Chapter 594: The Sunken Aircraft Carrier

The Akagi lost all power, drifting in place on the sea surface; the deck fire grew ever stronger, thick smoke choked the crew's breathing, and desperate cries and fleeing figures filled the surroundings.

In the command cabin, the adjutant staggered in and said, "Lieutenant General! Quickly! The lifeboats are ready; we can board them and transfer to a nearby destroyer, still a chance to break out!"

Li Tian Jiannan slowly rose, his gaze fixed on the burning carrier and the sea's devastation outside the window; not a hint of panic on his face, only resolute determination.

Li Tian Jiannan shook his head, his tone heavy yet firm: "No need. I am the commander of the Quinary Fleet; the Akagi is my flagship. I will sink with it, sharing its fate!"

As a navy officer, Li Tian Jiannan has his own pride.

Now that he has caused the Combined Fleet's First Carrier Fleet commander Nan Yun Zhongyi's flagship Akagi to sink, he knows there is no return for him.

"Lieutenant General! No! As long as the green hills remain, we need not fear a lack of firewood; you must stay alive to rebuild the Quinary Fleet!" the adjutant shouted frantically, trying to forcibly pull Li Tian Jiannan away.

Li Tian Jiannan shoved the adjutant aside and barked, "How dare you! My mind is made up; do not try to persuade me again!"

He paused, his tone softening slightly, "Relay my orders: all remaining vessels, immediately cease resistance and make a full‑speed retreat toward Manila, preserving the Quinary Fleet's spark at all costs!"

"What about the ships that have lost power?" the adjutant asked hoarsely.

Li Tian Jiannan closed his eyes and resolved, "All powerless ships shall stay and resist, entangling the Nanhua Navy to buy enough time for the retreating vessels!"

This was the last thing he could do for the Quinary Fleet; even at the cost of some ships, a sliver of hope must be preserved. It must be said that, in the dire situation, Li Tian Jiannan made the wisest choice.

"Aye!" the adjutant replied through tears, immediately transmitting Li Tian Jiannan's command via the communicator.

On the sea, the remaining Japanese Army vessels sprang into action; cruisers and destroyers capable of sailing turned and raced toward Manila.

The powerless ships halted, raised their main guns, and launched a final counterattack against the approaching Nanhua Fleet, sacrificing themselves to buy retreat time for their comrades.

At this moment, inside Jiang Zhiyuan's flagship command cabin, the staff reported, "Commander, some Japanese Army ships are retreating toward Manila. Should we order a pursuit?"

Jiang Zhiyuan shook his head, pointing at the chart, and said, "No pursuit needed; after a fierce battle our fleet has consumed most of its fuel and ammunition and urgently needs resupply. Forcing a chase would be unrewarding."

The battleship Zhenhai requires thousands of tons of ammunition for a single resupply, so after the battle in the Manggu Sea and this engagement, Zhenhai's ammunition reserves are low.

The other vessels also have little ammunition, and Jiang Zhiyuan does not know the exact position of the Japanese Combined Fleet's main force.

Therefore he dares not rashly pursue.

The most important point is that they are now close to the rear, namely Singapore.

In the Liao Nei Archipelago sea battle, Singapore's airfield can support this area; the Japanese fleet's retreat direction is toward the Philippines and Borneo, and if Japanese land‑based aircraft take off, the Nanhua Fleet would also be in danger.

Hence a pursuit would be unreasonable.

Jiang Zhiyuan paused and added, "Only Jiang Qing's Second Fleet has pursuit capability, but the Japanese retreating ships are few; even if we catch up, it won't affect the overall victory, so there's no need to waste forces."

The staff officer nodded, immediately relayed the order to cease pursuit, keep the fleet on standby, and prepare for resupply.

In the air, William led a bombing squadron; after a fierce fight, its ammunition was exhausted and many aircraft were damaged.

William ordered over the radio, "All units, attention: bombing mission complete, return immediately to the carrier Voyage for landing, rest and resupply!"

"Copy that, Captain!" the bomber crews replied in unison.

The formation adjusted course toward the carrier Voyage and soon landed smoothly.

The remaining mop‑up battles were handed over entirely to Liu Zhide's bombing squadron and the arriving air force unit led by Song Yunfei.

Song Yunfei's Singapore air force squadron had now arrived on the battlefield and linked up with Liu Zhide's carrier‑based aircraft squadron.

"Commander Liu Zhide, the final mop‑up is ours; you should rest as soon as possible!" Song Yunfei said over the radio.

Liu Zhide replied, "Very well! Thank you, Commander Song; be sure to eradicate the remaining Japanese forces completely, leaving no after‑effects!"

Elsewhere, Jiang Zhiyuan watched the powerless yet still‑resisting Akagi on the sea, a thought forming in his mind; he told the staff, "I originally intended to tow the Akagi back to Singapore as a trophy of our victory, to let everyone see the strength of our Nanhua Navy."

He immediately ordered a party to the Akagi to urge surrender, asking the Japanese aboard to lay down arms.

Yet the soldiers who approached the Akagi were met with frenzied fire from the Japanese on board; the Japanese troops refused to surrender, clinging to the carrier's wreckage and fighting stubbornly.

"Commander, the Japanese refuse to surrender and have wounded two of our surrender‑negotiating soldiers!" the communications man reported.

Jiang Zhiyuan's face darkened, a cold glint in his eyes, and he barked into the communicator, "Since they won't surrender, destroy them completely! Relay my order: have the battleship Zhenhai close in and use its 406 mm guns to shatter Akagi's armor and sink it utterly!"

"Copy that, Commander!" Zhenhai moved at once, slowly closing on the Akagi, its main guns adjusting angle to aim at the carrier's hull.

"Boom—!!!" a deafening roar erupted as the 406 mm guns roared, shells bearing destructive force slammed into the Akagi, instantly blasting its armor; a huge breach opened in the deck, and seawater surged in wildly.

Immediately after, Zhenhai fired its main guns again, shell after shell striking the Akagi; the carrier's hull kept tilting, the fire grew fiercer, and the magazine began to explode sporadically.

The Japanese soldiers aboard continued their stubborn resistance; even as the hull fully sank, they never laid down their weapons.

In the end, the massive carrier Akagi, together with all the fiercely resisting Japanese troops, slowly sank into the waters east of the Liao Nei Archipelago; above the sea only rolling waves and billowing smoke remained.

The Japanese ships that fled toward Manila managed to escape only one cruiser and a few destroyers; their forces were dwindled to almost nothing, unable to affect the overall victory of the sea battle.

"Deploy all the Coastal‑class destroyers, scatter them, and rescue all our pilots," Jiang Zhiyuan issued the final order of this sea battle.

On the carrier Voyage, many carrier‑based aircraft were shot down, but the pilots successfully bailed out.

This Liao Nei Archipelago sea battle ended with a decisive Nanhua Navy victory; the Japanese Fifth Fleet's main force was annihilated, and both carriers Akagi and Kaga were sunk.

The Nanhua Navy fully seized sea control over Southeast Asia, laying a solid foundation for the subsequent clearing of Japanese forces in the region.