"Damn it! The German warships remain unscathed—how are we supposed to fight on?" Rear Admiral Yamashita Gentarō's jaw dropped so low it seemed he might swallow his own fist. It was the first time he had encountered such a situation.
Admiral Ijūin Gorō shook his head helplessly. "The Germans have built their warships with unparalleled defensive capabilities. Their design philosophy prioritizes survivability, and the British have proven how effective this approach is. It was precisely this oversight that cost the British dearly, leading to their crushing defeat in their decisive naval engagement with the German fleet."
The *SMS Moltke*'s turret armor, a formidable 330 mm thick, rendered it nearly impervious to the aging 305 mm/40-caliber main guns of the *Asahi*-class battleship. Piercing such robust protection was utterly impossible.
Still, the hit on the *Moltke* startled its captain, who immediately ordered the crew to abandon the doomed *Tango*-class battleship and focus their fire on the *Asahi*, seeking to neutralize the ship that had managed to land a blow.
The *Tango*, heavily flooded, did not last long. In less than ten minutes, the battleship sank beneath the waves. Of its 668 crew members, fewer than half managed to escape with their lives, while the rest went down with the ship.
The *Tango* became the first capital ship lost in this naval battle. Though it was merely an antiquated pre-dreadnought, its sinking nonetheless prompted cheers among the German expeditionary fleet's sailors.
With the *Tango* lost, only the *Asahi* remained, fighting alone. Under the relentless bombardment of the *Moltke*, the *Asahi* found itself in dire straits. It was no surprise, after all, that attempting to use outdated pre-dreadnoughts against some of the world's most advanced battlecruisers would yield such grim results.
"Admiral, we've sunk one already!" Rear Admiral Mauve, aboard the flagship *SMS Mackensen*, exclaimed excitedly.
"Indeed, but there are still eighteen more enemy warships to go," Vice Admiral von Spee remarked calmly. The sinking of one Japanese battleship marked a good start, but to secure decisive victory in this naval battle, they needed to destroy all eighteen remaining vessels in the Japanese fleet. Only then would the triumph be complete.
"Admiral, you'll see. Our ships will take down every single one of their remaining warships!" Mauve declared with unshakable confidence.
Von Spee smiled faintly, unconcerned. To him, defeating the massive Japanese Combined Fleet was not an insurmountable challenge. With the strength of the German expeditionary fleet, success seemed all but guaranteed.
Although the Japanese fleet boasted 19 capital ships, their combined firepower comprised only 32 356 mm/45-caliber guns, 8 305 mm/50-caliber guns, 32 305 mm/45-caliber guns, 28 305 mm/40-caliber guns, and 4 254 mm/45-caliber guns.
In contrast, the German fleet's nine battlecruisers were armed with a staggering 54 380 mm/50-caliber guns and 27 343 mm/50-caliber guns. The disparity in firepower was glaringly obvious. The Japanese 305 mm guns were unlikely to inflict catastrophic damage on the German battlecruisers, merely managing to damage superstructures at best. As long as their core compartments remained intact, the German ships' combat effectiveness would remain largely unscathed.
The Japanese placed their hopes on the *Kongō*-class battlecruisers, believing their 356 mm guns might penetrate the armor of the *Mackensen* and the *Prinz Friedrich*. If they could sink these two German battlecruisers, they might have a chance to turn the tide.
Unfortunately, despite the Japanese sailors' valiant efforts aboard the four *Kongō*-class ships, their attempts yielded little success.
"Boom!"
The *Hiei* unleashed a full salvo, sending eight 356 mm shells toward the *Mackensen*. One of the shells struck the *Mackensen*'s aft deck, penetrating its thin armor and leaving a gaping hole. The blast killed several sailors and started a fire, but the damage was not severe enough to compromise the ship's combat capabilities.
The *Mackensen* quickly retaliated.
A single 380 mm shell struck the *Kongō*'s bow, where its vulnerable side armor proved no match for the shell's immense energy. The projectile tore through the plating and detonated inside the ship, igniting an inferno.
"Damn it! What's the damage?" Admiral Ijūin's face turned pale. If the *Kongō* suffered critical damage, the battle would become unwinnable.
"Admiral, the shell hit the bow above the waterline, causing no significant harm," a staff officer reported.
Ijūin let out a sigh of relief.
"Inform all ships: the flagship remains operational. Continue the fight!" he commanded.
"Aye, Admiral."
The battle raged on, but the tide continued to turn in favor of the German fleet. For the Japanese navy, defeating the German expeditionary force seemed an increasingly unattainable goal.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted as the *Haruna*'s side was engulfed in flames and smoke. A 380 mm shell from the *Prinz Friedrich* had struck home, blowing off a 152 mm secondary gun and leaving the battlecruiser looking as though it had been bitten by a giant beast.
"Well done. Have the *Prinz Friedrich* press the attack. These *Kongō*-class battlecruisers are the backbone of the Japanese fleet. If we can eliminate them, victory is ours!" Von Spee remarked, a faint smile playing on his lips.