Canteen System Assistance Notes

When Okamura Yasuji set his sights on the Jidong Anti-Japanese Base next to his bed and hoped that the new recruits of the four divisions could open up a path, destroy the Red Army and protect his own retreat, the soldiers and civilians of the Eighth Route Army's Shandong Province base were pouring fire on the Japanese invaders on the Jiaodong Peninsula.

But not on land.

After the Eighth Route Army in Shandong Province eliminated bandits, drove out the KMT "guerrillas," and accepted and reformed democratic armed forces willing to fight the enemy, the Japanese and puppet troops in Shandong Province retreated to the area around the Jinpu Road, with Quancheng as the center, and even lost Zibo and Weifang. Apart from this, the only remaining Japanese troops in Shandong Province were the two "fortresses" of Weihai and Jiao'ao. These Japanese soldiers were able to maintain their supplies by sea transport and continue to occupy these two traditional Shandong ports.

After the entire Jiaodong Peninsula was "divided" to the Kwantung Army, the Japanese army's supply level here was further improved, making it even more difficult to conquer.

But this did not deter the brave soldiers and civilians of Shandong Province from retreating. While strengthening the land blockade and actively carrying out guerrilla warfare and infiltration operations to squeeze the Japanese troops into the urban areas, the Eighth Route Army in Shandong Province began to try to cut off the last "lifeline" of the Japanese troops in the two areas from another direction.

Based on the principle of starting with the easy and then moving on to the difficult, Weihaiwei, located at the "tip" of the Jiaodong Peninsula, became their first target.

The Yantai area, or rather the Weihaiwei region, is, to some extent, the birthplace and shattered site of the Chinese Navy, and remains occupied by the Japanese. Stationed there was an infantry regiment of the Japanese 54th Division (formerly the 5th Independent Mixed Division). Following the handover of defense, the area was garrisoned by the 5th Regiment of the Kwantung Army's 8th Division, adding an additional regiment. In addition, approximately one puppet "regiment" of 3000 men assisted the Japanese in defending some nearby outposts.

At that time, during the rotation of guard, Honda Masazai, commander of the 8th Division of the Kwantung Army, played a trick - he used his relationship as deputy chief of the general staff of the China Expeditionary Army to retain the infantry regiment of the 54th Division, adding an extra wave of troops for his successor, Yokoyama Shizuo.

As a result, the Japanese army of about two regiments, relying on coastal highway mobility, sea transportation for supplies, and assisted by excess field artillery, was finally able to defend a series of coastal towns from Fushan, Yantai, Weihaiwei and Rongcheng, and block the attack of the Shandong Field Army. Military commanders and leaders such as "Xu Heshang", Lin Hao, and Wu Kehua who often operated in this area all suffered losses here.

However, the situation is always changing.

With the liberation of Rizhao and Linyi, the victory in the Zhucheng Campaign in Shandong Province, and the successful conclusion of the Shandong Province Counterattack, the situation in Shandong Province significantly improved. With the development of the local military industry and support from the rear industrial zone, in January 1943, the Jiaodong Military Sub-district, in conjunction with the Binhai Military Sub-district, launched the "New Year's Day Campaign," a swift offensive against Rongcheng, the tail of the Japanese-controlled area of ​​Weihaiwei.

During this battle, the military and civilians of the Shandong base area first blockaded Rongcheng (now located in Chengshan Town during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression), then deployed their first operational artillery group, comprising 25-pounders and 75mm M mountain guns. Amidst this overwhelming artillery preparation and gradual barrage, the newly supplied 155mm M12A1 mobile coastal artillery system made its debut.

(The US military had already completed the M12 in the first half of 42, but due to disputes between the artillery and armored forces, more than a hundred finished self-propelled artillery were left in the warehouse to gather dust. Therefore, the Shandong Provincial Military Region was the first military region under the Eighth Route Army to come into contact with the "mantou" chassis)

Mounted on a diesel M4 chassis, the GPF 155mm howitzer shared common warheads and cartridges with the Eighth Route Army's popular Ai-type 155mm howitzers. Serving as the Shandong Provincial Military District's heaviest "key weapon," it conducted counter-artillery operations against Japanese field artillery units. Subsequently, within half an hour of opening fire, the 75mm field artillery positions that had previously supported the Japanese defenses were shattered to pieces by the massive 155mm howitzers that fell from the sky.

