Chapter 273 The action begins
In the first half of 1628, the entire crossing group was busy completing preparations for the next overseas military operation. It was no less busy than the period before the Black Earth Port colonization operation started in July last year.
Most of the more than 20 sailing ships under the Ministry of Shipping have gathered at Victory Port and Heitu Port. For this reason, the two routes between Victory Port and Guangzhou and Heitu Port have been temporarily suspended. Not all of these ships will be put into action, but the transportation plan made by the Ministry of Shipping has still set aside a few ships for maneuvering in case of emergency.
There are still more than 1,400 tons of coal stored in Victory Port. Even if the black soil port coal shipping route is temporarily suspended, there is no need to worry about a local coal shortage within two months. As for Guangzhou, because a large number of merchants have recently prepared their own ships to cross the sea to trade in Victory Port, there will not be any major problems in the transportation and throughput of goods in the short term. Since the local output of industrial products is still very limited, ships returning to the mainland from Victory Port generally have a large number of empty cabins. Materials that need to be sent to the Guangdong Office from the base camp can also be temporarily rented from some closely related merchants for shipment.
The carpentry workshops and shipyards in Port Victory worked all night and around the clock to add deck gun mounts to these cargo ships. Due to technical reasons, the ships anchored at Black Earth Port cannot undergo such wartime modifications and can only be used as pure transportation vehicles. But from another perspective, even if all cargo ships can be modified, there will not be so many gunners available. As of now, there are not many qualified gunners who have entered the formal establishment. This operation even had to temporarily requisition a group of rookie gunners who were still in the training period. They will be assigned to gun positions on each sailing ship, and the landing The combat mission will be completed by the newly formed artillery company.
It is also worth mentioning that at the beginning of the new year, the Military and Police Ministry once again recruited militiamen from the region, and relaxed the previous inherent quota restrictions. A large number of young people who have not yet obtained naturalized citizenship have chosen the "shortcut" of joining the Haihan Militia. ". In particular, the Li and Miao ethnic groups and the newly arrived North Vietnamese immigrants, under the conscious policy guidance of relevant departments, regard joining the army as the only way to make a fortune, and their enthusiasm for joining the army is very high. In just five days, four more companies of reservists were added to the subordinate establishment of the Military and Police Department. Even Yan Chujie, who had always been unsmiling, had become much more relaxed recently.
However, not all of the personnel recruited this time will enter the militia, but at least one-third will be diverted into the security department-that is, the police system that is already in the final preparation stage. With the rapid increase in the population of the controlled area, the original security team has become somewhat unsuitable in terms of the number of personnel and management authority. The Military and Police Department also believes that it is time to separate the functions of the military and police. Of course, this split does not mean to separate the police department from the current military and police department, but to adjust the internal administrative structure and add independent division-level units below the ministerial level to give the police system more internal functional authority. Of course, this organizational adjustment will have to wait for a while, and a decision will be made on this at the first anniversary meeting of Time Travel in two and a half months.
On January 16, departments at all levels of the Military and Police Department and the Ministry of Shipping began to hold mobilization meetings and make final arrangements for the action plan. The military appointed Yan Chujie as the commander-in-chief of this operation. Harugong, who had always been unknown, unexpectedly defeated many competitors to take the post of deputy commander-in-chief. Wang Tom, who had been highly popular before, took the post of chief of staff. At the same time, Fully responsible for communication between the military and the Ministry of Shipping. The other deputy commander-in-chief fell on Qian Tiandun in Heitu Port. As a candidate regarded by the Military and Police Department as a future general and the chief officer of the Heitu Port garrison, it is understandable that Qian Tiandun should take up this position.
At this time, it would definitely not be appropriate to tell the people below that we were conducting military exercises nearby. After all, this trip was not a trip that could be returned in two or three days. The new statement is that "a joint military exercise will be conducted with the Annan friendly forces on the coast of Annan in the near future." The specific location and exercise time will not be announced until the troops set off.
