As time passed, the battle became more and more intense. The smile on Admiral Valkenhein's face had long disappeared and was replaced by worry.
The battle started at ten in the morning and continued until five in the afternoon. Their stomachs were growling with hunger, but the enemy refused to retreat.
Due to the lack of training and poor accuracy, the Japanese were constantly closing the distance between them during the battle, attempting to engage in melee combat with them.
After the warship suffered heavy damage, the Japanese's first reaction was not to leave the battlefield. Instead, they accelerated and wanted to "crash" into the warship and perish together.
The Japanese were crazy, but the Spanish soldiers were still normal. After the warship suffered heavy damage, they immediately chose to leave the battlefield.
Logically speaking, these heavily damaged warships could no longer pose a threat, but the Japanese still refused to let go.
The main warships had to fight and did not have the time to attack the enemy, but the sailing warships could stay behind and watch the show.
Once the Spanish warships left the battlefield, the Japanese Army's sailing cannon fodder would swarm in. Originally, the power of the sailing warships was limited and could not do anything to the ironclads. However, this did not include the ironclads that were injured.
The Japanese were willing to sacrifice human lives to make up for it. Sacrificing a few sailing warships would always be able to take away a heavily injured ironclads.
In addition to these normal attacks, the Japanese Army also had a type of suicide attack ship. The ship was filled with explosives and would detonate as soon as it rushed up. This forced the Japanese to split their firepower to deal with these small boats.
This kind of life-for-life fighting method could be said to be the Japanese Navy's original creation. Before this, they had never even heard of it, let alone encountered it.
Normal people would have a headache when they encountered such a group of lunatics. Admiral Valkenhein was no exception. The contempt in his heart had long disappeared. Now, all that was left was a deep sense of fear.
"Report, the battleship Madrid has been shot. The ship is leaking and is under repair. The captain, Major General Alfondas, is dead. Now, Colonel Vintergel is in command! "
Another piece of bad news had arrived. Valkenhein's heart sank, but his expression was still cold. "Got it!"
At this time, both sides were competing in toughness. The Spanish fleet had suffered heavy losses, but the Japanese Army suffered even more.
The difference in quality of the warships and the quality of the soldiers could not be made up by numbers alone. It was destined to be a bloodbath.
For the Spanish fleet, the most important thing right now was to destroy the enemy's madness. Otherwise, the rest of the war would be a disaster.
…
With a loud bang, the unfortunate "Tokyo" shook violently. Admiral Ito Yūhō, who was commanding the battle, fell to the ground.
Ignoring the pain from the fall, Ito Yūheng hurriedly ordered, "Quickly send someone to repair the warship!"
Soon, a young officer ran over in panic. "Commander, the Tokyo is seriously damaged. It must be pulled back to the shipyard for repair immediately. Otherwise, it will be dangerous."
It couldn't be helped. The British's thin-skinned warships were inexperienced. After taking a few shots, it was severely damaged. In contrast, the warships built by the French were much more resistant.
Of course, this was directly related to the construction time. The MV Tokyo was born more than a decade earlier than the MV Madrid. If they couldn't surpass Britannia in terms of performance, the French wouldn't have had the ability to challenge Britannia's maritime hegemony.
Upon receiving this grievous news, the usually calm and collected Great General Ito Yuheng could no longer remain calm. He could accept the sinking of other warships. But the "Tokyo" was different. Not only was it the flagship of the Japanese Navy, but it was also their only two "Pre-Dreadnought."
Influenced by the butterfly effect, the development of the Navy was accelerated by more than a decade, but the ones who benefited the most were the old-school powers. For a new country like Japan, the gap was even greater.
It wasn't easy to buy two second-hand "Pre-Dreadnought" from the British. If they were lost now, it would be difficult to replenish them.
"Pull it back? You mean that the power system of the Tokyo has been damaged and can't be driven back?"
The young officer explained, "Yes, from the start of the battle until now, the Tokyo has been hit by the enemy seven times, and the power system has collapsed."
Looking at the battlefield, Ito Yuheng shook his head. "Now the Tokyo can't be withdrawn, and it can't be withdrawn. Unless we hold on until dark, the enemy won't let us leave. "
The original choice of this battlefield was because it was close to the port and it was convenient to escape after the defeat. Originally, this battlefield was chosen because it was close to the port and it was convenient to escape after the defeat.
