dhibooks Chapter 228 Three Red Lines
Chapter 228 Three Red Lines
The flagship of the Taiwan Fleet of Japan, the Iwami.
Shinichi Terauchi stands on the bridge.
He looked terrible.
It's not seasickness.
It was the result of the defeats of the previous few days that brought it to this.
Two destroyers were wrecked by Chinese cruisers and submarines. Taiwan's garrison fleet only has a few ships in total.
The Xiamen concession was taken over by the Fujian Provincial Government. It was Taiwan's most important trading port!
The underground radio station, the munitions depot, and the spare frequency register of Qingchao were all unearthed.
These things piled up together, like several wet cloths, one by one covering his face.
Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi, a staff officer, whispered, "Commander, the advance ship has entered the pressure test route off the coast of Xiamen."
Shinichi nodded.
"Did the Chinese react?"
"The Zhen Dong will maintain distance on the flank."
Lieutenant Commander Kobayashi frowned.
"It didn't press down."
Shinichi Terauchi's expression was gloomy.
"Chen Zijun is indeed not a reckless man."
Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi asked, "Should the Blue Tide Project continue?"
Shinichi Terauchi sneered.
"Of course, let's continue."
"The less reckless he is, the more it shows that he is afraid of being accused of threatening international shipping lanes. He is in a dilemma whenever our ships approach merchant ships. If he fires, it will be seen as Chinese warships attacking shipping lanes. If he doesn't fire, it means he is allowing us to carry out escort and inspection operations in the waters off Xiamen."
Lieutenant Colonel Xiaolin lowered his head.
"But they've already got their hands on the evidence about the Xiamen concession."
"evidence?"
Shinichi gritted his teeth.
"The evidence in the newspapers can't outweigh the panic at sea. If foreign merchant ships are thrown into chaos and insurance companies raise their prices, those Shanghai merchants will force Chen Zijun to make concessions. Even if what the newspapers say is true, what then? Merchants are after profit, not the truth."
Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi did not dare to refute.
He recalled the latest intelligence: the Shanghai coastal defense bonds were oversubscribed.
Those Chinese businessmen did not seem to be deterred. Instead, they handed over their money to Chen's army.
This matter made him uneasy, but Commander-in-Chief Terauchi Shinichi was unwilling to listen to it.
He needs an "accident" now.
An incident that could pull Chen Jiajun out of the chain of evidence.
"Order the advance ship."
Terauchi Shinichi: "Under the guise of escorting and inspecting, approach that British-flagged cargo ship."
"The distance has been reduced to three thousand yards."
"Keep the gun barrel low and do not fire first."
Lieutenant Colonel Kobayashi salutes.
"yes!"
Merchant shipping lanes off Xiamen.
The British-flagged cargo ship Helena is slowly turning.
Captain Wilson stood in the bridge, his palms sweaty.
He has already received two written warnings.
A document from Chen Jiajun.
A document from a Japanese advance ship.
Chen Jiajun's telegram was very clear.
There are dangerous maneuvers by Japanese warships off the coast of Xiamen. Merchant ships of all countries are advised to divert to designated safe routes.
The telegram was also copied to consulates of various countries, the Shanghai Post Office, and the Xiamen Customs.
The telegrams from the Japanese were also written in a grand and dignified manner.
To protect overseas Chinese and maintain the safety of the waterway, merchant ships are requested to accept escort inspections.
Wilson's lips twitched after reading it.
"Escort inspection? You bunch of yellow-skinned monkeys, how dare you inspect ships of the Great British Empire?"
The first mate whispered, "Captain, a Japanese destroyer is approaching."
Wilson picked up the binoculars.
On the sea, the smoke plumes from the Japanese destroyer are growing thicker.
"Damn it!"
"They're going to put us in the middle!"
The first mate asked, "Whose orders should we follow?"
Wilson cursed.
"Listen to your survival!"
He looked at the telegrams from both sides. The safe route provided by Chen's army included coordinates, turning angles, and estimated avoidance time, while the Japanese only mentioned escort inspection.
These days, foreign merchant ships are arrogant, but arrogance doesn't mean being a fool.
"Right helm, ten!"
"Follow the safe route of Chen Jiajun!"
The first mate immediately shouted, "Right helm, ten!"
The Helena's heavy hull began to turn.
Chen Jiajun's temporary coastal defense command post.
The radio kept ringing.
Shen Li placed the three telegrams in front of Chen Zijun according to their dates.
"Young Marshal, the first explicit warning has been issued."
"CC recipients: USS Helena, Xiamen Customs, British and American consulates, Shanghai Wangping Street Newspaper Office"
"The Japanese advance ship did not respond."
"Zhao Dezhu's telegram: The enemy ship has made its first dangerous turn and is approaching the merchant shipping lane."
Chen Zijun looked at the nautical chart.
"Second warning."
"Make the wording even stronger."
Shen Li picked up his pen.
Chen Zijun said, "Write it."
"Japanese warships have entered the warning zone for merchant shipping lanes off Xiamen."
"Its maneuvering endangers the safety of neutral merchant ships."
"If they continue to approach the merchant ship, or lock the merchant ship and our coastline with gun barrels or torpedo tubes, the Chen family army's coastal defense forces will take necessary countermeasures in accordance with the self-defense regulations."
Shen Li finished writing and looked up.
"Young Marshal, should we include a clause reserving the right to fire?"
"Write."
Chen Zijun said, "But don't just write 'open fire'."
"Write about military countermeasures."
Shen Li's eyes flickered.
Military retaliation is broader than firing.
Coastal artillery is a countermeasure.
Submarines are a countermeasure.
A minefield warning is also a countermeasure.
