Chapter 388 Vanguard
How to command the militia troops to move from sea to land and launch an attack on Hue, the capital of South Vietnam? The Haihan Military Commission has already formulated a detailed combat plan, and the staff department has also conducted many rounds of defensive measures that the enemy may take during this process. The deduction basically takes all situations into consideration. South Vietnam's naval forces no longer have much wealth, and they don't have many tricks they can play. How could the Haihan side not be wary of traditional tactics like fire attacks? Although Wu Sen and his colleagues were determined to die, Haihan had no intention of giving them a chance to die on the battlefield now.
After the two fleets from Sanya and Heitu Port met off the coast of Hue, they directly formed a formation and sailed into the estuary of the Xiangjiang River. However, the fleet did not head forward rashly further upstream. Instead, they quickly docked on the north bank of the Xiangjiang River and began to sail from the ship. Put down personnel and various combat supplies.
Qian Tiandun and the Black Tu Port Special Operations Battalion led by him were the first to land and set up two lines of defense outside the landing site. The peasants followed the steps they had already practiced and began to set up camp on the river bank.
For the South Vietnamese naval officers who were preparing to launch a desperate attack upstream, this move of the Haihan Militia undoubtedly exceeded their expectations. In the understanding of South Vietnamese officers such as Wu Sen, whether the Hai Han militia raided Dong Hoi or attacked Hoi An, they cleared the obstacles on the water like thunder and immediately launched attacks on land targets. The Haihan militia, which had an absolute advantage on the water, suddenly gave up this combat method and instead chose to launch an attack from the land. This made the South Vietnamese navy confused for a while how to deal with it.
"Sir, do we still want to fight?" Seeing Wu Sen standing at the bow of the ship without making a sound for a long time, his soldiers stepped forward and asked softly.
"Fight...how can we fight like this!" Wu Sen came back from his contemplation and immediately became angry: "You haven't seen that they have deployed so many small boats around the perimeter. Even if we kill them now, it will be difficult. Rushed to their warship!"
Haihan's fleet this time did not only include large warships with powerful firepower. The Ministry of Shipping also specially modified a number of small ships suitable for inland navigation and hauled them here with large ships. These small boats equipped with both sail and propeller power systems are more flexible and are more suitable for performing daily patrols and some light transportation tasks on the Xiangjiang River, which is only about 300 meters wide. Of course, the weakness of this kind of ship is also obvious, that is, the lack of firepower. Because the hull is too small, the ship is not equipped with heavy weapons such as artillery, and fire strikes can only be achieved by relying on rifles. In a battlefield environment like the river that constantly changes positions, the actual lethality that the few rifles on the ship can cause is very limited.
At the same time that the large ship docked, a dozen small boats had already formed a formation on the river to cover the landing point from the outside. Although the number is small, it is already an insurmountable obstacle for the South Vietnamese Navy, which is short of major generals.
The South Vietnamese Navy now has a total of only fifty or sixty ships, and there are only a dozen or so ships deployed at the mouth of the Xiangjiang River. It is very difficult to bypass the interception of the opponent's small boats on the not-wide river, and Wu Sen is not even sure about this. . Wu Sen was not afraid of death, but if he could not damage the opponent's ship, then the sacrifice of such a suicidal charge would be really not worth it.
"Continue to monitor the enemy's movements, send people back to Hue City quickly, and inform the Commander-in-Chief of the situation here!" Wu Sen hesitated for a moment and finally gave the order.
If he had dozens of ships in hand now, Wu Sen would probably order an attack immediately, leaving no time for his opponents to land calmly ashore. However, more than half of the dozens of remaining ships of the South Vietnamese Navy are still near the city of Hue upstream, responsible for transporting personnel and supplies on both sides of the Hong Kong River. Gathering the navy's ships to launch an offensive is not something that an officer of Wusen's level can make the decision. All he can do is report the situation and wait for his superiors to make a judgment on the battle situation and issue orders.
