34: Chapter 34 The Second Medium-Scale Naval Battle

I. The Enemy's Revenge

After the crushing defeat in the first medium-scale naval battle, Japan was shaken to its core.

Togo Heihachiro was seriously injured, calls for Yamamoto Gonnohyoe to resign grew louder, and the United Fleet had lost over one-third of its combat power.

More terrifyingly, this defeat exposed a brutal fact: Li Ling's naval strength far exceeded Japan's estimates.

"Impossible! How could he, the son of a mere regional official, possess something like Radar?" someone questioned at the Japan naval meeting.

"The facts are as they are." Acting Commander of the United Fleet, Kamimura Hikonojo, had a livid expression. "Our fleet was detected the moment it set sail; it is inexplicable without Radar."

"Then what do we do? Are we just going to admit defeat?"

"Admit defeat?" Kamimura Hikonojo sneered. "No, we must assemble all our forces and deliver a fatal blow!"

Japan began frantically assembling troops.

They brought in their most advanced Naniwa-class protected Cruisers from the mainland and urgently purchased a batch of Destroyers and Torpedo boats from the great powers.

Meanwhile, Meijian Country secretly provided intelligence support, including the deployment status of Li Ling's fleet.

A month later, a massive fleet consisting of fifteen ships once again sailed toward the coast of Qingxia Kingdom.

This time, Japan had learned to be smart.

Not only did they maintain strict anti-aircraft reconnaissance during the day, but they also arranged specialized anti-Torpedo boat squadrons.

Furthermore, they deliberately chose to launch the attack at dawn, hoping to catch Li Ling off guard.

II. The System's Gift

While Japan was assembling its forces, Li Ling was not idle.

He used the money earned from selling arms to quickly repair the damaged Pre-dreadnoughts and imported a batch of advanced fire control systems from the German Empire.

More importantly, the system lottery gave him a small Radar—although its detection range was only fifty kilometers, it was enough to cover the coastal area.

"With this, if the Japan people come to sneak attack again, I will make sure they don't return." Li Ling patted the Radar equipment and said proudly.

[Stop showing off, it's not like it wasn't given by me.]

"Yes, yes, yes, you are the most powerful." Li Ling said perfunctorily, then turned to Krupp. "Krupp, can the construction progress of the Dreadnought be accelerated further?"

Krupp pushed up his glasses: "Mr. Li, we are already ten percent faster than the original plan. If we speed up any further, it might affect the quality."

Li Ling nodded: "Then forget it, quality first."

Just then, the Radar station sent an alarm: "My Lord! An unidentified fleet has been detected, distance about one hundred and fifty kilometers, heading southwest, fifteen ships in total!"

"Here they come again." Li Ling sneered. "Last time they came with twelve, this time fifteen; Japan really won't give up."

Empress Su Wanqing said worriedly: "Brother Ling, they have more ships this time, we..."

Li Ling patted her hand: "Empress Su Wanqing, don't worry, I am already prepared."

He turned and gave the order: "Notify the 'Zhenhai', 'Dinghai', and 'Weihai' to set out immediately! Torpedo boat squadrons, leave port! Also..."

He paused, a cold light flashing in his eyes: "Have the 'Special Torpedo boats' set out as well."

The adjutant was stunned: "My Lord, those three..."

"Yes, those three." Li Ling nodded. "Today, I want to let the Japan people taste what true despair is."

III. Special Torpedo boats

The 'Special Torpedo boats' Li Ling spoke of were actually black technology secretly provided by the system—three small speedboats with a displacement of only two hundred tons, a top speed of thirty-five knots, carrying four electric torpedoes, and featuring a stealth design with minimal Radar reflective area.

These three Torpedo boats had been hidden in a secret dock in the naval port; even Empress Su Wanqing did not know about them.

Today was their first appearance.

At four in the morning, before dawn, the three Special Torpedo boats quietly sailed out of the naval port like a group of ghosts lurking in the darkness.

Their mission was to circle behind the Japan fleet and surprise-attack the supply ships and command ships.

At the same time, the three Pre-dreadnoughts and five regular Torpedo boats also set out.

Li Ling's plan was simple: use the capital ships to pin down the enemy from the front, use Torpedo boats to harass from the flanks, and use the Special Torpedo boats to sneak attack from the rear.

A three-pronged pincer attack to keep the Japan fleet overwhelmed.

IV. Radar Ambush

The battle broke out at dawn.

The Japan fleet commander, Kamimura Hikonojo, thought his sneak attack had succeeded, but when his fleet approached within fifty kilometers of the port, Li Ling's fleet suddenly struck.

