Australian Storm 1876 - Chapter 1093

Chapter 1093 Early 18

Jefferson City, Missouri

This is a city in the middle of the United States about 230 kilometers east of Kansas City, where the Japanese army is heavily entrenched. The railway lines and highways that connect important cities in the east pass through Jefferson City. This is also an important node city, and it is also an important node city that prevents the Japanese army from invading the eastern region. important line of defense.

Due to the war, most of the citizens of Jefferson City have been evacuated, and some buildings on the outskirts of the city are broken, the black wooden beams burned by the war, and there are still green smoke.

When General Fred C. Ainsworth, the chief of staff of the US Army, arrived here, Jefferson City had just experienced a major battle. The streets of the city were full of charred shell craters. There was a lot of hustle and bustle.

The soldiers rummaged through the rubble to find survivors. The dead soldiers were thrown into trucks, and soon piled up one after another. The wounded soldiers were carried away on stretchers and sent to the rear hospital for treatment.

Admiral   Fred-C-Ainsworth and his entourage took the jeep convoy to avoid the bomb crater, and came to the suburban position. Here is a more tragic scene.

Admiral Ainsworth opened the car door and walked out after the jeep stopped, looking around the surroundings solemnly.

There is a vast plain in front of you, and as far as you can see, there are wrecks of destroyed tanks and armored vehicles one after another. Don’t go.

Just experienced a fierce battle here. The Second Army and the Fourth Army under the Japanese and North American Expeditionary Army, with a total of more than 260,000 troops, launched a fierce attack on the Jefferson City defense line.

The battle went on for a week

After being continuously breached by the enemy, the U.S. defense line was about to collapse. The Second and Fifth Armored Divisions dispatched by Admiral Ainsworth finally arrived. They cooperated with the defenders to defeat the Japanese Eastern Front Corps, and paid a heavy price for themselves.

The wreckage of tanks and armored vehicles scattered all over the mountains and fields is the remnant left after a war ended.

see these

Admiral Ainsworth’s gray-blue resolute eyes also seemed to have a little tingling. In this battle, more than 140 “Wilson” tanks and armored vehicles were lost. In addition, the 2nd and 5th armored divisions were in long-distance raids. More than 40 chariots were abandoned due to breakdowns, and half of the armored strength of Jefferson City was lost.

The U.S. armored divisions are relatively small, with each division equipped with a little over 200 tanks, mainly light scout tanks and medium Wilson tanks. The former is an imitation of the Ocean Empire “Wild Wolf” light tank, and the latter is an imitation of the Ocean Empire “Cheetah” medium tank. Except for poor quality and reliability, other technical indicators are basically on the same level.

In the battle of Jefferson City defense, the 450,000 American troops defending the city were beaten by 260,000 Japanese troops, with a total of more than 70,000 casualties. Finally, relying on the second and fifth armored divisions to rush to the rescue, the Japanese army was repelled. Eastern Front Corps.

In contrast, the Japanese army suffered only 23,000 casualties.

This battle was very frustrating, and it also shattered Admiral Ainsworth’s determination to fight back ambitiously.

Facts have proved

Even though these U.S. troops have undergone good military training and have sufficient ammunition and equipment, when facing the fierce Japanese army, their will to fight is completely suppressed, and they can’t even get half of their usual training level.

In the field in the wilderness, I was beaten every minute.

Admiral Ainsworth could only rely on the more than 1,300 tanks and armored vehicles and 6 armored divisions he had on hand to act as firefighters, filling loopholes everywhere.

It has been more than two months since the battle, and more than 800 tanks and armored vehicles have been lost. In addition to the allocation of inventory and emergency production at the rear, the scale of more than 830 tanks can be maintained.

According to the current battle attrition, it can only be supported for another two months.

In the U.S. military, there is a general fear of the fierce Japanese army. These Japanese pirates, who are only 1.4 meters and 1.5 meters tall, are not afraid of death and are skilled in fighting.

The two sides fought bayonets, and none of the three American soldiers could beat a Fuso.

The pains that the old Maozi of Tsarist Russia once suffered are now all imposed on the American cowboys, and they are tortured to death.

“Your Excellency Chief of Staff, according to our army’s investigation, we have learned that the Japanese Eastern Front Corps is stationed in the surrounding area of ​​Baishitan Town, about 27 kilometers away, and is repairing and replenishing the army. It is expected that a new round of offensive will be launched soon.”

is talking about Admiral Cruise, he is the commander of the 3rd U.S. Army, responsible for the eastern defense, and the defense of Jefferson City is the battle under his command.

