I Became a Captain of the British Empire - I Became a Captain of the British Empire chapter 108

Asian Fleet

February 1, 1931. 80 nautical miles southwest of Manila Bay, Philippines. US Navy heavy cruiser Augusta.

The cold night air brushed the bridge.

Countless starlight flows over the black sky.

“I hope that Milky Way will light our way.”

Looking up at the sky outside the window, the commander of the Asian Fleet, Charles B. McVeigh Jr., sighed. Beside him as he quietly spoke, the chief of staff nodded.

“I hope so, but I’m worried that the enemy might see it.”

“It is by luck. What is certain is that no one knows where each other is.”

pitch black sea.

As if black paint had been painted on the window, nothing was visible around it. Even the moonlight was obscured by clouds, making it difficult to find the slightest point of light.

This is the best situation to move stealthily.

“Observation of light signals in Memphis. Discover the light source.”

“Ignore it. It is a merchant ship.”

He glanced behind the bridge, and then fired at him with a sharp voice.

“And who told you to use a searchlight?”

“Admiral, this is friendly waters. You don’t have to be so vigilant yet… .”

“Who knows if the submarine is watching! Turn off the lights immediately!”

Staffs moving hurriedly.

After a while, the light from behind disappears.

“If you are even a little careless, it means the end. stupid things… .”

The admiral muttered, frowning his sensitive eyes. Thousands of lives depend on every action, so it had to be.

After that, I turn my attention to the communication staff.

“Is there any communication?”

“It’s all jabs guys. The Spratly Islands side is already blocked.”

“As soon as the sun rises, the carrier strikes will begin. We have to get out of here before that.”

The Intelligence Department’s intelligence is accurate. It is an information network that showed a high hit rate from the fleet battle at the beginning of the war. If they warn of air strikes, they will.

Being stuck in the harbor is genocide.

This was demonstrated by Toulon, Alexandria and Taranto in the Mediterranean.

“If you catch anything, report it unconditionally.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

Sailors watching everywhere with tense faces. Looking at them, the admiral suddenly turned his head to the stern of Augusta. Behind the white wake, at first glance, the outline of the cruiser was faintly visible.

Almost all of the US Asian fleet that followed him. Except for some auxiliary ships and frigates, all of them have left port.

The main forces following were the Omaha-class light cruisers Marble Head and Memphis. It was armed with twelve 6-inch guns and 533 mm torpedo tubes.

and one destroyer group consisting of flat deck destroyers. They must return to lack of range before entering the Indian Ocean.

In the end, only three cruisers have the possibility of setting foot on the homeland.

‘But they’re a waste of life to leave here.’

Watching the destroyer speed past Augusta’s port, the admiral thought to himself. All three cruisers are an important force that cannot be left on Philippine soil.

Marble Head and Memphis are veterans who have been active since before the arms control treaty, and Augusta is the latest heavy cruiser in the US Navy.

The best cruiser of the current era, achieving both nine 8-inch guns and counter-defense with ample displacement.

However, the enemy was strong enough that nine of these 8-inch heavy guns were not enough.

‘To deal with a battlecruiser with this would be to hit a rock with an egg.’

Of course, you can force damage by engaging in close combat at night. While Augusta approached at night and pounded the enemy battlecruisers, if the light cruisers fed torpedoes, they could also aim to sink them.

Of course, it is said that it is ‘theoretically’ possible.

Therefore, the admiral thought to do his best to avoid having to do that.

“As soon as we enter the Sulu Sea, we change to Danjongjin and move south at full speed. Are you waiting for a refueling ship?”

“Yes, Admiral. We are currently cruising south of the strait.”

“good. We have to get out of here in four days.”

There is no time.

Clenching his fists, Admiral McVeigh looked far west. He had a reason to return to the mainland as soon as possible.

‘Something is happening in Washington.’

Just my own guess. But it’s something I’m already half sure about.

The reason for this judgment was that the command of the headquarters was exceptionally urgent. As if being chased by something.

‘Could it be that the mainland was attacked?’

Countless worries and anxieties passed through my mind.

It’s just that disturbing rumors have been spreading. Since it is difficult to properly communicate with the home country, there is nothing strange if something happens.

So we need to get out of here and find out what the hell happened.

The admiral made up his mind and clenched his fists.

“Is the Pacific Fleet okay?”

“No one can touch it as long as it is in Pearl Harbor. It’s a pity for the Philippines, but they must be giving up for a while.”

After answering the chief of staff’s question bitterly, the admiral looked around the bridge. Everyone looked miserable.

They are not just here as an overseas contingent.

There were colleagues and family in the Philippines. However, they are abandoning them and leaving only themselves.

No one said it directly, but it was a feeling shared by everyone.

“But we will definitely come back. Everyone believes that.”

Admiral McVeigh looked out the window, trying hard for a hopeful ending. No answer was heard in the pitch-black background.

* * *

At the same time, 50 nautical miles east of Singapore.

Task Force Z Flagship Repulse.

Busy bridge.

In the midst of tension from the long-awaited combat deployment, I asked the chief of staff.

“How long has it been since you confirmed departure?”

“About 3 hours.”

“You are too late. You should be completely out of port by now.”

Anyway, Japanese guys. Do a proper monitoring right now. Maybe it was deliberately loose. It’s like you don’t want to provoke that side.

“Where are you going?”

“First of all, it is not east. There is no port of call, and there is a possibility of facing the main force of the combined fleet head-on.”

“Then it is south.”

Draw a line on a small map. Countless Islands of the Philippine Islands. In the south, there are the Sulu Sea and the Sulawesi Sea.

If you go east from the Sulawesi Sea, the Pacific Ocean. However, there is a high possibility that it will be caught by the Japanese Navy in Palau.

