IJN PC's Engage the 1st Pacific Squadron

[bill44]

Upon the news of the Russian 1st Pacific Squadron sailing the naval high command sent their only available ships to intercept them, the fast PC's and the damaged Idzuma.
The PC's plan was to race at full speed along the entire length of the Russian battle line and fire at each ship in turn, hopefully they could inflict as much damage as possible before they were sunk.
Strangley, the Russians concentrated their fire at the Adzuma, the PC's were hit by smaller calibre guns, but not the main and secondary armament, this would prove costly to the Russians.

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As they reached the end of the Russian line the PC's concentrated on the last BB, Tseravitch, with their speed now down to 18 knots as a result of damage to Chitose and Kasagi, they mad a port turn and swung in on the starboard side of the Russian line. Tseravitch, had a fire burning near her rear turret, the result of an earlier hit, as more and more Japanese shells smashed in the to the rear of the ship the fire steadily grew worse.
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[bill44]

The PC's speed dropped further as a result of the damage, they then turned to port to bring them back on to the starboard side of the Russian line, still they poured shell after shell in to the hapless Tseravitch, whose gallant damage control party that were fighting and gaining headway on it were wiped out by a shell that smashed in to the area they were in. And now another fire was burning, in the forward turret, her captain would have radioed the lead ship for assistance were it not for the fact that the radio room was smashed, even signal flags could not be raised the halyards were cut, and the Japanese shell splinters would have cut any man to pieces that tried to hoist them.
Meanwhile, Chitose was in a bad way, her captain was dead and the ship's propulsion was all but destroyed, more over her damage control parties could not quell the fires that raged below decks.

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[bill44]

As the PC's rained death and destruction on the Tseravitch, the rest of the Russian line was concentrating their fire on the Adzuma, but the gallant vessal was not going down without a fight, on the bridge her captain 57 year old Ozawa, thought of his wife and and 2 sons, and for a moment felt sadness that he would never see them again, but this vanished when he though of the pride that they would be filled with knowing that he had done his duty for his emperor. Adzuma concentrated her fire on the lead Russian ship, Sevastpol, and hit her, again and again, but the damage was nothing compared to what the Russian were inflicting on Adzuma.

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[Bullethead]

A stirring tale of heroic sacrifice. Hopefully not in vain :).

[bill44]

More to follow.