The sun never sets.

2. To provide main support as the vanguard and rearguard of the battleship fleet;

3. Track and pursue retreating enemy ships during naval battles.

In the basic design plan, the first batch of battlecruisers paid great attention to the arrangement of bow and stern guns. The main engine uses a light steam turbine with high thermal efficiency and good reliability, which reduces the number of steam boilers and greatly reduces the weight of the equipment compared to the reciprocating steam engine. At the same time, the chimneys were merged from 4 to 3. The output power increased from 23000 shaft horsepower of the "Dreadnought" class battleship to 41000 shaft horsepower, and the speed increased from 21 knots to 26.5 knots. This is really a fantastic speed. Think about the speed of the first American dreadnought at only 19 knots, which makes people think that the "South Carolina class" and the "Invincible class" are in two different eras.

The reason why the "Invincible-class" battlecruiser can reach a speed of 26.5 knots is because it uses a new boiler room. There are 4 boiler rooms on the ship, 3 of which are located in front of the No. 2 turret amidships, and the other is at the rear. It uses Yarrow's water tube boilers with a pressure of 17.6 kg/cm2, with a total of 31 units. Among them, there are 1 units in the No. 7 boiler room and 3 units in each of the other 8 boiler rooms. Coal is usually used as fuel, and when it is particularly needed, heavy oil is sprayed on the coal in the furnace for mixed combustion. Although there is no dedicated oil boiler, the use of a mixture of coal and oil as fuel can be regarded as a transitional model.

The main engine is two sets of "Parsons" steam turbines, two high-pressure engines drive the two outer propellers, and two low-pressure engines drive the inner propellers for normal cruising. The ship is loaded with 2 tons of coal and 2 tons of heavy oil. When burning coal exclusively, the cruising range at a speed of 2 knots is 2 nautical miles; when coal and heavy oil are mixed, the cruising range at a speed of 2997 knots is more than 738 nautical miles. During the sea trial, when the main engine power was 15 shaft horsepower and the speed reached 4480 rpm, the speed reached 15 knots (displacement 6020 tons).

The Invincible class battlecruiser is equipped with four twin-mounted 4mm main gun turrets. The two turrets in the middle of the ship are arranged in a trapezoidal shape. When the guns on one side cannot be used, the guns on the other side can be rotated 305°.

能发挥作用。艏炮的中心高度是9.4米，舯部左右舷炮是8.5米，艉炮6.4米。385千克的炮弹以831米/秒的初速发射，舰炮最大仰角13.5°，最大射程1.5万米（根据弹头形状可达1.72万米）。平时每门炮装载炮弹80发，战时110发。

As a "high-speed battleship" that the British had high hopes for, the "Invincible Class" had no intermediate guns or secondary guns. In order to deal with torpedo boats, it was equipped with 16 102mm rapid-fire guns, 2 on each turret and 4 on the front and rear superstructures.

In addition, the Invincible has four 4mm torpedo tubes below the waterline on the side and one at the stern, carrying a total of 450 torpedoes. The protective deck material is mainly "Krupp" wear-resistant nickel-chromium carburized steel, with a waterline thickness of 1mm, a main turret foundation and surrounding thickness of 14mm, a turret protective cover thickness of 152mm, a front conning tower thickness of 178-76mm, a rear conning tower thickness of 254mm, and two conning towers with a protective cover thickness of 178mm. As a "high-speed battleship", its armor is obviously thinner than that of ordinary battleships.

However, the British believed that this was not a problem. As long as they could run fast enough and have strong firepower, it didn't matter if their armor was a little weak.

Chapter 513: Ancestral Heritage

Why can Britain maintain its position as the world's hegemon even though it has fallen to the third industrial country? Just look at the "Invincible-class" battlecruisers. In terms of designing and building battleships, the British are still the best in the world. The United States and Germany are far behind, not to mention France and Russia. Italy's ability to design battleships is not bad, but their industrial strength is very poor, and their economy is even worse. Even if they have first-class ship designers, they can't build first-class battleships.

Germany did not have colonies all over the world like Britain did, so it did not need battlecruisers. The German Navy also watched the Battle of the South China Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but they did not see much, unlike the British Royal Navy, which saw a lot of useful things. But because the British created high-speed battleships, Germany followed suit.

