Although the rudder of the "Luhe" had been killed, due to the speed limit, the rudder efficiency was very low, and the steering speed could not be fast at all.

Inside the commander's bridge, Bai Zhizhan and the others looked at the two torpedoes fired from the starboard side, but they couldn't do anything.

The "Luhe" was trying to turn to the right, trying to aim the bow at the torpedo.

When the torpedo in front approached, everyone thought it was over, because judging by the track, it would definitely hit the bow of the ship.

It's just that the explosion didn't happen.

Immediately, a track appeared on the left side of the battleship.

What's going on?

Because the fixed depth is too large, it drilled under the battleship!?

While everyone was dumbfounded, Bai Zhizhan had already rushed to the open-air corridor on the left side of the commander's bridge, raised his binoculars and looked at the stern of the ship.

There were no explosions.

After seeing the track that almost brushed the stern of the ship and extended into the distance, the officers and men who came to the open deck breathed a sigh of relief.

Subsequently, the communications staff officer delivered the news that he had just received.

It was not only the "Luhe" that was attacked, but also six torpedoes fired at the "Beihe" and "Nanjiang", and one hit the "Nanjiang".

Fortunately, the torpedo did not detonate either.

Since there were no enemy ships nearby, and eight torpedoes were fired from the same direction and at the same time, they must have come from some ocean-going submarine.

To say, the captain of that submarine was too greedy.

If you lock on one, even two ships, attacking one battleship with four torpedoes will definitely achieve a completely different result.

The battle with the 1st Battle Patrol Detachment had just ended, and the officers and men of the 21st Squadron would not let their guard down no matter how careless they were.

The 21st Squadron did not have anti-submarine warfare ships, and when it encountered submarines, it had to flee.

Back inside the bridge, He Yongxing immediately gave the order to return, using the route planned by Bai Zhizhan and going directly to the labyrinth channel.

The submarine launched a sneak attack, and it would certainly report the whereabouts of the 21st Squadron. It won't be long before the fast battle detachment to the south and the second battle patrol detachment to the south will receive the news. If it doesn't leave, Guia will become the final destination of the 21st Squadron and thousands of Imperial Navy officers.

He Yongxing's worries were not wrong.

As the 21st Squadron departed, a periscope protruded from the sea, and moments later a pitch-black submarine floated up, followed by a vital telegram.

At this time, to the east of the Watchmen Strait, about twenty kilometers east of the exit of the Labyrinth Channel, was the flagship of the Combined Fleet's fast-combat detachment, the "Queen Isa".

Cunningham stopped the communications staff officer who came over with the message, and did not let him disturb Betty.

After receiving the news that the 1st Patrol Detachment had encountered the 21st Squadron and engaged in a fierce battle, Betty stood at the chart table.

Since then, there has been both good and bad news.

The biggest bad news was that the first battle patrol detachment was defeated, three battle cruisers were sunk, and the other three were also heavily damaged, including the commander of the detachment, Rear Admiral Gaunt, and thousands of officers and men were killed, including more than 3,000 officers and men on the three sunken battle cruisers alone.

Having suffered such huge losses, the only result achieved was only to inflict heavy damage on the enemy's leading ship.

In fact, it is debatable how highly credible this battle report sent by the "Tiger" is, because according to the reports of the "Prestige" and "Counterattack", after the exchange of fire, that is, when the "Tiger" was out of battle, the lead ship of the 21st Squadron did not show signs of heavy damage, and the speed of the 21st Squadron did not decrease, indicating that it did not slow down because the lead ship was damaged.

In addition, there is no way to confirm that the lead ship must be the flagship "Beihe", or it may be the "Nanjiang" of the same class.

Of course, it is not without good news.

The biggest good news comes from the three main detachments.

About half an hour ago, the flagship of the first main detachment, the "Pennsylvania," sent a message that three main detachments of 12 battleships belonging to the Newland Navy were rushing to arrive and were expected to arrive in the evening, and then they would be able to replace the fast battle detachment and block the labyrinthine passage.

In addition, the 4th Main Detachment of the Sagi Navy is also about to depart from Naqiu Military Port and is expected to arrive at night.

By the early hours of tomorrow morning at the latest, the Combined Fleet would be able to assemble sixteen battleships, five fast battleships, and four battlecruisers east of the Watcher Strait. As long as you make full use of the easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack environment in the strait, you can easily deal with the counterattack of the Liangxia Empire's home fleet.

A few days later, when the fifth and sixth main detachments belonging to the Bran Kingdom arrived, the combined fleet was able to gain an advantage in terms of strength.

The key is to see if the Watchman Strait can be blocked before reinforcements arrive.

If anything, we have to blame the sudden storm, or more precisely, the typhoon that suddenly turned.

In order to avoid the typhoon, all the battleships of the Combined Fleet were withdrawn, and only the battlecruisers and fast battleships that were fast enough returned in time.

What made Betty angry was that the mischievous people of the Narrow Imperial Kingdom actually let the Second Battle Patrol Detachment stay in the Ball Military Harbor in the name of cleaning the boiler, instead of following the First Battle Patrol Detachment as planned. Otherwise, the 1st Battle Patrol Detachment would not have faced the formidable 21st Squadron alone.

Cunningham was perfectly able to understand Betty's feelings.

What made Betty angry was not actually the losses she suffered, after all, more than two years ago, when facing the battle patrol detachment of the High Seas Fleet, which was much weaker than the 21st Fleet, Betty also suffered a defeat. The real problem was that the defeat of the 1st Battle Patrol Detachment disrupted the operational deployment.

If you don't get it right, the fast combat detachment will even be attacked from both sides!

In addition, Gaunt has already died in battle, so Betty has to carry the pot.

Only now, it is useless to complain.

After handing the telegram to Betty, Cunningham marked the sea area mentioned in the telegram and drew the route of the 21st Squadron.

"Andrew, do you think the 21st Squadron will come here?" Betty put down the message as she spoke, and asked Cunningham, who was standing opposite.

"That's not the point."

Betty frowned and let Cunningham continue.

If it weren't for the fact that Cunningham was too young, he had only worked on destroyers before, and he didn't command the capital ships, and it would not have been Gaunt's turn to command the 1st Battle Patrol Detachment.

After accepting the Admiralty's appointment as commander of the Guia Fleet, the first thing Betty did was to transfer Cunningham to serve as the fleet's operational staff. Next, he personally abolished the chief of staff of the fleet and let the operational staff officers exercise the functions and powers of chief of staff.

Betty valued Cunningham, and he never let Betty down.

"Our mission is to nail it here, block the passage from the Xuhai Sea into the Guia Ocean, and make the native fleet of the Liangxia Empire a beast in a cage."

"That's six battle cruisers, and even if the lead ship is badly damaged, there are still five."

"The second battle patrol detachment has come out and is rushing south. Although Yamashita has no ambitions, his Takano Shaosa is by no means a mere person. ”

Betty frowned, not refuting Cunningham's point.

"Victory is achieved by fighting, and a gambler who often bets his life on his life will certainly not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Hearing Cunningham say this, Betty nodded.

The Combined Fleet is the fleet of the Alliance, and when victory is imminent, no one will give up the opportunity to share more of the fruits of victory after the war.

So, is Takano Shaosa of the Second Battle Patrol really that kind of daring gambler?