73: Chapter 73 Sneak Attack on the Supply Line

I. Cutting Off the Supply Line

The horn for the decisive battle was about to sound, but Li Ling did not intend to let Fisher fight this battle comfortably.

At 3:00 AM, ten Submarines departed secretly from the temporary anchorage, disappearing into the vast darkness of the night.

Their target was not the main force of the United Fleet, but those unsuspecting transport ships—the lifeline of the Fishers Fleet.

[Host, all Submarines are in position and are approaching the enemy supply line. They are expected to reach the attack formation in two hours.]

"Good." Li Ling stood before the nautical chart, tracing a line on the map with his finger. "Fisher's supply fleet departs from Sasebo Port every day at 4:00 AM, sailing along this route and arriving at the United Fleet's anchorage around noon. If we can intercept them before dawn, Fisher's fleet will be cut off from supplies."

"Sir, will Fisher send warships to escort them?" the Chief of Staff asked.

"He will." Li Ling nodded. "But his escort vessels are limited in number, and most of them are old Destroyers that cannot deal with our Submarines. Our Submarines can approach quietly underwater, fire torpedoes, and retreat quickly, giving them no chance to counterattack."

Li Ling had used this tactic many times in previous naval battles, and it had always worked. The United Fleet's anti-Submarine capabilities were relatively weak, while his Submarines boasted advanced performance and minimal noise, making them difficult to detect with sonar.

More importantly, Fisher was currently focusing all his attention on searching for Li Ling's main fleet, so the protection of his supply line would naturally be lax. This was exactly the effect Li Ling wanted—a feint to the east while attacking in the west, cutting off the supply line.

At 4:20 AM, the Submarines sent a telegram: "Enemy supply fleet spotted, consisting of twelve transport ships escorted by three Destroyers. Requesting permission to attack."

Li Ling replied immediately: "Attack! Prioritize the transport ships; do not get entangled with the escort ships."

Four minutes later, muffled explosions rang out over the sea surface.

II. Slaughter Beneath the Sea

The commander of the Submarine 'Sea Wolf' was Lin Hai, an ace captain manifested by the system. He was a young man in his early thirties, taciturn, but possessed incredible talent in underwater combat.

At this moment, he was hunched over the periscope, staring intently at the enemy fleet in the distance. The twelve transport ships were arranged in two columns, sailing slowly under the protection of the Destroyers. Those transport ships were loaded with ammunition, fuel, and food—the lifeblood upon which the United Fleet depended for survival.

"Torpedo tubes one and two, prepare," Lin Hai ordered in a low voice. "Target, the first transport ship on the left flank. Distance two thousand meters, speed ten knots, heading southeast."

"Ready."

"Fire!"

Two torpedoes shot out from the front of the Submarine, trailing white wakes as they rushed toward the target. Fifteen seconds later, violent explosions rang out.

Through the periscope, Lin Hai saw that the transport ship had been hit in the middle of its hull by the torpedoes, and a massive column of water shot into the sky. The hull tilted rapidly, and the cargo on the deck slid into the sea one after another. The sailors were panicked; some jumped into the sea to escape, while others tried to lower lifeboats, but it was all too late.

In less than five minutes, the transport ship sank to the seabed.

Meanwhile, the other nine Submarines also launched their attacks. For a time, explosions rang out one after another on the sea, and flames shot into the sky. Of the twelve transport ships, seven were sunk, three were severely damaged, and only two managed to escape.

The three escorting Destroyers tried to counterattack, but they couldn't find the location of the Submarines at all. After firing their torpedoes, the Submarines quickly dived, changed course, and disappeared into the deep sea.

"Retreat!" Lin Hai ordered. "All Submarines, dive to fifty meters and retreat at full speed."

The ten Submarines, like ghosts in the sea, slipped away quietly amidst the explosions and chaos. Only burning wreckage and struggling survivors remained on the sea surface.

"Sir, a complete victory!" the Chief of Staff reported excitedly. "Seven transport ships sunk, three severely damaged, and only two escaped. The enemy supply fleet has suffered losses of over seventy percent!"

Li Ling nodded with satisfaction, but there was no smile on his face.

"Have the Submarine fleet withdraw to replenish torpedoes and fuel," he ordered. "Continue tomorrow. I want Fisher's fleet to run out of ammunition and food, receiving not a single bit of supply."

