertical formation, they resumed the 23-degree north route, taking into account that the following "Borodino" and "Orio" were marching, and the two ships in the back collided to avoid speed reduction. Nine nautical miles per hour.

In an instant, the formation of the Second Pacific Fleet, which was already in chaos, was even more chaotic. The second and third teams, because the flagship did not inform them to slow down, still moved forward at the original speed. In this way, it was impossible for the "Borodino" and "Orio" to drive to the front of the column, and then "Osriabia" In order to give the two warships a chance and avoid collision with Orio, the number took the initiative to reduce the speed, and then stopped the machine and raised the signal indicating its action. The warships behind the longitudinal array had to reduce their speed, either to the left or to the right.

"Command, raise the "Z" flag!"

At 13:55 p.m., after noticing the chaos in the Russian fleet, Higashigo Hirahachiro put down his telescope and almost shouted "God bless me" at the same time, and he gave the order. Then the "Sanli" raised the "Z" flag, and at the same time, the flag bearer played the flag.

"The rise and abolition of the imperial country in this battle, all of them work hard."

At this time, this unprecedented gamble is at the last minute.

"Rostewinsky lost!"

Togo Heihachiro frowned and muttered, just seeing the chaos of Russia's Second Pacific Fleet. He had no confidence, and finally believed that the Japanese empire could win this naval battle!

A general is incompetent to kill thousands of troops! When he sighed in his heart, his right hand was raised high and split down again.

14:02.

Seeing the commander's arm raised and sharply split, Chief of Staff Tomozaburo Kato immediately shouted to Captain Ichihikojiro!

"Left full rudder."

When Yuzaburo Kato gave the order, the atmosphere in the bridge of Mikasa was not tense, but serious and solemn. Everyone understands that if they are defeated today, the Japanese empire may no longer exist!

"Dongxiang is crazy!"

Roger Strinsky, who was not in the heart of fighting, was so shocked by the action of the Mikasa that he couldn't believe his eyes, and even rubbed his eyes several times to determine whether he was dazzled.

Dongxiang actually made this 145-degree left turn within the shooting distance of the Russian fleet. Warships can't shoot when making turns, and now the one-word column in Dongxiang has decided that all the ships turn in a fixed position, which is a fixed target.

What does Dongxiang want to do?

When this question came up in Roger Strinsky's mind, he also knew that now he only needed to fire at that position. No matter how many battleships he had, he could send them to the cold bottom of the sea.

It is true that this kind of "tactic" is an extremely dangerous tactic. The danger is at the time of turning around in front of the enemy. Because the warships are doing relative movements, the time difference is one minute, and the distance is 1,000 meters. It's too far away. Not only can't the enemy fleet be suppressed, but it gives the enemy fleet a good time to escape. If it's too close, it's the enemy's live target.

Although this is a God-given opportunity, Roger Stwinsky, who is in surprise, is still in the thought of "running away". Although he knew that he could sink the Mikasa by seizing the opportunity, Roger Stevins did not grasp this opportunity at all.

Or Roger Stevins was not a piece of material to become a hero at all. He did not seize the opportunity, and even he was negative from beginning to end. The formation of Dongxiang's fleet changed, and the chaotic Russian fleet continued to move forward without firing.

"Your Excellency Commander, you must seize the opportunity to fire at yourself!"

The chief of staff's suggestion finally brought Roger Strinsky back to his senses. He looked at his chief of staff and said, hmm.

"Life... Order, target "Mikasa"! Open fire!"

By the time Roger Strinsky woke up, the Mikasa had passed the most dangerous time and completed the turning movement.

With the order, the Russian Second Pacific Fleet, which had been waiting for a long time, was first the 12-inch main gun of the Duke of Suvorov, and then the main guns and secondary guns of the main battleships all spit out fire.

The Battle of Tsuima began. Although the main guns and secondary guns of the main battleships of the entire Russian Second Pacific Fleet were shelling at the joint fleet flagship Mikasa, Mikasa did not fight back, because it could not fight back, and the turning movement of the successor ships was not over.

During this period, Mikasa suffered all the artillery fire of the Russian fleet. In the first three or four minutes, more than 300 shells flew from the Russian fleet, and the command tower was hit. The staff officer, Hisanao Iijima, the torpedo, the torpedo, and the deputy captain, Colonel Matsumura, were injured.

