"Drop anchor!" The huge iron chain slid into the sea following the command. On the rippling sea, small boats had been pushed out of the freewheel's side by cranes.
The modified side rope ladder was fixed by the sailors, and the temporarily installed ship side iron staircase was crowded with soldiers carrying various equipment.
"No resistance!" Putting down his binoculars, the captain of the Navy said regretfully to his adjutant on the bridge of the ironclad Bunas lying on both sides of the fleet.
All the angled guns on the battleship have been pointed at the coast, and the gun barrels of various thicknesses are silently waiting for their moment of roar.
"Get on board! Get on board!" The officer with a lifebuoy around his neck waved his arms and shouted loudly while leaning on the railing of the ship.
The soldiers who had climbed to the end of the rope ladder with their weapons on their backs jumped onto the swaying boat with the help of the sailors.
"Be safe! Be safe!" Every soldier is reminding his companions. Because they have only sailed for a few hours, they are now in very good condition.
There is no fatigue from long-distance travel, nor dizziness from being bumpy on the sea for a long time. Now they are vigorous Datang Group soldiers, marines who receive special allowances every month!
"He is already in place! You can cut the safety rope!" After placing the soldiers on the seats on the boat, the sailor took a sharp dagger and cut the rope tied behind the soldier.
After learning the lessons from the last landing, all soldiers carried orange life-saving equipment. Before boarding the ship, all soldiers had a safety rope fixed behind their backs.
This rope will ensure that after they fall into the sea, someone can still help them return to the sea. Although it is complicated and clumsy, it can indeed improve the survival rate of soldiers falling into the water.
Amidst the noise, heavily armed Marines began to rush towards the coast. On top of the small boats were helmets swaying with the waves.
In the water that was deep enough to cover their waists, these soldiers jumped out of the boat, held their weapons high, and trudged hard in the shallow water.
"Quick! Move fast!" This was a practical combat exercise, and the officers shouted one after another. No one knew whether the enemy would really arrive, so everyone was very alert.
After all, the last time they landed, they encountered a sudden counterattack by the Mirage troops, so this time, no one dared to take it lightly.
"Spread your legs! Take big strides forward! Watch your steps!" A platoon leader walked hard forward while waving his arms to ask his soldiers to follow as quickly as possible.
Also based on the lessons learned from the previous landing, the landing troops will land as intact as possible. The troops of a company will be gathered together as much as possible and land at the same time as much as possible.
This will avoid the chaotic situation of the previous landing battle: no company's organization is complete, chaos is everywhere, and it can only barely fight by relying entirely on the deployment of frontline commanders.
In short, experience needs to be accumulated. And equipment that meets experience requires time to produce.
Compared with the previous landings, the Datang Group's weapons and equipment this time are obviously a level higher.
Due to the weight reduction, the machine gun can accompany the troops ashore at the same time. This is definitely a big improvement for the offensive troops.
At the same time, Datang Group’s landing boats have also received some minor improvements: some boats have been equipped with gasoline engines and propellers!
This is also a huge improvement: after adding engines and propellers, the number of sailors rowing can be reduced, which allows a small boat to carry more Marines.
Moreover, such small boats are faster and can make more round trips per unit time, thus transporting more soldiers.
It is also not too afraid of the impact of rising or falling tides on its speed. It is many times more advanced than a rowing boat.
With such small boats, the first batch of Tang troops to land was faster and more numerous.
The soldiers who landed quickly established defensive positions around the landing site based on their experience.
The reconnaissance troops that came out also took action, helping the commander who came ashore first to obtain the surrounding terrain information, and also further confirmed that there were no enemy defense forces nearby.
It was also based on the experience summed up in the last landing operation. Wireless telegraph communication equipment was also brought ashore as soon as possible to establish contact with the fleet.
By doing this, you can call for artillery support, and you can also report your progress to senior commanders in the rear, making command and dispatch faster and more targeted.
Then, amidst the noise, the 1st Marine Regiment successfully landed, and then the artillery and vehicles that were reinforced for them also came ashore one after another.
The strong 1st Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment quickly assembled its troops and began to rush towards their previous target under the guidance of local guides. According to the mission plan, their main attack direction was the only town on the island.
Not to be outdone, the 2nd Battalion began to attack the hinterland an hour later. Their target was the bandit camp entrenched on the island. The 3rd Battalion stayed to protect the landing site and help unload subsequent large weapons and equipment.
