afterglow

Chapter 525: Contain counterattack; unknown ships are invisible to the naked eye!

The defeated Korean soldiers retreated and ran into the gendarmerie and the third engineering battalion of the 17th Infantry Division of the Ming army.

"Anyone who retreats without authorization will be shot to death!"

"Damn it, you lost your position in two quarters of an hour, a bunch of losers and useless trash!"

"Let them roll to the side and take a few machine gun shots."

"Huh? Hit someone?"

"You're so scared that you lost your soul, what are you doing with your life still alive?"

The angry gendarmerie team pulled out their pistols and fired two shots into the air, to no avail.

He simply grabbed a light machine gun from the third team of the engineer battalion and fired three long bursts directly at the panicked defeated soldiers.

In an instant, several defeated North Korean soldiers fell to the ground. The bullets fired in the face finally made the frustrated North Korean soldiers realize that such a retreat was suicidal, and the uncontrollable rout was finally curbed.

"The commander-in-chief's instructions are correct."

Although it is an older weapon, its power cannot be underestimated. No one wants to be hit by this thing.

When the anti-tank guns fired continuously one after another, the Ming army's field artillery group on the beachhead also showed its power again.

"Good shot!"

The powerful power of the air support seemed to put the entire battlefield on pause, and it took five or six seconds to resume the original sound of gunfire.

"The aircraft observer reported that the enemy's offensive had stopped, and many tanks were hit and caught fire. They were seen regrouping on the spot; two teams of men from the 51st Regiment had already rushed over and blocked the joint."

"Good second shot!"

"Three shots are good!"

Three 25.6mm anti-tank guns fired one after another, and armor-piercing tracer bullets flew out from the muzzle at a high speed of 900m/s!
The shells were like sharp spears thrown, and the traces of light left behind were extremely conspicuous. The first M2A1 medium tank that was hit stopped immediately.

The greatest threat to ground forces is the train guns deployed by the US military on Oahu, a total of sixteen.

"The commander-in-chief is serious." The bespectacled staff officer said with a wry smile: "According to common sense, with artillery support to suppress the attacking enemy, as long as we stabilize our position, we can at least rely on the position to fight and see-saw for several hours. However, the Korean soldiers' The military morale is unstable and there is simply no fighting spirit.”

If you hide it and don't dare to use it, it basically means it doesn't exist. No actual losses will be caused, but there will be a little psychological deterrence.

Such shelling is not powerful and frequent. It only serves the purpose of blocking and hindering, and is not an effective shot aimed at killing.

"Okay, all artillery positions will focus fire together, follow the instructions, and the enemy tank group will be the leader."

After the bombing and shelling, the momentum of the US military's counterattack was checked. The five destroyed tanks were still burning, and several streams of black smoke gathered together and shot into the sky.

Anyone who dares to deploy the train gun in place will most likely be killed by the Ming army aircraft after only a few rounds at the rate of fire of this old-fashioned artillery.

"Don't be too timid when fighting. Don't be afraid that they will hide and tuck them in. You won't survive long after opening fire. Discover them in time and solve them in time."

Historically, the U.S. military transported seven of these train guns to the Philippines. As a result, after the war broke out, they were blown up by Japanese planes without playing much role. One of the train guns only fired five rounds for calibration before being blown up. There was not even a single effective shot, which shows the low survivability.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three Type 100 warships pounced on the U.S. offensive troops. While diving and strafing, they dropped a total of six 250kg aerial bombs and three kg aerial bombs.

This is an old-fashioned heavy artillery that reached the technical level before the European War. It has a caliber of 203㎜, a high-explosive bomb weight of 91kg, a range of 21.9km, an interrupted threaded breech, and a slow rate of fire.

Several Swift Type 16 off-road vehicles dragged light anti-tank guns all the way and grabbed a decent position nearby.

The violent explosions one after another overwhelmed the other noises, and the billowing smoke and dust rose dozens of meters high.

