Chapter 274 Meeting Enemies Again
With the propaganda department consciously fanning the flames, public opinion is generally inclined to support the executive committee's decision. Although there are still some people who are worried about whether their relatives who join the militia will be in danger in the next battle, there is not much resistance to the Executive Committee's decision to adopt military measures.
Of course, the vast majority of people who have never left Hainan Island do not know how far away Annan is from Victory Port, and what the strength of Annan’s rebels is. All their sources of information are provided by the Executive Committee. For the Executive Committee Even if they want to object to the decision, they have no way to oppose it, and it is difficult to even find a suitable point to criticize. The only thing that made the people feel uncomfortable was that after the militia left Port Victory, the inspections everywhere became more stringent than before. Regular flights to places such as Tieliang Port and Yanchang Commune have also been changed from every two days to every four days - for no other reason than the shortage of transportation capacity caused by the insufficient number of local ships.
The impact on Black Earth Port was much smaller. Since the local residential areas are relatively concentrated, there are relatively few personnel required to maintain daily security. Under the auspices of Qian Tiandun, the local militia's step-by-step training work was also done very well. Two militia reserve companies quickly took over the defense of Heitu Port after the departure of the regular army, and there were at least two companies of reserve militia. Can be called upon at any time.
The troops from Black Tu Port set out slightly earlier than the base camp. While the fleet led by Yan Chujie was still slowly moving westward along the south coast of Hainan Island, the Black Tu Port Expeditionary Force had already arrived in Thanh Hoa and would camp here to rest for one night. Continue south.
Thanh Hoa was the first channel through which the Crossing Group began to introduce North Vietnamese immigrants. Most of the North Vietnamese immigrants in the first few months of the colonization of Black Tu Port boarded ships from Thanh Hoa. To date, more than 80% of the naturalized people in Black To Port are war refugees from the area south of Thanh Hoa.
Many crew members and sailors in this southbound fleet have been to this place more than once to ship immigrants, and are familiar with the water conditions here. The fleet sailed slowly into the mouth of the Qinghua River, traveled upstream for about two or three miles, and then anchored against the south bank.
At this time, the Qinghua River Estuary is no longer as lively as it was a few months ago, and the refugees who once filled the mountains and plains are now gone. After the North Vietnamese Zheng family reached an agreement with the Crossing Group to exchange immigrants for weapons, they had notified local governments to gather immigrants to the Tushan Peninsula. Under the conscious drive of the Thanh Hoa local government, the refugees who originally chose to wait for the immigration boat at the mouth of the Thanh Hoa River have basically crossed the Thanh Hoa River and headed for Tu Son further north. But whether they can cross several rivers and complete the 300-mile journey to Tushan is up to them.
After each ship docked in turn, soldiers from each company landed to form a team, and then divided the camps into company-based units. Each company set up its own camp according to the designated area, and the peripheral defenses were handled by specialized engineers. In addition, the reconnaissance troops were also sent out strictly following the steps of camping in the wild. They will be within a radius of seven to ten miles of the camp. Conduct patrols to ensure the safety of the camp.
According to the previous agreement reached with Zheng Zha, the command of the North Vietnamese trained troops in this military operation was also handed over to Hai Han. What is different from the Hai Han militia is that the vast majority of these trained North Vietnamese soldiers are not new recruits, and many are even veterans who have been on the battlefield many times and have fought for the rest of their lives. Therefore, the adaptability of these veterans when camping in the wild is even much better than that of the Haihan militiamen who have less actual combat training.
After thousands of refugees had been living in the area for several months, not even a single tree could be found within miles, either being used to build shacks or burned as firewood. Fortunately, the preparations for Black Earth Port were foresighted. In addition to a large number of tents, a lot of clean coal was also transported with the ship to be used as fuel during the march. If not, thousands of people in this group might not be able to eat hot food today.
As the command center of this force, the headquarters led by Qian Tiandun did not move the office space to the shore, but still used the office space temporarily converted from the cargo hold. Although it is a bit low, after installing ventilation and lighting facilities, and arranging radio stations, charts and other items, this small cabin really feels like a frontline headquarters.
