On August 18, the Japanese cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu were reduced to rubble. And as a result, the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy was under great pressure. The Combined Fleet gathered the main forces of the Japanese Navy, but they were cowered in the Sasebo Naval Harbor and did not dare to go out to fight.

Although, some sane people, know that the combined fleet is waiting for the best time. When their strength has not yet reached the highest state, a decisive battle with the Chinese Navy is definitely a dead end. However, the vast majority of people lose their minds after the tragic death of their relatives and friends.

In Fukuoka and Kitakyushu, more than 100,000 people were killed or wounded, and millions were left homeless. The number of these people's relatives and friends combined, is even smaller, and it has increased exponentially. As a result, outside the Sasebo military port, a large number of Japanese people gathered, who held signs to protest against the United Fleet in the military port for fear of the enemy and avoid war, and even insulted them as cowards.

This made the Japanese naval officers and men in the military port ashamed and angry one by one. Some radical people even wanted to sail warships out of port on the spot to fight to the death with the Chinese navy.

In the Japanese cabinet, Admiral Rokuro Yashiro, Minister of the Navy, was also under tremendous pressure. The destruction of the two cities of Fukuoka and Kitakyushu caused an uproar in Japan. On the one hand, these Japanese, while hating the Chinese Empire, on the other hand, were also very dissatisfied with the combined fleet cowering in the military port. In addition to loans from Europe and the United States, many of the warships of the Combined Fleet were built with the money saved by the Japanese people. However, now these warships are not able to protect those people, which will naturally make them dissatisfied.

"Yachishiro-kun! Listen to the voices of the people. Everywhere there were voices protesting against the Navy, blaming the Navy. If the Combined Fleet does not yet go out of the port to fight, those angry people. It will tear the Admiralty, and the entire cabinet to shreds. Minister of Finance Tatsuo Yamamoto said.

"Yamamoto-kun, do you want to force the Combined Fleet to die? If we are destroyed by the Shina people, then the Shina people will be able to land in Japan with impunity. When the time comes, the whole of Japan will be finished. Admiral Rokuro Yashiro insisted.

"But. The navy is avoiding war like this, and it's not a way! The anger of the people will grow higher and higher day by day. Tatsuo Yamamoto said.

"Humph! All this is a conspiracy of the Shina people. After destroying Kitakyushu, they went south again. You don't have to think about it to know that these people want to force the Combined Fleet to go out of port and fight them in a decisive battle, so as to seize this opportunity and solve the Combined Fleet in one fell swoop. We can't afford to fall for them. General Rokuro Yashiro said.

"However, if we do not fight the people of China, then. They're going to attack other cities. The next one may be Kumamoto. Northern Kyushu and even those coastal cities in Japan will be targeted by the Shina Navy. Lu Xiang Shimoto also said.

Obviously, the Chinese Empire, in disregard of international public opinion, opened fire directly on Japanese cities, completely hitting the deadliest place in Japan. If the Japanese navy did not go to sea to fight the Chinese navy, their coastal cities would be reduced to ruins. After that, the whole of Japan will collapse because of this. And once the Japanese Navy goes to sea and fights a decisive battle with the Chinese Navy. They are not sure of winning. Once the Japanese Navy is dealt with, Japan will lose even more. When the time comes. Even the country can't be saved. This has put the Japanese cabinet in a dilemma.

"What do Britain, France, the United States and other countries say?" Prime Minister Masatsuki Terauchi asked.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, Britain, France and the United States have stated that they will fully condemn this massacre of civilians by the Chinese Navy. Public opinion throughout the Western world is sympathetic to us and accuses China. Yasuya Uchida said.

"That's a. As long as they don't dare to start a war against China, it will have no effect on China. China Navy. will continue to shell our coastal cities and massacre our civilians. Tibetan Prime Minister Tatsuo Yamamoto said.

"Yachishiro-kun, I don't want to put too much pressure on the Navy. However, the Cabinet is now under tremendous pressure, so please consider the feelings of the people a little bit for the Navy. If you can. Launching a counterattack to curb the arrogance of the people of China can be regarded as an explanation to the people. Masaki Terauchi said. After all, as Japan's prime minister, he also knows that the choice of the navy is actually the right one. But the problem is that ordinary Japanese people can't understand it! They only knew that the Chinese navy was slaughtering their relatives, while the Japanese navy was cowering and did not dare to fight, which undoubtedly formed a strong contrast.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, I will convey the Cabinet's request to Takeshita-kun." General Rokuro Yashiro said.

Masaki Terauchi nodded and said no more.

On August 19, the Imperial Navy returned to the sea south of the Sasebo military port. However, they found that the Japanese were still sitting firmly in the Diaoyutai and had no intention of coming out of the Sasebo military port.

