Originally, the coastal defense regiment should have changed its course at this time, but Xu Huandong looked at the navigation chart and was silent for a while, then ordered: "Keep moving forward!"
The staff officer asked strangely: "Commander, continue to move forward? The order from our superiors is for us to lead the Japanese toward the port!"
"I just led the Japs toward the port!" Xu Huandong said, "But if we turn around now, will the Japs be able to keep up?"
The staff immediately understood that although the warships of the Coastal Defense Corps were not equipped well, they were small and fast. The "Zhenhai" ship had a maximum speed of 34 knots, and the "Wrath" class destroyer had a maximum speed of 37 knots.
If the Japanese had a heavy cruiser, its speed would be comparable to the "Zhenhai" ship but not as fast as the "Wrath" ship. If the coastal defense regiment turned around at this time, the Japanese who were so far away would really not be able to catch up.
If the Japanese could not catch up, they would most likely give up chasing the coastal defense regiment and implement their own plan.
Thinking of this, the staff officer did not object and immediately conveyed the order.
In fact, Xu Huandong had another reason for doing this. He hoped that the Japanese would underestimate the enemy.
According to common sense, after the coastal defense regiment discovers the enemy's seaplane, it should know that the enemy ship is nearby, and then it will at least perform some necessary maneuvers such as changing its course.
Although changing the course may not ultimately avoid the enemy's pursuit, changing the course will at least disrupt the enemy's deployment and make pursuit and encirclement more difficult.
However, Xu Huandong did not even change his course and continued to sail forward at the same speed. This could easily make the Japanese mistakenly believe that the Eighth Route Army's improvised fleet did not know how to fight.
Inoguchi Toshihei indeed thought so. When he learned from the seaplane report that the Eighth Route Army fleet was still moving forward according to the original route, he laughed: "It is indeed a fleet looking for death, but it's no wonder, where are those guys on land in a naval battle?"
Can you understand?"
Inoguchi Toshipei also scolded the Imperial Army.
The Japanese fleet advanced at a speed of 25 knots, and the coastal defense regiment cruised at a speed of 20 knots. The routes of the two armies were at a certain angle, so it took almost two hours for them to meet.
Of course, Xu Huandong was the first to spot the enemy ship. This was a matter of life and death for the coastal defense regiment. He did not neglect it at all and ordered each warship to send the best lookouts to observe the possible directions of the Japanese from high places.
Then, a huge thing gradually rose from the sea level.
The lookout couldn't help being shocked, grabbed the phone and shouted: "Battleship, it's a Japanese battleship!"
Although the lookout couldn't tell what kind of Japanese ship it was, he knew it was a Japanese battleship based on its size.
Xu Huandong was shocked when he heard this and quickly ordered: "Everyone is here, turn around at full speed!"
"Turn around at full speed!"
…
Xu Huandong cursed in his heart: "You son of a bitch, you are like a battleship when you come up. This is too bullying!"
Several warships of the Coastal Defense Regiment turned around one after another. At this moment, the Japanese warship opened fire. With a loud "boom", a shell hit the starboard side of the "Zhenhai" one kilometer away.
Xu Huandong immediately knew that he had become the target of the Japanese battleship: this first shell was a test fire. The seaplane would observe its impact point and report the offset distance to the warship, and then guide the shell to the accurate position.
The staff officer looked at Xu Huandong nervously, as if saying that it was too dangerous to turn around at this time, because it would almost be a target for the Japanese battleship.
But Xu Huandong had no reaction. He knew that the Japanese artillery shells would not be satisfied if the shells were deflected by one kilometer, so the Japanese artillery observers would recalculate the position and at least try to fire one more round.
This time may be the only chance for the "Zhenhai" ship to escape from its range...
Xu Huandong did not expect that the Japanese would dispatch battleships.
If Xu Huandong knew this, he would not approach the enemy fleet at this distance, because the range of the large-caliber naval guns on the battleships reaches about 40 kilometers, which is beyond the normal range within which the coastal defense regiment can observe enemy ships!
Xu Huandong raised his telescope and looked at the smoke emitted from the target's muzzle. Years of artillery battle experience told him that the distance between the two ships was about 30 kilometers at this time.
It is already very difficult for a lookout to spot an enemy ship at this distance. If it were closer, for example, 20 kilometers away, the enemy ship might not even have a chance to escape.
"Boom!" There was another loud noise. This time, the shell hit the port side of the warship more than 200 meters away. When the shell exploded, it stirred up water columns into the sky, splashing sea water onto the warship. The ship's hull also swayed violently with the waves.
.
The staff officer struggled to grab the handshake in front of the window and shouted in a panic: "Commander, give the order!"
Xu Huandong knew what the staff meant. More than two hundred meters was very accurate in naval battles. This meant that the Japanese battleship's naval gun had accurately targeted the "Zhenhai" ship's firing points, and the next second it would be a salvo of multiple artillery shells.
If the "Zhenhai" ship does not change its course at this time, it is likely to be smashed into pieces by those large-caliber naval guns.
But Xu Huandong still didn't give the order. He shouted in a firm tone: "Hold steady and maintain the course!"
Xu Huandong understood that it was useless to change the course too early. The Japanese seaplanes could be clearly seen in the air. The pilots would promptly feedback the course changes of the "Zhenhai" ship to the warship, and then the naval guns would respond according to the "Zhenhai" ship's course changes.
The new course adjusts Zhu Yuan... With the quality of the Japanese navy, they will accurately grasp this change.
Therefore, if you want to survive, you must seize the opportunity.
After waiting for a while, Xu Huandong suddenly ordered: "Full right rudder!"
"Full right rudder!"
…
The warship suddenly changed its U-turn and headed towards the direction of the Japanese fleet. The huge centrifugal force forced every crew member on the warship to hold on to fixed objects tightly to prevent them from being thrown out.
Then Xu Huandong knew that he was right, because he only heard a loud "boom" sound, and 9 shells flew over with a harsh scream and exploded a few hundred meters away from the port side of the warship, stirring up a column of water.
As if the entire ocean was boiling, the warship sank slightly at first, then was thrown up several meters by the waves and then fell heavily.
There was a scream from the crew nearby... Most of the warship crew members were merchant sailors. They had never been to such a scene and were not mentally prepared. Many people might have been injured just now.
But fortunately, it was not hit, otherwise one shot of these more than 400 mm caliber artillery shells would have been enough to "Zhenhai".
"Left full rudder!" Xu Huandong ordered loudly and continued to maintain a snake-like maneuver to avoid the enemy's gunfire.
However, Xu Huandong also knew that this was not a long-term solution. If this continued, it would only be a matter of time before he was hit.
Then Xu Huandong naturally thought of anti-ship missiles...