1627 Rise of the South China Sea

Chapter 391 The Allies Arrive
Since the first use of shotgun shells in the Battle of Lijiazhuang in May last year, the huge lethality of this new artillery shell at close range has made it popular with the army.Since the executive committee has always been strict in its review of military expenditures, the military committee also insists on taking the route of elite troops. The Haihan militia is often at a clear disadvantage in terms of strength when fighting, so it must rely more on weapon performance and tactical formulation, Execute superiority to win.In addition to the new breech-loading rifles, shotgun shells that can be fired from the Army's existing artillery are also weapons that the Army relies heavily on.

"The second battalion and the first company retreated to rest, and the second battalion and the second company entered the battle position!"

Following the orders of the messengers, the combat company that had stood on the ground for a whole morning began to retreat in an orderly manner, and other companies took their place.The withdrawn troops must first check their firearms, clean their chambers, count and replenish ammunition, then eat immediately to replenish energy, and take the time to rest.

The personnel on the artillery positions have been in a state of shortage, and there is no way to replace them. At this time, they also seized the gap between the fighting and stopped to rest for a while.However, their treatment is much better than that of ordinary infantry. The hot meals have been packaged properly, and the civilian husbands use poles to carry them directly to the artillery positions for them to eat.In order to ensure that the nearly 3000 combatants of the frontline troops can eat hot food on time, Heitu Port began to stockpile coal in Yong'an Port as early as the end of last year, and then arranged for two cargo ships to transport coal from Yong'an Port to the war zone after the war broke out. use.

Although this logistics supply method seems troublesome and costly, it has a very practical effect on the combat effectiveness of combat troops.For such thousands of people to eat, the daily fuel consumption is not a small amount. If there is no stable logistics support, there will be big troubles.What's more, the South Vietnamese Army had already cut down all the trees within ten miles outside the city. It was impossible to use local materials to find fuel.

The more than 100 artillery cadets who accompanied the team took advantage of the truce to clean and scrub the gun bores and count the supplementary ammunition. Although they did clumsy work, these cadets were not treated as ordinary migrant workers. .Each of them is the best selected from the newly recruited soldiers at the end of last year. They are flexible and courageous enough.And their professional skills training was also taken over by Portuguese military consultants hired from Macau last year. Due to the increase in the number of instructors, the training speed of artillery has also doubled compared to before.This time they went to South Vietnam, and the Military Commission also included them in the battle list. On the one hand, they were able to see the real battlefield, and on the other hand, they could be added to the main army when necessary.Although the sighting and aiming skills of these students may not be very good, it is not a big problem to use it as a loader.

In the afternoon of the same day, the South Vietnamese Army launched two more offensives, but under the long-range firepower of the Haihan militia, they could only return without success, which only increased the casualties of hundreds of people.Before nightfall, the South Vietnamese army finally gave up the riverside position that they had been fighting for for two days, because this place was completely within the range of the Haihan militia, and there was no shelter for the troops stationed on this position to block it. The enemy's shooting vision is like meat on a chopping board, which is defenseless.

However, although the Haihan militia's offensive is relatively smooth, not everything is under control, and uncontrollable factors still exist objectively.At the combat meeting of the frontline headquarters that night, the atmosphere was very dignified.

"Maybe there will be large-scale rainfall within two days? Is this thing 50% reliable?" Qiao Zhiya asked suspiciously while looking at the latest report in his hand, frowning.

"If we talk about the scientific basis, I'm afraid no one can come up with it now. After all, there are no weather satellites in the sky. This is just an inference based on comprehensive information from all aspects, and it can only be used as a reference." Qian Tiandun seemed not in a hurry. Slow down, it seems that he has already known the contents of the report.

This weather forecast comes from the logistics department, and its information sources are also varied.There are not only speculations made by weather enthusiasts in the army based on changes in cloud cover and air pressure, but also reference information provided by Annan soldiers who are familiar with the weather in Indochina Peninsula based on their body sensations, and even confessions from captured prisoners-in early March in Hue Province in previous years There will always be several heavy rains that last for several days in the nearby area.These inferences lacking data support are naturally not very scientific, but no one can deny that the possibility of such weather changes exists objectively.

For the Haihan Militia, which has installed firearms on a large scale, rainy weather is undoubtedly the objective factor that most restricts combat effectiveness.Although the muskets used by the militia now use breech loading and cap firing, there is still a high possibility that the gunpowder will be damp and unable to fire in rainy weather.Not to mention the guns filled with gunpowder, if the rain is too heavy and the gun barrel is flooded, it will not be possible to fire the gun at all.And if you want to start a hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, then the Haihan militia is really not enough.

"It's better to believe in something than in nothing. We don't fight unprepared battles. No matter whether it will rain or not, making full preparations is the foundation of our invincibility." Yan Chujie quickly gave this The matter is settled: "The staff department also has a combat plan to deal with weather changes before departure. Just adjust the tactics according to the plan. The relevant materials will be shipped overnight and will be shipped to the front-line positions tomorrow morning. It is necessary to ensure the safety of the front-line troops." Combat power is not affected by the weather!"

