The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 1010 The vast ocean is a casino, and ironclad warships are the stakes!

The summer winds of the North Sea, carrying a salty, briny scent, swept across the rugged reefs of the Shetland Islands. Led by the British armored cruiser HMS Tornado, the more than forty steel behemoths of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Atlantic Expeditionary Fleet slowly traversed the narrow waterways between the islands. Waves lapped against the long hull of the battleship "Heavenly Kingdom," refracting the sunlight into shimmering fragments of gold.

Luo Xinhua paced back and forth on the bridge, his leather shoes making a dull thud on the teak floor. Deng Shichang stood before the chart table, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the scale. His adjutant, Onodera Tsubaki, was recording course data in the logbook with a pencil, the tip scratching softly on the paper. Captain Liu Buchan held up his binoculars, his eyes slightly narrowed behind the lenses, scanning the hazy horizon.

"Airship spotted! Bearing 275, approximately 15 nautical miles away!" came the urgent shout from the lookout over the loudspeaker.

Liu Buchan's binoculars suddenly turned northwest. Luo Xinhua raised his hand to signal him to calm down: "The Germans don't have any planes that can drop bombs yet, and even if they did, they couldn't reach Shetland." He walked to the porthole and looked at the faint black shadows of airships in the distance. "Besides, each of our warships is equipped with twenty anti-aircraft machine guns."

The communications officer suddenly pushed open the hatch: "Unidentified radio signal intercepted; the frequency matches the band commonly used by the German Navy!"

Deng Shichang chuckled and drew a circle on the nautical chart with his finger: "These flying creatures are really annoying. Ten years ago, you could hide anywhere in the vast ocean. Now," he shook his head, "both sides have their cards on the table."

“It’s still daytime.” Luo Xinhua looked out the window at the blinding sunlight. “There are at most eight hours before dark. This gamble depends on who places their bet first.”

Tsubaki Onodera suddenly looked up, her eyes shining brightly: "This is the 'vast ocean as a casino, steel warships as the stakes'!"

Luo Xinhua's lips curled up slightly: "It's just that the stakes are too high. There are only a handful of countries in the world that can participate."

The communications officer burst in again, this time forgetting even to give a salute: "Urgent telegram from the Combined Flagship 'Monarch'! Detected the main force of the German High Seas Fleet—12 battleships, 6 confirmed Nassau-class, the other 6 of unknown type! Bearing 247, heading southeast, speed 18 knots! Admiral Fisher orders our forces to attack immediately!"

The bridge erupted in commotion. Deng Shichang rushed to the chart table, while Liu Buchan had already grabbed the phone to issue battle orders to the engine room. Onodera Tsubaki swiftly placed a small wooden model representing the German fleet onto the chart, her fingers trembling slightly. But Luo Xinhua grabbed her slender hand, laughing, "Don't be nervous. This time, we have the strongest ships and the sharpest cannons!"

"Six Nassau-class ships," Deng Shichang's pencil flew across the paper as he calculated. "The remaining six should be the newly commissioned Heligoland-class or Scharnhorst-class ships."

Liu Buchan put down the phone and added, "There are also six Teutonic Knight-class cruisers. A total of eighteen capital ships."

Luo Xinhua stared at the nautical chart, then suddenly sneered: "With the ships 'Celestial Empire' and 'Heavenly Kingdom,' no one can defeat us!"

His confidence was not unfounded. According to the historical classification of steel battleships, the "Orion" and "Yinglong" were both super-dreadnoughts! It is very difficult for a battleship to challenge a class above it. Usually, a battleship of a higher class can easily defeat a group of battleships of a lower class. The Yinglong was a strong one among the "super-dreadnoughts". Not only did its main guns reach a caliber of 360 mm, but its defenses were also incredibly strong - its 2.65 tons standard displacement was not without reason.

At the same moment, aboard the Combined Fleet flagship HMS Monarch, Admiral Fisher's cigar emitted wisps of smoke in the operations room. Chief of Staff Maynard drew an arc on the nautical chart with a compass: "We currently have nine battleships and battlecruisers, plus nine armored cruisers. Eighteen against eighteen, we can at least hold them off, and we also have three Orions!"

“Once the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom’s twenty main warships arrive,” Fisher exhaled a smoke ring that slowly diffused in the sunlight streaming through the porthole, “that’s twenty-five against twelve.”

The doors to the operations room were suddenly flung open. The communications officer, his face ashen, cried out: "Admiral! Latest report from the reconnaissance airships! A second formation—at least eight battleships—has been spotted behind the German fleet!"

Fisher's cigar fell onto the chart and burned a charred hole in it.

The wind in Beihai suddenly became biting. In this vast casino, the most expensive games were just beginning.

