You were tasked with guarding the Sihang Warehouse, and you brought out a Tiger tank?

In the sky, more than thirty Japanese Type 96 carrier-based fighter jets, which had taken off urgently from airports in Shanghai and the surrounding areas, finally arrived at the battlefield.

However, what awaited them was a group of BF-110 heavy fighters that had been waiting in the high sky.

"Attention everyone, do not let them get close to the bombers."

At the command of the lead pilot, more than a dozen twin-engine heavy fighters immediately jettisoned their external fuel tanks and swooped down to meet the Japanese aircraft.

The two sides instantly engaged in a fierce battle at an altitude of three thousand meters.

The muffled thud of the 30mm cannon was deep and terrifying, while the rapid, crisp sound of the 7.7mm machine gun firing intertwined, like the drumbeats of death.

Planes continued to crash into the sky, trailing thick black smoke, churning the heavens into chaos.

Faced with the BF-110 heavy fighter's brute speed and fierce firepower, only a handful of Type 96 carrier-based fighters managed to break through the defenses and desperately chase after the HE-115 seaplane torpedo bombers flying close to the crest of the waves.

But these few scattered struggles were no match for the advance of death.

Twenty-four HE-115s, divided into several attack formations, advanced from all directions along the sea, launching a final assault on the already battered Japanese warships on the surface of the sea.

"Throw the grenade!"

With the captains' roars, dozens of aerial torpedoes plunged into the water one after another, leaving white trails on the sea surface that symbolized death.

By this time, the heavy cruiser Ashigara had already lost most of its power during the previous attack, and its hull was listing severely, making it impossible for it to make any effective evasive maneuvers.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three deafening explosions followed in quick succession.

Three torpedoes slammed into the port side of the Ashigara.

When the Japanese built the Myoko-class heavy cruiser, they did indeed design a fairly good anti-torpedo bulge, which could withstand the attack of one or two torpedoes.

But even the best design can't withstand such a barrage of torpedoes.

The lightning protection bulge was completely torn apart, and high-energy explosives directly shattered the keel of the Ashigara underwater.

"Snap—!"

It was accompanied by a sickening metallic cracking sound.

This 13,000-ton steel behemoth was actually broken in two on the sea.

A large amount of seawater rushed into the broken compartment.

The bow and stern of the Ashigara rose high, and then, in less than five minutes, it sank rapidly into the cold seabed, carrying with it hundreds of desperate, screaming Japanese sailors.

All that remained on the sea surface was a huge whirlpool and oil slicks.

The surrounding destroyers were not spared either.

The destroyer Ikazuchi of the Sixth Destroyer Division is desperately firing its 127mm main guns at the air.

A Stuka dive bomber roared down, and a 250-kilogram semi-armor-piercing bomb accurately struck the A turret on the bow of the Ikazuchi.

The bomb penetrated the thin armor of the turret and detonated directly in the ammunition magazine below.

"BOOM—!!!"

A huge, orange-red fireball rose into the air.

The entire bow of the destroyer Ikazuchi was completely destroyed in the violent explosion.

Seawater rushed in instantly, and the 1,700-ton destroyer, like a rock, plunged straight into the sea, bow down.

The Isokaze and Tanikaze of the 10th Destroyer Division, although they desperately twisted to avoid direct hits, had their underwater armor ripped apart by near misses.

Both destroyers were billowing thick black smoke, their speed had been greatly reduced, and their anti-aircraft firepower had been weakened to the extreme.

At this time, the armored cruiser Izumo, the flagship of the Third Fleet, had reached the end of its life.

The old ship was listing at an angle of more than 40 degrees, and the starboard deck was completely submerged in the sea.

Lieutenant General Koshiro Oikawa has now transferred to the destroyer Akebono.

He stood on the deck of the destroyer, gripping the railing with both hands, watching helplessly as the Izumo slowly sank.

"Gurgle..."

The seawater swallowed the towering bridge of the Izumo, and the 203mm main gun that had once swaggered around Shanghai.

