Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

It was dawn, before the sky had even brightened.

Wusongkou Fortress Complex. Observation Post No. 1.

Yang Yanzhao put down the binoculars.

His hands were trembling slightly.

It's not because of fear.

It was because of excitement.

On the horizon, eighteen navigation lights formed an arc, rapidly approaching the Wusongkou.

"Report to Commander-in-Chief!" the observer shouted. "Enemy fleet has entered the 35,000-meter warning circle! Speed ​​18 knots! Expected to enter the effective firing range of Gun Group One in forty minutes!"

Yang Yanzhao turned around and picked up the phone.

"Take over to headquarters."

The call was connected extremely quickly.

Chen Zijun's calm, almost icy voice came from the other end.

"You saw it?"

"I see them. Eighteen. The flagship Hyuga is in the center of the formation, led by four destroyers. They've gone mad; they haven't even deployed their battle formation, they're just rushing in like a swarm."

"very good."

Chen Zijun's voice was completely calm.

"Uncle Yang, I'll only say it once."

"Wait until they get to 20,000 meters. Don't rush. Let them fire the first shot."

"Let the whole world see that they struck first."

"Then, send them all down."

Yang Yanzhao straightened his back.

"yes!"

……

Twenty minutes later.

The Japanese fleet approached a distance of 25,000 meters.

On the foredeck of the Hyuga, the four 356mm twin-mounted main guns slowly raised their barrels.

Yamaguchi Tamon stood on the bridge, the wound on his temple already simply bandaged, dark red blood seeping through the white bandage.

His eyes were fixed on the gray coastline ahead.

On that coastline, he could vaguely see several gray concrete fortresses.

That is the Wusongkou Fortress, which the Chinese are so proud of.

"The entire fleet."

His voice was low and hoarse.

"volley."

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Hyuga's four main gun turrets simultaneously spewed out huge orange-red flames!

Eight 356mm high-explosive shells, accompanied by sharp and piercing whistles, swept across the sea at a distance of 25,000 meters and crashed into the Wusongkou Fortress Complex!

boom!!!

A high-explosive shell accurately hit the frontal armor of Fortress No. 1.

The explosion sent up a huge column of smoke and a cloud of dust filled with flying debris.

Yamaguchi Tamon subconsciously clenched his fist.

hit!

however--

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

Fortress No. 1 stands there intact.

The three-meter-thick reinforced concrete armor surface was left with only a shallow crater less than half a meter deep.

It didn't even touch the inner steel plate.

Yamaguchi Tamon's pupils suddenly shrank to pinpoints.

"impossible……"

356mm high-explosive shell.

This is the most powerful main battle gun of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

It can easily penetrate the deck armor of any battleship.

But in front of this damn concrete fortress.

They didn't even manage to create a crater?!

……

Inside Fortress No. 1.

The entire fortress shook violently when the 356mm shell hit it, and the light bulbs overhead swayed, scattering a cloud of dust.

But that's about it.

Yang Yanzhao patted the dust off his military cap, a disdainful smile curving his lips.

"this one?"

The artillery staff officer next to him grinned.

"Commander-in-Chief, it's a three-meter-thick reinforced concrete structure with a 600-millimeter-thick alloy steel lining. The Young Marshal spent eight million pounds to build this permanent fortification. The Japanese think they can destroy it with this small caliber? Dream on."

Yang Yanzhao stopped wasting words.

He picked up the phone.

"Artillery groups number two, three, and four, report your readiness status."

"Artillery Group Two, four 381mm coastal defense guns, all in position!"

"Artillery Group Three, two 380mm cannons, all in position!"

"The fourth artillery group, with its four 356mm twin-mounted naval guns converted into coastal defense guns, is all in position!"

"Artillery Group No. 5, eight 280mm coastal defense guns, all in position!"

Yang Yanzhao took a deep breath.

"Attention all."

His voice was broadcast throughout the entire Wusongkou fortress complex via the fortress's internal broadcasting system.

"Target: Enemy fleet vanguard. Distance: 23,000 meters. Wind speed: Northwesterly, force 4."

"Firing parameters are set."

He raised his right hand.

"The entire fortress—"

The hand fell.

"volley!"

That instant.

It was as if an earthquake had struck simultaneously along the coastline of Wusongkou.

Fourteen massive cannons, each with a caliber exceeding three hundred millimeters, unleashed hellish flames in the same second!

The four 381mm coastal defense guns roared deafeningly! The recoil from each gun's firing caused the entire foundation of the fortress to tremble!

Two 380mm cannons followed closely behind, their muzzle flashes stretching over ten meters long, illuminating half the sky!

Four 356mm twin-mounted modified guns and eight 280mm coastal defense guns also completed a salvo within 0.3 seconds, unleashing a dense barrage of bullets onto the sea!