However, from Haihan's point of view, no matter what the opponent's reaction is, it cannot prevent our side from implementing the combat plan step by step. Tons of combat materials were constantly hoisted ashore, and migrant workers pushed large flatbed trucks back and forth, transporting various supplies and ammunition to the newly planned material storage area under the command of the foreman's copper whistle. Another group of migrant workers is leveling the foundation and driving load-bearing wooden piles into the soil, preparing to build a temporary warehouse to store supplies. In terms of building temporary bases, the logistics department has accumulated enough experience after many operations. Both warehouses and barracks are constructed using a large number of prefabricated parts. Although this will greatly increase the pressure on the transportation link, The precious time you can gain on the front line is well worth it.
"Stop!" Takahashi Minami raised his left hand into a fist, signaling the team behind to pause. He took out a simple hand-drawn map from his backpack and began to check the surrounding terrain to confirm his location.
This is a new map he received from the combat staff after he landed at the mouth of the Xiangjiang River. The content is the topography of the area from the mouth of the Xiangjiang River to Hue City. The thirty-mile area near the sea is covered with plains. There are no obvious landmarks on the map. The only reference is probably the Xiangjiang River next to it. The closest march route from the Xiangjiang River Estuary to Hue City is along the Xiangjiang River. On the road. In addition to exploring the marching route for the subsequent large forces, the reconnaissance team led by Gao Qiaonan also needs to select suitable locations along the way to set up strongholds along the river, and blockade and control the river surface from the river bank to reduce the defense of the downstream stations. pressure.
Takahashi Nan also learned a lot from Qian Tiandun after coming to North Vietnam. Learning to read military maps was one of the new skills he mastered. This is no easy task for a person with almost zero cultural foundation. Just understanding the scale on the map took Qian Tiandun half a month to teach him. Takahashi Nan himself once wanted to give up this painful learning process, but when Qian Tiandun told him that this was a necessary skill for promotion to senior officers in the future, Takahashi Nan decided to master this advanced technology no matter what.
Throughout the second half of last year, Takahashi Minami focused most of his energy on training in field reconnaissance subjects. Now he can not only understand maps of various scales, but can even complete simple map drawing work by himself, so Qian Tiandun can safely entrust him with the task of going out for reconnaissance.
Based on actual comparison, Takahashi Minami believes that although this map depicts the topography and landforms very briefly, its accuracy is very high, far exceeding the level of mapping that the special operations battalion can master. According to Takahashi Nan, the only reconnaissance force deployed by the Haihan Militia in Annan was the reconnaissance company under the special operations battalion. However, this map is obviously not the work of the reconnaissance company. It is difficult to imagine how the staff headquarters in Sanya drew it. Produce such a detailed and accurate topographic map. But from another perspective, this seems to once again show the omnipotent and tall image of the executive committee and the invincible militia army. For such a matter of course, Takahashi Minami did not go further. Think about it.
According to the map, Gao Qiaonan judged that his current location was seven or eight miles away from the landing point. In front of him was a small tributary of the Xiangjiang River marked on the map, with a width of about thirty to forty meters. From what he observed Judging from the situation, there is no bridge for passage on the river. If a large force wants to pass here, it must build one or several pontoon bridges. Of course, this kind of thing does not need to be worried by Gaoqiao Nan, since it is marked on the map. Once out of this small river, the staff must have prepared corresponding plans and tools for crossing the river.
What Gaoqiao Nan needs to do is to confirm the terrain here and choose the most suitable place for the following troops to cross the river. In addition, since the surface vessels required to cross the river must come up from the lower reaches, controlling the river from the tributaries to the mouth of the Xiangjiang River has become a combat goal that must be completed. Takahashi Nan simply judged by visual inspection with his thumb that the width of the river here is only about two hundred meters, and it also has a certain arc. It is impossible for ships going down to have too fast speed on this section of the river. If Setting up a fire blockade on the shore can completely control the river surface - the shotguns equipped with the army artillery can fire concentrated fire from this distance, which is enough to sweep the opponent's small fishing boat into pieces.