After losing crucial firepower support, the valiant Shandong Provincial Field Army, coordinated by local forces, stormed Rongcheng. The demolition/assault team, specialized in urban combat, armed with standardized explosive charges, Type 41 bulletproof vests, and armed with American-made AR2 assault carbines, penetrated the Japanese and puppet army headquarters, capturing the battalion commander who had attempted seppuku and then killing Yan Keqing, a former bandit and current puppet army leader, who remained defiant.

Finally, having fought a thrilling battle, the Jiaodong Military Sub-district deployed its forces, preparing to attack the Japanese reinforcements arriving from Weihaiwei. However, the sub-district only intercepted a farewell message, "Gentlemen, I hope you will uphold your military integrity and bloom like cherry blossoms," and encountered few Japanese troops. Furious, Monk Xu led a brief pursuit, but only managed to destroy the vanguard of the Japanese 54th Division, approximately 100 men.

But no matter what, the "fall" of Rongcheng means that a new nightmare is about to come for the Japanese army.

The liberation of this area by the Eighth Route Army not only meant that the defense chain of Fushan, Yantai, Weihaiwei, and Rongcheng had lost a tail, but also meant that the Eighth Route Army had gained a safe supply base at the easternmost edge of the Jiaodong Peninsula. A supply base facing the sea.

The Eighth Route Army's Shandong Province Coast Guard, or rather, its "navy," which had previously struggled to expand its sphere of influence northward, was now able to secure a safe harbor north of Rushan. Relying on this harbor for resupply and rest, they were able to blockade and intercept the waters off Jiao'ao Harbor from two directions, bypass the Jiaodong Peninsula, and conduct a "ship-breaking operation" against Weihaiwei.

In late January 1943, shortly after Rongcheng's liberation, a coastal positioning beacon, now common in Shandong Province, was erected on Chengshan, east of Rongcheng. Then, one night, the Shandong Provincial Military Region's Coastal Defense Force, departing from Rizhao, successfully reunited with the Jiaodong Coastal Defense Force, based in Rushan, at Chengshan Wharf.

The four "MTB" torpedo boats were joined by two "Fairmile C" torpedo boats that had once served as "flagships", as well as a brand new flagship: the "Fairmile D" torpedo gunboat. This large torpedo gunboat with a displacement of over 10 tons had excellent seaworthiness and powerful torpedo gun firepower, but the most important thing was that, unlike those modified C boats and MTBs, it was assembled by the Eighth Route Army itself in Rizhao Port.

Comrades from the Jiaodong Military Sub-district arrived with wheelbarrows and electric cranes, and began restocking the gunboats and torpedo boats with ammunition and fuel. The captain, also the "regulatory commander" of the Coast Guard, disembarked from the pier gangplank and received a sealed letter from Lin Hao, the political commissar of the Jiaodong Military Sub-district.

He opened the order given to himself and the fleet by his superiors in person.

According to reliable intelligence, on January 28, 1943, the Japanese Kwantung Army's Rui 12th Transport Fleet would transport part of the 35th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Division and its equipment to reinforce Weihaiwei in a counterattack against our base. The enemy ships were expected to depart from Dalini Harbor at 8:30 a.m. on January 27, heading south along their usual route. They would enter the Weihaiwei Harbor area between 15 and 30 degrees northwest after sunset, awaiting an opportunity to enter the port to unload.

"Your unit is ordered to arrive at the designated waters before 7:1 AM on January 27th. Carry forward the fearless, intelligent, and courageous spirit of the coastal defense forces and resolutely intercept the enemy transport fleet!"

Chapter 775: Japanese Lanterns Hang High

According to intelligence, the Japanese fleet consisted of one large transport boat and four wooden transport boats, packed with one or two battalions of troops and equipment. The escort was an army fleet that had just arrived from mainland China the day before, along with a large anti-aircraft escort vessel. The remaining forces were unknown, but were likely several small escort gunboats.