The North Sea waves gleamed with a cold, iron-gray light under the midday sun. The British Royal Navy fleet stood in battle line, the guns of eighteen steel behemoths pointing uniformly northwest. Admiral Fisher stood on the bridge of the HMS Monarch, his binoculars already clearly showing the outline of the German First Fleet—twelve warships in perfect column, the spray from their bows shimmering like shattered silver in the sunlight.

"Ten thousand meters away!" The observer's voice echoed through the megaphone.

Fisher put down his binoculars and turned to Maynard, saying, "Tell all ships to concentrate their fire on the lead Nassau-class ship."

At 11:17 a.m., the British fleet opened fire first. The 343mm main guns of the three Orion-class battleships roared deafeningly, shells tracing beautiful parabolas in the air. The first salvo landed around the German ships, sending up water columns more than thirty meters high.

Commander of the German First Fleet, Vice Admiral von Hohenlohe, nearing fifty, stood on the bridge of the "Westfalen," his graying temples dampened by the splashing waves. He calmly ordered: "Maintain course, target the British flagship, salvo!"

The German warships' 280mm main guns immediately returned fire. Shells landed around the "Monarch," the closest one coming within fifty meters of the stern. Fisher felt the deck beneath his feet tremble, but he remained motionless, coldly watching the enemy ship.

As the two sides drew closer, the ammunition they launched also came closer to the enemy ship.
The lookout suddenly shouted: "Orion has hit the enemy ship!"

Fisher raised his binoculars and saw a fireball erupt from the foredeck of one of the German Nassau-class destroyers. The British sailors cheered.

Just as the British fleet gained the upper hand, new ships suddenly appeared on the northwest horizon. Six enormous vessels, lined up in a single file, cut into the battlefield at a speed of 20 knots.

"My God!" Chief of Staff Maynard dropped his pencil.

That was the second flotilla personally led by Tirpitz—six Heligoland-class battleships, each armed with twelve 305mm main guns. These steel behemoths were even larger than the Nassau-class, casting suffocating shadows in the sunlight.

Just then, the situation at sea suddenly changed dramatically!

"Invincible has been hit!"

With a deafening explosion, the forward turret of the British battlecruiser HMS Invincible was hit directly. The shell penetrated the relatively thin armor and detonated inside the magazine. The entire warship was torn in two as if by a giant, disappearing from the sea in just two minutes, leaving only a huge whirlpool and floating wreckage.

Fisher's face turned deathly pale. He grabbed the megaphone, his voice hoarse: "Full fleet, turn southeast, maintain battle line!"

The British fleet began a difficult maneuver, attempting to create distance. However, the German firepower intensified, and soon two more British armored cruisers were severely damaged, trailing smoke as they withdrew from the battle. At this critical moment, new ships appeared on the southeastern horizon. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's expeditionary fleet had finally arrived.

Luo Xinhua stood on the bridge of the HMS Heaven, his binoculars reflecting the fierce battle in the distance. He could clearly see the British fleet in retreat, while the German second squadron was expanding its gains.

"Full speed ahead!" Luo Xinhua ordered. "Target: German second formation, prepare for volley fire!"

Deng Shichang quickly calculated the firing parameters: "Distance 14,000 meters, target is the first Heligoland-class ship, codename A1, expected to enter effective firing range in three minutes."

Tsubaki Onodera, clutching the telegram she had just received, said, "General, Fisher has sent an urgent telegram recommending a retreat."

Luo Xinhua shook his head: "Reply: Please hold on for another twenty minutes. 'Heavenly Kingdom' and 'Celestial Empire' will clear away all obstacles."

At 1:05 PM, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fleet joined the battle. The 360mm main guns of the "Heavenly Kingdom" and "Heavenly Dynasty" roared, and the shells flew towards the German ships with almost straight trajectories.

Tirpitz, who witnessed all this aboard the Oldenburg, became extremely grave. He immediately ordered: "Third squadron, accelerate! Engage in battle immediately!"

New ships appeared again on the northwest horizon—the third flotilla, consisting of four Scharnhorst-class battlecruisers and four Thor-class armored cruisers, was approaching at full speed. Fisher nearly dropped his binoculars when he received the reconnaissance report.

"28 to 24," he muttered to himself, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

But Luo Xinhua remained unmoved. He ordered the fleet to approach the enemy at full speed, concentrating all firepower on the German second formation. By 2:30 p.m., the battlefield had become a sea of ​​fire. The two sides' warships were fiercely exchanging fire at a distance of 8000 to 12000 meters.

The German Third Squadron finally joined the battle. Four Scharnhorst-class battlecruisers, with their high speed of 27 knots, attempted to outflank the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fleet. However, Luo Xinhua was prepared. The battlecruisers Tianhai and Tianhe, along with four Donghai-class battlecruisers, met them head-on, and the two sides engaged in a fierce close-range gun battle.

