Chapter 986： All winners VS no winners

As time passed, the war became more intense, and the smile on Admiral Vulkenhain's face had long since disappeared, replaced by a sad expression.

The battle started at ten in the morning and lasted until five in the afternoon. It was enough to croak when you were hungry. The key is that the enemy won't retreat.

Because of the lack of training and the touching rate, while fighting, the Japanese kept getting closer and trying to fight them hand-to-hand.

After the warship was hit hard, the Japanese's first reaction was not to leave the battlefield, but to accelerate forward, wanting to "hit" and die.

The Japanese are crazy, and the officers and soldiers of the Spanish fleet are still normal. After the warship suffered heavy damage, it chose to leave the battlefield for the first time.

It stands to reason that these severely damaged warships no longer pose a threat, but the Japanese still cling to it.

The battleship is going to a decisive battle, and there is no time to beat down the water dogs, but you can stay behind to watch the lively sailing warships.

Once the Spanish warship left the battlefield, the cannon fodder from the Japanese sailing fleet swarmed. Originally, the artillery power of sailing warships was limited, so the iron armored ships could not be defeated, but this did not include injured iron armored ships.

The Japanese were willing to take their lives and sacrifice a few sailing warships, always able to take away a heavily injured ironclad ship.

In addition to these normal attacks, the Japanese army also had a suicide assault ship, which was filled with explosives and detonated when it rushed up. Forcing them to separate firepower to deal with these boats.

This kind of life-for-life style of play can be said to be the original creation of the Japanese Navy. Before that, it was not an encounter, and I had never heard of it.

When encountering such a group of lunatics, normal people will have a headache. Admiral Vulkenhain was no exception, the original contempt had long disappeared, and now there was deep fear.

"The report is that the battleship Madrid was shot and the ship is leaking. It is under repair. The captain, Major General Alfondas, is killed. Now Colonel Winterger is taking over the command!"

Another bad news came, and Valkenhain's heart sank, and his face still said indifferently: "Got it!"

At this time, both sides are fighting for resilience. The Spanish fleet suffered heavy losses, and the Japanese fleet on the opposite side suffered even more casualties.

The disparity in the quality of warships and the disparity in the quality of officers and soldiers is doomed to flow into a river of blood simply by relying on quantity to make up.

For the Spanish fleet, the most important thing right now is to destroy the madness of the enemy, or the subsequent war will be a disaster.

...

With a loud "boom", unfortunately the "Tokyo" was hit by a violent shock, and General Ito, who was commanding the battle, sat on the ground.

Regardless of the pain of being dropped, Ito Yuhiro hurriedly ordered: "Send someone to repair the warship!"

Soon, a young officer ran over in a panic: "Your Excellency Commander, the Tokyo is seriously damaged. It must be brought back to the shipyard for repair immediately, or it will be dangerous."

There is no way, the British thin-skinned warship is just casual. After a few shots, the damage was severe. In contrast, the warships built by the French on the opposite side were much more resistant.

Of course, this is directly related to the construction time. "Tokyo" was born more than ten years earlier than the opposite "Madrid". If the performance cannot be surpassed, the French would not have the ability to challenge the British maritime hegemony.

After receiving this bad news, General Ito Yuhyung, who had always been calm, couldn't help himself. He could accept the sinking of other warships. But "Tokyo" is not the same, not only the flagship of the Japanese Navy, but also their only two "former dreadnoughts."

Affected by the butterfly effect, the navy has grown faster for more than a decade, but the old-school powers have benefited the most. For emerging countries like Japan, the gap is even greater.

Finally, I bought two second-hand "former dreadnoughts" from the British. If they are gone now, it will be difficult to replenish them.

"Pull back, you mean that the power system of the Tokyo ship has been damaged and cannot be driven back?"

The young officer explained: "Yes, since the start of the battle, the Tokyo has been hit by the enemy seven times, and the power system has collapsed."

Looking at the battlefield, Ito Yuhiro shook his head: "Tokyo cannot be withdrawn, nor can it be withdrawn. Unless we persist until dark, otherwise the enemy will not let us go."

Originally chose this battlefield because it was close to the port and was convenient for running after the defeat. However, the plan did not change quickly, and the desperate Japanese fleet actually fought the enemy half-heartedly.