Before setting off, Ren Biao, the captain of the Binhai Coastal Defense Team and former commander of the Subei Coastal Defense Regiment, said this to the detachment commander and political commissar of the Jiaodong Coastal Defense Team.

"We have four MTB torpedo boats, two Fairmire C torpedo boats, and one Fairmire D torpedo boat. We only have so many torpedoes. Captain Zheng, Political Commissar Ouyang, we can fight, but we have to be careful." As a "naval seed" selected from China to study and practice in the Gulf of Aden, Captain Ren once served as the deputy of the combat captain on the "Pandaria".

He has personally participated in many naval training and actual combats, and is one of the few people in China who has received

Personnel of regular naval training.

Partnering with veteran Red Army political commissar Ouyang Wen was Zheng Qinye, a naval officer from the Northeast who had defected. Unlike his original life trajectory, this man had no ties to the Wang Puppet regime in this time and space. Instead, in 1940, while still serving as the instructor of the KMT Security Corps, he led his troops in an open uprising and defected to our army in Shandong Province. Later, upon hearing that our party was organizing a naval force, he volunteered, stating that he had received naval training from the Northeast and was willing to participate in the development of our coastal defense forces.

"Naval warfare is all about intelligence—regardless of the expense our superiors paid to obtain intelligence on the Japanese fleet, now that we know it, we must make good use of this advantage. Our boats may be small in tonnage, but their guns are fast and powerful, and we will not be at a disadvantage in a fight."

Zheng Qinye exchanged glances with Political Commissar Ouyang, then patted his chest confidently. For the past two years, his Jiaodong and Binhai detachments had worked together, starting with protecting fishermen and escorting ships, to defeat numerous "fishing tyrants," "pirates," and "boat gangs." They even collected "anti-Japanese taxes" from the coastal vessels of the Wang Puppet regime and the Japanese China Expeditionary Force. While they hadn't encountered much of the Kwantung Army's transport fleet, they weren't the regular Japanese navy, so they were likely cut from the same cloth, employing similar tactics.

"But the Japanese are still much larger than us. We have torpedoes, but they're only effective after one round." Ren Biao, who had spent several days battling German raiders aboard the Pandaria, was cautious. "We should still use some 'conventional tactics' this time. If nothing else, we need to protect ourselves and strike the enemy. That's what matters..."

Due to the Sino-US joint air construction in Shandong Province, the Eighth Route Army now firmly holds air supremacy over the province. The Eighth Route Army's air force, whose responsibilities were clearly defined during negotiations, has assumed responsibility for direct airfield protection, regional air control, and coastal interception. It maintains an absolute dominant position in air control, commerce disruption, and air strikes over mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. With the arrival of aircraft and pilots, American-made fighters, adorned with red stars and Chinese characters and blue and white tail rudder identification stripes, began patrolling the skies over Shandong Province.

Therefore, since the second half of 1942, it has been difficult to see Japanese planes in the sky above and near the coast of Shandong Province. Except for an area around the Jiaoao Fortress protected by Japanese 75mm anti-aircraft guns and "Zhong Yue" and "Falcon", the Eighth Route Army's planes can basically fly unimpeded, and sometimes they can even carry out air strikes on Japanese cargo ships and ground targets, allowing the military and civilians in the base area to enjoy the treatment of "US troops in the Vietnam War in a different time and space."

This also led to a significant change in Japanese shipping habits. They began to depart during the day, dock and unload at ports after nightfall, and finally quickly leave the coastline within 100-120 nautical miles before daybreak to avoid being targeted by air-launched rockets and bombs. This was the typical distance for the Eighth Route Army Air Force to conduct near-shore operations. Although the Eighth Route Army had a certain degree of night flight capability, it was still unable to conduct aerial attacks on the sea at night.

However, since it is possible to sail at night, then...

"Liberation, according to the Osprey report, the convoy's target is suspected to be 12 degrees west-southwest of the Endeavour, 25 nautical miles away. The convoy's speed is 6 knots, and the measured course is 115

complete. "

"Liberation is clear, independence is moving closer to me; striving follows the target course and speed, and the program turns."

"Roger that."

