Catastrophic Losses

If they failed to break the deadlock now, then as these screening forces were gradually wiped out, East Africa's ironclads would also find themselves struggling alone like a lone tree unable to hold up the sky.

Meanwhile, the Second Fleet, upon which Lieutenant General Kri had pinned great hopes, faced its own predicament. The British held the advantage in ship numbers, forcing the Second Fleet's encirclement tactic to be halted halfway through.

"Major General Anton, enemy ships have blocked our path. What do we do now?"

Major General Anton said nothing. Instead, he carefully observed the battlefield. By now, Lieutenant General Kri's First Fleet had gradually fallen into a disadvantageous position, so the Second Fleet had to shoulder greater responsibility.

Seeing how wide the gap in strength was, Major General Anton carefully analyzed the problems they faced. Continuing the encirclement plan was no longer possible, while turning back to support Lieutenant General Kri's First Fleet would not only be ineffective, but would also delay the crucial opportunity.

"All warships, bring power to maximum and attack to the right. Break through the enemy blockade. Each ship will operate independently. There is only one target: attack the central area of the enemy's main fleet. I don't care what methods you use—I only want results," Anton ordered.

Following Lieutenant General Kri's decentralization of command, Major General Anton decentralized command once more. This time, the East African Second Fleet truly became every ship fighting on its own.

However, Major General Anton's strategic objective was clear: at any cost, disrupt the British forces' normal offensive posture and relieve the First Fleet. If the First Fleet was annihilated, then the Second Fleet would have only one road left: death.

The Hamburg had a total displacement of around 6,700 tons and was the Second Fleet's ironclad second