Nanyang Storm 1864

Since the start of the Battle of Chicago, fighting has raged along a 1460-kilometer front from north to south, with dozens of battles of varying sizes breaking out every day, casting a heavy shadow of war over the Louisiana region in central North America.

This vast region belonged to the Louisiana Territory, which was sold to the United States by the former French Emperor Napoleon, and about 60% of it was affected by the war.

The region is dominated by vast plains, which have given rise to major rivers and lakes such as the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan. It is one of the world's most extensive black soil plains.

The land is fertile and rich in resources, with a long history of development spanning over 200 years.

In the Battle of Chicago

The two flanking attacks from the north and south were very effective. After 25 days of bloody fighting, the Royal Third Army of the Great Chu Empire on the northern route broke through first and occupied northern Minnesota and Wisconsin with overwhelming force, achieving the campaign objective first.

The southern flank, mainly composed of the Royal Army's Southern Corps, successfully broke through the key U.S. defenses in Memphis, Tennessee, after a total of 22 days of bloody fighting, and captured this important city.

They then split into two groups and marched eastward. One group followed the southeastern road to Birmingham, Alabama, where 12 American troops were holding the defensive line, and a large number of American troops were advancing to reinforce them. It was going to be another tough battle.

Following the railway northeast, they advanced on Nashville, a major transportation hub in Tennessee, in what would be another arduous battle.

Along the Dixon-Fairview line, the main force of this northward-bound Confederate army encountered resistance from the US forces, and fierce fighting broke out between the two sides.

Compared to the skillful fighting of the Northern Third Army, the Southern Corps faced a much more severe situation.

Because the South is located in the lower Mississippi River region, the climate is warm and there is a lot of rainfall. In late April, it frequently encounters monsoon rains, and the soil in the open fields along the way is soft.

Large-scale troop operations have very high requirements for ammunition and material supplies. Cars, armored vehicles, and horse-drawn carriages cannot maneuver or outmaneuver in such terrain and can only advance obediently along the railways and highways.

This naturally led to repeated attacks from the US military fortresses and strongholds. Each time they captured a stronghold, they had to pay a heavy price in casualties and consume a lot of ammunition. The whole way was tough.

Faced with the crisis of defending their homeland, U.S. military personnel also displayed a strong spirit of sacrifice, fighting to the death time and again, making the war extremely intense and brutal.

Facing the main offensive direction of the US forces on the Chicago front, the Imperial Army also launched frequent attacks, constantly creating a tense atmosphere before the great battle through tactical feints and division-level offensives.

Such probing attacks are used to test the weaknesses in the US military's defensive lines.

The U.S. military headquarters in Chicago was well aware of the implications. The frequent actions of the main force of the Chu Kingdom's Northern Army were like a boxer probing after the start of a match.

If weaknesses are exposed, a fatal blow could be launched at any time.

Fighter jets roared to and fro in the air, artillery fire roared on the ground, and the sounds of gunfire continued day and night along the battlefront stretching for thousands of miles, as the battle intensified.

The Southern Army Corps of the Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire is attacking the Dixo-Fervue line. Along the 73-kilometer-long front, the fierce battle between the two sides is reaching a fever pitch.

This is an open area nestled between mountains and lakes, with several highways and a railway leading to Nashville, a major transportation hub in the south. It can be considered Nashville's last line of defense.

The U.S. military constructed four lines of trenches here, along with numerous bunkers, fixed artillery positions and pillboxes, as well as logistics warehouses and comprehensive military facilities, forming a fortified area extending more than 20 kilometers in depth.

If the army of the Great Chu Empire wants to march north, it must pass through this place.

The weather in the south in early April is as unpredictable as a child's face; the air is always damp, which is typical of the rainy season.

In the Southern Corps headquarters, the staff officers were all busy. Some were making phone calls, some were issuing combat orders, some were planning the transportation of supplies, some were arranging the evacuation of wounded and sick soldiers in the battle, and some were urging the Royal Air Force bomber squadrons to move.

Prince Chu-Zheng Yan walked out of the command post with a gloomy expression, looking at the front line ahead.

Even from six or seven kilometers away, you can still see bombers circling and diving in the sky, dropping bombs wave after wave. The roar of their engines is deafening, giving you a chilling feeling.

The flames from the explosion ahead shot into the sky, and the sounds of gunfire and artillery continued incessantly.

This is a tough battle. More than 100,000 American troops have been blocking the Confederate Army's eastward advance for five days along the Dixon-Fairview line, and the two sides are locked in fierce fighting.

