Nanyang Storm 1864

1933st January 3

At around 6:00 AM, the Chu Kingdom's Royal Third Army, tasked with the northern flank attack, launched a large-scale artillery bombardment of the American defenses in the Morris region, using over 3800 artillery pieces.

The U.S. defense line in the region was centered on Morris City and extended to both flanks, consisting of numerous fortifications, barbed wire, and trenches built on the frozen plains, relying on more than a dozen villages and rivers. The defense line was defended by approximately 5.32 troops.

With such a small force, they certainly couldn't withstand the massive offensive of the imperial army.

essentially

The US military adopted a two-tiered defensive line, with a lighter front and a heavier rear. The first line of defense was intended to delay the Imperial army's advance for three days, ideally a week, giving the US forces in the rear valuable time to mobilize a large number of reinforcements.

Ideals are lofty, but reality is cruel.

Intense artillery fire erupted on the American positions, and a dozen minutes later, it also drew sporadic artillery fire back from the American positions. The two sides exchanged thunderous artillery fire, making for a lively battle.

not long after
The American artillery fire was completely suppressed. Wherever the Chu artillery fire passed, houses collapsed, rocks and soil flew into the sky, large sections of barbed wire were blown to pieces, and one bunker and gun emplacement after another was destroyed.

The sky brightened quickly.
Then, wave after wave of fighter jets and bombers flew over the battlefield and launched a frenzied bombing and strafing attack on the American positions on the Morris front, which continued until about 8:40.

At this moment

In the distance, a deafening roar echoed across the horizon as a formation of Bison medium tanks surged toward the American positions. The sight of those massive iron lumps filling the field of vision was enough to make one's scalp crawl.

The steel tracks crushed the snow-covered wasteland, speeding across the open fields, and arrived at the front line in just a few minutes.

The US military positions only fired sporadically from a few heavy machine guns and artillery pieces, which quickly attracted fighter jets to dive-bomb and bomb, launching a devastating aerial attack on the defending US forces.

The attacking tank group stopped about 150 meters in front of the position, slowly turned the muzzle of the guns, and targeted the surviving American heavy firepower points one by one, blasting them into the air with fierce artillery fire.

The infantry, following closely behind, pressed forward at breakneck speed. After a brief but intense battle, they quickly breached the first line of defense and advanced inwards.

The defending American troops were horrified to discover that the Chu soldiers who led the charge were also white, only dressed in Eastern military uniforms.

In just four and a half hours, the Third Army, led by the 4th Royal Guard Armored Division and accompanied by three infantry divisions, along with 15 volunteer regiments totaling more than 7.1 men, surged forward like a tidal wave and completely captured the Morris front.

Behind them, the main force of the Third Army, stretching as far as the eye could see, was marching forward in an orderly fashion, crossing the Morris front line and heading straight for the American second line.

At the U.S. Northern Front Command headquarters in Minneapolis, the capital of Minnesota, chaos erupted the moment they received an urgent call for assistance from the front lines in Morris.

Amidst the city-wide sirens
U.S. military officers from various locations rushed to the command post. U.S. Army General Taylor walked in hurriedly with a gloomy expression. Upon seeing the dozens of mid- to high-ranking officers who had already arrived, he immediately gave instructions.
"Immediately report to the Chicago command that the Maurice frontline garrison has been subjected to a major enemy attack. To reiterate, this is not an exercise, nor is it an encounter battle. The Easterners have attacked us. Request immediate reinforcements."

"As you command, sir."

"I need to know the specific situation on the Morris front: how many troops the enemy has deployed? What are their numbers? How long can the front hold out? Are there any armored units? How many? I need to know everything."

As General Taylor was speaking, the alarm suddenly turned shrill, and his expression changed.

"It's an air raid, sir. You can't stay here. You need to get to the shelter immediately. I'm sorry." Several young and strong officers rushed up and dragged General Taylor toward the air raid shelter behind the building. The other officers followed hurriedly.

Before even entering the air-raid shelter, explosions could be heard frequently throughout the city, bringing a strong smell of blood and fire to this city that had just awakened from the dawn.

The air raids came one after another, seemingly endless.

The earth trembled violently amidst the dense explosions, sending down clouds of dust that lasted for about three to four hours, leaving everyone looking at each other in horror.

Such a large-scale air raid probably involved thousands of bombers, right?

You're definitely an expert; you guessed right.

When General Taylor and his men emerged from the air-raid shelter covered in soot, they were met with the ruins of a city that had been almost completely leveled. Countless fires were burning fiercely, carrying black smoke, and there were broken tiles and rubble everywhere.