Although the rainy season in the Indochina Peninsula is from May to November, and it has not yet entered the real rainy season, when the staff was formulating the combat plan, they still took into account the uncertain factor of weather changes and formulated corresponding battle plan.Although the firearms and artillery currently listed do not have the performance to be used in the rain, but some simple technical means must be used to ensure the environment in which the weapon is used, and the relevant departments can still achieve it.

To put it bluntly, this so-called technical means is actually nothing mysterious. It is nothing more than building a rainproof shelter on the position to block the rain from the sky as much as possible.The logistics department prepared a large number of tarpaulin awnings and cloaks in the combat materials when they set off, just for the unexpected needs when the weather changes.After more than ten days of fighting, these things finally came in handy.

The next morning, the South Vietnamese Army, who was observing the enemy's situation on the tower, suddenly discovered that the Haihan people had no intention of continuing to launch an offensive today. Instead, they started construction on their own positions, digging ditches and laying piles. What's the point.

The foggy South Vietnamese army couldn't understand, but the Haihan militia members already knew why they did these things.Qiao Zhiya, who was originally an engineer when he joined the army, personally guided the civilians and engineers to dig drainage ditches on the positions to ensure that several main firepower output points would not be submerged by ground water even in rainy days.Needless to say, the wooden piles buried on the ground are used to build the canopy.

Soon, tarpaulins were used to set up canopies above the firepower output point. At this time, the South Vietnamese Army, which had been in the fog on the city tower, finally understood that the Haihan people were building rainproof facilities.The South Vietnamese Army, also aware of the signs of weather changes, chose to stay dormant on this day, and quietly watched the Haihan people continue to expand the area covered by the canopy on the position.There are not so many firearms in the South Vietnamese Army, and the impact of rainy weather on combat effectiveness will definitely be less than that of the opponent. Instead of launching an attack now, it is better to wait until after the rain. Maybe the firearms that the Haihan people are famous for will lose their effect. won.

By the time the sun went down, a canopy of tarpaulin awnings had appeared on the periphery of Haihan's position, covering all the firepower output points under it.As for the surrounding camps, there were not many changes, because the texture of military marching tents was originally waterproof tarpaulin, and it was enough to dig deep drainage ditches outside the tents.

At noon on March [-], the sky suddenly became gloomy. Thick dark clouds shrouded Hue City, and the wind gradually picked up.Seeing that the heavy rain is coming, the Haihan position is busy, making final preparations for the upcoming weather changes.

"Here, use another rope to reinforce it!" Qiao Zhiya pointed to a canopy and instructed the foreman behind him.As the person in charge of the construction of the rainproof facilities, Qiao Zhiya is still checking for leaks and filling vacancies in the field, striving to be foolproof.

In addition to the wooden pile supports for the canopy on the position, the tarpaulins were also tied to the large iron nails nailed into the ground with ropes to prevent the tarpaulins from being easily blown away by the strong wind.All kinds of combat materials, especially guns and ammunition, are all wrapped in oilcloth and stored under the canopy to prevent them from being affected by water or moisture.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, after a burst of thunder resounded across the sky, soybean-sized raindrops finally fell from the sky, crackling and hitting the canopy.Almost all the officers looked up at the sky, as if they wanted to use their naked eyes to see how much rainwater was overhead.

However, until everyone's necks were sore, the rain did not decrease at all, but continued to increase.If the drainage ditches on the position had not been widened and deepened in advance, I am afraid that Zeguo would already be a part of it at this time.But even so, this torrential rain has already made the warring parties lose the possibility of fighting at this time. The only thing that Haihan's side is thankful for is that the torrential rain did not come at the same time as the strong wind, otherwise the rope-reinforced troops on the ground would Whether the canopy will stand the test is hard to say.

Until it got dark, because the rain did not decrease, the South Vietnamese Army did not choose to attack, so it was still another day of delay.

At noon on the [-]th, the rain gradually subsided, and the South Vietnamese army seized this opportunity and launched another attack on the Haihan position.But to the despair of the South Vietnamese army, the weapons used by the Haihan militia were not greatly affected by the sudden heavy rain. The artillery and guns were still successfully fired without accident, and the South Vietnamese army who launched an attack in the rain The fight was so loud that the militia retreated almost at the same time as the militia opened fire, and the attack was terminated after only one round of attack.And because the surrounding terrain had become very muddy, the militiamen were not in a hurry to continue advancing the front line, so the day's battle came to an end.

Fortunately, the heavy rain came to an end after one night, and the officers of the militia finally did not have to worry that the rain would continue to delay the progress of the war.On the morning of the 2000th, the militia infantry stepped on the mud and launched a new round of attacks, advancing along the banks of the Xiangjiang River towards the walls of Hue City.The South Vietnamese army of about [-] who tried to stop the militia had to give way under the collective shooting of muskets.