Fourteen heavy shells, the heaviest of which weighed over 800 kilograms, pierced the air with a terrifying shriek and traveled a distance of 23,000 meters before crashing into the vanguard of the Japanese fleet!

……

On the sea.

Leading the way were four Fubuki-class destroyers.

This type of 1,600-ton destroyer has armor thickness of no more than 16 millimeters.

They are used for torpedo warfare and anti-submarine warfare, not for blocking artillery shells.

But Yamaguchi Tamon led them to the forefront.

He needed cannon fodder to draw the shore guns' fire, buying time for the Hyuga. Besides, as the saying goes, small ships are easier to maneuver. This kind of destroyer is small in tonnage, fast, and agile, and can also evade attacks. Moreover, even if it really sinks, as long as it can attract Chen Zijun's main gun group, it will be worth it.

However, he was wrong.

Chen Jiajun's artillery did not need to be test-fired.

They have conducted countless drills in this area. Every azimuth, every elevation, and every amount of explosives has been precisely calculated to two decimal places.

First volley.

Of the fourteen shells fired, six hit the target directly.

A 381mm high-explosive shell fell from the sky and hit the bridge of the No. 1 destroyer directly.

The projectile, weighing over 800 kilograms, carried terrifying kinetic energy and smashed through the entire bridge along with the two decks below it like a giant hammer!

Then it exploded inside the ship.

The 1,600-ton destroyer was torn in two during the explosion.

The bow and stern, like two pieces of broken sheet metal, were raised at an angle of nearly 45 degrees before sinking to the seabed in less than 30 seconds.

The second destroyer fared even worse.

Two 280mm high-explosive shells hit its bow and stern almost simultaneously.

The two explosions turned the destroyer into a burning metal box.

Ammunition detonated.

Torpedo detonation.

Fuel combustion explosion.

A series of explosions completely turned the destroyer into a ball of intense heat, with debris flying into the sea within a radius of 500 meters.

The third and fourth destroyers panicked and made sharp turns to try to evade, but the second salvo from their 356mm modified guns had already caught up.

Boom! Boom!

The engine room of the third destroyer was pierced by a shell, the steam pipes burst, and the entire ship instantly lost power, spinning helplessly on the sea.

A Kuma-class light cruiser at the rear of the formation also met its demise. A 380mm armor-piercing shell pierced its main armor belt, exploding near the ammunition magazine and causing a violent secondary explosion.

A massive pillar of fire shot into the sky, turning the entire sea into a blood-red inferno.

……

Bridge of the Hyuga-class frigate.

Yamaguchi Tamon gripped the binoculars tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

He watched as the four destroyers in the lead formation were all destroyed in less than two minutes.

Watching the light cruiser break in two during its explosion.

The sea was littered with burning wreckage, churning debris, and people struggling in the flames.

His mind went blank.

That's impossible.

It is absolutely impossible.

How could the Chinese have such a large caliber of shore-based artillery? How could they have such terrifying accuracy?

In the first salvo, six out of fourteen shells hit their targets.

What kind of accuracy is this?!

This is a figure that even the most elite gunnery instructors of the Imperial Japanese Navy could not achieve!

"General!" The chief of staff's voice was already choked with sobs. "The lead squadron is completely wiped out! The Kuma has sunk too! We must—"

"Shut up!"

Yamaguchi Tamon slammed his fist hard on the chart stand.

"The Hyuga's armor isn't that of a destroyer! Shells smaller than 300mm can't penetrate my main armor belt at all!"

"Full fleet, continue advance! Close the distance to 15,000 meters! Blast their fortifications with our 356mm main guns!"

The bow of the Hyuga cleaved through the waves, continuing its charge towards the Wusongkou.

But at that moment—

The communications soldier's voice suddenly rang out.

"General! Urgent telegram! From the First Air Fleet of Sasebo!"

Yamaguchi Tamon snatched the telegram.

The telegram contained only one line:

"All ninety-six Type 1 land-based attack aircraft of the First Air Fleet took off at 4:00 AM. They are expected to arrive over Wusongkou at around 5:30 AM. Please mark your positions carefully to avoid friendly fire incidents."

A ferocious smile slowly spread across Yamaguchi Tamon's lips.

He turned around, facing the direction of the Wusongkou Fortress, and roared in a low voice with bloodshot eyes.

"Chinese! Your coastal artillery is very powerful!"

"But can you even reach the heavens?"

"Ninety-six bombers from the Empire of Japan are already on their way!"

"Let your fortresses become tombs!"

On the other side of the Wusongkou Fortress.

Chen Zijun put down the phone.

A faint, cold smile played on his lips.

"Air defense brigade".

He only said three words.

On the sand table behind him, the locations of more than 120 88mm anti-aircraft guns throughout the city were covered with dense red markings.

It was an overwhelming, inescapable web of death.