"Increase speed! Push it to the maximum!" Captain Kumamoto Katsukuma of the Imperial Navy destroyer Hayate barked his orders with a ferocious expression.
Captain Kumamoto was well aware that this mission was a near-certain death sentence. Yet, for the safety of Tokyo, they had no choice but to attempt to sink the German warships. Failure would leave Tokyo vulnerable to utter destruction at the hands of the enemy.
Other captains of the Imperial Navy destroyers shared this grim resolve, launching their attacks with a mindset that embraced death. They had truly cast aside any regard for survival, focused solely on the mission of defending Tokyo by sinking the German fleet.
Over a dozen destroyers of the Imperial Navy surged forward like arrows unleashed from taut bows, charging at the German Expeditionary Fleet. The battlecruisers that had first passed through the Uraga Channel became primary targets for the German Navy's destroyers.
However, the reaction of the Imperial Navy came too late. By the time they launched their assault, the light cruisers of the German Expeditionary Fleet had already cleared the Uraga Channel, joined by several destroyers. These vessels immediately took up positions to shield the main battleships.
"Open fire! Sink those destroyers!"
At the officers' command, the German Expeditionary Fleet unleashed its retaliation.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The thunderous roar of 380mm main guns, 150mm secondary guns, 120mm quick-firing guns, 150mm cruiser artillery, and 88mm destroyer cannons filled the air. A torrent of shells descended upon the Imperial Navy destroyers like a deluge, covering them in a storm of fire and steel.
Explosions erupted ceaselessly around the destroyers, sending towering plumes of water into the sky. The vessels, drenched and battered, seemed like soaking wrecks under the relentless bombardment.
A single 150mm shell struck the Hayate as it raced ahead. The destroyer, with a displacement of only a few hundred tons, was unable to withstand the impact. The bow deck was blasted open, leaving a gaping hole. Its speed faltered as a result of the damage.
"Fools!" Captain Kumamoto cursed bitterly.
The German bombardment only grew fiercer, and despite being primarily of smaller caliber, the sheer density of the shellfire was something the fragile Hayate could not endure. The entire ship was torn apart, consumed by roaring flames.
Within minutes, the Hayate succumbed to its severe damage and sank beneath the waves. The torpedoes it carried never had a chance to launch, let alone threaten the German battlecruisers.
The fates of other Imperial Navy destroyers were no better. Under the overwhelming firepower of the German fleet, they were obliterated one after another.
Particularly devastating were the hits from the battlecruisers' 380mm main guns. The destructive power was so immense that a single shell could leave a destroyer completely annihilated, with no survivors.
The charge of the Imperial Navy's destroyer squadron was tragic and valorous. Even as they faced certain death, not a single crew wavered. They charged relentlessly, only to be destroyed one by one under the Germans' superior firepower.
In the end, all of the dozen or so destroyers were sunk, without a single survivor. Only a few managed to launch their torpedoes, but in the chaos, the attacks missed their marks, posing no threat to the German main fleet.
By the time Vice Admiral Spee's flagship, the battlecruiser Mackensen, passed through the Uraga Channel, the Imperial Navy's destroyers had been completely annihilated. The sea was littered with wreckage and the floating bodies of Imperial Navy sailors.
Following their decisive battle with the Combined Fleet, the German sailors no longer bothered rescuing the stranded enemy sailors. They knew that for the defeated Imperial Navy, survival often meant shame worse than death. There was no point in wasting effort on futile gestures.
"General, the remnants of the Imperial Navy destroyers launched an attack on us moments ago. Their bravery cannot be denied, but I must also remark on their sheer foolishness. Their assault accomplished nothing beyond wasting a few of our shells. It's hard to fathom why they would engage in such a suicidal act against a force vastly superior to theirs," Rear Admiral Mauve remarked.
"The Japanese have always been like this, as if their minds were shut in a door. But eventually, you get used to it. Their actions weren't entirely pointless; at least we used up some shells on them. That leaves slightly fewer for the bombardment of Tokyo," Vice Admiral Spee replied calmly.
"Indeed, General. Perhaps that was their intent all along. Otherwise, I cannot understand why they would launch such a desperate, suicidal attack," Mauve conceded.
"Order the fleet to advance toward Tokyo. This time, we shall raze their capital to the ground and make it abundantly clear—if they refuse the Empire's terms, the consequences will be unimaginable," Vice Admiral Spee commanded.
"Yes, General!" Mauve acknowledged, promptly relaying the orders.
The fleet advanced toward Tokyo in a guarded formation. For every officer and sailor of the expeditionary force, the chance to destroy an enemy's capital was a feat of pride they would carry for a lifetime.
The carnage it entailed, however, was a matter of indifference to them.
In Tokyo, the Japanese Cabinet remained at an impasse. The Army's unyielding stance made it impossible for Prime Minister Okuma Shigenobu and others to consider accepting the German terms.
When a naval officer reported the battle's outcome to Admiral Yashiro Rokurō, his face darkened grimly.
"Gentlemen, the destroyer squadron has been utterly annihilated. The Navy has given everything it had for this battle," Admiral Yashiro declared solemnly.
"Everyone, the German fleet is closing in on Tokyo. I suggest you find somewhere to hide," Okumura Konosuke remarked before leaving the Prime Minister's residence without waiting for a response.
The other ministers, faces pale, also dispersed to seek shelter.
At 7:00 a.m., the German Expeditionary Fleet arrived within ten kilometers of Tokyo. At Vice Admiral Spee's command, the fleet commenced the bombardment of the Japanese capital.