The Tianlong Ship and Changfeng Ship roared again.
This time, their shells were aimed at the cruiser sailing right beside the Japanese flagship, the Thunderclap.
Yamamoto watched helplessly as the four death-dealing shells bracketed their target with pinpoint accuracy once more.
He closed his eyes in despair.
"Boom!"
Amid the deafening explosion, the unlucky cruiser took a direct hit to its bridge. The upper half of the superstructure was instantly flattened, and flames roared skyward. The ship was completely knocked out of the fight.
Worse still, the cruiser's massive wreck lay across the channel like a wall.
The four Japanese warships following behind it lost their bearings as they tried to avoid it. Several nearly collided, and the entire formation fell apart.
"Now's our chance!"
Chen Houpu slammed his fist onto the chart table.
"Pass on my orders!"
"Tianlong Ship, all turrets fire at will! Smash those iron shells of theirs to pieces, one by one!"
"Changfeng Ship! Full speed! Full speed! Break formation and get in there—use hit-and-run tactics! Get in close and beat the hell out of them!"
Chen Houpu's orders were decisive and reckless.
Behind him, Zhang Xueming hadn't said a word from beginning to end. He simply watched in silence.
Seeing Chen Houpu's fluid, practiced command, he nodded in satisfaction.
When it came to professional matters, it really was best to leave them to the professionals.
Inside the Tianlong Ship's Number One main gun turret.
The sweltering air was thick with the pungent smells of gunpowder and machine oil.
A dozen muscular sailors, bare-chested, worked methodically around the enormous naval gun.
"Quick! Get this 'Big Guy' in there!"
A burly loader with a thick beard directed the others as they used machinery to push a shell weighing nearly a ton into the breech.
His name was