afterglow

Chapter 678: Airborne Raid; Bright Red Sun

从1月26日至2月7日，莫卡普登陆战前后历时十二天，美军仅地面部队总伤亡便有1.05万人，墨西哥和秘鲁仆从军总伤亡亦有约3000人。

The area east of the Ko'olau Ridge is relatively flat and lacks depth. The straight-line distance from the foot of the mountain to the beach is only four or five kilometers.

Tactically speaking, this area is not suitable for strict defense. Zhou Changfeng's pre-war idea was to use an infantry division and a small number of armored units to provide medium-intensity resistance here, and then retreat after suffering most of the casualties. It is expected that six or seven thousand enemies could be killed or wounded.

However, plans cannot keep up with changes. The 22nd Division was determined and fought tenaciously. They fought to the death and the results far exceeded expectations. Of course, this was also because Zhou Changfeng's pre-war estimate was relatively conservative.

From the perspective of the US military, even if they had an absolute advantage in manpower without complete air superiority and without the interference of the Ming army's main fleet, ground combat would still be very difficult, not to mention that the vassal troops also shared many casualties.

This fact is frustrating for both the House and Senate on Capitol Hill.

After the Battle of Tarawa, everyone knew that the Ming army was a tough nut to crack, but many confident politicians remained optimistic, believing that the U.S. military would definitely make progress after summarizing its experience and lessons.

This confidence comes from simple patriotism and strong industrial strength.

However, the landing battle that just ended dashed everyone's hopes and expectations.

The U.S. military has indeed improved, but there is no obvious generation gap. Since most of its surging industrial strength is invested in the European battlefield, the small part used in the Pacific battlefield cannot form an absolute advantage.

The hawkish elements who advocated driving the Ming army back to the Mariana Islands remained silent for a while.

After several days of noise, Oahu has become quiet again, which makes people feel a little uncomfortable.

Taking a break from his busy schedule, Zhou Changfeng took advantage of this precious quiet time to have a good sleep.

"Commander-in-chief, Xia Jinbo called to express his gratitude."

Someone handed me a telegram from the Fleet Admiralty and I bowed and left.

After reading it quickly, Zhou Changfeng said casually, "Forget about thanking me. The Air Force and the Navy fought so hard, so thank them and give them a special reward."

The Navy should of course thank the Hawaiian shore-based aviation forces. The huge losses in attacking the US fleet were quite painful even for the shore-based aircraft, not to mention the carrier-based aircraft.

The USS Saratoga was severely damaged and the USS Bunker Hill was sunk, which temporarily reduced the number of available aircraft carriers of the US military. If there is another aircraft carrier confrontation, the basic advantage of the US side will increase by a few points.

A few more days passed in silence until a seemingly ordinary dawn.

In the early morning of February 2, on Hill 14 in the middle of Koala Ridge, several Ming army artillerymen were preparing breakfast, while the others were either storing ammunition boxes or sleeping.

When attacking Oahu, Zhou had the unique idea of ​​sending several rotorcraft, disassembling the light mountain artillery into several parts and then lifting them to the top of the Ko'olau Ridge, from which he could bombard the rear of the US military defense line from a high vantage point and achieved considerable results.

Now, when defending Oahu, the Ming army used the same trick again, carefully selecting locations before the battle and building three mountaintop artillery positions.

In addition to the Hill 585 of that year, Hills 676 and 620 were newly added. Each artillery position was located on the reverse slope of the mountain top, equipped with two 128mm heavy mortars and two anti-aircraft machine guns. The circular mortar bunker was half buried in the ground and surrounded by concrete to form a protective wall.

Helicopters are now in service in small numbers. Although early helicopters using piston engines had very weak performance, they still have military value - the tactical significance of vertical deployment is enormous.

In the recent battle, these three commanding strongholds played a key role, killing a large number of enemy forces. Neither the US fleet nor aircraft were able to suppress these three tricky locations.

At this moment, a propeller noise suddenly came from the distance, like a helicopter?
"It's coming from the enemy-occupied area! It's an enemy plane!"

"When did the white devils get helicopters?!"

"Get the gun!"

At first, the Ming army soldiers thought it was their own helicopter delivering supplies, but soon someone discovered that it was an enemy plane coming from the east.

In order to deal with the thorn in its side, the U.S. military dispatched Company A of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, using the latest Sikorsky R-4 small helicopter to raid the Ming army's artillery positions on the top of the mountain.

Each small helicopter can only carry two crew members in addition to the pilot, so the general organization is not applicable. The four temporary teams A, B, C, and D are all composed of six people, and all members are equipped with M2 carbines and M12 bulletproof vests.

Due to the limited number of helicopters, the Ranger commander decided to raid only two targets, deploying one team at a time using three helicopters.

【Picture】

"Ding-deng-deng-"

Only one anti-aircraft machine gun had time to open fire. Amid the loud sound of strafing that echoed through the mountains, one of the helicopters immediately lost control, spinning and crashing into the valley with black smoke.

