199: Chapter 109 Flagship Sinks

January 10, 1908, 11:23 AM, East China Sea battlefield.

The battle seemed to have ended, but that British "dreadnought-class" Battleship "Indomitable" did not surrender like the French "Danton-class" ships, nor did it choose to retreat like the other British Battleship.

Despite losing most of its firepower, having a severely tilted hull, and being engulfed in flames on the deck, it was still slowly turning, attempting to launch one final assault on the Tang Country fleet.

Although only one of its main batteries could still fire—the turret's rotation mechanism had been jammed halfway by shrapnel, allowing it to move back and forth only within a limited angle—it kept firing. Even though the shells were no longer landing accurately, they still carried a stubbornness that refused to die, like the final echo of an unextinguishable obsession.

"Your Majesty, that British Battleship is still resisting!" the look-out's voice was filled with disbelief. Intermittent cannon fire drifted on the sea breeze; although no longer dense, it still sounded like a declaration of indomitable defiance.

The shells landing in the sea around the "longwu" kicked up water spouts that were much smaller now, but each one reminded everyone—this ship had not given up.

Li Ling raised his binoculars. In the lens, the hull of the "Indomitable" was severely tilted, and the fire on the deck was consuming the superstructure. Thick smoke poured out from every breach, almost obscuring most of its silhouette.

Yet its main turret was still slowly rotating, and the British Royal Navy flag on its mast, torn into shreds by shrapnel, still fluttered in the wind. Although the Union Jack on the flag was tattered and incomplete, it still stubbornly unfurled amidst the gray smoke screen.

Its captain, a veteran in his fifties named Edwin Hamilton, stood on the crumbling bridge, his gaze calmly fixed on the massive Tang Country ship slowly approaching in the distance.

His right hand pressed against the railing, while his left held a worn-out pair of binoculars. The lenses were cracked, yet they were held steadily before his eyes. His lips moved slightly, as if speaking final words to someone. The expression on his face was calm, like a traveler who had completed their journey and was looking back at the path traveled from the finish line.

He knew his flagship could not escape the battlefield. With its main batteries destroyed, engine room flooded, and rudder jammed, this iron behemoth that had survived three naval battles was heading toward its final end. But he also understood that if he could hold back the main Tang Country fleet for even just an hour, he could buy more retreat distance for the other British Battleship and the remnants of the Allied forces. Those ships fleeing southward needed a buffer, and his "Indomitable" would be that final shield.

"Your Majesty, the British Battleship is turning, heading northwest at about ten knots. It looks like it wants to use its last bit of strength to cover the remaining Allied forces," the Radar Operator reported, his voice tinged with complex emotions. "It is performing a final maneuver with a hull that has almost lost all power, as if acting as a rearguard for the fleeing allies."

Li Ling lowered his binoculars. He was silent for two seconds, then said: "Let it fire one last salvo. Then, send it down. Tell all gun positions, this round must be precise. Do not make it suffer more. Deliver the final blow."

After the order was given, the three triple-mounted 460mm main batteries of the "longwu" slowly rotated, their muzzles pointing toward the struggling warship. The gunners completed their final aiming, the loaders pushed the 1,200kg armor-piercing shells into the chambers, and the breechblocks locked with a dull metallic clang as the safety mechanisms on the firing devices were disengaged one by one.

"Fire."

Nine 460mm shells left the barrels simultaneously, carving nine brief arcs of flame through the air like nine burning blades. They flew for about twelve seconds—during those twelve seconds, it was as if everything on the sea had frozen, with only the low whistling sound of shells cutting through the air rolling overhead—before they struck the scarred warship like a giant's fist. Three of them penetrated the main armor belt and exploded inside the engine room, sending steam and fire gushing out, completely tearing apart the ship's stern structure. Two shells hit the bridge, sending the veteran who stood commanding amidst the ruins and his final flag into the sea. One shell pierced the side wall of the bridge and continued flying, hitting the base of the rear mast, snapping off the still-fluttering flag at its base.

The "Indomitable" ceased firing after that salvo. Its hull began to tilt faster amid violent tremors. The fire on the deck was half-extinguished by the rushing seawater, but the remaining flames continued to burn, like some unextinguishable obsession. Its last main turret slowly pointed toward the sky as it tilted, like a final salute to the heavens—at the last moment, the turret seemed to rotate on its own, its muzzle aimed at the sky like a silent vow.