On the sea, light signals flickered, and the torpedo boat units that maintained radio silence received radio signals from the sky - two PBY "Catalinas" carrying surface search radars relied on shore-based "baseline" beacons to conduct a round of searches in the waters near Weihaiwei at night. With the support of intelligence, the seaplanes quickly found the target and used broadcast communications to inform the torpedo boat units floating on the sea, allowing them to quickly find the Japanese fleet that was trying to use the darkness for cover.

The Japanese Army's Maritime Transport Fleet (the Army's Navy, how strange) lacked the ability to intercept burst-type radio stations and had no counter-detection capabilities. They were completely unaware that they were walking step by step into the hunter's trap.

"Independent radar contact established with target, 2 large echoes, 6 small echoes, bearing 020, range 12, speed 6 knots, heading 113."

"Endeavor established radar contact with target, 2 large echoes, 5 small echoes, bearing 345, range 11, speed 6 knots, heading 115."

The bright moon in the sky was slightly obscured by clouds, making the visual conditions at sea extremely poor. However, for the "small surface and low-altitude target search microwave radar" on the masts of the three "Fellmire" ships, which used American parts and domestic back-ends, it was not a difficult working environment at all.

"Everyone, prepare for battle, proceed according to the plan, close the distance to within 5 chains (about 900 meters) before opening fire!"

Aboard the flagship, the Fairmire D-type torpedo boat 50, named "Liberation," all the men stood at their positions, their faces solemn and determined. They were aware of their ship's situation, but all were prepared to die in battle, awaiting the gunner's order to fire.

As a British torpedo boat, this ship unfortunately used a high-speed gasoline engine produced by Packard as its power source, and the main structure of the hull was made of wood. Even though the Eighth Route Army used the freed-up tonnage when revising its armament to add several pieces of high-tensile steel plates to key positions for protection, its overall protection level could only be considered "naked"!

When facing an enemy fleet of at least 8 ships, even if they had the upper hand, the Eighth Route Army Coast Guard still faced a huge threat!

10 nautical miles, 8 nautical miles, 5 nautical miles...

The echoes on the PPI monitor grew stronger, and the distance between the fleet and the enemy vessels gradually closed. As they drew closer, the target gradually became clearer. Leading the Japanese line was a medium-to-large target, presumably the "large transport boat," followed by four small and medium-sized targets in a rectangular formation, surrounding the "intimidatingly large" ship. At the end of the formation, two more "small targets" flanked it, forming an irregular, complex vertical formation.

This is indeed a difficult fleet to deal with. However...

"Captain Ren, the Japanese are using an infrared transponder! The blip is high up in the middle of the fleet—that big ship in the middle must be the Japanese flagship!"

High-definition cameras equipped with infrared night vision detected the flickering infrared light source of the Japanese Army's "Type 3 Sentry Signal Device"—a nighttime infrared device used by both the Japanese Army and Navy, which used manually controlled infrared signals to identify friendly vessels. Although the Eighth Route Army didn't know the Japanese light signal code, the large red lantern flashing in the camera's passive mode directly exposed the position of the Japanese fleet and flagship from outside combat range!

"Forge ahead, adopt passive mode observation and be prepared for lightning strikes;"

Fleet Commander Ren Biao's mouth dropped open. All the tactical maneuvers and emergency plans he'd imagined seemed to crumble to dust at that moment, like a fist swung with all his might, only to end up hitting a ball of cotton. He lowered his telescope, glanced at the large, flashing spot on the monitor screen, then glanced at the radar PPI screen that was refreshing back and forth, then raised his hand and gave the order:

"Liberation, Independence, left rudder 02, adjust course; all fleets, torpedo guns, ready for battle!"

Chapter 776: Fly, Fly, My Fairmire

The bright moon appeared in the clouds, the sea surface receded in the waves, and the speed of the small fleet increased to 25 knots, which gave it a huge advantage over the Japanese "Army Ship Engineer" fleet with a speed of only 8 knots.

The dark shadows of the enemy ships grew clearer. It must be a fleet of wooden vessels drifting on the sea. Although the blackout remained in effect, the blazing "Type 3 Sentry Signal" looked like a blazing star in the infrared channel, clearly marking the fleet's course.

