Nanyang Storm 1864

Jinhae near the Korean Peninsula

"Amaterasu! What is that? Has the State of Chu declared war on us?"

When Admiral Togo Heihachiro saw the majestic silhouette of the battleship "Yashiro" through his binoculars, his defenses were clearly breached, and he couldn't help but blurt out.

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, the Combined Fleet has sent a telegram in plain text to inquire, and the other party replied that they just happened to be passing by and intended to observe the naval battle, and had no malicious intent."

"This is outrageous! Who would send a first-class battleship to observe a battle? Immediately send a message to them that the Combined Fleet is conducting an important military operation and they should move away immediately to avoid collateral damage."

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief, we have negotiated repeatedly, but the other party is just repeating their previous response."

"What a bunch of useless fools! How could they let Chu warships cause trouble at such a critical time? Immediately call the British fleet and ask them to negotiate urgently with the Chu side. This is absolutely unacceptable."

"Hi, Commander-in-Chief."

Colonel Yoshida Ryōken, the communications officer who had been angrily rebuked, kept bowing and apologizing before hurriedly leaving the command tower to go to the communications room to send a telegram.

At this moment, Admiral Togo Heihachiro was still furious. He looked around with a murderous gaze, and the high-ranking officers of the Combined Fleet all lowered their heads and avoided eye contact with their superior, who was known as the "God of War".

The Japanese Combined Fleet has been lingering near Jinhae for eight or nine days. Judging by the timeline, the Russian fleet that set sail from Cam Ranh Bay will likely pass through the Tsushima Strait in the next day or two.

A major battle is imminent, and we are currently on high alert.

The Fusō Combined Fleet deployed a large number of reconnaissance ships in the Tsushima Strait and Tsugaru Strait, where the Russian fleet might pass, repeatedly scanning and monitoring the sea surface, not daring to let go of any clues.

If the main force of the Russian fleet were allowed to escape north into Vladivostok, it would be like a dragon returning to the sea, with endless consequences, making the already dire situation even more difficult to maintain.

If the main fleet of Tsarist Russia were to enter the port of Vladivostok, it would be a fortress-like harbor located in Tsarist Siberia, which is also the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The difficulty of conquering it is several times greater than conquering Lushun Port.

How can you guard against thieves for a thousand days?
The Russian main fleet, which had taken refuge in Vladivostok, instantly reversed the advantage of the Japanese Combined Fleet, forcing it to adopt a passive approach.

The Russian fleet could launch surprise attacks at any time, proactively choosing favorable opportunities and battlefields to ambush or annihilate the Japanese combined fleet, thus giving Russia the initiative.

If this is delayed for a few more months, the Fusang Kingdom, already mired in war, will be dragged down.

The best and most thorough solution is to settle the score in one battle, completely defeat and annihilate the main Russian fleet, and eliminate endless future troubles.

At this critical juncture

The sudden appearance of the Great Chu Empire's "Coconut City" battleship fleet was like adding fuel to the fire, making even the usually composed Admiral Togo Heihachiro restless, pacing anxiously back and forth in the command tower.

He was genuinely worried!

The original "Six-Six Fleet" formation of the Combined Fleet had already lost two main battleships, the "Hatsuse" and the "Yashima," when it was encircling and annihilating the First Pacific Fleet of Tsarist Russia, which sank into the cold waters off Port Arthur.

After emergency repairs, the Mikasa was finally able to regain its combat capability.

The First Squadron of the Fusang Combined Fleet originally consisted of 6 battleships, but now it has been reduced to 4 battleships and two 7,000-ton armored cruisers as replacements, a force that was only recently assembled.

The First Battle Squadron was the main force to confront the Russian fleet. Its opponents were as many as 11 Russian battleships, including 6 new ships and 5 old ships.

The ratio of the two sides' main battleships was close to 1:3, with the Japanese ships at a clear disadvantage.

The only thing to be proud of is the strong confidence and desire for war of all officers and men of the Combined Fleet. In the past few months, they have conducted nine live-fire exercises, sparing no expense on expensive shells, and have emptied half of the Japanese ammunition depot.

The ammunition used alone cost a staggering 5500 million yen, a truly massive investment.

The goal was "precision shelling, first-shot hit," a battle where the fate of the nation was at stake.

At this time, we cannot afford any accidents.

As expected, what we feared most came to pass. The powerful battleship "Coconut City" of the Great Chu Empire was right there, followed by the heavy cruiser "Huashan".

How could Admiral Togo Heihachiro not have some doubts?