Are battlecruisers good? I don't know. The British have them, so we should have them too! This is the idea of the German Navy. Germany is known in this world as the pioneer of the "Dreadnought Era", and its steel production is about 1.8 times that of the UK, but compared with the British Navy, there is still some gap.

Since the British Royal Navy began to build the battlecruiser Invincible, the Germans have never looked away. After more than a year of observation, the Germans think they have roughly figured out what the British have built and what its purpose is. As a country that intends to compete with the British Empire for maritime hegemony, Germany cannot tolerate not having weapons that can compete with the British. What the British have, Germany must also have.

However, in fact, the Germans did not really understand the purpose of the British designing battlecruisers. Of course, this cannot be blamed on the Germans, because the German Navy’s military construction ideas are fundamentally different from those of the British Royal Navy. The British battlecruisers adhere to the tactical principle of "running faster than the strongest, and having more firepower than the faster ones", which seems to be a bit like Tian Ji's horse racing. Their main enemy is the German armored cruiser; and the German battlecruisers, from the moment they were designed, their main opponent was the battlecruisers of the British Royal Navy.

This time, the Germans did not continue to ask China for help. The German Navy believed that they had found a way to fight against the "Invincible-class battlecruisers". They came up with a design similar to the "Invincible-class", but because of design ideas and economic reasons, the Germans once again chose to strengthen armor and reduce firepower.

Although Germany had already produced 13.5-inch naval guns, it did not intend to install the latest and most powerful 13.5-inch cannons on its first high-speed battleship, nor even 12-inch cannons. Instead, it planned to continue using eight 8mm/283-caliber naval guns (four twin-mounted turrets). 45 inches is 12mm, which is the caliber of the main guns of the previous generation of battleships. Germany's 305mm caliber naval guns are already very mature, so why use 305mm caliber main guns?

It’s still the eternal answer - no money.

In order to save money, the German Navy chose 283mm/45 caliber naval guns. They only wanted to suppress British warships of the same level without considering other factors. The British thought that the Germans were all stupid, which seemed to be reasonable. If Lin Yongchang had been in his place, he would definitely have used the strongest 13.5-inch cannon. At least, he would have used the main gun of the same caliber as the "Invincible Class".

Kaiser Wilhelm II was very dissatisfied with the design drawings sent by the Admiralty. He was a staunch supporter of the big navy, and it was not known whether he was stimulated by the British fleet review. Wilhelm II was very dissatisfied with the navy's plan, mainly because of the eight 8mm/283-caliber main guns. There were obviously more mature 45mm cannons, so why not use them?

Tirpitz calculated for William II that if 305mm main guns were used on the von der Tann-class battlecruisers, an additional artillery production factory would need to be built, new machinery and equipment would be added, thousands of more workers would need to be trained, and the production plan would need to be rearranged. The production line for the 280mm gun would also need to be rescheduled.

If it is left idle, the money lost from this in and out will be more than you imagined.

Faced with the detailed data given by Mr. Alfred von Tirpitz, William II was speechless and could only agree to the plan of the Admiralty. But he was still very dissatisfied in his heart, because the "von der Tann class" was not the battleship he wanted.

The German Navy's 283mm naval gun is actually a caliber, which is called a 280mm main gun in the German organization table. The caliber ranges from 22 to 35, and then to 40. There are several models, but the 280mm cannon is a German ancestral craft. The German Navy likes to use this caliber main gun very much. Both the manufacturing and maintenance systems are very mature, and the price can be much cheaper.

In comparison, the newly developed 13.5-inch cannon has a much stronger armor penetration and explosive power, but the price has increased even more. Count Tirpitz has his reasons for using the ancestral 280mm. Using a more mature design can save a lot of money. If he squeezes in more, he might be able to build another battleship.

In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, the Battle of the South China Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the power of large-caliber main guns was very good and powerful, but the cannons with faster firing rates played a greater role. It didn't matter if the caliber was smaller, and it didn't matter if they couldn't sink the enemy's battleships. As long as the opponent's turrets were destroyed, the rest would be easy.

Alfred von Tirpitz was the soul of the German Navy. He believed that Germany's previous strategy of "open ocean commerce" was problematic, and that cruisers without battleship protection could not survive in the open ocean. Germany must build a main fleet that can always overwhelm the British Royal Navy in a head-on decisive battle. When this idea was first proposed, it was not accepted by the German Navy, and Tirpitz simply resigned. However, his idea was very popular with William II, so Tirpitz did not resign, but instead rose to the top and led the entire German Navy.

