Volume 2: Empire Chapter 184 Spring War
While Luke followed Coco's adventure group through the dense forests in southern Tedega, the Raging Waves City fleet led by Lady Tassia completed the blockade of Songta Harbor from the sea.
Just as analyzed before the war, the Art County Navy was in a period of transition. A batch of new Sea Lion-class battleships had just been launched and were not yet combat-capable. The old wooden frigates had proved in the Battle of Samuel that they were no match for the all-metal battleships.
This difference in naval strength cannot be made up by strategy. Therefore, when the Ate County Alliance learned of the intention of the Fury City fleet to move north, it immediately withdrew the main force of its navy back to the home waters for defense.
The defense of Songta Port depends entirely on the land-based fortifications that were urgently built in winter. The entire port is a permanent fortress inside and out.
Lady Tasia stood on the bridge of the flagship Loyalty, looking through a telescope at the port in front of her, which was completely exposed to her own naval guns. There were no warships except for a few barges at the dock, and the defenders were all huddled in a solid fortress.
More than a dozen steam airships were floating above the city behind the port, and several war fortresses could be seen blocking important intersections in the city.
Major General Nelson is the commander of the Raging Waves Empire Fleet and the deputy commander of the Raging Waves Fleet. He stands beside Lady Tassia, also observing this important northern port through a telescope.
"According to the intelligence sent by the Secret Intelligence Bureau, the enemy forces in Songta Port are deployed with light forces in the front and heavy forces in the back. There are only a small number of defensive forces in the port, and the main forces are concentrated in the city. Our artillery bombardment will not cause them too much damage, but once a landing operation is carried out, the enemy forces in the city will push back."
Mrs. Tasya asked, "What is the current situation in the city of Minki Insk?"
"Although the garrison there is not as large as that in Songta Port, it is also deployed in a similar manner. Since we want to use Mingji Insco City as a springboard to attack Songta City, the Yat County Alliance will definitely think of it."
Madam Tasia put down the telescope, turned around and said to Major General Nelson: "The enemy can only think that we will send the Marines to carry out the landing operation, but they can't imagine that we are backed by the Fury City Armored Assault Division.
Let's go to the war room. I see Commander Shelley is coming by boat."
Major General Nelson turned the telescope in a different direction and saw a small boat approaching quickly. However, Mrs. Tassia was clearly looking in the direction of the port, so how could she see a small boat behind her?
The eyes of the Nagas are indeed different from those of humans.
Major General Nelson followed Lady Tassia to the operations meeting room. Shelley soon arrived on board, and a while later, the commander of the guerrilla fleet, Baron Jeff, also arrived on board.
After everyone sat down, Baron Jeff, who was wearing traditional sailing clothes, said first: "My fleet has set up a 200-nautical-mile isolation zone in the northern waters of Songta Port. Many friends at sea have come to help. It is impossible for the large fleet of the Art County Alliance to pass through our blockade and arrive here silently."
Baron Jeff's friends at sea are naturally all pirates. Now that business at sea is becoming more and more difficult, many pirates want to use their connections with Nutao City to whitewash themselves, and Brilliant Island took the opportunity to expand its strength several times.
As the commander of the Armored Assault Division, Shelley said: "The Assault Division was parked off the coast of Minkiinsk on a transport ship, but reconnaissance showed that Minkiinsk was heavily guarded."
At this time, the fleet staff had already spread a battle map of Songta Harbor and Minginsk City on the battle table. At the same time, the enemy's deployment collected from the intelligence was displayed one by one, and the models representing their own fleet were also placed in place.
Madam Tassia said: “Because our navy has an absolute advantage in this sea area, the Art County Alliance has completely given up the intention of competing with us for sea control. Therefore, the Art County Alliance does not know the location and deployment of our fleet and is only passively defending.
I planned that the main force of the Raging Waves City Fleet would launch a strong attack on Songta Harbor, and the Marines would prepare for a forced multi-point landing in front of and on the flanks of Songta Harbor, prompting the Art County Joint Defense Force to mobilize the defenders of Mingkiinsko City.
As long as the defenders in Minginsk move, the Armored Assault Division will immediately land and seize Minginsk. At that time, the Armored Assault Division can attack Songta City with the Marines. "
The battle plan formulated by Lady Tashia was very conventional. Even if there were any emergencies in the middle, the Raging Waves City Fleet, which had the initiative on the battlefield, could deal with it calmly.
The other commanders had no objection.
The army is not suitable for floating on the sea for a long time, so the general attack time is 7 o'clock in the evening, and the goal is to force the defenders of Minginsk City to be mobilized to support Songta Port in the early morning.
After the combat plan was distributed, the commanders of each unit took the transport boat to their respective command posts.
The main force of the Nutao City fleet immediately approached Songta Port.
There were more than 40 warships, all of which were Unit-01-class full-metal warships. The cannons on the warships were the latest rear-loading naval cannons developed by the Empire. These naval cannons were made of pure alchemical products and were extremely expensive. The current production capacity was only enough to supply the navy.
The thermal weapons technology of the Art County Alliance is not stronger than that of the Golden Shield Empire, and the defenders of Songta Port are unable to obtain new artillery, so the long-range firepower of the coastal defense has a considerable gap in range with the Raging Waves City fleet.
The new all-metal warships approached Songta Harbor arrogantly. After entering the range of the ship's guns, all the warships were densely lined up on the sea and all their guns were aimed at the beach of Songta Harbor.
The naval airships that followed the fleet were more daring than surface ships. The leading airship approached to a position less than 300 meters from the beach at an altitude of 500 meters.
This attack arrangement was clearly a preparation for a beach landing.
