SFS Chapter 474: Battle of Haoyue City
Chapter 474: Battle of Haoyue City
Huang Guangtai's New First Army was mainly composed of veterans and officers of the Southern Government, and also included many soldiers from the indigenous people of Ryudo Island. With the strong support of Fuso, they were well-equipped, mostly with Fuso's standard weapons, flashing a cold light. After rigorous training and strict military discipline, their combat effectiveness was extremely strong, even comparable to the ace troops of the Southern Government and Fuso's Class B Division.
However, what they were facing was a Chinese army with world-class military capabilities. The soldiers of the First Combat Division were like a group of tigers descending from the mountains, their artillery fire poured down like a rainstorm, blasting the New First Army's positions into pieces.
Under the fierce attack, the New First Army resisted tenaciously, but still retreated step by step. In just two days, they lost Cuizhu and Changfeng counties successively and were forced to retreat to Haoyue City. During the retreat, they destroyed supplies along the way, cleared the countryside, and intended to delay the offensive of the Chinese Army and pretend to defend Haoyue City to the death.
The 1st and 2nd Combat Divisions of the Marine Corps surrounded Haoyue City and launched sieges of varying sizes. While putting enough pressure on the defenders in the city, they had no intention of directly breaking into the city. Inside the city, the commander of the New 1st Army, Guo Youcai, began to constantly ask for help from other friendly forces, and at the same time exaggerated the difficulties faced by the New 1st Army to Huang Guangtai.
Liudao, Liubei City, this is the capital of the new Southern Government and also the power hub of the remaining political forces of the Southern Government. In the presidential office, Huang Guangtai is smoking one cigarette after another. At this moment, he is in a state of confusion and facing tremendous pressure like a mountain pressing down on his head. Huang Guangtai could never have imagined that only two years later, while he is still stuck in the quagmire, unable to break free from the control of Fuso and develop his power on a large scale, China's military strength has made great strides.
The so-called South China Sea Fleet easily destroyed all the naval forces of the Fuso Army on Changliu Island. Now their army troops have officially landed and launched an attack on Haoyue City. This made Huang Guangtai feel like he had a thorn in his throat and he couldn't sleep at night.
"Let the Southern Kingdom's First Army send the 7th and 9th Armies from Dawn City to Haoyue City to support the New First Army. No matter what, Haoyue City cannot be lost. Once the Northern Frontier troops gain a stable foothold, their subsequent support troops will continue to arrive, and the situation we face will become more severe."
"Yes, President."
"This Guo Youcai complains all the time when the battle begins. The northern bandits' troops are indeed very strong, but if he holds on to Haoyue City, it will be more than enough for him to hold out for seven or eight days."
Huang Qiu Ming, director of the Southern Government's Military Control Bureau, couldn't help but speak.
Huang Guangtai knocked on the table anxiously and said, "Alright, alright. Most of the New 1st Army are natives of the island. They have no sense of opposition to the Northern Frontier troops. When it comes to a desperate battle, we have to rely on the veteran troops we have trained. If we don't care about him anymore, he might just open the city gates and surrender to the Northern Frontier."
A day later, under the order of Huang Guangtai, the Seventh Army and the Ninth Army of the Southern Kingdom's First Army, totaling more than 70,000 troops, began to set out from Shuguang City, 300 kilometers away from Haoyue City, and went to support Haoyue City in a mighty manner.
After receiving relevant intelligence information, the troops of the 29th Army of the Southern Military Region of China have set up positions to meet the enemy at Cangyun Mountain, 50 miles north of Haoyue City, waiting for the enemy troops to come to them.
On March 14, the sun cast mottled shadows above Cangyun Mountain, but the plain at the foot of the mountain became a bloody battlefield. The Southern Government's two army-level troops, the Seventh Army and the Ninth Army, fought a life-and-death battle with the 29th Army of the Southern Military Region of China. The total number of troops deployed by both sides exceeded 120,000, and the scale of the battlefield was enough to shock people.
The Southern Government had an absolute advantage in numbers. They organized large-scale assaults on the 29th Army's positions again and again. A large number of soldiers rushed in like a tide, with rifles and machine guns in their hands constantly spitting flames, and the artillery positions behind them also continuously provided them with fire support.
However, the 29th Army was not an easy opponent to deal with. They had superior combat effectiveness, excellent equipment, and every soldier had undergone rigorous training and selection. Their positions were extremely solid, and their artillery fire was dense and accurate, which put tremendous pressure on the southern troops.
After the battle broke out, the two sides engaged in a fierce exchange of fire. The sounds of artillery fire, gunfire, and explosions were deafening. On the plains under Cangyun Mountain, shell craters appeared one after another, emitting a burnt smell. The figures of the soldiers were looming in the smoke, they were either charging into battle or holding their ground, trying their best to win.
In this great battle, the soldiers of the Southern Army paid a heavy price. They fell on the road of charge, and their bodies were scattered densely on the plain. The blood almost gathered into a river, and broken limbs were everywhere. The scene was extremely tragic.
The 29th Army gradually gained the upper hand with its tenacious fighting spirit and strong combat effectiveness. They continued to launch fierce attacks, forcing the Southern Army to retreat step by step. Finally, after six hours of fierce fighting, the 7th Army and the 9th Army were forced to stop fighting and retreat.
After the battle, a desolate and cruel battlefield was left at the foot of Cangyun Mountain, with corpses lying everywhere, blood flowing like a river, and the air filled with the smell of gunpowder and death.
"Damn it, it's been a whole day! The Seventh Army led by me, plus the brother unit, the Ninth Army, a total of more than 100,000 troops, couldn't even break through the enemy's blockade!" Zheng Weihu was furious in his tent, his face ashen.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force. It was obvious that his anger had reached its peak.
"My brothers fought hard and lost two regiments, but this is the answer I gave them. How can I explain this to Director Huang and the president?" Zheng Weihu's voice was full of helplessness and anger. He knew in his heart that such a result was undoubtedly a heavy blow to him personally, and it might even affect his future.
"You useless people!" He looked at the generals in the tent with his eyes wide open. "With so many people, you can't even take down the enemy's position. You really make me lose face!"
The generals lowered their heads, not daring to breathe. They knew that Zheng Weihu was on the verge of a rage, and the slightest mistake could anger him, with disastrous consequences.
One of the generals, named Li Jinyu, was a major who had been in battle for a long time. He spoke carefully, "General, the combat effectiveness of the northern bandit army is so strong that even the Fuso troops are terrified. It is normal that we cannot defeat them. Today, our troops have tried their best to fight, but they just couldn't win. It is really not their fault!"
When Zheng Weihu heard this, the anger in his heart was instantly ignited.
Zheng Weihu walked up to Li Jinyu, his eyes wide open as if he wanted to eat him alive. He raised his hand and slapped Li Jinyu hard in the face.
The slap was so powerful that Li Jinyu staggered and almost fell to the ground. Five bright red fingerprints appeared on his face, and golden stars appeared in his eyes.
"Don't make excuses for me!" Zheng Weihu roared, "I'm not blind. Judging from the intensity of their counterattack and the intensity of their artillery fire today, it is obvious that their logistical preparations for the expedition across the ocean to Liuwan are not sufficient, and they don't have enough ammunition. We can't win under such circumstances. When their large-scale supplies and support troops arrive at Changliu Island, how can we continue this battle!"
Zheng Weihu's voice echoed in the tent like thunder, making everyone's eardrums buzz. His face was ashen, his chest was heaving, and he was breathing heavily.