Chapter 1409: Combat as training
At dinner time, Sun Zhen came to the tent where Liu Shang and others lived again and informed them of his subsequent itinerary.
"I have to go out on a mission the day after tomorrow, and I won't be back until three to five days, or seven or eight days at the earliest, so starting from tomorrow, someone else will take over the reception work for you. Sun has been lacking care in the past two days. , I hope you will bear with me. ”
After Sun Zhen said this, he bowed to Zhuren. Liu Shang and others did not dare to neglect and quickly stood up to return the salute. It can be said that Sun Zhen's reception work in the past two days has been quite enthusiastic. However, the living conditions of Lushun Fort itself are limited, and there is no way to provide a better living environment for these doctors and officials for the time being.
Liu Shang believed that he still had some personal friendship with Sun Zhen. After he greeted everyone, he called him aside and asked softly: "Is there another war with Hou Jin in the north? Brother Sun, please take care of yourself. ! ”
Sun Zhen grinned and said: "There may not be a war, but the content of the operation is a military secret and cannot be leaked. Brother Liu, please forgive me!"
The two of them had interacted with each other a lot in the past two days, and the way they addressed each other had changed from their initial job titles to more intimate terms of brothers and sisters. However, Sun Zhen obviously did not forget his identity because of their personal relationship, and he responded to Liu Shang's inquiries in a flawless manner. .
Liu Shang smiled awkwardly and said: "I asked rashly, so I will wait for Brother Sun's triumphant return at Lushun Fort!"
Liu Shang originally wanted to tentatively inquire about the movements of the special operations camp, but Sun Zhen was very strict in his tone and kept his words in the open, so naturally he had no choice but to give up the idea first. However, Sun Zhen has a straightforward personality and is easy to deal with, and he seems to have a good impression of himself. Liu Shang still wants to maintain this relationship, maybe it will come in handy in the future.
The next day, Sun Zhen did not come to Liu Shang and others' residence again. In order to cooperate with Morgan's action plan, the special operations battalion specially mobilized a platoon of troops to cover the sniper team and transport supplies to the forward position in the mountains to the north. Takahashi Nan ordered the platoon led by Sun Zhen, and he himself would personally participate in the operation as the commander - a big shot like Morgan was going to be on the front line, so he naturally couldn't sit back and watch.
The establishment of the special operations battalion is an enhanced version from bottom to top. Sun Zhen also leads an enhanced platoon, with about fifty people. The team to be dispatched by the special operations battalion plus Morgan's sniper team totaled more than 60 people, and Morgan planned to lead the team to conduct combat-based training operations near the Jinzhou Isthmus bordering enemy-occupied areas, so this dispatch not only Just changing the guard, there are tons of combat and survival materials that need to be transported to the destination. To this end, Takahashi Nan also recruited local packhorses, but in this way, the team's actions would naturally not be too secretive. Fortunately, Haihan has cleared the mountainous area during this period, so he won't worry about his whereabouts being exposed prematurely.
Morgan's sniper team has begun adaptive training since arriving at Fort Port Arthur. I run around Lushun Fort every morning and evening as the most basic physical training. The temperature here is lower than that in Shandong, and outdoor training also helps the soldiers adapt to the local climate environment faster. As for their clothing, they were all replaced with snow camouflage that could blend into the local environment. Even the sniper rifles they used were wrapped in white cloth with a layer of cover in advance.
Compared with the special operations battalion, the snipers trained by Morgan may have slightly weaker combat capabilities in complex terrain environments, but their unique combat methods are enough to give any opponent a headache. Even if the enemy knows the existence of such a special unit, it will be difficult to effectively prevent it. After all, the long-range killing method of snipers relying on advanced weapons is still unique in the world. It is difficult for the enemy to imagine this special unit. How to fight, naturally there is no need to talk about preventive measures. In addition to keeping a distance as much as possible to stay safe, it is difficult to take other measures to save one's life under the muzzle of a sniper.
In the battle with the Hou Jin Army two months ago, Haihan's side had already tried to put snipers on the battlefield to participate in the battle, and achieved certain results. However, Morgan believed that there were still many areas for further improvement in the combat methods in the Liaodong area, so he simply gathered all the northern sniper units together and brought them to Liaodong for on-the-spot training.
