"Your Excellency, there are a few fewer warships of the yellow-skinned monkey outside the harbor today, except for 6 battleships, the original cruiser is missing. + Vitgeft hurriedly reported to Makarov, who was in the Petropavlovsk.

The reconnaissance cruiser Novik, which had gone to the open sea early in the morning to provoke, found that the Japanese fleet blockaded outside was much less, and did not bother to fire a few shots to disgust the Japanese, so it immediately turned around and ran back to the harbor to report the situation.

As a new reconnaissance cruiser built in Germany, the Novik was equipped with a radio, so if Makarov stayed on the same new Crown Prince or Retvizan, he would receive the news directly. However, the old Petropavlovsk did not have this thing, so the Novik had to run back.

"Those yellow-skinned monkeys took all their cruisers?" Maklov asked with some surprise, the Japanese had already transferred all the armored cruisers before, and now they have transferred the remaining protective cruisers?

"Yes, Your Excellency, the Novik reports that there are only six large ships left outside." Wittgerft replied.

"Originally, these yellow-skinned monkeys transferred all the armored cruisers, and now they have transferred all the protective cruisers, it seems that Nikolai should have caused them big trouble." Makarov happily deduced: "It must be these yellow-skinned monkeys who have suffered a big loss, so more ships need to be invested to search for Nikolai's location." ”

After the first two successes, Essen's fleet sent a telegram to Arthur when he returned to Vladivostok for resupply and recuperation, so Makarov knew that the sabotage operation had been successful.

The Japanese transferred the armoured cruisers of the Second Fleet to search for Essen's fleet, which Makarov expected, as the only six armoured cruisers that the Japanese could engage were the same. But now even the protective cruisers have been withdrawn, and it is conceivable that the Japanese are in big trouble.

"Nikolai's fleet has attracted a large number of troops from those yellow-skinned monkeys, and the pressure on our side has been reduced a lot. For these yellow-skinned monkeys to be so exciting, it seems that Nikolai must have achieved brilliant results. He is worthy of being a loyal warrior of His Majesty, and after the war, Nikolai will definitely be praised by His Majesty. Wittgraft sighed with envy.

In fact, Makarov is also a little nervous in his heart now, after such a long blockade and testing each other's fighting methods, Makarov also knows what the strength of the Japanese fleet outside is. If now all the cruisers are really transferred. Then there were only 6 battleships, 19 destroyers, and a few torpedo boats left.

If it weren't for the injury of the strongest Crown Prince and Retvizan in his hands, Makarov would really want to go out and fight for it, there are 6 battleships, 4 cruisers, and 14 mine-strike ships in Port Arthur, which is really not much weaker than the Japanese.

So Makarov, lamenting that it was not yet time, hoped that Essen's fleet would continue to attract the attention of the Japanese. "Send a message to Vladivostok and let Nikolai's fleet continue its sabotage operations, delaying the transportation of the yellow-skinned monkey army as much as possible. Reduce our pressure on land. ”

"Yes, Your Excellency."

And Essen lived up to Makarov's expectations and soon made a big news.

"Your Excellency General, it is very difficult for us to find the Puyan fleet when we wander around the sea so aimlessly." On the bridge of the Izumi, the flagship of the Third Fleet of the Combined Fleet, Fleet Staff Officer Kazuzen Nakasa Yamaji said to the commander of the fleet, Rear Admiral Shigegen Dewa.

"Yamaji-kun, it's really difficult to find the Puyan fleet on the vast sea, but even if it's difficult. We're going to do our best to find it. The Urashio fleet broke into Tokyo Bay and shelled Yokosuka. Enraged, His Majesty the Emperor sought out the Urayan fleet and destroyed them, so as to wash away the disgrace of our navy. Dewa said in a solemn manner.

"Hay." Yamaji Yishan bowed his head together and responded.

Although he said this to his subordinates, Izuba Shigeyuan's heart was not as heroic as he said. At this time, the Third Fleet had already joined up with Kuabu Waiyoshi's fleet, and Dewa Shigeto, who had taken over the command, had 9 cruisers in his hands, but such a fleet could not make Dewa Shigeto's mood relax a little.

All 9 cruisers were second-class cruisers. Four of them were old ships from the Sino-Japanese War, and with the exception of the Izumi, the others were protective cruisers. Such strength is simply lifeless in the face of the 6 first-class armored cruisers of more than 10,000 tons of the Puyan fleet.

Izuwa Shigeto very much hopes that he can be on par with Uemura Hikonojo's Second Fleet, and that he can transfer three armored cruisers from the Second Fleet. Dividing 4 protective cruisers out by yourself will not be as different in strength as it is now.

However, it is useless to complain, since the military command department has ordered itself to search for the traces of the Puyan fleet, then he can only carry out the order.

