Chapter 334: Republic of China: Starting from the First Class of Whampoa, Chapter 344: The Hesitating Japanese Second Army

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Protagonist:

Lv Muzhi

The Japanese high command argued endlessly at Tokyo Imperial General Headquarters, but the Eleventh Army's attacks on Ma Dang Fortress on the frontline never ceased for a moment.

Only by taking this nail could Gangcun Ningci's forces advance along both banks of the Yangtze River toward Wuhan.

And further north at the North Foot of the Dabie Mountains, Prince Tōgū Toshihiko's Second Army remained on the sidelines, while any movement by the Soviet Army in the Zhanggufeng region of Manchuria tugged at their nerves.

Ma Dang Fortress, Changshan Position.

Bao Zhangyi's forces of the Marine Corps Second Battalion were stubbornly resisting the Bo Tian Detachment's fierce assault. Previously, the Bo Tian Detachment had encountered stubborn resistance from the Sixteenth Army at Xiangshan Position, suffering considerable losses.

The subsequent Anqing Great Air Battle further inflicted heavy losses on the Eleventh Army's air force and the naval base.

Nevertheless, the Central China Expeditionary Army remained unwilling to abandon the goal of the Wuhan Campaign.

This unprecedentedly large-scale campaign had been prepared for a long time; if abandoned halfway, all investments would be wasted.

As a final dance, it absolutely could not end so hastily.

Therefore, the Third Fleet cooperated with the army to regroup, paying a huge price to capture Xiangshan Position.

But this merely opened the first door of Ma Dang Fortress.

Now, the second door of Ma Dang Fortress, Changshan Position, awaited the Japanese army.

Inside Ma Dang Battery, An Bang, Commander of the Jiang Defense Marine Corps of the Youth Corps, was observing the river surface through a rangefinder. The battery offered an excellent view, allowing a clear overlook of the entire Changshan Position.

As the second defensive line, this position was far more solid and perilous than Xiangshan Position. More importantly, the heavy artillery inside the fortress could directly cover the river surface and provide fire support for Changshan Position.

After the Third Fleet was reorganized, it dispatched numerous destroyers and cannonboats to assist in the battle.

The roar of naval guns kept falling on the position, and the Bo Tian Detachment's soldiers launched charges under artillery cover.

In the rear, Major General Hatada Jūichi held up binoculars, looked for a while, then lowered them.

From the Songhu Campaign until now, he had been on the Xia Kingdom Battlefield for nearly a year, but his confidence had been worn down by one bitter battle after another.

The fighting grew increasingly difficult; by the Wuhan Campaign, aside from capturing Anqing relatively smoothly, the Eleventh Army could not move an inch before this Ma Dang Fortress.

The naval fleet's bombardment provided no support at all; instead, it was more like a battlefield atmosphere group, with limited effect on solid fortifications.

Conversely, the heavy artillery of Ma Dang Fortress repeatedly struck effectively.

Boom!

Huge water columns erupted on the river surface, and waves slammed violently onto the deck of the Japanese flagship Anzhai Gunboat.

Hatada Jūichi felt a chill in his heart.

His infantry was attacking Changshan Position, while the naval fleet provided fire on the Yangtze River surface to the right, but they were helpless against Ma Dang Battery hidden deep in the mountains in the rear.

As Major General Kondo Eijiro, Commander of the Eleventh Naval Fleet, said: Ma Dang Battery's heavy artillery was deeply concealed in the mountains, and naval guns could not directly hit it.

Unless the Japanese fleet closed in to fire, but the river surface was filled with naval mines and obstacles; mine sweeping and obstacle clearing required a great deal of time.

Moreover, the 406mm heavy guns inside Ma Dang Battery were no pushovers and would not allow the Japanese fleet to approach easily.

"Enemy cannonboat spotted ahead, distance 7 kilometers!" Inside Ma Dang Battery, an artillery observer shouted a report.

An Bang immediately turned the lens and indeed saw a Japanese warship rapidly advancing, attempting to outflank the rear of Changshan Position! Intending to envelop the rear flank of the guard position.

"Provide fire support for Changshan, sink that ship."

"Yes!"

Ma Dang Battery was divided into three levels, each gun emplacement concealing heavy shore defense cannons.

Besides conventional shore defense cannons of various calibers, the most powerful were six 406mm giant guns.

The giant guns were slowly adjusting their firing angles.