However, the command of the South Vietnamese Army did not think about it at all. Taking advantage of the two-day truce in the middle, several cannons were transported from the city walls in other non-combat directions, and they were placed on the northeast corner fort that had been bombarded by concentrated fire before. Go up and counterattack the militia infantry outside the city.It has to be said that this move was slightly beyond the expectations of the militia commanders. After several shells flew into the infantry array of the militia and knocked over several soldiers, the officer quickly ordered the infantry to retreat to a safe distance. , Then mobilize artillery to fight.

Due to the muddy ground, it took a lot of effort to push the heavy artillery to the front line. Although the distance was only a few hundred meters, it took a full two hours for more than a dozen artillery to be in place. The fort launched a concentrated attack.The artillery on the city wall suffers from a relatively short range, so they can't confront the Haihan artillery outside the city, so they can only be beaten passively in a depressed manner.

It is worth mentioning that the 48-pound siege mortar that arrived at the front line just before the heavy rain finally made its debut in this battle, and quickly reimbursed a cannon on the fort on the city wall with a precise hit. and seven gunners.Before dark, the intensive artillery strikes had completely silenced the northeast corner fort again, but the offensive that Haihan was trying to launch did not make any real progress because of this.

But just one day later, the situation changed again.The North Vietnamese Army chasing all the way from the north skipped Guangzhi City without fighting, and has marched to less than [-] miles west of Hue City. connect.

This time, the total strength of the North Vietnamese Army crossing Donghai and going south to pursue it exceeds 4000. Although there are inevitably a considerable number of peasants and soldiers with low combat effectiveness, there are also 1 soldiers. *** Elite.About [-] people in this army stayed in the north to surround Guangzhi City, and the rest of the troops were led by the North Vietnamese General Zheng Bai all the way south and rushed to the outside of Hue City.

Zheng Bo led his army southward in such a hurry, and even skipped the siege of Guangzhi City and did not attack. On the one hand, it was because the credit for attacking Hue City should not be missed, and on the other hand, he was a little afraid that the Haihan people would attack Hue City Then do a looting, as they did in Hoi An.

This kind of thing is not impossible. Given the way the Haihan people do things, they would probably be happy to ship all the wealth in Hue to Qiongzhou Island.But now the North Vietnam court regards the South Vietnam region as its own, so naturally they don’t want to let the Haihan people eat alone in Hue City—every tael of silver in this city will be the property of the North Vietnam court from now on!

Zheng Bai sent someone to contact the Haihan militia, first to inform his allies that our army has arrived, so please don't mess around, and secondly, he wanted to ask Haihan for some supplies.The North Vietnamese army was eager to come to participate in the battle against Hue City. The speed of the army moving south was too fast. It took only two days to rush over the 120 miles, so that all the logistics supplies were left far behind.The military rations they carry now are only enough for three days, and the ammunition reserves are quite limited. If they want to fight high-intensity battles, they may not be enough.

For the request of the allies, the frontline command still agreed to help, and was willing to temporarily provide part of the military rations and combat supplies.Of course, this kind of front-line assistance is not free. The value of every grain of rice and every bullet will be included in the military settlement of both parties after the war.In addition, the transportation capacity of the transportation materials must be solved by the North Vietnamese side themselves. The Haihan militia will not use limited manpower to wipe the ass of the North Vietnamese army.

However, due to the unexpected arrival of the North Vietnamese Army, the command had to make small adjustments to the lone combat plan previously formulated.Although it is not difficult to take down Hue City alone, but since the allied troops have arrived nearby and have shown a strong willingness to participate in the war, it is not easy for Haihan to make the appearance too ugly.As for how to reap the benefits after the city is broken, it seems that it can only take one step at a time.But even if the North Vietnamese Army participated in the siege, the headquarters also believed that they would not be able to break through the city defenses before the Haihan militia. Some things must be done quickly, and whoever advances to the city will gain more benefits.

On March [-]th, the military chiefs of North Vietnam and Haihan met in a small village fifteen miles north of Hue City.This area has long been cleared by the Haihan militia, so neither side brought too many armed entourages. Yan Chujie only brought Qian Tiandun and a guard by his side.

After the two sides met, they exchanged a few brief greetings, and then informed each other of their experience and results since the start of the war.The Haihan militia successfully pushed the front line to less than 300 meters from the city wall outside Hue City, and killed and wounded more than 20 South Vietnamese troops during the 4000-day battle.

The achievements of the North Vietnamese army are also worthy of flaunting. They defeated the 3000 South Vietnamese troops who stayed there in the battle of crossing the river in Donghai, and chased the defeated troops all the way to Guangzhi City, and finally fled into Guangzhi City. There were probably less than a thousand defeated soldiers, and the rest either died in battle or became prisoners of the North Vietnamese army.Although Guangzhi City has not yet been taken, the defenders in the city are less than [-] people, and there is no actual threat.Zheng Bai planned to take Hue, and then draw some troops back to attack Quang Zhi, which should be a sure thing.

(End of this chapter)