Zhou Changfeng shook his head slightly and said in deep thought: "The order is as follows. After the 51st Regiment is in place, the North Korean army's position will be recaptured. If all goes well, a multi-pronged feint attack will be launched against the enemy in front of them at two o'clock in the afternoon; at the same time, the 50th Regiment and the heavy tanks will launch an assault in coordination. , we might as well reduce the attack width by one to two hundred meters, penetrate the defense line first, and follow up with the infantry in time; the artillery group will increase its intensity and create a new blocking line in depth against the enemy. "

Everyone found that the uniforms of the enemy soldiers seemed different from before, but they did not know that they were paratroopers of the 501st Airborne Regiment of the US Army.

Several officers around him breathed a sigh of relief, and some people exclaimed: "Oh, this change of situation is really scary. A group of men and horses were already running like wildfire in half an hour. I thought some serious opponent was coming."

Zhou Changfeng, who looked helpless, stood up straight from behind the high-magnification observation mirror and said, "Looking back, I was wrong too, it was a bit of a joke. Although I had made worse plans, I never expected to be able to do this." Outrageous."

The 51st Regiment of the 17th Division was right behind the Korean army's position, so the reinforcements were timely.

"Report, multiple enemy tanks, 1,200 meters away, moving at low speed."

At this time, the left rear position of the 50th Infantry Regiment...

Someone recited this series of instructions, clasped his fists and accepted the order: "I have the order."

After a while, groups of US tanks appeared in the distance, followed by groups of enemy soldiers.

The deputy team of the 51st Regiment's anti-artillery team was shouting orders, and the orderly soldier beside him held a small flag in both hands and waved it up and down to convey the order.

"Prepare...release!"

"What I'm afraid of are those train guns. They are hidden in the dark and they don't know when they will suddenly stab them." The communications staff officer said worriedly.

In the bridge of the Luxun, a bespectacled major communications staff officer spoke a little faster and described the latest situation.

The rumble of artillery came from behind, and 80mm and 112mm explosive bombs continued to hit the enemy. The US offensive force that captured the North Korean position was bombarded by dozens of artillery shells in two minutes, and the offensive was stalled. , had to find cover on the spot.

Zhou Changfeng is relatively optimistic. Anyway, air supremacy is now in our own hands, and the Americans dare not easily use mobile defensive firepower platforms - this is their few remaining trump cards.

Six seconds later, flames broke out in several places on the tank and quickly spread into a large ball of flames. Someone escaped from it, but the US tank soldiers covered in fire could only roll in vain on the ground, and finally became motionless.

Zhou Changfeng's request for Fomalhaut to launch a few additional carrier-based aircraft more than 20 minutes ago was undoubtedly quite prescient now.

The anti-tank artillerymen did not dare to waste a second. They hurriedly jumped out of the car, opened the gun mount, placed the hoe, and then took out the ready-to-fire shells from the iron ammunition box.

Fine green smoke was still rising from the muzzles of the three anti-tank guns. The soldiers picked up the scattered empty shells and put them into canvas bags for recycling, smoking cigarettes and chatting.

"It's calmed down. After one blast, there was no movement. It's very effective."

"Pack up and prepare to leave. Move to a better place with a wider view."

"Okay!"

The Type 25.6 and mm tank defense guns are undoubtedly outdated, and their weak power is unqualified for the European battlefield. However, this lightweight light artillery can continue to shine in the Pacific battlefield with complex terrain.

After all, its biggest advantage is its weight - the total combat weight is 305kg, and two people can push it. The more powerful Type 48 mm anti-tank gun is actually not very popular. For ordinary soldiers, they can pry open the enemy's thin-skinned iron cans anyway. Naturally, the lighter the better.

Some combat defense artillery units even refused to receive cutting-edge combat defense artillery, so the Ming army actually retained a large number of Type 25.6 and mm combat defense artillery.

In order to cater to the preferences of frontline officers and soldiers, the military industry department racked their brains to tap the potential of this light artillery.

Coincidentally, the Germans also have similar operations.

The Germans have designed a super-caliber grenade for the Pak35 37mm anti-tank gun. It is mounted on the muzzle and pushed out using the gunpowder gas of the blank bullet. It has high power, short range and poor accuracy.

