Chapter 568: Singapore Campaign (6)

Jiu Ye Jianta climbed to the building's top, gazed at the flames and thick smoke at Yingda Island's port in the distance, his face pallid, and firmly believed: the Chinese army is about to launch a full‑scale attack, first bomb the camp, then shell the port, and the next step will inevitably be a landing at Kuala Lumpur!

"Quick! Immediately request aid from Lieutenant General Xia Shan Feng Wen in Singapore!" Jiu Ye Jianta shouted at the staff officer, his tone full of desperation and urgency.

"State that the Nankai Fleet has arrived off the coast of Kuala Lumpur, is bombarding Yingda Island's port, the Chinese army is about to launch a landing assault, request urgent reinforcements, otherwise Kuala Lumpur will be lost!"

The staff officer dared not delay, immediately connected the communicator and anxiously reported the situation to Xia Shan Feng Wen, his tone full of urgency.

Inside the 25th Army headquarters in Singapore, Xia Shan Feng Wen stared at the map, his brows tightly knit.

After receiving Jiu Ye Jianta's request for aid telegram, he repeatedly checked the positions of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, his expression growing increasingly grave.

But he had his own judgment: the Chinese army had just bombed Singapore's coastal defense guns and the Kuala Lumpur camp, then sent a fleet to bomb Yingda Island; it seemed fierce, yet a direct attack on Singapore would be too risky.

Although the Nankai Fleet had an advantage, Singapore still possessed a certain defensive force, and the Chinese army would not rashly advance alone.

After long deliberation, Xia Shan Feng Wen concluded that the Chinese army's primary target was most likely Kuala Lumpur, not Singapore.

If reinforcements are not sent to Kuala Lumpur, once Kuala Lumpur falls, the Japanese Army's Defensive Line on the Malay Peninsula will completely collapse, further threatening the flank security of Singapore.

Weighing the pros and cons, he immediately made a decision: "Relay my order, dispatch the 25th Army Independent Battalion from the Xinshan direction to head to Kuala Lumpur immediately to reinforce Jiu Ye Jianta!"

Xinshan is about 270 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur; originally a sea route could be taken for rapid arrival.

But Jiu Ye Jianta had already explained in the telegram that the Nankai Fleet had entered Malajia haixia, and the main force of the Japanese South Punitive Fleet was not in Singapore at this moment, lacking sufficient naval power for escort.

Xia Shan Feng Wen dared not take risks and could only order: "Reinforcements must not use the sea route; all must ride military transport vehicles overland to Kuala Lumpur, speed up, and arrive as soon as possible!"

The Japanese Independent Battalion in Xinshan, after receiving the order, immediately gathered troops, boarded the military transport vehicles, and raced along the overland road toward Kuala Lumpur.

The convoy stretched for several kilometers on the highway, dust billowing, the soldiers' faces tense, yet they did not know they had already fallen into the South China Army's trap.

Dingyuan's ship guns bombarded only to bluff, luring the Japanese in Xinshan to reinforce Kuala Lumpur, clearing the flank for the Nankai Fleet's main force to attack Singapore.

And Jiu Ye Jianta's frantic request for aid precisely enabled all this; Xia Shan Feng Wen's troop redeployment order completely drew the Japanese in Xinshan into the Kuala Lumpur battlefield.

At this moment, the Nankai Fleet in Malajia haixia had already received news that the second wave of formation bombing succeeded; Jiang Zhiyuan's mouth corner showed a faint smile as he ordered: "Fleet, accelerate forward; while Japanese forces are dispersed and air defense is weak, break through Malajia haixia in one stroke and attack Singapore!"

The steel leviathan accelerated again; although the era of giant ship cannons has passed, from any angle this Zhenhai battleship remains spectacular.

Zhenhai raced toward Singapore.

August 8, 1:29 AM, the night was as black as ink.

The sea surface of Malajia haixia was so tranquil that only the sound of waves striking the hull remained; the Nankai Fleet's main force, like a coiled steel beast, silently arrived at the landing area west of Singapore.

Inside the command cabin of the command ship Zhenhai, the lights were dim; Jiang Zhiyuan, dressed in uniform, his gaze like a hawk fixed on the landing zone on the radar screen, his fingertips lightly tapping the command console, his tone steady and firm, breaking the cabin's silence.

"Notify Zhou Haitong, prepare for landing."

"Yes! Commander!" the communications officer replied instantly, sprinting to the communicator, his fingers rapidly tapping the keys, precisely transmitting Jiang Zhiyuan's order to the Marine Division commander Zhou Haitong aboard the rear transport ship.

At this moment, the six transport ships behind the main fleet were already ready; the lights on the hulls were extinguished, only the soldiers on deck, weapons in hand, their silhouettes flickering in the night, exuding a resolute aura.

They were the Marine Division under Zhou Haitong, tightly gripping M1 Garand rifles—yes, the Garand rifles; this unit was under Jiang Anguo, the first unit to replace its gear with American Equipment.

However, the weapons they carried were not supplied by Americans; they were a reward from the WarSystem that Jiang Anguo received after defeating a Japanese division.

The Marines' soldiers had already completed all preparations for the landing operation.

Zhou Haitong stood on the transport ship's deck; after receiving the order, he immediately ordered the nearby staff officer: "All marines, attention, prepare for landing; follow the planned scheme, land on the beachhead west of Singapore, act swiftly, stay concealed, and do not expose the target!"

As soon as the words fell, the marines sprang into action; under the command of each squad's Platoon Leader, all soldiers quickly organized their gear and inspected weapons and ammunition.

Landing craft were lowered one by one, silently slipping onto the sea, under the cover of night, heading toward the beachhead.

"Relay the order: Zhenhai's main gun take position, aim at the Japanese defensive positions on the beachhead west of Singapore, provide fire support, suppress Japanese fire, and clear obstacles for the marines' landing!" Jiang Zhiyuan issued the command again, his tone icy and authoritative.

The Zhenhai battleship responded first, its main gun turret turning slowly.

The massive muzzle glowed with a cold sheen in the night; the rangefinder quickly calibrated the distance, the loader forcefully rammed a heavy shell into the barrel, a crisp "crack" sounded, the main gun locked on, ready to fire.

"Boom—! Boom—! Boom!"

With Jiang Zhiyuan's single command, Zhenhai's main gun roared, the deafening blast shattering the night's silence; the shells whistled like meteors across the sky, striking the Japanese defensive positions on the beachhead west of Singapore.

Violent explosions erupted instantly, blinding firelight like daylight turning the night sky over the beachhead crimson; Japanese fortifications were hit by shells, collapsing instantly, debris and splinters flying everywhere, Japanese soldiers' screams rising and falling amid the blasts.

Xia Shan Feng Wen's garrison left in Singapore was already sparse; the beachhead's defenses were even weaker, with only a few Japanese soldiers stationed. Facing the Nankai Fleet's main force's fierce bombardment, they could not mount any effective resistance, only scrambling to hide behind ruined cover, trembling, lacking the courage even to lift their heads.

After the first wave of bombing, the Japanese resistance dwindled greatly; the hundreds‑ton bombs immediately destroyed the Japanese coastal defense batteries, which had been left by the British.

The second target was a place bearing the Japanese flag that looked like a barracks, also a priority strike target.

"Quick! Machine Gunner, counterattack!" a Japanese squad leader shouted hysterically.

The feeble counterattack, in the eyes of the warship observer, any illuminated spot on the shore would be given special attention.

A Binhai‑class destroyer approached the shore, firing several 127 mm ship guns at the Japanese positions.