“General Cruz, I don’t have any extra troops for you now. You have to rely on the existing troops for more than two months until the new president takes office. The situation in society is terrible now, which seriously affects our military. Action.” Admiral Ainsworth rubbed his temples with some headache, and continued with a hint of helplessness in his tone;

“Compared to where you are, the northern defense line is under attack by 500,000 Japanese troops, and the pressure is much greater.

As you know the current situation, recruiting soldiers is much more difficult than before. Due to insufficient funding, the much-needed loss of tanks and armored vehicles has not been greatly improved. These problems will have to be solved after President William Taft takes office.

At this stage, what your 3rd Army has to do is to stick to the line of defense, repel the Japanese attack, defeat the Japanese army in the confrontation, and prepare for a full-scale counter-offensive. ”

“Understood, Your Excellency Chief of Staff, but I need the 2nd and 5th Armored Divisions and replenish their lost equipment as soon as possible.”

“I can’t guarantee that when necessary, it is possible to mobilize the two armored divisions to the north for support. In January, the rear factory plans to produce 46 tanks, and I will find a way to keep half of them for you. Sorry, I can only do so much. ”

“As long as you give me the tank, I will have the confidence to hold it here.” Admiral Cruise raised his hand and gave a military salute.

He knows that the United States is now full of chaos, the southern states are divided into several countries, and the United States does not dare to launch a crusade, and can only accuse verbally, which is useless at all.

Although the US has won one victory after another in terms of propaganda, the actual situation is well known. The eastern and northern lines of defense have been shrunk repeatedly under the attack of the Japanese army.

The Japanese army did not have tank troops and could not afford such expensive land weapons, but they imported a large number of 40mm and 76mm anti-tank guns, and produced anti-tank grenades equipped with anti-tank mines and increased charges. , inflicting heavy damage on U.S. armored forces with these simple weapons.

nothing else to say

Of the more than 800 tanks lost, nearly half of them were losses caused by anti-tank grenades. Those crazy Japanese soldiers would wrap whole bundles of grenades in battle and rush directly under the tank tracks to self-detonate, blowing up the sky with blood fog.

This situation makes people feel heartbroken.

Today’s U.S. military has swelled to more than 1.7 million. This is very stressful for the United States, which has a population of less than 40 million, to maintain such a large number of troops.

During the more than two months of fighting, the US military has killed more than 70,000 officers and soldiers, injured more than 200,000 officers and soldiers, captured and disappeared more than 30,000 people, lost countless military equipment, and suffered serious personnel and social property losses.

War has always been a huge black hole that devoured social resources. There is only destruction but no construction, and it has burdened the entire country with a heavy debt.

Several states in the central part of the United States were devastated by the war, the industrial and agricultural production in more than a dozen cities was deserted, countless houses and factories were destroyed, and the people were displaced and suffered from the war.

The once democratic, free, prosperous and powerful America is gone forever.

more than two months later

Early Feb 18

The new President of the United States, William Taft, was officially sworn in. In his subsequent public speech, President William Taft called on the people of the United States to walk together and carry out the U.S.-Japan war to the end, until the Fuso invaders were completely expelled and the occupied war was recovered. territory until the final victory is won.

March 3

The new government of the Russian workers officially signed the “Brest Contract” with Germany, admitting defeat and withdrawing from the World War, which caused a huge shock to the Allied Powers.

British, French, Western, Italian, Japanese, Republic of China and other heads of government have issued official speeches, stating that the policy of fighting to the end will never be shaken. Russia unilaterally withdraws from the world war and admits defeat, which is an extremely irresponsible and selfish act…

This harsh armistice not only caused Soviet Russia to lose 3.23 million square kilometers of land and nearly 50 million inhabitants, but also accounted for 90% of Russia’s coal mining, 73% of iron ore, and 54% of the industry in the occupied areas. As well as 33% of the railways, the ceded territories are all located in the elite area of ​​Europe, and the land plundered by the Tsarist Russian Empire after countless wars for more than 200 years has been wiped out.

The World War has entered its fifth year, and the international situation has shown a trend that is not conducive to the Allied Powers. Russia, the main force on the Eastern Front, has withdrawn from the war due to domestic changes. In the long Eastern Front, in fact, only the 2nd Army of the Empire is left.

