Late at night on March 4th, a crescent moon hung high in the sky. The dark sea surface was like an endless piece of velvet, with countless silver lights shining on it, as if it was sprinkled with dazzling diamonds.
At eleven o'clock in the middle of the night in the sixth time zone, where the calm sea and sky connect in the north, a string of black shadows vaguely appeared. Gradually, there were more and more shadows, and the dull sound became more and more noisy.
As these black shadows got closer and closer, their true colors were revealed through the moonlight and faint starlight. They turned out to be battleships heading south.
The fleet stretches for more than ten nautical miles and includes battleships, aircraft carriers, heavy cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers, minesweepers, troopships, transport ships, landing ships, etc.
This fleet, belonging to the Anjia Army Navy, transports officers and soldiers of two divisions of the Marine Corps. It is also reinforced by two ** tank battalions and two armored vehicle infantry regiments of the Burmese and Indian Front Army. The first target is the eastern part of South Andaman Island.
Blair Peninsula, after fully occupying this peninsula and the entire South Andaman Island, use Port Blair as a foothold to capture other islands in the Andaman Islands.
At three o'clock in the morning the next day, the fleet, in accordance with the scheduled plan, bypassed 25 nautical miles east of Barren Island in the eastern Andaman Islands, turned west, traveled ten nautical miles east of Havelock Island, and continued to move south.
, until entering the sea area where the attack is scheduled to be launched.
However, no one expected to enter the artillery position silently without alerting the Japanese. With the Anjia Army's landing operation on Ceylon Island, the next step to capture the Andaman Islands was a certainty. The Japanese army was sure
Security will be stepped up at Port Blair, and non-stop patrols by torpedo boats and submarines are the most commonly used methods.
However, unexpectedly, it was not until 4:30 in the morning that all warships entered the firing position. There was still no trace of the torpedo boats on the sea search radar.
Sixteen destroyers deployed in a battle formation around the fleet. They constantly used sonar to search for possible submarine targets. The main guns of a battleship, four heavy cruisers and six light cruisers belonging to the fleet were all aimed at them.
Port direction.
At five o'clock in the morning, in the bridge control room of the battleship "Yanhuang", the flagship of the landing fleet, Lieutenant General Zhao Lei, commander of the Indian Ocean Fleet's aircraft carrier task force, raised his wrist and looked at his watch, then looked back at the red clouds that had appeared in the eastern sky.
. nodded and said to the staff officer beside him: "According to the original plan, the bombardment will now begin."
The staff officer immediately spoke loudly into the microphone: "According to the original plan, carry out the bombardment!"
In the command room of the flagship of the destroyer squadron at the forefront, the communications staff heard the order from the flagship of the general fleet, raised his head and shouted to Major General Lin Yang, commander of the destroyer fleet: "Commander Zhao ordered the bombardment to be carried out according to the original plan!"
Rear Admiral Lin Yang made a gesture, and the communications officer's expression changed. He immediately shouted into the microphone: "Attention all ships in the destroyer fleet, all combat units have entered combat status. Target. Port Blair. Flares, free fire!"
"Boom boom——"
As the order was issued, flashes of light and muffled thunder came one after another on the vast sea. Arcs of light quickly cut through the night sky, instantly flew over the eastern coastal area of South Andaman Island ahead, exploded in an instant, and slowly fell down. The sky
A brilliant and bright light bloomed from it, illuminating the earth and sea.
More than thirty illumination bombs continued to rise and fall, slowly setting like a small sun, revealing the targets in the port and surrounding areas.
The entire Blair Peninsula is like a chicken head. To the east facing the sea is the chicken's mouth. There are three harbors above and below the chicken's mouth. From the chicken's comb to the back, it goes deep into the mainland, surrounding a diagonally inserted torch-shaped bay. This bay
Only the east leads to the Andaman Sea, and it meanders all the way to the southwest. There are four natural harbors scattered along the coast of Blair Peninsula.
The Japanese army deployed three forts toward the sea in the eastern part of the Blair Peninsula. They were located south of the chicken's mouth, in the middle of the chicken's mouth, and at the position of the chicken's comb. The southern and central forts were aimed at the Eastern Sea, while the northern forts were responsible for blocking the bay, each with four
The 305 mm, 381 mm and 406 mm naval guns dismantled from old battleships were used. In order to successfully implement the landing, the two east-facing forts must first be silenced.
"Attention all combat units!"
On the flagship of the destroyer fleet, the communications staff listened carefully to the orders of the commander, Major General Lin Yang, and then continued to convey the order into the microphone: "Target, the southern and central forts of Port Blair, high-explosive bombs, free fire!"
Just as the order was conveyed, a few bright spots flew over in the night opposite, making a huge roar in the air. More than ten water columns rose up in front of and behind the destroyer fleet. It turned out that the Japanese fort on the island fired back.
The Japanese counterattack was faster than expected, which made every captain of the fleet feel shocked. It seems that the Japanese army did not ignore the Andaman Islands like they abandoned Ceylon. This time they finally encountered a real landing.
Fighting.
The Anjiajun naval fleet was not polite. From the destroyers to the battleships and light and heavy cruisers belonging to the main fleet, they opened fire fiercely from far and near.