As the sun set in the west, the South Vietnamese navy boats on the river slowly withdrew upstream. Although they knew that the opponent might not be eager to launch an attack through waterways, the cautious South Vietnamese navy generals no longer dared to leave their limited surface forces close to their opponents overnight. Takahashi Nan stood among the dense calamus bushes on the shore, coldly watching the opponent's boat slowly sailing upstream. Although the two armies had not officially fought, in Takahashi Nan's eyes, these people were almost all No different than a dead person.
In the early morning of the next day, two flat-bottomed inland river cargo ships, dragging a string of small boats, appeared at the fork of the river that Gaoqiao Nan had scouted the day before. The two large ships were loaded with supplies, weapons and engineers needed to build pontoons and fire points, and a string of small boats towed behind them were the piers used for the pontoons. As for the combat troops stationed here, they are marching overland.
It is much easier to build a pontoon bridge on a small tributary river with gentle water flow and not a wide surface than to build a floating trestle bridge on the coast. All components are prefabricated in standard sizes, making construction difficult without external interference. It was not big. It only took the engineers a little more than an hour to build two five-foot-wide pontoon bridges on the river. Their load-bearing capacity was enough to allow the 48-pound large-caliber mortars used in sieges to pass smoothly across the bridge deck. . At this time, the sky was just getting dark.
At this time, the first battalion and second company of the militia group stationed here had also arrived. After a short rest, the soldiers immediately went into the work of building a firepower stronghold. The attack direction of this firepower point is not only the Xiangjiang River, but also the pontoon bridges erected on the tributaries. Therefore, the firepower output points are divided into two directions: east and south. The soldiers used sabers to cut off some calamus that was too lush on the river bank and blocked the view, and then used sacks of earth to build gun emplacements and parapets to protect the infantry.
"Company Commander Yu, congratulations on your promotion again!" Gao Qiaonan took the initiative to say hello to Second Company Commander Yu Tiezhu. The two of them were already familiar with each other. When Gao Qiaonan was working as a coolie in the labor camp, Yu Tiezhu had just joined the militia and had been an intern in the labor camp for a period of time. The two had already known each other at that time. Later, Gao Qiaonan was appreciated by Ren Liang, who recommended him to join the militia as a soldier, and the two became colleagues. During the aid operation in Vietnam in January last year, the two of them also fought side by side and both received post-war awards. Military exploits and awards. Later, they participated in the officer training class in Shengli Port, and the two became classmates again, and they could be regarded as classmates.
"Captain Gao, we are all happy!" Yu Tiezhu also noticed that Gao Qiaonan's collar insignia had been changed from platoon commander to company commander, and thought to himself that this guy was not promoted slowly.
"I've reminded you several times, my surname is Gao Qiao, not Gao." Gao Qiaonan protested.
"Okay, okay, I remember." Yu Tiezhu patted Gao Qiaonan on the shoulder condescendingly, and responded perfunctorily: "Don't worry about such details... I always feel uncomfortable with my nose when I come to this place! ”
"Probably because it's Iris!" Gao Qiaonan pointed to the dense Iris on the riverside and said, "Before I came here, I heard Chief Qian say that the reason why this place is called Xiangjiang is because of the odor emitted by these Iris. The fragrance lasts all year round.”
"Does it smell good? I don't think so. I'm probably used to the fishy smell of the sea!" Yu Tiezhu laughed, and then returned to the topic: "In addition to sending ships to monitor the water, has South Vietnam discovered anything? What are they doing on land? ”
"We haven't encountered the South Vietnamese troops since yesterday. I guess they heard the news about us knocking on the door, so they hunkered down in Hue City and didn't dare to come out!" Gao Qiaonan looked proud, and his tone was full of hatred for the enemy. Disdain and strong self-confidence.
"Then you are still going forward today?"
