Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 14

Extracurricular Story 14. The 1592 Southern Sea Battle. (14)

The command airframe of the Imperial airframe unit that sortied to attack the Japanese fleet was an Albatross.

The large Albatross was manned by three people: the pilot, the navigator/communicator, and the defensive hwacha [a type of multiple rocket launcher] gunner.

Thanks to its size and powerful engine, the Albatross was equipped with both a wireless telegraph and a wireless telephone. Consequently, commanders directing airframe units favored the Albatross as their command airframe.

The Albatrosses of the temporary commanders dispatched from the 3rd Mobile Fleet moved, correcting their course based on location information from the submarines.

Looking at these corrected routes, they made a large detour around the north and south of the Japanese fleet, entering from the northwest and southwest.

After the final route correction, the temporary commanders ordered the kestrels visible above.

“Kestrels, increase altitude and prepare to hunt!”

The squadron leader of the kestrel squadron, confirming the orders, lightly waved his wings and began to climb, followed by the squadron’s kestrels.

This was the traditional tactic of the Imperial airframe unit’s kestrels: a hit-and-run diving attack from high altitude.

It was a tactic befitting the name ‘Kestrel,’ and the new fighter airframe that inherited the name possessed sufficient ability to properly utilize it.

Shurhachi, confirming the kestrels’ readiness, muttered while looking at the map and the water’s surface.

“According to the telegrams from the submarines, the Japanese airframe pilots are certainly exhausted.”

* * *

The Imperial submarines’ attacks didn’t simply end with tying down the Japanese fleet.

Not only Japanese destroyers but also carrier-based aircraft had to hunt the Imperial submarines targeting the transport ships.

This was because the submarines hidden in the sea were clearly visible from the sky.

Accordingly, Japanese Navy torpedo bombers, bombers, and fighters thoroughly searched the surrounding sea.

In preparation for the expected attack by the Imperial airframe unit, the Japanese Navy Air Corps commanders organized some for submarine destruction, some for fleet air defense, and a standby group for cyclical operation.

It was a reasonable operation. However, the problem was their opponents: Yi Sun-sin and the Imperial submarines.

Yi Sun-sin had delayed the operation’s start, and thanks to the unexpectedly capable Imperial submarines, all the Japanese Navy Air Corps pilots were exhausted.

The Imperial airframes they worried about were nowhere to be seen, and as the commanders focused on hunting submarines, problems arose.

The attention of the Japanese fighter pilots, accumulating fatigue, began to scatter. Without realizing it, the altitude of the direct support aircraft guarding the fleet was gradually decreasing.

Normally, lookouts on the carriers or other ships would have noticed and issued warnings, but unfortunately, all the lookouts were too busy watching the water’s surface.

Right then, the Imperial kestrels emerged from the setting sun, slowly moving westward.

* * *

“Jihwaja!” [A Korean battle cry]

“Good!”

The pilots of the Imperial Army’s kestrels, diving with the sun at their backs, shouted with joy.

The Japanese Navy direct support aircraft had only just discovered them and were flustered.

“Too late!”

“It’s too late!”

“We’ve been had!”

On the other hand, the Japanese fighter pilots on the receiving end screamed and desperately moved their control sticks.

However, as their instincts told them, it was too late.

Hwachas fired from the main wings of the kestrels plunging down, and the cockpits of the Japanese fighters instantly became covered in blood.

The Japanese fighters, having lost their pilots, fluttered like fallen leaves and fell towards the water.

Aeaeae! Ding ding ding!

“Enemy attack!”

“Enemy attack!”

As the direct support aircraft fell like rain, sirens and bells began to ring from the Japanese Navy warships.

“Enemy aircraft confirmed! Straight up!”

“Fire! Fire!”

Tutu-tung!

The machine guns and anti-aircraft guns mounted on battleships, cruisers, and destroyers began firing, but again, it was too late.

The Imperial kestrels, not missing the gap just before a proper fire net was completed, penetrated and struck the Japanese warships’ anti-aircraft batteries.

As instructed, the Imperial kestrels passed over the Japanese warships from bow to stern, or from stern to bow, striking the anti-aircraft batteries.

The kestrels’ attacks, with their high speed and maneuverability, didn’t cause significant damage to the hulls, but the damage to the anti-aircraft batteries was gradually becoming more severe.

While the Japanese Navy fleet’s anti-aircraft batteries focused on the kestrels, the Albatrosses approached the fleet, skimming close to the water.

“Released!”

“Released!”

The Albatrosses, having launched their self-propelled explosive shells [early torpedoes] at the targeted warships, simultaneously twisted their airframes and entered evasive maneuvers.

“Torpedoes on the port side!”

“Torpedoes!”

The Japanese warships, spotting the self-propelled explosive shells rushing towards them, desperately began to turn their bows.

“They keep coming closer!”

“Hard to port!”

“Hard to port!”

At the lookouts’ cries, the captains ordered their ships to turn to the left.

This was according to their pre-departure plan:

-If attacked by Imperial naval or air forces, unconditionally enter the waters of the Ming [Chinese] Dynasty.

-The Empire will not be able to take an aggressive offensive to avoid provoking the Ming.

Kuki Yoshitaka, analyzing the situation on the bridge of the flagship, muttered while looking at the map.

