Ch. 41: Interception at Tsushima Strait
9:12 AM, October 10th, 1920, Gadeok Island, ChÅsen
Anchored next to the Black Army's secret port were two destroyers, three torpedo boats, three merchantman ships, a submarine, and the steam yacht Dangun. Hundreds of Black Army soldiers were either carrying supplies onto the ships or preparing for the upcoming battle. Small cranes could be seen lifting large boxes and naval guns onto the various ships. Observing the progress from atop a hill was Zero, General Park, and Minister of Defense Gang.
"Seems like everything is going according to schedule." said Zero, wearing his officer's cap along with a black cloak over his uniform. "What's the status so far General?"
"New naval guns are almost done being being installed onto the merchantman ships. All destroyers and torpedo boats have been fully equipped with shells and torpedoes. Engineers have double checked the boilers and generators." replied a fully uniformed Park.
"According to General Jo, medicine, food, coal, and gasoline have been fully transferred from the island's storage depots to the various ships and have been allocated accordingly." said Gang, wearing his usual suit and tie. "All personnel, including engineers, doctors, and other maintenance workers have been accounted for also."
"Excellent. Once everything is already ready, we will set out to sea and intercept the secret shipment of weapons to Busan, which according to intelligence should be leaving port at 9:50 this morning." said Zero. "Also General, can you gather all Black Army officials to the port before we depart? I will like to say something to them."
"Of course Zero." replied Park as he saluted Zero before heading off to the port.
Fifteen minutes late, with the Black Army's ships all prepared and equipped, all the Black Army personnel were either waiting at the port or on the ships. In front of the crowd was a wooden podium with wires protruding from it. One end of the wires led to a microphone positioned on the podium while the other end led to a simple-looking hut adjacent to a radio transmitter disguised as a tree.
On the ships, all the Black Army soldiers huddled around around newly installed radios developed by Ronan and the R&D department.
"I hear Zero is going to speak via this contraption right here." said one anxious Black Army officer.
"To think that there would be technology that would be able to convey one's voice directly." said another Black Army soldier with awe.
"Sometimes I really underestimate what those guys in R&D can come up with." said a third soldier.
"HEY GUYS! IT'S ZERO! HE'S WALKING TO THE PODIUM!" yelled a Black Army officer standing on the deck of the ship.
From atop the ships, one could see Zero walking down a pathway that separated two groups of Black Army soldiers lined up in perfect formation. All of them applauded Zero as he walked up to the podium and prepared to speak.
"Fellow Black Army members!" said Zero as he stood in front of the microphone. Suddenly the radios on the ships echoed what Zero just said so that all Black Army soldiers could directly hear their leader. Crowds of soldiers on the ship were suddenly amazed as the radios continued to convey Zero's voice.
"A year ago, we fought valiantly against our Japanese oppressors. However, it was shown to be not enough and as a result we had to become dormant. But despite our heavy losses, we have managed to keep our spirits and patriotism strong, strong enough to get back up and let the enemy know we will never submit to their injustice! Now, after one year of sleeping, we are now ready to confront the Japanese and those who thrive by looking down on others! When we set out today, we will inflict fear and doubt into their hearts! We will confront them head on! And, most importantly, we will defeat them!" said Zero. Suddenly the Black Army members on the ships and in front of Zero, along with some nearby villagers, all cheered simultaneously.
"Comrades, fight with everything you have, for if we win, justice will be delivered to those who deserve it!" said Zero. The crowd of soldiers and villagers bursted with cheers once more as Zero prepared to step down from the podium.
While all the soldiers were now heading to their appropriate positions, Zero and Gang boarded the Dangun, Park boarded one of the destroyers, while Jo boarded the submarine. Once they and the other soldiers were all on board, the ships' started to eject smoke from their smokestacks as the engines below their decks started to move. The remaining Black Army personnel and the local villagers cheered as the ships disembarked from the port.
2:38 PM, Tsushima Strait
A Japanese convoy consisting of a battlecruiser, three destroyers, and ten smaller transports traversed through the calm waters. Plumes of dark smoke could also be seen trailing behind the ships. The convoy was arranged so that the battlecruiser, consisting of a crew of more than 1,000 personnel and several large naval guns of various sizes, was in front while the transports followed from behind. Two of the three smaller destroyers were positioned at the left and right flanks of the convoy to ensure the transports were protected.
Standing at the bridge of the battlecruiser was Captain Uchida, a middle-aged man with a toothbrush mustache. The Captain, wearing his black, high collar naval uniform and peaked cap, stared at the open waters with his binoculars. Standing next to him was his Lieutenant Commander Kato, a young man in his twenties wearing a standard naval uniform and cap.
"The weather couldn't be any more perfect." said Uchida.
"Waters overall also seem to be calm Captain." added Kato. "By the way Captain, what exactly are we transporting?"
"I'm not really sure myself actually." answered Uchida. "The report sent to me from headquarters doesn't mention any details of the contents. Only says that the order was initially made by a company associated with the Kojima Group."
"Didn't know the Imperial Navy now serve privately-owned corporations and business cliques?" responded Kato jokingly.