【Picture】

However, the Ming Army did not like this kind of thing - it was difficult to reload in actual combat, and the loader had to walk to the front of the gun mantlet in a hail of bullets.

Therefore, the answer given by Yingtian Army Arsenal is a cone-bore gun upgrade kit, which can significantly improve the armor-piercing capability.

The cone-bore gun is thin at the front and thick at the back. It fires specially designed armor-piercing projectiles with skirt-shaped sabots. The projectiles are squeezed and deformed when passing through the barrel. They have excellent air tightness and high muzzle velocity.

However, the cone-bore cannon cannot fire high-explosive shells and has a single purpose, so the cost-efficiency ratio of specialized cone-bore cannons is very low.

应天陆军兵工厂设计的锥膛套件可以安装在三四式25.6㎜战防炮的炮口，配合特殊的碳化钨硬芯穿甲弹，弹丸初速从902m/s大增到1110m/s，在500m距离上的侵彻能力也从42㎜跃升至60㎜。

This kind of tapered bore kit will greatly reduce the life of the barrel, and it can be disassembled when not in use, which is relatively flexible.

At noon that day, the 51st Regiment invested three reinforcement teams and launched a fierce counterattack against the fallen North Korean army positions with the support of powerful sea and air firepower.

Knowing they were outmatched, the U.S. military did not hold on. After a brief resistance, they retreated under the cover of smoke bombs and returned to their original defense line.

At 16:05, the st Regiment dispatched two temporarily formed infantry detachments to conduct combat reconnaissance on the front line of the US defense line.

In order to distinguish the fake from the real, Zhou Changfeng asked the battleship Zhang He to fire two and a half salvos. The frontline officers and soldiers also bluffed and shouted, thus forcing the neurotic US military to expose multiple firepower points.

The two infantry detachments of the 51st Regiment calmly built foxholes right under the enemy's nose and assumed a posture of staying put. They found out the distribution of the minefield about one mile wide in the front, and cleared some of the mines along the way.

At 17:00, while the US military was distracted by the st Regiment on the flank, the th Regiment and the tank group resumed their offensive.

The sun was setting in the west, and the sunset was like blood. Dozens of tanks arranged in a wedge formation were heading towards the enemy's position facing countless firepower.

Hundreds of infantry followed closely behind, approaching the target little by little.

It was getting late, and the machine gun tracer bullets hit the tank armor and shattered, like a silver flower blooming; the tracer bullets that ricocheted flew into the sky, like a sharp blade cutting through the black curtain.

When they advanced to a distance of less than 200 meters, the whistle representing "prepare for impact" sounded, piercing the noisy battlefield.

"Don't be scared, don't panic, just obey orders."

"Be decisive when shooting, follow your feelings, whoever hesitates will die, remember it!"

The 80mm tank gun of a Type heavy tank suddenly opened fire. A machine gun bunker in the distance that was still spitting flames was suddenly engulfed in smoke and dust. The strafing stopped abruptly, and one of the many fire whips on the battlefield was instantly missing.

The left wing of the Haleiwa defense line was almost torn to pieces by the Ming army's rapid offensive coordinated by infantry and tanks. Five of the six companies were in urgent need of help.

Brigadier General Jacob quickly ordered reinforcements and deployed tactical reserves to counterattack in an attempt to disrupt the Ming army's continued attack.

This morning, the U.S. military's massive counterattack defeated an entire North Korean infantry regiment, which greatly boosted morale. However, the actual effect was not much, because they were soon forced to retreat, but at the cost of more than 100 casualties and more than 100 casualties. The cost of destroying a tank is not small.

The current US military dispatched seven tanks and two companies to reinforce the precarious position, but they collided with the unstoppable Ming army's offensive force.

The artillery of both sides are bombarding each other's frontline troops. The situation of meeting in a narrow road not only requires courage, but also tests the commander's reaction speed.