“Even if the lazy Ming bastards noticed the commotion, they would have gathered in droves. In that situation, if even one shell falls wrongly….”

‘The cowardly Ming bastards will fire cannons like crazy at the Empire. If that happens, the Empire will have to deal with us and the Ming at the same time.’

This was the Japanese Navy’s trick.

However, Yi Sun-sin had foreseen this.

Anticipating this, Yi Sun-sin had instructed the temporary commanders to adapt their operations, and they directed the Albatrosses’ attacks accordingly.

Following the predetermined order, the waiting Albatrosses laid down self-propelled explosive shells according to the Japanese Navy’s course.

Once again, as self-propelled explosive shells rushed in, the Japanese Navy captains entered desperate evasive maneuvers.

Thud! Kwakwang!

The Japanese captains and helmsmen showed superhuman abilities, but ships began to fail to avoid the attacks.

The problem was the destroyers. Cruisers and battleships could maintain combat power and maneuverability even if hit by one or two shells, but destroyers could not.

Among the destroyers hit, some were already tilting and beginning to list.

Due to the relentless attacks of the Albatrosses, the Japanese fleet was moving in a zigzag or in circles.

Due to the intense evasive maneuvers, the Japanese fleet was gradually moving eastward instead of westward.

At some point, Kuki Yoshitaka’s face turned pale as he stared at the nautical chart.

“This can’t be!”

The track of the Japanese fleet that the soldiers were drawing on the map was heading east.

Kuki Yoshitaka, examining the track, wore an expression of disbelief.

“This is no coincidence!”

The track clearly showed that failing to reach the Ming’s waters wasn’t a coincidence.

“This is a drive. It’s a driven hunt.”

-After tying down their feet with submarines, the airframes swarm in and begin the drive.

-And, the place where they arrive after being driven like that….

“The Imperial fleet will be waiting.”

Kuki Yoshitaka, realizing the Imperial Army’s intentions, shook his head in disbelief.

“No, no! This is a coincidence! No one could devise such an operation so quickly! If there is, that human is not normal, he’s a madman! He must be a madman!”

Even as Kuki denied reality, the damage to the Japanese fleet steadily increased.

“Battleship Nagato capsized!”

“What!”

Kuki Yoshitaka, regaining his senses at the lookout’s cry, raised his binoculars and examined the Nagato.

The Nagato’s huge hull, which had been fighting at the vanguard, was listing to the left.

The moment the huge smokestack submerged, the Nagato triggered a massive explosion.

The cold seawater that had entered through the smokestack met the heated boilers and caused them to explode.

What was worse was the direction of the explosion.

Instead of the thick, solid side of the hull, the explosion was directed towards the smokestack.

In other words, the explosion was not towards the sky but towards the water’s surface.

The large wave and storm of debris engulfed the destroyers to the left of the Nagato.

In the end, among the five unlucky destroyers, two became companions on the Nagato’s journey to the afterlife, and the remaining three suffered severe damage and became combat ineffective.

The sinking of the Nagato was just the beginning.

Due to the relentless attacks of the Albatrosses, the Japanese fleet’s cruiser Haruna disappeared below the surface.

After that, the battleship Ise sank, and destroyers sank one after another.

Each time a warship sank, more holes appeared in the Japanese fleet’s defense network, and the Albatrosses’ attacks became even fiercer.

Before they knew it, the Japanese fleet’s course had completely turned eastward.

“I have nothing to say.”

Kuki Yoshitaka muttered with a hollow expression as he looked at the course.

Maeda Toshiie, checking the nautical chart next to him, muttered in disbelief.

“To be driven into this even while knowing it… Is Zhuge Liang [a famous strategist] reincarnated?”

“….”

Maeda Toshiie, seeing Kuki Yoshitaka staring at the chart, forgetting to answer, asked, “Seeing them driving us like this, the Imperial fleet must be waiting at the end, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Do you have a plan?”

“The most likely option is to break through with all our strength and then run aground on the coast.”

“Run aground?”

“That’s right.”

-Break through the Imperial Navy’s defense line and then deliberately run the Japanese fleet’s warships and transport ships aground.

-The Japanese Navy’s battleships are used as coastal batteries to support the landing of the Japanese Army.

-The army that landed advances inland as quickly as possible, secures the railroad, and heads north.

“All we have to do is capture the Emperor in Seoul. If we capture the Emperor, victory is ours.”

At Kuki Yoshitaka’s words, Maeda Toshiie smiled bitterly and muttered.

“‘If we win, we are the government army; if we lose, we are rebels’?”

“There is no other way now.”

After pondering for a moment, Maeda Toshiie let out a long sigh and came to a conclusion.

“Hoo~. It will be a do-or-die gamble. Let’s execute it.”

“Understood!”

Shortly after, following the orders from the flagship, the Japanese fleet reorganized its formation and began to advance eastward at full speed.

Shurhachi, watching this scene from the sky, muttered with a dumbfounded expression.

“Advancing eastward at full speed? Are they crazy? Well, whether they’re crazy or not, I have to do my job.”

Shurhachi tapped the transmitter of the wireless telegraph.

-Japanese fleet, advancing eastward at full speed.