Anti-Japanese War: From Becoming Chu Yunfei to Rising

On the sea, the US Navy's LST-456 tank landing ship.

The massive, flat-bottomed hull rocked violently in the waves, and the roar of the engine sounded like the howl of a wild beast.

It didn't stop in the open sea, but like an angry rhinoceros, it charged straight towards the shallows of Lingao Cape at full speed!
Well known.

One of the reasons the People's Liberation Army chose Lingao Cape for its landing operation during the Hainan Island Liberation Campaign was its flat terrain.

The angle of Lingao Cape extends far into the sea, which was very convenient for the US military to operate at that time.

"Hold on tight! Get ready to cross the beach!"

The announcements on the bridge were strained and desperate.

With a tooth-grinding metallic scraping sound and a tremendous vibration, the LST's keel slammed into the underwater sandbar.

The boat suddenly stopped, abruptly halting about fifty meters from the dry shore.

"Open the bow door! Lower the ramp!"

The massive double-leaf bow slowly opened to the sides, and then the heavy steel gangway crashed into the sea with a loud thud, splashing up a large spray of water.

In the deep interior of the ship's hold, more than a dozen specially modified M4A3 Sherman tanks were already ready to go.

Unlike their land-based counterparts, the Sherman tanks of this time featured two two-meter-high metal chimneys at the rear.

These are deep-water wading devices installed to prevent seawater from flowing back into the engine.

"Guys! Let's teach this damn sea a lesson!"

Miller, one of the ace tank commanders of the 18th Panzer Division, bit his cigar and slapped the commander's periscope hard.

at this time.

The gaps in the entire tank were coated with a thick layer of waterproof grease, and all hatches were locked.

"Go forward! Don't stop!"

"Once the engine shuts down, we'll become a submarine!"

With a deep roar from the engine, the Sherman tank, codenamed "American Fury," spun its tracks and plunged directly from the ramp into waist-deep seawater!

"Crack-!"

The seawater instantly submerged part of the tank's hull, soon leaving only the turret and the two towering air intakes exposed.

From the shore, they looked like a group of steel monsters with only their heads sticking out, cutting through the waves.

On the shore, inside the bunker.

The Japanese sergeant, just recovering from the shock of the shelling, rubbed his dusty eyes and looked at the sea in horror.

He witnessed the most incredible scene of his life.

Those tanks that should be running on land are actually "swimming" in the sea!
They braved the waves, their tracks stirring up the mud and sand on the beach, steadily approaching the shore step by step.

The resistance of the seawater makes their movements appear somewhat sluggish, but this only amplifies the sense of oppression.

"What kind of monster is that? Is it an American amphibious assault vehicle?!"

Before he could react.

The first Sherman tank has already broken out of the water.

Wow!

Seawater cascaded down the vehicle's armor like a waterfall, revealing its menacing body painted with white five-pointed stars.

"parking!"

"Target directly ahead, Japanese bunker!" Miller roared.

The tank came to a sudden stop on the soft, wet sand. The 76mm long-barreled gun adjusted its angle slightly, and the dark muzzle gleamed with a deathly luster in the sunlight.

"High-explosive bomb!"

"Send them to hell!"

"boom!!!"

A ball of orange-red fire exploded at the muzzle of the cannon.

The landing force was not equipped with amphibious flamethrower tanks.

But in 1943, American tank crews had an even more ruthless tactic – white phosphorus bombs.

As the attack began, the next shell fired was not a regular high-explosive shell, but a white phosphorus smoke shell.

It precisely drilled into the gap in the Japanese trench.

"Zizzi-"

The white smoke exploded instantly and spontaneously combusted in the air.

The Japanese soldiers, covered in white phosphorus, let out inhuman screams.

The flames were impossible to extinguish and could even burn through bones.

"what--!!!"

Several Japanese soldiers, their bodies billowing white smoke, rolled out of the fortifications, desperately trying to rush into the sea to put out the fire, only to be shot in two by the M2 heavy machine gun on the LVT amphibious vehicle.

With more and more LSTs successfully crossing the beach.

One Sherman tank after another waded ashore, shedding the waterproof covers on their exhaust pipes and forming a wedge-shaped attack formation, almost like an inverted V.

For the Japanese troops stationed at Lingao Cape...

This is an absolute dimensional reduction attack.

Without a large number of anti-tank guns, minefields cannot stop the advance of the steel torrent.

They carried Type 99 rifles and machine guns.

Compared to the frontal armor of the Sherman tank, it looked like a toy in a child's hand.

With the first wave of Sherman tanks successfully breaching the defenses, the subsequent landings became both spectacular and heartbreaking.

Of course, the despair belongs to the Japanese.