Under the supervision of the Executive Committee, the propaganda department also began to spread the word to the local people about the importance of maintaining trade with Annan. The Executive Committee believes that when the local people realize that the stability of North Vietnam will promote the economic development of the Victory Port area, they will be able to understand and support the subsequent military intervention of the Haihan Militia in North Annan.
In the past few days, Mu Xiabai and Feng Annan, who arrived at the war zone as the advance team, also continued to send briefings on the battle situation on the front line and the construction status of the temporary stronghold at Yong'an Port back to the base camp.
As long as the weather is fine, the South Vietnamese army has maintained a frequency of attacking the North Vietnamese defense lines at least once a day. As the casualties of the North Vietnamese regular army gradually increased, defense strength and morale also showed a downward trend. After all, being beaten passively every day, it would be difficult for any army to maintain high morale and combat effectiveness for a long time. During the battle that took place on January 13, the South Vietnamese infantry had even climbed up the wall of the last line of defense. If Zheng Bai had not been in charge personally, the enemy might have directly breached the mountain defense line. But even if the offensive was finally defended, the North Vietnamese defenders paid the price of thousands of casualties. The South Vietnamese army saw hope of breaking through the defense line, and from this day forward they further intensified their attacks on the mountain defense line. .
According to Zheng Bai's own estimation, the operational limit of the North Vietnamese defenders is probably around the end of the month. By then, the morale and material supply of the North Vietnamese Army will be at a low point. Once the mountain defense line is breached, it is very likely that the North Vietnamese Army will be defeated thousands of miles away - from now on Between the battle zone and Shenglong Mansion in the north, there is no natural barrier similar to this place that can be defended. The advance team's suggestion to the base camp is that it is best to have our reinforcements in place before the end of the month to prevent the war from getting out of hand.
On the other hand, the advance team's construction project at Yong'an Port is already underway. Zheng Bai kept his word, and the five hundred civilians he promised to assign to the advance team were in place the next day. Under the command of the engineers, they began to build the seaside trestle and pier, leveled the foundations needed for building warehouses and camps, and anchored two locations. Basic defenses were built at the southern pass. However, because these civilians lacked enough iron working tools, the progress of the project could only be described as slow. This was a situation that the advance team did not expect when they went south. However, after receiving the news, Heitu Port urgently recruited two hundred civilians engaged in infrastructure construction, brought a large number of tools and building materials, and rushed to Yong'an Port by boat for support.
The two companies at Black Tu Port have completed assembly and material preparation, and arrived at Do Son Peninsula in two large ships. They are currently seizing the time to conduct joint training exercises with the North Vietnamese musketeers in the training camp. The rest of the ships have basically been renovated, equipped with supplies and crews, and can set off from Black Earth Port at any time. While Qian Tiandun leads the militia on an expedition, Zhou Hengxing, the civil affairs chief, will temporarily serve as the local military chief. Logically speaking, this position should be held concurrently by the local chief executive, but the executive committee believed that Gu Kai's pacifist philosophy could easily lead him to make wrong judgments on the situation in this position. After careful consideration, it still handed over this temporary authority to Gu Kai. Zhou Hengxing.
Gu Kai did not show any dissatisfaction or resistance to this work arrangement. After all, he would not continue his position in Heitu Port. The preparations for the establishment of the judicial department were waiting for him to return to take charge of the overall situation. His future career direction was also unclear. Not in a small place like Black Earth Port. And he knew very well that the executive committee's favorite candidate for successor to Heitu Port was Zhou Hengxing, who had outstanding comprehensive abilities. It will also be beneficial for Zhou Hengxing to become familiar with the affairs of other departments earlier, which will help him successfully take over Gu Kai's position in the future.
