Nanyang Storm 1864

Lieutenant General Sakamoto Yukichi, commander of the 6th Division, was carried back covered in blood. He had been wounded by artillery fire while directing the attack, with shrapnel hitting his chest and his left leg, leaving him covered in blood.

But he continued to roar and shout, "Attack! Attack! No retreat!"

He then fainted due to excessive blood loss, his head lolling to one side.

The highest-ranking commander on site was Major General Masashige Nomura, the brigade commander. He glanced anxiously at the seriously wounded division commander with bloodshot eyes and hurriedly ordered immediate rescue.

After a bloody battle that lasted most of the night, they were defeated and forced to retreat once again.

The main force of the Sixth Division has been almost completely wiped out, and even the townspeople and able-bodied men have suffered five or six thousand casualties.

Due to the chaos on the battlefield, the exact numbers are difficult to ascertain.

The remaining total force was about 16,000 to 17,000. Among them, several thousand able-bodied men from the towns had either fled or been disorganized and left to scatter like headless flies.

At this moment, Major General Masashige Nomura was anxious and confused. The 6th Division had a total of more than 14000 officers and soldiers, and nearly 10,000 had been killed or wounded. They were really exhausted and could not fight any longer. Did they have to throw all their remaining resources here?
Before he fell into a coma, the division commander demanded that the attack continue. Deciding whether to fight or retreat was extremely agonizing.

The artillery fire of the Great Chu Empire was unimaginably fierce. At every critical moment, the artillery support from the naval vessels would arrive in time, turning all offensive efforts into ashes.

This immense sense of powerlessness was something Major General Masashige Nomura had never experienced even during the Russo-Japanese War.

The artillery fire of the Great Chu Empire was several times more intense than that of the Tsarist Russians, and it was also supported by large-caliber naval guns. A single shot could kill all the attacking Japanese soldiers within a radius of tens of meters.

A utter defeat for flesh and blood against steel!

The Great Chu Empire's tank and chariot defense lines, coupled with highly resilient barbed wire, combined with a variety of firepower, were extremely lethal, and the artillery coordination was skillful.

Any Japanese artillery and heavy machine gun positions that dared to show themselves would be quickly wiped out.

The Chu army had a clear advantage in artillery fire, unleashing a barrage of shells and bullets as if they were free, maintaining an extremely high output level.

Whenever a crisis occurs in any area, the army's artillery fire from the rear will always arrive in time, clearing a large area with a brief but intense barrage, relieving pressure on the Chu army's defenders.

Major General Masashige Nomura had never encountered such a formidable opponent before.

Continuing to launch a forced attack would only result in them being sent to their deaths.

However, what about the division commander...?

"what……"

A long scream rang out, and Lieutenant General Yuuki Sakamoto was jolted awake by the brutal treatment.

During battlefield medical treatment, a Japanese military doctor miraculously pulled shrapnel from his chest, causing blood to gush out again.

Just as the medics were frantically stitching up the wound, Lieutenant General Yukichi Sakamoto suddenly mustered his last bit of strength, grabbed Major General Masashige Nomura's clothes, and roared, "The attack cannot stop..."

After saying this, he seemed to have used up all his strength, and his head tilted to the side before he collapsed.

This also helped Major General Masashige Nomura make a decision: since it was the division commander's last wish, then he should resolutely carry it out.

Major General Masashige Nomura drew his sword from his waist, pointed the blade at the Chu army, and almost hysterically ordered, "Kill them all!" The bloody battle broke out again.

Compared to the organized assault at around 1 a.m., the fighting after 3 a.m. appeared more scattered, more aimless, and more disorganized.

The sounds of gunfire and shouts of battle continued until dawn, when they gradually subsided.

The Japanese army's almost suicidal bayonet charges shattered the Chu Kingdom's defensive positions, yet they still managed to hold their ground.

At dawn
The fighting came to a complete halt, and the remaining thousands of Japanese soldiers retreated, filled with resentment and exhaustion.

The cold white light of dawn shone on the battlefield, revealing a hellish and horrific scene.

The entire battlefield was riddled with charred shell craters, the surface of Mars was riddled with holes, and crimson-black blood stained everything in sight. Corpses and debris were scattered everywhere.

In the low-lying areas, pits and puddles accumulated one blood-filled pool after another. In the areas where the fighting was most intense, the corpses of the attacking Japanese soldiers were piled up five or six layers high, and the strong smell of blood mixed with the smell of gunpowder filled the nostrils.

On the outermost Scorpion tank at the edge of the defensive line, the tank crew member, his face charred black, sat slumped there, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his eyes unfocused and blank.

The Chu soldiers on the defensive line were surrounded by piles of bullet casings, and almost all of them were exhausted.

The fierce and bloody battle that night almost completely exhausted the officers and soldiers.

