northernbook Chapter 847 Abandoned Port
Chapter 847 Abandoned Port
Three days later, as the dawn broke, the sky was gradually dyed red by the gorgeous morning glow. The Oshima Port and Naruto Port in the Tokushima area seemed to be covered with a layer of golden battle robe, appearing particularly solemn and dignified.
In these two important ports, a large-scale maritime operation is about to begin.
The North Sea Third Fleet, as the maritime pillar of this operation, has a shockingly large fleet lineup.
Hundreds of warships were lined up in an orderly manner, including giant aircraft carriers, battleships and numerous large troop transports. They were like sea monsters, ready to go.
In particular, there are no less than 50 large troop transport ships, each carrying thousands of soldiers. They will become important tools for Chen Tong and Liu Chengxu's troops to cross the strait.
Following the commander's order, the fleet slowly started moving, making a deafening roar. The waves rolled under the hulls, as if cheering for the feat that was about to take place.
Chen Tong and Liu Chengxu stood on the decks of their respective flagships, gazing at the distant ports of Tanabe and Yinnan with sharp eyes.
Behind them were the 120,000 troops led by each of them.
On the troop transport ship, the sea breeze blew on the face, bringing the smell of salty sea water and the breath of battle.
On this vast sea, the North Sea Third Fleet was like a giant steel dragon, carrying the troops of Chen Tong and Liu Chengxu, marching forward bravely towards its target - the ports of Tanabe and Yinan.
On the sea, the muzzles of the warships were slightly raised, as if announcing to the enemy: the dawn of victory is about to come.
As the fleet slowly advanced, the outline of Yinan Port gradually became clear on the horizon, and the fleet was less than 80 nautical miles away from the target.
In the command room of the flagship, Rear Admiral Liu Gong stood in front of a huge nautical chart, scanning every corner with sharp eyes. His hands were behind his back, and his fingers were tapping lightly, which was his habit when thinking.
"Messenger!" Liu Gong's voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the command room, "Immediately convey my order to the vanguard troops."
The messenger quickly stepped forward, stood at attention, and opened the notebook in his hand.
Liu Gong took a deep breath and began to issue detailed instructions: "Order the vanguard consisting of twelve high-speed destroyers, frigates and reconnaissance ships to speed up immediately and enter the sea area where the enemy may be deployed as quickly as possible. Their mission is to conduct a comprehensive reconnaissance of the enemy's maritime forces, including but not limited to the number, type, deployment location and activity mode of ships. At the same time, use all available means, including but not limited to radar scanning, sonar detection, etc., to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of intelligence."
He paused and said, "Inform the commander of the vanguard force that their actions will directly affect the safety and combat effectiveness of the subsequent large force. They must be cautious, but also dare to take risks and strive to send back the most valuable intelligence in the shortest time."
"Yes, sir!" the messenger answered loudly, then turned around and quickly conveyed the order to the communications department.
In the communications room, radio waves began to shuttle busily, accurately conveying Liu Gong's orders to the vanguard troops that were breaking through the waves.
At the same time, Liu Gong did not stop. He continued to discuss subsequent combat plans with the combat staff and flexibly adjusted strategies based on the intelligence sent back by the vanguard troops.
The commander of the vanguard fleet, Li Yuan, a naval colonel, immediately demonstrated his outstanding command ability and keen battlefield insight after receiving the order from Major General Liu Gong. He quickly summoned the captains of each ship and issued detailed reconnaissance instructions via high-frequency radio waves to ensure that each ship could clearly understand its mission area and reconnaissance focus.
As the fleet quickly dispersed on the sea, a silent intelligence gathering war quietly unfolded. Li Ming personally sat on the flagship, staring closely at the radar screen and data from various sensors, while commanding the reconnaissance boat to move to a more distant sea area, striving not to miss any possible clues of the enemy.
However, as time went by, a puzzling phenomenon gradually emerged before everyone - on the vast sea, except for the occasional dolphins jumping out of the sea and the birds flying leisurely in the distance, there was no trace of the Fuso Navy fleet. The radar screen was empty, and the sonar detection failed to capture any abnormal signals. It was as if the enemy had completely abandoned the defense of the port's offshore area and allowed the vanguard fleet to freely shuttle through this sea area.
Li Ming frowned, his mind full of doubts. He knew very well that this situation was extremely unusual and was probably a trap set by the enemy to lure them deep behind enemy lines. But on the other hand, he also realized that if this was really the enemy's negligence, then they might be able to take this opportunity to break through the enemy's defense line in one fell swoop and create favorable conditions for subsequent landing operations.
Without any hesitation, Li Ming immediately reported the situation to Major General Liu Gong through the encrypted communication channel.
Li Yuan reported the reconnaissance results in detail and expressed his initial judgment and suggestions.
He advised Major General Liu Gong to remain highly vigilant and strengthen coordinated operations with other fleets so that they could respond quickly when the enemy was discovered.
After receiving the report, Major General Liu Gong was also shocked. He quickly convened the combat staff team and conducted an in-depth analysis of the intelligence sent back by the vanguard fleet.
After some intense discussions and deductions, they finally decided to continue advancing the fleet while maintaining caution, while strengthening reconnaissance efforts to ensure that they were aware of changes in the enemy situation at all times.
As the fleet steadily advanced towards the South Indian port, Major General Liu Gong stepped into the command room, looked around, and his eyes finally fell on the nautical chart on the screen, where the icon representing his own fleet was gradually approaching the coordinates of the South Indian port.
"Commander Liu," Liu Gong's voice was steady and powerful, breaking the silence in the room, "Based on the reconnaissance report of the vanguard fleet and our own observations, I can almost confirm that the enemy's defense at sea and in the offshore areas is almost useless."
Upon hearing this, Liu Chengxu raised his eyes from the report in his hand, looked at Liu Gong, and a hint of deep thought flashed in his eyes.
He pondered for a moment, as if he was chewing on the meaning behind this sentence, then raised the corner of his mouth slightly and muttered to himself: "It seems that the other party has really given up the idea of confronting us head-on at sea."
He stood up, walked to the nautical chart, and lightly traced the area that indicated the enemy's possible defense. Then he stopped decisively, turned to face the operations staff, and issued an order: "Pass the order down, let the fleet anchor at a safe distance from the offshore area of Yinan Port, maintain high alert, and closely monitor any possible changes in the enemy situation. At the same time, order the artillery unit to prepare to launch a round of exploratory long-range fire at Yinan Port to observe the enemy's reaction."
"Commander Liu, do you think the enemy may have directly abandoned the offshore port?" asked a staff officer, with surprise and confusion in his tone.
Liu Chengxu nodded, his eyes deep: "Yes, judging from the current intelligence, this possibility is very high. They may be planning a more cunning tactic to lure us into a trap, or simply conserving their strength and preparing to fight us on other battlefields. But no matter what, we can't take it lightly, we must always be vigilant and ensure that every step is under our control."
As the order was given, the fleet began to adjust its course and speed in an orderly manner, gradually approaching the Port of Yinan, while rounds of exploratory artillery fire began to burst out over the port, breaking the tranquil sky and foreshadowing the coming storm.