To the south, there is a route that breaks through Indonesia’s Makassar Strait, passes through the Java Sea, and enters the Indian Ocean. Perhaps this is the purpose.

“I intend to break through our surveillance and enter the Indian Ocean. It is extremely difficult to find a fleet in the open sea.”

“In that case, we should block it from the strait in advance.”

The chief of staff’s hand reached the west end of the Java Sea, towards the end of the strait. The distance is about 1,500 km. If you sail at full speed, you will arrive in 30 hours.

“Maybe we will go first. The opponent will also have to conserve fuel.”

“By the time we set up, they must be entering the strait.”

My finger pointing at the Asian fleet stops at the mouth of the strait. It may take even longer if it is to refuel at sea.

“Keep radio silence and move south at full speed. We have to ambush without being seen by them.”

“You plan to completely destroy it. All right.”

“Even the East India Company guys can’t get caught. The Netherlands is a neutral country, but they might get caught communicating with each other.”

Indonesia, south of the Philippines, is still a Dutch colony. Of course, they are more friendly to Anglo-Germany with regard to the invasion of France. But officially it is neutral. There is no reason to help with this activity.

The departure of the battleship Bismarck was also discovered after the Royal Navy intercepted communications from a neutral Swedish air cruiser. Even if the opponent is neutral, there’s no need to show up.

“Shall we contact the embassy?”

“It’s too late. I don’t know how fast Eden’s lines will move, but we’ll take care of ourselves.”

A prey that came out of nowhere. You have to catch it before it goes back to its den. You don’t know how long it will take if you hold a sit-in in Manila. must be defeated

“Admiral, I got a call from the Japanese Navy.”

jump-

Communications staff entering the bridge. As he turned his head, he saluted and handed over the message.

“The 2nd Air Squadron deployed near Guam. They say they will go into a blocking operation.”

“Why are you radioing that?”

The source was the Japanese Southern Fleet, Admiral Yonai.

You’re openly shooting radio waves this way. The Asian Fleet must have received this fact as well.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“What are you talking about?”

very uncomfortable

Kugit, holding on to the professional, continued.

“I want them to see and hear. Knowing that all sides are blocked, wouldn’t it take care of going back to the port?”

“But then you will miss the opportunity to destroy the Asian fleet… .”

“That is the purpose. Recall who the commander of the Southern Fleet is now.”

The chief of staff opened his eyes wide and was surprised.

“… Mitsumasa Yonai. You are a peacemaker.”

“They intend to keep the Asian fleet alive.”

“You are crazy. Doing something like this in front of allies.”

“Because it’s good for them. It’s good now that neither the British nor the Americans have the initiative.”

Now that the Pacific Fleet is holed up in Pearl Harbor, this sea is completely the property of the Empire. Japan wants to do whatever it wants in the Far East, which has become communist in Muju.

If so, it’s better to relax each other so that no one gets in the way. This is the reality of the peace faction.

“Prepare your reply right now. Task Force Z will join from the Spratly Islands.”

“yes? Then who will block the Java Sea?”

“They say the Commonwealth fleet will stop it.”

If that’s what Admiral Yonai was aiming for, there’s a way here too.

“If it became known that we were stationed there, do you think the US fleet would move south?”

“ah… .”

The chief of staff, understanding the meaning, nodded firmly.

“Let’s go to the strait. If they move like that, let’s move as we please. I didn’t even expect an alliance in the first place.”

Task Force Z initially operates alone. The situation is not too different.

By the time the moon of dawn was slowly waning, the three capital ships accelerated in unison.

* * *

February 2, 1931 at 3:00 AM in the Solu Sea, Philippines. US Navy heavy cruiser Augusta.

Fleet commander Admiral McKay was troubled while gathering information.

One is a squadron of Japanese light aircraft carriers stationed in the Spratly Islands. Only heavy cruisers reach 4 ships. No matter how strong Augusta’s firepower is, he can’t win 4-1.

Moreover, since there is also an aircraft carrier over there, I quickly decided that a head-to-head battle was impossible.

“The 2nd Air Squadron is said to include regular aircraft carriers.”

“There must be a lot of escort ships. If you don’t, you could suffer from an air raid unilaterally.”

Unlike the newest capital ships on the Atlantic side, the Asian Fleet has not received adequate anti-aircraft firearms augmentation. Even a small airstrike can have devastating consequences.

Therefore, the admiral also removed the route on the Pacific side without hesitation.

“All that’s left is to sleep.”

“But Admiral, no matter how you look at it, it looks like a trap.”

When I was looking at the map, the chief of staff said, frowning.

“If Raimi isn’t an idiot, there’s no reason to leave this route empty.”

“However, they may have left it to the Australian Navy and headed north to strike Manila.”

Sailing Staff’s Opinion.

The admiral had fully considered that point. But he could only quietly shake his head.

“Gentlemen, in any case, we have no choice.”

widely. Placing his hand on the desk with the map on it, the admiral looked around. Nervous eyes focused on him.

“If we don’t break through here, we can’t get out. that’s the reality If that’s the case, you should grab at least a straw.”

The sound of swallowing dry saliva can be heard here and there.

The admiral calmly turned his head. Outside the window, the moonlight was shining on the sea.

A few hours later the bright sun will light them up.

“Fleet, go south at full speed. We will break through the strait within the next two days. Everyone get ready!”

Until then, go out and hide in the distant sea. Then, when the sun goes down again, it enters the strait.

Right now, that was my only hope.

“We want Lady Luck to be on our side.”

The admiral muttered lonely as he watched the bow of the cruiser advancing in white foam. The sea was moving silently.