Three minutes later, that British Battleship, which had once left its wake in the North Sea, the Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean, sank to the bottom of the deep East China Sea.

Its sinking location was more than four hours after it was first hit, more than an hour after it decided to stay and cover the remnants, and three minutes after its last main battery shot. The sinking process was slow, as if it were bidding farewell to the waters it had sailed. The bow dipped into the water first, the stern rose high, and then the entire ship slowly rolled to one side, finally disappearing beneath the dark water like a whale sinking into the deep sea. A huge, expanding vortex was left on the surface, along with several pieces of burning debris.

"Your Majesty, the 'Indomitable' has sunk." The look-out's voice carried a complex tone, as if filled with admiration and regret. "It sank very slowly, as if it were saying goodbye."

Li Ling did not answer. He kept his binoculars raised, watching the sea surface that was slowly calming down. Only a few expanding vortices, some burning debris, and several rescue ships approaching the sinking site remained. A few charred fragments of flag fabric floated on the surface, where the silhouette of the Union Jack could still be faintly discerned.

"Transmit an order." He finally spoke, his voice carrying a solemnity never heard before. "Send a telegram to the British Royal Navy. Say this: 'The officers and men of the "Indomitable" displayed extraordinary courage in battle, and their captain fulfilled his duty until the very last moment. If there are survivors from the British side who need repatriation, we are willing to provide assistance. Record Captain Hamilton's name and his final location. If there is an opportunity in the future, reserve a place for them in the Tang Country Naval Museum. Some opponents are worth remembering.'"

Lin Yongsheng was stunned for a moment, then stood at attention and saluted: "Yes, Your Majesty. I will draft this telegram myself."

When the battle finally ended in the afternoon, the East China Sea battlefield had completely turned into a massive maritime graveyard. Of the thirty-six capital ships the Allied forces had committed, twelve were sunk, eight heavily damaged, and six captured, with only about ten remnants luckily escaping the battlefield. Although the Tang Country fleet's losses were also considerable—one Dreadnought heavily damaged, two lightly damaged, one Pre-dreadnought sunk, three Destroyers sunk, six Torpedo boats sunk, and over four hundred officers and men killed—its core combat capability remained basically intact.

Li Ling stood on the bridge of the "longwu," looking at the wreckage and captured officers and men being salvaged by the rescue ships, silent for a long time. The sea breeze blew past him, carrying the mixed scent of gunpowder smoke, rust, and damp metal. On the distant sea, the last wisp of thick smoke was slowly dissipating in the twilight, as if war were closing its pages.

"Your Majesty, the main Allied force has been routed." Lin Yongsheng stood behind Li Ling, his voice filled with the exhaustion of having survived a catastrophe. "Their remaining ships have escaped our Radar range. If we pursue, we may need to enter the high seas, which could provoke interference from other great powers. The German Empire has sent a secret telegram saying that Britain is considering dispatching a new fleet into the East Asia region."

Li Ling nodded: "No pursuit. Let the fleet return for rest and refitting. The battle is over, at least this round is. Have all main battery barrels on all warships undergo a comprehensive inspection. The 460mm guns may have slight deformations after continuous firing; if not addressed, it will affect accuracy."

He turned around and looked toward the southwest, where the sea and sky met, dyed orange-red by gunpowder smoke and the setting sun. On the sea, a few seagulls were circling, their silhouettes appearing exceptionally small in the twilight.

"System." He mentally recited, "Tell me, what was Captain Hamilton thinking at the last moment? He could have surrendered; his soldiers had already lost the ability to continue fighting. Why did he choose to stay?"

"He was probably thinking that if he surrendered, he would no longer be Hamilton." The system's voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "For some people, dignity is more important than survival. Host, you are also such a person. That is why you can understand his choice, even though you stood under different flags."

Li Ling was silent for a long time. Then he said: "Record the names of the captain and the fallen officers and men of the 'Indomitable'. If there is an opportunity in the future, reserve a place for them in the Tang Country Naval Museum. Not as enemies, but as respected opponents. In another parallel universe, we might have been comrades-in-arms."

In the distance, the setting sun was slowly sinking below the horizon. The fire on the sea gradually extinguished, and the smoke slowly dissipated in the twilight, leaving only a sea surface that was gradually returning to calm. And beneath that calmness slept the stories of two nations and countless soldiers, which would be carried toward more distant places along the currents.