The other two helicopters rushed over and landed. Several Rangers jumped down when they were still three or four meters above the ground. The two sides then engaged in a fierce shootout.

Soon, the three helicopters of the second echelon also approached rapidly, and were inevitably strafed by the Ming army's artillery, but they still forced their way closer despite the dense bullets. The windshield of the front helicopter was completely shattered, and it crashed down, slid for more than ten meters on the top of the mountain, and caught fire. The surviving rangers were shot to death as soon as they climbed out of the wreckage.

The firefight lasted for an hour. During this time, seven or eight rangers used explosive packs to blow up a mortar bunker, but the subsequent attacks were repelled. Although the Ming army's artillery skills were poor, they could not withstand the rangers who had twice as many people.

After the team commander, Lieutenant Porter, was killed by a grenade, the remaining three people hurriedly found a less steep place and slid down the mountain.

Hill 676 here successfully repelled the U.S. attack, but Hill 620 in the northwest was not so lucky. It was captured before effective resistance could be organized.

Only two of the more than ten artillerymen hid behind the rocks beside the cliff and survived. The U.S. military then used helicopters to make continuous trips and transported a reinforced platoon to guard this hard-won stronghold.

"Good boy, this is interesting. Isn't this a case of internal conflict?"

Upon learning of this sudden situation, Zhou Changfeng was surprised but became excited.

He got a thorough understanding of the two simultaneous raids and then gathered a group of staff.

"It's very interesting and worth reviewing. These two battles should be used as sample battles for stronghold attack and defense in complex terrain in the future. This is also the first anti-helicopter airdrop operation."

"We need to quickly organize a capable team to take back Hill 620." Zhao Hanfeng said with some concern: "From that mountain, we can have a clear view of our defenses."

Zhou Changfeng thought for a moment, waved his hand and said, "It's not a good time to counterattack for now. The enemy above has also released dozens of people. Let's wait for a while."

Because of its vertical take-off and landing capabilities, helicopters can carry a certain amount of troops for rapid raids, and have a unique advantage of flexibility in complex terrain, posing a great threat. Anti-airborne and anti-airborne landing are important components of defense tactics in later generations, but it is clear that countries around the world are still blank in this area.

Generally speaking, there are three main points:
One of the key points is the deployment of air defense weapons. Reasonable deployment of anti-aircraft machine guns and small-caliber anti-aircraft guns can effectively intercept helicopter formations.

The second key point is to place obstacles, such as barbed wire, piles, and mines at the landing site where the enemy helicopter may land, to prevent the enemy helicopter from landing.

The third key point is to reserve mobile forces. Once enemy helicopter operations are discovered, the mobile forces can respond quickly and attack the enemy that has not yet established a firm foothold.

The Ming army was equipped with anti-aircraft machine guns at the three mountaintop artillery positions 585, 676, and 620, which obviously played a role. Of course, the original intention was only to fight against the US fixed-wing aircraft.

Zhou Changfeng talked for a while, and finally concluded succinctly: "Although helicopters have a small number of passengers, their greatest advantage is flexibility. The two old sayings 'Quality is more important than quantity' and 'Speed ​​is more important than quantity' can prove this. Therefore, anti-helicopter tactics should be taken seriously. As for the guidance manual in this regard... you guys should divide it up and compile an outline as soon as possible."

Because of the temporary lack of ability to recapture Hill 620, the Ming army on Oahu remained inactive and only sent a small number of aircraft for bombing until February 2.

The Hawaiian Corps specially transferred two gunboats from the mainland. There were only a few Type 40 seaplanes that had been converted into heavy-duty gunboats left. Due to the increased intensity of the war, the Ming Air Force stopped purchasing gunboats with great limitations very early on.

After making preparations, the Ming army used the two to provide direct air-to-ground fire support, annihilated and suppressed the US troops on the top of the mountain. Dozens of officers and soldiers from the 1st Marine Brigade's Reconnaissance Battalion then landed in multiple helicopters, wiped out the remaining enemies in one fell swoop and recaptured the high ground.

On that day, the 1st Marine Division and the 4th Mexican Division launched a tentative attack on Kahuku Cape, a major transportation route in the north, but were strongly blocked by the th Regiment of the th Division and quickly abandoned the action.

From then on, there were no major moves by the Ming and American armies on Oahu, and the war situation returned to calm.

After the failed attempt, the US military began to prepare for the possible naval battle that might come later. Once the main fleet of the Ming army appeared again, their own fleet would have no time to defend the sea transportation line.

In order to ensure that the 100,000 troops on Oahu would not fall into the dilemma of lack of ammunition and food at that time, Simon Buckner urged the Pacific Fleet to transport military supplies with all its strength every day, and to stockpile tens of thousands of tons at all costs.