"**** little Japan, this time, are they determined to be shrunken turtles?" Admiral Liu Guanxiong couldn't help but scold.

"Commander, it seems that we have not done enough. Since Little Japan refuses to come out and die, let's continue shelling the coastal cities of Little Japan. First destroy Nagasaki, then destroy Kumamoto, and destroy one city after another, to see if they can hold on. Lieutenant General Li Dingxin proposed.

"Well, that's half. Change course and go to Nagasaki. After destroying this place, contact the supply fleet and send us another batch of high-explosive bombs. If little Japan does not dare to come out and fight us, we will wipe out the whole of Japan with high-explosive bombs. Admiral Liu Guanxiong said domineeringly.

"Yes, Commander." Lieutenant General Li Dingxin nodded.

"By the way, what do you say about the submarine forces?" Admiral Liu Guanxiong asked. There was also a plan to have a submarine secretly enter the Sasebo military port and attack the Japanese Navy warships inside.

The submarine force replied that the waterway of the Sasebo military port was too narrow for multiple submarines to enter. In addition, if multiple submarines enter it, it is also prone to accidents. None of the submarines fired at different times, which would have triggered early exposure. In that case, it will be very disadvantageous. They pointed out that if this battle plan were to be carried out, only one submarine could be sent to secretly enter the Sasebo naval base. If the Japanese are not alert, they will do it a few more times. Lieutenant General Li Dingxin said.

"A submarine? What's the use of that? Even the newest 'Killer Whale-class' submarine has only six heavy torpedo tubes. Including the torpedoes carried inside the submarine, there are only 18 torpedoes. What's more, once the attack starts, the Japanese won't give them much time. A maximum of two rounds can be fired. 12 torpedoes, how much can be achieved? Admiral Liu Guanxiong shook his head.

"Then this plan can only be put on hold for the time being. However, you can wait for a while and then see if there is a need for implementation. Lieutenant General Li Dingxin said.

Admiral Liu Guanxiong nodded and did not say anything more.

Inside the Sasebo Naval Base, Admiral Isamu Takeshita, commander of the Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet, had a gloomy face as if he could drip water. The angry Japanese people outside the base were still chanting slogans and insulting the Combined Fleet. This makes General Takeshita Isamu feel very bad now, as if he wants to eat people.

"General, the latest news I got that the China Navy has left." A staff officer reported.

"Where are the people going to go this time?" General Isamu Takeshita asked, rubbing his somewhat aching forehead.

"It has been preliminarily determined that the target of the Shina people may be Nagasaki or Kumamoto." said the staff officer.

"Damn the Chinese people, it's just too much of a deception!" General Isamu Takeshita scolded. He was very angry at the Imperial Navy's tactics of shelling Japanese coastal cities. However, more than that, it's still helpless. In this regard, he has no way to counteract at all!

"Notify Nagasaki and Kumamoto, as well as the rest of those coastal cities, to evacuate urgently." Admiral Isamu Takeshita commanded. Now, there is only one way, and perhaps Japan can bear less losses.

"Yes, Your Excellency, Commander." The staff officer nodded.

"What will it take to stop the attacks of the Chinese on our coastal cities?" Isamu Takeshita frowned, thinking about the solution. However, there are not many options in front of him. Because of the difference in the strength of the two navies, the Japanese navy simply did not have the capital to confront the Chinese navy. If the two sides had a decisive battle, the Japanese navy would definitely be a dead end.

On the afternoon of August 19, the Imperial Navy's Pacific Fleet shelled Nagasaki, turning the important Japanese coastal city into ruins.

After the destruction of Nagasaki, the Imperial Navy began to receive supplies from the supply fleet, and each ship was replenished with a large number of high-explosive shells.

On the morning of August 20, just as the sun was rising, the Imperial Navy's Pacific Fleet appeared off the coast of Kumamoto and launched a heavy artillery bombardment of the city. In just one hour of shelling, most of Kumamoto was destroyed.

After that, the Imperial Navy marched to the next target of the shelling, the southern Japanese city of Kagoshima. In the afternoon of the same day, Kagoshima was also destroyed.

Japan's coastal cities were destroyed one after another, putting a lot of pressure on the Japanese cabinet. Even Emperor Taisho sent Crown Prince Hirohito to ask what the navy was going to do. And the Japanese Minister of the Navy, Admiral Rokuro Yashiro, had no choice but to send a telegram to Admiral Isamu Takeshita, asking him to find a way to contain the actions of the Chinese Empire.

That night, Isamu Takeshita finally came up with a solution. He began to be anxious about some of the leading officers of the combined fleet, intending to implement his plan. (To be continued.) )

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