Munitions Empire-Chapter 1132 - 1052 This is indeed good news_2

Following that, he added another sentence: "Also, as a secret weapon, we will deploy the latest model of the H-6 bomber to bomb South Island of Mirage Country."

The range of the H-6 is even farther than that of the Flying Fortress; it can easily fly above South Island, drop bombs, and safely return without even the need for escorts.

Because it can fly at speeds that Mirage Country’s fighter jets can’t catch up with, and at altitudes that Mirage Country’s fighter jets simply can’t reach.

"The scale of the landing troops exceeds 150,000, utilizing over 4,000 vessels... just the transportation of 155-caliber artillery exceeds 300 pieces! This is the largest maritime deployment force in the world, and also the first large-scale, long-distance landing operation in history," Tang Mo muttered to himself as he stared at the various data on the map.

...

"According to the satellite photos analysis... the enemy has built 30 large bunker complexes near our selected landing site, here, and here, they must be taken out!" At the headquarters of the 1st regiment of the 1st Division of the Navy Marine Corps, which is already assembled at the dock, the commander is checking the beachhead targets with his officers.

He pointed to several key points marked on the map and said, "The first wave of Stuka bombers will take special care of these concrete bunkers, eliminating these threats! If they can’t do it, then the Dongwan-class battleships will close in and fire, using their main guns to destroy these targets!"

"Engineer Corps must follow the main attacking troops immediately to destroy the remaining small bunkers and trenches, breach the enemy’s barbed wire! Crossing through possible minefields!" All details must be repeatedly confirmed to avoid unexpected situations on the spot.

An officer asked, "Will they use landmines?"

"Unclear." The commander shook his head.

"How many artillery pieces do the enemy have in the main defense area?" Another officer raised his hand to ask.

The commander still shook his head: "Unclear."

Another officer continued to ask: "Will there be enemy tanks appearing on the beachhead?"

"Unclear." The commander shook his head again.

"That’s really some good news." A few officers started to grin bitterly.

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"The follow-up Engineer Corps will immediately set up floating docks in the landing area, and the speed of subsequent troops landing will significantly increase…" The engineering technician explaining the floating dock technology in front of the blackboard glanced apprehensively at the dense crowd of officers seated below him.

"When can the dock be put into use?" General Feng Kezhi, sitting in the chief seat, looked towards the technician.

"Hard to say, maybe two days, maybe three days. If something unexpected happens, it could be five days." The engineer in charge gave a conclusion that left everyone dissatisfied, and his prudence increasingly worried Feng Kezhi about the landing phase.

"Then my troops still have to rely on landing crafts to go ashore… That would be faster." Ultimately, Feng Kezhi looked towards his Chief of Staff and instructed.

"We’ll need to adapt to the situation as it unfolds." The Chief of Staff nodded; he also didn’t have much confidence in this so-called floating dock.

"How long can the Navy’s planes provide us with cover?" Feng Kezhi turned to ask a liaison officer next to him.

That liaison officer had already confirmed it many times and responded without hesitation: "About fifteen days, after fifteen days, the troops would basically reach their limit. Their aircraft carriers need to return for refueling, the carrier-based aircraft require maintenance, the destroyers can’t ensure the safety of the landing area at night, and the transport fleet needs to return to bring the second batch of landing troops..."

"Does that mean we need to seize a sufficiently large area within 15 days, establish new airports, to ensure air superiority?" Feng Kezhi felt somewhat unsure.

The liaison officer curled his lips and gave a not very optimistic answer: "Pretty much, but I’m more inclined to think... our troops will lose air superiority and have to fight a lone battle for about a month without any air support."

"Well, that really is good news," General Feng Kezhi straightened his body, mumbling a lament in a soft voice.

...

"In order to bring as many soldiers as possible, all warships have to load additional infantry... large warships should carry a company, while destroyers should carry a platoon or even two," on a destroyer, the first officer was confirming arrangements for boarding soldiers with the captain: "The scene will be very chaotic when unloading troops, so priority should be given to unloading the soldiers from specialized landing crafts, soldiers on the warships will have to wait."

"So you’re saying, we’ll have to fight alongside these landlubbers?" the captain was clearly reluctant, as the additional load of soldiers would impact the resting space of sailors on the warship, and also eat into the corresponding food reserves.

The executive officer nodded: "You could say that, but not all warships must carry soldiers, the surveillance fleet responsible for fleet security doesn’t need to carry army soldiers."

"We’ll have fighter jet escorts during the day, so the fleet should be safe, but the most dangerous time is at night when the fighter jets can’t take off, and the enemy’s warships will pose a serious threat to the landing site," the captain worried, since the Great Tang Empire didn’t have a powerful battleship fleet, they had to rely on smaller vessels like destroyers for combat.

Even though the destroyers of the Great Tang Empire were not small in tonnage to suit the needs of oceanic warfare, compared to the tens of thousands of tons that battleships weighed, they were indeed very delicate.

"At night, we can only rely on radar and torpedoes for combat. If the torpedoes run out, we will be in a very passive position." This destroyer had not been modernized; it only had torpedoes and no anti-ship missiles, which is why the captain had made such a remark.

"But we cannot leave. The entire fleet must protect the landing site for at least 15 days, and if possible, the higher-ups hope we can hold out for more than 20 days," the executive officer shrugged his shoulders.

"Such intensive combat operations don’t seem easy to sustain for 20 days," the captain felt very unsure about the 20-day deadline.

The executive officer nodded in agreement: "Indeed, it’s not easy. I’m more inclined towards the original estimate, which is 15 days. That should be the limit. Any more... we, or rather, the entire fleet, would be in grave danger."

"However, if there are issues with the army’s advance and they can’t establish in-depth positions, still suppressed at the beachhead, then we’ll just have to take the risk," the executive officer added.

The captain felt that the person who had devised this operation plan must be mad: "Risk the entire navy fleet for the failure of the army?"

"Yes," the executive officer nodded again.

"Well, that really is good news." The captain managed to squeeze out these words, with his mouth almost twisted to his cheek.

...

"On the day of the airborne operation, navy fighter jets will clear the way by taking out enemy fighter jets’ interception! But they will then have to support the landing site; we can only look after ourselves," inside the paratrooper troops’ camp, the commander was also making the final mobilization.

Originally, the transport range of the 47 transport aircraft was insufficient, almost missing the airborne operation over Mirage Country. However, with the subsequent service of the 130 Hercules Transport Aircraft, they eventually got the opportunity to participate in the battle.

For those who had missed the previous war, this was definitely good news! After years of preparations, they finally had a battlefield! So this was good news, no doubt about it!

"We will hold out for 2 to 5 days without air support, without heavy weapons, without resupply of ammunition! Counting on the army to advance is less reliable than counting on ourselves, as long as we perform well, we can create favorable conditions for the army to break through the enemy’s lines," the paratrooper commander clenched his fist, loudly encouraging his soldiers.

He seemed to view everything as a trial, a test of their loyalty to the Emperor.

Therefore, he was not worried about not having enough anti-tank weapons, nor was he concerned about penetrating deep behind enemy lines: "We’ll quickly be surrounded, but no matter, we’re born into encirclement! We will fight to the last man for His Majesty The Emperor! For the Great Tang Empire!"

"For the Great Tang Empire!" All the paratroopers shouted together.