Nanyang Storm 1864

"Commander-in-Chief, do you think the Japanese army will launch a large-scale surprise attack in the middle of the night, attempting to push our powerful counterattack into the sea?"

"Hehehe... Commander Zheng, you're a veteran of the military, you must have an answer to this question. So let's write our judgments down on our hands and see if we agree?"

"Since the Commander-in-Chief has such an interest, I, Zheng, am naturally happy to oblige."

Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui and Major General Zheng Zhongyi, commander of the 35th Expeditionary Division, each wrote a character in their palms.

Then he stretched out his hand, turned it over, and saw that it was covered with the character "来" (lai, meaning "come"), which made both of them burst into laughter.

Their tacit understanding is unspoken, how can you not burst out laughing?

Faced with the overwhelming force of the Great Chu Empire, the small Japanese garrison fleet was instantly crushed into dust, and the two fortresses and fortifications were breached one after another, effectively opening the gates wide open.

The Japanese defenders were completely unable to withstand the combined fleet's fierce artillery fire; the Japanese army's artillery was like a fire poker against the Chu state's large-caliber naval guns.

Having suffered repeated setbacks, the Japanese army was probably desperate and decided to take advantage of the darkness to try to blend in with the landing Chu army, thus rendering the Chu army's greatest reliance on artillery ineffective. This was the only viable strategy.

Taking advantage of the Chu army's unstable landing, they launched a large-scale night attack in a desperate move, which is very much in line with the "gambler's nature" of the Japanese pirates.

This "gambler's nature" was not just idle talk, but a judgment made by Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty for the Fusang people, which was regarded as a golden rule in both the military and political circles of the empire.

Upon careful consideration, that is indeed the case.

After a while
"Sir, enemy activity has been detected at the forward positions. We suspect that Japanese troops have infiltrated."

"Oh...the guests have arrived."

Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui raised his eyebrows, a flash of coldness in his eyes, and decisively gave the order.
"Since they're here, they don't need to leave. Order all personnel and units to enter combat alert status, proceed according to plan, and make sure to treat these guests well."

"As you command, sir."

The command post sprang into action, with operations staff relaying orders to units at the front lines via makeshift telephone lines, instantly creating a tense atmosphere.

In the dark night, where war clouds loomed
Squads of Japanese soldiers in black uniforms converged from the town, the woods, and various paths, forming a dense, seemingly endless mass—a truly astonishing number.

Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yukichi, commander of the Fusang Kyushu Area Army, personally went to the front line. In the afternoon, he received a stern order from the Army General Headquarters, instructing him to prevent the Chu army from landing on Fusang territory at all costs.

Every inch of our land is bought with blood; we must fight to the death.

Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yukio didn't have many cards to play. In preparation for the large-scale night raid, he had gathered all available forces in the surrounding area, totaling more than 3.7 troops.

some of

There were only 1.43 regular soldiers; the rest were conscripted soldiers returning from their hometowns and able-bodied villagers. Since they didn't have enough weapons, they took broadswords, spears, and hoes and went to the battlefield.

One fight will break even, two fights will make a profit.

"What time is it?"

"Commander, it is now 9:20 p.m., 40 minutes before the scheduled attack at 10 p.m."

"Is the artillery unit assembled?"

"Reporting to the Commander, as per your orders, the artillery has been dispersed and is now in position, awaiting the order to launch the attack."

What about the infantry?

"The vanguard of the Suzuki Detachment, which is attacking from the west, is already in position, and the follow-up troops are still assembling, so it will not affect the time of the general offensive. The Yamano Detachment, which is attacking from the north and northeast, is moving slower, and the vanguard of the attack has not yet fully entered the position."

"Alright, urge the mountain detachment forward. At 10 o'clock, use the artillery fire as a signal, bombard for ten minutes, and then immediately launch a daring assault. Push forward decisively and try to engage the enemy in close combat."

"Understood, sir."

After giving his orders, Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yukichi's expression flashed with determination. He was a veteran who had experienced the Russo-Japanese War, and his heart had been tempered to be accustomed to life and death, remaining calm and composed.

Lieutenant General Yukio Sakamoto was extremely confident of achieving final victory.

Even though the Russians were so fierce, they were still defeated, weren't they?
Although most of the Japanese troops fighting tonight were returning soldiers, urgently conscripted wandering samurai, and able-bodied townspeople, they had all received thorough military training and were highly enthusiastic about fighting.

Each combat squad is led by experienced veterans who have returned to their hometowns; they are not cowards who collapse at the first sign of trouble.

Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yuuki did not believe it.
With so many troops deployed to besiege it, how could they not break through the Chu army's hastily constructed landing defense line?

Don't be fooled by the fact that the State of Chu can use artillery to bully others during the day. When it comes to close combat at night, it all comes down to fighting spirit and willingness to sacrifice.