Although the US military has the advantage of fortified terrain, its existing defense system is gradually crumbling under the absolute air superiority of the Chu expeditionary force.

In response to the U.S. military’s strong defenses, the Southern Corps used 250-pound heavy bombs, with each Hercules medium bomber carrying four bombs, to bombard the enemy’s fortified fortifications from the air.

The effect was very obvious. The effect of this 250-pound heavy bomb was equivalent to a direct hit from a 280-millimeter heavy artillery shell. It could directly destroy a 1.2-meter layer of concrete and kill all American troops within a 70-meter radius.

Today, the Chu Royal Army is playing the role of a demolition team, making extensive use of the "North American Volunteer Corps" attached to various divisions to launch attacks on the defending enemy.

Once a new firing point is exposed, bombers in the air will not hesitate to swoop down and destroy it with 250-pound heavy bombs, and so on.

The cost was, of course, very high. Half of the 62 volunteer corps attached to the Southern Corps were decimated and had to withdraw to the rear to replenish and rest.

The Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire had accumulated a great deal of experience in using white militia during World War I, and its application on the battlefield was very effective.

The expeditionary force used American soldiers captured on the desert front as the backbone of its volunteer corps. These traitorous soldiers, with the blood of their compatriots on their hands, had no way out and could only follow the Imperial Expeditionary Force to the bitter end.

The rest were North American soldiers captured in other battles, including many white men, young men, Mexicans, some blacks, and others, who were forcibly placed in the volunteer corps as cannon fodder.

Practice has proven that the results are very significant.

Those traitorous white American soldiers were even more ruthless and severe when dealing with their fellow countrymen than the Chinese soldiers of Chu; they were very competent lackeys.

Generally speaking

Most of the white soldiers who defected on the battlefield served as squad or platoon leaders in the volunteer corps. Company-level officers were generally veterans of Chinese descent, while battalion and regimental-level officers were junior Chinese officers dispatched by the Imperial Army.

When a volunteer corps suffers more than 30% damage, it is often withdrawn for replenishment and then sent back to the battlefield to avoid pre-battle mutiny.

"Replenishment" means filling gaps. For example, the more than 7.7 American soldiers captured in the Battle of Memphis are now serving hard labor in labor camps in the rear, building bridges and roads, transporting supplies, clearing urban ruins, and rebuilding houses, etc.

Select the more docile white prisoners and directly fill them into the volunteer corps to make up the remaining positions. Then, send them back to the battlefield to charge into battle...

The military treated white prisoners of war well, providing them with ample bread, vegetables, and a small amount of meat daily. During the fighting, they also received a pack of cigarettes, two chocolates, and two ounces of sugar weekly, and were promised promotions, ranks, land, property, and other rewards upon meritorious service.

White soldiers enlisted in the volunteer corps received a coupon after each battle, which they could use to visit the military service and have a wild time with women to soothe their wounded hearts. These coupons were highly sought after and circulated among the soldiers as hard currency, able to be exchanged for five or six packs of cigarettes, a pound of cured meat, or even two pounds of sugar and other goodies, all to keep these white soldiers obediently fighting for their lives.

Compared to what they paid, the Imperial Army greatly reduced the casualties among Chinese officers and soldiers and avoided exorbitant pensions for them, so it was a huge win.

Prince Chu-Zheng Yan calculated the time in his mind and casually asked, "There's still one day left. Can the 61st Division take down the enemy's three lines of defense? If not, send the 20th Division."

"Reporting to the commander, the 61st Division is absolutely confident that it will complete the mission on schedule and will never fail to live up to the commander's expectations. Otherwise, we will answer to you with our heads."

"Yes, we don't have much time left. We must break through the outer defenses of the US forces as soon as possible, cut off the transportation hub of Nashville in the south, and create favorable conditions for the main force to launch an offensive."

"Understood, sir. I will complete the task ahead of schedule."

"Okay, what are the requirements for the 61st Division?"

"I request that you replenish me with five more volunteer corps, and also dispatch bombers to concentrate bombing on the railway lines behind the defensive line, cutting off the road reinforcements' access to the battlefield, thus creating conditions for my division to annihilate the enemy."

"Quite a few demands, huh? Fine, I'll grant them all. Remember your pledge. If you fail to capture the enemy's three lines of defense by tomorrow evening, military law will be merciless."

"Please rest assured, sir. If the 61st Division fails to complete its mission, I will personally commit suicide in front of you."

"Go ahead, I'll be waiting for your good news of victory."

"Please rest assured, General, even if the American positions are fortresses made of steel, the 61st Division will smash them to pieces and swallow them whole."