But Tirpitz was not without problems. He kept his eyes on the British Royal Navy and followed it almost step by step. Whatever kind of warships the British made, Tirpitz would build warships of the same level, and his goal was to just overwhelm the British warships of the same level. He was unwilling to pursue more powerful firepower, but emphasized survivability and stability.

William II was somewhat dissatisfied with Tirpitz, but in the German Navy, Tirpitz was the person who satisfied him the most. At this time, the German emperor missed Chairman Lin on the other side of the continent very much. Only Lin Yongchang would agree with his concept of "big ships and big guns". The bigger the battleship, the better, and the thicker the gun barrel, the better. Why didn't Tirpitz understand this?

Chapter 514: The Princess

The weapons most used in wars are not the most advanced or the best, but the most mature, cheap and easy to use. In this sense, there may be nothing wrong with Count Tirpitz's choice. The problem is that the German naval tradition is not as good as that of the British. It is difficult to defeat the British Royal Navy without taking risks and being radical.

The German Navy chose a safe route, emphasizing survivability and stability, while the British Navy chose an aggressive route, emphasizing high speed and powerful firepower output. The Japanese Navy chose something different from both the British and German ones. Akiyama Saneyuki did not plan to build any intermediate or transitional battleships, but to go straight to the "super dreadnought!"

Although there are still many subsystems that have not been successfully developed, the Japanese have already started working on it. The first 15-ton dock has been built. The Japanese are like this, they especially like "decisive weapons" and betting on national destiny. The secret weapon "super dreadnought"...well, it's not so secret anymore, but the Japanese still like it. The dock has already been built when the power system and the most important -inch guns are still not in sight. This is not just the opinion of Akiyama Saneyuki. Ito Hirobumi and other people in the Navy Department also agree with this bold, even crazy plan.

What if the relevant subsystems are still not built after the keel is laid? In the eyes of the Japanese, this is not a problem. The technical indicators and drawings are available, so how can it not be built? If it doesn't work, then use your instincts to overcome it!

Well, the Japanese are so confident. But some things cannot be solved by performance. If something cannot be done, it cannot be done. Japan's mechanical processing and artillery casting technology is not up to standard, and it is impossible to produce a 15-inch main gun. It is not that it cannot be produced, but it cannot produce a battleship main gun with a range of up to 20 kilometers and guaranteed accuracy. If it is a mortar used by the army, let alone 15 inches, even 16 inches can be produced, but that kind of artillery cannot be used as a battleship main gun.

With the rapid advancement of military technology, the distance of fleet engagement is constantly increasing. During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the engagement distance was only 6,000 to 7,000 meters. In the Battle of Leyte Gulf, there was a record of hitting at a distance of 10,000 meters. The latest battleships of Britain and Germany have an effective range of 12,000 meters.

The 15-inch cannons to be installed on the "super dreadnought" should have a maximum range of 30 kilometers and an effective range of 18 kilometers. After the appearance of the "dreadnought", the previous battleships became outdated toys. Similarly, in front of the "super dreadnought", the "dreadnought" can only be regarded as a large-scale toy.

The premise is that this thing can really be made.

There was a secret military cooperation between China, Germany and Japan to jointly develop various subsystems on the super dreadnought, among which the 15-inch gun was placed in Germany.

, but the Germans' progress was too slow. Or, after the Germans built the 13.5-inch naval gun, they completely lost the motivation to move forward.

In the eyes of the Germans, the ancestral 280mm cannon is very useful, the 305mm caliber is completely sufficient, and the 13.5-inch 343mm caliber main gun has reached the stage of excessive firepower. The German Navy does not even want to use the 13.5-inch cannon, so how can it continue to spend money to develop the 15-inch 381mm main gun?

You know, it costs a lot of money to develop large-caliber artillery. The performance parameters of the main guns on battleships are higher than those of the army, which means more money. Germany is short of money, so after they have a 13.5-inch large tube, they don't want to continue to waste money.

However, the Japanese Navy did not agree with this reason. From Akiyama Saneyuki onwards, a large number of people in the Japanese Navy Department did not like the concept of a transitional battleship. If they were going to build one, they would build a big one. Concentrating resources to build an unprecedented "decisive battle weapon" was what the Japanese liked to do most. They did not regard battleships as consumables, but as works of art, as treasures that would never wear out.

