The Final Gamble (3000-Vote Bonus Chapter)

After the armored cruiser Yagumo had been torn to pieces, all eight of the Island Nation Navy's armored cruisers had been sunk. Not a single one remained. This was undoubtedly a crushing blow to the Island Nation Navy's Combined Fleet.

Although armored cruisers, like pre-dreadnoughts, had become obsolete ship types in the navies of the Western powers and were no longer used as Capital Ships, they were still indispensable forces for the warship-starved Island Nation Navy. At the very least, they were immensely formidable when dealing with neighboring countries that possessed scarcely any respectable naval forces.

"General, we've wiped out all of the Island Nation's armored cruisers. Should we deal with their Capital Ships next, or their Protected Cruisers?" Rear Admiral Mauff asked excitedly.

Having swallowed up the Island Nation Navy's armored cruisers, their own cruisers and destroyers could now be considered safe. That meant they no longer had to fear a torpedo attack by the Island Nation Navy.

Vice Admiral Spee pondered for a moment before saying, "Keep advancing. Wipe out those Island Nation Navy cruisers. Even if we can't finish every last one of them, we must destroy more than half. Only then will we truly be safe!"

"Yes, General!" Rear Admiral Mauff nodded.

The German Expeditionary Fleet's battle line continued forward at high speed. It made a wide circle across the sea, its target pointed straight at the Island Nation Navy's Protected Cruisers.

Although those Protected Cruisers had begun retreating while the German Expeditionary Fleet's battle line slaughtered the Island Nation Navy's armored cruisers, regrettably, the Island Nation Navy's Protected Cruisers were not particularly fast either.

Other than the Chikuma-class Protected Cruisers, which could reach 26 knots, all the remaining Protected Cruisers had speeds below 25 knots. Most could manage only 20, 21, or 23 knots. Such