The loaders, through mechanical devices, pushed the heavy high-explosive shells into the gun barrels, followed by huge propellant packs.

"Elements locked, requesting to open fire!"

"Open fire!"

At An Bang's order.

Boom——!!!

A world-shaking roar shook the entire fortress; a shell weighing one ton screamed toward the river surface less than two kilometers wide in the distance.

The Yangtze River seemed to boil; Japanese warships swayed unsteadily in the towering waves, like rootless duckweed.

Many small boats and landing craft were directly overturned by huge waves.

Some good Japanese soldiers jumped into the water to survive, hoping to swim ashore.

But the shockwave from 406mm shells exploding underwater was terrifying beyond measure; the internal organs of the Japanese sailors who fell into the water were instantly shattered, floating to the surface like dead fish, bleeding from all seven orifices.

Kondo Eijiro was stunned by this sight and hurriedly ordered: "Full fleet, retreat! Withdraw from the combat area!"

Once the navy retreated, the Bo Tian Detachment immediately lost its most important fire support.

The Bo Tian Detachment's Mountain Artillery Regiment had already been destroyed by air raids earlier; now they could only rely on machine guns and grenade launchers to charge at Changshan Position, less than one kilometer wide and filled with permanent fortifications.

"Report to the Detachment Commander!" A staff officer ran over, covered in dust. "By your order, our forces attempted to outflank via a small mountain path on the left wing, but were ambushed by the Sixteenth Army... The outflanking squad suffered eighty percent casualties and has withdrawn to the starting position!"

Hatada Jūichi's face turned deathly pale. Watching the retreating figures of his own naval fleet, he glared with wide eyes. He had greatly respected Major General Kondo Eijiro of the navy, yet the man had fled without even a greeting!

The Japanese infantry, lacking direct support from the naval fleet, found Ma Dang Fortress's shells beginning to fly over Changshan Position, smashing directly into his attacking columns and advancing positions.

Boom boom boom!!!

The heavy artillery inside Ma Dang Fortress directly struck the attacking Japanese infantry; the explosions were deafening.

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!" Seeing this, the Bo Tian Detachment could only issue a retreat order.

Inside Anqing City, upon receiving Hatada Jūichi's request for aid, Eleventh Army Commander Gangcun Ningci fell into deep thought.

Attacking Ma Dang Fortress, the most effective method is coordinated land and water operations.

On one hand, the Navy's cannonboats and destroyers on the water surface cannot suppress Ma Dang Fortress, and the Navy is unwilling to send larger-tonnage cruisers up there.

According to the Navy, the Navy's losses on the Zhi Na Zhan Chang have already been very great, and some Navy officers even rudely said: this is not a war belonging to the Navy, and the Navy does not need to invest too many resources!

Of course, the most important reason is that the Navy needs to draw its main force ships to go occupy Guangzhou and cut off Xia Guo's maritime transport.

On the other hand, the land offensive is also difficult to be effective; Ma Dang Fortress's location is tricky, one side relying on the Yangtze River, one side relying on lakes and Dashan, the land battlefield width is less than one kilometer, and the land forces cannot fully deploy.

If insisting on attacking from the south bank of the Yangtze River, they would probably have to enter from Zhejiang, take a big detour via the Zhejiang-Gan Railway, and by then the yellow flowers would be cold.

A Staff Officer suggested: "Since the south bank is blocked, why not look for a breakthrough from the north bank of the Yangtze River? Ma Dang Fortress mainly defends the south bank, and its impact on the north bank is smaller."

Gangcun Ningci shook his head: "If Ma Dang cannot be taken, the Fleet cannot enter the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, let alone reach Wuhan."

Losing Navy support, the Army's combat power will be greatly reduced. Moreover, there are over one hundred thousand Xia Guo defenders on the north bank, and Tianjiatun Fortress is also very strong, not something that can be easily taken.

The best method is still to advance simultaneously by water! Unfortunately, Henan was not taken; if they could directly advance south from Henan to attack Wuhan, the way would be flat and open, and much more convenient!

But Gangcun Ningci understood this was only his own fantasy; he walked to Di Tu Qian, his finger tapping on the Hefei position:

"What is most critical now is that Prince Tōgū Toshihiko's Second Army is too hesitant! They have stayed in Hefei for over a month without taking action!"

The small movements in the Zhanggufeng region of Manchuria are enough to make them hesitate to move forward.