Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

Chapter 705 Sunset Indian Ocean

Tian Shijie cheered everyone up and said: "Everyone must persevere, we will be fine!"

But he knew that the submarine could not last two hours under water anyway, because the air pressure was only 40 kilograms, and the air in the cabin could hardly be breathed.Emergency lighting was also extinguished, and the sailors worked under dim portable lights. The bow of the 188 began to warp 30 degrees.At this time, Tian Shijie was at the end of his rope and had no choice but to make a final decision: resign himself to fate, let him float up, fight the last battle on the sea, and die with honor if he is unlucky.This, he thought, was much quicker than suffocating underwater without a trace.

Tian Shijie ordered: "The cannons and machine guns are ready to shoot, and they will rise up and shoot quickly."

As soon as the hatch cover came out of the water, Tian Shijie jumped onto the bridge.He was surprised to find that the nearby sea was empty.He looked into the distance, and saw an enemy destroyer about 1 meters away, and the Kent was still floating at sea at this moment.

Strange to say, when the torpedo launched by No. 188 hit the Kent, it reduced its tilt to 17 degrees, and Cunningham urged the sailors to continue the rescue.

Tian Shijie was not happy for long, and soon saw the destroyer turning around and heading towards him.He wanted to charge the batteries while the sub was at full speed, but he realized right away that the surface speed of the 188 was no match for the destroyers pursuing him.He felt that it was very difficult to escape this time.At the last moment, he ordered the communication officer to send a report to the headquarters saying: "We have destroyed the Kent, and now we will fight the enemy ship to the death!"

The observation post keeps reporting "the enemy is approaching", but what should I do if the message from the cabin is always "the motor is still not working"?Dive or continue on the surface?Or collide with the destroyer when you have to?

According to Tian Shijie's temper, he really wanted to die with the enemy ship.However, he also considered the crew members on the ship, many of them were still very young, and some of them hadn't married and had children yet, and at this moment, let them die with him in honor, he couldn't say such a thing anyway.While hesitating, the destroyer's naval guns began to fire cross-fire at the submarine.

Tian Shijie asked the chief mate, "How much air do we have now?"

The first mate replied: "It is recovering, and it has risen to 80 kilograms."

Tian Shijie immediately ordered: "Urgently dive to a depth of 60 meters."

Then, the exciting news came from the chief mechanic: "The motor is ready to use."

The destroyers seemed to lose their target again, their shells and depth charges falling farther and farther.

At 15:50, the submarine surfaced in the open sea.During the 13 hours, Tian Shijie and the officers and soldiers on the boat neither ate nor drank except for drinking a glass of water to celebrate the victory.When Tian Shijie really found out that he could sail freely on the sea, he ordered: "Open the hatch and get some fresh air."

In the evening breeze, the crew of No. 188 breathed deeply the fresh, slightly salty air, and they felt particularly comfortable.At this time, another thing caused Tian Shijie to worry.There is not much fuel left on the boat, and I am afraid that it will not be able to reach the Andaman military port.

Tian Shijie found a solution to this problem based on his sailing experience. He only used one of the two engines on the boat and only 800 kilograms of fuel left in the fuel tank to skillfully drive the submarine to the Andaman temporary base.Of course, they also enjoyed a hero's welcome.

The scrap-like Kent drifted on the sea overnight, and it was not until nearly dawn that its crew and the ships serving as guards really gave up on it.When Cunningham saw that the heavy cruiser was hopeless, he gathered destroyers and minesweepers around it and held a farewell ceremony to it.

In the brilliant morning light, the Kent sank faster and faster.The surviving officers and soldiers of the coalition forces stood in silence facing the Kent with their hats off and mournful faces.

Cunningham and others rushed to the Mannar Naval Port alone on the destroyer, and joined the United Fleet. There was no blame or greeting, and everyone was silent.

The defeated Mountbatten led the remaining fleet to anchor from the Mannar naval port and began to retreat to the English Channel.Leaden sky with low clouds.The mist rising from the sea hovered like a ghost among the masts.The sea seemed to reflect the atmosphere of the United Fleet at this time, it was rough, the turbid waves were empty, and it was extremely restless.Mountbatten stood on the bridge, looking at the boundless sea, not knowing what was waiting for him.

After wandering at sea for many days, the sailors are getting better moods as they are about to return home.But what happened after arriving at Liverpool Port was something they never expected.Upon entering the port, they were immediately quarantined.They were not allowed to go ashore, and they were not allowed to have contact with anyone outside the ship, not even the captain.Only individual staff officers of the fleet can enter and leave due to special needs of work.The sailors had no choice but to stay on the ship, looking at the lights on the shore and sighing.

In order to block the news of the fiasco in the Indian Ocean from the nationals of the countries participating in the war, the British military and government took various measures.