"Well it just shows you how one gets to be powerful and influential in life." said Uchida.
It was then that Uchida noticed something in the distance. He kept staring forward as he tried to make out what he was seeing through his binoculars.
"Captain, are you ok?" asked Kato.
"Lt. Commander, take a look here!" said Uchida as he handed over his binoculars to Kato, who proceeded to use them to analyze the distance. What Kato could see was the faint appearance of several small to medium-sized ships lined-up horizontally to the direction of the convoy. Kato could also see the ships appeared weren't waving any flag that would identify who they were.
"What the? Why are those ships there?" asked Kato. "It's not like headquarters to have our convoy cross paths with that of another fleet."
"That's why I'm concerned." said Uchida. "Lt. Commander, bring down our speed by 50%."
Lt. Commander Kato, without question, walked over to the engine-order telegraph, pushed the lever to the appropriate position, which resulted in the dial being turned. A few seconds went by before a ringing sound could be heard, indicating the engineers had received the command.
Uchida then grabbed the a telephone hanging on a nearby wall.
"This is your Captain speaking. Have communications tell the other ships to reduce their speed by 50%. I also want you to broadcast what I am about to say on various different frequencies." ordered Uchida.
Zero was looking over a sea chart covered with arrows and markers while the rest of the Dangun crew were awaiting their next order or keeping watch on the Japanese ships, which proudly wove the Rising Sun Flag on their masts. Suddenly a Black Army crew member interrupted Zero.
"Zero! New report! Japanese ships have been seen reducing their speed!" said the seaman.
"Is that so?" said Zero. "Commander, relay an order for all ships to raise their flags and fire on any Japanese transports. Once Japanese ships fire back, have the 1st Squadron pursue the enemy's flagship, which is probably the battlecruiser leading the convoy. Also tell the 2nd Squadron to pursue the remaining ships until further notice."
"Yes Captain!" saluted the young Commander as he ran out of the room.
"ALL MEN TO BATTLE STATIONS!" yelled an officer. Instantly all the seamen prepared to load, man, and aim the naval guns.
Zero then resumed with analyzing the sea charts laid on the table in front of him.
"Now for my first move..." thought Zero.
"Once again, this is Captain Uchida of the Imperial Japanese Navy speaking! You're are currently obstructing my convoy along with disturbing maritime activity! Identify yourself immediately!" Uchida said into the telephone he was holding in his hand.
"So, still no contact Captain?" asked Kato.
"Nothing." Uchida replied as he hung the phone back up on the wall. "Communications must've tried every frequency and still no contact."
"Captain!" yelled one of the Japanese crew members looking through binoculars. Uchida immediately excused himself and walked towards the man.
"What is it Lieutenant?!" asked a frustrated Uchida.
"The unidentifiable ships, they're raising their flags" answered the blue-uniformed Lieutenant.
Uchida then yanked the binoculars out of the Lieutenant's hands and proceeded to observe the ships in the distance. It was then the Japanese captain realized the flag of the Black Army, a solid black flag with a silver bird-shaped sigil with a sword going through the center, could be seen being raised on the masts of the ships.
"What is it Captain? What's their flag?" asked Kato.
"I...I...think it might be the Black Army's flag." answered a confused and slightly skeptical Uchida. It was then he saw all the ships in the distance had their guns pointed in their direction. Within a second, bright flashes and smoke could be seen appearing in the air.
"BRACE YOURSELF!" yelled Uchida. Suddenly several explosions could be seen peppering the water around and behind the battlecruiser. Each explosion also caused jets of water to erupt into the air.
It was then a loud "KABOOOM!" echoed through the air.
"Captain! One of the transports behind us had suffered a direct hit!" reported a Japanese seaman.
"WHAT!?" yelled Uchida as he ran outside of the bridge and towards the stern of the ship. It was then he could see one of the transports was literally on fire. The flaming transport suddenly exploded again due to it's munitions being lit. Despite not being close to it, the vibrations created by the second explosion could be felt by Uchida.
"Captain your orders!?" asked a panicked officer.
"Have the ship and one of our destroyers advance towards the enemy. Meanwhile have the remaining two destroyers escort the remaining transports around the enemy and head towards Busan." ordered Uchida.
The officer then saluted Uchida before running off to relay the order.
As the various naval guns of the Dangun fired their rounds, Black Army seamen and officers were running all over the ship, trying to either get into position, carry new shells to the gunners, or relaying updated observations.
"FIRE!" yelled a Black Army naval officer. As one of the gunners prepared to pull the lanyard connected to the gun's breech mechanism, the other gunners and the officer covered their ears.
"KABOOOM!" echoed through the air as the gun jerked backwards due to the force of the explosion. The gunner then opened the breechblock to let the hot, smoking shell to be ejected onto the deck. The gunners then grabbed another shell and reloaded the gun before re-adjusting their aim.
Meanwhile Gang was at the bridge of the ship observing the Japanese ships. He could see a large black cloud of smoke hovering over the ships along with pillars of water being shot upwards due shells missing their targets and exploding in the water. Suddenly, Gang could see the Japanese battlecruiser and two of the destroyers were increasing their speed once more.
