AWB Chapter 149 The Submarine Force's Night Raid
Chapter 149 The Submarine Force's Night Raid
evening.
Off the coast of Xiamen, waves crash against the shore.
A submarine is slowly sailing on the sea; this is Chen Zijun's submarine force.
Inside the submarine, Hans stood on the command platform, looking at the Japanese fleet on the sea surface through the periscope.
"Commander," the adjutant said, "the Japanese fleet has retreated and is hovering in the Taiwan Strait. They seem to be waiting to pick up Zhou Qinian."
Hans sneered: "Retreat? They think retreating will solve everything?"
He walked to the nautical chart and carefully examined the location of the Japanese fleet.
"Commander, we have twelve torpedoes left," the adjutant said. "If we are to attack the Japanese fleet, we must ensure a high hit rate. The Japanese fleet consists of cruisers and destroyers, which is very disadvantageous for us. Our submarine must maintain periscope depth to aim accurately."
Hans nodded: "I know. The Japanese fleet has three cruisers and five destroyers. We only have one submarine in this area right now, so we must take advantage of the darkness to launch a surprise attack."
He walked to the nautical chart and carefully examined the position and route of the Japanese fleet.
"Commander, according to intelligence, the three cruisers of the Japanese fleet, although equipped with some old-fashioned equipment, are precisely because of this that they are equipped with 203mm main guns and torpedo tubes, making them very powerful in anti-ship attacks. If our submarines are discovered by them, it will be very dangerous," the adjutant said.
Hans sneered: "Danger? Danger is the last thing I, Hans, am afraid of in my life."
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Prepare the torpedoes! We need to give them a surprise! Let them know that Chen Jiajun's submarine force is not to be trifled with!"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir! Torpedoes ready!"
Hans looked at the Japanese fleet on the sea and sneered, "Japanese, you think you're safe just by retreating? I, Hans, will show you that even a single submarine in the Chen family's submarine force is a lone wolf that roams the seas!"
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Dive! Prepare for a night attack!"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir! Dive!"
The submarine slowly submerged and disappeared from the surface of the sea.
As night fell, the sea became pitch black.
The Japanese fleet lingered in the Taiwan Strait, and the commander stood on the bridge, looking at the dark sea.
"Commander," the adjutant said, "Chen's submarine force did not pursue. They seem afraid to operate under cover of darkness."
The Japanese fleet commander nodded: "Very good. They dare not pursue us."
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Stay vigilant and guard against a sudden submarine attack. Report any unusual activity immediately."
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir!"
The Japanese fleet sailed slowly on the sea, its lights flashing in the night.
Inside the submarine, Hans stood on the command platform, looking at the sonar screen.
"Commander," the sonar operator said, "the Japanese fleet is three nautical miles away from us, sailing slowly. Their sonar doesn't seem to have detected us."
Hans sneered, "Very well. Prepare torpedoes! Target the Japanese fleet's capital ship!"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir! Torpedoes ready!"
Hans looked at the sonar screen, waiting for the best opportunity to attack.
"Commander, the Japanese fleet is concentrated in formation; this is a good opportunity to attack," the adjutant said.
Hans nodded: "Launch the torpedoes!"
"Launch torpedoes!" the adjutant shouted.
Two torpedoes were launched from the submarine, leaving two white trails on the sea surface as they headed straight for the Japanese fleet.
An explosion was suddenly heard on the sea.
"What's that sound?" the commander of the Japanese fleet shouted.
The adjutant's expression changed drastically: "Commander! Our destroyer has been hit by a torpedo!"
The Japanese fleet commander's expression changed drastically: "A submarine! It's a submarine!"
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Take cover immediately! Take cover immediately!"
But it was too late; another destroyer was hit by a torpedo.
"Commander! Our fleet is under attack by submarines!" the adjutant shouted.
The commander of the Japanese fleet gritted his teeth: "Damn Chen Zijun! His submarine force actually dared to attack us!"