Three days later, the Secretary of the Navy issued a notice: "It is now decided to announce our losses in the Indian Ocean naval battle as follows: one aircraft carrier was lost, one aircraft carrier was severely damaged, one cruiser was severely damaged, and 35 aircraft failed to return."

Five days later, the Royal Navy Department issued a supplementary notice: "Except for the situation announced by the headquarters, nothing about the Indian Ocean campaign is allowed to be disclosed inside or outside the navy. Inside the navy, it will be announced that the 'hundred-eyed giant' has been lost, and the 'competitive The God and the Prince Wilson were severely damaged, but the names of these ships will not be released."

Mountbatten was disappointed and disgusted to find that the Admiralty had not told the people the truth of the campaign as he had advised.He understood the need to maintain domestic morale, but he believed that to win a war, the nation had to take it seriously.For this purpose, the people must know the progress of the war, and they can share not only the joy of the army's victory, but also the sorrow of the army.

However, the official British newspapers boasted about the major victory of the Allied forces in the Indian Ocean campaign, and all reports of the battle were preceded by traditional music celebrating the victory.

The Times also published a strange picture.In the painting, a Chinese aircraft carrier was attacked by British planes and was sinking.The commentary above the picture reads: The Navy once again achieved an epoch-making victory.At the bottom of the screen, there is a piece of enthusiastic and unrestrained text, the first few lines are: "China's attempt to use carrier-based aircraft to conduct guerrilla warfare against the coalition forces has come to naught. The powerful imperial navy sank two more large enemy ships. This epoch-making The victory was achieved during the surprise attack on the Andaman Islands. At the beginning of the war, China had 7 aircraft carriers, now only [-] remain”

On June 6, the Ministry of the Navy issued a supplementary battle report saying: "In the previously announced surprise attack on the Andaman Islands, a Chinese battleship 'Lan Yun' and a submarine No. 15 should also be added."

Even greater falsification was seen in reports of losses to the Allied forces.The official communiques of the United Kingdom, France, Canada and other countries emphasized the victory of the Indian Ocean operation, but were vague about the defeat.In an attempt to keep the extent of the casualties a secret, the British took startlingly extreme measures.After the combined fleet arrived in England, some 500 wounded were transferred to a civilian ship.The civilian ship slid into an unobtrusive dock in Liverpool in the dark.The wounded were then secretly transported to the base hospital along a road heavily guarded by maritime police.They were divided into two buildings, and no one was allowed to visit them, not even their wives; they were not allowed to answer the phone or communicate with each other.The British Navy has actually stamped them "Top Secret" and kept them as "Top Secret".Under such tight control, morale drops to zero.This folly of Britain has erected an impenetrable wall between itself and its people.

While the Chinese navy was showing its might, the Battle of Delhi was approaching the stage of deciding the outcome.

Chen Jitang's Armored Corps had been trapped in Delhi for more than a day. At this time, the ace Heriot 1nd Infantry Division mobilized by Jabalpur was also rushing to Delhi, preparing to participate in the battle to annihilate the Chinese army. The commander-in-chief was also replaced by Lieutenant General Pete himself; but Jiang Baili, the commander-in-chief of the Dragon Army, suddenly ordered the troops to slow down.

"Commander-in-Chief, we can't wait any longer." Tang Shengzhi, who was called back urgently to attend the military meeting, looked anxious: "Chen Jitang has gathered at least eight divisions of the British, and their 62nd Infantry Division is about to arrive in Delhi." Well, this unit still has a strong combat effectiveness, the British, together with those Indian mercenaries, have at least 10,000+ people, and Chen Jitang's tank unit may be in danger."

Jiang Baili frowned and did not speak. He also knew that the situation in Delhi was urgent, but the more it happened, the more it would test the wisdom of a senior commander and his ability to analyze and judge the situation on the battlefield.

Seeing that the commander-in-chief was silent, Chen Cheng also said: "Chen Jitang's tanks have run out of fuel, otherwise they will be able to successfully break through, and their continuous fighting will consume a lot of energy. If they don't get replenished, they will face the dilemma of fighting on all sides."

Jiang Baili breathed a sigh of relief: "The British 62nd Infantry Division is on its way to Delhi day and night, and the two brigades coming from Ahmedabad are coming soon. The main force of the British in India is basically here. Can we get them to gather together. Then we will fight against the encirclement and eat them all at once? If we can achieve this strategic intention, we will decide India in one battle, and we will not encounter any troubles from now on.”

Seeing that the commander-in-chief had made up his mind, Tang Shengzhi sighed: "Then the question now is to see if Chen Jitang can withstand the British offensive and hold out until the moment we arrive."

"What about the telegram from Chen Jitang?" Jiang Baili asked.

Chen Cheng shook his head: "It's still the same. Chen Jitang is famous for saving face, and he keeps saying 'we are fighting, and Delhi is still in our hands' over and over again. "

(End of this chapter)