"ZERO! Enemy battlecruiser and two destroyers resuming their advance!" Gang yelled into a speaking tube next to him. Suddenly flashes of smoke could be seen in the distance. Within a few seconds, several shells landed in the water right next to the Dangun and exploded, resulting in the ship to wobble back and forth. Some of the officers on the bridge lost their balance and fell while Gang and others hung onto whatever they could grab.
Zero, who was in the ship's map room, almost lost his balance due to the ship rocking back and forth.
"Zero! Enemy ships appear to be firing back!" said Gang's voice being emitted from one of the multiple speaking tubes in the room.
"I CAN SEE THAT!" Zero yelled into the speaking tube as a more explosions from either their naval guns or the enemy's shells exploding could be heard. "Any other changes in enemy activity?"
"Well, so far it just looks like the battlecruiser is leading the two destroyers...wait a minute...it appears the remaining two destroyers and their transports are separating from them!" Gang reported.
"What?! Give me their approximate coordinates if you can!" Zero yelled. Gang, after making observing and calculating the ships' speed and location, gave the projected coordinates to Zero. Zero immediately went to the sea charts on the table and drew the estimated position of the remaining two Japanese destroyers and the transports.
"So, they realized that we are specifically after the transports. Therefore they decide to check my main squadron while using their remaining pieces to help protect their pawns from reaching the other side board." thought Zero.
"Gang, tell the Second Squadron head Northeast. I suspect the two destroyers and the transports are trying to attempt to go around us. Have the Second Squadron go into line astern formation! Concentrate the First Squadron on the battlecruiser and the destroyers accompanying it!" yelled Zero.
"Aye aye sir!" Gang replied.
While the Dangun and the two destroyers continued firing round after round at the Japanese battlecruiser, the Black Army's Second Squadron, which consisted of the torpedo boats and the armed merchantman ships, lined up one behind the other, and headed Northeast. When they were parallel to the Japanese transports and destroyers, the merchantman ships and torpedo boats shot a barrage of shells from their naval guns.
Though some of the shots missed their targets, others managed to make direct hits. A group of Japanese sailors adjusting a torpedo gun were instantly consumed by flames and smoke when a shell landed on them. The Japanese sailors were pacing all over, being drenched by splashing water or trying to avoid incoming shells. Burned corpses and severely maimed sailors could also be seen all over the ship.
Another group of Japanese sailors were standing behind a naval gun shield loading a shell into the barrel. Once the breechblock was closed, one of the sailors observed the Black Army's ships and gave out their coordinates. A second sailor standing behind the naval gun shield started to turn several wheels, which adjusted the gun's angle along with the direction it faced.
"FIRE!" yelled one of the sailors as he covered his ears. A third sailor quickly pulled the rope leading to the gun's firing mechanism, instantly causing it to jolt back let a giant "KABOOM!".
"Adjust 25 degrees upward! And FIRE!" yelled a Black Army sailor.
The naval gun, along with the others on the merchantman ship, fired a salvo at the enemy transports. One of the shells managed to directly hit the munitions and fuel stored within the transport. Suddenly a large pillar of fire erupting from within the transport tore apart the smokestacks along with some of the deck. Once the fire started to dissipate, the smoking transport started to slow down and sink into the water.
A nearby transport was also directly hit by one of the Black Army's shells. However, the shell wasn't able to fully penetrate the transport's hull, though it managed to severely weaken it.
The naval gun's breechblock was quickly opened in order to let the hot, smoking shell casing to fall out of the gun barrel. The sailors then prepared to load another shot into the naval gun.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" could repeatedly be heard. Before the sailors had time to register what they had just heard, several explosive shells peppered the merchantman ship. Sailors on the other merchantman ships could see several large explosions ripping apart the ship. The remaining parts of the ship, which was basically what was left of the hull, suddenly started to descend into the water at an angle.
The remaining ships of the Second Squadron resumed following and firing at the Japanese transports. However, the destroyers immediately increased their speed and started to make a hard turn. This resulted in the destroyers being perpendicular to the advancing Black Army ships. The gunners on the destroyers readjusted their guns and proceeded to fire more shells.
Black Army crew members tending the boilers beneath the decks of one of the merchantman ships were quickly shoveling more piles of coal into the blazing furnace. As they were shoveling, a large explosion blew a small hole into the hull of the ship. Though the explosion only slightly injured some of the shovelers, large jets of seawater was now pouring into the ship via the newly made hole. Everyone below deck instantly stopped what they were doing and tried finding anything that could potentially stop the flow of water.
With the engine room starting to flood with water, the merchantman ship suddenly slowed down until it came to a complete stop. The Captain of the ship immediately tried communicating with the engine room in order to find out why the ship had stopped moving. Since the ship was now a sitting duck, the two destroyers immediately started shooting a barrage of shells at it. Within minutes the ship's hull looked liked swiss-cheese and the deck of the ship was engulfed in smoke and flames. The ship then started to sink soon after.