Major General Zheng Bao, commander of the 61st Division, answered firmly. He raised his hand in salute, licked his dry lips, and a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face.

He then turned and strode away, his back view so resolute.

A soldier's word is law; if he does not succeed, he will die for his country.

Prince Chu-Zheng Yan watched the fierce general leave with swift steps, a satisfied smile on his face.

The Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire has never been afraid of tough battles. The morale of the army is extremely high from top to bottom, and they have a strong spirit of sacrifice and a strong sense of military honor. These are precious qualities that are ingrained in their bones.

The fact that the more than 400,000-strong Southern Legion was blocked at the Dixo-Fairview line was not because the Imperial army's offensive power was insufficient, but because it faced a fortified defense line that the American army had carefully built over a year, making it a truly tough nut to crack.

The most deadly thing is
The U.S. military was able to receive a steady stream of reinforcements and supplies of weapons and ammunition from Nashville and other towns in Tennessee, and could replenish its losses as much as it suffered.

Even though the Imperial Air Force dominated the skies, it lacked night-fighting capabilities. These American troops could replenish their forces at night, allowing the large number of troops lost on the defensive lines to be restored.

Over the course of those five days, the U.S. Army lost a division every day on the Dixo-Fairview line, but was quickly replaced by another division.

After five days of intense fighting, the U.S. military suffered more than 60,000 casualties on the front lines, with estimates ranging from 68,000 to 70,000.

Compared to the fewer than 9 American troops originally defending this area, they should have been wiped out long ago, and the defenses could have been breached much earlier.

The facts are completely wrong.
The U.S. military replenished supplies very quickly under cover of night. As soon as night fell, long lines of transport stretched as far as the eye could see along the highways leading to Dixon-Fairview County, with lights extending for more than ten kilometers.

In response to this situation
The Southern Corps specifically developed a method for nighttime attacks: equipping its field airfields with 20 diesel generators and hundreds of high-brightness searchlights to illuminate the runways.

Every Fierce Bomber that takes off at night is a suicide squad; they fly into the night sky fully loaded with munitions, but have no confidence that they can land safely.

The Southern Corps placed a heavy bet on these brave airmen, recording a merit for each night bombing mission, and officers who carried out seven consecutive night bombing missions were promoted one rank and awarded a major merit.

Even so, each sortie was limited to one squadron of 12 bombers.

The first bombing run was very effective. These bombers carried 20-pound low-yield aerial bombs, and could carry 60 at a time. They dropped them along the roads illuminated by night lights, creating a sea of ​​fire.

The low-altitude strafing of the heavy machine guns was equally powerful, leaving American soldiers dead everywhere; the scene was horrific.

The Imperial Air Force also paid a considerable price. At night, without any reference points or altimeters, blindly flying low and strafing, they easily crashed into the ground and exploded into a ball of fire.

During the encore, even with high-powered searchlights illuminating the runway, the track remained brightly lit.

Three bombers were still destroyed and two were severely damaged.

Of the 12 Fierce bombers that launched a night attack, five were lost, two were severely damaged, and only five were able to land safely and return intact, resulting in a casualty rate of over 50%.

This was just a nighttime raid, and it already came at such a high price.

The results were significant; the U.S. military's nighttime replenishment of its forward positions was severely hampered and ceased by the fifth day of the battle.

Today is the sixth day, and we must carry out another nighttime bombing mission tonight to support the 61st Division's full-scale offensive.

For the sake of the overall good, the Royal Air Force must make sacrifices.

Even from this distance, Prince Chu-Zheng Yan could still smell the strong, pungent stench of blood and gunpowder coming from the front lines.

Having commanded troops for many years and witnessed countless deaths, he was secretly alarmed by the current brutal and intense war, as the casualties were indeed too great.

Even with absolute air and artillery superiority, the Chu expeditionary force suffered 4.17 casualties in the past few days of bloody fighting, which is quite a lot.

Of these, the white militia, which was the main force of the attack, suffered more than 3.3 casualties, while the Chinese officers and soldiers also suffered more than 8000 casualties, although the latter were mostly minor or serious injuries.

The number of Chinese soldiers killed in action is currently 1721, and it will certainly increase later, but not by much.

The main force behind the repeated attacks was still the white militia. Their united and large-scale offensive was just right, and the enemy dared not ignore it, nor did they dare to let the attack run rampant.

Many long-hidden, deadly bunkers and firing positions were exposed during the attack, allowing them to be destroyed one by one and paving the way to victory. (End of Chapter)