Who can withstand being attacked from behind at such a crucial moment?
The spacious conning tower of the battleship "Coconut City"
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu sat relaxed in the captain's chair, holding a cup of hot coffee and taking occasional sips, looking as relaxed as if he were on vacation.

The communications director kept relaying telegrams from Britain and Fusang, inquiring about the true intentions of Chu, indicating that they were truly anxious.

On the sea not far away

The formation of the Fusang Allied Fleet was clearly visible, a long line stretching as far as the eye could see, comprising several squadrons including battleships, heavy cruisers, torpedo destroyers, and torpedo boats, densely packed on the sea surface.

Watched for a while
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Empire then ordered, "Let's go. Let's not bother people here. Let's turn towards the exit of the Tsushima Strait. The sea there is much more open."

"The minister obeys the order."

Admiral He Zhucheng, Minister of the Navy, personally took command of the fleet. Upon receiving the order, he immediately turned around and instructed the captain to turn, accelerate, and leave the area first.

Otherwise, the constant urgent telegrams from the British and Japanese, sent every few minutes, would have been incredibly annoying.

The flotilla consisting of the battleship JAGO and the heavy cruiser HUZHAN drew a clear turning line on the sea and headed toward the exit of the Tsushima Strait.

This allowed the officers and soldiers of the Fusang Combined Fleet to breathe a sigh of relief, but a heavy shadow still lingered in their hearts.

Before they knew it, the backs of these Japanese Combined Fleet naval officers and soldiers were soaked with cold sweat, which had frightened them quite a bit.

The "Yashiro" was a new battleship equipped with a new and powerful steam turbine, which allowed it to reach speeds of up to 23 knots on the sea, almost the speed of a Japanese torpedo destroyer.

The Fusō torpedo destroyer, with a displacement of over 1,600 tons, has a top speed of only 26-28 knots, while torpedoes weighing several hundred tons can reach a speed of 33 knots.

The Mikasa, the main battleship of the Fusang Combined Fleet and the flagship of Admiral Togo Heihachiro, had a top speed of only 18 knots.

The "Yecheng" battleship, with a displacement of over 26,000 tons, had a speed of up to 23 knots. It was not only large in tonnage but also fast and powerful.

In naval warfare, they can fight and retreat at will, and no one can stop them, so the threat is naturally enormous.

Arriving at the Tsushima Strait at this time clearly indicates ill intentions!
The development of naval weaponry technology in the modern era is changing rapidly. The Mikasa, which started construction in 1902 and was launched in 1903, is already outdated in terms of technology. That's how fast the pace of technological change is.

Wait two years
With the completion and launch of the British Dreadnought-class battleships and Lion-class battlecruisers, which have displacements of around 3 to 4 tons and average speeds of 25 knots, these older generation main warships will inevitably be phased out. The current trend in naval development is towards larger warships with thicker armor, higher speeds, and more powerful firepower, which correspondingly requires significantly more investment.

After this minor incident that unsettled the Fusang Combined Fleet, the rest of the time passed uneventfully.

After observing the Fusang Allied Fleet up close, the "Coconut City" fleet, led by Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu, wisely left the dangerous sea area and headed towards the exit of the Tsushima Strait.

he knows

A naval battle of this scale between Japan and Russia could not possibly take place in the narrow Tsushima Strait, where there would be no room to maneuver and it would not be very advantageous for the Japanese Combined Fleet.

Just like drawing guns and firing at each other in a narrow alley, it would certainly severely damage the Russian fleet, but the Japanese Combined Fleet itself would also inevitably suffer severe artillery damage; that was a foregone conclusion.

In any case, the vast sea area surrounding the strait's outlet is likely to be the real battlefield for maritime competition.

After dark
The "Yecheng" fleet also implemented strict blackout measures, maintaining a distance of more than ten kilometers from the "Huashan" heavy cruiser, and lingering slowly in the surrounding waters.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Empire and Admiral He Zhucheng, Minister of the Navy, sat in a luxuriously decorated conference room, each holding a cigar and pointing at the nautical chart in front of them.

"So it seems that tonight and tomorrow night are the most likely times for the Russian fleet to pass through, and also the most likely times for a naval battle to break out?"

"Your Majesty, it is so. The main force of the Russian fleet has been at Cam Ranh Bay for ten days now. Even if they take a long detour, they should be arriving soon."

"Okay, then let's sit back and watch the show."

"Your Majesty is wise. The Russian fleet must pass through either the Tsushima Strait or the Tsugaru Strait to sail north. Judging from the current situation..."