"Of course! Our mission is to find out the deployment status of the South Vietnamese army. Seven or eight miles south from here is Hue City. If nothing happens, we will encounter the South Vietnamese army today. "When he said these words, Takahashi Minami's face did not show any nervousness. Instead, it was full of desire to fight.
However, the encounter with the enemy came faster than Takahashi Nan expected. At 8 o'clock in the morning, just as Takahashi Nan gathered his men to prepare for departure, the early warning post arranged in the south issued a warning signal.
"Hey, it's coming!" Gao Qiaonan sent someone to notify Yu Tiezhu, who was still directing the construction of the gun emplacement, while he led the team across the newly erected pontoon bridge to the position on the south bank of the river.
The enemy force that appeared in Takahashi Nan's field of vision was not large in size, only two to three hundred people. Judging from the organization, it was probably just a peripheral patrol team. The leading officer of this unit probably did not expect to find the Haihan outpost here. After a brief moment of astonishment, he immediately urged his soldiers to attack.
However, if this small army with purely cold weapons wants to complete the attack on Gao Qiaonan's position, it is basically equivalent to delivering food to your door. Although the manpower of the reconnaissance team led by Takahashi Minami was less than half of the opponent's, after completing three rounds of volley shooting at close range, the number of people on both sides immediately changed to the same level. Seeing the terrifying combat effectiveness of the Hai Han militia, the South Vietnamese soldiers quickly switched from charging to rout, and fled south in a panic. From the time the South Vietnamese army launched its attack to the time it turned around and fled, the entire battle took less than three minutes, and there were no casualties on Hai Han's side. Just as Tiezhu hurriedly arrived with two platoons of reinforcements, Gao Qiaonan was already commanding his men to clean up the battlefield.
"That's not kind!" Yu Tiezhu tutted repeatedly: "You don't even have any leftover food for your brothers. You have such a good appetite!"
"You really can't blame me." Takahashi Nan said with an innocent face: "I just fired three rounds of guns, and then these monkeys turned around and ran away, and they couldn't even catch up! If the enemies we have to deal with this time are all At this level, it will probably take less than a few days to capture Hue City!”
"I'm afraid it's not that easy." Yu Tiezhu was not as blindly optimistic as Gao Qiaonan. He shook his head and said: "Judging from the preparations before this war, the chiefs of the staff are not sure of a quick victory. Just fighting There are much more supplies than the previous expeditions to Annan, and the fleet has not finished transporting them this time. After unloading the goods, the fleet will immediately return to Sanya to transport them for the second trip. I’m afraid ten days and a half won’t be enough.”
"That's not necessarily a bad thing. If we play more games, we will have more chances to make contributions." Minami Takahashi couldn't help but tell the truth.
"Your point of view is unacceptable. If the superiors hear it, they will definitely say that there is something wrong with your attitude!" Yu Tiezhu complained with a smile.
The results of the battle were quickly counted. In the battle that lasted less than three minutes, thirty-seven people of the South Vietnamese troops who launched the attack were killed on the spot, and there were more than a dozen injured of varying degrees of severity. Gao Qiaonan and Yu Tiezhu each selected a few prisoners with minor injuries for surprise interrogation, and then checked the interrogation results. Sure enough, these soldiers were just scattered troops sent to patrol nearby areas.
However, from the information given by the prisoners, both of them discovered a noteworthy information, that is, the South Vietnamese defenders built a vast area of defense fortifications outside Hue City. Judging from the time, South Vietnam sent envoys to the city almost since last year. Construction began at the same time as the peace talks in Victory Port. It seemed that the South Vietnamese court had done enough homework for this battle early on. The quick victory that Takahashi Minami expected was basically impossible to achieve.
However, the two of them did not have the slightest doubt about the eventual victory. With the existing combat power of the Hai Han Militia, the South Vietnamese Army would not be able to overturn the situation no matter how prepared it was. It would simply drag out the battle process. Just longer. The combat plan that has been formulated by the Military Commission and the General Staff Headquarters will still be implemented step by step.
(End of chapter)