Following closely behind these Sherman tanks.

It was countless LVT-4 "Buffalo" amphibious armored vehicles that crawled onto the beach like sea monsters.

"Bang!"

The heavy tailgate panel crashed onto the beach.

Rows and rows of American infantrymen, armed with M1 Garand rifles and Thompson submachine guns, swarmed out.

They had expected to encounter a bloody beachhead battle like those in Guadalcanal or Tarawa.

But at this moment, all that could be seen were barbed wire crushed by tank tracks, corpses charred black by white phosphorus bombs, and the still-burning remains of Japanese bunkers.

"Thank God, the intelligence from our Chinese allies was actually true; they weren't very prepared for this landing site!"

A U.S. lieutenant took off his helmet, wiped the sweat from his brow, looked at the Japanese positions that had been almost completely leveled, and couldn't help but whistle: "This is practically an armed parade!"

"Don't stand there!"

"Keep moving forward!"

"We must expand our landing zone for our allies!"

Accompanied by the officer's whistle, the US infantry, in squads and platoons, rapidly advanced into the rear, taking advantage of the wide hulls of the Sherman tanks for cover.

The remaining Japanese troops attempted to organize a counterattack.

Several fanatical Japanese soldiers, with banners proclaiming their determination to win tied around their heads and carrying extremely rudimentary cluster grenades, jumped out of the shell crater, shouting "Banzai!" as they tried to charge at the tank.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"--Ding!"

The distinctive crisp click of the M1 Garand rifle's clip being ejected echoed throughout the room.

The dense semi-automatic firepower instantly formed a net.

Before those Japanese soldiers could even get ten meters away, they were riddled with bullets and collapsed onto the beach like tattered sacks.

They didn't even need the M2 heavy machine guns on the tanks to fire; the sheer density of infantry fire was enough to make the Japanese army, still stuck in the era of bolt-action rifles, feel hopeless.

Half an hour later, at Lingao Cape, the main position high ground that had just been captured.

The smoke had not completely dissipated, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of burnt meat and sulfur.

Several overly excited American soldiers deftly tied a brand-new Stars and Stripes flag to the trunk of a coconut tree that had been cut down by artillery fire.

"Raise it!"

"Let those Japanese bastards who aren't quite dead yet see who kicked their asses!"

A sergeant major, his face covered in paint, waved his arms and shouted.

As the rope was pulled, the red, white, and blue flags fluttered in the sea breeze and slowly rose to the top.

The surrounding American soldiers erupted in cheers, some even firing shots into the air in celebration.

In their view, this was a symbol of victory, just as they had done on other islands in the Pacific.

Occupy the territory, then raise the flag.

"squeak--!"

A sharp screech of brakes shattered the brief moment of celebration.

A Willys Jeep sped up the hill like a madman, nearly knocking over a nearby ammunition box.

Before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop, Colonel Davis, the commander of the advance regiment of the 18th Armored Division, jumped out.

His face was ashen, the veins on his neck bulging. He strode over to the group of cheering soldiers, grabbed the sergeant major by the collar, and spat directly in his face.

"asshole!"

"Who gave you permission to raise the flag!"

"Who ordered you to raise the flag?"

Colonel Davis's roar sounded even louder than the tank engine from before.

No one was given any time to react.

Colonel Davis then roared, "Bring it down right now!"

The sergeant was stunned by the scolding and stammered in defense: "But sir, it's standard practice in our army to raise our flag after we've captured the hill."

"Standard procedure my ass!"

Davis shoved Zhang aside, pointed at the still-flying Stars and Stripes, his finger trembling with anger: "Open your dog eyes and look at the ground beneath your feet!"

"Where am I? Is this Guadalcanal? Is this Tarawa?!"

This is Qiongzhou Island!

"This used to be Chinese territory!"

Davis turned around, his gaze sweeping over every American officer and soldier present like a razor's edge, his voice chillingly stern: "Are your brains filled with mush?!"

"We are here to help our allies reclaim their territory, not to become occupying forces!"

"On this land, no flag other than the Chinese flag is qualified to be planted on the main battlefield!"

The soldiers looked at each other.

They didn't understand why their superiors were being so sensitive.

Davis took a deep breath, lowered his voice, but his tone remained extremely serious: "Listen, you bunch of idiots."

"The higher-ups had given them prior instructions."

"This is not only a military operation, but also a highly sensitive political operation."

"Our national flag can only be raised on our warships, or in the supply areas of ports we temporarily lease!"

"Raising the Stars and Stripes on any other territory is a damn diplomatic disaster!" "Do you want Washington politicians to court-martial us heroes?"

"Lower it now! Fold it up and put it away!"

