Chapter 0236: Fierce Battle

"Dogshit!" Upon witnessing the *Daring* take a hit, Rear Admiral Carroll erupted in a fit of anger.

Fortunately, the *Daring* soon reported that it had not sustained a critical blow, allowing Carroll to breathe a sigh of relief. If a battleship had been lost at the outset of the engagement, the battle would have been irretrievably compromised.

"Damn those Germans! Their battlecruisers are indeed formidable!" Although the skirmish had only just begun, Carroll could already discern the undeniable strength of the German Navy. However, this only intensified his resolve; the Royal Navy must prevail against the Germans to safeguard the maritime supremacy of the British Empire.

"Excellent, men! We are so close! Just a little more and we could inflict serious damage on a British battleship!" Onboard the *Blücher*, Vice Admiral Hipper rallied his gunners. Although the previous shot had not severely damaged the *Daring*, Hipper remained optimistic, believing that having achieved the first hit, more would surely follow.

"All ships, concentrate fire!" commanded the captain of the *Blücher*. 

Despite the *Blücher* not having achieved a crossing shot against the *Daring*, the successful hit indicated that their firing parameters were sound.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The *Blücher* unleashed a fierce barrage from its three triple-mounted 50-caliber 305 mm main guns. Each salvo launched nine shells, significantly enhancing their chances of hitting the target.

Perhaps due to the misfortune of the British, or the ill fate of the *Daring*, shortly after the *Blücher*'s successful strike, the *Seydlitz* also found its mark on the *Daring*.

During the test firing, a 343 mm shell struck the *Daring*'s defenses. The deck armor, unable to withstand such a heavy projectile, was easily breached.

The shell detonated within the hull, devastating several compartments and igniting fierce fires.

Though it had not struck a critical area, the crew of the *Daring*, striving to prevent further losses, could only attempt damage control.

Having suffered two consecutive hits, the morale of the sailors aboard the *Daring* plummeted. Despite their ongoing return fire, their aim grew increasingly erratic, and the time required between shots lengthened.

This situation proved advantageous for the German Navy. If the *Daring* were to be sunk, they could swiftly realign their targets, employing six battlecruisers to besiege the remaining three ships of the British fleet. Such a scenario would significantly increase their chances of a swift victory.

Admiral Carroll noticed the plight of the *Daring* and furrowed his brow in concern.

"What are those fools on the *Daring* doing? They've only taken two hits from the Germans! They haven't been sunk, so what's with the despair? They need to muster their courage and continue fighting; this naval battle has only just begun," Carroll ordered.

"Yes, sir," the communications officer quickly relayed the command.

However, the performance of the *Daring* did not markedly improve. In this naval engagement, they appeared to be playing a secondary role, ultimately falling victim to the German Navy.

At 10:43, the German Navy's *Leopold* executed a crossing shot against the British *Ajax*. Subsequently, the entire crew turned to concentrated fire, worsening the situation for the Royal Navy.

At 10:52, luck struck the British *Centurion*, as it achieved a crossing shot during the current test firing. The *Centurion* then commenced its concentrated bombardment.

But merely two minutes later, the *Goeben* retaliated with a crossing shot of its own. The two ships commenced a fierce exchange of fire, and who would claim the first hit was left to the whims of fate.

"Damn it! How could this happen?" Carroll appeared unable to accept the turn of events. The battle had barely begun, yet they found themselves wholly suppressed by the German Navy—a scenario he had never anticipated. Although they had two fewer ships than the Germans, he believed the superior caliber of the Royal Navy's personnel could adequately compensate for their numerical disadvantage.

As Admiral Carroll wrestled with the dire situation, fortune smiled upon them unexpectedly, as though the heavens had suddenly favored them.

"Boom! Boom!" 

With two consecutive explosions, massive fireballs erupted from the German flagship, the *Moltke*. In this round of test firing from the *King George V*, they astonishingly scored two hits—an undeniable stroke of luck!

One impact struck the side of the *Moltke*, creating a sizable breach in the midship area and igniting a cache of secondary ammunition, setting off a fierce fire.

The sailors aboard the *Moltke* promptly initiated damage control.

The second hit landed on the turret of the main gun at the stern. Regrettably, although they hit the turret, the shell failed to penetrate it, detonating on impact. The resulting shrapnel killed several sailors on the deck, while the immense force of the explosion also claimed the lives of German sailors within the turret. However, such damage was hardly significant for a colossal battlecruiser.

"Report the damage!" Vice Admiral Scheer bellowed.

"Sir, the port side was hit, but the damage is not severe. The number three turret was struck but not penetrated; we will need to replace the gun crew," an officer quickly reported.

Upon hearing this, Scheer finally exhaled in relief.

"Order all units to commence damage control immediately. The number three turret must resume fire as soon as possible," Scheer commanded.

"Yes, sir."

"Hooray! Long live the British Empire!" 

The officers and crew aboard the *King George V* erupted in cheers.

"God save us from those accursed Germans!" 

A smile crept across Carroll's face. However, when the smoke cleared and it became evident that the *Moltke* was nearly unscathed, his expression froze in disbelief.