The Ministry of National Defense itself has a long-term combat plan for the Liaodong region, so it is happy to see Morgan's arrangement come to fruition and provides every convenience. Even the special operations battalion of the ace force has to play the role of a supporter in the process. Although Qian Tiandun did not come in person, he sent a telegram to Gao Qiaonan, asking him to fully cooperate with Morgan's command. This is an extremely rare situation for the special operations battalion, which is known as the protagonist of the battlefield.
On the morning of January 13th, with fine snowflakes still floating in the sky, a team dressed in white and gray military uniforms quietly left Lushun Fort and marched towards the northern mountains.
After leaving Lushun Fort, you can see the continuous outline of mountains when you look north. The mountains here belong to the remnants of the Changbai Mountains. The altitude is not high, but there are many canyons in the mountains and the terrain is relatively complex. You can enter the mountainous area by traveling a few miles northeast from Port Arthur. However, Morgan hoped to save time on the journey and reach the destination quickly, so Gao Qiaonan planned a march route that did not directly enter the mountainous area, but first went to the mountainous area. Traveling north allows you to travel more on plain terrain and reduce the mountainous distance, thereby shortening the time required on the road.
Because there were nearly twenty pack horses in the team carrying heavy loads, the overall marching speed was relatively slow. It took half a day after setting off to finally reach the intersection into the mountain. There was an abandoned Han village here. Gao Qiaonan ordered the team to stop and rest until they had lunch before continuing into the mountains. The soldiers found a kitchen in the village that had not yet collapsed and buried a pot to cook. They quickly prepared a meal of hot food. Although it was not as good as the canteen of Fort Port Arthur, it was good to be able to eat hot food in such a wilderness. It's not easy. The special operations battalion and sniper soldiers are troops who train in the wild all year round, so they are not picky about it. .
In this environment of performing combat missions, even a high-ranking official like Morgan will not receive too much special treatment. What the soldiers ate was basically the same, but there were just a few more slices of dried meat in the bowl.
"Chief, although there are no Houjin Army activities in this mountain, tigers, wolves and ferocious beasts cannot be ignored. You must be more careful after entering the mountain." Before setting off again, Takahashi Nan gave Morgan his own warning.
Morgan nodded and said: "I understand, gather the team later, especially the pack horses, and don't leave the opportunity for wild beasts to launch a surprise attack."
In fact, the beasts hidden in the mountains and forests in Liaodong are not just tigers and wolves. Wild beasts such as lynx, wolverines, leopards, wild boars, and brown bears also possess terrifying lethality. Although bears have already gone into hiding places to hibernate during this season, this beast will wake up immediately if it is disturbed during hibernation, and its danger level is no less than that of other beasts. Compared with enemy forces whose traces are easy to follow, the traces of these beasts' activities are truly dangerous objects that are difficult to control. Once they step into their territory, they may attract attacks that are difficult to prevent. The special operations battalion often went into the mountains to hunt when they were stationed in Lushun, so Gao Qiaonan also knew a thing or two about the power of local beasts. Morgan has a special status. Takahashi Nan does not dare to let this man make any mistakes in the mountains and forests, so he must give a special reminder to prevent Morgan from not knowing the local situation.
After a short rest after lunch, the team set off again and entered the mountainous area from a ravine. There are no man-made roads in this mountain, only trails made by woodcutters, hunters, and herb gatherers. Of course, regarding the composition of the pathfinders, there is now an additional profession, which is the Haihan Army stationed in Lushun Fort.
The special operations battalion has been stationed here for two months and has basically understood the geographical environment of this mountainous area. The route chosen to enter the mountain is also a mountain trail that soldiers will take on daily patrols. It has a good view and is not There were steep terrain that was too difficult to navigate, so the team's speed did not slow down much.
However, traveling in this kind of mountainous area, it is impossible to move in a straight line towards the destination. The team can only move forward along the terrain. In this way, the actual marching distance to the destination that was originally only a few dozen miles away in a straight line would increase a lot. According to Takahashi Minami's arrangement, we will definitely not be able to reach our destination before dark today, and we will have to camp in the wild for one night.
When it was getting dark, Takahashi Minami stopped the team again at the scheduled camping spot. This place is located under a cliff, and the cliff protruding from the top is just enough to protect it from wind and snow. Some extinguished firewood piles can also be seen at the foot of the cliff. It is probably the traces left by the Haihan army who spent the night here before.