"Heavy casualties" For Ito Yuhiro, this is not a problem at all. As long as the war can be won, no matter how big the loss is, it is worth it.

You must know that this war is not only a war for the sake of war, but also for the great powers.

The observation ships staying in the distance are not only those of the Holy Roman Empire, but dozens of countries including Britain, the United States, Russia, the Netherlands and the Qing Dynasty have sent observation ships. The performance of the Japanese Navy at this moment will directly determine the position of the next countries towards them.

Otherwise, Yuhiro Ito had eaten enough to support him, only to gather so much strength to fight the Spaniards. Wouldn’t it be good to let the army’s horse dung make a contribution by putting a part of the Spanish army ashore?

From the very beginning, Ito's goal was to leave countries with the impression of "dare to work hard" and "crazy". Only in this way can they deter the major powers and dispel their prying eyes on the Philippine Islands.

Otherwise, with Japan’s current strength, even if it defeats the Spaniards, there is no way to keep the Philippine Islands.

The effect is indeed very obvious. Governor Chandler, who is watching the battle, has decided to revise his strategic plan to capture the Philippines. Before gaining local support, he was not ready to let the Nanyang Fleet take risks.

The British, who originally had doubts about the fighting power of the Japanese and were still hesitant to support them, would probably make up their minds after this war.

...

The weather gradually dimmed, and under the cover of night, the warring parties withdrew from the battlefield. With the end of the naval battle, telegrams flew from Nanyang to all over the world.

At the Vienna Palace, seeing the result of the first iron-clad war in human history, Franz had an indescribable comfort.

Who won between Japan and Spain?

It is estimated that no one can give an accurate answer to this question. Judging from the number of dead and the number of sunken warships alone, the Spanish fleet was the proper big winner; however, from the overall strategic point of view, the Japanese Navy was the winner of this naval battle.

To break the myth of the invincibility of whites, with such a great feat, no matter how big the loss is, it is acceptable.

"The naval battle has temporarily come to an end. According to the intelligence sent by the Governor of Southeast Asia, the Japanese and Western navies have been seriously damaged, and there should be no war again in a short time.

Next is the time for the army to perform. How is the fighting power of the Spanish army? Does it have the ability to seize the Philippine Islands from the Japanese? "

The coastline of the Philippine Islands is very long. Without defeating the Spanish expeditionary fleet, the Japanese navy could not do a full defense at all.

Given the terrible relationship between the Japanese army and the navy, maybe the navy is happy to watch the army's jokes. If the Army is defeated and they come out to clean up the mess, it will be even more perfect.

"We haven't got a deep understanding of the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army. However, judging from their military expenditure, the combat effectiveness should not be too strong.

The combat effectiveness of the Spanish army is very average. Judging from their performance in the anti-French war, it can even be said to be very bad. Like their international status, they are definitely at the bottom of the big powers.

However, it should be stronger than the Japanese army. I am more optimistic about the Spaniards when the strength of the army is equal. "

It is not that Feslav looked down on Japan and the West. After the Second Industrial Revolution, the factors of absolute military combat effectiveness have changed. To use the most popular phrase to describe it is that "the strong army is fed from military expenditure."

If you don't blow up, you can't black, the Japanese army's blood and courage are indeed great, but in the face of the iron torrent, this thing is not going to happen.

Let alone the Spanish Army, if it were not for the victor of the Anti-French Alliance, the Spanish Army has not yet completed the change.

If they have the same backward equipment, the Spanish Cowboys really don't have much advantage over the Japanese Army. Although the equipment is updated now, the Japanese are closer to the mainland!

With Spain's national power, it can't afford to play with the torrent of steel in the country, let alone the Philippine Islands.

The biggest advantage of the Spaniards now is probably that the army’s equipment and ammunition are all trophies, saving part of the military expenses.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs pays close attention to Spain's internal situation and must not let this war affect the peace and stability of the European continent!"

There is no doubt that Franz is not optimistic about the Spaniards. There are not so many reasons, just one reason-distance.

If the Spanish government were a little domineering and directly suppressed all the main forces of the army and navy, it is estimated that it would be able to make a quick battle.

Now that the main force of the navy has invested more than half, the army has only sent out a hundred thousand, which seems to be huge, but it has lost the ability to kill one blow.