Finally, only a bare mast remained visible on the sea surface.

Oikawa Koshiro was overcome with tears, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"The pride of the Imperial Navy... is gone just like that..."

Oikawa Koshiro muttered to himself, his voice filled with endless sorrow.

Since its commissioning in 1900, the Izumo has participated in the Sino-Russian War, World War I, the January 28 Incident, and the August 13 Incident, and is a symbolic warship of the Japanese invasion of China.

Now, it has sunk!

Just then, a scene appeared on the distant sea that surprised the Japanese soldiers.

Several HE-115 seaplane torpedo bombers that had completed their torpedo-dropping missions did not immediately return to base.

They descended and, using the large floats under their wings, landed directly on the turbulent sea.

"Splash—!"

The seaplane glided across the sea, splashing up large sprays of water.

They glided to the side of the Great Xia pilots who had been shot down and parachuted into the water.

The hatch opened, and the crew threw out life rings, pulling their comrades who were soaking in the seawater into the cabin one by one.

Then, the engines of the HE-115 roared again, accelerating and gliding across the sea before taking off once more.

The Japanese sailors on the destroyer Akebono were completely dumbfounded when they saw this.

They fought desperately in their air defense and managed to shoot down a few Da Xia planes, but now even their only pilot's kill has been stolen by the enemy?!

"They've gone mad..." a Japanese soldier muttered. "They've gone mad..."

To land on the sea just to save a few pilots? What kind of audacity and confidence does that take?

The fighting continued until dusk.

As the sun gradually sets in the west, the light on the sea begins to dim.

The Da Xia aircraft group flapped its wings and flew in formation toward Qingcheng Port in the northwest.

The sky finally returned to calm, with only the crackling sounds of the burning wreckage of warships on the sea remaining.

Koshiro Oikawa stands aboard the destroyer Akebono, facing an extremely difficult choice.

In the distance, the heavy cruiser Nachi had not sunk, but its hull was engulfed in flames.

The fire had spread to the aft deck, just a step away from the 203mm main gun ammunition magazine below, and could explode at any moment.

"Your Excellency Commander."

The fleet staff officer, his face ashen, approached Oikawa Koshiro and spoke in a low voice:

"The fire on the Nachi-go is out of control."

Moreover, its power system was severely damaged, and its speed was less than five knots.

It's over 400 kilometers from Shanghai; there's no way we could tow it back overnight.

The staff officer paused, then gritted his teeth and uttered the cruel suggestion:

"When it gets light tomorrow, the Chinese bombers will definitely come again."

At that time, not only will the Nachi be lost, but all of our remaining destroyers will also be wiped out.

Please give the order.

Koshiro Oikawa closed his eyes, his heart filled with intense struggle.

That Nachi-class, that's the Empire's newest and most advanced Takao-class heavy cruiser.

Are you just going to send it to the bottom of the sea by your own hands?

He's conflicted.

After a long silence, he finally nodded painfully.

"Order the entire crew of the Nachi to abandon ship."

Koshiro Oikawa's voice sounded as if he had aged ten years:

"Dawn is ready... Lightning strike penalty."

Night fell completely.

On the sea, the flames of the Nachi became the only source of light.

The destroyer Akebono slowly adjusted its course, aiming the torpedo tubes on its side at its former ally.

"emission!"

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two Type 93 Long Spear oxygen torpedoes were propelled into the sea by compressed air.

This weapon, which the Japanese were so proud of, did not produce any bubble trails when it traveled in water, making it extremely stealthy, and it also carried a huge amount of explosives.

These oxygen torpedoes were originally a secret weapon prepared by the Japanese for John and the powerful fleet of the White Eagle.

However, they first targeted their own warships.

A few minutes later.

"BOOM—!!!"

Two oxygen torpedoes accurately hit the side of the Nachi.

After a series of explosions, the fire finally triggered a devastating secondary explosion.

A massive fireball illuminated the entire night sky, and the enormous hull of the Nachi was torn to pieces in the explosion, quickly sinking into the dark seabed.