Not long

The cooks arrived carrying fragrant meat broth and baskets of large white steamed buns, along with a large number of soldiers to replace the garrison, which revitalized the position.

Judging from the current situation, it seems that a new attack cannot be launched anytime soon.

The Chu army used bayonets to urge prisoners to clean up the battlefield. Hundreds of Japanese prisoners moved around the battlefield, loading the remains of dead Japanese soldiers onto vehicles and taking them directly to the dock to be thrown into the sea.

The strong smell of blood at the dock attracted countless carnivorous fish to scramble for the food, and the entire sea surface was like a boiling pot, with the rolling fish covering an area of ​​several kilometers.

By one or two o'clock in the afternoon, after six or seven hours of cleanup, the battlefield of last night's bloody battle was basically cleared, but large and small pieces of human flesh and limbs could still be seen everywhere.

According to the statistics of the battle reports

In this battle, a total of 2.33 Japanese soldiers were killed or wounded, and 1669 were captured. The Chu army suffered 1654 casualties, including 571 killed in action.

The Chu soldiers who died were mainly killed by enemy artillery fire and stray bullets. Thanks to the fact that the overall defensive line was not breached, the Chu army suffered relatively few casualties.

This was a resounding victory, and the battle report was quickly relayed back.

Around noon

The third wave of Chu reinforcements arrived, this time carrying the 12th Expeditionary Division. Together with the original 35th Expeditionary Division, they entered and occupied the nearly half-destroyed city of Kagoshima.

After occupying Kagoshima

Chu soldiers launched a large-scale attack, using bayonets to drive out all the local residents and forcibly separate men and women into teams, with those who disobeyed being shot on the spot.

Many Chu soldiers couldn't wait to drag the young women into a room and use their bodies to soothe the wounds and anxieties caused by the war.

The continuous gunfire and cries echoed throughout the city. Many disheveled Japanese women were forcibly driven onto troop transport ships docked at the pier, and once a ship was full, it departed. By evening, the Chu army had extended its blockade to the outskirts of Kagoshima, firmly controlling this important port city and implementing a military occupation.

After nightfall, the Japanese army was unable to launch a new offensive and spent a bloody but peaceful night.

In just a few days
Hundreds of thousands of young women from Kagoshima City and its surrounding towns were transported away, along with more than 100,000 able-bodied men, all heading to mines within the territory of Chu, where they would face endless hard labor day after day.

Despite the arduous and harsh working conditions in the mines of the Great Chu Empire, new laborers could always be found to fill the gaps.

On December 13, the Great Chu army occupied Higo, and on December 15, it further occupied Oita.

On December 21, after defeating the resistance of the remaining troops of the Japanese 12th Division, the Da Chu army occupied Miyazaki and Kumamoto Castles.

By this time, nearly half of Kyushu Island had been occupied, and the Chu army that landed numbered 6.65, close to the total number of the first landing force of 7.5.

At this time, Japan had undergone four national war mobilizations, and the military strength in Honshu, Shikoku and Hokkaido had rapidly increased to more than 820,000 people. The emperor issued an imperial edict that "all the people are determined to fight to the death."

Surrender? Absolutely not!

After capturing Kagoshima, the Great Chu Empire's expeditionary fleet did not take any other major actions besides intensifying the blockade of the Fusang Islands and taking the opportunity to lure and annihilate the Izumo guerrilla fleet.

The Great Chu Empire's expeditionary fleet was split into two. One fleet patrolled the Pacific Ocean east of Tokyo Bay, blocking all ship traffic and deterring the main force of the Fusang Allied Fleet hiding in Tokyo Bay.

Another fleet patrolled the waters off Nagasaki, working together to blockade the Fusang Islands while simultaneously deterring the Nagasaki-Fusang garrison and preparing to launch further attacks at any time.

This was viewed by the world's major powers.
The states of Chu and Japan were wary of each other. Chu did not want a large-scale landing in Tokyo Bay, which would lead to a full-scale confrontation between the two armies, a war that could not be resolved by a mere few hundred thousand troops.

The Japanese have amassed over 60 troops on Honshu Island, in addition to over a million reserve military personnel. Coupled with Honshu Island's population of 3300 million, it's enough to make anyone's heart tremble.

Once you step in, it's a bottomless pit.

Because of its constrained naval power, the Fusang Kingdom was powerless against the Chu expeditionary fleet that was blockading the Fusang Islands.

They attempted to break through the blockade, but were soundly defeated by the Chu expeditionary fleet, losing several warships and forced to retreat.

And so, the stalemate continued.

Manila

The Imperial Palace of the Great Chu Empire
Emperor Zheng Guohui tapped the location of Kyushu Island on the map with his finger and commanded in an unquestionable and decisive tone.

"By the end of January at the latest, we must completely seize Kyushu Island, including Nagasaki and Hizen, and smash this so-called four powerful domains to pieces."

