ATPnovel Chapter 212 Shocks the Principal for a Whole Year, Severely Damaging the Japanese Fleet
Chapter 212 Shocks the Principal for a Whole Year, Severely Damaging the Japanese Fleet
In the midst of the violent explosion, the terrifying shockwave turned everything to dust, and blood and bits of flesh mixed with the river water, staining large areas of the river surface red.
The entire surface of the Yangtze River had now turned into a boiling cauldron of oil.
The continuous explosions of mines and the deafening roar of Japanese warships' ammunition depots echoed one after another, making one's eardrums ache.
The towering flames illuminated the night as if it were daytime, and the raging fires scorched the river surface.
One after another, gunboats, transport ships, and troop carriers broke apart, burned, and slowly sank to the bottom of the river amidst explosions.
The river was littered with floating Japanese soldiers, broken planks, twisted steel debris, and spreading oil and blood.
Those Japanese soldiers who managed to escape from the sunken ship and fall into the river were also trapped in this deadly trap.
Amid the chaos, ships continued to pass by, triggering new magnetic mines and causing violent explosions to erupt one after another on the river.
Many Japanese soldiers who fell into the water were right in the center of the blast zone and were instantly blown dozens of meters into the air by the terrifying shockwave.
Their bodies, like fish and shrimp in the water, were torn to pieces by the shockwave, turning into a rain of blood that fell back into the murky river.
The icy river water, the continuous explosions, and the pervasive death turned this river into a hell for the Japanese army.
On the hidden position on the river embankment, Long Wenzhang held up binoculars, looking at the hell on earth on the river surface. His hand holding the binoculars trembled slightly.
Yan Junchi and the soldiers around him held their breath, their eyes filled with shock and excitement as they looked at the scene before them.
No one spoke; only the continuous explosions on the river echoed in their ears.
Long Wenzhang slowly lowered his binoculars, looked at the burning Japanese warships on the river, and let out a long breath that he had been holding for a long time.
His eyes reflected the towering flames, and also held an indescribable excitement.
The continuous explosions still echoed on the river, and scalding blasts of air, carrying river water, splashed in all directions.
The war photographer who accompanied the army was crouching down and hiding behind the earthen slope of the river embankment.
He held the camera tightly to his chest, and with the help of the flash from the explosion, he pressed the shutter again and again.
The footage shows Japanese warships burning fiercely on the river, along with the outlines of ships sinking continuously.
Every photograph will become the most irrefutable evidence of this great victory.
In the Third Column headquarters, hundreds of miles away, the telegraph machine beeped incessantly.
Li Jianghe stood in front of a huge battle map, an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
When the messenger rushed in and handed him the urgent telegram from Long Wenzhang, his heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled down.
He held the edge of the telegram and read it over and over again.
"We won! This battle was a resounding victory for us!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Chengshan, the commander of the tank detachment, slapped his thigh and his loud voice boomed out.
He was a burly man with a thick beard covered in dust, and his shout was so loud it seemed to shake the dust off the roof.
"Hey Lao Bai, can you keep your voice down? If I keep talking to you, I'll go deaf sooner or later."
Yang Ruifu, standing to the side, covered his ears and shook his head helplessly, but his face was full of undisguised smiles.
Li Jianghe raised his hand to signal the two to be quiet, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity.
"In any case, this battle has finally given our brothers on the front lines an explanation."
"The Japanese army's deployment of such a large fleet to Jiujiang is clearly intended to coordinate with the army in launching a large-scale counter-offensive."
He raised his hand and glanced at the system interface in front of him; the merit points on it were still jumping up and down wildly.
Every tick of the number meant that panicked Japanese soldiers were drowning in the river.
The Yangtze River is wide and vast, and there's a major plot twist! Watch now. Even the best swimmers would find it difficult to cross here.
Moreover, for these Japanese sailors who were blown to bits and panicked, drowning was already their inevitable fate.
Although this battle consumed a large number of magnetic mines, it ultimately earned him at least 100,000 merit points.
It wasn't that we didn't destroy enough Japanese warships; it was simply that these magnetic mines were far too expensive to manufacture.
A single mine costs hundreds of merit points, not to mention blocking the entire waterway and laying minefields, which requires more than 20,000 merit points.
Meanwhile, inside the Wuhan headquarters, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt as if it had frozen in place.
A huge battle map hangs on the wall, its battle line markings unchanged for days.
The principal, dressed in a sharp Zhongshan suit and leaning on his iconic cane, stood in front of the map.
His face was so dark it looked like it could drip water, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were filled with barely concealed anxiety.
"It has been fully confirmed that the Japanese 11th Squadron set sail from Nanjing at noon."
"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to reach the front lines in Jiujiang by daybreak."
Commander He stood to the side, holding the intelligence telegram in his hand, his expression equally grave.
He bowed slightly and handed over the telegram, his voice low and somewhat powerless.
"This fleet is extremely large, with nearly a hundred ships of various sizes, including more than ten heavy river gunboats."
"It is equipped with large-caliber naval guns. A single salvo can provide firepower equivalent to a heavy artillery corps."
The principal took the telegram, glanced at it briefly, and his brows furrowed even more.
"They're reinforcing troops on land and at sea! The Japanese are determined to launch a major counter-offensive in Jiujiang!"
Commander He nodded in agreement, his voice filled with even more worry.
"You're right. The key issue is that our army suffered heavy losses in its elite troops during the previous series of counterattacks."
"If the Japanese launch a full-scale counterattack at this moment, we will probably have no choice but to retreat temporarily and shrink our defensive line."
The principal let out a heavy sigh, leaning on his walking stick, and paced back and forth in his spacious office.
The leather shoes made a dull thud as they stepped on the floor.
Finally, he stopped, pressed his cane heavily on the location of Jiujiang on the map, and spoke in a deep voice.
"Did Li Jianghe's Third Column, the troops stationed in the Jiujiang area, participate in the previous counterattack operations?"
Upon hearing this, Commander He stammered and hesitated for a long time before finally replying.
"Um... the battle orders were sent out a long time ago, but their troops have never been transferred to the Huangmei front."
"As you know, Chairman Chiang, the Third Column is Commander Li's direct subordinate in the Fifth War Zone. The Fifth War Zone will never agree to send them as cannon fodder."
Upon hearing this, the principal immediately sneered, his face full of anger.
"Disagree? Fine, that's insubordination! Let's not worry about that now, but I'll settle this score with you later!"
Just as he was using the opportunity to vent his frustrations and plotting how to offset Li Jianghe's credit afterward, the office door was suddenly kicked open.
A communications soldier ran in, panting, stood at attention, saluted, and his voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Reporting to the Chairman! Urgent telegram from the Fifth Theater Command!"
"The 5th Engineer Battalion of the 3rd Column infiltrated the waters around Zhanghu Town to lay mines, severely damaging the Japanese 11th Squadron!"
「此战共击沉日军炮舰7艘、击伤3艘，击沉运兵船3艘、运输船10艘，其余各型舰船14艘！」
"What!?"
The principal and Commander He exclaimed in surprise almost simultaneously.
The two men stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief, as if they hadn't heard clearly.
The principal's walking stick clattered to the floor as he rushed forward and snatched the telegram.
"Give it to me! Let me see it!"