"Impossible! How could they know our location?" Kamimura Hikonojo was stunned.

But there was no time to think.

The main guns of the three Pre-dreadnoughts roared, and shells landed in the middle of the Japan fleet, kicking up huge water columns.

"Counterattack! All ships, counterattack!" Kamimura Hikonojo ordered.

The two fleets began a fierce artillery battle.

Although Li Ling's three Pre-dreadnoughts had superior firepower, they were still at a disadvantage against fifteen enemy ships.

Just then, five regular Torpedo boats emerged from the flanks and fired over twenty torpedoes at the Japan fleet.

"Torpedoes! Evasive maneuvers!" The Japan ships turned in panic.

Although most torpedoes were avoided, two Destroyers were hit, exploding and catching fire.

Kamimura Hikonojo's expression was livid: "Anti-Torpedo boat squadrons, sortie! Take them out for me!"

The Japan anti-Torpedo boat squadrons immediately turned and engaged in a melee with Li Ling's Torpedo boats.

Artillery fire flew across the sea, and the Torpedo boats wove flexibly, dodging the enemy ships' fire.

"My Lord, the 'Sea Snake' has been hit and is sinking!" the communications officer reported.

Li Ling gritted his teeth: "Have the remaining Torpedo boats retreat, Special Torpedo boats, attack!"

V. Sinking of the Flagship

As the sky gradually brightened, the formation of the Japan fleet began to fall into chaos.

The artillery battle in the front and the torpedo attacks on the flanks left them exhausted.

And Kamimura Hikonojo's flagship, the 'Naniwa', exposed its position because it kept issuing orders.

The three Special Torpedo boats quietly approached.

They were too fast; the speed of thirty-five knots left the Japan ships with no time to react.

By the time the lookouts spotted these ghostly speedboats, they were already less than two kilometers away from the 'Naniwa'.

"Torpedoes! Torpedoes on the port side! Many torpedoes!"

Kamimura Hikonojo was shocked and ordered an emergency turn.

But it was too late.

Six electric torpedoes sped over at forty-five knots, accurately hitting the port side of the 'Naniwa'.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Amidst the violent explosions, a huge hole was blown into the 'Naniwa', and seawater rushed in frantically.

The hull tilted rapidly, and it sank into the sea in less than ten minutes.

Kamimura Hikonojo sank with the ship, and the entire fleet was annihilated.

With the flagship sunk and the commander killed in action, the Japan fleet immediately fell into chaos.

The ships, now leaderless, began to fight on their own, and some even turned around to flee.

Li Ling seized the opportunity and ordered the entire army to pursue.

"Fire! Don't let a single one escape!"

The three Pre-dreadnoughts fired at full capacity, raining shells down on the chaotic enemy ships.

The remaining Special Torpedo boats and regular Torpedo boats also pursued frantically, sending the fleeing enemy ships to the bottom of the sea one by one.

When the battle ended at noon, of the fifteen Japan ships, only three heavily damaged Destroyers successfully escaped back to the mainland.

Li Ling's fleet losses: one Torpedo boat sunk, two lightly damaged, three Pre-dreadnoughts hit several times, but none sunk.

A complete victory!

VI. The Legend of the Sea God

News spread, and the world was shocked.

In half a month, two consecutive large-scale naval battles, the complete annihilation of the Japan main fleet, more than twenty enemy ships sunk, and two enemy commanders killed.

Such a record was astounding, even in the eyes of the Western powers.

The coastal people revered Li Ling as the "Sea God," setting up long-life memorial tablets in their homes, thanking him for protecting the coast from the harassment of the Woying invaders.

The German Empire became even more determined to cooperate with Li Ling; General Stresemann even took the initiative to propose that a group of German naval technical personnel could be sent over for "study and exchange."

Meijian Country and the UK began to re-evaluate Li Ling's strength.

They realized that this young man was no longer someone who could be easily suppressed.

The Japan navy, however, was severely damaged and had no ability to launch a large-scale offensive in the short term.

And Li Ling, at the victory banquet, only said one sentence lightly: "This is just the beginning. I will make the Japan people never dare to set foot in these waters again."

Empress Su Wanqing watched him from the side, her eyes filled with admiration and love.

[Host, you fought this battle beautifully!] The system praised him, which was rare.

"It was just so-so." Li Ling was humble on the outside, but his heart was blooming with joy.

[Keep pretending, keep pretending.]

"Shut up and go eat your data."