"Wait!"

When Dongxiang gave the order, with a "suff", a piece of shrapnel almost attached to Dongxiang's body and flew over a distance of only a dozen centimeters, while Dongxiang stood there, looking at the Second Pacific Fleet in front of him.

"Even if the Mikasa is sunk, as long as this "big turn in front of the enemy" can be successful, the joint fleet can suppress the Russian fleet. Even if the flagship is sunk, the whole battle has been half successful."

At this time, Dongxiang's mind was full of the words of Akiyama Zhenzhi's formulation of this tactic. At this time, Dongxiang was ready to be sunk by Mikasa. Unfortunately, he didn't expect that Roger Strinsky was not a material to become a hero at all.

Of course, it was not only the flagship that was shot. The subsequent "Shikishima", "Fuji", "Chaoyu", "Chunyu" and "Yaojin" were all hit, and even the cruisers of the second team of Kamimura Yanzhicheng behind the update were hit. The rudder of "Azamama" was hit. They could not do it and immediately withdrew from the battle. Fighting sequence.

But the low hit rate of the Russian fleet, the low destructive power of Russian shells, and Rozhstwinsky's missed two minutes of precious fighters, which made the Combined Fleet hold on for a few minutes. Although ordinary warships were constantly submerged by artillery fire and even ignited fire, they did not The ship was sunk.

At 14:10, on the bridge of the Mikasa, the artillery chief security guard, who had been waiting, shouted.

"Fire!"

When the order to fire was issued, the distance between the two sides was 6,000 meters at this time. Suddenly, all the artillery fire of the "Mikasa" was poured on the Duke of Suvorov. Then "Shikishima" completed the turning action and began to fire, then "Fuji", and then "Chaoyu"... The warships that completed the turning action began. It was shelled.

The targets of the shelling are the Russian First Fleet flagship "Duke Suvorov" and the Second Fleet flagship "Osriabia". In an intersent moment, the two ships were completely shrouded in gunfire.

Three minutes later, the distance between the two sides was close to 5,000 meters, which was a white-edged battle for the battleships. The high-explosive bomb power of the Yijixin tube used by the Japanese navy was fully demonstrated on the two ships. In the first three minutes of the battle, almost all of their decks were leveled by the Japanese, and all the chimneys of the "Osriabilai" were blown up.

At 14:15, the joint fleet opened fire for only five minutes, and the "Osriabia" caught fire. Next, the "Duke Suvorov" and "Alexander III" caught fire one after another. Even if it was nearly lost, it exploded at the moment of contact with the sea, which was given to Russia [ ***] The ship was hit hard, and the impact wave of the shells exploding on the sea kept pushing the sea to hit the ship's side. The rivets kept collapsing, and the sea water kept pouring into the fleet. "Osriabia" sank at 15:07.

At 14:50, the steering gear of the "Duke Suvorov" that had already caught fire was hit. The bow went all the way to the right and could not be done, and the whole warship was drawing a large right arc. It looks like it is to move to the right to get rid of the "t-shaped tactics" of the combined fleet.

"Turn left together!"

At 15 o'clock, the order was issued from the mouth of Dongxiang!

The Mikasa raised the signal of "turn left together", which was Dongxiang's biggest mistake in the battle against the horse.

Then at 15:06, Mikasa's signal was "turn left together" again, so that the first team changed back to the column through the horizontal team, but it was listed in the front row, moving in the opposite direction, ready to continue to stop Roger Strinsky.

At this time, Rogerstwinsky, who had been seriously injured in the head and body, did not make any instructions, but the unstoppable steering gear was turning around with the Duke of Suvorov.

At 15:08, Captain Bivvostov, Captain Alexander III, judged that the operation of the Duke of Suvorov was due to the failure of the steering gear, and the signal flag was raised to "go ahead with me" to maintain the original course.

In this way, the combined fleet has turned 180 degrees, and now it is moving in the opposite direction towards the Baltic Fleet, becoming the two fleets going their own way. When the joint fleet finds something wrong and then turns back, the Baltic Fleet must have fled.

(to be continued)