At this time, Qian Tiandun and others were gathering around the chart to discuss tomorrow's itinerary. In addition to military personnel, most of the people who accompanied the militia from Black Earth Port on this expedition were sailors affiliated with the Shipping Department. The person in charge of the fleet command was Xie Chun, who had always wanted to join the Military and Police Department. It happened that the Black Earth Port was also suspended during the operation. Xie Chun, the chief shipping officer, had no arrangements, so he took the initiative to take over the military errand.
"Starting from the mouth of the Qinghua River, if you choose to travel along the coast, the voyage will be about 110 nautical miles." Xie Chun pointed to the chart and explained to several officers: "According to the current average speed of the fleet of four to five knots, I think It will take at least more than twenty hours to complete this journey. Considering that your military has proposed to ensure that the physical condition of the soldiers is not affected too much, it may be more appropriate to complete this journey in two days.”
"Can't it be faster?" A North Vietnamese officer who was listening could not help but point to the chart: "If it travels along the coast, the fleet will have to make a big circle. If it goes straight, it can shorten the voyage a lot."
"What you said is correct, but the problem is that we have not traveled through this section of the sea route south of Qinghua before, and we are not familiar with the sea conditions here. If we want to take a shortcut, we may delay more. Time." Xie Chun did not agree with the plan proposed by the North Vietnamese Army.
"But the war situation ahead has gone against us. If we could have arrived at the front line one day earlier, we would have suffered fewer casualties!" The North Vietnamese officer still refused to give up.
"Zheng Ting, we understand your army's desire to rush to the front line to fight as soon as possible, but for prudent considerations, I decided to follow the route set by the Ministry of Shipping." Qian Tiandun made a decision quickly after listening to the opinions of both parties. The North Vietnamese officer he called Zheng Ting was the second son of Zheng Bai, the top commander of the North Vietnamese Army in the southern defense line.
"Second-generation officials" like Zheng Ting accounted for the vast majority of trained officers, and almost all of them were children of the Zheng family. The reason for this is also very simple. The actual leader of the North Vietnamese regime, Zheng Ji, believes that the firearms force is an important tool for the Zheng family to settle down and unify Annan in the future. Such an important tool must be in the hands of his own people. The best way is to arrange for all the command and management positions of this army to be filled by one's own family members. Of course, this army has invested a lot of money, and it is definitely not possible to arrange idiots to complete this task. Therefore, the officers trained are basically those carefully selected by the Zheng family, and they are considered the best among the younger generation of the Zheng family.
The training subjects prepared by the Military and Police Department for the training camp are basically based on the original tactics of the musketeers in the 17th and 18th centuries. In this regard, the Military and Police Department does not hide too much, because there are generational differences in the weapons used. The mixed phalanx of spears and muskets taught to the North Vietnamese army and the linear array of horizontal lines used by the Haihan militia are completely different. The actual combat effectiveness is also different. They are not on the same level, and the military theories taught to them are not enough to threaten Haihan's own safety. Of course, in addition to combat arrays, the Military and Police Department will also selectively teach them some military subjects about marching, reconnaissance, logistics, formulating combat plans, etc.
Perhaps due to his family background, the subject Zheng Ting chose after entering Tushan training camp was "combat command", and his learning speed surprised the instructors. For things like the Spanish phalanx, which require drawings and repeated explanations to allow trainee officers to roughly understand its combat principles, Zheng Ting basically understood it after listening to it only once. Later, when he further studied the Morris Square and Gustavus Square, Zheng Ting's progress was obviously faster than that of other trained officers. Therefore, when Zheng Zha asked Haihan for advice, Qian Tiandun recommended Zheng Ting to him without hesitation as the military chief of the North Vietnamese firearms force. It is precisely for this reason that when Qian Tiandun held a headquarters meeting, Zheng Ting was qualified to attend.
