Sword: Heart of Iron

Chapter 229 The Fall of Anqing
Wang Feng: "I know that rebuilding the navy is no easy task, but there is nothing in this world that is absolutely impossible."

“I recently heard that a private shipyard in Europe is on the verge of bankruptcy. I sent someone to inquire about it, and they are about to sell their dock equipment and blueprints as a package, and the price is quite reasonable.”

Bao Changyi was taken aback: "What good is it to buy the equipment? The Japanese have blockaded the coastline, so it's impossible to transport it back. Besides, producing a warship is too expensive."

Wang Feng: "A single spark can start a prairie fire. As long as we get off to a good start, it will gradually develop. Even if things don't go well, the situation will still be better than it is now."

Bao Changyi: "Commander Wang, what exactly do you mean by saying all this to me? We're all soldiers, there's no need for such beating around the bush. Please just say what you want to say!"

He was a little confused. He was supposed to be in charge of monitoring the 16th Army's movements under the guise of a supervisory team, but somehow the topic of the navy had come up again.

Completely confused!
Wang Feng sat down and took a sip of hot tea: "After acquiring this batch of equipment, I will try to transport it back to China and try to produce some inland river gunboats first. But as you know, most of the soldiers under my command are from the army and are not good at swimming."

"If the gunboats are produced but there are no sailors to pilot them, wouldn't it be a waste of resources?"

There's no such thing as a privately built shipyard; that's just something he made up. With Europe's economic blockade in place, even if you bought all the equipment, you couldn't get it back.

Equipment obtained through official channels is possible, but it must be disguised at every turn and enter China under the guise of "agricultural machinery."

Bao Changyi was somewhat moved.

The meaning of these words is all too obvious.

"Commander Wang, perhaps this is inappropriate?"

Wang Feng: "What's wrong with this, Bao Changyi? Ask yourself honestly, do you want to stay here, using the name of the Navy as an army soldier, or go back to the sea and rebuild the Chinese Navy?"

"The choice is yours, and I won't interfere. But I just want to remind you that no matter where you serve in the military, you are fighting the Japanese invaders and protecting your country. You can be a dignified soldier!"

Bao Changyi hesitated repeatedly, wanting to raise his head to speak several times, but he held back each time.

Wang Feng picked up his teacup, turned his back to him, and stood quietly by the window.

Thick brown clouds churned in the sky, and raindrops pattered diagonally against the window.

Bao Changyi took a deep breath: "Sir, I'll do it for you!"

Wang Feng turned around, a smile appearing on his lips: "Not bad. As the old saying goes, 'Those who understand the times are heroes.' It seems you have great foresight. From now on, your unit will be transferred from the Marine Corps to the Central China Garrison Command's Direct Supervision Corps. This is the letter of appointment."

As he spoke, he took a file book from the drawer.

Bao Changyi: "Thank you, sir!"

Wang Feng: "After you return, your unit should immediately vacate the Changshan position and hand it over to the First Column of the Garrison Army for garrisoning."

Bao Changyi saluted: "Yes, sir!"

Wang Feng watched him leave, his mind preoccupied with other things.

The air force has already developed, and the navy cannot lag behind. The training cycle for soldiers is much shorter than that for the air force, but it is definitely longer than that for the army.

We must plan ahead in everything we do; we can't wait until the warship is officially launched before we start training the naval soldiers.

That would be a waste of time.

Bao Changyi is capable, but he's just a starting point. If he could follow this lead and recruit Navy Commander Chen Shaokuan to his side, that would be a huge win.

----------

7 month 13 day.

Anqing.

On the high ground along the river.

Shigeichi Hata held up his binoculars and scanned the battlefield ahead.

Lieutenant Kawai Tadashi: "Sir, the Ataka has entered the combat zone and is shelling the Chinese troops along the Yangtze River!"
"The 1st Regiment has boarded the landing craft and begun the attack."

Shigeichi Hata put down his binoculars: "Yoshi!"
"Foolish Chinese, with only a few small-caliber cannons, dare to try to destroy naval warships, how laughable!"
"In Chinese history, a fierce siege battle once took place at the foot of Anqing. I remember it was during the Taiping Rebellion. Zeng Guofan's Xiang Army besieged Anqing, and Prince Chen Yucheng suffered a major defeat. With Nanjing losing its western defense, the Xiang Army then took advantage of the situation and marched eastward, directly threatening the capital."

"We can't let the navy keep stealing the spotlight. Urge the 1st Regiment to launch a landing operation as soon as possible. Tonight, I'm going to camp in Anqing!"

Kawai seized the opportunity to praise: "There is an old Chinese saying, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle.' General, you are very knowledgeable and well-versed in history. Taking this small city of Anqing will be a piece of cake!"

----------

Positions along the river.

Defense zone of the 149th Division of the 44th Army.

Several soldiers wearing straw sandals lay prone in the trench, peering out at the Japanese warships in the middle of the river:
"Brother, what's that thing?"