After several failed attempts to contact Germany, the Japanese Navy was ready to leave Germany behind and cooperate with China alone. Because of the Chinese and ASEAN markets, Japan's economy developed rapidly, but most of the investment was in light industry and other quick-money businesses, and not much in heavy industry. With Japan's current industrial strength, even if it obtained technical information, it would not be able to build a 15-inch battleship main gun. In fact, the 12-inch naval guns made by Japan itself had many problems, and the scrap rate was high. After cost accounting, it was better to buy directly from Germany.

The scale and level of heavy industry development are important indicators of national strength. Since the chemical industry occupies a very prominent position in the development of modern industry, the chemical industry is often separated from the light and heavy industries in the industrial classification of the industrial structure. In this way, the industrial structure consists of three major parts: light industry, heavy industry and chemical industry. Some people often put heavy industry and chemical industry together, collectively called heavy chemical industry, in contrast to light industry.

The Japanese also knew that they needed to develop heavy industry and chemical industry, but both of these require long-term investment, and there is no return in a short time. Who would be willing to engage in heavy industry when they can make quick money? If it were not for Ito Hirobumi's insistence on government investment, Japan's heavy industry would not have increased sixfold in the past three years, and the chemical industry would not have increased more than fourfold.

But this is far from enough. Japan's current heavy industry and chemical industry capacity is less than one-fifth of China's and less than one-twentieth of the United States. With such little industrial strength, it is too difficult to build a "super dreadnought" on its own.

".......Please apply to China again. The development and production of naval guns can be placed in China, as long as you can provide us with 15-inch cannons at cost price..."

"It's a headache!" Ito Hirobumi put down his teacup, "You all know that Chairman Lin is not so easy to talk to."

"............", the visitor was silent at first, then he mustered up the courage to say: "Can the Prime Minister go to Chang'an in person? And bring a few princes and the old palace family with you."

After that, the man prostrated himself on the ground, his forehead pressed against the ground, looking very respectful. Ito Hirobumi was stunned at first, then he showed a thoughtful expression.

The so-called "inner princess" refers to the emperor's sister or daughter, and the old imperial family refers to people with royal blood but have been expelled. Although Ito Hirobumi often corresponded with Chairman Lin, sometimes sent telegrams or called directly, he had never met Chairman Lin. If he could personally lead the delegation to Chang'an, it would show more sincerity. As for the inner princesses, well, I heard that Chairman Lin likes young and beautiful girls very much, and the imperial family happened to have several inner princesses who had not yet married...

Ito Hirobumi understood what the other party meant. It was just a honey trap, no big deal. He didn't care about the means, as long as he could achieve his goal. While Ito Hirobumi was thinking, the man just lay on the ground without moving at all.

After a long while, Ito Hirobumi said, "Then let's arrange it this way."

"Hai!"

Chapter 515 Desert

Iran

The British, Russian and Iranian coalition forces finally reorganized and headed east. Mashhad had been in the hands of the Chinese for more than half a year, and half of Iran had been looted. The prestige of the Iranian government had fallen from the bottom of the floor to the basement. Britain and Russia had just divided Iran, and then another dragon came across the river. Neither Britain nor Russia could tolerate it.

In order to cut off the Chinese tentacles extending to West Asia, Britain and Russia pulled in the Iranian government to form a coalition. Although it is called a coalition, the main force is actually the Russian army. The number of British troops is small, and the Iranian government army is poorly equipped, with low morale and disorganized. Only God knows what effect it can play.

Morison discovered this very early and warned Major General Robert that the Iranian government forces should not be counted as combat troops. Major General Robert agreed with Morison's point of view, but he had no choice. Not long ago, Britain and Russia jointly destroyed Iran's regular army, divided up Iran's land, and demarcated its sphere of influence. The current Iranian government is just a puppet.

Forget it. Those Iranians harbor immense resentment towards Britain and Russia. What morale can they have?

There were also some rumors around Tehran that the Chinese were coming to liberate Iran, just like they liberated the Philippines. This was absolutely a rumor. Although Li Dayan also carried out the "divide the land and fight the local tyrants" in eastern Iran, his main purpose was to fight the local tyrants and to plunder more property, not to divide the land or to help the Iranians build.