This period of time seemed as long as a century, yet as short as a second - as if in an instant, the bright moon in the sky tore apart the dark clouds, and cast a fleeting flash of bright moonlight onto the sea.

日舰在一瞬间暴露在早已适应了暗夜环境的观察员眼中:∶1艘1E型铁壳战标运输船，4艘木制2战标乙型运输船"，2艘百吨不到的小型炮艇，还有1艘如同众星拱月般居于队列中央的“大型防空基干护卫船”――日本陆军的"善洋丸"号武装运输船!

Distance 6 chains (about 1100 meters)!

"Liberation, Independence, Boat 12, Boat 13, Target 3, Open Fire!!"

Taking into account issues such as facilitating logistics and saving transport tonnage, the Eighth Route Army did not introduce the matching "British 57mm 6-ton gun", "40mm pom-pom gun", "1.7mm Vickers heavy machine gun and 7.7mm Vickers rotary machine gun" at the same time when introducing British torpedo boats. Instead, while taking into account the distribution of the center of gravity of the ships, the Eighth Route Army worked with British and Communist shipbuilders to arm these boats.

Now, the main guns of the two "Fellmire" have been replaced with "rapid-fire 45mm guns" using 53K gun barrels (after anti-corrosion treatment) and equipped with a Morris gravity feed system, which can achieve fully automatic shooting and semi-automatic reloading!

Projectiles were fired at a rate of 1.8 seconds each from the front and rear gun positions of the two large and small Fairmire torpedo boats. The four 45mm naval guns began to rhythmically bombard the Japanese fleet with short-delay armor-piercing grenades with tracer tubes. What they chose was the 75-ton "gunboat" blocking the side of the fleet.

The .45mm gunfire wasn't particularly impressive, but the iron-hulled boat, armed only with a single 720mm machine gun and a single 57mm boat gun, was unprepared for the concentrated fire of four rapid-fire guns. Guided by its night vision high-definition camera in active mode, the iron-hulled boat, powered by a mere 350-horsepower diesel engine, was quickly submerged in the water column. Within 15 seconds of continuous range-finding machine gun corrections, flames rose from the splashing water, signifying a hit.

—One, two, three shots..... continuous hits!

The 57mm gun, transplanted from the Type 89 medium tank, was quickly disabled by the powerful 45mm gun. The only 20mm cannon capable of resisting the attack, along with the boat's cockpit—or rather, bridge—were also hit by multiple shells. The paper-thin, unhardened 6mm armor was completely unable to withstand the direct impact of the armor-piercing grenades, and the explosives in the shells killed the captain, gunner, and observer who were resting or preparing for battle.

This gunboat is already a "dead ship"!

“Enemy attack!!!”

It was not until this time that the Japanese fleet seemed to have just woken up from a dream and began to respond in a panic.

"Enemy attack—enemy attack—"

Alarm bells, whistles, and shouts echoed across the Japanese Navy ships. The crews of the remaining three fixed-armed ships in the fleet (the four Battle Standard B ships were unarmed) rushed to their gun positions, removed their gun covers, and prepared for battle. Though not naval, they had basic training in naval warfare and knew they were under attack from small gunboats. They had spotted four muzzle flashes and were roughly certain they were targeting two small boats darting toward their flanks.

We can still fight! We have many and powerful guns!

除开那条同型号型的75吨炮艇，日军船队中的1E型铁壳战标运输船有安置在舰猫舰的75毫米舟艇炮(8式野炮改)2门，使用2发弹匣的供弹的98式机关炮4门;而作为"大型防空基干护卫船"的“善洋丸"则有88式75毫米高射炮6门，20毫米、13.2毫米高射机炮、机枪共10门。

On paper, the Japanese fleet clearly had the upper hand in terms of firepower. However, in actual combat, simply comparing tonnage and firepower on paper cannot truly represent the ever-changing realities of the battlefield.