"And... how far along is the expeditionary fleet's plan to annihilate Japan's naval forces?"

"The war is indeed not something that can be rushed, but it cannot be dragged on indefinitely either. The longer it goes on, the more passive the Great Chu Empire will become, and the more dissatisfied the British will become."

The phased goals proposed by Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty were not difficult for the Royal Army to achieve; they only needed to gradually deploy the second wave of landing forces.

The second wave of landing forces totaled over 5 people, divided into the Second Expeditionary Legion of the Great Chu Empire, while the previous forces were the First Expeditionary Legion.

The two expeditionary forces totaled over 12.5 men, more than enough to conquer Kyushu, but far too few to attack Honshu.

Kyushu Island has been largely blockaded by the expeditionary fleet. In the Kanmon Strait, the blockading Chu fleet has sunk dozens of ships of various sizes attempting to smuggle troops and weapons from Honshu Island to Kyushu.

Under the tight blockade, the remaining Japanese forces on Kyushu Island were like grasshoppers in autumn, unable to hop around for more than a few days.

The expeditionary fleet was confident of capturing Nagasaki; it was simply a repeat of the campaign to capture Kagoshima.

With the ultra-long range of the 343mm twin-mounted naval guns equipped on the Kunlunshan-class battleships, they were able to launch long-range bombardments from 22 kilometers away, gradually dismantling the defenses of the Nagasaki fortress like peeling an onion.

The reason for not launching an attack was to allow the Japanese army to retain a sliver of hope.

The most difficult part is that the main force of the Combined Fleet is holed up in Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo Bay. These three places are all located in the heavily fortified areas of Honshu Island, making them extremely difficult to attack.

The Kunlunshan-class battleship's 343mm twin-mounted main gun turret, despite its extremely long range, was not all-powerful and had many limitations.

The aforementioned environmentally friendly bay fortresses face the challenge of being hidden by mountains.

To accurately hit the fortress's gun emplacements, one must get close to the entrance of the bay. At this distance, the 305mm shore guns equipped by the bay fortress's gun emplacements can also hit the fleet.

This is a mutually destructive situation. The Royal Navy Expeditionary Fleet of the Great Chu Empire is really reluctant to use its expensive "Kunlun Mountain" class battleships to withstand the large-caliber artillery of the Japanese fortresses.

"So... the navy's opinion is to use submarines to carry out an unprecedented surprise attack in the Gulf?" Emperor Zheng Guohui of Great Chu asked with some surprise.

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. The Royal Navy's submarine force has been deployed, with a total of 17 submarines participating in the operation, mainly attacking the combined fleet anchorage in Osaka and Nagoya. More than 80% of the main combat ships of the Foshan Kingdom Navy are hiding there, including all battleships and heavy cruisers."

"Hmm, that's a great idea. Tell me about it."

Vice Minister of the Navy Zheng Zhongxin gave a military salute and answered solemnly.
"Your Majesty, the submarine force is like an assassin hidden beneath the surface of the sea. The Japanese have not made many targeted defensive deployments, which is an area worth taking advantage of."

In order to achieve the greatest results with the least losses.

The Navy plans to launch a naval offensive against Tokyo Bay and Nagasaki on the 24th in order to draw the attention of the Japanese Combined Fleet.

That night
The two submarine fleets took advantage of the night to sneak into Osaka Bay and Nagoya Bay respectively, launching torpedo attacks on the main force of the Fusang Combined Navy stationed there, aiming to severely damage the enemy fleet in one fell swoop.

If successful, it will have the miraculous effect of "Black Tiger Claws Out the Heart".

Our Great Chu Empire's Royal Expeditionary Fleet is no longer concerned about the enemy fleet remaining holed up; we can now act freely, bombarding Tokyo Bay to intimidate the enemy.

Emperor Zheng Guohui of the Great Chu Dynasty knew that the fortified positions in Tokyo Bay were far apart, located on isolated islands in the bay and along the coast of Tokyo Bay, making them suitable for long-range artillery attacks.

Compared to attacking Nagoya and Osaka, the Royal Expeditionary Fleet of the Great Chu Empire preferred to confront the Tokyo Bay fortress directly, as this would allow them to better utilize long-range firepower, a typical "kite-flying" artillery tactic.

Once the submarine force succeeds, the end of the war will not be far off.

Having lost the main force of the Fusang Allied Fleet, what can these Japanese slave countries use to fight against the Great Chu Empire?

The Great Chu Empire could easily blockade the Fusang Islands; if they didn't surrender, the blockade would continue for a day. If they didn't surrender for a month, the blockade would continue for a month.

When starvation is rampant on the island of Fusang, even the stubborn Japanese government will have to bow down. Otherwise, the anger of the common people could overthrow the foundations of Japanese rule and erupt into a popular anti-oppression movement, just like the war-torn Tsarist Russia of today. (End of Chapter)