Chapter 115: The Destroyer's Demise, The Plan Begins

“Bastards!” General Nelson was furious. They had targeted our destroyer fleet first—where was Han Nelson? Wasn’t he supposed to be in command? “Put him on the line!”

The surprise attack had thrown little Nelson into utter chaos. The responsibility for escorting the submarine fleet was supposed to lie with that very commander, but in reality, no orders had been issued promptly. Instead, the task had been reluctantly taken over by Commander Pru of the light cruiser squadron.

The hurried and disorganized command had only barely succeeded in clearing that enemy submarine group. Yet the outcome was far from favorable. To counter the enemy’s sudden fighter interception, the Irish fleet’s carrier-based aircraft had been forced to take off hastily; several planes, lacking sufficient power, had plunged into the sea. Moreover, the enemy had no intention of engaging our fighters directly. Their sole focus was on anti-submarine aircraft, deftly evading our attacks with specialized flying maneuvers. Once locked onto, these foes resorted to kamikaze tactics, crashing into our ships to ensure mutual destruction.

After this harrowing round, the enemy lost over fifty aircraft and ten submarines, but our destroyers were nearly wiped out, with only a handful of light cruisers remaining, most crippled and incapable of command or maneuver. Even the heavy cruisers suffered serious damage. Yet their pilots—each executing a kamikaze jump—parachuted onto our vessels to carry out final assaults.

Such tactics were unprecedented for little Nelson. Out of humanitarian concern, how could they allow their pilots to carry out such desperate acts? Yet here it was, happening to them. The enemy, cornered with no retreat, displayed an astonishing fighting spirit. The so-called “Commander” system was said to factor in soldier morale—could Wales have transformed their virtual AI soldiers into bloodthirsty killing machines?

“Damn it! No destroyers left, and only a few light cruisers remain. This ancient kamikaze tactic from three centuries ago may be despicable, but it works like a charm!” Nelson gritted his teeth. Nowadays, drones had largely returned to the forefront, and such tactics were more suited to unmanned vehicles. But drones were primarily reconnaissance craft, expensive and complex, unsuitable for current operations. The “Commander” system had not accounted for this. Thus, this strategy was a desperate measure, though it could well be adapted for drone warfare—if only the United Kingdom’s military could equip their carriers accordingly.

“General, calm down. Commander Han Nelson was actually the first to be eliminated in the initial volley. He couldn’t command the troops, which explains the disorganized response,” his aide explained. With no communication reaching back, they could only assume Han Nelson’s flagship had been the first target.

“Consider themselves lucky. One salvo, and our destroyer fleet flagship was sunk. Otherwise, they’d be waiting to die!” General Nelson was helpless. Without destroyers or light cruisers, the enemy had lost barely twenty submarines—a casualty ratio far from proportional. How could they continue fighting?

“I’m beginning to suspect my father commanded this personally. Only he could be that vile!” Unconsciously, General Nelson had already guessed half the truth. His father, the venerable Marshal Nelson, was indeed part of this military exercise, though the actual operations were handled by his protégé.

“That’s impossible. Marshal Nelson wouldn’t deign to participate in this. Even if he did, he wouldn’t command directly,” the aide confidently declared. “I suspect others took his guidance, so the Marshal himself isn’t truly involved in this contest.”

The general felt somewhat relieved. “If that’s the case, Wales really is formidable. After all, Father has real combat experience—none of us can match him.”

Though he comforted himself, Nelson knew his father never taught others by direct orders. He observed silently, offering guidance only at the end to his aides or protégés.

“So, General Nelson, what shall we do? Proceed with the mission?”

“Hah! Of course! Their feeble attempts are just to scare us into retreating. They don’t have the strength to face our main forces. If their air raid hadn’t knocked out our communications, I would have ordered a return already!”

Indeed, during the recent airstrike, their flagship’s radar and wireless stations were destroyed by two enemy planes, severing all external contact. They could only communicate with nearby fleets, but the destroyers, light cruisers, and over thirty specialized anti-submarine seaplanes capable of threatening submarines had all been wiped out.

“Understood, General! All units, regroup. Target: Wales. Launch reconnaissance aircraft to scout incoming threats!”