However, many Iranians still regarded Li Dayan and the Mongolian cavalry as saviors. Li Dayan was strict in his military discipline. Although he sometimes allowed his soldiers to plunder, he had to rob in a disciplined manner. Without discipline, they would just be a mob. Only with discipline could they rob property more efficiently.

During the six months that Li Dayan occupied Mashhad and ruled eastern Iran, he established a new order with bayonets, and the lives of the locals became better. Li Dayan would not rob the poor, but only the big landlords and businessmen, as well as the Russians and British. Not only did he not rob the poor, he also distributed fields, pastures, cattle and sheep to the people. He was not the invader that Tehran had claimed.

The great prophet Ma Yu also came to Tehran and established a new religious center in Mashhad. Iran is a Shiite, a minority in the Islamic world, and is not the same as the Ottoman Sunni.

There are many differences between Shia and Sunni, mainly in the recognition of the caliph. Sunnis recognize that the four caliphs are all legitimate successors, so they are widely spread with the support of successive caliphate states and call themselves orthodox. Most Muslims in the world are Sunnis. The most notable claim of Shia is that they only recognize the legitimacy of Ali as the caliph, and there are some rituals that honor Ali, so Shia is also called "Ali Sect".

Since there is a minority like Shia, it is not impossible for Ma Yu to set up a new central government and engage in liberation theology. This school of "liberation theology" takes Lin Yongchang's socioeconomic analysis as the principle of interpreting the Bible, believes that the foundation of political liberation is liberation from sin, emphasizes that Muhammad is the "liberator", and requires theology to not only reflect on the world, but also transform the world.

Well, liberation theology is definitely not something that a murderer like Ma Yu could come up with, but it works. Iran has now become a colony of Britain and Russia, and the locals are being exploited by the government, the powers, religions, and imams. There has long been public resentment and sparks everywhere. After the Chinese came, they destroyed all the old forces, and the degree of oppression received by the locals was reduced, which made "liberation theology" widely spread.

Human beings seek benefits and avoid harm. Muslims are also human beings, not another kind of creature. Since there are benefits, why not do it? The only problem is that the Chinese have few troops. If they are defeated by the British, Russian and Iranian coalition forces, everything they have now will be gone.

But Li Dayan didn't care about this problem at all. If he could win, he would fight. If he couldn't win, he would run away. This was planned long ago. He didn't expect that the roads in Iran were so difficult to travel. Not to mention the high mountains in Afghanistan, the environment in other places was also terrible, either desert or mountainous. It would take two months to travel from Mashhad to Tehran. It would be closer to go through the desert, but the environment would be worse.

Iran's situation is worse than China's ten years ago. Not to mention railways, there are not even enough roads. Marching is like moving your legs. 30 miles a day is considered fast. The capture of Mashhad relied on rapid mobility. The sudden appearance of the divine troops outside the city caught the Iranians off guard. However, there are mountains and deserts between Mashhad and Tehran, so it is impossible to move quickly.

Although the war horses of the [Mongol Iron Cavalry] are handsome, they still need food and water. Crossing hundreds of kilometers of desert to attack a strong city like Tehran? Unless they attack in one go, there is a risk of annihilation. Li Dayan considered for a long time and decided to lure the enemy to Mashhad for a decisive battle.

In military strategy, this is called waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Then, he waited for half a year. The road from Mashhad to Tehran was difficult to travel, and the road from Tehran to Mashhad was also difficult to travel. Li Dayan also sent small troops to attack the enemy's supply line on the road. The coalition forces stumbled all the way and it took a full forty days.

When the British, Russian and Iranian coalition forces came out of the desert, all the people and animals were exhausted. Britain was the world's number one power, but after leaving the sea and the railway line, the way of marching was no different from that of the Romans two thousand years ago, except that they relied on mules, horses, camels and other animals.

Compared with the Romans two thousand years ago, the British, Russian and Iranian coalition forces suffered more hardships during the march because they had incorporated a lot of cannons and machine guns. The Romans only needed to carry shields, spears and food, but the coalition forces had to carry dozens of cannons and heavy machine guns, as well as the corresponding ammunition. When marching in the desert, many people lost their lives due to thirst and cold, and the non-combat casualties reached more than a thousand people. There were also a large number of livestock that died on the march, and even several cannons and more than a dozen boxes of shells were lost.

