Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 982 - 245: The Fisherman with a Covetous Gaze

Chapter 982: Chapter 245: The Fisherman with a Covetous Gaze

“Fire!”

“Change formation!”

…

A great naval battle that caught the attention of the world unfolded in the Philippine Sea. The dense smoke rose, clearly visible even from dozens of miles away.

With a booming blast, the “Naniwa” unfortunately became the first victim, and the sound of gushing water began at the stern, signaling the start of its sinking.

An officer lamented, “Captain, the ship is severely damaged, it’s beyond salvation, we’re going to sink!”

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The “Naniwa,” struck by the main guns of the enemy battleships as soon as it entered the battle and cursed by ill fortune, was inevitably doomed. As a thinly-armored cruiser, “Naniwa” had obviously taken on a burden it was not meant to bear.

As Captain Togo Heihachiro found himself almost in tears, who would have known that the Spaniards, instead of attacking the battleships, would bully their “little bean”?

“Shut up, order the troops to keep firing for me. As long as the ship hasn’t sunk, the shelling cannot stop!”

The severely damaged warship couldn’t withstand much, and the more it insisted on firing, the faster it sank.

Togo Heihachiro was well aware of this simple fact. However, there was no choice, being on the battlefield and considering the position of the “Naniwa,” even a retreat would be too late.

Since “Naniwa” was doomed anyway, it was better to fire a few shots in the hope of possibly taking down an enemy vessel with it.

As for cutting losses and abandoning ship to escape, such actions were common in European nations, but not feasible in Japan.

The honor of the military decreed that they could not do so; if they abandoned ship now, they wouldn’t be able to lift their heads for the rest of their lives.

The officers and soldiers of “Naniwa” chose to fight to the end. However, General Ito Yohiro, the commander of the entire fleet, couldn’t just stand by and watch. The navy was not like the army; they couldn’t just get as many soldiers as they wanted at any time. Training a qualified naval soldier was very expensive.

“Naniwa” was already destined to be lost, but the hundreds of officers and sailors aboard couldn’t simply be forsaken.

Now they were in a decisive battle with the Spaniards, and it was unknown how many more ships might sink thereafter. If they all went down with their ships, it was uncertain how many would remain in the Japanese Navy after this battle.

“Send orders down, any ship that is severely damaged and beyond saving must abandon ship and escape. Order Togo Heihachiro to execute the command immediately.”

This minor episode didn’t affect the unfolding decisive battle. The outcome of the war still depended on the main fleet’s clash: lightly-armored cruisers raiding the enemy only contributed to their list of achievements.

The sinking of the “Naniwa” was not the end but rather a beginning. Soon, the “Fuso” followed in its wake, starting its own sinking prelude.

Ito Yohiro watched helplessly as all of this happened. If possible, he too didn’t want to do this. But reality was cruel; the Japanese only had two pre-dreadnoughts while the enemy had three.

There was no choice. To save time, the Japanese Government had to buy the British Far East Fleet, which was invincible in the Far Eastern region but essentially second-rate.

The most advanced warships were occupied by the home fleet, leaving the Far Eastern Fleet with older vessels, including just two pre-dreadnoughts.

Facing British ships from a decade ago against French new-generation warships that had been in service only three or four years, there was an obvious gap in performance. Add to that the Japanese Navy’s recent acquisition of these ships and its forced rush to battle, making its operations less than proficient, exacerbated their disadvantages.

The current advantage of the Japanese Navy was concentrated on numbers. With their original fleet plus the purchased British Far East Fleet, both in terms of the number of ships and total tonnage, they far exceeded the Spanish expeditionary fleet.

“If quality isn’t enough, make up with quantity.”

The principle of ants overpowering an elephant was equally applicable on the sea, albeit at a considerable cost.

That was now being proven: the ordinary warships sent to entangle the Spanish main fleet were currently enacting the most tragic scene.