On January 18, the preparations for the base camp finally came to an end, and the Executive Committee issued an order to the Military and Police Department to start "Operation Full Moon" - the so-called "Full Moon" is just a homonym for "direct aid to Vietnam". In the afternoon of the same day, the Executive Committee announced that the Victory Port area had entered a state of war readiness, and a curfew was imposed on the port area after 8 p.m. All non-duty personnel, including the Chuanchuanmen, were not allowed to enter or leave at will. This curfew will last until the militia groups go out. Until the troops return.
Doing so will definitely affect the business of various storefronts in the port business district that has just begun to operate, but it is indeed a helpless move. After the militia goes on an expedition, local defense will have to be borne by the original security team and part of the militia reserve, which will put greater pressure on public security. The Military and Police Department believes that a short-term curfew will help maintain local security, and the Executive Committee agreed to this approach after weighing the pros and cons. Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping, who had caught wind of the situation, offered to assist the Executive Committee in maintaining local security, but the Executive Committee had no intention of letting them intervene. Both of these guys are focused on money. No matter how obedient they are, they are still outside the system to the executive committee and cannot be fully trusted. The task that the Executive Committee can assign to them is to let the Inspection Department fill up the facade at the port terminal, and the navy's warships maintain a terrifying density of patrols in the offshore waters outside Victory Port. This is already the current limit. .
In the early morning of January 19th, the weather was fine. When the sky was just getting dark, the military camp on the east bank of Victory Port had completed the team assembly, including three infantry companies, an artillery company, and a comprehensive company composed of engineers, communications corps, medical corps, cooks and ordnance repair personnel, plus The two hundred civilians responsible for the logistics and baggage constituted the main force of this cross-sea expedition. If you include the officers at all levels who led them, the total number has exceeded 800. In addition to the combat personnel and civilians from Black Earth Port who will go to the war zone, as well as the crews and sailors of many ships participating in the war, this dispatch The total number of personnel exceeds 1,800, including about 800 combat personnel. The scale is also the largest external operation since time travel.
Due to confidentiality considerations, this expedition did not arrange a grand departure ceremony in Victory Port. All participants will board the ship directly at the camp pier and set off. Of course, this conscious low-key handling does not mean that the Executive Committee does not pay enough attention to it. On the contrary, all the Executive Committee members in Victory Port came to the camp dock early to practice for the soldiers who were about to leave.
As the de facto helmsman of the Crossing Group and a powerful figure in the military and police department, Tao Donglai also impromptuly delivered a passionate speech to encourage the soldiers of the militia: "...the significance of this operation is very far-reaching. Our Haihan militia has since The first battle since its establishment will most likely start in this operation! Everyone has been training here for half a year to several months. Have they already formed combat capabilities? Have they become the South China Sea region? The strongest team, I believe everyone can prove this to the executive committee! ”
It was only at this time that Tao Donglai mentioned to the militia soldiers for the first time in an official capacity that "a fighting might break out". However, the militia soldiers who were already in a state of excitement did not pay much attention to the meaning of this sentence. What are you wearing? Even if a few smart people notice this detail, there is no chance for them to regret it now. There are so many military orders, and whoever wants to retreat before the battle at this time will have to resort to military law.
Although the Executive Committee has great confidence in the combat effectiveness of the militiamen, it does not have much confidence in the psychological state of the militiamen. After all, it was the first time for these militiamen to set foot on the battlefield. The Executive Committee was worried that letting them know the news in advance would increase their psychological burden. In addition, due to the need for confidentiality, the truth of the matter began to be revealed bit by bit just before departure.
After Tao Donglai's speech, a simple flag-giving ceremony was held. Tao Donglai handed the red flag symbolizing the crossing of the regime to the commander-in-chief Yan Chujie. Since the Haihan militiamen would not reveal their identity on the battlefield during this operation, there was no text or graphic logo on the military flag. However, even so, it attracted a burst of cheers from the militiamen who lined up to watch the ceremony.
