Empire Conquest
Chapter 172 - 168: Proactive Retreat

Chapter 172: Chapter 168: Proactive Retreat

Takano was Takano.

Just past two in the morning, after brushing past the four battleships of the second Main Battle Corps, Takano issued orders to several forward-deployed light cruisers.

Launch flares in the direction of the Domestic Fleet’s Main Force Squad.

This tactic could be described as extremely clever.

Although more than half an hour had passed since the last report from the fifth Cruiser Corps, meaning the Domestic Fleet’s Main Force Squad could have sailed a dozen or more nautical miles in that time, Takano’s orders for the light cruisers to fire flares were intended to make the light cruisers the cicadas in the hunters catching cicadas.

The flares fired, along with the flash from the muzzles of the guns firing, were like the sound of cicadas in a quiet summer day.

In this way, the first Main Battle Corps would be able to play the part of the oriole behind.

Besides, Takano still had a favorable objective factor on his side.

The thick clouds that had previously been Northwest of the strait had been blown over by the north wind and now hovered above the strait, which was also above the first Main Battle Corps.

In other words, even if the Domestic Fleet was far enough away, they would still be exposed after firing.

Conversely, as long as the two Damen-class ships didn’t fire, they wouldn’t be exposed.

Takano’s calculation was very simple, to use the light cruisers to lure or force the Main Battle Corps to show themselves and then catch them off guard.

As for the outcome, Takano didn’t hold much hope.

After all, the first Main Battle Corps only had two battleships, and in terms of combat power, the Damen class and the Longxing class were at best considered equally matched.

Actually, that was also the reason Takano had not allowed the first Main Battle Corps to advance deeply into the Xu Sea.

To win would naturally be the best outcome. Even if they were overpowered, as long as they were near the Watcher Strait, they could retreat to East Ocean if necessary.

At ten minutes past two, the four forward-deployed light cruisers successively fired flares.

In reality, Takano had not overestimated Gui Boyong.

Around one-thirty, after wiping out the fifth Cruiser Corps, Gui Boyong desperately found that he had once again lost visual contact with the second Main Battle Corps. Judging from the distance they had drifted during the turn, it was estimated that the distance from the second Main Battle Corps had widened to more than twenty kilometers.

For the Longxing class without radar, this distance was far too great.

To put it plainly, even if the enemy ships were on fire and burning, at twenty kilometers distance, the source of fire would just be a tiny point of light in the scope.

Because of the limitations in the rangefinder’s accuracy, it was impossible to measure the distance accurately.

There were two other problems Gui Boyong couldn’t avoid.

First, the large fires on the four Saiyi battleships had been extinguished.

Second, the clouds drifting from the north were heading south and would soon reach the skies above Watcher Strait, and the Main Battle Corps’s area would soon be illuminated by moonlight.

For these reasons, around one forty-five, Gui Boyong ordered a course set to the Northwest.

Was Gui Boyong scared?

Certainly not!

Given the situation at that time, it was a very rational move.

Don’t forget, Gui Boyong had come with the Domestic Fleet to engage the Saiyi Navy’s Main Battle Corps, to create a favorable situation for the withdrawal from Bai Zhizhan.

The previous battle was already sufficient.

Moreover, Gui Boyong didn’t order a retreat, just a move to a more open area of the sea.

Previously attacked by the enemy’s heavy cruisers, even though he avoided the torpedoes, Gui Boyong was still left with lingering fear, let alone the activity of several enemy light cruisers to the south.

As a result, when the four light cruisers launched flares at just past two, the Main Force Squad had already sailed northward more than a dozen kilometers.

At that time, the Longxing was over twenty-five kilometers from the Damen!

Indeed, it was too far away.

Interestingly, after seeing the illumination flares fired by the four light cruisers, Gui Boyong instead became more determined to retreat.

The First Main Battle Corps had already charged forward, seeking a decisive battle with the Domestic Fleet. Why wouldn’t they retreat?

Of course, to be precise, it was a retreat of several tens of kilometers, waiting for the First Main Battle Corps to come searching.

This was exactly where Gui Boyong showed his cleverness.

Although the First Main Battle Corps had not yet been spotted at that time—after all, it was too far away to see the situation across the strait—based on the events before and after, Gui Boyong had sufficient reason to believe that the Second Main Battle Corps had already been defeated, and those four old battleships were almost certainly doomed.

However, Gui Boyong made a wrong judgment, one that turned out to be unexpectedly correct.

The Second Main Battle Corps had not retreated. At least a few of those main battle ships, having suffered heavy damage, had lost the ability to navigate independently. It was precisely because of this that Takano led the First Main Battle Corps forward and assumed an aggressive posture of actively seeking battle with the Domestic Fleet.

If so, then there you have it, right?

If they could just delay for a few hours, even if the battleships of the Second Main Battle Corps were all preserved, would they still be able to escape after dawn?

At that moment, Gui Boyong firmly believed this was the case.

Completely understandable.

If the Second Main Battle Corps was already done for, or on the verge of annihilation, Takano had no reason to lead the First Main Battle Corps over at this time.

Not to mention, all four "Longxing" class battleships of the Domestic Fleet were unscathed.

No matter how formidable Takano was, he wouldn’t dare to challenge four "Longxing" with just two "Damen," right?

It was only to save the Second Main Battle Corps that Takano dared to take the risk of coming forward, and only then would he show the posture of seeking a decisive battle.

To put it bluntly, it’s nothing more than a bluff.

As a result, at 2:15 a.m., Gui Boyong ordered the fleet to turn southwest and maintain a speed below sixteen knots.

Gui Boyong had already thought it through, unless the First Main Battle Corps came attacking, they would just wear it out until dawn.

No matter how much Takano made a fuss, the battle would be declared over after sunrise.

With the Permanent Fleet returning defeated, even if the two main battle corps were preserved, they would still lose the strategic initiative by losing control of Watcher Strait.

From the Liangxia Navy’s perspective, a complete victory was already a foregone conclusion. Why bother over a momentary advantage?

Having lost all their carriers, could Takano still stir up a storm upon his return?

Let’s not say he’s just a man, even if he were a dragon, he would have to lie down honestly!

By 2:30 a.m., the four light cruisers had fired the second batch of illumination flares.

On this side of the strait, the two "Damen" class of the First Main Battle Corps had already changed course to the southwest, widening the distance and preparing for battle.

This was to cope with unforeseen needs.

Even before the first batch of illumination flares went out, Takano had already thought of, to be exact, confirmed his earlier conjecture.

The Domestic Fleet, in order to conserve strength, had already turned to retreat after crushing the Second Main Battle Corps.

However, Takano did not take this lightly.

The Domestic Fleet’s retreat would not take them away from the battlefield, at least not before dawn, after all, only then could reconnaissance aircraft be sent to monitor Watcher Strait.

Moreover, the battle between the cruisers of both sides to the southwest had not yet ended.

At 2:45 a.m., just as the second batch of illumination flares were about to go out, the battle to the southwest ended. A light cruiser sent the final combat report, more precisely the last communication reporting a sinking for the nation. At the same time this message was sent, the captain had already issued the order to scuttle.

At that time, the four battleships of the Second Main Battle Corps had already entered Watcher Strait.

Near the strait, the sea was calm, and it seemed as if the night battle had already come to an end.

At least, that’s what Takano thought.

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