Chapter 273 The action begins

In the first half of 1628, the entire Crossing Group was busy completing preparations for the next overseas military campaign, which was no less busy than the period before the Black Earth Port colonization operation began in July last year.

Most of the more than 20 sailing ships under the Ministry of Shipping have gathered at Victory Port and Heitu Port. For this reason, the two routes between Victory Port and Guangzhou and Heitu Port have been temporarily suspended. Not all of these ships will be put into use.

During the operation, the transportation plan made by the Ministry of Shipping still reserved a few ships for maneuvering in case of emergency.

There are still more than 1,400 tons of coal stored in Victory Port. Even if the black soil port coal shipping route is temporarily suspended, there is no need to worry about local coal shortages within two months. As for Guangzhou, due to the recent large number of merchants

If you prepare your own ships to cross the sea to trade at Victory Port, there will not be any major problems in the transportation and throughput of goods in the short term. Since the output of local industrial products is still very limited, ships returning to the mainland from Victory Port generally have a large number of empty cabins.

For materials that need to be sent to the Guangdong Office from the base camp, shipping space can also be temporarily rented from some closely related merchants for shipment.

The carpentry workshops and shipyards of Victory Port are working all night and round the clock to add deck gun mounts to these cargo ships. Due to technical reasons, the ships anchored in Black Earth Port cannot carry out such wartime operations.

After modification, it can only be used as a pure transportation vehicle. But from another perspective, even if all cargo ships can be modified, there will not be so many gunners available. As of now, the number of qualified gunners who have entered the formal establishment is not yet

Not much. This operation even had to temporarily requisition a group of rookie gunners who were still in the training period. They will be assigned to the gun positions on each sailing ship, and the task of landing operations will be carried out by the newly formed artillery.

Complete it in a row.

It is also worth mentioning that at the beginning of the new year, the Military and Police Ministry once again recruited militiamen from the region and relaxed the previous inherent quota restrictions. A large number of young people who have not yet obtained naturalized citizenship have chosen the "shortcut" of joining the Haihan Militia.

"Especially the Li and Miao ethnic groups and the newly arrived North Vietnamese immigrants, under the conscious policy guidance of relevant departments, regarded joining the army as the only way to make a fortune, and their enthusiasm for joining the army was very high. It only took five days

, four more companies of reservists have been added to the subordinate establishment of the Military and Police Department, and even Yan Chujie, who has always been unsmiling, has become much more relaxed recently.

However, not all of the personnel recruited this time will enter the militia, but at least one-third will be diverted into the security department-that is, the police system that is already in the final preparation stage. With the rapid increase in the population of the control area

, the original security team was somewhat unsuitable in terms of the number of personnel and management authority, and the Military and Police Department also believed that it was time to separate the functions of the military and the police. Of course, this split is not necessary

The police department will be separated from the current military and police department, and only adjustments will be made in the internal administrative structure. Independent divisional units will be added below the ministerial level to give the police system more internal functional authority. Of course, this organizational adjustment will have to wait.

For a while, a decision will be made on this at the first anniversary meeting of Time Travel in two and a half months.

On January 16, departments at all levels of the Military Police Department and the Ministry of Shipping began to hold mobilization meetings and made final arrangements for the action plan. The military appointed Yan Chujie as the commander-in-chief of the operation, and Harugong, who had always been unknown, unexpectedly

Defeating many competitors for the position of deputy commander-in-chief, Wang Tom, who had been highly popular before, took the position of chief of staff and was fully responsible for the communication between the military and the Ministry of Shipping. Another deputy commander-in-chief

It fell on Qian Tiandun of Heitu Port. As a candidate regarded as a future general by the Military and Police Department and the chief officer of the garrison of Heitu Port, it is understandable that Qian Tiandun should take up this position.

At this time, it would definitely not be appropriate to hide from the people below that we are conducting military exercises nearby. After all, this trip is not a trip that can be returned in two or three days. The new statement is that "in the near future, we will conduct military exercises with Annan friendly troops in Annan."