Should the Zhen Dong ship cut across and exert pressure, or should it be used as a countermeasure?
The Japanese want to force Chinese warships to fire the first shot.
Chen Zijun deliberately didn't give them such a narrow question.
Hans whispered, "Young Marshal, this is actually establishing the rules of engagement along the coast."
Chen Zijun nodded.
"right."
He wrote three lines on the edge of the nautical chart with a red pencil.
First, cross the warning line.
Second, lock onto merchant ships or our shoreline.
Third, ignoring two clear warnings and continuing dangerous maneuvers.
After he finished writing, he threw the pencil on the table.
All three are complete.
"Then let's fight."
The room fell silent.
It's not fear.
Everyone realized that these three orders were not temporary.
That's the rule.
For the first time, Chen Jiajun wrote down the rules for using cannons at sea.
Shen Li asked softly, "Young Marshal, what is the name of the red line?"
Chen Zijun looked at the red pencil line.
"Let's call it the Three Red Lines."
"It's simple, newspapers can understand it."
"Foreigners shouldn't pretend they don't understand."
Hans couldn't help but chuckle.
He studied complex terms of engagement at the European Naval School.
However, many of the terms and conditions were so complex that even the officers themselves couldn't remember them on the battlefield.
Chen Zijun's three points were blunt and clear, like slamming a ruler on the table.
Who crossed the line?
Who gets hit?
Bridge of the Zhen Dong ship.
When the second clear warning came, Lin Chengzhang read it three times.
After reading it, he handed the telegram to his adjutant.
"Read it to each gunner's position."
The adjutant was taken aback.
"All gun positions?"
"right."
Lin Chengzhang said, "Let the brothers know that not firing isn't out of fear."
"It's the young marshal who's trying to find a legitimate reason for the artillery shells."
The adjutant's lips twitched.
That doesn't sound like something an old navy man would say.
Just like what Shen Li and his staff officers said.
But after hearing this, the gunners at each position felt more at ease.
The main gunner touched the breechblock and whispered, "Understood."
"There needs to be a reason to fire a cannon."
"Once fired, it's not just a cannonball, it's justice."
On the sea.
The Japanese advance ship continued to approach.
The Helena is turning.
The distance between the two was reduced from 5,000 yards to 4,000 yards.
It was pushed down to 3,500 yards again.
underwater.
Inside the U91-class submarine No. 3, the sound-listening officer's voice was strained.
"Captain, the enemy destroyer has made a second turn!"
"Propeller speed increased!"
"They are cutting into the inside of the merchant shipping lane!"
Zhao Dezhu pressed the stopwatch.
"time."
"4:27 PM".
"position."
"19 degrees to the left front".
"Speed".
"Seventeen sections".
After Zhao Dezhu finished writing on the paper, his fingers paused for a moment.
"Send a telegram."
"The enemy's second dangerous maneuver."
"It is suspected that the merchant ship was forced to change course."
The torpedo operator kept his eyes on the launch tube.
"Captain, what if the young marshal gives the order?"
Zhao Dezhu looked up.
"Then let's fight."
The young soldier's Adam's apple bobbed.
"Where to hit?"
Zhao Dezhu said coldly, "Hit it where it hurts the most, and where it's most likely to leave a mark."
Shui Tingbing was stunned.
Zhao Dezhu said, "Don't try to take it all at once."
"Young Marshal, you need evidence."
"To paralyze someone is a better way to communicate than to sink them."
The vanguard ship of Japan, the destroyer Harushio.
Lieutenant Commander Nojima, the captain, stood on the bridge, his face showing some excitement.
He had already seen the British-flagged cargo ship begin to turn.
He also received the explicit warning from the Chinese.
twice.
Word for word.
Major Nojima, however, found it laughable.
"As expected, the Chinese dare not fire."
The staff officer reminded him, "Captain, the Zhen Dong's main guns have been tracking our ship."
"So what if we track them?"
Major Nojima snorted coldly.
"If it fires, British merchant ships will be right next to it."
"We'll say that Chinese warships opened fire in international waterways!"
The lookout shouted, "British flag cargo ship, continue turning right!"
Major Nojima's eyes hardened.
"Left-hand drive, number five."
The staff officer was startled.
"Captain, if we turn any further, we'll be inside their perimeter!"
"We just want to go in."
Major Nojima said, "Lower the gun muzzle and turn the forward turret with the course."
"Remember, you are not allowed to fire first."
"Let the Chinese be anxious first."
The command was passed down.
The bow of the Chun Chao ship cut a white wave.
It turned for the third time.
The bow turret swayed slightly with the hull.
In that instant, the muzzle of the cannon swept past the direction of the Helena.
The time was very short.
It's so short that the Japanese can argue that it was just a passing over of the course.
The rangefinder of the Kezhen Dong ship could see it.
The captain of the Helena saw it.
The U91-type No. 3 boat's hydrophone recorded the change in speed.
The Xiamen coastal defense observation station also recorded the location.
In the temporary command center for coastal defense of Chen Jiajun, the telegrams arrived almost simultaneously.
Shen Li placed the three urgent reports on the table.
His voice was very low.
"All three are complete."
"Crossed the warning line."
"The cannon muzzle swept past the direction of the merchant ship."
"Ignoring two clear warnings."
All the staff members in the room looked at Chen Zijun.
Chen Zijun did not speak immediately.
He picked up his pen and signed his name below the copy of the second explicit warning.
Then put the pen cap on.
Click.
The sound was very soft.
But it was like a cannon breech closing.
"Execute according to regulations."
Shen Li straightened his back.
"yes!"
Chen Zijun looked up at the small red flag of the Japanese advance ship on the nautical chart.
"Let them remember."
"The red thread isn't for measuring fabric."