Chapter 986 All Winners vs No Winners

Time passed by, and the war became more and more intense. The smile on Admiral Valkenhain's face was long gone, replaced by a sad look.

The battle started at ten o'clock in the morning and continued until five o'clock in the afternoon. It was enough to croak with hunger. The key was that the enemy would not retreat.

Because of the lack of training, the hit rate was touching, and at the same time as the war, the Japanese kept closing the fighting distance, trying to fight them hand-to-hand.

After the warship suffered heavy damage, the first reaction of the Japanese was not to leave the battlefield, but to speed up, wanting to "collide" and die together.

The Japanese are crazy, and the officers and men of the Spanish fleet are still normal people. After the warship suffered heavy damage, it chose to leave the battlefield for the first time.

It stands to reason that these severely damaged warships can no longer pose a threat, but the Japanese still hold on to it.

The battleship is going to have a decisive battle, and there is no time to beat the drowning dogs, but the sailing battleship that stays behind to watch the fun can.

Once the Spanish warships left the battlefield, the Japanese sailboats swarmed the cannon fodder. Originally, the artillery power of the sail battleship was limited, and it could not help the ironclad ships, but this did not include the injured ironclad ships.

The Japanese are willing to take human lives to fill up, sacrificing several sailing warships, they can always take away a seriously injured ironclad ship.

In addition to these normal attacks, the Japanese army also had a suicide attack ship, which was loaded with explosives and detonated when it rushed up. Forcing them to divide their firepower to deal with these small boats.

This kind of life-for-life style of play can be said to be the original creation of the Japanese Navy.

When encountering such a group of lunatics, normal people will have a headache. Admiral Valkenhain is no exception, the original contempt has long been gone, and now there is a deep fear.

"Report, the battleship Madrid was shot, the ship leaked, and it is being repaired. Captain Afondas was killed, and now Colonel Winterger is taking over command!"

Another bad news came, and Valkenhain sank in his heart, and said indifferently on his face: "Got it!"

At this time, the two sides are fighting for toughness. The Spanish fleet suffered heavy losses, and the Japanese fleet on the opposite side suffered even more.

The disparity in the quality of warships and the quality of officers and soldiers is doomed to blood flow only by relying on quantity to make up.

For the Spanish fleet, the most important thing at the moment is to destroy the madness of the enemy, otherwise the following war will be a disaster.

...

There was a loud bang, and the unfortunately shot "Tokyo" caused a violent shock, and General Ito Yuheng, who was in command of the battle, sat on the ground.

Disregarding the pain of being dropped, Ito Yuheng hurriedly ordered: "Quickly send someone to repair the warship!"

Soon, a young officer ran over in a panic: "Your Excellency Commander, the Tokyo is badly damaged and must be immediately pulled back to the shipyard for repair, otherwise it will be dangerous."

There is no way, the thin-skinned warships of the British are just doing nothing. After a few shots, it was severely damaged. In contrast, the warships built by the French on the opposite side are much more resistant.

Of course, this is directly related to the construction time. The "Tokyo" was born more than ten years earlier than the "Madrid" opposite. If the performance can not be surpassed, the French did not have the ability to challenge the British maritime hegemony.

After receiving this bad news, General Ito Yuheng, who has always been calm and composed, couldn't hold his breath anymore. He can accept the sinking of other warships. But "Tokyo" is different, not only the flagship of the Japanese Navy, but also their only two "pre-dreadnought ships".

Affected by the butterfly effect, the development of the navy has been faster for more than ten years, but it is the old-fashioned powers that benefit the most. For emerging countries like Japan, the gap is even greater.

Finally, I bought two second-hand "pre-dreadnought ships" from the British. If they are lost now, it will be difficult to replenish them.

"Pull it back, do you mean that the Tokyo's power system has been damaged and can't be driven back?"

The young officer explained: "Yes, since the start of the battle, 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: "The Tokyo can't be withdrawn now, and it can't be withdrawn. Unless we persist until it is dark, the enemy will not let us leave."

This battlefield was originally chosen because it is close to the port, which is convenient for running away after defeat. However, the plan did not change quickly, and the desperate Japanese fleet actually fought with the enemy.