His command post, originally a three-story Neo-Victorian building, has been completely destroyed, with charred ruins standing tall and crackling fires burning fiercely.

A pungent smell of smoke wafted from the scene, mixed with a strong stench of blood.

Amidst the ruins, one can see the bodies of many soldiers and officers; the entire city was destroyed.

This city of over 100,000 people was turned into a burning torch by the bombing of the Chu royal air force, and the casualties at various military targets were extremely heavy.

The railway bridge was blown up, the platform was destroyed, and the barracks, warehouses and logistics supply points suffered serious damage. The cavalry division's warhorses were chased and strafed by fighter jets, resulting in a large number of casualties.

Even worse

Bad news came from the Morris front: the position had fallen.

The Third Army of the Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire was extremely ruthless, sending bombers along the railway line to target important bridges, culverts, and mountain passes, completely paralyzing the railway line from Chicago to Minneapolis. It would be impossible to pass through without more than two or three months of emergency repairs.

The estimate by the U.S. Northern Command was conservative. The eight bomber wings transferred to the Third Army of the Great Chu Empire had a total of 1572 bombers (Note: the number after deducting the number of combat losses).

More than 1200 aircraft, equivalent to six bomber wings, were dispatched to carry out large-scale bombing raids on the second-line positions of the US military. And this was just the appetizer; the real bombing was yet to come.

Breaking through the US front-line positions wouldn't require so many bombers; the US troops on these second-line positions would be the focus of attention and would subsequently endure continuous bombing.

The Great Chu Empire's mobile strike force, with the 9th Armored Division of the Royal Guard as its vanguard, is rushing towards Saint Cloud.

Meanwhile, the main force of the Third Army, guided by the 3rd Royal Guard Armoured Division, charged toward Minneapolis, with the two sides only 247 kilometers apart.

With the speed of mechanized marching, it would only take three days to arrive.

Only a few gravel roads connect the two areas; the rest is an endless expanse of ice and snow, sparsely populated and underdeveloped.

Soon the reports of the public attack's losses came in.

The U.S. military in and around Minneapolis suffered more than 6320 casualties in the devastation, along with tens of thousands of civilian casualties. More than 70% of the city was burned down, and more than 100,000 people became refugees.

Speaking of this, we must mention the ruthlessness of the Chu army, whose napalm bombs caused great damage to American cities, which are predominantly made of wood.

Americans love using wood to build houses because it is dry and comfortable, especially in the northern regions where wooden houses are very common.

However, once a fire starts, it spreads rapidly with the help of the howling north wind, eventually igniting a city-wide blaze. The most dangerous thing is...
The city fires spread to the armory and other warehouses storing supplies. The raging flames illuminated the sky, accompanied by loud explosions that could be heard clearly from over a hundred miles away.

The large amount of ammunition stockpiled by the US military was reduced to ashes in a series of violent explosions before it could be used, which also resulted in the loss of a large amount of food and other military supplies, which was truly adding insult to injury.

When General Taylor saw all this, he felt like he wanted to die.

He was originally very confident that with his more than 30 American troops, he could hold off the Chu army's northern offensive and buy the Chicago defenders at least two or three months.

It now seems unlikely that it will even last a month.

General Taylor's confidence was well-founded. His Northern Defense Line, which he established with a light front and a heavy rear, was recognized by the U.S. Army Command in Chicago and was called a "solid ice and snow defense line."

It was fortified with deep trenches, artillery, bunkers, barbed wire, and numerous firing positions, possessing over 4400 artillery pieces of various calibers, and had strong support from behind.

Behind the northern snow and ice defense line lies the outer perimeter of Chicago, with a large number of US troops deployed along the line from Madison to Milwaukee.

Supporting Minneapolis via the rail line is only 375 kilometers away, a journey that can be completed in a day by train, which is the source of General Taylor's confidence.

Neither the ammunition nor the reinforcements were equivalent to the more than 300,000 troops currently in sight.

As a result, the Chu Royal Army's tactic completely extinguished any remaining hope General Taylor had.

All 5.32 American troops on the front lines were wiped out. General Taylor still had 26.85 troops on the second lines, who had built a complete defensive fortified zone and were determined to fight to the death.

As orders for emergency operations were relayed, U.S. forces adjusted their deployments overnight, sending reserve reinforcements to fortified areas ahead and comprehensively strengthening defenses.

General Taylor deployed half of his 150,000-strong reserve force, leaving only six divisions and seven National Guard regiments, while the rest were committed to the front lines.