The days in the context of war were extremely boring. Day after day, the two armies faced each other across the mountains, and the Koala Ridge became a natural barrier blocking the bloody battle between the two sides.

The Ming army's shore-based aviation force, which had been silent for more than ten days, began to act again, but the scale of the attack was much smaller. From the previous large-scale attacks, it became a small-scale, high-frequency, and endless harassment of the US military.

On February 2, after completing the handover work, Zhou Changfeng returned to Beijing by special plane to report on his work.

It is easy to forget the four seasons if you stay in Hawaii for a long time. Although Nanjing is already the turn of winter and spring, the north wind blowing in the morning is still mixed with a bit of chill.

When he got off the shuttle bus and was about to enter the Qianqing Gate, Zhou Changfeng saw from afar Luo Fu, who was also going to meet the emperor. The latter was walking and chatting with a general beside him.

"...I can only say that the British are indeed shameless. The British Indian authorities are levying heavy taxes and extorting money like this, which really shows that they do not treat the local people as human beings."

"What? The Indu famine has not been curbed?" Zhou Changfeng suddenly spoke.

Luo Fu was startled by the voice for a moment, then turned around and said happily, "Oh? Our General Zhou is back? What a rare guest!"

He continued with disdain, "That's not right. The Governor's Intelligence Office estimates that the food deficit in India this quarter is upwards of 1.2 million metric tons. However, in order to supply military needs, we still have to collect the full amount according to the same period last year. I'm afraid there will be starvation everywhere."

"In fact, the navy can take it slow and not rush to the Pacific. It can first go to Ceylon to deal with the British Far East Fleet, and then, as Mei Chaoyin suggested, open up a second front in India and everything will be fine." Zhou Changfeng said.

Afterwards, several people walked into the Zhaoren Hall one by one to meet the emperor and report on their work.

Zhu Lingjing was wearing a navy blue dress which was unusual today. She looked solemn and dignified, but her words and expression were very relaxed.

After a series of questions and answers, and after learning about the specific situation on Oahu, she said thoughtfully: "It would be better if we could drive them all into the sea, but this situation is fine for now."

"We can't do anything. The eastern region is easy to attack (from the sea) but difficult to defend. To counterattack against the enemy fleet's firepower is to die in vain. When the enemy fleet withdraws, there are only narrow roads in the north and south and the mountain pass in the middle to pass. At most, we can deploy one battalion to attack. There is no hope."

"Yeah, that's right." Zhu Lingjing nodded slightly, and then said calmly: "If we hadn't failed to capture Maui Island, I would have thought of allowing you to be promoted last year. It has been delayed until now, and the Council of State has also recognized it."

Seeing that she was in a good mood, Zhou Changfeng pretended to be serious and said, "Your Majesty, I remember you said there was more than that before?"

Zhu Lingjing glared at him, "Are you still anxious? There's nothing wrong with being promoted to a noble, but the time is not right yet. Since ancient times, rewards for merit must wait until the dust settles after the war."

Vice Admiral!

Generals were very rare in the Ming army. A brigadier general was actually equivalent to a major general. Lieutenant general was the highest rank in the Ming Empire's army. In peacetime, only the commander-in-chief of the three armies, also known as the grand governor, was a general.

Seeing that he was distracted, Zhu Lingjing asked with a smile: "What's wrong? Are you still feeling a little melancholy?"

Zhou Changfeng sighed with emotion: "It has been almost eight years since 1936. Time flies."

"Under normal circumstances, eight years is only enough for you to go from major to colonel."

"really."

"Okay, go back and spend some time with your lovely wife. The day after tomorrow, follow me to Anxi."

The moment he heard this, a vague guess emerged in Zhou Changfeng's mind. He asked doubtfully, "Going to Anxi? Your Majesty, you are going too? Could it be..."

"I've been busy with government affairs for the past few months, so I need to take a few days off." Zhu Lingjing calmly tapped her palm with the folded fan and smiled, "Just as you guessed, the things are being assembled. The daughter of a wealthy family will also get married, so I naturally want to see the treasure that the whole country has worked so hard to create."

As she spoke, she pointed with her folding fan at the report placed on a corner of the imperial desk.

"It went so smoothly? I came back just in time." Zhou Changfeng muttered. He could hardly hide his excitement. He stood there for three seconds before reaching out to pick up the report.

"Things are not going well. Six people died tragically in an accident at the beginning of the month. Otherwise it could have been faster." Zhu Lingjing said nonchalantly.

Zhou Changfeng nodded and put the report with "Destroy after reading" printed at the end into the shredder beside him.

The bright morning light slanted in through the window. He turned his head and looked up, only to see a red sun rising.

Zhu Lingjing yawned and said lazily, "It was cloudy the past few days, but the sun is out today."

"The sun is shining." Zhou Changfeng raised his hand to cover his eyes and said with a smile, "Let's go watch the sunrise."

(End of this chapter)