"A joint military exercise will be conducted on the coast of South China", and the specific location and time of the exercise will not be announced until the troops set off.

Under the supervision of the Executive Committee, the propaganda department also began to spread the word to the local people about the importance of maintaining trade with Annan. The Executive Committee believes that when the local people realize that the stability of North Vietnam will have an impact on the economic development of the Victory Port area,

When it plays a promoting role, it will be able to understand and support the subsequent military intervention of the Haihan Militia in North Annan.

In the past few days, Mu Xiabai and Feng Annan, who arrived at the war zone as the advance team, also continued to send briefings on the battle situation on the front line and the construction status of the temporary stronghold at Yong'an Port back to the base camp.

As long as the weather is fine, the South Vietnamese army has been attacking the North Vietnamese defense line at least once a day. As the casualties of the North Vietnamese regular army gradually increase, the defense strength and morale are also showing a downward trend. After all, being so passively beaten every day, it would be difficult for any army to do so.

It is difficult for the troops to maintain high morale and combat effectiveness for a long time. In the battle that took place on January 13, the South Vietnamese infantry had even climbed up the wall of the last line of defense. If Zheng Bai had not been personally commanding, they might have been directly attacked by the opponent.

The mountain defense line was broken. But even if the offensive was finally defended, the North Vietnamese defenders paid the price of thousands of casualties. The South Vietnamese army saw the hope of breaking through the defense line, and from this day on it further increased its offensive.

The attack power of the mountain defense line.

According to Zheng Bai's own estimation, the operational limit of the North Vietnamese defenders is probably around the end of the month. By then, the morale and material supply of the North Vietnamese Army will hit a low point. Once the mountain defense line is breached, it is very likely that the North Vietnamese Army will collapse thousands of miles away - from now on

Between the battle zone and Thang Long Palace in the north, there is no natural barrier similar to this place that can be defended. The advance team's suggestion to the base camp is that it is best to have our own reinforcements in place before the end of the month to prevent the war from getting out of hand.

.

On the other hand, the advance team's construction project at Yong'an Port was already underway. Zheng Bai kept his word and promised that the 500 civilian laborers assigned to the advance team would be in place the next day, and under the command of the engineers, they began to build the seaside trestle.

and docks, leveling the foundations needed to build warehouses and camps, and building basic defenses at the two southern mountain passes. However, because these civilians lacked sufficient iron labor tools, the progress of the project can only be described as slow, and

This was a situation that the advance team did not expect when they went south. However, after receiving the news, Heitu Port urgently recruited two hundred civilians engaged in infrastructure construction, brought a large number of tools and building materials, and rushed to Yong'an Port by boat to provide support.

The two companies from the Black Earth Port have completed their assembly and material preparation, and arrived at the Doshan Peninsula in two large ships. They are currently seizing the time to conduct joint training exercises with the North Vietnamese musketeers in the training camp. The rest of the ships are basically there.

After the renovation is completed, the supplies are installed and the crew is ready, and you can set off from the Black Earth Port at any time. While Qian Tiandun leads the militia on the expedition, the civil affairs chief Zhou Hengxing will temporarily serve as the local military chief. Logically speaking, this position should be held by the highest local officer.

The Chief Executive came to serve concurrently, but the Executive Committee believed that Gu Kai's pacifist philosophy could easily lead him to make wrong judgments on the situation in this position, and after careful consideration, the temporary authority was handed over to Zhou Hengxing.

Gu Kai did not show any dissatisfaction or resistance to this work arrangement. After all, he would not continue to work in Heitu Port. The preparations for the establishment of the judicial department were waiting for him to return to take charge of the overall situation. His future career direction was also unclear.

It is not in a small place like Black Tu Port. And he knows very well that the executive committee's favorite candidate for the successor of Black Tu Port is Zhou Hengxing, who has outstanding comprehensive ability. Zhou Hengxing can start to familiarize himself with the affairs of other departments earlier, which will help him to take over smoothly in the future.

Gu Kai's position also has advantages.

