"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Heavy-caliber shells, propelled by tremendous kinetic force, rained down upon Shizuoka. The earth-shattering explosions reverberated through the city, the raw power of the artillery laid bare in all its fury.
In preparation for the assault, the German Expeditionary Fleet had stocked up on high-explosive shells during last night's resupply. The island nation's buildings, primarily constructed of wood, provided the perfect target for the devastating impact of the shells.
"Boom!"
A 380mm shell struck a courtyard, and the shockwave spread outward, leveling the entire area. Those within the compound were annihilated without a trace.
"Run! The Germans are firing!"
The people of Shizuoka scattered, desperately trying to escape. But how could mere human legs outrun the lethal shells? On the narrow streets, countless citizens surged toward the city's outskirts. A shell descended from the heavens. Upon detonation, a vast swath of the area was obliterated, leaving only mangled flesh and blood in its wake. A massive crater now marred the street, and the fortunate few who survived groaned in agony on the ground.
"Damn the Germans, they're massacring civilians! Quickly, report to Tokyo! We're under artillery fire, with catastrophic casualties! Request immediate reinforcements!" a local official shouted.
However, even if Tokyo were informed, it was clear that Shizuoka's fate was sealed. By the time reinforcements arrived, the city would likely be nothing but a smoldering ruin. And worse still, Tokyo might lack the courage to intervene.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
On the surface of the sea, the German Expeditionary Fleet's nine battleships lined up in formation, unleashing a relentless barrage of shells upon Shizuoka, eradicating life and reducing the city to rubble.
Admiral Spee stood on the bridge of the *Mackensen* battlecruiser, peering through binoculars at the devastation. Though the distance made it difficult to see clearly, he could plainly witness the city crumbling before his eyes, turning into ruins bit by bit.
"Order all light cruisers to join the attack. We must reduce this place to ashes in the shortest time possible before proceeding to the next target!" Admiral Spee commanded.
"Yes, Admiral," Rear Admiral Mowf obediently carried out the order.
The eight light cruisers, upon receiving the command, advanced to within five kilometers of the coast and began firing relentlessly at Shizuoka. Despite their 150mm guns, the destruction they wrought upon the wooden buildings of the city was devastating.
As the light cruisers joined the assault, the pace of Shizuoka's annihilation quickened significantly.
"My God! We are personally obliterating a city—this feeling is truly exhilarating!" one sailor exclaimed.
"By killing so many, God will surely send us to Hell," another remarked.
"No, we'll go to Heaven. The Japanese aren't even human; they're so small they resemble monkeys. Besides, it was the Japanese who provoked the Empire first. We're only retaliating," another sailor retorted.
As they fired their guns, the sailors joked among themselves, showing little to no remorse. The German public was enraged by the Japanese occupation of Southeast Asia, and the soldiers themselves harbored an intense hatred, eager to wipe out every last Japanese person. It was this fury that made them unreserved in executing Admiral Spee's orders.
Shizuoka had become a hellish landscape. Buildings were destroyed or burning ferociously, and the streets were riddled with craters. Limbs and severed body parts were scattered everywhere.
The survivors, desperately fleeing the city, were relentlessly hunted by falling shells, which snatched away more innocent lives.
"Boom!"
A 380mm shell landed on the road to the west of Shizuoka, where hundreds of Japanese civilians had gathered in a frantic attempt to escape. The explosion claimed the lives of many, and countless others were left wounded, their cries lost amid the chaos.
"Amaterasu, please save us! What sin have we committed to deserve such torment?" an elderly man cried, kneeling on the ground. His wife, son, daughter-in-law, and grandson had perished in the blast. He himself had lost both legs, and with no one to tend to him, he could only feel his life slipping away with each drop of blood.
For the people of Shizuoka, it was a day of unimaginable suffering. The entire city was consumed by fire and explosion.
The German shells set fire to the wooden buildings, and the strong sea winds only spread the flames further. Soon, it seemed as though the entire city was ablaze. Many who hadn't managed to flee were burned alive, reduced to ash.
The bombardment from the German Expeditionary Fleet lasted for two hours before finally subsiding. When it stopped, Shizuoka resembled a torch, blazing brightly in the night.
The smoke and ashes billowed into the sky, blocking the sun's light, and darkened the heavens.
"Let's move on to the next city," Admiral Spee coldly ordered.
He knew Shizuoka was lost. He was unaware of the exact number of Japanese casualties from the bombardment, but he knew it was enormous. Still, he felt no remorse. After all, it was the Japanese who had provoked the Empire, and they had to pay the price for their ambition.
Admiral Spee's mind, though unsettled, remained calm, and his stoic demeanor betrayed no sign of inner turmoil.
"Yes, Admiral!" Rear Admiral Mowf commanded, his face grim. Despite repeating to himself that the Japanese deserved to die, he couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling in his chest.
The fleet, under orders, left Shizuoka behind and headed for its next target. The next city in their sights was Hamamatsu, just a few dozen kilometers south of Shizuoka. The fleet would reach Hamamatsu in just two hours, and Admiral Spee planned to destroy it in the same time before moving on to the next target—Nagoya.
As long as the Japanese Navy didn't venture out to engage the German fleet in battle, the bombardment would continue, until every coastal city of Japan had been reduced to rubble.