World War: Battleship Arms Dealers

"But what if we don't agree?" Capelen retorted. "That fleet outside, according to the patrol boats, has at least four capital ships. What do we have? Five outdated pre-dreadnoughts, the youngest being at least ten years old. Their firepower, protection, and speed are all inferior. If a war breaks out, we will undoubtedly lose."

"Then let's call for help from the mainland!" Van der Velde cried, grasping at a straw. "Send a telegram to The Hague, ordering the Royal Navy to send a fleet!"

"It will take two months to get from Rotterdam to Batavia," Capelen said coldly. "By the time the fleet arrives, we'll be kicking ourselves."

"Then let's ask Britain for help! According to the Anglo-Dutch Agreement, Britain has an obligation to protect our interests in the East Indies!"

"Britain?" Capelen laughed, a laugh more like a grimace. "Your Excellency, do you really think Britain would go to war with a nation possessing four new battleships for our sake? Especially in the Far East, far from their homeland?"

Van der Velde was speechless.

He knew Capelen was right. The British were shrewd businessmen; they would only do what was profitable. To wage war against a powerful fleet for a few Dutch plantations in the East Indies? Impossible.

"Forty-five minutes left." Capelen glanced at the clock on the wall. "Governor, make a decision. War or peace?"

Chaos reigned in the governor's mansion. Officials argued incessantly, some advocating war, others peace. Van der Velde clutched his head, his mind blank.

Just then, a muffled, loud bang came from the direction of the port.

boom--

It sounded like distant thunder, but deeper and more powerful. The windowpanes rattled from the impact.

"What's that sound?" Van der Veld jumped up.

An officer rushed in, his hat askew: "Governor! General! The fleet outside the harbor... they've opened fire!"

"What?! It's not time yet!"

"It was a warning shot! The shell landed in the sea about a nautical mile outside the harbor! The water column... the water column was thirty meters high!"

Capelen rushed to the window and raised his binoculars. Although he couldn't see clearly, the huge plumes of water rising from the sea outside the harbor were clearly visible through the binoculars. The white spray shimmered in the sunlight.

"The caliber... at least 380 millimeters," he murmured. "No, possibly larger."

Another shell landed. This time it was closer, and the jet of water almost splashed onto the harbor's breakwater.

"They're adjusting the range." Capelen lowered his binoculars and turned to look at Van der Veld. "Governor, the next round might be live ammunition. Where? The artillery batteries? The barracks? Or... the Governor's residence?"

Van der Velde's legs began to tremble.

At 9:30, the Lanfang fleet received a reply from the Dutch.

The telegram was brief: "Agreed to negotiate. Please send a representative to port."

"General, shall we go?" Salah asked.

Li Te looked at the telegram and sneered, "They're trying to stall for time, waiting for reinforcements, or they want to take our representative hostage."

"That……"

"Tell them," Little said, "that negotiations are possible, but on our ships. Have their governor and fleet commander come to the Yangtze within an hour. No exceptions."

Fifteen minutes after the telegram was sent, the Dutch replied: "The Governor is unwell and unable to board the ship. The Secretary General may board in his place..."

Li Te tore up the telegram.

"Notify all ships," he told the communications officer, "at 10:00 AM sharp, first round of live-fire artillery bombardment. Targets: port batteries, barracks, naval docks. Avoid civilian facilities."

"yes!"

The order was swiftly relayed. The turrets of the Yangtze and Yellow River warships began to rotate, and their 380mm main guns slowly rose. High-explosive shells were already loaded into the gun barrels, and the fuses were set to detonate with a delay.

9:50.

The watchtower reported: "The Dutch fleet has set sail! Five capital ships are approaching us in a single column!"

Li Te raised his binoculars. Sure enough, five old-fashioned warships were clumsily sailing out of the harbor, black smoke billowing from their funnels. Leading the way was the Seven Provinces, followed by four smaller pre-dreadnoughts.

"A last-ditch effort." He lowered his binoculars. "Notify all ships to maintain formation. Cruisers and destroyers, move forward to protect the flanks of the capital ships. Wait until they are within firing range."

"General, they've raised their flag," Salah said.

Litte raised his binoculars again. A signal flag was raised on the mainmast of the Dutch fleet's flagship, the VII Province: a request for dialogue.

"Want to talk?" Li Te thought for a moment, "Signal back: We can talk, but first we must cease fire, release the prisoners, and hand over the perpetrators. Otherwise, there's no point in talking."

Signalmen use lights to send messages.

A few minutes later, the Dutch replied: "Releasing the detainees will take time, please grant us more time..."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Te interrupted, "Tell them this is their last chance. At 10:00 sharp, if we haven't seen our arrested compatriots released, open fire."

The signal was sent.

No reply.

The Dutch fleet continued to close in, reducing the distance to 18,000 meters—the theoretical maximum range of their main guns, but at this distance, the hit rate was almost zero.

Nine fifty-eight.

Li Te stared at the pocket watch. The second hand ticked away.

9:59.

The Dutch fleet suddenly turned, attempting to seize the T-shaped lead—the most advantageous position in naval warfare.

"Too late." Li Te closed his pocket watch and said to the gunnery officer, "Target: enemy flagship, the Seven Provinces. 17,500 meters away. All main guns, salvo!"

The orders were transmitted to each turret via megaphone.

The eight 380mm main guns of the Yangtze River roared simultaneously.

The flames spewing from the muzzle were still dazzling in the daytime, and the enormous recoil caused the 40,000-ton ship to shake violently. Eight shells, each weighing 800 kilograms, flew out of the gun barrel at an initial velocity of 820 meters per second, drawing eight visible arcs in the air.

Time seemed to slow down.

Li Te held up his binoculars, watching the trajectory of the shells. Seven seconds, eight seconds, nine seconds…

The first shell landed fifty meters to the port side of the Seven Provinces, sending up a column of water higher than the bridge.

The second shot landed 30 meters to starboard.

The third shot, the fourth shot...

The fifth shot hit.

Through the telescope, a burst of orange-red fireball suddenly erupted amidships of the Seven Provinces, followed by thick black smoke. The shell had penetrated the thin upper armor and exploded inside the ship.

"Hit!" the artillery chief shouted.

The sixth shot also hit, striking the bow. The seventh shot missed, shrapnel sweeping across the deck. The eighth shot hit amidships again.

With just one salvo, the flagship of the Dutch Far East Fleet was rendered combat ineffective. Thick smoke billowed from multiple breaches, the ship's speed noticeably decreased, and it began to list to starboard.

"Continue firing!" Li Te ordered. "Yellow River, target enemy ship number two! Cruiser squadron, suppress the remaining enemy ships!"

The entire Lanfang fleet opened fire.

380mm, 280mm, 150mm… shells of all calibers rained down on the Dutch fleet. In this completely unequal battle, the Dutch counterattack was weak and ineffective—most of their shells landed more than a kilometer away from the Lanfang fleet, and even the occasional near misses caused no real damage.

Thirty minutes later, the battle ended.

Of the five Dutch capital ships, one sank (the Seven Provinces), two were heavily damaged and ran aground, and two surrendered with white flags raised. Throughout the entire operation, none of the Lanfang fleet's ships suffered serious damage; only a few destroyers sustained minor paint damage from shrapnel. (Asking the AI: In this kind of battle, Bismarck could have sent them to the bottom of the sea in just ten minutes, but I'll write thirty minutes here.)