The booming of the artillery fire continued. Regardless of the brutality on the battlefield, not a single Japanese warship chose to retreat, while several Spanish warships withdrew from combat after being damaged.

On the observation ship in the distance, Governor Chandler, who was at the forefront, watched the battlefield through binoculars, with a clerk beside him continuously recording everything on paper.

A similar situation was occurring not far away. Everything happening on the battlefield was valuable experience, crucial to the Holy Roman Empire Navy that lacked naval combat experience.

Navy-trained Governor Chandler had long recognized this point. Now, the Shinra Navy’s observation ships were deployed in every direction on the battlefield, with hundreds of officers gathering data from various angles.

If one observed carefully, they could also notice dozens of airships overhead, looking down from mere hundred-meter altitudes. If not for the loud cannon fire, one might even hear the “click” of the cameras.

These actions, which seemed to ignore both warring parties below, naturally elicited discontent from the Japanese and Spanish navies, who then unanimously decided to ignore these nuisances.

“Your Excellency, it’s time to dine.”

The attendant’s voice brought the absorbed Governor Chandler back from his “hobby.” There was no doubt that collecting data was not part of his job, and leaving the governor’s mansion to join the buzz was clearly beyond his work scope.

However, Austrian Nanyang was always calm, with no serious threats present and no opportunities for expansion, so the governor’s work was minimal anyway.

Taking some time to patrol the maritime domain was justifiable. As for whether the Philippine Sea counted as part of the Holy Roman Empire’s sphere of influence, as long as Governor Chandler said it did, it did.

Simply planting a flag on an uninhabited islet or rock, marking the territory with a ship, was considered enough.

If anyone objected, they could discuss it with the Holy Roman Foreign Department or have friendly consultations with the Shinra Navy.

Checking his watch, Chandler nodded. “Indeed, it’s time. Let’s dine then! Have the lads take turns eating; every scene from the battlefield must be recorded.”

Naval battle experience accumulates just like this, even if it’s not as effective as personal battlefield experience, valuable lessons can still be learned through observation.

A bearded officer in his fifties or sixties jokingly said from not far away, “Has our great Governor become forgetful with age, even forgetting about the rota system?”

“Enough, Ares. Don’t forget you’re one day older than I am. If anyone’s memory should be fading due to old age, it would be you first.”

“Not one day older, but fifteen minutes! You even got that wrong, which really shows your memory is declining.

Makes sense, I guess. After all, I travel around the whole world, unlike you who stay nestled in a gentle nest surrounded by a bunch of sycophants all day. No wonder your memory is declining faster.”

“It’s a new day after midnight, so stop your quibbling. And which eye of yours saw me in such a cozy spot? Everyone knows I detest those who curry favor, and I wonder who sent you here.”

“Idiot, it was obviously me who made the decision. Could it be that serving as Governor for so long has muddled your understanding of the naval hierarchy…”

…

The quarrel between the two was nothing new to those around them. Childhood friends and comrades-in-arms, who had both risen to high ranks, they were a legend within the Holy Roman Empire.

It’s just that the two main characters of the “legend” seemed inherently at odds. When at home, good manners dictated by their nobility had prevented any conflicts; overseas, with fewer inhibitions, their true colors would show, and they’d bicker whenever they met.

As much as they squabbled, it didn’t affect their relationship. Any attempt to mediate between them would assuredly lead to a joint berating by both.

“Forget all that pointless talk. Have you noticed the performance of the Japanese Navy was completely polarized? Some of the warships performed excellently, while others seemed to be floundering.”

Governor Chandler smiled slightly, “That’s because you’re not aware of the situation. You need to know that just half a year ago, the total tonnage of the Japanese Navy was barely over thirty thousand tons; now it has suddenly ballooned to nearly a hundred thousand tons.

The process of modernizing the Japanese Navy has taken less than twenty years from its inception, and where can they find so many qualified officers in such a short time?

