The capital of the island nation, Tokyo, at the Navy Ministry. Admiral Yada Rokuro, the Minister of the Navy, and Admiral Shimamura Sokuo, the Minister of Military Affairs, had been anxiously awaiting news from the Combined Fleet. Although Admiral Ijuin Goro had assured them that they would fight to the very end, both men felt an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about whether the fleet could defeat the German expeditionary forces.
Despite the imperial navy's dominance in the Far East, it was, in reality, no more than a large fish in a small pond. Compared to the great naval powers of the West, their strength was trivial, barely worth mentioning.
It was precisely for this reason that Admiral Yada and Admiral Shimamura were filled with unease. The agony of knowing that their fleet was destined to be defeated, yet still having to await the inevitable result, was a profound torment.
"Perhaps the Sun Goddess Amaterasu will bless us, and we will defeat the Germans, just as the Divine Wind of history destroyed the mighty Yuan fleet," Admiral Yada remarked with a smile.
"Who knows! The Germans' warships are massive, weighing tens of thousands of tons. Even the divine wind would struggle to capsize them," Admiral Shimamura responded with a wry smile.
"Indeed! Our strength is far inferior to theirs. If only our empire had a navy of the caliber of the Western powers, how could the Germans be so arrogant?" Admiral Yada said.
"The German Navy is the strongest in the world, having even brought down the once-dominant British Empire. Their might is understandable," Admiral Shimamura said. "I believe the empire should follow the example of our efforts to defeat the Qing Dynasty and invest all of its resources into naval development. Only then could we hope to rival the European powers. Otherwise, we stand no chance of defeating them."
Admiral Yada shook his head. "The empire today is not what it was decades ago. How could we possibly expect to muster the national resolve to develop the navy as we did back then?"
Sighing deeply, Admiral Shimamura nodded, his expression bleak. He too realized the truth of this. As a result, he felt even more pessimistic about the future of the island nation's navy.
"General, a telegram from the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet!" a communications officer reported.
Both Admirals Yada and Shimamura leaped to their feet, almost snatching the telegram from the officer's hands.
The telegram was a farewell message from Admiral Ijuin Goro. It reported that the Combined Fleet had reached its final moment. The main fleet was almost entirely lost, and the remaining vessels were nearing destruction. Yet, they had only managed to sink one German light cruiser and severely damage a battlecruiser.
Admiral Ijuin further declared that the blame for the defeat should fall solely on him as the fleet commander, requesting that Admiral Yada and Admiral Shimamura spare the life of Rear Admiral Yamashita Gentaro, the fleet's chief of staff. As the only Japanese officer with experience fighting Western naval powers, Yamashita's expertise would be invaluable. Therefore, Ijuin urged the two admirals to protect him.
Having read the telegram, the two men were at a loss for words. Though they had long anticipated the defeat of the Combined Fleet, they had never expected it to be so swift and so devastating. Almost every ship had been lost, yet the damage inflicted on the German expeditionary force was minimal. Such a battle was truly frustrating.
"Amaterasu, is the gap between us and the great European powers really so vast? The Combined Fleet gave everything, and yet this is the result," Admiral Yada muttered, his eyes closed in despair.
The island nation's navy had come a long way to reach its current state, but it seemed all for naught, wiped out in a single battle. For Admiral Yada, the Minister of the Navy, it was a crushing blow.
"It seems the Germans are far stronger than we ever imagined. I can feel the despair in Admiral Ijuin's message. He must have fought with everything he had," Admiral Shimamura said.
"Yes, even at the end, Admiral Ijuin continued to think of the navy, never once considering his own safety. His character is something we should all aspire to," Admiral Yada said.
"Protecting Yamashita must be Admiral Ijuin's final wish. We should do all we can to fulfill it. After all, we need an officer with combat experience against the German navy. Only then will we be prepared for future naval development and operations," Admiral Shimamura added.
"Indeed. The defeat of the Combined Fleet was not due to our failure, but because the enemy was too strong. Since Admiral Ijuin has already taken responsibility, it is not necessary to dwell on it further. The navy must come to a consensus on this point, so we don't give the cabinet any reason to intervene," Admiral Yada concluded.
Admiral Shimamura nodded gravely. Though he and Admiral Yada represented different factions within the navy, they were united in their dedication to its welfare. For the greater good of the navy, they would stand together.
"Admiral Yada, the Combined Fleet has been defeated. How do we explain this to the cabinet? Those fools didn't take the disparity in strength between us and the Germans into account, forcing us into this battle. Now decades of effort have been wasted. With the German expeditionary force still so powerful, how do we confront them? Without the imperial navy to hold them in check, they'll be even more reckless," Admiral Shimamura said.
"That's something for the cabinet to deal with. They can blame us for being incompetent or useless, but we've already given everything. The Combined Fleet is gone, and still, we couldn't defeat the Germans. This isn't our fault. The enemy was simply too strong for us," Admiral Yada said bitterly.
He was deeply discontent with how the army had profited from occupying Southeast Asia while the navy had to bear the brunt of Germany's fury. Now, the navy had done all it could. The rest was up to the cabinet and the army to handle.