For a time, in a large area of sea east of Port Blair, the muzzle flashes of naval guns shone densely, and layers of muffled thunder resounded through the night sky.
In the pitch-black night, orange bullet marks were as dense as a comb, drawing clear arcs in the sky, flying towards the port.
The first batch of artillery shells fired by the destroyer fleet, ranging from 20mm Urrie machine gun shells to 105mm, 120mm and 152mm main gun shells, exploded densely behind the port and on the hillside to the south.
Fires kept flashing, huge roars came one after another, and the port area and surrounding areas were all exploded.
Only four or five seconds later, a series of larger explosions appeared on the forts in the middle and south of the port and on the hillside behind it. Clumps of woods were thrown into the sky, the mountain trembled, and large rocks rolled.
Falling into the sea, this is the cruiser's heavy artillery showing off its power.
A few more seconds passed, and the battleship's super-heavy artillery shells also roared. In an instant, the entire Blair Peninsula was like a volcanic eruption, with red light everywhere. The scene was so spectacular that even battleships five or six nautical miles away could
Feeling the huge power of the explosion, the sea water began to gradually rise.
While the fleet was carrying out a fierce bombardment, the landing fleet more than ten nautical miles away, the Marine Corps officers and soldiers responsible for the first wave of attacks were eating breakfast in the cabin while listening to the battle speech of the fleet commander Lieutenant General Zhao Lei coming from the speakers.
He was mobilizing in front of him, talking in a low voice.
"...Brothers, you are the elite selected from the six million officers and soldiers of the Anjia Army. After several years of continuous adaptive training, you are now able to walk on the blue waves and mountains as if on flat ground! The battle we are about to launch is of great significance.
The Andaman Islands are right at the throat of our Indian Ocean route, threatening the safety of our transport fleet at any time. This nail must be pulled out no matter what!
"...The Army has been reporting frequent successes on various fronts. Our First, Second and Third Marine Divisions have also made great achievements in attacking Ceylon. I believe this time our Fourth and Fifth Divisions
We will also receive the honor that belongs to us! You are the pride of the Navy, and I have full confidence in you. Commander Cheng Guang of the Navy is looking at us, the General Staff and the Military Commission are looking at us, and the great leader Chairman An is looking forward to news of our victory!
"
The sound of gunfire in the distance outside continued to enter the cabins of troop carriers and transport ships. The soldiers who had finished their meals began to collect weapons and equipment, and then gathered on the deck.
Dozens of landing craft have gathered around the troop carrier. The engines of these landing craft have been started. They are undulating in the sea water, colliding with each other, and slowly forming a formation.
A rope net was hung on the side of the tall troop carrier. The Marine officers and soldiers who had already assembled, in squads and platoons, began to climb down. These officers and soldiers were all carrying heavy equipment and were as clumsy on the rope net as
Like a bear, when each soldier finally jumped into the landing craft, these boats, which could carry fifty people, kept rocking violently.
On those 5,000-ton transport ships, the side panels of the rear cabins were slowly lowered and extended into the sea water. Amphibious tanks and amphibious transport vehicles loaded with soldiers drove directly from the cabins into the sea water.
The sound of artillery in the distance, the shouting of the trumpet on the bridge of the troop carrier, the sound of tanks and transport vehicles being launched on the transport ship, the harsh sound of diesel motors, the sound of sea water lapping against the side of the ship, the shouts of soldiers one after another, all kinds of sounds
Together, it's like a band playing a symphony.
At six o'clock in the morning, the sun appeared on the eastern horizon, but the usually magnificent sunrise over the sea had now been completely stolen by the bombardment of the fleet from the west. No one paid attention to what was happening in the east until the officers and soldiers discovered their sight.
It became clearer and clearer, and when I saw farther and farther, I realized that the sun had already risen.
Under the lock of the artillery sighting radar, the Japanese army used the British fortress forts, and they were hit by naval guns one after another. The flame-spitting cannons stopped firing one after another, and the Anjiajun naval fleet was also hit one after another, two destroyers and a light cruiser.
and a heavy cruiser were shot, but both cruisers were not seriously injured. Although the decks of the two destroyers caught fire, the impact was not significant and they continued to fight, dragging thick black smoke.
At 6:15, according to the scheduled plan, the destroyers and light cruisers in the front gradually retreated. The four heavy cruisers and a battleship in the rear moved forward with their solid armor and continued to attack the port and the mountains behind.
Strike at the firepower point.
Bullets rained down like rain, and the eastern coast of the Blair Peninsula seemed to have become a hell on earth. There were violent explosions everywhere, accompanied by soaring flames and thick smoke that covered the sky, as if the entire peninsula was about to sink into the sea.
At this time, more than 200 heavy bombers that took off three hours ago from the Irrawaddy River Estuary in southern Myanmar, the coastal cities of Sunshine Bay and military airports on both sides of the Malay Peninsula Canal, covered a distance of nearly 700 kilometers, and were covered by more than 50 fighter jets.
Down, appeared above the port, and dropped dense bombs.
At the same time, the fighters and dive bombers on the two aircraft carriers had also taken off and formed a formation to join the ground attack. The entire Blair Peninsula became a flaming hell.
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