Ito found that the damage of a mine explosion was even more terrible than being strafed by a group of warships with rapid-fire guns! After only two impacts, the two closest battleships were all seriously injured!

Although they were not completely unsailable, it was enough to make them unable to engage in combat for a while. In particular, the damage to "Itsukushima" made the "Sankei Ship", which was specially used to deal with ironclad ships, suddenly lame.

Now, not only do they have no way to guarantee that they can effectively strike at unknown enemies, but they even have to use more strength to protect them, and the result is simply terrible.

One was shattered, three were injured, and such an efficient destruction was simply incredible.

And this confirms Shimamura Suo's previous judgment that the enemy lurking in the shadows of the Imperial Japanese Navy is the hateful "ghost ship"! The existence of this force is announcing in an extremely uncomfortable way that they are on the side of the Qing State, and they are not polite if they start.

Ito Yohei stared at the dark sea outside the window for a long time, until the "Tenryu" in front of him found a mine again, and suddenly turned back to Shimamura Suo and gave a solemn order: "After returning from this mission, you put down all your affairs, concentrate the forces you need, and in the shortest possible time, take out a report on the 'ghost ship' as much as possible." It doesn't matter how ridiculous the conclusions are, as long as you can think of them, write them all! ”

Shimamura Suo's eyes suddenly lit up, and he asked, "So, what if you need intelligence from the War Department?" ”

Ito Youheng said categorically: "I will personally ask His Excellency the Minister of the Navy to come forward to coordinate, and I will definitely get a piece of information!" ”

"Hay! Please rest assured that Shimamura will live up to expectations! ”

A hot current welled up in Shimamura's chest. He felt his heart beat strongly. This task is so much fun. Moreover. It is in line with the research and summary he did in his spare time.

Compared with the Qing Navy, which was already regarded as fat on the chopping block, he was more willing to do further investigation and research on such a secret force that appeared out of thin air. He had a hunch that if he succeeded in unearthing the other party's secrets, he might add huge weight to the future of the empire!

Ito Yuhiro nodded lightly and issued an order: "Order the fleet to turn the rudder left and bypass this sea area." Safety is the number one priority. ”

This means: They will give up the possibility of quickly rushing to the target sea area. Not only is it impossible to block the unloaded troop convoy because of this, but I am afraid that it will face more trouble.

The staff officers knew how stressful it was for the commander to make such a decision. Japan is simply too poor. Every time you attack, you have to carefully calculate the dyes you need, and the manpower and supplies you use. If this time it is unsuccessful, but they will take so many battleship losses, the pressure from the cabinet alone will be enough for them to drink a pot.

Ito thinks more deeply than others. Even in terms of the current task, he is no longer optimistic about the final result. It's not as simple as being disadvantaged. With half a lifetime of experience and intuition. It smells like it's been calculated.

"There are people who seek benefits between the empire and the Qing state, and the snipe and mussels compete for the fisherman's profit. It's a good calculation. So this force, is it the British? Or the Russians? Still is...... The Americans who have always claimed to remain detached? Or maybe a German with an ambitious emperor? ”

In his heart, after thinking about every possibility, he couldn't make a decision.

If it were British, there would be no need to go through such a big deal at all. It was only necessary to express support for the Qing State, and Japan would not dare to provoke this war at all. And with the treaty just signed with Great Britain, it is enough to assert that it actually supports the Empire. This one, you can cross out from the list.

Russian? They want to profit the most, but they don't want to contribute. I would most like to see both the Qing and Japan lose, reduce their pressure, and seize the benefits.

It seems that they are the most like murderers. But it was precisely because of the scene in Seoul that Russia was excluded. A group of rough and savage guys simply can't come up with such a delicate plan, let alone execute it.

American? They don't have the resources and the manpower to do this.

So, is it the Germans? It seems that in recent years, they have been very active in China's affairs.

Thinking of the German churches everywhere in Shandong, the countless foreign clergymen who rushed to various sides to collect information and gather believers, the German emperor's undisguised ambition and enterprising will. Ito suddenly felt that they seemed to be the most conjecture objects.

It's been a long time since the exam, and my tired head hurts.

Ito rubbed his temples vigorously, trying to look more energetic, and sighed quietly when no one was paying attention.

On the sea in the distance, Yang Hao and the X201 boat quietly followed. After determining that the Japanese army had avoided the channel, they regrettably detonated two other mines.

The fire that soared into the sky, and the loud sound like thunder, can be called the most magnificent fireworks of our time. He sighed again and again: "It's too wasteful." If I had known that I would have made it more advanced, I would have to sink at least a few meters deep to the bottom of the water, so that they could not find it. ”

Jiao Hai's eyes lit up: "This is a good idea." If you add a fixed anchor, it can be buried for a long time especially for large warships with a deep draft! When I get back, I'll have to do some research. ”

He had a natural love for things like steel machinery. Before going to England to study abroad, there was a period of time when I spent all day in my uncle's iron factory. In foreign countries, I also learned about the knowledge and application of machine tools and steam engines in my spare time. Hands-on ability, quite good.