In this respect, the Japanese army was absolutely outstanding.

Time passed slowly as they waited, and soon it was almost 10 p.m.

Suddenly, dozens of flares were fired into the sky, instantly illuminating the dark night. The Chu artillery positions and the fleet patrolling the sea opened fire together, slamming a dense barrage of shells onto the outer perimeter of the defense.

"Boom boom boom boom..."

In an instant

The outer perimeter of the Chu army's defensive perimeter was blasted into a sea of ​​fire. The smoke from the explosion carried dirt, debris, and numerous severed limbs into the sky, staining the night with a layer of blood mist.

After three or four minutes of intense bombardment, the Chu army's artillery barrage began to expand outwards, with dense, rain-like fire raining down, further widening the bombardment area.

This sudden change left Lieutenant General Sakamoto speechless with astonishment. He jumped up in a panic and shouted, "Retaliate with artillery fire! Quickly, quickly! Launch an attack! Launch a full-scale attack! It will be too late if we wait any longer..."

But by this time, the Japanese troops hiding at the front had been bombed to the point of being scattered and killed and wounded. Even the Japanese troops that managed to launch an attack could not make any waves under the combined annihilation of artillery fire and heavy machine guns.

The naval fleet used its secondary guns to bombard the perimeter of the landing zone for about forty minutes before gradually stopping.

This sudden artillery barrage caught the Japanese army off guard, causing heavy casualties and completely thwarting their planned attack at 10 o'clock, plunging them into a chaotic reorganization.

This is also because the Japanese army had not received relevant training in large-scale night combat. The sounds of them lying in ambush in front of the position were inaudible unless they were blind.

Seeing that the number of Japanese troops gathering was increasing, Lieutenant General Chu-Zheng Hui decided to go all out and bombard them with artillery fire to inflict heavy damage on the enemy.

Now that we know the enemy is gathering, are we going to let them stay until the New Year?
The fleet unleashed a barrage of artillery fire for over 40 minutes, inflicting unimaginable casualties on the attacking Japanese forces. Their original assembly area was reduced to a sea of ​​fire, and at least the vanguard was completely wiped out.

Even after the barrage ceased, the Japanese troops remained in disarray for nearly two hours. The report that came to Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yuuki turned green with shock: the entire Suzuki Detachment, which was expected to launch an attack from the west, had been wiped out; the Murakami Regiment, totaling over 3450 men, had suffered more than 70% casualties and was no longer combat-ready.

The vanguard regiment of the mountain detachment, which launched the attack from the north, is expected to have suffered more than half of its casualties and is undergoing emergency reorganization. It needs to be reinforced with at least 6 to 7 companies, which is a huge loss.

In addition, several hundred Japanese soldiers were killed or wounded in the chaos of the shelling and their charge. This round was too tragic.

The key issue is that these 7000-plus troops were all regular troops of the Kyushu 6th Division, which was the main force of the Japanese army deployed to break through the defensive line. They were immediately bombarded by artillery fire and suffered heavy casualties. The Japanese 6th Division, with a total of 14,000 men, lost nearly half of its strength.

Since modern times
Following the German Army's organizational structure, the Japanese Army established a total of 17 Class A permanent divisions on the mainland, with each Class A division having more than 18000 personnel. The Kagoshima Division was the 6th Division.

Its predecessor was the Kumamoto Garrison, established in 1873. During the Satsuma Rebellion, the Satsuma-no-Han troops led by Saigo Takamori surrounded Kumamoto Castle and withstood the overwhelming attacks with their strong will, thus gaining great fame.

In 1888, with the reform of the Japanese army, the garrison was renamed a division, and the Kumamoto garrison was transformed into the Sixth Division.

Together with the 2nd Division, it was known as the ace of the Japanese army, and was the two most combat-effective ace divisions.

The 13th Infantry Regiment of the 6th Division came from Kumamoto, and the 23rd Infantry Regiment came from Miyagi.

Among them, the Murakami Regiment, which planned to launch the first attack from the west but was almost completely annihilated by Chu artillery fire, was the 23rd Infantry Regiment.

The 45th Infantry Regiment, which was from Kagoshima, was the one that suffered heavy casualties from the artillery fire and was planned to launch an attack from the north.

The remaining 47th Infantry Regiment came from Oita and was one of the few remaining regular army units.

日军第6师团最初的步兵联队的构成是第13、第14、第23、第24联队，后来坚持征招来自熊本、大分、宫崎、鹿儿岛这些九州南部的部队，这都是优质质员。

Southern Kyushu gave people a strong impression of "black skin and bright red blood," and like the people of Choshu (Note: Yamaguchi Prefecture), they were the backbone of the Meiji Restoration.

The 6th Division gave people the impression of being brave, fearless, and fierce in battle, and was the vanguard of the Japanese army's external expansion.