The commander of the Ming Army's tank group is Captain Huang Yihuang, the commander of the First Battalion and First Battalion of the Attack Tanks. This is an officer who likes military chess games. His personal technical and combat skills are not very outstanding, but his command ability is outstanding.

He quickly observed the surrounding situation with a telescope, then retracted the commander's tower, closed the hatch, and ordered: "Stop the third row and open fire on your own, while the other tanks advance slowly."

The 80mm short-barreled gun of the Type heavy tank comes from the old mountain cannon. It is very useful for dealing with civil fortifications, but it is not suitable for attacking armored targets.

Therefore, Huang Yihuang tried to use heavy tanks to attract firepower, while the Type 48 medium tanks equipped with mm tank guns were responsible for accurately attacking US tanks.

The not intense shooting lasted only a few minutes. Five M2A1 medium tanks were killed on the spot, and one of the remaining two was turned into an automatic cremation coffin on the way to escape. The price paid by the Ming army tank group was one The heavy tank was damaged and a medium tank was destroyed.

The heavy tank that was injured and broke down was very unlucky. Later, it was bombarded by US mortars and howitzers one after another. The crew members had to abandon the vehicle and evacuate. The Type 1 heavy tank numbered 1-3- subsequently caught fire and was burned. A bright bonfire burned all night.

It was dark, and after dinner, the Ming army's landing fleet anchored on the calm sea of ​​Kenaka Bay.

Every once in a while, a battleship fires flares into the distant sea without interruption, illuminating the dark sea like a glowing mirror.

Zhou Changfeng summoned many officers for a meeting in the military intelligence cabin of the Luxun amphibious command ship.

He stretched out his index finger and touched the sand table, and said: "We might as well analyze the situation of both the enemy and ourselves. The US military's defense line is indeed relatively strong, but based on the battles yesterday and today, it can completely break through and block the counterattack."

"Yes, the attack pressure is not great. To be honest, it is quite easy to say optimistically." Yu Daixin, commander of the Third Marine Brigade, said easily.

"The enemy's field troops are not many. Today's troops are actually paratroopers. No wonder the clothes are different in shape." A staff officer stretched out his hand and listed with his fingers: "In other words, there is a regiment of the Ninth Division on the island. , two regiments of the 7th Division and the 24th Division, and a regiment of paratroopers, totaling about 15,000, as well as some tanks. "

Zhou Changfeng pondered: "It's a bit slow to advance like this little by little. We can consider maneuvering to divide and outflank them and see if we can eat thousands of people."

The officers present were talking to each other, expounding their respective views - where to choose a breakthrough? How to choose the detour depth and route?

"By the way, didn't Xia Jinbo say the day before yesterday that he was going to prepare for another big attack? How are the preparations going?" Zhou Changfeng suddenly asked.

"Oh, the fleet is fine." Someone replied: "But the Air Force said there is not enough ammunition, and they have to wait until the fleet arrives tomorrow to complete the supply."

The scope of activities of the US military aviation has been compressed to the east of Oahu, and the Ming Dynasty Navy plans to go further.

Song Zhongkai and Ouyang Zhanghua planned to carry out another rapid and large-scale air strike, attacking Kahului on Maui Island and Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii, destroying port terminals and airports, and minimizing and blocking the shipping supply of the US military.

Under the hazy moonlight, gunshots and explosions could be heard from time to time from the direction of the land. They were the noises caused by the scouts and patrols from both sides.

Just after midnight, Zhou Changfeng, who had made a draft of the attack plan, ate a can of yellow peach with great satisfaction, and then went to bed.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he closed his eyes, he was startled by the sound of a cannon.

The entire fleet of officers and men who were taking turns to rest were awakened. The heavy cruiser Kunlun Mountain fired warning shots, two yellow flares shot into the night sky from her bridge, and the signal lights flashed to send out messages.

The Guantong soldier on the Lu Xun widened his eyes for fear of making a mistake, and then shouted loudly: "Multiple unknown ships have been detected at the fifty-fifth degree direction. They are 19 kilometers away and cannot be seen. First-class alert, combat deployment."

(End of this chapter)