Zheng Ting knew that the Haihan people had a magical tool that allowed them to instantly obtain news from thousands of miles away. Starting from the past few days, Qian Tiandun would also announce the battle status from the southern front at daily meetings. The descriptions of these battle situations are basically just a few words, such as "Today the rebels launched two attacks, our side suffered more than 500 casualties, the enemy suffered twice as many casualties, and the battle line can still be held" etc., but from these descriptions, there are also I can feel the tension of the battle ahead. Zheng Ting remembered that his father was sitting on the front line and commanding, so he naturally wanted to fly over immediately.
"Report!"
"Come in!" Qian Tiandun responded.
Gao Qiaonan opened the door and came in. He stood at attention and reported to Qian Tiandunhui: "Lieutenant Qian, dinner is ready."
"Let's eat first. After dinner, everyone will inspect the camp area they are responsible for and arrange the night watch. I will randomly check at night. If there is any mistake under his hands, he will clean the deck of the ship tomorrow." Qian Tiandun stood up, patted Zheng Ting on the shoulder and comforted: "Don't worry, it will arrive in two days at most. You must believe that it is only a matter of time before we defeat the South Vietnamese rebels."
Zheng Ting nodded and forced a smile at the corner of his mouth.
The North Vietnamese Army, which has always focused on raising troops cheaply, has a big gap with the Haihan militia in terms of food. During the march, they basically only provided vegetable porridge. However, fortunately, there was sufficient food and everyone was fed. The food of the Hai Han militiamen can basically keep the meals oily and meaty, and the quality is even better than the food of the North Vietnamese officers. The food for the officers who traveled across the country was better. It was basically small-cooked dishes. Although it was not rich, it was extremely rare considering the environment of camping in the wild.
After dinner, officers at all levels returned to the camp for inspection. In this kind of outdoor camping, ordinary people are prohibited from walking around and shouting loudly in the camp after dinner to avoid chaos and camp roaring at night. Although the Haihan Militia did not inherit the traditional military regulations of "Seventeen Prohibitions and Fifty-Four Kills", the requirements for camping were also extremely strict, and they had a complete set of management systems from later generations.
After Qian Tiandun had dinner, he also disembarked from the boat and landed to inspect the barracks. Naturally, he was accompanied by Gao Qiaonan, who had been following him since he joined the army.
Gao Qiaonan thought that he had met two noble people one after another in the past six months. One was Ren Liang who had pulled him out of the quagmire, and the other was Qian Tiandun who had great trust in him. From a fallen samurai to a prisoner to a militia soldier, it was Ren Liang who gave him a chance to be reborn. For this kindness, Takahashi Minami thought it would be difficult for him to repay it in this life. After entering the militia, the trust given by Qian Tiandun made Gao Qiaonan see hope for the future. In the future, he could not only exist as a militiaman, but could also become an officer leading the army - of course, the premise was that he could serve as a soldier. Only by obtaining enough military exploits can one's identity be achieved.
Gao Qiaonan also knew that Qian Tiandun intended to cultivate him, so he became more determined to do something to repay him. As a soldier, the best reward is probably to achieve military exploits and make your superiors look good. Before going south this time, Takahashi Nan had already made up his mind. He could not just be content with being a soldier beside Qian Tiandun, but must seize this opportunity and use his record to prove his ability and at the same time prove his superior Qian Tiandun's ability. Tian Dun's vision.
Gao Qiaonan held a torch and walked behind Qian Tiandun to light the way for him. After careful consideration, Takahashi Nan took the initiative and said: "Lieutenant Qian, I have something to say."
Qian Tiandun looked back at him, nodded and said, "You tell me."
"I would like to apply to be transferred to your special operations company." Takahashi Minami said with courage.
"Want to fight?" Qian Tiandun seemed to have seen through Gao Qiaonan's thoughts.
"This is the bounden duty of a samurai!" Takahashi Minami responded categorically: "As a samurai of the Executive Committee, I shall fight bravely for the Executive Committee and repay the trust of the leaders with loyalty and courage!"