On the surface of the North Sea, smoke and steam mingled into a chaotic curtain. The 360mm main guns of the battleship "Heavenly Kingdom" roared once more, the recoil from the eight massive guns firing simultaneously causing the 2.65-ton steel behemoth to tremble slightly. The shells flew with near-flat trajectories toward the German ship 8000 meters away, whistling sharply through the air.

"Distance correction, left 002, decrease distance by 500!" Liu Buchan, who was personally in charge of the fire control center, stared intently at the dial of the fire control instrument, his voice steady and powerful. The officers and soldiers on the bridge were already drenched in sweat, but no one dared to wipe it away—this was the seventh salvo since the "Heavenly Kingdom" joined the battle. The first six salvos had all been strafed, and now the outcome was finally about to be decided.

The shell impact point observer suddenly shouted, "Hit! Enemy ship's foredeck hit!"

Luo Xinhua raised his binoculars and saw the forward turret of the Heligoland-class battleship in the distance engulfed by a ball of orange-red fire. The power of the 360mm high-explosive shell was on full display at that moment—the 680-kilogram warhead exploded after penetrating the armor, directly lifting the twin-mounted 305mm turret into the air.

"Continue firing!" Luo Xinhua's order was brief and forceful. He turned to look at the nautical chart; the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom fleet had successfully cut into the German fleet's T-shaped formation, a classic naval battle formation that was maximizing the firepower advantage of the Yinglong-class destroyers.

On board the Monarch, Admiral Fisher stared in disbelief at the scene. He had never seen such precise and deadly bombardment—the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's super-dreadnoughts could complete a salvo every three minutes on average, with a hit rate of 10%, almost twice that of the British Orion-class destroyers.

"Is this what a real super battleship is?" Fisher muttered to himself. His gaze swept across the nautical chart; although the three British Orion-class battleships were also firing hard, the firing efficiency of their 343mm main guns was clearly inferior.

The balance of the naval battle was tilting at a visible speed. When the fifth salvo from the "Tianchao" hit another Heligoland-class ship, the German fleet's formation finally began to crumble. Tirpitz frantically issued turning orders from the "Oldenburg," but it was too late—the two super-dreadnoughts of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were like two sharp scalpels, slowly dismembering the German fleet.

"Full speed ahead! Close the distance to 5000 meters!" Luo Xinhua suddenly ordered. This decision stunned the officers on the bridge—in conventional naval warfare, this distance was already considered dangerous close-quarters combat.

Deng Shichang immediately understood: "Does the general want to leverage the advantages of our armored vehicles?"

Luo Xinhua nodded: "At a distance of 5000 meters, the German 305mm guns simply cannot penetrate our main armor belt. But our 360mm guns can tear through their armor like opening a can."

With the order given, the "Heavenly Kingdom" and "Celestial Empire" suddenly accelerated, hurtling towards the heart of the German fleet at a speed of 25 knots. This audacious move caught everyone off guard—including Fisher, who was observing the battle.

"Are they crazy?" Chief of Staff Maynard exclaimed. "At such close range."

“No, they are very clear-headed.” Fisher’s eyes suddenly lit up. “This is Luo Xinhua’s most common tactic—using impenetrable armor to get close and fire, and overwhelming the opponent with absolute firepower.”

As the distance closed to 5000 meters, the main guns of the "Heavenly Kingdom" roared once more. This time, the shell flew almost horizontally, striking directly amidships of a Heligoland-class ship. The 360mm capped armor-piercing shell easily tore through the 280mm main armor belt and exploded inside the engine room. The entire warship was as if it had been punched hard by a giant, instantly losing power.

"Keep closing in! 4000 meters!" Luo Xinhua's orders grew increasingly frantic. But at this moment, no one questioned it—the super-dreadnought's advantage in close-range combat was being maximized.

At a distance of 4000 meters, akin to hand-to-hand combat, the "Heavenly Kingdom" and "Heavenly Dynasty" became veritable sea fortresses. German shells relentlessly struck their armor, but accomplished nothing more than dents in the thick steel plates. Each salvo from the 360mm main guns meant certain destruction for a German ship.

Tirpitz finally realized that this gamble had failed. When he saw the fourth Heligoland-class ship sink under the gunfire of the "Celestial Empire," the German admiral had to issue his most humiliating order: "Release smoke, the entire fleet retreat!"

But Luo Xinhua wasn't going to give them that chance. "Full speed ahead!" he ordered. "Let the Germans remember that in the waters dominated by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's super battleships, no one can escape easily!"

As the sun set, this epic naval battle finally came to an end. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's two super-dreadnoughts created a miracle in naval history—sinking four German capital ships and severely damaging six others with just two ships, while only suffering moderate damage themselves (the British also lost one Invincible-class, one Dreadnought-class, and two armored cruisers).

At that moment, everyone understood: the future oceans would belong to these steel behemoths. And the Yinglong-class had already set an indisputable standard for this new era.

(End of this chapter)