When the air-raid alarm sounded, not only Tanimoto but also Spur was startled.
To the west, several planes were trailing black smoke as they plummeted into the ocean.
They were not enemy planes, but Newland's own fighters that had been shot down.
Enemy aircraft had already arrived; leading the charge were the fighters, in no small number, ferociously attacking the ship-borne aircraft of the 16th Special Mixed Fleet.
Since friendly planes were in the air, the escort battleships did not dare to open fire.
There were no bombers or torpedo bombers from the enemy spotted yet; the fighters that had rushed ahead were only attacking the returning ship-borne aircraft and had not targeted the battleships on the sea surface.
However, this situation did not last long.
In less than five minutes, two Xiaotian fighters swooped towards the "Fenjin."