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Counterattack immediately! Use depth charges!"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir! Prepare the depth charges!"
The Japanese fleet began dropping depth charges, creating huge columns of water on the sea.
Inside the submarine, Hans felt the submarine vibrate.
"Commander! The Japanese fleet is dropping depth charges!" the adjutant shouted.
Hans sneered: "Let them throw! Our submarines are sturdy enough!"
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Continue firing torpedoes! We must sink their capital ship!"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir!"
The submarine launched another torpedo, this time targeting a cruiser in the Japanese fleet.
The torpedo struck the cruiser, and the explosion was deafening.
"Commander! Our cruiser has been hit!" shouted the Japanese fleet's adjutant.
The commander of the Japanese fleet gritted his teeth: "Damn it! Retreat immediately! Retreat immediately!"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir!"
The Japanese fleet hastily retreated and no longer lingered in the Taiwan Strait.
Inside the submarine, Hans watched the Japanese fleet retreat and sneered, "The Japanese are nothing special!"
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Surface! Prepare for pursuit!"
The adjutant nodded: "Huh?"
Hans laughed and said, "Our submarine force has run out of torpedoes, but they don't know that. We only have one submarine, and they don't know that either. Our surfacing is a show of force. Besides, the Japanese fleet has already retreated. To use an old Chinese saying, 'like a bird startled by the twang of a bow,' they'll run away even faster, like a drowning dog..."
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir!"
The submarine slowly rose to the surface and appeared on the sea.
Hans glanced in the direction the Japanese fleet had retreated and sneered, "Let them run. Next time we'll give them an even bigger surprise!"
He turned to his adjutant and said, "Report to the young marshal immediately! The Japanese fleet has been defeated and is retreating!"
The adjutant nodded: "Yes, sir!"
Shanghai, Chen Mansion.
After receiving Hans's telegram, Chen Zijun sneered, "Well done, Hans."
Mo Lanzhi stood aside and said, "Young Master, the Japanese fleet has been defeated, Zhou Qinian has been taken to Taiwan, and the battle in Fujian has come to an end. Yang Yanzhao has sent a telegram that Xiamen City has been captured, and the defending troops have surrendered one after another."
Chen Zijun nodded: "With Fujian unified, the next target will be Chiang Kai-shek's Northern Expeditionary Army."
Mo Lanzhi said, "Young Master, according to intelligence, Chiang Kai-shek's Northern Expeditionary Army has about 200,000 troops, including the Jiangxi troops he incorporated. They have already broken through the Jiangxi defense line, and the vanguard is less than 100 kilometers from the Zhejiang border."
Chen Zijun sneered: "Two hundred thousand men? You think you can 'defeat' my Chen family army with just two hundred thousand men?"
He walked to the map and looked at the border between Zhejiang and Jiangxi.
"Sister Lanzhi, tell Yang Yanzhao to lead the Fourth Division and the armored battalion back to Fuzhou from Xiamen immediately to take command and deploy defenses on the border between Fujian and Zhejiang," Chen Zijun said.
Mo Lanzhi nodded: "Yes!"
Chen Zijun continued, "Also, tell He Maofeng that Quzhou will be the standard to test the combat effectiveness of his newly reorganized, fully German-equipped independent motorized infantry division."
Mo Lanzhi nodded: "Yes!"
Chen Zijun looked at the map and sneered, "Chiang Kai-shek, since you dared to come, I'll make sure you don't leave alive!"
Just then, an intelligence officer rushed in.
"Young Marshal!" the intelligence officer said. "Intelligence! Chiang Kai-shek's Northern Expeditionary Army has broken through the Jiangxi defense line. Chiang Kai-shek issued a statement accusing the Marshal of colluding with Japan and repeatedly provoking domestic wars. He also pinned the blame for the Zhili-Anhui War and the Zhili-Fengtian War on the Chen family army and announced that he would 'punish' the Chen family army."
Chen Zijun sneered: "Chiang Kai-shek, he actually dared to come..."