Chapter 188: The Same State of Mind

"Sir," Hei dao walked to his side, his voice very quiet, "what are you thinking about?"

Kato lowered his hand and did not turn around: "I am thinking whether Fleet Commander Togo, ten years ago when he faced the Russian fleet at the Tsushima Strait, might have had the same feeling."

"Fleet Commander Togo won a great victory."

"Yes, he won." Kato turned around and looked at Hei dao, "But do you know why he could win? Not just because of brilliant tactics, not just because the officers and men fought with all their might, but even more so because the Russian fleet had come from afar, exhausted, while we waited at ease, holding every geographical advantage."

He walked to the chart table and tapped his finger on the predetermined ambush position: "Now the situation is reversed. We are the side coming from afar, while the Lanfang ships wait at ease. Moreover, what we face is not obsolete Russian warships, but one of the most advanced battlecruisers in the world."

Hei dao fell silent. He knew what the commander said was the truth, but as Chief of Staff, he had to boost morale, not pour cold water on it.

"Sir, we have advantages too." He organized his thoughts, "First, we have surprise. Fuxing does not know we will deploy four capital ships. Second, we have numerical superiority. Four against one, the firepower is overwhelming. Third, the battlefield we have chosen has sea fog and poor visibility, which is more favorable for us who are familiar with the local waters."

Kato listened and nodded slowly: "You are right. But we cannot underestimate the opponent either. Lin Hai... I have studied this person's files."

He pulled a dossier from the folder, with a photo of Lin Haisheng attached to it—a Chinese officer with a resolute face.

"An immigrant to Lanfang who later became one of the first naval officers. Three years ago he commanded a submarine unit on a reconnaissance mission in the Mediterranean, and half a year ago he was reassigned as captain of Fuxing." Kato read from the records in the dossier, "The Naval Academy's evaluation is: calm, decisive, able to maintain clear judgment under pressure."

He tossed the dossier back onto the table: "An opponent like this will not fall into a trap easily. Even if he does, he will not be taken down easily."

"Then you mean..."

"I mean," Kato's eyes turned sharp, "tell each ship captain not to underestimate the enemy. The first salvo must be all-out, aiming to heavily damage or even sink the target. If the first round does not succeed, immediately prepare a second and third round. Give the opponent no chance to catch their breath."

"Understood!"

The Vajra sailed out of port and entered the open sea. The other three Kongō-class ships also left port one after another, assembling at the predetermined position. Cruisers and destroyers formed an escort formation on the perimeter, the entire fleet like a giant sea arrow, pointing toward the southwest.

Kato looked at his watch: 5:10. According to plan, they would arrive at the predetermined ambush position in three days, that is, on the morning of August 4.

"Send a telegram to Tokyo," he ordered, "'Cherry Blossom' has departed."

Dubai time, eight in the morning.

Chen Feng had not slept all night. He stood before the electronic chart in the command center, watching the latest updated information on it.

The red light dot representing Fuxing had already passed through the central South China Sea and was moving toward the Taiwan Strait. The four blue light dots representing the Bismarck formation, forty nautical miles behind Fuxing, maintained a concealed formation.

And the newest to appear were over a dozen yellow light dots—the Japanese Combined Fleet departing from Yokosuka, Kure, and Sasebo.

"Confirmed," Zhou Tieshan stood nearby, holding the freshly decoded telegram, "Our submarine observers report that between 4:30 and 5:00 this morning, all four major Japanese naval ports had large-scale fleet departures. From Yokosuka, the Vajra and the Hiei departed; from Sasebo, four cruisers and eight destroyers departed. Maizuru port also had two cruisers depart."

Li Te quickly marked this information on the chart: "Total strength, four battleships, six cruisers, eight destroyers. Almost the entire main force of the Combined Fleet has come out."

"Not almost, it is all of them." Chen Feng corrected, "The Kongō-class are Japan's newest and most powerful warships, and they have sent them all out at once. It seems they are determined to swallow Fuxing in one bite."

The command center went quiet for a few seconds. Everyone knew what four Kongō-class ships meant—that was the core strength of a nation's navy, a sortie staking the fate of the nation.

"President," Li Te's voice was somewhat dry, "should we have Fuxing change course? Or at least, have the Bismarck formation move closer? At forty nautical miles, if the Japanese fleet suddenly appears, Fuxing might not hold out until support arrives."

Chen Feng did not answer immediately. He walked to the console and brought up the weather map for the East China Sea.

"Look at this," he pointed at the screen, "According to the weather forecast, from August 4 to 5, the waters near 125 degrees east longitude and 28 degrees north latitude will have thick fog, with visibility possibly below three nautical miles."

"Thick fog..." Zhou Tieshan frowned, "That is a double-edged sword for both sides. Unfavorable for observation and aiming, but also unfavorable for concealment."

"But even more unfavorable for the attacking side." Chen Feng analyzed, "In thick fog, the accuracy of long-range shelling will drop sharply. If the Japanese fleet wants to guarantee their Hit Rate, they must close to within ten thousand meters or even closer. And at this Distance..."

He brought up Fuxing's performance data: "Fuxing's 381-millimeter Main Gun, at a Distance of ten thousand meters, can penetrate the Kongō-class's Armour Belt. In other words, in thick fog, both sides' chances are equal. Even, because Fuxing's single-ship firepower is stronger, it may have the advantage in close-range combat."

Li Te's eyes lit up: "So the Japanese fleet will choose to launch their attack in thick fog in order to close in concealed. But they did not expect that this would actually level the technological gap between both sides."

"Not only that." Chen Feng walked to the chart and circled Fuxing's position with his finger, "Tell Lin Hai that when passing through the predetermined waters on August 4, if he encounters thick fog, he should proactively reduce speed, or even linger at the edge of the fog zone. Give the Japanese the feeling that 'the prey is right before their eyes,' and lure them into attacking."

"But what if the Japanese don't attack?" Zhou Tieshan asked.

"Then we keep going, to Qingdao." Chen Feng's answer was simple, "But if I were Kato Tomosaburo, I would definitely attack. Because he has mobilized the entire main force of the Combined Fleet, and cannot possibly return empty-handed. Moreover, thick fog weather does not come every day; miss this time, and he may have to wait a long time."

He paused, then continued: "But to be safe, we need one more layer of insurance."

"You mean..."