The third merchantman ship immediately tried maneuvering itself away from the Japanese destroyers while trying to shoot at the fleeing transports. One transport suffered a direct hit and exploded due to the stored munitions catching on fire while another transport started to sink due to a breech in its hull. However, the Japanese destroyers managed to hit the bridge of the merchantman ship. The explosion severely wounded everyone on the bridge and destroyed the ship's radio. Since the ship was starting to sustain heavy amounts of damage, along with the fact it was unable to receive commands from the Dangun, the partially burned Captain ordered the ship to retreat. Using whatever strength it had left, the merchantman ship turned the opposite direction and proceeded to retreat.
"ZERO, ARMED MERCHANTMAN SHIP #1 AND 2 HAVE APPEARED TO BEEN SUNK! CANNOT COMMUNICATE WITH ARMED MERCHANTMAN SHIP #3! MERCHANTMAN SHIP APPEARS TO HAVE SUFFERED HEAVILY AND IS NOW ATTEMPTING TO RETREAT!" yelled various voices coming out of the multiple speaking tubes in the Dangun's map room.
Zero, heavily stressed due to the battle, quickly reviewed the situation and the sea charts in front of him.
"This battle is still yet to be determined. Though we have managed to destroy four of their ten transports, I have already lost my three armed merchantman ships. And since we're being pursued by the enemy's battlecruiser and remaining destroyers, the First Squadron is unable to help pursue the remaining transports. All I have left to deal with the transports are the three torpedo boats. But they also have to deal with the two destroyers escorting the transports." thought Zero as the sounds of nearby explosions traveled through the air.
"ZERO, TORPEDO BOATS ARE STARTING TO RUN LOW ON SHELLS! SHALL I ORDER THEM TO USE THEIR TORPEDOES ON ENEMY TRANSPORTS!?" asked a Black Army officer.
"NEGATIVE! ORDER TORPEDO BOATS TO CONCENTRATE TORPEDOES ON ENEMY DESTROYERS! I REPEAT, DESTROYERS TAKE PRIORITY!" commanded Zero.
"The torpedoes being carried on those torpedo boats are state of the art, equipped with powerful explosives and an upgraded propulsion system. I had hoped to use them on the transports, decimating the convoy quickly and allowing the Second Squadron to escape. However, it seems that the destroyers escorting the convoy are more troublesome than anticipated. And with the armed merchantman ships gone, I have no choice but to use the torpedoes." thought Zero.
The Black Army's three torpedo ships were speeding across the water in order to avoid the two Japanese destroyers shooting at them. Dark smoke emitting from the boats' smokestacks trailed behind the boats as they swerved back and forth in order to avoid incoming shells.
The captains of the three ships suddenly received new orders via radio from the Dangun to use all torpedoes on the destroyers pursuing them. The order was then relayed to the crews of each boat, who instantly prepared to take out the newly designed torpedoes. The helmsman of each boat also maneuvered the boats so they would have a clear shot. The crew members carefully carried and loaded the large torpedoes into the tubes while the officers were calculating the trajectory of each torpedo.
Once the destroyers were in their line of sight, the Black Army officers simultaneously gave the signal to fire the torpedoes. Due to highly pressurized air from inside the tubes, one torpedo after another proceeded to propel itself into the water below. The steam turbines inside each of the torpedoes instantly started up and powered the torpedoes' propellers. Each torpedo sped straight towards their targets as left behind a trail of bubbles.
Two torpedoes struck and blew apart the hull of the Japanese destroyer. Since the torpedoes just happen to explode right near the supplies of ammunition, the explosion from the torpedoes detonated the ammunition. Japanese sailors on and below the destroyer's deck were suddenly thrown all over the place as a giant fireball tore through the destroyer.
Black Army officers observing could see more explosions coming from within the ship, each one obliterating a small part of the destroyer. It wasn't long before the destroyer started to sink.
Meanwhile the third torpedo also managed to blast a hole into the hull of the other destroyer. Water instantly started to flood a hallway below the destroyer's deck. However, Japanese sailors were able to plug in the hole and temporarily stop the flow of water.
The torpedo boats then prepared to fire a second round of torpedoes. Knowing this was the perfect opportunity, the Japanese destroyer re-adjusted their naval guns and proceeded to fire at the torpedo boats. One torpedo boat was blown into thousands of pieces as one of the Japanese shells impacted itself on it. Seeing the devastation, the other remaining torpedo boats started to reload the torpedo tubes even faster.
"FIRE!" yelled a Black Army officer once the torpedo tubes were loaded and adjusted for. Like before, two torpedoes launched themselves into the water and charge towards the destroyer. The captain of the destroyer, through careful calculation, instructed the ship's helmsman to turn the ship slightly, therefore resulting in the torpedoes to pass the ship.
The Japanese destroyer then retaliated with another round of shells, which proceeded to rain upon the two remaining torpedo boats. The shells managed to hit both torpedo boats, resulting them to explode and sink into the water.
"WAIT A MINUTE, ARE YOU TELLING ME ALL OUR TORPEDO BOATS ARE GONE?!" Zero yelled into one of the speaking tubes.
