dognovel Chapter 179: Blocking the Singapore-Malaysia Strait, the Fuso Combined Fleet's Response
Chapter 179: Blocking the Singapore-Malaysia Strait, the Fuso Combined Fleet's Response
After the MK35 MOD3 torpedo was launched, the passive sonar device located on top of the torpedo body was turned on, but it received the loudest noise source nearby in less than two seconds.
The source of this noise naturally came from the 8500-ton Izumo Maru merchant ship.
The coal-powered steam engine of this merchant ship was like a tractor and was very loud.
Then the MK35 torpedo rushed straight towards the locked target.
When it gets close to a certain distance, the active sonar is turned on and sonar signals are emitted towards the Izumo Maru merchant ship.
This is also the final step to determine the target and increase the torpedo's hit rate.
When the returned signal was confirmed, the torpedo was accelerated again and directly reached a maximum speed of 27 kilometers per hour.
Like a sharp arrow hidden under the sea, it pierced straight into the watertight compartment at the bottom of the Izumo Maru merchant ship.
The Fuso crew members in the cabin immediately heard a dull sound. While they were still wondering, a deafening explosion suddenly came from the bottom of the ship.
The violent energy tore through the thin iron sheet of the merchant ship.
These iron filings were like fragments of artillery shells, and many people were turned into sieves before they could even react.
Then flames gushed out along the blown gap, devouring everything in its path.
This scene happened in an instant and no one could react.
From a distance, the hull of the Izumo Maru merchant ship suddenly shook, and then a huge fireball shot up into the sky.
Soon the entire merchant ship was engulfed in flames, and thick smoke rose into the sky.
Under the explosion of the 125-kilogram warhead, this merchant ship, which weighs less than tons, has entered the countdown to sinking.
The surviving Fuso crew members in the cabin still didn't know what had happened.
Why did their merchant ship suddenly explode?
But now is not the time to think about that.
Because the flames were about to engulf them, and the merchant ship was also taking on a lot of water.
In addition, the merchant ship was loaded with scrap steel and was tilting rapidly.
When they came to the deck, they could only jump into the sea.
"Report to the captain, the torpedo has successfully hit the target."
There is no need to look through the periscope, the voiceprint on the sonar room display tells it all.
"Report to the detachment commander, a telegram has come in from Feiyun No. 1, saying a new target has been discovered."
In less than two minutes, after confirming the sinking of the Izumo Maru merchant ship, the location of the new target was reported again.
Colonel Zhang Yunjie, the detachment commander, was shocked and immediately said, "Right rudder 30, forward !"
"Yes, right rudder 30, forward three!"
The helmsman immediately repeated the instruction, his hands moving smoothly.
Half an hour later, the UH-1102 submarine successfully sank the second merchant ship.
This is a Fuso merchant ship loaded with grain.
And it didn't come from the Singapore-Malaysia Strait, but from the Gulf of Siam.
It was obviously a merchant ship importing grain from Siam, and its tonnage was very large, more than 10,000 tons.
In the entire Fuso, there are definitely not many such 10,000-ton grain transport ships.
This merchant ship was also accidentally discovered by the early warning aircraft. After the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft confirmed the target, it guided the UH-1102 submarine to the target sea area.
So the grain transport ship was directly hit by an MK35 sonic-guided torpedo.
The result is self-evident.
It's just a merchant ship. If it is hit by a bullet, it will be in trouble even if it is 30,000 or 50,000 tons, let alone 10,000 tons.
What's more, there are only a few merchant ships of 30,000 to 50,000 tons in the world.
The reason is very simple. A ship's resistance to torpedoes does not depend on the thickness of its armor, but on its watertight compartments.
Merchant ships are different from warships and require dense watertight compartments to improve safety.
Due to cost issues, merchant ships have very few watertight compartments.
Therefore, once a large hole is blown in the underwater part, the watertight compartment will not be able to play much of a role.
This is also why merchant ships are actually very easy to sink.
What's more, it is a submarine-launched heavy torpedo.
In the next ten hours, five Fuso merchant ships were sunk one after another.
Such a dense crowd of Fuso merchant ships sank, and during this period, some merchant ships sent news via radio that they were attacked by torpedoes.
It is actually not difficult to guess that there are submarines under this sea area.
This immediately caused panic among the merchant fleet on the Singapore-Malaysia Strait.
The incidents occurred not far from them, and most of them happened in popular waterways.
They didn't know that the ships sunk this time were all Fuso merchant ships. They only knew that there were submarines active in the southern waters of Qionghai and that they had attacked merchant ships.
The incident has also been brought to the attention of Temasek authorities.
A destroyer was immediately dispatched to the sea area where the incident occurred to investigate.
When the destroyer was heading to the southern waters of Qionghai, two more Fuso merchant ships were sunk.
However, the sea area where the ship was sunk was not the southern waters of Qionghai, but the northwestern waters of the Java Sea, only 500 kilometers away from Temasek.
While pursuing its target, the UH-1103 attack nuclear submarine entered the Java Sea and attacked two Fuso merchant ships fleeing south.
Two discovered Fuso merchant ships were sunk in succession within three hours.
