Captain Sakamoto Shigekuni, commander of the armored cruiser *Harusame* and leader of the Combined Fleet's armored cruiser squadron, had received clear orders: to lead the armored and protected cruisers in eliminating the German Expeditionary Fleet's cruisers and destroyers, paving the way for the fleet's destroyers to launch their torpedo attacks unhindered.
"The Germans have only eight light cruisers and 21 destroyers. With the strength of our armored and protected cruisers, eliminating them should be no problem!" declared Sakamoto confidently. Indeed, armored cruisers and light cruisers were leagues apart in terms of capability. The main guns of an armored cruiser could easily shred a light cruiser, while the latter's artillery struggled to inflict significant damage on the former. As for the destroyers, they posed even less of a threat.
"Order the squadron to close the range to 8,000 meters and open fire!" Sakamoto commanded.
"Yes, sir. But what about the protected cruiser squadron? They may need to close in even further to be effective," a staff officer cautiously suggested.
"Have them hold back for now. Our armored cruisers alone are sufficient to deal with the Germans' smaller warships," Sakamoto replied with unshaken confidence. The staff officer, seeing no room for debate, held his tongue.
"Fire!" came the order from the gunnery chief. The *Harusame* unleashed a barrage from its 254mm single-mounted main gun and twin 203mm 45-caliber guns, accompanied by seven 152mm side-mounted secondary guns. The other seven armored cruisers followed suit, raining down shells from their 203mm and 152mm guns.
The eight German light cruisers, equipped with 150mm guns, retaliated fiercely. Unlike their counterparts in another timeline, these German ships featured triple-gun turrets rather than twin mounts, and their main guns boasted a 50-caliber length for enhanced penetration.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The clash between the cruisers erupted in a storm of firepower. However, the German light cruisers were at a disadvantage against the armored cruisers, whose superior armament and defenses made the battle an uphill struggle for the Germans.
Fortunately, the battlecruisers' five 150mm broadside guns and six 120mm quick-firing guns provided supporting fire, balancing the scales somewhat. Moreover, the slower rate of fire of the Japanese cruisers' main and secondary guns compared to their German counterparts turned the engagement into a grinding stalemate.
"Boom! Boom!"
Two consecutive 150mm shells struck the *Harusame*. Although its main armor, 150mm thick, managed to absorb much of the impact, it struggled against the German shells' enhanced penetration. The superstructure was pierced, igniting a fierce blaze. While not a mortal wound for the 8,000-ton armored cruiser, the fire, if unchecked, could lead to significant damage.
"Fools!" Sakamoto cursed through clenched teeth as he witnessed the situation unfold. Despite fielding eight armored cruisers against the Germans' eight light cruisers, his fleet had failed to secure the upper hand. How could this battle proceed at such a stalemate?
The clash between cruisers was particularly brutal. Unlike battleships with their thick armor that could shrug off even direct hits, cruisers' thin armor made them vulnerable to devastating damage upon being struck.
"Boom!"
A 203mm shell slammed into the bow of the German cruiser *Karlsruhe*. Its mere 60mm armor was no match for the heavy shell, which punched through with ease and detonated in the forward compartments, sparking a raging fire.
One by one, more German cruisers were hit. Although they scored multiple hits on the Japanese armored cruisers, setting them aflame, they failed to sink a single one.
"Admiral, our light cruisers are at a severe disadvantage against the Japanese armored cruisers," lamented Rear Admiral Maouf.
Vice Admiral Spee nodded solemnly. A choice loomed before him: to prioritize engaging the Japanese main fleet or focus on their armored cruisers. Targeting the cruisers would mean letting the main fleet slip away, while attacking the main fleet risked devastating losses among his own cruisers—potentially their complete annihilation.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion shattered the air as the *Karlsruhe* vanished in a cloud of smoke and fire. When the haze cleared, the cruiser was a broken wreck, rapidly sinking beneath the waves.
"Damn it! The *Karlsruhe*'s magazine was hit. Light cruiser armor simply cannot withstand 203mm shells," Maouf sighed bitterly.
"This marks our first loss in this engagement," Spee muttered darkly. His earlier hope of achieving victory without losing a single ship was dashed. The sinking of the *Karlsruhe* was a grim reminder of war's harsh realities—no battle comes without cost.
"Admiral, could it be that the Japanese intend to first eliminate our cruisers and destroyers?" Maouf speculated suddenly.
Spee's eyes widened in realization. A critical detail he had overlooked came rushing back to him.
"Damn it! The Japanese know their main fleet cannot contend with ours. They're aiming for an alternative strategy—wiping out our cruisers and destroyers first, then unleashing their numerous destroyers to swarm our battlecruisers!" Spee exclaimed.
Maouf's expression turned ashen at this revelation.