"That is correct sir! The Second Squadron has been defeated!" responded the voice on the other end.
Zero, now extremely frustrated, ran out of the map room and headed towards the bridge. Once on the bridge, he immediately approached Gang.
"Sir, how may I help you?" asked Gang as he saluted.
"Is it true that we have lost the Second Squadron?" Zero asked.
"I'm afraid so." replied Gang. "If you look in the distance you can see the sinking debris of the torpedo boats."
Zero instantly grabbed a pair of binoculars laying on the table near him and looked into the distance. He could clearly see large pieces of metal in the water emitting flames and smoke. He could also see the partially beaten-up destroyer turning around and escorting the remaining transports.
"It seems the remaining destroyer is continuing to defend the transports." said Zero.
"Shall I issue a command to our two destroyers to pursue them?" asked Gang.
"Negative. If we do that, then we just leave the Dangun totally vulnerable." answered Zero. "Command the First Squadron to concentrate all forces on the enemy pursuing us."
The room started to shake slightly as several shells narrowly missed the ship.
"Very well sir." said Gang before running over to the radio so he could issue the orders.
General Park, who was commanding one of the destroyers from the deck, was issuing order after order.
"FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!" Park yelled at the top of his lungs.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!" could be heard coming from the three naval guns. One shell missed one of the Japanese destroyers, but the other two managed to hit and disable two of the Japanese destroyer's naval guns.
A young Black Army sailor carrying orders ran towards Park.
"Captain, new orders from the Dangun!" yelled the young sailor.
Park instantly grabbed and read the order in front of him. He then saluted the sailor before dismissing him.
"CONCENTRATE ALL FIRE ON THE ENEMY PURSUING US! INCREASE SPEED BY 25%! TURN 30 DEGREES RIGHT!" yelled Park.
Immediately all the sailors from the gunners to the helmsman instantly reacted and did what they were told. The destroyer slightly increased its speed and it turned slightly to the right.
Several flashes could be seen coming from both Japanese destroyers pursuing them. Most of the shots missed the destroyer by a few yards, yet the deck of the ship suddenly became splashed with water when the missed shots impacted the water. One shell even managed to hit the rear deck of the ship and explode. Nearby sailors were thrown all over the place as the explosion blew a hole into the wooden deck. Park, who was closer to the bow of the ship, could see thick smoke rising from the back of the ship.
"FIRE NOW!" he yelled.
More explosions could be heard as the naval guns shot their shells. The shells managed to pepper the Japanese destroyer that was hit before. The multiple explosions managed to penetrate the ship and damage the engine room. With the engine room severely damaged, the now beaten-up and smoking destroyer started to slow down significantly.
"YES! THE SON OF BITCH IS NOW ALMOST A SITTING DUCK! CONCENTRATE ALL FIRE ON THE DAMAGED DESTROYER!" Park yelled to all the sailors.
"Captain, our observations show that our remaining six transports are safely leaving the area." reported Kato.
"What about the enemy? What has their response been so far?" asked Uchida as he examined some sea charts.
"Well it seems that the Black Army's two destroyers and one steam ship are focusing on our squadron." said Kato. "Though they've managed to hit us and the two destroyers, the damage has so far been minimal."
"Captain! Captain! One of our destroyers has been hit severely. It doesn't look like it is sinking, but it seems to be inoperable. The ship has appeared to have slowed down and lost the ability to fire back!" yelled a voice coming from a nearby speaking tube.
"So these Black Army guys want to play rough." said Uchida as he gritted his teeth. "Tell our remaining destroyer to stay on the defensive and protect the damaged one. Also use the big guns and show them that Japan will triumph at the Tsushima Strait once more."
Kato quickly relayed the order to the gunners manning the two giant twin-turret 12-inch/45 Calibre naval guns.
In the shell room below deck, Japanese sailors proceeded to quickly hoist shells onto a tray which proceeded to lift upward to the room above them. Above them in the magazine room, more Japanese sailors immediately scrambled to grab multiple bags of gunpowder and line them up on the tray carrying the shell. The tray carried the shell and gunpowder bags upward until it reached the gunhouse, where the gunners used a ramming mechanism to push the shell along with the gunpowder bags behind it into the large gun barrels. The breechblock was then closed.
Observing the enemy via a sighting hood, the gunners made their calculations and adjusted the large gun turret. The two large turrets slowly turned while the two guns each one was carrying adjusted their angle.
"FIRE!" yelled the head gunners in both gunhouses.
"BOOOOOM! BOOOOOM!" roared through the air as large puffs of smoke were blown out of each gun.
"Lieutenant! Ensure the fire at the rear of the ship to be put out!" yelled Park.
"Aye sir!" the Black Army Lieutenant said as he saluted. Park then took out a pair of binoculars to view the destroyers in the distance.
"Seems like the second destroyer is heading towards the one we just hit. Probably is trying to save it at the last minute." thought Park.
"Captain, bad news!" said a sailor running towards Park. "The recent fires caused by the explosions has hindered our ability to reach the shells in the magazine!"
"Wait what?! Explain it to me more clearly!" responded Park.