On January 18, the preparations for the base camp finally came to an end. The Executive Committee issued an order to the Military and Police Department to start "Operation Full Moon" - the so-called "Full Moon" is just a homophone for "aid Vietnam". That afternoon

, the Executive Committee announced that the Victory Port area has entered a state of combat readiness, and a curfew will be imposed on the port area after 8 p.m. All non-duty personnel, including the Chuanchuan soldiers, are not allowed to enter and exit at will. This curfew will last until the militia troops return from the expedition.

until.

Doing this will definitely affect the business of various storefronts in the port business district that has just begun to operate, but it is indeed a helpless move. After the militia went out, the local defense had to be borne by the original security team and part of the militia reserve. In terms of public security

The pressure will be greater. The Military and Police Ministry believes that a short-term curfew will help maintain local security, and the Executive Committee agreed to this approach after weighing the pros and cons.

Luo Shengdong and Wei Ping, who had smelled the news, offered to assist the Executive Committee in maintaining local security, but the Executive Committee had no intention of letting them intervene. These two guys came here only after money, no matter what.

Be obedient, as far as the Executive Committee is concerned, they are also people outside the system and cannot be fully trusted. The task that the Executive Committee can assign to them is to let the Inspection Department act as a facade on the port dock, and the Navy's warships

Maintaining a frightening cruising density in the offshore waters outside Victory Port is already the current limit.

In the early morning of January 19th, the weather was fine. When it was just getting dark, the military camp on the east bank of Victory Port had completed the team assembly, including three infantry companies, one artillery company, one consisting of engineers, communications corps, medical corps, cooks and ordnance repair troops.

The comprehensive company composed of personnel, plus the 200 civilians responsible for logistics and transportation, formed the main force of this cross-sea expedition. If you include the cross-sea officers at all levels who led them, the total number has exceeded 800 people.

Coupled with the combat personnel and civilians from Black Earth Port who will go to the war zone, as well as the crews and sailors of many ships participating in the war, the total number of personnel dispatched this time exceeds 1,800, of which there are about 800 combat personnel, and the scale is

It is also the largest external operation since time travel.

Due to confidentiality considerations, this expedition did not arrange a grand departure ceremony in Victory Port. All participants will board the ship directly at the camp pier. Of course, this conscious low-key handling does not mean that the Executive Committee will

Not enough attention, on the contrary, all the executive committee members in Victory Port came to the camp dock early to practice for the soldiers who were about to leave.

As the de facto helmsman of the Crossing Group and a powerful figure in the military and police department, Tao Donglai also impromptuly delivered a passionate speech to encourage the soldiers of the militia: "...the significance of this operation is very far-reaching. Our Haihan militia has since

The first battle since its establishment will most likely start in this operation! Everyone has received training here ranging from half a year to several months. Have they already formed combat effectiveness? Have they become the South China Sea region?

The strongest team, I believe everyone can prove this to the executive committee very well!"

It was not until this time that Tao Donglai mentioned to the militia soldiers for the first time in an official capacity that "a battle may break out". However, the militia soldiers who were already in a state of excitement did not pay much attention to the meaning of this sentence.

What are you talking about? Even if a few smart people notice this detail, there is no chance for them to regret it now. Military orders are overwhelming. If anyone wants to retreat at this time, they can only deal with it through military law.

Although the Executive Committee has great confidence in the combat effectiveness of the militiamen, it does not have much confidence in the psychological state of the militiamen. After all, it is the first time for these militiamen to set foot on the battlefield, and the Executive Committee is very worried that letting them know the news in advance will increase the number of

Due to their psychological burden and the need for confidentiality, they began to reveal the truth bit by bit just before departure.

After Tao Donglai's speech, a simple flag-giving ceremony was held. Tao Donglai handed the red flag, symbolizing the crossing of the regime, to the commander-in-chief Yan Chujie. Due to this operation, the Chinese Han Militia will not be lit up on the battlefield.

identity, so there was no text or graphic mark on this military flag, but even so, it attracted a burst of cheers from the militiamen who lined up to watch the ceremony.

