"When the 'Imperial Capital' was bombed, a great fire also started on the 'Peijing'."
At first, it was indeed a "great fire."
To attract the attention of the enemy aircraft and lighten the pressure on the 'Imperial Capital,' the captain of the 'Peijing' adopted the suggestion of Fleet Staff Wang Jun. After the escort battleships took their positions, they lit waste tires on the flight deck, releasing dense black smoke to feign serious damage.
Because burning waste tires produces black smoke and feigning severe damage is a tactic that had never failed to deceive enemy aircraft, Imperial Navy battleships all kept some scrapped old tires, mostly from ship-borne aircraft. The damage control department would also prepare some fire-starting equipment.
In reality, there was no need for that.
At the time, a squadron of SBDs and a squadron of TBDs did not join the attack on the 'Imperial Capital' and were searching for the 'Peijing.'