"Heavy casualties" is not a problem for Ito Yuheng at all. As long as this war can be won, no matter how big the loss is, it will be worth it.

You know, this war is not only for war's sake, but also for the foreign powers.

The observation ships that stayed in the distance were not only from the Holy Roman Empire, but more than a dozen countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, the Netherlands, and the Qing Dynasty sent observation ships. The performance of the Japanese navy at this moment will directly determine the position of the next countries towards them.

Otherwise, Ito Yuheng was full and supported, so he gathered so much strength to fight the Spaniards recklessly. Wouldn't it be nice to put a part of the Spanish army ashore and let the army horse dung also make a contribution?

From the very beginning, Ito Yuheng's purpose was to leave an impression of "dare to work hard" and "madman" to various countries. Only in this way can the major powers be deterred and their spy on the Philippine Islands be dispelled.

Otherwise, with Japan's current strength, even if it wins the Spaniards, there is no way to keep the Philippine Islands.

The effect is indeed very obvious. Governor Chandler, who is watching the battle, has decided to modify it.

The strategic plan for the capture of the Philippines. He was not ready to risk the Nanyang Fleet until he had local support.

The British, who had doubts about the combat effectiveness of the Japanese and were still hesitating whether to support them, will probably make up their minds after the war.

...

The weather gradually dimmed, and under the cover of night, the warring parties withdrew from the battlefield. With the end of the naval battle, telegrams flew from the South China Sea to all over the world.

In Vienna Palace, looking at the result of the first ironclad war in human history, Franz had an indescribable sense of relief.

Who wins between Japan and the West?

It is estimated that no one can give an accurate answer to this question. In terms of the number of casualties and the number of sunk warships alone, the Spanish fleet was the big winner; however, from the overall strategic point of view, the Japanese navy was the winner of this naval battle.

To break the myth of the invincibility of white people, with such great achievements, no matter how big the loss is, it is acceptable.

"The naval battle has come to an end for the time being. According to the information sent by the Governor of Nanyang, the navies of both Japan and the West have suffered serious damage, and there should be no more wars in a short period of time.

Next is the time for the army performance. How is the combat effectiveness of the Spanish army, and is there any ability to seize the Philippine Islands from the Japanese? "

The coastline of the Philippine Islands is very long. Without defeating the Spanish expeditionary fleet, the Japanese navy could not have achieved a comprehensive defense.

With the bad relationship between the Japanese army and navy, maybe the navy is happy to see the army's jokes. If the army is defeated, and they come out to clean up the mess, it will be more perfect.

"We haven't had an in-depth understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Japanese Army. However, judging from their military spending, the combat effectiveness should not be too strong.

The combat effectiveness of the Spanish Army was mediocre, and judging from their performance in the anti-French war, it could even be said to be very bad. Like their international status, they are definitely at the bottom among the great powers.

However, it should still be stronger than the Japanese army. With the same strength, I am more optimistic about the Spaniards. "

It's not that Feslav looked down on Japan and the West. After entering the second industrial revolution, the factor of absolute military combat effectiveness has changed. To use the most popular phrase to describe it is that "a strong army is fed by military expenses".

Don't brag, don't black, the blood and courage of the Japanese army is really powerful, but in the face of the steel torrent, this thing is not a problem at all.

Not to mention the Spanish Army. If it hadn't become the victor of the anti-French alliance, the Spanish Army would not have completed the transformation.

With the same backward equipment, the Spanish cowboys really don't have much advantage over the Japanese army. Although the equipment is updated now, the Japanese are closer to the mainland!

With Spain's national strength, it can't afford to play steel torrents in the mainland, let alone the Philippine Islands.

The biggest advantage of the Spaniards now is that the army equipment and ammunition are all spoils of war, which saves some military expenses.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays close attention to the internal situation in Spain, and cannot let this war affect the peace and stability of the European continent!"

There is no doubt that Franz is not optimistic about the Spaniards. Not so many reasons, just one reason - distance.

If the Spanish government was a little more domineering and directly pressed all the main forces of the army and navy, it is estimated that a quick decision could be made.

Now that the main force of the navy has invested most of it, the army has only sent out a hundred thousand.