"The fires along with some debris have temporarily blocked the halls leading to the magazine. From the look of things, the munitions should be out of range of the fire, but with the quickest route to them blocked, it means the rate at which we reload our guns is much slower." frantically explained the sailor.
"Damn it! Just clear the area within the next 10 minutes! Tell the gunners to double their performance speed. That should..." said Park.
Suddenly multiple loud explosions echoed from the distance. Park immediately stopped talking upon hearing the roaring noise.
"What the hell was that." he said. A big object quickly impacted the water next to the destroyer, causing a large amount of water to drench everyone on the deck. Before he could respond to the situation a large shell could be seen crashing into the deck of the destroyer, exploding upon impact. The explosion consumed many sailors and utterly destroyed parts of the ship. Park was instantly partially consumed by the explosion before being knocked onto the deck.
Park slowly got himself up and realized he was partially deaf. He then saw that some of his uniform was ripped and he head multiple cuts, bruises, and small burn marks all over his body. All he could see in front of him were many burned bodies strewn all over while the front deck of the ship was still in flames. Pieces of metal were bent and several naval guns were broken beyond repair. Park slowly limped around the ship as he saw various sailors run to the area of impact.
A sailor nearby, noticing Park's injuries, ran over to him and tried to talk to him, not knowing he was partially deaf. Park's hearing suddenly started to come back as the sailor's words were becoming more audible.
"...you okay Captain?! Can you hear me!" yelled the sailor.
"I can you hear you damn it!" yelled Park. "Give me an assessment now!"
"Looks pretty bad. Suffered many casualties and lost some guns." answered the sailor.
"Well if that's the case, help me up now so we can punch them back!" commanded Park.
"Sir, I highly recommend you to find treatment immediately!." the sailor replied.
"It's nothing. Just get me to the bridge of the ship so I can assess the situation better." Park demanded.
The sailor helped Park onto his feet and escorted him to the bridge of the destroyer.
"They've put me in check once more!" yelled Zero as he gripped the binoculars he was using. "Their battlecruiser gave a knockout blow to both of our destroyers."
As he was standing on the observation deck, Zero could see the two destroyers on each side of the Dangun gushing out lots of black smoke. He could also see both destroyers had large dents and gashes in their hulls. Large chunks of the destroyers appeared to have been obliterated, allowing one to see the inner metal skeleton of the hull.
"If the battlecruiser manages to fire another shot like that, then my destroyers will definitely be torn apart." thought Zero. He then approached a nearby speaking tube leading to the communications room.
"This is your captain Zero speaking! Issue an order of retreat to the two destroyers! Fire back with everything they have available during the retreat!" yelled Zero.
He then approached another speaking tube, this one leading to the bridge instead.
"I hereby order the Dangun to turn around and maximize our speed. We're leaving the battlefield." yelled Zero.
"Sir, what do you mean we are retreating?!" asked a confused Gang via the speaking tube.
"Our two destroyers are in critical condition. Another shot of such magnitude will surely destroy them. The Dangun also won't stand a chance against the Japanese battlecruiser on its own. Our mission was to intercept the enemy convoy, which we partially did. Our best choice of action is to retreat before our losses are greater than our gains!" replied Zero.
"Very well Zero. However evading the battlecruiser is going to be a long shot. That behemoth of a ship can probably move much faster than our little steam boat." said Gang.
"We have to at least try. I've already ordered all retreating ships to return fire if they can during the retreat. Hopefully that will slow the Japanese down!" said Zero.
Once Zero stopped speaking, Gang, who was at the bridge, immediately told the helmsman to turn the boat around and used the engine-order telegraph to alert the engine room to maximize their speed.
The Dangun and the two destroyers of the First Squadron immediately turned around and proceeded to flee the area at full speed. Surviving gunners on both destroyers manned the nearest naval gun still intact and proceeded to fire back at the battlecruiser. Some of the shots managed to make direct hits, but it did minor damage to the large metal battlecruiser chasing after them.
"BOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOM!" was heard from the bridge of the battlecruiser as the room was shaking due to the incoming shells.
"Are you alright Captain?" asked Kato.
"I'm fine!" replied Uchida as he pushed Kato away. "Give me a status report immediately!"
"Enemy fire has made some direct hits on us. We have suffered minor casualties and the structure of the ship, while damaged, has not been fully penetrated." reported Kato.
"Good. Maintain our current course of action!" commanded Uchida.
"Captain, it appears the enemy ships are retreating!" yelled one of the officers observing the battle.
"Are they! Well I want you to pursue them at all cost! Increase speed by 200%! Prepare all guns and torpedoes!" yelled Uchida at the top of his lungs. "Aim them at that little steam boat in the distance. I bet you a million that's their flagship. Only a rag tag group such as theirs would use such a little thing as their command center!"
Suddenly the phone hanging on the wall started to ring. Uchida went over to it and picked it up.
"This is your Captain speaking!" Uchida said.
"Captain update! One of the shells managed to slightly damage the turret to one of the guns! We won't be able to turn it as well for the time being!" reported the voice on the phone.