The forward positions had trenches, artillery shelters, troop hiding places, underground command posts, underground armories, and a series of permanent fortifications, which could ensure that soldiers could fight for a long time.

The United States has no shortage of steel or cement, so these trenches were built very solidly and could withstand attacks for a long time.

five days later

When General Taylor received news that the Chu army had bypassed the fortified areas, advanced through the weakly defended wilderness, and reached the outskirts of Minneapolis, he was completely stunned.

Um...aren't we taking that road?

This is also due to inertia. Large-scale troop operations must rely on good roads for assault because large-scale troop operations are extremely costly, involving numerous vehicles and horses, as well as a lot of heavy artillery and logistical supplies, making it difficult to advance without leaving the roads.

On the Great Plains of the Central United States

It is a vast expanse of fertile land, hills, lakes and forests, with few decent mountain ranges. The major mountain ranges in North America are in the west, while the central region is mainly plains from north to south.

Such geographical conditions make defense extremely difficult, and trench warfare is the only feasible method.

The army of the Great Chu Empire did not follow the usual route. Compared to breaking through the fortified areas where the US military was well prepared, what was a little detour through the wilderness?
At most, they would suffer some hardship. In addition, the ground was frozen solid in March, and with trucks and mule carts pulling from the front and pushing from the back, they could still overcome the rugged terrain of the wilderness and make their way through.

When the massive Chu army arrived in Minneapolis, General Taylor knew it was all over; the enemy had outflanked them.

The fierce battle to capture the city lasted for three days. With the support of heavy air bombardment, the Third Army broke through the city's defenses and engaged in a fierce battle with the American forces inside the city.

The American troops on the outskirts of the city tried to return to reinforce, but were repeatedly repelled. Under the combined fire of Chu tanks, heavy machine guns, and infantry, leaving the trench area was tantamount to suicide.

This is like a snail losing its shell and revealing its soft body; isn't that like serving a dish?

The sounds of gunfire echoed throughout the city during the urban battle. The American troops fought desperately amidst the ruins and rubble, but ultimately could not escape being annihilated. The battle was extremely fierce.

After several days of chaotic fighting, the flag of the Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire was raised in Minneapolis, signifying the complete fall of the city.

Thus, the Third Army firmly held the fate of 150,000 American troops on the outskirts of the city in its grip.

How many days could the supplies stored in the trenches last?

The Third Army did not rush to attack, but instead repaired the city's defenses and used bomber groups to bomb and destroy possible supply depots and stockpiles, thus encircling this part of the American troops.

The U.S. military also organized several nighttime raids, but all of them ended in failure.

After holding out for 12 days, the number of American troops, reduced to 12.7, had no choice but to surrender. Most of them had not eaten or drunk for days and were so weak that they would collapse at the slightest push.

Continuing to endure would only lead to the tragic fate of total annihilation.

In the following days, the troops that had been advancing eastward captured Green Bay, fulfilling the Third Army's pledge six days ahead of schedule and occupying the northern outskirts of Chicago.

The fall of Green Bay greatly shocked the U.S. military command in Chicago, which felt extremely threatened and immediately took action to try to retaliate.

The loss of Green Bay, a port city on the shores of Lake Michigan, meant that transportation on the northern shore of Lake Michigan would be seriously threatened by the Chu air force. This was a vital artery of water transport and would have a significant impact on the outcome of the Battle of Chicago.

1833st January 4

It was 3 p.m., two days after the fall of Green Bay. On a waterway about 50 kilometers from the port, a long fleet of ships was sailing north when it was spotted by a passing Chu fighter plane.

"This is terrible. We've been spotted by those Easterners' planes. We can still escape now, or we'll all be buried at the bottom of this icy lake."

"Shut up! We're only a little over two hours away from Green Bay. We can't afford to fail now. Desertion is a military court offense. I hope you think it through before you make a decision."

"I am thinking of the 33,000 officers and soldiers of the Northward Task Force, not of being afraid of death. If the enemy sends bombers, all the American brothers will be swallowed up by the sea."

"What should I do?"

"I remember there's a small fishing village nearby. Immediately move the fleet there and unload as many people as you can. Disperse the rear fleet and order each ship to sail northeast. We'll regroup after dark. Go and carry out this order."

"As you command, sir."

After the fighter jets circled for a while and flew away, the long convoy immediately split in two. The troop transport ships in the middle section and beyond each accelerated and dispersed, heading towards the depths of Lake Michigan.

The seven troop transport ships ahead also accelerated, speeding towards the lake shore. They soon spotted a small fishing village dock and quickly pulled alongside it. (End of Chapter)