Can attack the Philippine Islands, why not attack Japan? The current Japanese government is not crazy yet. If the war is really brought to Tokyo, they are very likely to compromise.

On the contrary, it is fighting hard with the Japanese in the Philippine Islands. The Tokyo government does not feel deeply. Not only can it not deter the Japanese, but it will stimulate their crazy energy.

Of course, this style of play also has some high demands on Spain. Unless the Madrid government spends its money and obtains the support of European countries, it will be difficult to implement.

Franz is preparing for the aftermath, but the protagonists of this war each declare that they are the victors. The Spaniards talked about their achievements, while the Japanese encouraged people's morale by "breaking the myth of the invincibility of whites".

He speaks hard, but his physical performance is very honest. After the Philippine naval battle ended, Japan and Spain unanimously launched a diplomatic offensive.

...

In Sulawesi, Governor Chandler, who was so harassed that he couldn't help it, received General Valkenhain. Compared with the previous contacts, this time the sincerity of the Spaniards is much greater.

There is no way, the fate of the expedition fleet is now in the hands of the Governor of Nanyang. After the Japanese warship was damaged, it could be pulled back to the mainland for rescue, but the Spaniards had no way to pull the warship back to Europe.

At such a long distance, before they could drive the damaged warship back, it sank midway. In fact, on the way to the retreat, the Spanish fleet sank two more warships, including the heavily damaged "Madrid".

Of course, they are not at a disadvantage, and the Japanese navy, as an enemy, also did not seek advantage. On the way back to China, the flagship "Tokyo" also sank.

The sinking of a warship does not mean it is scrapped. If the hull is not too damaged, it can still be salvaged.

Admiral Valkenhain came to rescue the "Madrid" this time. Although the Vienna government expressed support for them, it was the Governor of Nanyang who implemented it.

Whether the "Madrid" can be rescued and how long it will take to repair the warship, these specific issues still depend on the support of the Nanyang Governor's Office.

There was no colonist in the South Seas who did not spy on the Philippine Islands. If the colonial government had not intervened, General Kvarkenhain could not imagine what would happen next.

Can't count on the integrity of these repair shops? What they want to do is a long-term business. Short-term clients like the Spanish Fleet do not have much weight as a colonist of a local snake.

"Your Excellency Commander, you have to understand that this is Nanyang, not Europe. The repair shop is not a shipyard, and it is normal that the technology is defective.

If you want to achieve perfection, I personally suggest that your country should take the warship back to Europe for repair. Here, we really cannot guarantee the quality. "

There is a treaty for work to be done. But how to do it specifically, it needs to be said.

From the standpoint of Governor Chandler, what he most hopes is that Japan and the West will lose both, and then the Japanese will continue to occupy the Philippine Islands.

Even if the Spaniard brought the lawsuit to Vienna, he was in this position. As the governor of Southeast Asia, finding ways to expand the colony was originally the duty. As long as you act within the scope of the rules, no one can say wrong.

Admiral Valkenhain shook his head: "Your country's repair plant in the Southeast Asia is not an ordinary repair plant, not to mention simple warship repairs. If necessary, I am afraid that even warships can be built. Now it shows. The technical strength of the company is obviously inconsistent with the real technical ability of the maintenance plant.

We have reached an agreement with your country, and Madrid and Vienna have also reached an agreement on this issue. The current performance of your country's maintenance plant may be that someone wants to destroy the friendship between the two countries! "

Chandler waved his hand: "Sorry, I am afraid you have found the wrong person. Regarding the technical issues of the maintenance plant, you should talk to the capitalists, not me, the governor.

Perhaps it is the capitalists who want to take advantage of the fire. This kind of thing you know is their specialty, even our fleet is blackmailed. "

If it were not for a good education, General Valkenhain could not help but explode. Not to mention that it was in the Holy Roman Empire where capital was suppressed. Even in other European countries with relatively strong capital, I have never heard of any shipyard that dared to "blackmail" its navy.

Not to mention the colony. If you offend the navy, you are wearing small shoes, and you block the door every day to check smuggling, and even the most powerful shipyard will not want to survive.

There are not so many twists and turns in the military dealings, and General Valkenhain can't remember so many diplomatic rhetoric, and there is no time for nonsense here.

"What do we need to pay to get your help?"