"Are you blind? It's a warship!"

"So big?"

"Look at you, so ignorant! Back in Shanghai, I saw warships even bigger than this!"

"So how did you survive?"

The veteran who was asked the question grinned and looked around:

"I'm telling you, don't tell anyone. When the fight starts, just stick behind me. Wherever I go, you go!"

The younger soldier looked somewhat bewildered and nodded.

at the same time.

Inside the general command post of the defense line along the river.

Liao Zhen, deputy commander of the 27th Army Group and concurrently commander of the 44th Army, also spotted the Japanese warships anchored on the river through binoculars.

The chief of staff stood by, looking worried: "Sir, look at that warship. The information issued by the General Staff mentions it. If I remember correctly, it should be the Japanese fleet's Atake!"

"It has two main guns, each with a caliber of 120 mm, and two secondary guns, each with a caliber of 76 mm!"

Liao Zhen: "Where is our navy?"

Chief of Staff: "They're all in the Wuhan area for defense. We don't have any naval vessels here at all!"

Liao Zhen: "Damn it, how are we supposed to fight a war like this?"

"120mm, one salvo and my entire platoon is wiped out!"

Chief of Staff: "Sir, should we retreat?"

Liao Zhen's heart stirred; clearly, the chief of staff's words had moved him.

The Atake was just one of them. Further away, he could vaguely see two gunboats. Although they were quite far away and he couldn't make out which ships they were or what their calibers were, they were certainly not much weaker than the Atake.

Liao Zhen: "But the headquarters was located in Madang before the garrison battle. If we retreat now, I'm afraid..."

He vividly remembered the military orders issued by Wang Feng.

Has there been a response from the army group headquarters?

Chief of Staff: "Our superiors have ordered us to hold this position for a week, and then await further orders!"

Liao Zhen hesitated for a moment: "This..."

There's nothing shameful about retreating. The war of resistance lasted for more than a year, and almost every unit had experienced being routed by the Japanese army. As for condemnation, it's just a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Liao Zhen: "Order all divisions at the front to hold their positions for five hours!"
"No one is allowed to retreat within five hours!"

The 27th Group Army comprises two armies: the 20th Army and its own 44th Army.

The former was the main force of the Sichuan Army, stationed on the main defense line of Anqing, while the 44th Army was reorganized from the Hunan Security Regiment and was thrown to the front line as cannon fodder.

We've only been engaged with the enemy for less than half an hour. Such a hasty retreat will be difficult to explain when we return to the rear.

Even if it's just for show, we have to keep going for a while.

The chief of staff saluted: "Yes, sir!" Liao Zhen looked at the map on the wall: "Any news about the Qianshan defense line?"

Chief of Staff: "The vanguard of the 6th Division has already encountered the 26th Army, but the specific battle situation is still unclear."

Liao Zhen had an idea: "Send out scouts to keep a close eye on the 26th Army's defenses. Once the friendly forces retreat, report back to me immediately!"

Chief of Staff: "Understood!"

------

Frontline battlefield.

The Ataka turret rotated and aimed at the beachhead of the 149th Division. A salvo was fired, smoke billowing from the muzzle, and high-explosive shells streaked across the gloomy sky, crashing heavily into the trenches.

A 120mm main gun might seem unremarkable on a warship, but in the eyes of the army, it's already considered a large-caliber heavy artillery piece.

"boom--!"

The moment the shell exploded, gunfire within a radius of several dozen meters instantly ceased, the trench collapsed, and half of the ditch at the bottom was filled in.

Compared to land-based artillery, naval guns have longer barrels and higher chamber pressures. For the same caliber, naval gun shells contain at least 30% more propellant than land-based artillery shells.

The result is a stronger explosive force.

"The Japanese artillery is firing!"

"Damn it, Commander, we haven't even seen a glimpse of the Japanese devils, and our entire platoon is wiped out!"

Inside the forward regimental headquarters, staff officers were coming and going, shouting and exploding in a chaotic mess.

"Commander, the First Battalion is in trouble! The battalion commander has been killed in the bombing!"

"The Second Battalion can't hold on much longer either!"

Battalion Commander Qu Jie frowned: "Damn it, you guys, your mouths are faster than machine guns when it comes to fighting, and you don't say a single good thing!"

After saying that, he looked at the communications soldier beside him and said, "Give me the phone. I need the 3rd Battalion's position!"

Signalman: "Sir."

Qu Jie: "Just say what you need to say. Stop being so indecisive. You're not acting like a man at all. Touch your crotch. Are you even a real man?"

Signalman: "The telephone lines have been severed by the bomb, and we can no longer contact the frontline troops!"

Just then, an operations staff officer rushed in: "Reporting, sir!"

Qu Jie: "Speak quickly!"

Operations staff officer: "Fifteen minutes ago, the Japanese vanguard landed on the Independent Regiment's position, tearing apart the friendly forces' defensive line. They've retreated!"