"Heavy casualties" was not a problem at all for Ito Yuheng. As long as they could win this war, no matter how big the loss was, it was worth it.
One had to know that this war was not only for the sake of war, but also for the great powers to see.
The observation ships in the distance were not only from the Holy Roman Empire, but also from more than a dozen countries such as Britain, the United States, Russia, and Netherlands. The performance of the Japanese Navy at this moment would directly determine the position of the countries towards them.
Otherwise, Itō Yuhō would have nothing better to do than to gather so many people to fight against the Spanish. Wouldn't it be better to let some of the Spanish Army go ashore and let the horse dung of the Army also make a contribution?
From the very beginning, Ito Yūhō's goal was to give the various countries the impression that he was a "madman" who dared to risk his life. Only by doing so would he be able to intimidate the major powers and dispel their intentions of coveting the Philippine Islands.
Otherwise, with Japan's current strength, even if they defeated the Spanish, they would not be able to protect the Philippines.
The effect was indeed very obvious. Governor Chandler, who was watching the battle, had already decided to modify the strategic plan to capture the Philippines. Before obtaining the support of the mainland, he was not prepared to let the Nanyang Fleet take risks.
The British, who originally had doubts about the combat effectiveness of the Japanese and were still hesitant to support them, would probably make up their minds after this war.
…
The sky gradually darkened. Under the cover of the night, the warring parties withdrew from the battlefield. With the end of the naval battle, telegrams were sent from Nanyang to all parts of the world.
In the Palace of Vienna, Franz felt an indescribable sense of comfort when he saw the result of the first ironclad battle in human history.
Who won between the Japanese and the Spanish?
No one could give an accurate answer to this question. In terms of the number of deaths and the number of sunken warships, the Spanish Fleet was the big winner; however, in terms of overall strategy, the Japanese Navy was the winner of this naval battle.
Breaking the myth of invincibility of the white people, with such a great achievement, any loss was acceptable.
"The naval battle has temporarily come to an end. According to the information sent by the Governor of Nanyang, the navies of both countries have suffered serious damage. There should not be another war in the short term.
Next, it's time for the Army to perform. How is the combat effectiveness of the Spanish Army? Does it have the ability to capture the Philippines from the Japanese? "
The coastline of the Philippines was very long. Without defeating the Spanish expeditionary fleet, the Japanese Navy would not be able to fully defend it.
With the terrible relationship between the Japanese Army and Navy, the Japanese Navy might be happy to see the Army make a fool of itself. If the Army was defeated, then they would come out to clean up the mess. That would be perfect.
"We don't have a deep understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Japanese Army. However, judging from their military expenditure, their combat effectiveness should not be too strong.
The combat effectiveness of the Spanish Army is very average. Judging from their performance in the war against France, it could even be said to be very bad. Like their international status, they are definitely at the bottom of the list of great powers.
However, they should still be stronger than the Japanese Army. In the case of equal strength, I am more optimistic about the Spanish. "
It was not that Fislav looked down on the Japanese and the Spanish. After entering the Second Industrial Revolution, the factors of absolute military combat effectiveness had changed. To use the most popular saying to describe it, "A strong army is fed by military expenditure."
It was not an exaggeration, but the bravery of the Japanese Army was indeed powerful. However, in the face of a torrent of steel, it was nothing.
Needless to say, the Spanish Army. If it were not for the victory of the anti-French alliance, the Spanish Army would not have completed the upgrade.
If they had the same outdated equipment, the Spanish Cowboys really did not have much of an advantage over the Japanese Army. Although the equipment was newer, the Japanese were closer to the mainland!
With Spain's national strength, they could not afford a torrent of steel in the mainland, let alone in the Philippines.
Now the biggest advantage of the Spanish Army was probably that the Army's equipment and ammunition were all spoils of war, which saved some military expenses.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the internal situation in Spain. We can't let this war affect the peace and stability of the European continent!"
There was no doubt that Franz was not optimistic about the Spanish. There was not so many reasons. There was only one reason – distance.
If the Spanish government was more domineering and directly sent all the main forces of the Army and Navy, it was estimated that they could end the war quickly.
Now, the Navy sent more than half of the main forces, but the Army only sent a hundred thousand people. It seemed to be a huge force, but it had lost the ability to kill in one blow.