The sergeant snapped out of his daze and quickly stood at attention: "Sir, yes, sir!"

Davis pointed to the Nationalist fleet preparing to land in the distance, his tone slightly softened, but still unquestionable: "Leave the flagpole empty."

"Let this honor be left to its owner, to the soldiers who are coming ashore."

"This is the least we can do to show respect to our allies!"

"Do you understand everything?!"

“Sir, yes sir!”

The soldiers hurriedly untied the ropes.

They hurriedly lowered the Stars and Stripes, which had been raised less than five minutes earlier.

Watching the flag fall to the ground.

Colonel Davis wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief.

Moments later, three red signal flares streaked across the sky, clearly visible even in broad daylight.

This is a signal that "the landing site has been established and the gates have been opened!"

Haikou Outer Sea.

The USS Washington battleship.

On the massive bridge, the sea breeze raged, carrying a heavy smell of gunpowder.

Vice Admiral Chen Ce, standing next to Chu Yunfei, was so excited that his hands were trembling.

He gripped the bridge railing tightly, his eyes greedily fixed on the slowly rotating 406mm main gun turret on the battleship's foredeck.

"This is what a navy should be! This is what sea power should be!"

Chen Ce's voice was hoarse, even choked with emotion: "A single shell is as big as a small car!"

"One shot could flatten half a mountain!"

"What's the difference between our old, dilapidated cruisers and fishing boats in front of this behemoth?"

"How magnificent! How magnificent!"

Deputy Chief of the General Staff Liu Fei focused more on the tactical aspects, his tone full of admiration for the firepower of the US military: "Gentlemen, please look at the sky. From just now until now, the US bombers have been firing non-stop."

"This kind of 'carpet-bombing' firepower coverage doesn't require any probing; it's just a matter of pushing through with steel!"

"This completely made up for the passive situation in the amphibious operation, which is truly amazing."

"Yes."

Looking at the sky full of Hellcat fighter jets, Zhang Yunrong, a representative of the Military Commission, was filled with longing: "If our air force had half of this kind of air superiority, this kind of extravagance that allows us to bomb wherever we want, how could we have allowed the Japanese invaders to run rampant for so long?"

Even Mao Fucheng, the director of the logistics department of the military training division, couldn't help but sigh, "This is the foundation of the world's leading industrial power. Compared to them, we are far behind."

Listening to the heartfelt exclamations of amazement, envy, and even inferiority from the Chinese generals around him.

Stilwell's wrinkles smoothed out like chrysanthemums, his chest was held high, and his eyes were full of arrogance and pride.

He enjoyed the feeling of being "looked up to" by his allies, which made him feel that he had regained his dignity as a mentor and benefactor in front of these "poor relatives".

"Generals."

Stilwell exhaled a puff of smoke, pointed to the ravaged Japanese positions in the distance, and said in a light tone, "This is the logic of modern warfare: firepower—more firepower, overwhelming firepower!"

"Of course, all of this depends on strong industrial strength. Only industrial strength can meet such strategic, tactical, and guiding principles."

Done.

Stilwell deliberately turned his head, his gaze passing over the crowd and landing on Chu Yunfei, who stood at the very front and remained silent throughout.

He wanted to see even the slightest bit of shock or submission from this usually humble, even somewhat aggressive "Eastern God of War".

However, Stilwell was disappointed.

Chu Yunfei simply stood there quietly, the sea breeze ruffling his cloak.

His expression was as calm as a bottomless strait.

There was no envy, no jealousy, and certainly no panic of someone who had never seen the world before.

He put down the high-powered binoculars in his hand with a calm and elegant movement.

It was as if what I had just witnessed was not a massive, earth-shattering massacre, but rather a drama whose ending I already knew.

"Chu".

Stilwell couldn't help but speak, his tone tinged with provocation, "What do you think?"

"Is Bradley's 'greeting gift' acceptable?"

The surrounding Nationalist generals immediately fell silent, and all eyes were focused on Chu Yunfei.

Chu Yunfei turned around, his gaze clear and deep. He glanced at Stilwell and calmly commented, "General Bradley's command was excellent; this battle was fought with great discipline."

"Whether it was the choice of the landing timing or the coordination of naval and air firepower, it was textbook-level."

"Using armored superiority to overwhelm Japanese light infantry was a risky but effective tactic, as there had never been such an armored landing attempt before."

There was no excessive praise for the US military equipment, nor was there any blind worship of the US military's strength.

He was like an examiner grading a test paper, commenting on a reasonably good answer sheet.

Stilwell's smile froze for a moment: "Omar is a cautious man, but he is never lacking in decisiveness."

"He knew your intelligence indicated that the main force of the Japanese army was on the second line, so he prepared a big surprise."