[Host, Fisher will definitely strengthen the protection of the supply line. Tomorrow's operation may be more dangerous.]

"I know," Li Ling said. "But we must persevere. As long as we cut off Fisher's supplies, his fleet won't last for many days."

III. Fisher's Dilemma

On the United Fleet's flagship, the 'Victory', Fisher's face was livid.

"What? The supply fleet was attacked? Seven sunk?" He was practically roaring. "Where were our escorting Destroyers? What were they doing?"

"General, the enemy's Submarines are very advanced; our sonar cannot detect them at all," the anti-Submarine commander said, sweating profusely. "Furthermore, the torpedoes they fired have a very long range, and our Destroyers cannot intercept them in time."

Fisher took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

"How much material was lost?"

"According to preliminary statistics, we lost three thousand tons of ammunition, five thousand tons of fuel, and two thousand tons of food. Combined with the previous losses from attacks, our ammunition and fuel are only enough to support three more days of combat."

Three days. Fisher closed his eyes. If he could not defeat Li Ling's fleet within three days, his United Fleet would collapse due to running out of ammunition and supplies.

"Issue an order to detach four Destroyers from the main fleet to strengthen the protection of the supply line," Fisher ordered. "Also, have the transport ships from Sasebo Port change their routes; do not use the original paths."

"Yes!"

After the order was issued, Fisher walked to the nautical chart and stared at the position of Li Ling's fleet marked on it.

"Li Ling, where are you?" he muttered to himself.

He knew Li Ling was nearby, but he just couldn't find him. Radar, reconnaissance planes, reconnaissance ships... all reconnaissance methods had been used, but he couldn't find that ghost-like fleet.

Li Ling was like a wolf hiding in the shadows, patiently waiting for the prey to reveal a flaw.

"General, should we continue to advance?" the adjutant asked cautiously.

"Advance," Fisher gritted his teeth. "Li Ling wants to wear us down, but we simply won't let him have his way. Advance at full speed and search for Li Ling's main force. Find him, and then destroy him."

IV. A Cold Decision

Meanwhile, Li Ling's fleet was maneuvering toward the designated battlefield.

"Sir, reconnaissance planes report that the enemy's main fleet is advancing at full speed toward the northwest, at a distance of about one hundred and twenty nautical miles," the Chief of Staff said, handing over a telegram.

Li Ling took the telegram, glanced at it, and handed it back.

"Understood. Have the fleet maintain its speed; do not expose our position."

"Sir, why don't we take the initiative to attack while the enemy's supplies are insufficient?" a young captain couldn't help but ask. "With the firepower of our Dreadnought, we might not lose to them."

"It's not that we can't win, but that it's not worth it," Li Ling shook his head. "Fisher still has over fifty vessels. Even if we could win, we would suffer heavy losses. I do not wish to see our brothers sacrifice themselves because of my recklessness."

"But—"

"No buts," Li Ling interrupted him. "My decision is made. Continue to wear the enemy down, and when they run out of ammunition and food and their morale collapses, we will strike."

The young captain lowered his head and stopped speaking.

Li Ling knew that his decision might seem overly cautious, even somewhat cowardly, to some. But he didn't care. What he cared about were the lives of the soldiers who had followed him through life and death.

After traveling to this era, he had seen too much death. Every time a battle ended, looking at the list of fallen soldiers, his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. Those young faces, those vivid lives, had just disappeared forever.

Therefore, he was unwilling to fight a battle without certainty. For every battle, he had to ensure nothing went wrong and ensure minimal casualties.

[Host, you have changed.]

"How have I changed?"

[When you first traveled here, you dared to do anything, regardless of the consequences. Now, you have become more and more cautious, and you care more and more about casualties.]

"That is because I have people I care about," Li Ling sighed. "Before, I was alone; if I died, I died. Now it's different. I have family, friends, and so many people who trust me. I cannot let them down, nor can I let them lose their lives because of my recklessness."

[The system understands. The Host is not becoming weaker, but stronger—stronger enough to protect everyone.]

Li Ling smiled: "How come you are so good at talking today?"

[The system must occasionally praise the Host to prevent the Host from feeling neglected.]

"Cut it out, you just want to butter me up."

[Host, the system does not need to flatter.]

"Then you are being sarcastic."

[...Host, you win.]

Li Ling laughed out loud, and his mood improved significantly.

He walked to the window and watched the sky outside gradually brightening. A new day had begun, and this day would determine the course of this war.