"Well how long do you think it's going to take to fix and load the guns?" asked Uchida.
"Fixing the turrets along with finishing the loading process will probably take five minutes!" answered the voice.
"Just get it done!" Uchida yelled as he slammed the phone back onto the wall. He then walked back to the front of the bridge. Looking through the window, he could see burned bodies laying all over along with bruised sailors managing to recover themselves so they may resume their duties. Other sailors could be seen trying to put out some flames and carry the injured away.
"Zero or whatever they call you, I will make sure you are stopped here, on the very spot where the Imperial Japanese Navy displayed it's power to the world. You may have outsmarted the Army, but the Navy is a whole different story." thought Uchida as he observed the retreating Black Army ships.
Sailors on the Dangun could hear various shots coming from the retreating destroyers. They could see that the shells managed to only slightly damage the enemy and therefore unable to slow them down. A sailor observing the waters with binoculars suddenly could see two small objects coming towards the stern of the boat. It was then the sailor could clearly see they were torpedoes jetting through the water.
"TORPEDOES INCOMING AT THE STERN!" yelled the sailor at the top of his lungs. All the sailors and officers immediately scrambled into position.
"TURN 50 DEGREES HARD TO PORT!" yelled Zero as he received the news.
The helmsman turned the wheel to the left, resulting in the retreating Dangun to turn leftward. The slight turn caused the boat to be out of the torpedoes' trajectory. Sailors looked over the boat's railing to see the two torpedoes leave behind a trail of bubbles as they whizzed right pass them.
All the sailors then gave themselves a sigh of relief once the torpedoes passed them. Their moment of relief was interrupted when several gunshots could be heard coming from behind them. Several shells shot by the battlecruiser's smaller naval guns impacted the water next to the retreating Dangun, resulting in water being splashed all over. One shell however managed to make a direct hit. The shell detonated, causing the whole boat to rock violently back and forth.
Zero, who fell and lost his balance, got back up and was in shock to see the the rear of the boat engulf in flames.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" yelled Zero. "PUT THAT FIRE OUT IMMEDIATELY!"
"Zero, urgent message from the engine room!" said an officer. "The recent explosion ruptured some pipes connected to the boiler. They estimate our speed will be reduced by 25% for the next ten minutes!"
"The next 10 minutes?!" Zero replied. "If our speed is reduced, then that battlecruiser will surely catch up with in 10 minutes! Also it's only a matter of time before they launch their big guns once more!"
Zero angrily dismissed the officer and quickly tried to come up with a solution.
"This game can't be won. The best thing I can do is to put their king in check for the time being. The only question is how to hinder such a behemoth." Zero thought to himself. It was then he remembered the ace up his sleeve. "I could resort to using that, however that would reveal one of my cards. It also will only work if everything goes according to plan. But still...".
Zero ran to the communications room and instantly tried to find a certain radio frequency.
The Black Army's submarine patiently waited beneath the surface of the water as the battle occurred right above them. The only part of the submarine that was above water was the submarine's radio antenna. Some of the vibrations from the explosions managed to travel through the water and shake the submarine slightly.
"This is so boring! When do we get to see some action?" asked one of the Irish members of the Black Army.
"It's as if Zero doesn't want us. Captain isn't their anything we can do?" asked another Black Army sailor.
"Zero's gave me strict instructions to not to act unless he said so himself." replied General Jo. "Besides, our key advantage is surprise, not firepower. We only have a few torpedoes, along with that special payload."
"Captain, radio communique from Zero!" yelled the radio operator.
Jo immediately ran to the radio and listened to the message.
"General...we need to retreat...battlecruiser pursuing us...use everything!" said Zero's partially static voice.
"ALL MEN TO BATTLE STATIONS!" yelled Jo.
All the sailors, overflowing with energy, ran down the cramped corridors of the submarine and proceeded to operate it.
"INCREASE SPEED! SLIGHTLY DECREASE DEPTH! TURN LEFT! LOAD TORPEDOES!" Jo said one after another as he observed the surface through the periscope. He looked around and scanned the water until he could see the battlecruiser ahead of him. He then gave out a second set of orders to slightly turn and approach the giant battlecruiser.
In the lower levels of the submarines, sailors were carefully hoisting two torpedoes into torpedo tubes #1 and #2. Another pair of torpedoes were then loaded into the remaining two tubes.
Unlike the first pair, the second pair of torpedoes were larger, longer, painted black, and had the Black Army logo painted on its side. They also had larger warheads which contained a volatile explosive created by Ronan and his chemistry research department. The warheads were also slightly cone shaped, therefore focusing most of the impact energy onto a smaller area.
Once they were pushed all the way in, the doors were then shut and all the pressure gages and valves were all doubled checked.
Jo could see that the battlecruiser would be directly ahead of them in about 1-2 minutes. Quickly looking at a pocket watch he was carrying, patiently waited until twenty seconds had passed. Once the second hand passed the four, Jo went to the speaking tube leading to the levels below.
"Fire torpedoes from Tubes #3 and 4!" Jo yelled. The sailors operating the torpedo tubes pulled the valves connected to the tubes holding the special torpedoes. The sound of pressurized gas escaping could be heard as the two black torpedoes flew through the water.