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"You forgot again, you are no longer a warrior, you are a Haihan warrior!" Qian Tiandun shook his head and lectured: "What you have to defend is not the honor of a warrior, but as a Haihan warrior, as a The honor of a soldier!”
"Yes!" Takahashi Nan quickly responded. He never seemed to have the intention to refute anything Qian Tiandun said. Even if Qian Tiandun told him to die immediately, he would probably take out his saber and cut himself open immediately.
Qian Tiandun seemed to be used to Takahashi Nan's unconditional obedience. He did not continue to lecture him, but turned to talk about combat: "When you join the special operations company, you are really risking your life. I know you You are not afraid of risking your life, but have you ever really thought about what you are fighting for?”
Before Gao Qiaonan could answer, Qian Tiandun continued: "Most of our militia soldiers still don't understand why they are fighting. If I ask them, I guess most of them will answer. Like you, fighting for the Executive Committee, or fighting for repayment of kindness, or even fighting for military pay? But is this really right? Takahashi Minami, why are you fighting?"
Takahashi Nan previously thought that he had figured it out very clearly, but now that he heard what Qian Tiandun said, he was a little confused again. For what purpose do you fight? In order to be promoted to an officer as soon as possible? In return for Qian Tiandun's appreciation? For his identity as a Haihan militiaman? It’s definitely not for military pay anyway…
"If you can think about this question clearly, you will no longer have any mental burden when fighting." Qian Tiandun did not directly tell him the answer.
"Yes! I will definitely think about this issue seriously!" Takahashi Nan agreed unconditionally as always.
"The third platoon of the special operations company is still short of a squad leader. Are you interested?" Qian Tiandun asked coldly.
"Yes...ah, no, I'm interested! I'm interested!" Takahashi Nan came to his senses and responded repeatedly: "Thank you, Lieutenant Qian!"
"Be good and don't let me down."
"I will fight to the death!" Gao Qiaonan was so excited that he threw down the torch and sat down on the ground, kowtowing to Qian Tiandun.
Qian Tiandun was about to wake him up when suddenly there was a flash of white light. When Qian Tiandun turned around, he saw his old enemy Luo Wudan pointing his camera towards this side. It seemed that he had captured the scene just now.
"It's you again! Don't you know the curfew in the military camp? Why are you still walking around outside!" Qian Tiandun didn't have a good tone towards his old enemy.
"How could I have happened upon such a good show if I hadn't gone out for a walk? Lieutenant Qian, are you bullying your subordinates, or trying to win people's hearts?" Luo Wudan shook the camera in his hand proudly.
The Executive Committee made adjustments to the Propaganda Department some time ago. Because Luo Wudan often published some unstable comments in internal forums, Luo Wudan was placed in a different book by the Executive Committee and was assigned to Heitu Port in the form of work transfer, promotion and demotion. . Luo Wudan's position has changed from a young reporter under the Ministry of Information Industry to the head of the Black Tu Port Propaganda Department, but for the time being, she is the only commander in this department. Luo Wudan, who has always been bold and bold, did not let go of this military operation, and directly decided on his own to be a military reporter and go to the front line to record the combat process.
Originally, Qian Tiandun thought that Luo Wudan's ridiculous move would be rejected by the Executive Committee, but he didn't know what kind of nerve the Executive Committee had and actually approved her application. So this time, there had to be one more person in the troop transport fleet who made Qian Tiandun unhappy, and for safety reasons, a residence and escorts had to be prepared for her alone. This made Qian Tiandun even more worried. I feel dissatisfied.
Qian Tiandun had no intention of entangled with her and waved his hand: "Gaoqiao Nan!"
"Arrived!" Takahashi Nan immediately climbed up from the ground and stood up straight in response.
"Send Miss Luo back to her tent immediately. If she disobeys the order, coercive measures can be taken!" Qian Tiandun stared at Luo Wudan and said angrily: "Immediately execute the order!"
(End of chapter)