Chu Yunfei looked at Stilwell, then at his colleagues behind him who were still in shock, and a complex wave of emotions rose in his heart.

In a distant foreign land.

The U.S. military can still project a heavily armored force across the ocean to the enemy's beachhead and maintain such a high level of ammunition consumption.

The sky was completely obscured by F6F Hellcats and SBD Dauntless dive bombers.

In this era lacking precision-guided weapons.

The Americans demonstrated a simple, brutal, yet extremely effective tactical logic—compensating for accuracy with sorties.

The first wave of bombers had just taken off when the next wave roared down.

The jungle and highlands behind Lingao Cape look as if they have been repeatedly plowed by an invisible giant plow.

This suffocating density of firepower was far superior to the petty "precision volleys" of the Japanese army.

That's truly terrifying.

Chu Yunfei knew, of course, that the US military was strong, but he knew even more.

This strength is built upon a powerful industrial foundation.

If the Chinese people do not establish their own domestic industrial system, they will forever remain as they are today, drooling over the powerful ships and cannons of others, and perhaps one day in the future...

"If one day in the future..."

Chu Yunfei silently deduced the situation in his mind, his gaze involuntarily sweeping across the battlefield: "What if my troops encountered such an opponent?"

His grip on the railing tightened unconsciously. Industrial development in North China needed to be accelerated!
Just as the two were talking, the situation on the battlefield suddenly changed.

The Lingao Cape landing site extends inland for about three kilometers into the hilly area.

The once silent position suddenly became restless.

"Out!"

Chu Yunfei's gaze sharpened.

Intelligence indicated that although only one reinforced company was stationed at Lingao Cape, the Japanese 46th Division had deployed a fully equipped field regiment and even a tank company in the second-line positions deep behind it, in the direction of Jialai Town.

This is a classic beachhead battle, and it's still in use even 80 years later.

Before the enemy has established a firm foothold.

As they advance inland, they launch a swift counterattack, driving the enemy back into the sea.

If it were ordinary light infantry landing, facing these thousands of shouting, bayonet-wielding elite Japanese soldiers, even with naval artillery support, they would probably be thrown into disarray and even suffer heavy losses.

But today.

The Japanese troops crashed into a wall, a wall made of steel.

Within the telescope's field of view.

The Japanese counterattack force surged out of its hiding place like a gray-yellow tide, accompanied by more than ten small Type 95 light tanks and Type 97 heavy tanks.

"Onboard! Onboard!"

Even if they are several kilometers apart.

Chu Yunfei could almost hear that frenzied roar.

however.

Instead of panicked infantry, they were met with rows of dark, gaping 76mm gun barrels.

The vanguard regiment of the U.S. 18th Armored Division, which had just completed its assembly, had already deployed a wide attack front.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The Sherman tank group opened fire.

At this distance, direct fire requires absolutely no calibration.

The first few Japanese Type 95 tanks were instantly reduced to burning scrap metal by 76mm armor-piercing shells.

Compared to the Sherman tanks, the Japanese tanks were like paper toys.

Followed by.

The iconic "rat-a-tat-tat" sound of the M2 heavy machine gun echoed through the sky.

The once-fierce Japanese charging formation looked as if it had crashed into a giant meat grinder.

Under the tearing action of large-caliber machine gun bullets, the human body becomes extremely vulnerable.

Large numbers of Japanese soldiers fell like wheat being harvested, their limbs flying everywhere, and blood mist filling the air.

Launch an assault in such an open area.

From Chu Yunfei's perspective as an observer.

This was not a battle; it was an asymmetrical massacre.

The Japanese army was proud of its "human bomb attacks" and "Bushido spirit".

Faced with the absolute steel superiority of the US military, it appears so pale and powerless, even laughable.

"This is Bradley's 'trap'."

Stilwell looked at the one-sided battle in the distance and smiled so hard his eyes narrowed: "The Japanese thought they were counterattacking infantry, but they ran headlong into our armored division."

"I think that Japanese regimental commander must be regretting being born now."

Bradley's command was indeed quite skillful.

He exploited the Japanese army's intelligence blind spots and tactical inertia, turning this landing operation into a perfect sting operation.

If Chu Yunfei were to take command, he would most likely choose the same tactics.

Although this consumes a lot of ammunition, it is indeed the simplest and most practical way to fight!
"wonderful performance."

Chu Yunfei turned his head, a flawless smile on his face, and said to Stilwell, "General Stilwell, it seems your army will soon be able to successfully clear the landing zone."

"Of course, Chu."

Stilwell gestured for them to proceed, a hint of anticipation in his eyes: "It shouldn't be long before we see the Annamese army fighting bravely again..." (End of Chapter)