Yang Hao expressed strong support for this: "You just try, we have guys." When it's done, I'll give you a credit! ”

There are all kinds of advanced gadgets in this world, and it's easy to get some information. However, if you want to cultivate the technical strength of the second plane, you can't pull out the seedlings to help them grow. If it weren't for the fact that they couldn't find enough manpower, the Yang family wouldn't even want the locals to see the torpedo boat.

Jiao Hai is extremely talented and has received relevant education, if he can concentrate on the research of ships and navy-related weapons, he may become a rare technical talent among Chinese in this world.

For most of the next night, until dawn, the Japanese fleet cautiously and tentatively moved forward step by step, not daring to take a step beyond the minepool. Everyone was trembling, for fear that some strange weapon would be killed and mutilated.

Yang Hao didn't make any more moths, and after making sure that the "Dongming" driven by Yang Haiwei had completed the unloading and returned immediately, he immediately drove to the Rizhao base at full speed.

A few hours later, three warships flying French, German, and British flags appeared in that area. Each lowered the dinghy and searched the sea for various debris and checked for traces.

At 9 a.m. on July 16, the Japanese fleet finally arrived at the sea near the Tokuji Islands.

Ito took up his position and found no trace of the enemy, but found that the British battleship "Cardinal" was also circling around. They helped rescue some Japanese soldiers who had fallen into the water, and they did not forget to carefully clean up the debris of wooden poles floating on the sea.

When I asked them, Ito almost had a heart attack! "Yoshino" escaped with serious injuries; "Qiujinzhou" was hit hard and fled! "Naniwa" and "Takachiho" were actually sunk! The opponent, the Beiyang Naval Division, did not sink a single battleship, and sent 3,000 soldiers and equipment ashore smoothly!

There is nothing more than this!

The fleet set off mightily, and the enemy did not leave a single one, but paid a heavy price of three sunken and five wounded! This battle was lost too badly!

Ito Yuhiro looked helplessly to the west, sighing in his heart, the luck of the empire is really bad!

But he didn't know that just this morning, in Tianjin, Beijing and other major cities, outside the red number of "Guowen Bao", the whole world knew about it!

"Extra! Extra! The Japanese warship raided the troop carrier of our naval division, but it was hit badly, and the two ships sank! ”

"The 'Dingyuan Ship' showed its might and sank the Japanese ship 'Gao Chiho'!"

"The Japanese ship 'Naniwa' sank, and the captain of the ship, Heihachiro Togo, died on the spot!"

Riding a bicycle and stepping on an iron-bone pulley, countless newsboys sweated profusely and shouted so loudly that their voices were dumb!

The streets and alleys, every alley, every teahouse and restaurant, wherever there are people, are enthusiastically talking about this sudden victory!

The flag man who drank Gao Mo'er sprayed spittle stars, his eyes lit up, and he shouted: "I have to say that our cannon is good and bad!" Look at it, just like that, an ironclad ship went up, and the little devil was killed and wounded! How about you tighten your belt and skip meals? Give it for nothing! As long as there are two big ships, the Qing Dynasty will be safe and worry-free! ”

"Hey, they all say that Liu Zixiang's popularity is not good, and he is domineering. But people can win battles! Look, as soon as this head went out, a big ship was sunk! This level, I didn't say it! I look at that, the pool of water in the Beiyang, I'm afraid I can't raise this big dragon! ”

"I heard that Li Hefei has already moved his mind. However, now is the time to employ people, I am afraid that they will have to be reused. The sailor is really inseparable from him! ”

"I think so. Hey, don't say it, this little Japanese is so damn bold, he dares to sneak attack our troop carriers. This method is not authentic. ”

"It's just ......."

"Alas, some people are prosperous, and some people are unlucky. Tell me, this Fang Boqian is such a smart person, why can't he see the limelight clearly? During the battle, he hung a white flag and fled, and when he saw the credit, he went up to grab it, and as a result, he gave someone a rabbit kicking his legs and got a bloody ...... What's going on! ”

There are two full pages of headlines, and the photo of the "Jiyuan Ship" flying the white flag is impressive! Although there is no testimony from the officers and men on board the ship for the time being, the ship's repeated actions on several occasions and the results of the newspaper's analysis have made countless people unable to help but speculate. Fang Boqian, how did you offend people!

In the report, there was no mention of the "Dongming" from beginning to end, which was naturally deliberately hidden.

Li Hongzhang of Tianjin Yamen was both painful and happy, and he was greatly relieved by this timely victory. On the other hand, they are having a headache about how to deal with a situation that will inevitably be more complicated. (To be continued......)