To get this massive fleet operational, the Japanese Government has not only called up retired naval personnel but also deployed teachers and students from naval academies, and it’s said they’ve even conscripted some sailors from the civilian population.

Do you think Ito Yohiro is foolish for daring to take such a fleet into a decisive battle?”

Ares shook his head, “On the contrary, I think Ito Yohiro’s decision is very smart. In peacetime, one could train their soldiers before considering engaging the enemy.

The current situation is very clear, the Spaniards have already arrived, leaving no time to train troops.

If they avoid battle now, not only will it put the army on the islands in a passive position, but the morale of the Japanese Navy, which has been hard to build up, would also be completely lost overnight.

With the quantity of their warships, the Spaniards can’t swallow them all at once. The recently conscripted officers and sailors might not be qualified, but most still have a naval background. The biggest issue now is unfamiliarity with their ships. After fighting one battle, they’ll become accustomed to them, which is far more effective than half a year of training.

Just look at the battlefield the Japanese chose—it’s only forty nautical miles from Lüzon Island. Even if they lose, they can withdraw their main forces.

The situation is quite favorable now. Although the Japanese losses were somewhat bigger, the Spaniards also suffered significantly. Don’t be deceived by the lower number of ships they lost; many were damaged.

After one battle, most of the Spanish warships will need repairs, and it will be hard for them to regain combat readiness in the next two months.

If it weren’t for our help, even if they had won a battle, the Spaniards would still be at risk of losing the war due to an inability to maintain their ships.

As for the final outcome, it’s undecided; it mainly depends on what the home government wants, as well as how much support the British will provide to the Japanese Government.”

“Your analysis is correct. One side has embarked on a long expedition, and the other fights close to home—time is on the side of the Japanese.

The Philippine Islands are richer than many imagine. Since the 16th century, this has been a transit hub for trade, with tens of thousands of tons of silver, thousands of tons of gold, as well as spices, tea, silks, and porcelain flowing into Europe from here.

Besides that, the resources of the Philippine Islands themselves are very rich, whether it’s agricultural or gold and silver mines, they lack nothing. In terms of value, it won’t be much less than the entire Governor of Southeast Asia.

Spain has operated here for over three hundred years; their bureaucrats have taken root for that long. Apart from a portion that was sent back to Europe, the rest remained here.

The Japanese have made a killing this time, otherwise, they wouldn’t have had the money to purchase warships from the British. Let’s set aside the directly plundered wealth for now; the Japanese Government itself isn’t clear about it.

Just consider the visible gains. By occupying the Philippine Islands, Japan’s domestic food crisis is resolved, and the shortages of coal and ores like copper and iron have also been resolved.

With just these resources, Japan could save tens of millions of Divine Shields in foreign exchange expenses annually. If managed well, the revenue from the Philippine Islands alone could catch up to half of Japan’s fiscal income.

In a sense, the Japanese are now using Spanish money to fight Spain.

Given the Spanish Government’s poor financial situation and their corrupt bureaucratic system, if the war continues this fiercely, it is likely the Spaniards who will falter first.”

Even Governor Chandler couldn’t help but salivate while discussing. It’s inevitable, the riches of the Philippine Islands were simply too tempting—aside from the Dutch-controlled Java Island, there was no place in Southeast Asia to compare.

As a qualified colonist, it was impossible not to be moved by such wealth. It was clear from the analysis that even the resources of the Philippine Islands were well understood—there was clearly preparation.

Before, when they were under Spanish control, due to political influence, Governor Chandler could not act. But now, a glimmer of opportunity had emerged.

As long as the Spaniards were defeated, and renounced their claim to the Philippine Islands, the Governor of Southeast Asia would have the chance to gain them. After all, seizing from the Japanese comes without political pressure.

Not only was this Governor Chandler’s hope, but all colonists in the Governor of Southeast Asia were anxiously waiting for this to happen.

If not for the orders from the Vienna Government, the Spaniards would struggle even to secure repair docks, let alone receive supplies and logistics support.