After the process was completed, each company filed onto the sailboat under the command of the officers. In addition to the muskets on their shoulders and the bayonets on their waists, each of the militiamen also carried a backpack, containing a

A thin cloth blanket for the bed, a tin lunch box, a cowhide water bag, a combat basic ammunition, as well as a small amount of wound medicine, matches and other items.

The equipment of the time-traveling officers is much more advanced, and it is basically the armaments and weapons collectively purchased by the preparatory committee before the time-traveling. There are more than thirty people in the time-traveling army accompanying the team this time, and they are at the company and platoon level.

All military officers are held by the Crossing Army. In addition, the personnel of special departments such as communications and medical care are also held in leadership positions by the Crossing Army. The bearded Johnson, who was raising a family, was once again left in the base camp to look after the house, without any worries.

Old Morgan brought his belongings and happily led a group of medical trainees to accompany the team on the expedition. Wu Zhuo, who had already served as the communications director of the Ministry of Information Industry, was also transferred back to the Military and Police Department this time, and was responsible for the maintenance and use of radio stations with the army.

Work.

For this purpose, the Ministry of Shipping allocated six large ships to carry out the personnel and material transportation mission from Victory Port, and the "Exploration" and "Speed" also participated in this military operation as maritime fire support units and fast liaison ships respectively.

The relevant supplies had been loaded onto the ship as early as the night before. In addition to the combatants, the only people who boarded the ship this morning were some poultry and livestock that were used as food - this is probably what the Ministry of Agriculture could do for this expedition.

This is the greatest contribution we have made. In order to prevent the strong smell of these chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep from causing trouble to the soldiers during the voyage, the Ministry of Shipping also specially used a ship to transport these living animals and some combat supplies. Related preparations

The work was done extremely meticulously.

At eight o'clock in the morning, all personnel had completed boarding. Yan Chujie gave an order, and the ship successively weighed anchor, unmoored, raised sails, and slowly left the dock and headed for the southern outlet waterway.

The fleet's itinerary is still to arrive at Yinggehai, which is fifty nautical miles away from Victory Port and located in the southwest corner of Hainan Island. After staying there for one night, it will then set off to cross the sea straight to the west and go directly to the sea behind the war zone.

Yong'an Port. The straight-line distance of the latter part of the voyage is about 130 nautical miles. The Ministry of Shipping estimates that it will take about two days, depending on the specific conditions at sea.

At this time, another group of people from North Vietnam had also boarded a ship from the Do Son Peninsula. Compared with the fleet departing from Victory Port, the fleet heading south from the Do Son Peninsula was much larger, because this fleet

It not only transported three companies of Haihan Militia soldiers, but also more than a thousand trained troops from North Vietnam, as well as a small number of baggage civilians and logistics personnel. Such a large number of personnel needed daily supplies and supplies to accompany the army.

The amount of goods and various combat supplies was not a small amount. The Ministry of Shipping mobilized fourteen ships to barely complete the shipment at once.

Just two days after the departure of the militia, the Executive Committee announced a very shocking news to the local people: a merchant ship belonging to the Haihan Executive Committee was looted by South Vietnamese rebels off the coast of Annam, and several people on board were killed.

The ship was also seriously damaged. At present, the Executive Committee has issued an order for the militia groups to go to sea for training to cooperate with the North Vietnamese rebel army and carry out military retaliation against the South Vietnamese rebels.

Of course, no merchant ships were actually looted by the South Vietnamese rebels. If the South Vietnamese rebels had such capabilities at sea, they might have already bypassed the mountain defense line and attacked the northern plains. The Executive Committee made up this reason

, just to have a more reasonable reason for participating in the war - if you talk about long-term interests, overall situation, and development perspective to the people, most people will definitely not understand it, and I am afraid it will be counterproductive.

It has caused unnecessary anti-war sentiment among the people. As for the people of Victory Port or Black Earth Port, because the sources of information channels are very limited, there is no way to verify the authenticity of this news.
Chapter completed!