"Thinking of the thousands of officers and sailors of the kingdom who died in battle off the coast of Batavia, Vice Admiral Helvrey opened his mouth slightly to say something, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't say anything! At the end, it could only turn into a silent sigh.

This war is almost doomed, how can a Java have a chance to turn over with just one Java? Lieutenant General Hellfri was simply doing his duty as a soldier.

As time passed, the entire Java gradually quieted down. Only the roar of the engine room and the crash of the waves against the hull of the ship.

Dozens of nautical miles ahead of the Java, a light fleet led by Colonel Fang Jixiang was rapidly approaching.

On the bridge of the flagship of this fleet, the cruiser Zhaohe, Colonel Fang Jixiang looked at the telegram in his hand with a serious face.

"Let's pester the Java?" His chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Wu Zhennan, said with a look of surprise: "The four cruisers of the First Reconnaissance Fleet will take several hours to arrive at the earliest!" How could our ships fight for so long with a cutting-edge cruiser of 8,000 tons? ”

Colonel Fang Jixiang put down the telegram in his hand, shook his head and said, "If you can't fight, you have to fight!" The Java can't be allowed to shell the oil fields of the port of Brunei! With so much equipment and workers, we can't afford to lose. ”

"Any ideas?" Lieutenant Colonel Wu Zhennan picked up the telegram and looked at it, and asked with a wry smile.

Colonel Fang Jixiang stretched out his hand and pinched his chin, a look of worry flashed between his eyebrows, and he said in a deep voice, "There is no chance of regular artillery combat, so you can only lean on it at high speed to carry out lightning strikes." ”

"Intelligence says that the Java can reach a maximum speed of thirty-one knots! How do we get there? Lieutenant Colonel Wu Zhennan said in a low voice.

"You can't stop fighting, right?" Colonel Fang Jixiang said with some dissatisfaction: "Let the Zhaohe and Yingrui take the initiative to attract the attention of the Java, and the torpedo boats will quickly rush up and lightning strike!" This is the best way to do it. ”

"Hmm." Lieutenant Colonel Wu Zhennan nodded and said in a deep voice, "This can only be the case, I hope luck can be on our side." ”

Sergeant Hendrik was a lookout on the Java, and he was watching the sea from the towering watchtower with his partner, Corporal Roland.

Tightening his clothes, Sergeant Hendrik, who was fighting against the sea breeze, was suddenly slapped by Corporal Roland.

"What's wrong?" Sergeant Hendrik asked in a strange voice as he turned to look at his colleague.

"There seems to be something in front of the port side. Look. Corporal Roland, who was lying on the telescope, said in a deep voice.

"Huh?" Sergeant Hendrik immediately leaned down on the telescope and took a closer look.

About 10,000 yards away from the port side of the Java, there was a faint figure moving.

"Is it a merchant ship? Or an enemy ship? Sergeant Hendrick asked in a low voice.

Corporal Roland shook his head slightly, and said, "It's too far away, and I can't see it clearly at night." What to do? ”

"Report to the bridge immediately!" Sergeant Hendrik said in a deep voice.

The staff officer on duty, who received the report, quickly sent the situation to Major General Durman, who was on night duty.

"Hmm" Rear Admiral Duerman, after groaning slightly, decisively ordered, "Send an identification signal, pull the alarm!" ”

As the screeching sirens sounded, the officers and men of the Java Sea rushed to their posts.

"How's it going?" Lieutenant Admiral Helfri, who had buckled briskly into the bridge, asked loudly to his chief of staff.

"Your Excellency, Commander, a signal has been sent to the other side asking for identification. The other party responded that it was a British merchant ship. Major General Durman said in a deep voice.

"Huh?" Lieutenant General Hellfrie raised his telescope in surprise to take a closer look. There are several vague figures, and the tonnage is not large!

"This sea. With this formation of a fleet, this is not a merchant ship at this time! The whole ship is ready for battle! Putting down the binoculars in his hand, Lieutenant General Helfri muttered slightly for a moment before decisively ordering to prepare for battle.

At this time, the Java was no longer as strong as it had been when it first arrived in the East Indies. In the Battle of Batavia, the Java was not hit by the heavy artillery of the King Kong. However, as one of the most ferocious and outstanding Dutch battleships in firepower. It was also hit several times by the main guns of several cruisers!

Three of the ten single-mounted 150mm guns on board were destroyed, and one of the main guns had its steering gear shattered, making it impossible to move the muzzle!

There were multiple wounds to the hull, although they were not fatal. But there is definitely an impact on the state of the battleship! The combat effectiveness of the Java has been greatly weakened.

On the bridge of the Zhaohe, Lieutenant Colonel Wu Zhennan asked nervously, "Can you fool the Dutch?" ”

Colonel Fang Jixiang, who was holding a telescope and observing carefully, frowned slightly, and said in a low voice, "It shouldn't be possible, and the Dutch are not stupid." Before being discovered. Get as close to the past as possible. ”

Lieutenant Colonel Wu Zhennan's face tightened, swallowed his saliva, and was about to say something. Colonel Fang Jixiang's hands holding the telescope suddenly tightened, and he shouted in a lost voice, "It's not good!" Shelling! ”

In the distance, several dazzling flames suddenly flashed on the Java! The Java has fired!