"Yamaji-kun, after the Urayan fleet succeeds in Tokyo Bay, they will definitely not rest on their laurels, they will inevitably gain an inch and continue to look for fighters to expand the results of the war. Where do you think they'll be next time? Dewa Shigeto asked aimlessly, searching aimlessly for a fleet on the sea, Dewa Shigeto also felt that it was all a matter of luck, bad luck, just like Uemura Hikonoki became a "probe".

"Your Excellency, I think that after the Urayan fleet intercepts a large number of ships in Tokyo Bay, the ability to move with these ships will inevitably be affected, so I think they will definitely return to Urayan to lay down these burdens and rest before coming out again.

Their success in Tokyo Bay was entirely due to our lack of preparedness, and even then they did not dare to go deeper, so I don't think it is very likely that the Urayan fleet will target Tokyo Bay again. Therefore, the next range of their activities should be in the Sea of Japan, and after starting from Urayan, there are not many targets worth attacking in the north, so I think they will continue to move south. Yamaji Kazuzen speculated.

"Well, I also think so, the Puyan fleet will definitely continue to attack our ships in the next step, and I think that the Luguo people will definitely attack the ships that are transporting supplies to North Korea, because this can delay our attack on Lushun, so we should patrol more near the coast of North Korea." Shigetochi Dewa made a decision.

Unlike Hikonojo Uemura, who has been forced by the Russians to get angry, Dewa Shigeto does not plan to run around the Sea of Japan diligently and then expect luck to run into the Russians, but is prepared to wait for the Russians to attack.

This is actually a big risk, because if the Russians do not come, he may be accused of being passive and sabotage, and then he will also be a "probe".

Perhaps fortunately or unfortunately, the Essen fleet was indeed preparing to attack the Japanese transports.

April 13, Tsushima Strait, fog.

As Kazuzen Yamaji had speculated, after returning to Vladivostok with the ships he had looted, Essen received a telegram from Makarov, and immediately set sail with his fleet after a short rest, this time targeting the Korean port of Wonsan, which was the terminus of Japanese transport to Korea, where Japanese ships often frequented.

Essen led 6 armored cruisers quietly south under the cover of dense fog, preparing to cross the Tsushima Strait and go straight to their destination.

At this time, nine second-class cruisers led by Shigeyuan Dewa, who were patrolling the coast of Korea, were heading north, and the two fleets approached each other without knowing it.

"It's this kind of weather again, this kind of visibility, we can't see anything beyond 6,000 yards at all......" Yamaji Kazuzen complained: "No wonder the Second Fleet can't find the shadow of the Lu Guoren for so long, it's always such a fog, even if it collides head-on with the Puyan fleet, it is estimated that they can't see each other." ”

"The order of His Excellency Yuhiro Ito of the Military Command Department must find and defeat the Urayan fleet, so we can only run back and forth on the route where the Urayan fleet may appear." Dewa Shigeto sighed.

"I hope the Second Fleet can find and defeat the Urayan fleet sooner, so that we don't have to run around like this." Kazuzen Yamaji said.

"If that's the case, we'll have an easy time." Dewa smiled, and then looked out of the bridge, looking at the foggy sea.

However, suddenly, a shout suddenly came from the lookout: "At 11 o'clock, there is a boat shadow!" ”

Dewa Shigeto immediately hung the telescope on his chest and picked it up, not far ahead, the shadows of the three ships loomed in the dense fog, although the shadows of the three ships could not see the reality clearly, but the tonnage of the three ships was not small, and they were lined up in a column.

Out of caution, Dewa Shigeto immediately ordered the fleet to prepare for battle, and sent a light signal to ask the identity of the other party.

The strong light pierced through the thick fog, but the shadows of the ships on the opposite side did not respond, and just when the sailors on the nine Japanese ships rushed into their battle positions, staring intently at the hazy shadows of the ships ahead, the orange fire in the dense fog ahead flashed, and then there was a loud thunderous sound, and then the four columns of water in front of the left front of the Izumi that took the lead rose into the air.

The four water columns were less than 50 meters from the bow of the Izumi, and after the water columns fell, the foredeck of the Izumi was like a shower, and the accuracy with which the Russians' first fire could be fired in this visibility really scared Izumi Shigeyuan.

"Heavy artillery at the 10-inch level! It's Lu Guoren! Fight back now! Dewa Chongyuan was shocked and shouted loudly. (To be continued......)

ps: The first of the new year was typed out with my aunt's notebook in the quilt in my hometown, which is also a novel experience.

I would like to continue to apologize to all of you.

In addition, although it is a little late, I still say happy new year to all friends, all the best.

Tomorrow's update depends on the situation, or the same sentence, I will do my best. R527