If they could attack the Philippines, why couldn't they attack the Japanese mainland? The current Government of Japan was not crazy. If the war really burned in Tokyo, the possibility of them compromising was very high.
On the contrary, the Tokyo government did not have a deep feeling about the war with the Japanese in the Philippines. Not only could it not deter the Japanese, but it would also stimulate their madness.
Of course, such a method of fighting was also a bit demanding for the Spanish. Unless the Madrid government spent a lot of money and obtained the support of European countries, it would be difficult to implement.
Franz was preparing to deal with the aftermath, but the protagonists of this war were announcing that they were the winners. The Spanish talked about their achievements, and the Japanese encouraged the people's morale by "breaking the myth of the invincible white man."
Their words were tough, but their physical performance was very honest. After the end of the Philippine Sea Battle, Japan and Spain launched a diplomatic offensive.
…
In Sulawesi, Governor Chandler, who was harassed and had no choice, still met with Admiral Valkenhein. Compared to the previous contact, the Spaniards were much more sincere this time.
There was no other way, the fate of the expeditionary fleet was now in the hands of the Governor of Nanyang. After the Japanese warships were damaged, they could be pulled back to the mainland for rescue, but the Spanish had no way to pull the warships back to Europe.
At such a long distance, before they could drive the damaged warships back, they would sink halfway. In fact, on the way back, the Spanish fleet hit the reef and sank two more warships, including the seriously damaged "Madrid."
Of course, they didn't lose out. As the enemy, the Japanese Navy also didn't gain any advantage. On the way back to the mainland, the flagship "Tokyo" also unfortunately sank.
The sinking of the warship didn't mean it was scrapped. If the hull was not too damaged, it could still be salvaged.
Admiral Valkenhein came to rescue the "Madrid." Although the Government of Vienna expressed support for them, the specific implementation was still the Governor of Nanyang.
Whether the "Madrid" could be rescued, how long it would take to repair the warship, these specific issues still depended on the support of the Governor of Nanyang.
There was no colonist in the Nanyang area who didn't spy on the Philippine Islands. If the colonial government didn't intervene, what would happen next, Admiral Valkenhein didn't dare to imagine.
He couldn't expect the integrity of these repair shops, right? They wanted to do long-term business, and short-term customers like the Spanish fleet didn't have the weight of the local colonists.
"Commander, you have to understand that this is Nanyang, not Europe. The repair shop is not a shipyard, and it is normal for the technology to be flawed.
If you want to make it perfect, I personally suggest that your country pull the warship back to Europe for repair. Here, we really can't guarantee the quality. "
Work had to be done, and this was stipulated by the treaty. But as for how to do it, it needed to be discussed.
From the standpoint of Governor Chandler, what he hoped most was that both Japan and West suffered losses, and then the Japanese would continue to occupy the Philippine Islands.
Even if the Spanish took the lawsuit to Vienna, he would still take this position. As the Governor of Nanyang, it was his duty to find ways to expand the colony. As long as he acted within the scope of the rules, no one could say anything wrong.
Admiral Valkenhein shook his head, "Your country's repair shop in the Nanyang area is not an ordinary repair shop. Not to mention simple warship maintenance, if necessary, I'm afraid they can even build warships. The technical strength shown at the moment is obviously inconsistent with the real technical ability of the repair shop.
We have an agreement with your country, and Madrid and Vienna have also reached an agreement on this issue. The current performance of your repair shop, I'm afraid someone wants to destroy the friendship between the two countries! "
Chandler waved his hand, "Sorry, I'm afraid you have the wrong person. Regarding the technical problems of the repair shop, you should talk to the capitalists, not me, the governor.
Perhaps the capitalists want to take advantage of the situation. You know this kind of thing is their specialty. They even blackmail our fleet. "
If it weren't for his good upbringing, Admiral Valkenhein would have exploded. Not to mention the Holy Roman Empire, where capital was suppressed, even in other European countries with relatively strong capital strength, no shipyard dared to "blackmail" their own navy.
Not to mention the colonies, if they offended the navy, they would be blocked at the door every day, no matter how powerful the shipyard was, they wouldn't be able to survive.
There was no need to beat around the bush when dealing with soldiers, and Admiral Valkenhein couldn't remember that many diplomatic words, let alone talk nonsense here.
"What do we need to pay to get your help?"
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