"Rush forward!" Colonel Fang Jixiang put down the binoculars. Commanded loudly. Now that it has been discovered, it can only fight desperately!

Soon, the roaring shelling of the Zhaohe and Yingrui sounded. Several torpedo boats also pierced out of the two cruisers at high speed.

The Zhaohe and Yingrui increased their speed to the limit by almost twenty knots. Straight for the Java.

On the bridge of the Java, Vice Admiral Helvery was holding a telescope with a serious face, observing the fleet rushing towards him.

"Why do they still have boats over here?" Major General Durman, who was on the side, asked in surprise.

"It's all old ships, you can tell by their speed." Lieutenant General Helfri said lightly.

"My fear is that if I get entangled here," said Major General Durman, with a worried face.

Lieutenant General Helvery shook his head slightly and said in a low voice, "No, the difference in strength is too big." We will only need an hour at most to end the fight. Enough for us to rush to the port of Brunei to shell. Unless Lady Luck is on their side. ”

Looking at the tired officers on the bridge, Vice Admiral Helfry smiled and said, "When this battle is over, we will go home!" ”

The officers on the bridge all breathed a sigh of relief. Since the beginning of the war, they have been in a state of high-intensity combat. Already exhausted, not just people. The same goes for battleships!

Lieutenant General Helvrey, who had inadvertently uttered a declaration of mortality, returned his attention to the battlefield.

At this time, the distance between the two sides was about seven or eight thousand yards. The Zhaohe and Yingrui, which faced the enemy in the bow, could only compete with the two 150mm guns in the front and the six 150mm guns on the Java, which had completed the steering and occupied the T-head!

Vice Admiral Helvrey's plan was to destroy the most threatening torpedo boats first, and the two large ships that were very slow were left to destroy the most slowly.

Tactics are right, but no one can stop luck when something like luck comes!

Just after the Java sank two torpedo boats in quick succession, a 150-millimeter shell fired from the Ying Rui accurately hit the Java's No. 1 chimney. And it's in the bottom position!

This cannonball, which was cared for by Lady Luck, not only destroyed the chimney, but also destroyed most of the boiler compartment below! The shock wave generated by the explosion shattered numerous pipes in the power compartment, and hot gases and circulating water gushed out! A large number of working engineers were scalded to death!

On the bridge of the Java, where the power compartment was damaged and the speed had dropped significantly, Rear Admiral Durman muttered in a pale face, "It's over!" "As soon as the Java loses speed, it loses everything!

Lieutenant General Helfri had closed his eyes in pain. What can I do? Without speed, the Java is just a target ship!

It's not over yet. After the chimney was destroyed. A fire broke out on the Java, and although the crew worked hard to extinguish it, the fire quickly began to spread, and the entire superstructure was burned beyond recognition.

The fate of the Java was sealed, and the raging fire not only illuminated its position, but also deprived the ship's gun emplacements of a stable firing platform! Their hit rate dropped dramatically.

Looking at the Java that was on fire, Colonel Fang Jixiang, who was overjoyed, immediately ordered a lightning strike. Lightning strikes a warship that is slow and difficult to steer does not need to get too close, it is almost fine.

On the Java. Although the Dutch naval officers and sailors were still struggling to extinguish the fire. However, looking at the rows of torpedo lines rushing in the distance, the Dutch naval officers and sailors could only choose to jump into the sea in desperation to escape!

The Java, which had been hit by three torpedoes in quick succession, lasted less than ten minutes, and the new cruiser with a full load displacement of up to 8,000 tons carried Vice Admiral Helfry and Rear Admiral Durman, who refused to leave the ship. As well as hundreds of crew members who failed to escape in time sank into the sea!

At this point, all the naval strength of the Dutch navy in the East Indies was swept away. All the island ports of the Dutch were exposed to the guns of Gaoyang!

A few days later, the Grand Fleet, which had assembled and began to move south, had not encountered any decent battle since it arrived in the East Indies!

The most they do is escort troop carriers. Shiploads of Japanese mercenaries were sent to the islands to fight against the Dutch security forces. Not even the shelling of the port was done, disgusted that there were no worthy targets, wasting the life of shells and barrels.

The fighting on the islands was fierce. It is one-sided tragic. These Japanese mercenaries, who want money and don't want their lives, are like groups of crazy people, and they have set off a bloody storm on various islands!

Where have the natives who bask in the sun all day and eat fruits have seen such a terrifying army, killing people first and then robbing valuable things, and burning all the fire that cannot be taken away. Everywhere they passed, they were all white.

Everywhere this gang of Japanese mercenaries went, except for the local overseas Chinese, whether you were Dutch or indigenous, whether you were of this race or that race, they all died and died in exchange for money!

These gang no longer have the country's wandering samurai, they have no faith. In their eyes now only know money! "When you have saved enough money, you will immigrate to South America and buy a large piece of land to become a landlord!" That's their biggest wish right now. (To be continued......)