Alarms rang loudly in Songta Harbor, and large-caliber old-style cannons were pushed out from various gun platforms. The gunners skillfully cleaned the chambers, loaded gunpowder and shells, and then adjusted the angles to aim at the warships on the sea.
Some of the airships above the city also pressed forward, forming .
A cannon roared from the Loyalty, the flagship of the Raging Waves City Fleet. A cannonball whistled, drew a large parabola in the air, and crashed head-on into the dock of Songta Port.
The explosion brought with it fire and smoke and started the landing warships at Songta Harbor. All of a sudden the warships on the sea opened fire one after another. The powerful recoil pushed the warships sideways. The steel hulls bore pressure that the wooden warships could not bear, and fired heavy shells at the defenders on the shore.
Songta Harbor was engulfed in explosions.
The defenders immediately opened fire in response... but the old artillery had a short range. Facing the world's most advanced naval fleet, most of the defenders were still using muzzle-loading smoothbore artillery. They could only send shells in vain onto the sea in front of the Nutao City fleet, creating streaks of water.
After a round of firepower test, the Nutao City fleet became bolder and pressed forward again.
At this time, the airships that had already overwhelmed the coastline were casting magic. Smoke screens spread out one after another, forming a curtain in the air and falling , obscuring the defenders' vision. The artillery fire, which originally had insufficient range, became even more chaotic.
The wind blew from the shore to the sea, and the magician on the Art County Union airship summoned a strong wind to blow towards the smoke screen released by the Raging Waves City airship. The Raging Waves City airship released alchemical shells, and the smoke screen rolled forward against the wind. The smoke quickly turned into thick clouds, and lightning flashed in the clouds, and then gathered into thunderbolts and struck the Art County Union airship.
A protective shield was deployed in front of the Art County airship, and attack magic for counterattack was immediately launched from the airship's pod.
In the middle of the bombardment, the magical forces of the two armies engaged in a fierce clash.
In this way, the Nutao City Fleet relied on its abundant supplies to prepare for landing from the morning until the afternoon. As dusk approached, it intensified the deployment of long-range firepower. The warships withstood the bombardment of the defenders, and the bayonets on the naval guns aimed directly at the defenders' coastal defenses.
The navy airships released alchemical magic without regard for losses. Such a tyrant style of play made the airships of the Art County Alliance dare not continue to fight. The navy airships took advantage of the situation and flew from the sea to the top of the land.
As night gradually fell, the landing craft of Nutao City appeared in the waters around Songta Harbor, preparing to carry out night landing operations.
The whole day's attack and defense of the port put unprecedented pressure on the defenders of Songta Port. The firepower of the Raging Waves City Fleet was extremely fierce, and the first-line fortifications were almost completely destroyed. The soldiers of the Art County Alliance had never experienced such intensive bombardment . Magic and artillery shells seemed to be thrown at the docks and the beach without cost.
After nightfall, the airships of the Raging Waves Fleet cast lighting magic everywhere, and the entire beach in Songta Harbor was illuminated as bright as day. Then the Raging Waves airships made ice along the beach, using the ice to bypass the obstacles set up by the defenders on the beach, while breaking the alchemical traps and laying out a convenient passage for the Marines who were rushing to the beach.
Magic and artillery fire extended toward the city, forming a fire shield zone between the beach and the city, preventing the city defenders from effectively supporting the dock and the beach.
The landing craft is getting closer...
At this time, the commander of the garrison in Songta Port decided to ask for help from the neighboring city of Minginsk.
The main force of the Raging Waves Fleet was attacking Songta Harbor, so it was a waste for the troops of Mingkiinsko to stay there. If Songta Harbor was breached by the Raging Waves Fleet, the troops of the Golden Shield Empire could be transported from the sea continuously. Mingkiinsko was too small to bear the responsibility of stopping the Imperial Army.
The order was sent to the city of Minginsk, and the defenders in the city quickly sent half of their forces to rush to Songta Port for support.
The troop movement was immediately known to the Imperial spies lurking in the city, and the news was transmitted at the fastest speed to the Fury City Armored Assault Division hiding off the coast of Minginsk.
Shelley estimated the time when the reinforcements from Minginsk would leave, and when they were approximately halfway between Songta Harbor and Minginsk, he ordered the Armored Assault Division to carry out a landing operation.
Without any firepower preparation, the airships belonging to the Armored Assault Division broke through from the sea to the top of the city before the defenders could react. Then they lowered their flight altitude and dumped the Tin Man towards the city below.
The Alchemist Association of Raging Waves City has modified the Tin Men used by the Armored Assault Division. As Tin Men are positioned as disposable war weapons, they are designed in a square shape for easy loading, and together with the steam engine case they are a square cube.
An airship can carry about 100 Tin Men. The Fury City Armored Assault Division deployed 20 airships in the first wave, throwing 2,000 Tin Men into the city of Minkiinsko at a time. Minkiinsko is a small city with a total population of less than 30,000, and only about 10,000 defenders are left.
The defenders, who had just lost half of their troops, were immediately stunned by this overwhelming attack. Inside the city, the Tin Men launched a suicide attack; outside the city, the transport boats rushed directly onto the beach, and a large group of Tin Men rushed into the city.
Following behind were the war machines.
Luke gave the Armored Assault Division a true armored soul, "What can be done with steel can never be done with flesh."
The fortifications outside the city were violently destroyed before they could play a role, and the steel formed a huge tide that submerged the small city in an instant.
The city of Minkiinsko was quickly occupied and Songta Port became an isolated city.
The army of Raging Waves fired the first shot of the Spring War in the northern border of the empire.
The owner of this army is currently undergoing strength training in the southernmost jungle of the empire.