Without so many heavy weapons, the marching speed would certainly be much faster, and there would not be so many non-combat casualties. However, without so many heavy weapons, the Three Kingdoms coalition would have no combat effectiveness. Without machine guns and rapid-fire

With no artillery or riflemen, they might not be able to gain an advantage over cavalry in the wilderness, and there were no cities nearby for the coalition forces to supply or stay.

Chapter 516: Firefight

Since leaving Urumqi and entering Central Asia, Li Dayan felt that time had slowed down. China is changing with each passing day, but in this primitive and desolate land, humans are just passers-by who come and go in a hurry. For thousands of years, people have come and gone on the land, but the green mountains have not changed their color, and the streams still flow eastward.

Central Asia is closer to Europe, but seems far away from modern civilization. The local people's lifestyle has hardly changed. Except for some more guns and cannons, Li Dayan doesn't know how they are different from people a thousand years ago.

A thousand years ago, Gao Xianzhi led tens of thousands of troops across the Pamir Mountains and fought a battle with Muslims in Talas, but was unfortunately defeated due to betrayal. Hundreds of years later, the Mongols conquered this land with sabers, but were eventually assimilated into Muslims. The Khans who ruled Central Asia and West Asia abandoned their original beliefs and bowed down at the feet of Muhammad. After that, it was the most shining moment of Islamic civilization.

But the golden age of the Muslims has ended. When Li Dayan led his troops here, the Muslims have not made any progress compared to their predecessors, and can even be said to have regressed a lot. The war broke out on Iranian soil, but it seemed that the war had nothing to do with the Iranians. Whether it was on the side of the Three-Nation Alliance or on Li Dayan's side, the Muslims were just playing bystanders.

The three-nation coalition did not only launch an attack from the west. While the main force was advancing eastward, another force was pressing towards Mashhad from the north. Russia did not declare war on China. A section of the Trans-Siberian Railway passed through the northern desert. If millions of Chinese troops were to march towards Europe along the Trans-Siberian Railway... the adults in St. Petersburg felt their scalps tingling at the thought of this situation.

Therefore, Russia did not declare war on China, but let the troops of the Caspian Sea Military District enter Iran to fight in the name of volunteers. Similarly, the British were also worried that the People's Army would rush all the way to Singapore, so they did not choose to declare war, but fought without declaring war. There are no railways in Central Asia, and it is far away from the sea. It is impossible to send hundreds of thousands of troops to fight. For China, Britain and Russia, it can only be regarded as a secondary direction. If you win, you can't get much benefit immediately, and if you lose, you won't lose anything. But this is only temporary. As long as the land is in hand, there will always be a day to recover the cost.

Li Dayan was unwilling to cross the vast sea to attack Tehran, so he adopted the tactic of waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. He first led his troops to fight the Russian army that invaded from the north. The two sides fought for several days in Guchang and Daregaz, and each suffered some casualties. After the Russian army carried out military reforms, its combat effectiveness was significantly improved. With the support of artillery, the infantry launched a wave-like charge, which was much stronger than five years ago.

However, Li Dayan's troops were stronger than the Russians. He commanded the infantry to block the Russians based on the terrain, causing heavy casualties. The German 150mm howitzers that were finally pulled over easily suppressed the Russian artillery. Russia had carried out military reforms, but the army sent to the north was only the size of a division, and the artillery force was not strong.

It was not that the Russians were reluctant to send more troops, but the local transportation environment and supply conditions did not allow Russia to send more troops. The Russian army's rear-end supply was half transported from the rear and half looted on the spot. Li Dayan's supply situation was also very bad, but he brought a lot of cattle and sheep, and relying on dairy products and dried meat could sustain for a long time.

The Russian army could not continue to advance southward, and Li Dayan did not launch a counterattack. The two sides were deadlocked for more than ten days, and the main force of the coalition army finally crawled out of the desert. Li Dayan had been paying attention to the movements of the main force of the coalition army. After receiving the news, he immediately handed over the northern line to Rokossovsky for command, and he himself led the [Mongol Iron Cavalry] and 20,000 miscellaneous cavalry to the western line.