After the process was completed, each company filed onto the sailboat under the command of the officers. In addition to the muskets on their shoulders and the bayonets on their waists, each of the militiamen also carried a backpack containing a thin cloth blanket, a tin lunch box, a cowhide water bag, and a combat base of ammunition. , as well as a small amount of wound medicine, matches and other items.
The equipment of the officers who traveled through time was much more advanced. They were basically armaments and weapons purchased collectively by the Preparatory Committee before traveling through time. There are more than 30 members of the Chuanchuanmen who are accompanying the team on this expedition, and all officers at the company and platoon level are members of the Chuanchuanmen. In addition, personnel in special departments such as communications and medical care are also held in leadership positions by Chuanzhong. The bearded Johnson, who had brought his family with him, was once again left at the base camp to look after the house, while old Morgan, who had no worries, brought his belongings and happily led a group of medical students to accompany the team on the expedition. Wu Zhuo, who had already served as the communications director of the Ministry of Information Industry, was also transferred back to the Military and Police Department this time, and was responsible for the maintenance and use of radio stations with the army.
For this purpose, the Ministry of Shipping allocated six large ships to carry out the personnel and material transportation mission from Victory Port, and the "Exploration" and "Speed" also participated in this military operation as maritime fire support units and fast liaison ships respectively. . The relevant supplies had been loaded onto the ship the night before. In addition to the combatants, the only people who boarded the ship this morning were some poultry and livestock that were used as food - this is probably what the Ministry of Agriculture can do for this expedition. The greatest contribution. In order to prevent the strong smell of these chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep from causing trouble to the soldiers during the voyage, the Ministry of Shipping also dedicated a ship to transport these living animals and some combat supplies, and the relevant preparations were extremely meticulous. .
At eight o'clock in the morning, all personnel had completed boarding. Yan Chujie gave an order, and the ship successively lifted anchor, unmoored, and raised sails, slowly leaving the dock and heading towards the southern outlet waterway.
The fleet's itinerary is still to first arrive at Yinggehai, fifty nautical miles away from Victory Port and located in the southwest corner of Hainan Island. After staying there for one night, we set off to the west and crossed the sea directly to Yong'an Port, which is located behind the war zone. The straight-line distance of the latter part of the voyage is about 130 nautical miles. The Ministry of Shipping estimates that it will take about two days, depending on the specific conditions at sea.
At this time, another group of people from North Vietnam had already boarded the ship on the Do Son Peninsula. Compared with the fleet that departed from Victory Port, the fleet that sailed south from the Doshan Peninsula was much larger, because this fleet not only carried three companies of Haihan Militia soldiers, but also North Vietnamese There are more than 1,000 trained troops on the side, as well as a small number of heavy civilians and logistics personnel. Such a large number of personnel required a large amount of daily necessities, army supplies and various combat materials. For this purpose, the Ministry of Shipping mobilized fourteen sea-going ships to barely complete the shipment task at once.
Just two days after the militia set off, the Executive Committee announced a very shocking news to the local people: a merchant ship belonging to the Hai Han Executive Committee was looted by South Vietnamese rebels off the coast of Annam, and several people on board were killed. The ship was also severely damaged. At present, the Executive Committee has issued an order for the militiamen who went to sea to train to cooperate with the North Vietnamese rebel army and carry out military retaliation against the South Vietnamese rebels.
Of course, no merchant ships were actually looted by the South Vietnamese rebels. If the South Vietnamese rebels had such capabilities at sea, they might have already bypassed the mountain defense line and attacked the northern plains. The Executive Committee made up this reason just to have a more reasonable reason internally for participating in the war - if it talks about long-term interests, overall situation, and development perspective to the people, most people will definitely not understand it. , that may be counterproductive and cause unnecessary anti-war sentiment among the people. As for the people of Victory Port or Black Earth Port, since the sources of news channels are very limited, there is no way to verify the authenticity of this news.
(End of chapter)