The 75mm boat gun, which was simply a land-based field gun, had no anti-sea fire control system at all, which was equivalent to firing at the air; the 20mm machine gun, which was manually operated and fed by magazines, could not maintain continuous firepower and use the enemy's muzzle flash to effectively strike targets in the dark night; and the 75mm anti-aircraft gun, which seemed to pose the greatest threat, could not lower the muzzle and carry out effective anti-sea shooting because of the close distance of the small boats.

Against the backdrop of a large number of ineffective firepower, the Eighth Route Army torpedo boat unit, which was forced into 5 chains, still had effective firepower to be deployed.

"Target the enemy flagship. Open fire once reload complete! Suppress the enemy's surface firepower!"

The Independence's 145mm heavy machine guns, along with the Liberation's 23mm and 14.5mm machine guns, joined forces. Using the same ammunition as the Vy-23 and KPV, mixed with a high percentage of tracer rounds, they rained down upon the Japanese ships, instantly turning the decks of both armed vessels into a brutal meat grinder. The Japanese ships' unarmored gun emplacements became the primary targets. Amidst the pyrotechnic shower of metal sparks, any Japanese crew members attempting to approach were reduced to biomass components.

The Japanese resistance firepower quickly weakened. Before they could score an effective hit, the two largest ships posing the greatest threat were almost disarmed by the Eighth Route Army. Only a few 20mm shells and 1.2mm bullets fell near the anti-tank gunboats. The 45mm guns, which had never ceased firing, under the guidance of the optoelectronic and radar systems, concentrated their firepower on the Type 1E battleship and began firing at its waterline, intending to create irreparable underwater damage.

"Don't panic! The enemy ships are just small boats! Our buoyancy is still intact, and we won't sink! As long as we launch a counterattack and hold out until dawn...

"By daybreak...by daybreak, the Army Aviation will provide tactical guidance. No! Send reinforcements! Send a message! Send a message immediately!"

Amidst the terrifying sound of shells hitting and the crackling of bullets, the captain of the Zenyo Maru shouted orders, boosting everyone's morale. Yes, while the unknown enemy ship's firepower was formidable, it was still an unprotected small craft—their larger ships had greater tonnage and buoyancy reserves. Therefore, if they could only land a single hit, they would be the ones to be fed!

“元-101、元-062、匕-221、第77日东丸，脱离编队，向右04!

"Toyo Maru, Ashi, move closer to our ships and bombard the enemy ships!"

He began to command the fleet together with the fleet commander, intending to let four battleships carrying a large number of personnel and equipment break away from the formation and hide behind him, and let an armed merchant ship and a gunboat that were still combat-capable move closer to him, concentrating firepower to attack the enemy ships.

"Don't rescue the Sun yet. We must drive away the enemy ships first!"

Yes, whether it was the 800-ton Type 1E battleship or the 600-ton Zenyo Maru, since they were large ships with longer health bars, they should naturally take on the role of human shields, resisting the enemy's two wolf-like gunboats and fighting for the survival of the Battleship B, which was only 250 tons, and the more than 2 Imperial Army officers and soldiers in the fleet.

However, perhaps lacking some UJN "mine house" intuition, this impassioned army captain might have forgotten that the Eighth Route Army on the other side possessed a weapon that could be used to achieve a significant victory in a naval battle. "Endeavor, boats 10 and 11, target enemy flagship, speed 40, torpedo salvo!"

"Independence, boats 12 and 13, target enemy flagship, speed 40, torpedo salvo!"

-―――—---

Having suppressed their urge to fire, the Endeavour and its accompanying MTB boats Nos. 10 and 11 finally bared their fangs from the shadows. While the Independence and Liberation opened fire to attract the Japanese ships' attention, they turned north, swerving at a moderate speed to flank the Japanese ships, maintaining a blackout and radio silence until they reached the designated torpedo strike position.

At this moment, they happened to form an angle of about 90 degrees with the Independence, No. 12 and No. 13 boats that were occupying one side of the enemy fleet's course.

Powered by a powerful gunpowder booster, the MK14 torpedo, intended for resupplying US Navy submarines, plunged into the sea. The Eighth Route Army MK14, featuring a replacement of its own high-strength steel firing pin and reinforced fuse housing and firing pin guide, had essentially eliminated its misfire problem. The MK14's powerful thermal power unit enabled this massive 533mm torpedo to cover the less than four-link torpedo range at a speed of 40 knots in the blink of an eye.