On the line from Crimea to Kyiv, the 2nd Army of the Ocean Empire Expedition totaled 390,000 troops, and gathered more than 900,000 Russian soldiers, forming a heavy army group with a scale of 1.3 million.

Among these White Russian troops, there are a large number of officers dispatched by the empire at the division level to supervise, and if necessary, the White Russian generals who are greedy for life and death can be sent to the Military Law Office to take over the command.

In order to effectively control the Russian army, the food allocation allocated to each division of the Russian army is only 5 days’ worth. It is not assigned to artillery and aviation units, let alone tanks and armored units. These heavy weapons are in the hands of the Imperial Expeditionary Force.

Through various measures, the 2nd Army firmly controlled the Belarusian army with a number of more than 900,000, making it as cannon fodder to compete with the German army and placed it on the front line.

March 11

Inside the headquarters of the 2nd Army Group in Kyiv

Admiral Duan Qixiang received a letter of representation from Field Marshal Hindenburg of the German High Command to the effect of;

Germany and Russia formally signed the “Brest Contract” to end the state of war between them. Russia officially recognized its defeat and ceded the entire Ukraine. This international treaty is authoritative and mandatory.

All Allied troops fighting in Ukraine should unconditionally lay down their weapons and withdraw from the battle. In particular, the more than 900,000 Belarusian troops in Ukraine should earnestly abide by the contract signed between the two countries, lay down their weapons and surrender.

The German command highly appreciates the persistence of the Second Expeditionary Army and is willing to provide the greatest convenience when possible. The fact is that the war on the Eastern Front is over, and the Second Army can withdraw with dignity…

Admiral Duan Qixiang circulated this letter of negotiation to other senior officers of the headquarters, which attracted a kind of laughter, and no one really took it seriously.

The 2nd Army, now entrenched in Western Ukraine, is a thorn in the throat of the Germans.

Everyone knows that the Royal Ocean Empire Royal Army is strong in combat, which is a tough nut to crack. After the World War entered its fifth year, even the well-trained German troops had a strong sense of war weariness.

The war on the Eastern Front was won, and the German and Austro-Hungarian armies generally relaxed and began to celebrate the victory with singing and dancing, occupying large tracts of Russian territory, and making a fortune in the occupied areas.

at this time

Who wants to hit the hard nails of the Second Ocean Empire Expeditionary Force?

The Austro-Hungarian Empire and the German army blamed each other, and no one was willing to step forward. This was a heavy army group with a total of more than 1.3 million people, and there was no such thing as a stutter.

So, there is this letter of negotiation from the German High Command.

As a traditional country of etiquette, the Ocean Empire will not be absent from the corresponding ceremonial exchanges. A tactful but firm reply, representing the 2nd Army’s rejection of the formal negotiation by the German High Command, is an essential procedure.

It’s just a lawsuit, no one will think it’s too much trouble.

Admiral Duan Fuxiang would not mind fighting with the German side to gain more time for the 2nd Army to prepare for the war. Today, there are 6 to 7 trains per day for the continuous input of military supplies through the Russian Far East Railway, and the Air Force has assembled more than 550 fighter jets. , and thousands of tons of aviation bombs arrived in Kyiv.

Taking advantage of this time, hoarding more military supplies is the most important job at the moment.

According to the plan;

There will be 4 more army columns next week, which will transport about 160 tanks to the front line of Kyiv, further strengthen the strength of the tank and armored forces, and prepare for the fierce battle.

The weather in March in Ukraine is quite cold, with large pieces of residual snow covering the earth, and the wild environment is very harsh. The temperature at night often reaches minus 7~8 degrees, which is not suitable for launching large-scale battles.

If there is no good heat preservation measures, it is easy to cause large-scale frostbite and diseases in the army.

As the weather warms up in April, maybe, that’s when the 2nd Army faces its real test.

The 2nd Army Corps now has enough food, and the officers and soldiers have a high will to fight, and they are not afraid of the German army at all.

The more than 900,000 Belarusian troops controlled by the 2nd Army have a wool coat and a thick blanket for every soldier. Even in the front line, they can use the anti-artillery holes to avoid the severe cold and eat twice a day. meal.

This kind of treatment made these Belarusian soldiers follow the expedition force with determination.

The newly established Russian workers’ government is fighting against a large number of White Guards, and the “Brest Contract” they signed is a piece of waste paper in the eyes of many Russian soldiers.

(end of this chapter)