Chapter 540: Myanmar Sea Battle (4)

Myanmar Sea, fifty nautical miles south of Yangon, the sea wind howls, and the waves roll.

On the deep blue sea surface, the Nanhua Navy fleet has long been in strict formation, ready.

One Zhenhai‑class battleship (originally Iowa), one Dingyuan‑class heavy cruiser (originally Admiral Hipper), and nine Binhai‑class destroyers (originally Fletcher), lined up in a single Platoon.

The ship hulls stand towering and upright, like steel walls spanning the sea, all battleship gun barrels swivel together, the cold barrels pointing east, quietly awaiting the arrival of the Japanese Army's Southern Expedition fleet.

The sea wind brushes the battleship decks, fluttering the Nanhua Navy's flags with a rustling sound; the crew take their positions, faces solemn, hands gripping the controls tightly, eyes sharply fixed on the distant sea, the air thick with tension on the eve of battle.

The Nanhua Pacific Fleet has already been on highest alert.

Navy soldiers stand in strict formation at their stations!

Half an hour earlier, a Reconnaissance Plane cruising in the sky had already spotted the Japanese Army fleet's silhouette, and the pilot immediately transmitted via radio.

Reporting the Japanese Army fleet's movements and force disposition precisely to Jiang Zhiyuan's command cabin.

"Commander, we have detected the Japanese Army fleet; leading is one heavy cruiser (Chokai), accompanied by six destroyers, heading toward Yangon, about 30 nautical miles from our fleet, course northeast, speed 20 knots."

This timely intelligence allowed Jiang Zhiyuan to adjust the fleet formation in advance, laying a pocket formation that locked the Japanese Army's Chokai firmly within ambush range, waiting for the Japanese to enter firing range to unleash a lethal strike.

A speed of 20 knots clearly shows the Japanese Navy is in a great hurry.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Army's Southern Expedition fleet remains unaware that it has already fallen into the Nankai Fleet's encirclement.

Xiao Ze Zhi Sanlang sits in the command cabin of the Chokai heavy cruiser, his brows tightly knit, eyes fixed on the sea surface.

The Japanese Navy lacks advanced detection equipment like radar, relying instead on specially trained observation soldiers, using human eyesight to search and monitor enemy movements.

To ensure these observation soldiers' vision remains optimal, the Japanese give them especially generous treatment.

Their meals are the best in the fleet, daily providing ample meat, eggs, and fresh vegetables to replenish vitamins.

Living conditions are also the most comfortable, avoiding excessive fatigue that could affect eyesight.

They even regularly issue eye‑protective medicine, fully ensuring they can spot enemy fleets at long range.

"Commander, the sea ahead shows no anomalies, visibility is good, no enemy vessels detected!"

An observation soldier stands on Chokai's lookout tower, holding a telescope, carefully scanning the distant sea, respectfully reporting to Xiao Ze Zhi Sanlang.

Xiao Ze Zhi Sanlang nods slightly, his vigilance unchanged.

He always feels things are too smooth; Yangon has just been taken by the Expeditionary Force, the opponent could not be undefended, yet the sea now is completely calm, as if there is no ambush at all.

He ponders briefly, then orders the staff: "Continue forward, stay alert, observation soldiers expand the search area, and report immediately upon any anomaly!"

But just as the Japanese fleet is about to enter the Nankai Fleet's main gun range, the observation soldier on the lookout tower suddenly shouts urgently: "Commander! Bad! Enemy fleet detected ahead! Formed in a line, numerous, about 5 nautical miles from us, their gun barrels pointing at us!"

Xiao Ze Zhi Sanlang shudders, rushes to the lookout, lifts his telescope, and sees on the distant sea the Nankai Fleet's warships arranged like steel behemoths, their gun barrels flashing cold glints, evidently having waited here for a long time.

"Bad! We've been tricked!" Xiao Ze Zhi Sanlang feels a sinking in his heart, instantly realizing his fleet has fallen into the opponent's pocket formation.

He has no time to think further, immediately orders: "All fleet, turn west at once, seize the T‑shaped head position, exploit main‑gun advantage, and check the enemy fleet!"

He knows clearly that the suddenly appearing opposing fleet vastly outnumbers his, and the two fleets draw ever closer.

Xiao Ze Zhi Sanlang has already spotted the warship hiding behind, a massive battleship of enormous size.

Its firepower is absolutely formidable; if the enemy seizes the initiative, his fleet would only take passive hits. Only by seizing the T‑shaped head position can his warships' main guns be employed to barely contend.

Escape is impossible; fleeing on the open sea is utterly unfeasible, he knows there is no way out.

What puzzles him is why such a massive fleet appears in the Myanmar Sea when the intelligence department is still unaware.

Xiao Ze Zhi Sanlang is one of the few rational officers in the Japanese Navy; unlike Shanben Wushiliu, he does not enjoy high‑stakes gambling.

The Japanese fleet immediately executes an emergency turn, the six destroyers leading the reversal, the Chokai heavy cruiser following closely, all steaming at full speed toward the west, attempting to swiftly seize a favorable position.

Nankai Fleet, Zhenhai.

Inside the command cabin, Jiang Zhiyuan, via radar, clearly captures the Japanese movements, a cold sneer curling his mouth, and in a deep voice issues through the communicator: "All attention, the Japanese are trying to seize the T‑formation position; immediately adjust course, fleet eastward, stay parallel with the Japanese fleet, reform a standoff formation! Since they want to play formation duel, we'll play along; if a sneak attack fails, we'll crush them head‑on!"

Both sides seem to have an unspoken accord, not rushing to fire; in fact, the five‑nautical‑mile distance is already within fleet firing range.

The Japanese did not fire because they could not find a good position.

And Jiang Zhiyuan did not fire because his radar showed the Japanese's largest warship, the Chokai heavy cruiser, at the rear.

Even if they had all opened fire just now, it might not eliminate that threatening heavy cruiser.

Instead it could cause the enemy commander to abandon the destroyers and directly cover Chokai's retreat.

Jiang Zhiyuan's goal is to destroy the Japanese main warship, namely the Chokai.

With Jiang Zhiyuan's order issued, the Nankai Fleet immediately activates, nine destroyers accelerating first, racing eastward.

The Zhenhai battleship and Dingyuan heavy cruiser follow closely, their massive hulls cutting waves, quickly adjusting course, once again aligning on the same line with the Japanese fleet; both sides' formations return to standoff, gun barrels still aimed at each other, the great battle about to erupt.

"Zhenhai main guns ready! Target: Japanese Chokai heavy cruiser, rangefinder calibrate, load shells!" Jiang Zhiyuan stands in the command cabin, eyes sharp as an eagle, issuing the attack order with firm tone.

On the Zhenhai battleship, the crew spring into action, rangefinders quickly calibrate target distance, loaders forcefully load heavy shells into the 406 mm main gun barrel, *Ka‑cha* sounds, the main gun locks onto the target, the barrel lifts slightly, ready to fire.

At the same time, the Dingyuan heavy cruiser also readies for attack, its eight 203 mm main guns trained on Japanese destroyers, ready to fire at any moment.

The Binhai‑class destroyers' 127 mm high‑angle dual‑purpose guns also sweep toward the distant Japanese fleet.