Shikataro Kishimoto has led the Japanese division over, but the Japanese division has only 8,000 soldiers, and that's even including the logistics troops, artillery and special forces. There are only about 4,000 frontline combatants. The main force of the coalition forces is more than 30,000 people. Although the coalition forces have just crossed the vast sea of hundreds of miles, and although nearly half of the coalition forces are Iranian government troops with questionable combat effectiveness, it is still a 30,000-strong army after all, and Shikataro Kishimoto's 8,000 people are unlikely to stop them.

When Li Dayan led his troops to the western front, Kishimoto Shikataro's troops had already engaged in a battle with the Three-Nation Alliance. Kishimoto Shikataro had studied at the Army Academy, had excellent grades, and had served in the Army Training Corps. He had a bright future in the Japanese Army. After joining the People's Army, he was promoted very quickly. After Yamaguchi Sushin died of illness, he took over as the commander of the Japanese division with the rank of major general, which was faster than his promotion in the Japanese Army. Many of his classmates at the Army Academy were only lieutenants, but he had already become a general. In addition, more of his classmates died in the Outer Northeast and Korean battlefields.

So, although he cannot return home in glory, Shikataro Kishimoto feels that the current situation is pretty good. He has achieved success and has a lot of wealth. What else is there to be dissatisfied about?

After the main force of the enemy appeared at the edge of the desert near Sapzeval, Shikataro Kishimoto did not defend the city, but deployed his troops outside the city and took the initiative to attack the enemy. The British, Russian and Iranian coalition forces were equipped with 105mm howitzers, and the medieval-style walls of Sapzeval could not withstand the bombardment of howitzers.

Instead of waiting for the coalition forces to be ready and then launching an attack calmly,

If we take the initiative to attack them before they react, we don't need to annihilate the enemy, as long as we defeat them, the coalition forces lacking food and water will fall into an irretrievable situation.

Shikataro Kishimoto's attack was beyond the expectations of Major General Robert and others. A British rifle regiment was defeated in hand-to-hand combat. The infantry and cavalry of the Japanese division defeated several infantry regiments in succession and killed their way to the vicinity of the Allied artillery positions.

"Damn it! How did those runts get here so fast?"

Major General Robert could no longer smoke his favorite cigar. He rode his horse around the battlefield, yelling at the soldiers to spread out their formations. "Put the cannons flat!" The major general yelled with all his might, "Fire! Fire!"

The British regular army was fairly well-trained. They deployed their artillery on the spot and fired fiercely in the direction of the enemy. The shells that had been brought here with great difficulty were quickly consumed. The fierce artillery bombardment and heavy machine gun fire blocked the fierce attack of the Japanese division. No matter how strong the light infantry was, it was still just light infantry. The dual disadvantages of manpower and firepower could not be eliminated.

After blocking the attack of the Japanese division, the coalition forces deployed to both wings, ready to surround and annihilate the invading enemy. Seeing that it was impossible to do anything, Shikataro Kishimoto was straightforward and ordered to use up all the mortar shells they carried, and then quickly moved towards Sapzeval.

Chapter 517 OK

"...We have more than 2,000 casualties and missing persons, and killed... 4,000 enemies? Damn it, why didn't I see so many bodies?"

Major General Robert sat on the ammunition box, and the sweat and dust on his face mixed together, like a layer of mud. Then sweat came out from his forehead, flowing down his cheeks, forming a series of gullies.

The military reporter Morison had just acted very calm. Major General Robert looked at him with a high opinion of him and was now complaining to him, "The trend of fraud in the army is getting worse and worse. Four thousand enemies? I don't think there are even four hundred!"

"We were just caught off guard by the sudden attack. Once the troops have rested, the rest will be easy. Didn't you say that there is another Russian army that will cooperate in the attack? As long as the Russians launch an attack, everything will be fine."

Morison wrote in his notebook, "We only suffered 2,000 casualties despite being caught by surprise. That's pretty good."

"I mean we, the British and the Russians, suffered more than 2,000 casualties."

“Um, what about the Iranians?”

Major General Robert shrugged and asked, "Are Iranians also considered human beings?"

"............." Morison was stunned for a moment, then asked, "What should we do next?"

"What else can we do? First we capture a city and repair it, then we defeat those evil Chinese!"

Morrison reminded Major General Robert, "It was the Japanese who attacked us."

Major General Roth didn't care. "It's all the same. Japanese, Chinese, no difference."