Qu Jie's eyes widened: "What! Those sons of bitches ran away!"

As he spoke, he quickly looked at the map beside him.

Their own troops were positioned on the salient of the entire forward defense line, while the Independent Regiment, which had retreated without authorization, was located on their left rear side. If the Independent Regiment's position was lost, the Japanese army could outflank them from the rear and completely destroy their rear supply line.

Qu Jie put his hands on his hips and said, "Damn it, the Independent Regiment withdrew first, so it's no wonder I was caught!"
"Pass down the order on foot: all battalions, immediately abandon your positions and retreat!"

Operations Staff: “Yes!”

The Japanese army could outflank the entire regiment at any moment. If they don't retreat now, and things drag on, it might be too late.
In critical moments, saving your life is the most important thing!
-----

Madang Defense Zone.

Wang Feng's brows were furrowed tightly. On the surface, he was studying the sand table, but in reality, his perspective had been switched to an overhead view, constantly observing the battlefield situation.

"Unauthorized retreats have become a habit; how can we continue fighting like this!"

Looking at the "blue dot" that kept retreating on the 3D map, he was so angry that his teeth itched.

Initially, only a few companies on the front lines were forced to retreat because they could not withstand the heavy bombardment from Japanese naval guns.

Unexpectedly, this phenomenon began to spread across the battlefield. One company withdrew, and several neighboring companies followed suit, choosing to withdraw without authorization despite still having the ability to continue fighting.

After that, it became unstoppable and rapidly expanded to higher-level units.

After several companies withdrew, the battalion headquarters also began to retreat.

After several battalions withdrew, the regimental headquarters also gave up resistance and ran back desperately, even carelessly discarding the most crucial deployment data.

It was as if everyone had secretly agreed that once someone on the position made the first move, the fleeing soldiers would roll like a snowball, and in less than an hour, they were able to drag the division headquarters along with them as they retreated.

How dignified!

Wang Feng glanced at his watch. Less than three hours into the battle, the soldiers on the front lines had vanished. The defensive line, built over half a year, had been handed over to the Japanese.

"Give me the phone!"

Zhao Fangyuan handed over the microphone.

Wang Feng: "Hey! Get me the headquarters of the 27th Army Group!"

A busy tone came through the receiver, and after waiting for a long time, no one answered.

"Damn it!"

Enraged, Wang Feng slammed the phone receiver shut and immediately switched the view to the overhead panel.

Then, by zooming out, the location of the 27th Army Group Headquarters was found on the soldier markers on the map.

The once orderly headquarters was now in complete chaos. The staff officers were no longer strategizing in the command room; instead, they had all rushed to other supplies to start taking stock of important documents. The guards were helping them, burning what needed to be burned and taking what needed to be taken away.

They no longer resembled commanders in battle; they had clearly begun their retreat.

As for the army group commander Yang Sen, Wang Feng did not see him from the overhead view.

"Where is he? Where did he hide?"

Zooming out and searching for a while, Wang Feng spotted a convoy on a small road west of Anqing.

Following the signpost, he saw Yang Sen sitting in the jeep, looking terrified.

They've already run away!

Wang Feng was furious. In the caravan, he also discovered a group of elegantly dressed and luxurious women.

"One, two, three, four, five, sixty-one!"

Wang Feng suppressed his anger and withdrew from the overhead view.

Back when he was still in Wuhan, when he was investigating the information of the 27th Group Army, Chen Cheng had talked to him privately about how this Yang Sen was originally a Sichuan warlord who was known in his early years for having "multiple wives" and "bad military discipline".

Wang Feng thought that Yang Sen would be more restrained during the War of Resistance against Japan, especially since he was at the forefront of the Wuhan defense line. However, he did not expect that less than three hours after the start of the battle, Yang Sen would allow his subordinates to retreat without permission. When he ran away, he did not forget to take eleven concubines and several carriages of property with him.

At that moment, the communications staff officer ran in: "Sir, something bad has happened. News has come from the left flank that the 26th Army Group has been in complete retreat an hour ago. By now, the 6th Division has probably already captured Qianshan."

Zhao Fangyuan was shocked: "What!"
"This happened an hour ago, why is it only being delivered now?"
"What do you do for food?"

The communications staff officer looked troubled: "Chief of Staff, it's not our fault. The 26th Division retreated thirty miles, and only after headquarters was settled did they report that the defensive line had fallen."

Zhao Fangyuan's face suddenly turned ashen. He walked to Wang Feng's side and asked, "Sir, two army groups have been defeated so quickly. What should we do now?"

Wang Feng gritted his teeth: "Pass down the order, Madang Fortress is to immediately enter a state of combat readiness. Call the First Column and bring four battalions with me!"

Zhao Fangyuan: "Where to?"

Wang Feng: "Supervising the battle from the front lines!"

(End of this chapter)