"The landing process was much smoother than the last time." Putting down the telescope in his hand, Bernard was very satisfied with the scene in front of him.
As a naval commander, the newly established Marine Corps was an elite force under his command. Seeing that the newly assigned troops performed well, Bernard naturally couldn't hide the smile on his face.
He knew that the attack on Zheng State and the possible subsequent attack on Mirage State would definitely be spearheaded by his marines, so he was full of expectations for the future.
"Yes! Comparing the time, last time at this time, the 1st Battalion was still gathering troops on the beach." The adjutant also said with a smile.
The previous landing battle on Dongwan Island was indeed too chaotic. Although many plans were drawn up before, when it came time to implement it, all kinds of chaos occurred.
The war horses have been ashore, while the reconnaissance cavalry is still floating on the sea. The artillery shells have been ashore, but the cannons have not yet begun to be loaded into the landing boats.
What is even more depressing is that the bulky Maxim heavy machine gun cannot land ashore at the same time as the landing troops. This results in that when the enemy counterattacks, only one machine gun can participate in the battle.
Well now, the new MG42 machine gun is obviously lighter than the Maxim heavy machine gun and can directly accompany the troops in the attack. There is no need to worry about not being able to keep up with the attack rhythm of the troops.
Because the order of the landing was rearranged, the entire landing force appeared to be in order, and a lot of time was also saved.
"We can't relax yet. There are still many details that need to be recorded, perfected, and improved!" Bernard concluded seriously: "Every detail that is perfected will save one soldier from being lost in the real landing operation in the future! This point is clear.
You must always remember it!”
"Yes! General! I understand!" the adjutant replied solemnly: "I will keep an eye on this matter."
"Afterwards, let every soldier write down his feelings! Every non-commissioned officer, squad leader, platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander must write a summary report!" Bernard took the trouble to remind: "As long as it feels uncomfortable,
Everything needs to be rectified!"
"If the equipment is not good, change the equipment! If the tactics are wrong, change the tactics!" Before the adjutant could speak, he continued to add: "We both have to think carefully about what else needs further improvement!"
"Yes! General!" the adjutant stood at attention and saluted.
"Report! A call came from the headquarters of the 1st Marine Regiment on the shore. Except for one soldier who sprained his foot while wading in the water, no one was injured! The follow-up equipment is being landed on the shore. Everything is going well." A messenger stood behind Bernard, stood at attention and saluted to report.
road.
"Call back to the commander of the 1st Regiment to celebrate the successful completion of this actual combat exercise of the 1st Regiment! I hope you will have the same success in the subsequent battles." After Bernard finished speaking, he returned a military salute and then took the pen handed over by the other party.
, signed his name on the shorthand telegram.
On the island, the locals who had discovered the landing troops did not seem to be afraid. They watched numbly as these Datang Group soldiers dressed like aliens passed by their village.
After hearing what the guide said, these people were even overjoyed and expressed their willingness to lead the way to find those bandits and bandits who did all kinds of evil.
They had no food to bring out to welcome Master Wang, but they still supported their weak bodies and stood on the roadside, waving desperately to the troops of the Datang Group.
The soldiers of the Datang Group's security forces who passed by them also carried forward their tradition and threw the food they carried to the hungry civilians who were waiting in the streets to welcome them.
Soon, some civilians picked up the food and wolfed it down, and some waved their arms to express thanks while eating.
These skinny people used body movements to the best of their ability to express their joy to the Datang Group security forces as much as possible.
"Next time...this...should we bring more food?" Seeing his troops throw away their raincoats and food again, the battalion commander of the 2nd Marine Battalion looked at
He asked his adjutant, dumbfounded.
This is an old tradition of his unit. He throws things wherever he goes, whether he gives them to the locals or leaves them behind at the landing site... This... is the tradition of the 2nd Battalion.
"Indeed... you should carry more soft, easy-to-eat, slightly better-tasting food... This will make it easier to give alms..." the adjutant wrote seriously in his notebook: "In addition, I also need to remind the soldiers
, do not waste pure water, and should not accept drinking water provided by local people...it is easy to be infected with parasites and prone to diarrhea."
"Oh my God! Look, I didn't even think about the water source." The 2nd Battalion Commander looked at his adjutant and praised: "You continue writing, I will go to the front to take a look."
After saying that, the 2nd Battalion Commander patted his adjutant on the shoulder, took out two chocolate candies from his pocket, and walked towards a dirty child on the side of the road.