"This place used to be a wolf den. I thought this place was good, so I cleared it out and used it as a camping spot." After arranging for the troops to rest, Takahashi Minami introduced the origin of this place to Morgan.
The soldiers of the special operations battalion were accustomed to moving in the mountains and forests. They did not need Gao Qiaonan's command, so they began to set up camp separately and make fires and boil water. Sun Zhen personally took a few people to the nearby area to set up warning posts and traps to prevent wild beasts. Several others unpacked a pile of fodder they had brought out, added a few handfuls of beans and started feeding the horses. Morgan saw that Takahashi Nanbu was well-trained and experienced in camping in the wild, and he couldn't help but admire the performance of the special operations battalion.
Since the special operations battalion showed a professional side, Morgan refused to show weakness and asked his men to find some food. In addition to their good marksmanship, the snipers he trained also have first-class eyesight. In order to allow them to display their combat effectiveness in close combat environments where it is inconvenient to use sniper rifles, the military also equipped them with powerful weapons. Crossbow arrows. Although the effective range of this kind of crossbow arrow with a short arrow body is not as good as that of a bow and arrow, it can hit wherever you point within a distance of twenty meters, and its shooting accuracy is very impressive. Although there are no Houjin people here for them to show off their enemy-killing skills, it is perfect for hunting birds and animals, so adding two dishes to dinner is perfect.
As expected, the snipers did not let Morgan lose face. They quickly shot a few pheasants and came back. They removed the hair and belly of the pheasants in hot water and washed them. Then they chopped them into pieces with sabers and stewed them in a pot. Although there are only a few condiments such as ginger, garlic, and pepper, it does not require complicated cooking methods to prepare such fresh ingredients.
The bloody smell of killing chickens attracted a few gray wolves, but they should also be able to feel the murderous aura of this group of people. Their nature of seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages made them not try to risk approaching, but just stood silently on the nearby hills. Watching this place, occasionally making one or two calls.
"Don't worry, chief, these wolves who dare not come are already in fear of being killed." Takahashi Minami saw Morgan observing the wolves in the distance with a telescope, so she explained to him: "As long as you don't get alone or get too close to them, you will be killed." There is generally no danger. They know that it is more difficult to snatch food from us than from the mouth of a tiger.”
Morgan put down the telescope and smiled and said: "This kind of wolf pack is rare in the south. If Zhang Yun sees it, he will definitely ask us to try to catch a few alive and send them to the south."
Zhang Yun operates a large-scale wildlife park on Ampurna Island in the South China Sea. He has been collecting various wild animals from all over the world and sending them to the local area. Even if they do not adapt to the local climate and die quickly, they will be killed by Zhang Yun and his The disciples made specimens and stored them. There are many kinds of wild animals in Liaodong. If Zhang Yun knew the situation here, he would probably apply to the executive committee soon to capture live animals in Liaodong and send them to the south. As for what Morgan said about not seeing wolves in the south, this is actually because the land occupied by Haihan in the south is almost entirely islands, so naturally there will be no wolves.
Takahashi Nan had also heard of this biologist's name. Hearing this, he smiled bitterly and said: "The only way I can hope for this humble job is that Chief Zhang will not remember this place. It is really not easy to capture these ferocious beasts alive. If he If you want to get a few live tigers to go to the south, you might as well lead your troops to attack Hou Jin's lair."
Night falls and dinner is finally ready. After everyone had dinner, they went into the camp to rest. After marching in the snow for a whole day in the wild, even the special forces will feel tired. Soon there will be snoring in each tent, which is very lively.
Several fires were lit outside the camp to prevent wild animals from approaching during the night. Gao Qiaonan arranged for three shifts of sentries to rotate, and after agreeing on the secret signal for the change of guard, he also went into the tent to rest.
After a silent night, Morgan heard some noises outside in the early morning. He woke up and opened the tent door and saw that Takahashi Minami's people were already packing their bags. He couldn't help but secretly sighed in shame and quickly got up to pack.
Today's breakfast was not that particular. I just boiled two large pots of hot water, poured some into each person's kettle, ate some dry food with the hot water, and then set off on the road to continue marching.
(End of chapter)