Whether it was the First Sino-Japanese War or the Russo-Japanese War, the 6th Division always took the lead.

During the First Sino-Japanese War, under the leadership of Lieutenant General Kuroki Tamemoto, they landed on the Jiaodong Peninsula and captured Weihaiwei in one fell swoop, charging forward fiercely and always being at the forefront.

During the Russo-Japanese War, the 6th Division was attached to Marshal Oku Yasuyuki's 2nd Army. It participated in the Battle of Shahe and the Battle of Mukden, and its military achievements were remarkable.

Because it was a night battle, the cavalry regiment of the 6th Division, totaling more than 2600 men, did not participate, and the logistics regiment of more than 1500 men all escaped by sheer luck.

The main force involved in the battle consisted of four infantry regiments from the 4th Division. Now, one has been annihilated and another has been severely damaged, leaving only the strength of two infantry regiments.

Any other unit would have essentially lost its fighting capacity at this point.

However, the 6th Division did not act this way. Instead, this aroused the ferocity of the Kyushu soldiers, who roared and screamed from top to bottom, determined to avenge this blood feud.

Before they could even get close to the enemy, they were severely damaged by artillery fire.

This enraged Lieutenant General Sakamoto, the division commander, so much that his face turned as red as a pig's liver, and his eyes became bloodshot. Like a wounded beast, he raised his command sword and roared the order.

"Bombard! Begin bombardment! Order the entire army to launch an attack!"

"May Amaterasu Omikami bless us, and may the valiant Sixth Division be invincible. We will surely drive the despicable Easterners into the sea and defend our homeland to the death."

"The entire army launched an offensive, vowing to defend the homeland to the death."

The other Japanese officers also dropped their pretense, their eyes reddening as they grabbed their swords and spears, revealing their ferocious nature. They charged out alongside Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yuuki, launching a fierce attack.

The Japanese army's dozens of remaining artillery pieces roared together, unleashing a barrage of shells at the Chu army's heavily fortified landing zone.

On the Chu army's position, flares soared into the sky, illuminating the night sky as if it were daytime.

Gunfire erupted like popping beans, and the Chu army's counterattack artillery roared back and forth. The fierce artillery barrage between the two sides turned the battlefield into a chaotic mess.

Under the blinding white lights, countless black dots rushed madly toward the Chu Kingdom's landing zone defense perimeter. Dense gunfire roared back and forth, and orange-red explosions flashed intermittently.

Around 1 a.m., the battlefield became increasingly intense.

Soon the attacking Japanese army discovered that the Great Chu Empire's army was neither the easily defeated Qing army nor the fierce Russian army, but a formidable opponent they had never encountered before.

For no other reason
The Chu army, which only began constructing its landing zone defenses at dusk, had actually set up nine barbed wire defenses, with one every forty or fifty meters.

With insufficient artillery fire, the attacking Japanese troops had to brave a hail of bullets and use their own bodies to clear a path for the advance.

This did not deter the Japanese troops. One by one, the Japanese soldiers carrying explosive packs rushed up, roaring loudly as they fell onto the barbed wire, which then exploded with a loud "boom".

As the suicide squad members were blown to pieces, a large gap was blasted through the barbed wire.

More Japanese suicide squad members were swept away by the dense barrage of bullets and fell like wheat being harvested, making the night battle exceptionally fierce.

The fierce Japanese army continued to launch wave after wave of attacks, with explosions, gunfire, and shouts of battle filling the air as they made their attempts again and again.

Finally, after more than half an hour, the attacking Japanese troops carved a path through the enemy with their own flesh and blood.

Thus began a large-scale melee charge.

Dense numbers of Japanese soldiers charged forward with rifles and bayonets, only to be relentlessly slaughtered by a barrage of fire from 37mm rapid-fire cannons, heavy machine guns, and rifles, leaving a trail of blood mist as they fell one after another.

Under such a frenzied attack, the defending Chu soldiers could no longer hold out.

The tanks at the forefront ran out of ammunition, so the armored soldiers grabbed the heavy machine guns on their tanks and opened fire wildly. The machine gun barrels got red-hot, so they replaced them, but soon they were red-hot again...

At this moment

The fleet's cannons roared again, turning the outer perimeter of the Japanese advance into a sea of ​​fire, creating a no-man's land with their frenzied bombardment, and cutting off the continuity of the Japanese offensive.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Chu army soldiers in the defensive perimeter increased their firepower again, making use of all available weapons to fire wildly at the attacking Japanese troops.

This finally halted the Japanese army's frenzied offensive.

The support artillery fire from the warships lasted for more than 20 minutes before gradually subsiding.

It was nearly 3 a.m. when the Japanese army's frenzied attack was once again repelled, leaving only corpses strewn across the ground. (End of Chapter)