"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, fire remaining two torpedoes!" Jo yelled once more. The second set of torpedoes shot out from the tubes into the water so they were right behind the first pair of torpedoes shot.
"What now sir?" asked a Black Army officer.
"Now we wait..." answered a sweaty Jo.
"Damn these guys are crafty!" yelled Uchida. "Kato, can we fire back with the big guns yet?"
"Engineers have just told me they have just fixed the turret mechanism. All that has to be done is to ram the shells and powder into the gun. Once that is done all we need to do is aim and we'll be in business!" reported Kato.
"Excellent. I will make sure these waters will be Zero and the Black Army's grave." replied Uchida.
"Captain approximately one minute till guns are ready to fire!" reported Kato.
"Zero you played a good game, in fact I thought it might have been at least a draw here. But my guns will ensure that won't happen and..." said Uchida.
"BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM!" was suddenly heard as everyone on the bridge of the ship were thrown all over the place. Equipment on tables fell over while dozens of sailors lost their balance.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?" yelled Uchida.
"It felt like something hit the lower part of the hull." said Kato as he got up from the floor and straightened his uniform. "The only thing I can think it could be is it was a torpedo."
"Torpedoes? All their ships are in front of us. It would be impossible to shoot at hull from their position. Even if they did, we would've seen a ship next to us. The only way they could shoot at that angle and not be seen is if they have submersible capabilities. And you're telling me these wannabes have that kind of naval capacity?! These are Chons we're talking about, people who are incapable of doing things on their own and..." explained Uchida.
The ship rocked violently once more as more explosions could be heard coming from the lower parts of the ship. Uchida immediately ran to the telephone.
"This is your captain speaking! What the hell is going on down there!" Uchida roared.
"Captain...multiple explosions ripped hull apart...and now massive flooding is occurring. The bulkheads should manage to prevent the ship from sinking." said an exhausted sailor on the other end of the line. Another explosion could be heard going on in the background. "OH DEAR GOD!"
"WHAT!? WHAT'S GOING ON!?" frantically asked Uchida.
"SOME OIL THAT SPILLED INTO THE WATER FLOODING THE SHIP HAS JUST CAUGHT ON FIRE! FIRES HAVE SPREAD TO SOME OF OUR MUNITIONS! ONE OF OUR ENGINES APPEARS TO BE DAMAGED FROM THE RESULTING EXPLOSION! ALSO..." yelled the sailor when suddenly the line became disconnected.
"HELLO! HELLO!" yelled Uchida. He could then fell more explosions occurring all over the ship due to the fires spreading and igniting munitions and stored fuel.
As each second went by, the now smoking and heavily dented battlecruiser slowly came to a complete halt. With the fires within the battlecruiser rapidly spreading, the gunners weren't able to fire back due to being preoccupied with stopping the flames.
Looking into the distance, Uchida could see the fleeing Black Army ships. He then started to maniacally laugh to himself. Kato then walked up to Uchida.
"Captain...are you ok?" asked Kato.
"The Black Army, a ragtag group of hooligans actually having a submarine, managing to humiliate us on the very spot where we triumphed in front of the world." replied Uchida, who continued laughing to himself out of total disbelief.
Zero could see in the distance the battlecruiser floating still on the water, heavily damaged and still giving off smoke.
"Phew, that was a close one." said Zero as he wiped his forehead of sweat. He then instructed all remaining ships and the submarine to retreat and head back to Gadeok Island.
"So Zero, how do you think we did?" asked Gang.
"We only managed to sink four of their ten transports and it cost us all of our torpedo boats and two merchantman ships. The battle also damaged the destroyers and the Dangun severely." replied Zero.
"Still, we managed to sink one of their destroyers. And that other destroyer along with the battlecruiser is probably damaged beyond repair." replied Gang.
"That's why the best choice of action was to retreat and leave this battle as a draw." said Zero. "But I assure you, we will win the next battle for sure."
Author's Notes: Sorry about the really long wait. Despite being busy with many other things in my life, this chapter as you can see is probably my longest and one of the most detailed. Hopefully future chapters will be much easier to write.
I am not an expert when it comes to naval terms, but I did the best I could when using them. Also, even though Zero, Jo, and Park don't hold the rank of Captain, they are called "Captain" because they are head commanders of the ship they are currently on. In Zero's case, he commands all the ships, it's just that the Dangun is commanded by him directly.
Uchida mentioning that the waters they are fighting on is where Japan's navy triumphed is a reference to the Battle of Tsushima Strait, a critical naval victory for the Japanese during the Russo-Japanese War. The battle baffled the world because it showed Japan's navy was on par with Europe's. As a result, Uchida places lots of pride on the battle because they are fighting in the very same waters.
Though the Japanese effort to arm their forces prepared to assist in the pursuit of Korean guerilla armies in Manchuria has been hindered due to the interception, the Black Army goes to phase two of the mission, which is to prevent the special weapons and reinforcements from reaching the Japanese fighting in Manchuria.