12 torpedoes rushed towards the Japanese ships at an almost impeccable "golden comb" angle, and under the bright moonlight, the bright white tracks looked more like

-A kind of irresistible and magnificent destiny for this group of invaders who show off their power in other countries' sea borders.

The one who brought the deepest fear.

The heavy ship Zenyo Maru was immediately hit by two torpedoes: the first torpedo destroyed her engine compartment, causing her to almost jump out of the sea and even allowing her to avoid the second torpedo; and the third torpedo that hit her hull twisted her steering gear and transmission shaft into a ball of metal and created a huge hole that could not be repaired.

The massive influx of water instantly caused a steam explosion in the Zenyo Maru's engine compartment. This large anti-aircraft carrier, with excellent buoyancy but lacking proper bulkheads, quickly began to sink irreversibly, submerging into the murky Yellow Sea within a minute.

The torpedo, which had passed through its belly, struck the evading 250-ton battleship, Yuan-062. Instead of sinking due to flooding, the 250-ton wooden transport vessel buckled in the middle like a cooked shrimp. The next second, amidst massive, blood-red waves and flames, it lay almost shattered on the surface, slowly sinking with a trail of what was likely corpses or blood.

At that moment, the 850-ton Type 1E Battle Standard transport, engulfed in increasingly uncontrollable flames and riddled with holes below its waterline, was gradually approaching its end. "Keep your distance, and maintain your fire! Destroy that crappy gunboat first, then take down those Battle Standard transports!"

Ren Biao, the commander of the small fleet, shouted an order over the TBS system, with a hint of the confidence and boldness of a newborn calf fearless of a tiger, "Let the remaining Japanese devils go to the sea to feed the fish!"

Chapter 777 The Sea is Receding, but I've Already Landed

The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 35th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Division of the Kwantung Army were sent into the Yellow Sea by the Jiaodong and Binhai Coastal Defense Teams of the Eighth Route Army.

Because the Japanese had no intention of surrendering, or perhaps there was no chance of surrender at all, the night battle of January 27th was a highly efficient massacre for the Eighth Route Army. The entire Japanese fleet was sunk by the Eighth Route Army, with the exception of two 250-ton wooden "Battle Mark B" ships that overloaded their steam engines at 8.5 knots and then took advantage of the Eighth Route Army's torpedo boats to escape into the range of Liugong Island's shore artillery.

In addition to the remaining troops of the two battalions, nearly 2000 people boarded the ship to cross the sea. In the end, the number of people who died in the sea reached more than 1700. Including the Japanese soldiers who managed to drift to the shore alive, there were only more than 200 people who were still breathing.

Because the voyage was short and they did not anticipate being intercepted, the Japanese Army had many soldiers sit on the deck in order to increase the total carrying capacity; because many Battle Standard B ships were converted from fishing boats, their personnel carrying compartments were previously used to store fish, making it inconvenient to get on and off, and lacking protection... This series of factors made it impossible for a large number of Japanese soldiers to hide when the ships were strafed by the Eighth Route Army, and eventually they were all turned into "biomass" smeared on the ground on and under the deck.

As for the two ships that were directly hit by the torpedoes, all the passengers on board did not even have time to escape before they were all teleported to the shore of the Sanzu River.

What was even more fatal to the Japanese army was that although the 35th Regiment's headquarters did not board the ship, its flag guard squadron was also on board. Anyway, according to the Japanese army, at the moment of "critical battle situation", they still loyally burned the military flag, paid homage to Tokyo from afar, and then died heroically.

This incident was silenced within the Japanese Army, and whenever it was mentioned, the Imperial Headquarters requested that it be referred to as "Army Incident B." (Incident A was the complete annihilation of the First Army Headquarters by our army at the end of the Shanxi Province Campaign.)

There was almost no damage, except for a few unlucky guys who had their chests pierced by the flying golden eggshells. The Eighth Route Army soldiers, who were grimacing from the burn, said that if this could make the Kwantung Army's devils feel better, then they might as well do it a few more times.