You can attack the Philippine Islands, why can't you attack the Japanese mainland? The current Japanese government is not crazy. If the war is really burning in Tokyo, they are very likely to compromise.

On the contrary, in the Philippine archipelago and the Japanese, the Tokyo government does not feel deeply. Not only can it not deter the Japanese, but it will stimulate their madness.

Of course, this style of play also has high requirements for Spain. It is also difficult to implement unless the Madrid government has invested the capital and won the support of European countries.

Franz is preparing for the aftermath, but the protagonists of this war are proclaiming themselves victorious. The Spaniards talked about their achievements, while the Japanese motivated the morale of the people by "breaking the myth of the invincibility of white people".

The mouth is tough, but the body is very honest. After the end of the Philippine naval battle, Japan and the West launched a diplomatic offensive at the same time.

...

In Sulawesi, Governor Chandler was so harassed that he received Admiral Valkenhain. Compared with the previous contacts, the sincerity of the Spaniards this time is much more sufficient.

There is no way, the fate of the expedition fleet is 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 Spaniards had no way to pull the warships back to Europe.

With such a long distance, before they could drive the damaged warship back, it sank halfway. In fact, on the way to retreat, the Spanish fleet sank two more warships, including the badly damaged "Madrid".

Of course, they are not at a disadvantage, and the Japanese navy as the enemy also did not get any advantage. On the way back to the mainland, the flagship "Tokyo" also sank.

The sinking of the warship does not mean that it is scrapped. If the damage to the hull is not too great, it can still be rescued when it is salvaged.

Admiral Walkenhain came this time to rescue the "Madrid". Although the Vienna government expressed support for them, the specific implementation was the Governor of Nanyang.

Whether the "Madrid" can be rescued and how long it will take to maintain the warship depends on the Governor of Nanyang.

government support.

The colonists in the Southeast Asia did not fail to spy on the Philippine Islands. If the colonial government did not intervene, what would happen next, Admiral Valkenhain could not imagine.

You can't count on the integrity of these repair shops, can you? What they want to do is long-term business, and short-term customers like the Spanish fleet do not have the weight to speak as a colonist of local snakes.

"Your Excellency Commander, you must understand that this is Southeast Asia, not Europe. The repair shop is not a shipyard, and it is normal for the technology to be defective.

If you want to achieve perfection, I personally suggest that your country still pulls the ship back to Europe for maintenance. Here, we really cannot guarantee the quality. "

There is work to be done, which is stipulated by the treaty. But exactly how to do it, that needs to be said.

From the position of Governor Chandler, what he hoped most was that Japan and the West would lose both, and then the Japanese would continue to occupy the Philippine Islands.

Even if the Spaniard took the case to Vienna, he was in this position. As the governor of Southeast Asia, it is your duty to find ways to expand the colony. No one can say anything wrong as long as they act within the rules.

Admiral Walkenhain shook his head: "Your country's repair shop in the Southeast Asian region is not an ordinary repair shop, not to mention simple warship repairs. If necessary, I am afraid that even warships can be built. Now it shows. The technical strength of the repair shop obviously does not match the real technical ability of the repair shop.

We have an agreement with your country, Madrid and Vienna have also reached an agreement on this issue, and the current performance of your country's repair shop, I am afraid that someone wants to destroy the friendship between the two countries! "

Chandler waved his hand: "Sorry, your Excellency may have found the wrong person. Regarding the technical issues of the repair shop, your Excellency should talk to the capitalists, not me, the Governor.

Maybe the capitalists want to take advantage of the fire, you know this kind of thing is their specialty, even our fleet they are blackmailing. "

If it wasn't for his good upbringing, Admiral Walkenhain would be about to burst out. Not to mention the Holy Roman Empire, where capital is suppressed, even in other European countries with relatively strong capital, I have never heard of a shipyard that dares to "blackmail" its own navy.

Not to mention the colonies. If you offend the Navy, wear small shoes, and block the door every day to check for smuggling, no matter how awesome the shipyard is, you won't even think about surviving.

There are not so many twists and turns in military dealings, and Admiral Walkenhain can't remember so many diplomatic rhetoric, and he has no time for nonsense here.

"What do we need to pay to get your help?"