webnovelfull Chapter 499: Solid Underground Fortress
Chapter 499: Solid Underground Fortress
Two days later, the Chinese Expeditionary Force appeared near Wanxi City. Chen Tong personally led the elite troops of the 27th and 29th Armies here.
At the same time, the Jiudao Division and the Okihara Division of the Wandao Corps, two Class A divisions known for their strong combat effectiveness, have already been on high alert in the surrounding areas of Wanxi.
They were well aware of the strength of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, so they took a desperate stance and prepared to fight the enemy to the death.
In order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the Devil Division and suffering a devastating blow without being aware of it, the two divisions were fully prepared.
Before the formal battle, they used the power of the Southern Government's garrison to dig a large number of underground fortifications. These fortifications were ten meters deep and were like an underground maze, intricate and complex. Each one was carefully designed to ensure the stability of the structure while taking into account concealment and defense.
Walking into these underground fortifications is like entering a huge underground castle.
The interior is spacious enough to accommodate a large number of soldiers and equipment. On the walls, the rough traces of concrete pouring are clearly visible, showing the rigor and solidity of the fortifications. Between the facade of the fortifications and the rammed earth layer, a large amount of concrete was poured and reinforced, forming a solid barrier that can effectively resist enemy artillery attacks.
Each air-raid shelter can accommodate about 500 troops and has complete internal facilities, including ventilation systems, lighting facilities and emergency exits.
Soldiers can conduct long-term concealed and defensive operations here without worrying about being discovered or destroyed by the enemy.
What is even more amazing is that these underground fortifications can withstand the bombing of one-ton artillery shells. Thick protective layers are installed on the top and key parts of the fortifications, making the entire fortification like a solid fortress that can withstand the baptism of war.
These underground fortresses are like underground mazes, each of which is cleverly connected to four entrances and exits, extending to the trench positions on the ground like the tentacles of a giant beast. When the battle is fierce, Fuso soldiers can quickly retreat underground from these exits to avoid enemy fire. The design of these exits takes into account both tactical needs and safety factors, ensuring that soldiers can evacuate the battlefield safely and quickly.
However, for General Chen Tong, if he still planned to use V2 rockets to launch a devastating attack on the Fuso troops, the situation would become much more complicated. V2 rockets are famous for their unparalleled speed and accuracy. Once launched, they can almost cover the entire position without the enemy being able to react. However, facing the Fuso troops' tactics of making extensive use of underground fortifications and hiding their main forces for a long time, the attack effect of V2 rockets will be greatly reduced.
On the one hand, the production cost of the V2 rocket is extremely high. One rocket needs to consume 120 million dollars to complete the production. Such a price is staggering and is a huge expense for any country. Therefore, when using the V2 rocket, you must be very careful to ensure that you can achieve the greatest results.
On the other hand, the Fuso troops used underground fortifications and ground troops to defend tightly, which limited the effectiveness of the V2 rockets. Even if the rockets could hit the target area, the actual killing effect would be greatly reduced because the main force of the enemy was hiding in the underground bunkers.
This time, Fuso strictly blocked the news of the construction of underground fortifications, obviously intending to use this as a surprise tactic.
However, there is no wall that is impenetrable, and the news of the completion of the underground fortifications eventually reached the front-line command of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.
In the headquarters, General Chen Tong was holding a crucial combat meeting. He frowned, obviously feeling troubled by the new tactics of the Fuso army.
"At present, the enemy can use these underground fortifications to effectively guard against our long-range firepower strikes. In this way, the threat of our rocket and artillery units will be greatly reduced." General Chen Tong said in a deep voice, his eyes sweeping over the generals present.
After thinking for a moment, Yu Hang, the commander of the 29th Army, slowly spoke: "Commander, I think we can ask the air force to provide support. They can first clear the enemy's ground garrisons, and then find a way to crack their underground bunker tactics."
He continued, "As far as I know, our air force has the ability to drop a large number of bunker-buster bombs. These bunker-buster bombs can penetrate deep underground and destroy solid fortifications. The Fuso army thinks that hiding underground can cause us trouble. We can take advantage of this opportunity to catch them in a trap and make them pay a heavy price."
General Chen Tong nodded, with a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. Yu Hang's idea coincided with his, and this was also the strategy he had been considering. Although the rocket force was powerful, it was powerless against underground fortifications. The air force's earth-penetrating bombs could directly attack the enemy's core area and cause a fatal blow.
"Very good, Commander Yu's suggestion is very targeted." General Chen Tong said, "We should indeed send out the air force to teach the Fuso army a profound lesson. At the same time, we must also prepare the ground forces. Once the air force opens a breakthrough, we must quickly follow up and capture the enemy's position in one fell swoop."
"Let the rocket brigade prepare to carry out indiscriminate, all-round fire coverage on the enemy positions." Chen Tong's voice echoed in the operations room, loud and clear.
Soon, the order was quickly conveyed to the Rocket Brigade. The officers and soldiers of the Rocket Brigade acted upon the order and quickly and orderly began preparations. 240 Katyusha self-propelled rocket launchers were lined up like a giant steel dragon, ready to go. The gunners skillfully checked each rocket to ensure that they could exert their maximum power at the critical moment.
With preparations complete, the rocket brigade commander gave the order to launch.
Suddenly, the entire position seemed to be on fire, and more than 3,000 rockets whizzed into the sky, drawing brilliant arcs. These rockets were like angry fire dragons, carrying the anger and determination of the Chinese soldiers, and fiercely bombarded the enemy positions.
The enemy's ground trench positions were instantly engulfed in flames under the intensive bombardment of rockets. The explosions, flames, and smoke intertwined to form a shocking picture. The bombing of rockets not only caused huge losses to the enemy, but also brought them a huge psychological shock.
As Chen Tong expected, the Okihara Division and the Kyushima Division had already made full preparations. After the observers discovered the unusual movements of the Rocket Brigade of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, they sounded the first-level alarm.
A large number of Fuso soldiers began to retreat into underground fortifications. On the ground, thousands of rockets almost turned the area within a radius of two kilometers upside down. Dust was flying, and there were charred shell craters everywhere. The momentum was extremely shocking.
But in fact, due to the rapid transfer of the Fuso army, the damage caused to them was extremely limited. The consumption of more than 3,000 rockets only caused less than 2,000 casualties to the two major divisions.
The ground shook violently under the fierce bombardment of rockets, as if being torn apart by countless giant hands. Trenches, fortifications, and bunkers were reduced to dust in the explosion, and the entire position was blown to pieces and charred. The air was filled with the smell of gunpowder and scorched earth, which was suffocating.
The Fuso soldiers in the underground fortress felt the strong vibrations coming from above their heads, and their hearts were filled with fear and anxiety. They clung to the wall and covered their ears with their hands, trying to reduce the impact of the explosion. The lights in the fortress flickered in the vibrations, reflecting the terrified faces of the soldiers.
Some soldiers couldn't help shouting in fear, but their voices were soon drowned out by even louder explosions. At this moment, they seemed to be in the end of the world, feeling the approach of death.
The rocket bombardment lasted for a long time, and only when the last rocket fell did the entire position regain a moment of tranquility. But the smoke and scorched earth in the air, as well as the terrified shouts of the soldiers in the underground bunker, reminded people that this place had just experienced a devastating blow.