Admiral He Zhucheng crossed his arms, rested his chin on one hand, and said thoughtfully;

"The Japanese deployed the main force of their combined fleet in the Tsushima Strait, which must have meant they judged that the Russian fleet was very likely to take a shortcut and force its way through the Tsushima Strait."

Based on various situations
After discussing this with the officers of the Navy, I also tend to agree with this view.

The Russians were known for their blunt and direct nature, disliking roundabout methods, which greatly influenced their naval tactics.

"If it were up to my nature, I would rather lead the fleet on a long detour through the western Pacific Ocean east of Japan, entering through the Soya Strait near the Sakhalin Islands, thus avoiding a direct confrontation with the combined fleet."

"Oh...that's quite a novel tactic. Tell me about it?" Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu asked with interest.

The war games they are doing now are simulating various scenarios of naval battles and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages; that's the essence of it.

"Admiral He Zhucheng said with a serious expression;

Your Majesty, please look

There are three shipping routes into Vladivostok: the nearest Tsushima Strait, the Tsugaru Strait which Japan guards closely, and the Soya Strait to the north. One of these three must be used.

The choice made by Vice Admiral Rozhestvensky, commander of the Russian Navy fleet, cannot be said to be wrong, but it was simply too straightforward.

Instead of going through the Tsugaru Strait, it's better to go directly through the Tsushima Strait.

The Tsugaru Strait is surrounded by the islands of Japan. The strait is narrower, and the environment is worse when crossing it at night, which is very unfavorable for large-scale formation operations.

Trying to keep it a secret is wishful thinking.

The Tsushima Strait is at least wider, and if strict light control and signal silence are implemented, there is a high chance of sneaking through quietly, so the Russian fleet is willing to take the gamble.

This choice isn't the worst, but it's certainly not the best.

Judging from the numbers on paper alone
The Tsushima Strait is the waterway between Tsushima Island and Iki Island. It extends from northeast to southwest, is about 222 kilometers long, and is 41.6 kilometers wide at its narrowest point.

When visibility is poor at night

With only the sailors' lookout, they could only observe the situation three to four nautical miles away at most. This was the main reason why the Russian fleet was willing to rush over there, and the probability was not small.

In contrast, the Soya Strait is about 100 kilometers long, and at its narrowest point, from Cape Creleon at the southern tip of Sakhalin Island to Cape Soya at the northernmost tip of Hokkaido, it is about 43 kilometers wide.

That is
The Soya Strait is about the same width as the Tsushima Strait, but its length is more than half that of the Tsushima Strait.

Passing through the Tsushima Strait at a low speed of eleven knots, with minimal noise, would take 11 hours, while passing through the Soya Strait would only take 5 hours.

this means
Given the significantly increased stealth of the latter, the Russian fleet should have opted for the Soya Strait, even at the cost of taking two days to detour.

Furthermore, from a strategic and operational perspective...

The main force of the Russian fleet was not currently seeking a decisive battle with the Japanese Combined Fleet. The long voyage of more than 220 days had left the entire fleet in a very worrying state.

Reaching Vladivostok Port is a victory. As for the next naval battle, that can be decided depending on the situation. Choosing the most advantageous time and place for the other party can greatly increase the chances of winning.

Fleet command must be subordinate to the overall operational strategy, which is the most important factor in my decision to choose the Soya Strait.

"Yes, that last sentence is well said. It's not like we're rushing to be reborn; choosing the Tsushima Strait was a mistake." Emperor Zheng Guohui of Great Chu nodded in agreement, his expression showing approval.

The current situation is developing in the direction that Japan hoped for.

Therefore, the serious command errors were indeed an unavoidable factor in the defeat of the Tsarist Russian fleet.

Such a large fleet would take a full 11 hours to cross the Tsushima Strait, which means it must enter the strait by 8 p.m. after dark.

This window of opportunity was extremely tight. If there was even the slightest delay, the main force of the Russian fleet would be unable to sail out of the Tsushima Strait before dawn the next day, and thus would be discovered.

The Soya Strait is much freer; you can cross it at any point in the middle of the night and leave before dawn.

The 100-kilometer Soya Strait not only shortens the distance by more than half, but also reduces the probability of being discovered by 70% or even 80%, rather than by half.

From the perspective of serving the overall campaign, choosing the Soya Strait is the best strategy.

Having already endured a long voyage of over 220 days, why rush things in just two or three days?
Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty, being an observer with a clearer perspective, was also filled with helplessness in the face of this situation.

The Russian fleet was courting death in a way that was unbelievable; the Japanese were simply incredibly lucky, and there was nothing they could do about it. (End of Chapter)