A total of seven Fuso merchant ships were sunk. The Straits Settlements Governor-General immediately issued an order to thoroughly investigate the submarine attack in the southern waters of Qionghai.
An anti-submarine fleet consisting of a cruiser and three anti-submarine destroyers was once again dispatched to the sea area where the incident occurred to investigate.
Because the commotion this time was quite large, no Fuso merchant ships were found during this period.
Therefore, the three Hurricane-class attack nuclear submarines also began to leave the shipping area and wandered aimlessly in the Qionghai Sea and Java Sea.
However, this wandering is not really random wandering. They also have a mission, which is seabed mapping and hydrological information collection.
When there is no target, just run around and conduct seabed mapping.
When you find your target, just rush over and kill it.
Anyway, the endurance of attack nuclear submarines is almost unlimited, and it is normal for submarine soldiers to stay on the seabed for one or two months or even three months.
If it doesn't challenge the physical and mental limits of human beings, staying on the seabed for a year or two is not a problem.
Of course, they didn't have to stay that long.
Another submarine squadron will take their place in a month.
The Renaissance Army may lack other things, but it does not lack attack nuclear submarines.
On the third day after the Qionghai submarine attack, the Straits Settlements Governor's Office also investigated the situation.
"Your Excellency, the seven merchant ships attacked this time were all Fuso vessels, and our anti-submarine fleet didn't find anything unusual. Perhaps they have already left this area."
Faced with this survey result, Sir Fulton showed a look of surprise.
"Are they all merchant ships from Fuso?"
Then a meaningful expression appeared on his face.
"Then I know who these submarines belong to."
The subordinates were no fools. After hearing what Sir Fulton said, they immediately realized, "Is it the Ancient Country's Revival Army?"
The submarine force of the Restoration Army is somewhat famous throughout Dongzhou. It has frequently appeared in the Canghai Sea and attacked merchant ships of Fuso.
"That's right. In Dongzhou, only the Renaissance Army has the motivation and ability to do this."
"Your Excellency, Governor, what should we do?"
Sir Fulton fell into deep thought.
If it were up to him, he would definitely not bother to care.
But if we consider John's country's East Continent strategy, he has to take care of this matter.
First of all, the Fusion Army submarines basically target the Fuso merchant ships passing through the Singapore-Malaysia Strait, which is also related to them.
Secondly, John's country has recently been changing its strategy towards Fuso, wanting to support Fuso to deal with the huge threat of the Restoration Army.
Thirdly, the relationship between the Renaissance Army and John's Kingdom is very bad, and the two sides have irreconcilable conflicts of interest.
So no matter from which point of view, they have to take care of this matter.
"Send all of the Far East Fleet's cruisers and destroyers with anti-submarine capabilities to search for the Restoration Army's submarines along the way.
If they are found, they should be sunk if possible, and they should not be allowed to interfere with the normal operation of the Singapore-Malaysia Strait."
Sir Fulton also had no good feelings towards the emerging Restoration Army, so if there was a chance to sink the Restoration Army's submarine, he would not mind doing so.
However, he did not know that his order would bring disaster to the Far East Fleet.
This disaster is also known as the 'Undersea Ghost' incident.
During the Temasek authorities' investigation, Fuso also received a series of telegrams from here.
The abnormality was discovered immediately.
It was not until the Temasek authorities sent a telegram that they learned the full extent of the incident.
"Baga, the Restoration Army is simply going too far."
The Fuxing Army suddenly launched an attack and sank seven of their merchant ships, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of tons of various goods and the loss of seven merchant ships.
This loss is still huge for them.
This immediately caused the emperor to become furious.
At the same time, the entire Fuso Navy was extremely angry.
The Restoration Army Navy is nothing in their eyes.
The largest tonnage is only a heavy cruiser of 10,000 tons.
It was the Restoration Army Air Force that always made them suffer.
Therefore, this also made the entire Fuso Navy feel very depressed.
This time, the submarines of the Restoration Army Navy actually dared to block the Singapore-Malaysia Strait and attack their merchant ships. Do they really think they are made of clay?
Do you think you can deal with the Fuso Empire's navy with just a few submarines?
The cry for revenge grew louder throughout the navy.
Moreover, the top leaders of the Fuso Navy and Vice Admiral Yamamoto Shigemi, commander of the Combined Fleet, also had a desire for revenge.
In addition, their warships have undergone certain modifications, especially strengthening their air defense and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Anti-submarine technology comes from their teacher John Empire.
This also took their anti-submarine technology to a higher level.
Therefore, the Fuso Navy was very confident in its attack this time.
And this time the Fuso Empire's revenge was very targeted.
Didn’t the Restoration Army Navy go to block the Singapore-Malaysia Strait?
Then they sent part of the main force of the combined fleet to the Canghai Sea to block the gate.
As long as they are a little further away from the land, they will not be afraid of attacks from the Restoration Army Air Force.
At the same time, they will send another anti-submarine formation consisting of a large number of anti-submarine ships and aircraft carriers south to launch joint anti-submarine operations with John's Far East Fleet.
We must find the Fuxing Army submarines hidden in Qionghai and Java Sea, and then sink them all to avenge our grievances.