Bismark's POV:
It's only been a few minutes since we'd spotted the enemy fleet and yet we've found ourselves being swarmed. Unable to retreat and yet vastly outnumbered, it takes everything we have just to avoid the torpedoes and bombs being dropped by the countless planes overhead let alone the many rounds being fired at us from the ever-closing ships.
Me: [Is there any news from the coast?]
Elbe: [They're sending everything they have but most of our aircraft are still in the East so they can only offer so much assistance.]
Me: [How far-]
Elbe: [Still thirty minutes out, minimum.]
Uggh! We're not going to last thirty minutes without getting these planes off our backs.
Me: [Everyone prioritize AA fire. Take down as many of their planes as possible and by our carriers time to rearm and relaunch their aircraft.]
Kronshtadt: [Begin withdrawing. We'll hold the line and by you enough time to escape.]
Me: [No, we must all get away together or it is for naught.]
Kronshtadt: [Don't be-]
BOOOOOOOM
Our conversation is cut short as jets of water blast toward the sky all around us. Even without looking, going from the size of the splashes alone it is easy to see we're now in range of the enemy's battleships.
Exposing my broadside for a brief moment, I align all my main batteries before firing at the nearest battleship. I don't expect to do much given she's angled against my attack and yet even as I turn away to angle myself against potential return fire, she goes up in a fiery ball of yellow.
The resulting fire from my initial salvo must have spread to a more crucial area because a powerful explosion soon follows. I don't wait to see what happens next, however, before firing yet another salvo at the next ship. This second salvo does little but force the enemy to alter their course. Still, it buys enough time for me to be reinforced by Kronshtadt and Graf Spee.
Elbe: [We're coming-]
Me: [No, continue withdrawing. You need to get away as quickly as possible.]
Elbe: [But-]
Me: [No buts. The three of you are our wild cards. Simply stay out of their range for now and offer us support from long range whilst continuing to withdraw.]
She complies and continues withdrawing alongside out other carriers with limited support from the light cruisers. As they do, the rest of us continue holding the line whilst the destroyers weave in and out, striking opportune targets with their torpedoes before vanishing behind their smoke screens. Their smoke also serves to help hide our capital ships visually but with enemy aircraft still buzzing overhead and our constant firing, its effect in that regard is less effective.
We continue going like this for some time but it isn't long before it becomes clear that we're slowly being surrounded. Noticing this, I order everyone not already outside the enemy's trap to charge straight ahead.
It is a gamble but we have little choice. If we try to go for the opening left in their encirclement we'll almost certainly be shred to pieces as they fully expect that but there's a chance they don't expect us to charge their capital ships.
My gamble proves a large success as the enemy had pointed their guns at where they expected us to be but as we emerged from the smoke, closing in on them at top speed they're all caught off guard. Guns unable to rotate swiftly enough to match our rapid speed forward, they're forced to turn their bodies to face us but that split-second delay is all we need.
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Azur Lane: Kaiserin (Book 1)
FanfictionLiang (from Zhejiang and Enterprise) is transported to a new world but the minute she arrives she's attacked both by sharks and by...Azur Lane! What's going on? Even more confusing, she's not in her prior body and she's saved by Iron Blood! How will...
