Munitions Empire-Chapter 1146: Complicated coordination of 1066

"Why do the Tang people have aircraft near South Island? I want to know why!" Shenwu Zhong was so angered by the turn of the battle that he was gnashing his teeth.

He and the entire Mirage Country high command had been firmly convinced before the outbreak of war that they would achieve air superiority on the battlefield. Therefore, the Mirage Country forces had hardly worked on air defense, which was also the reason they were able to conserve resources to focus efforts elsewhere.

Because there was no need to produce so many anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, Mirage Country was able to afford the production of so many bombers and fighter jets.

Because the infantry soldiers did not need to build air raid shelters or undergo air defense training, they had been able to build many fortifications, allowing troops to have richer combat experience when facing the enemy.

Under limited resources, the national defense construction project of such magnitude that Mirage Country was able to complete relied on the firm belief that their Zero Fighters would play a critical role at the decisive moment.

But now, Shenwu Zhong realized he was wrong, terribly wrong: except for the Great Southern Bay, which had a few anti-aircraft defense positions, his defensive line was almost as defenseless against air attacks as if it were completely naked.

His troops had not undergone air defense training, lacked proper air defense weapons and equipment, and did not even have camouflaged nets or covered trenches.

In order to build more bunkers, over half of the bunkers in the Mirage Country’s defensive fortifications were actually uncovered... Facing air bombardment, these bunkers were incredibly vulnerable.

All these shoddily constructed bunkers and trenches were the reason Mirage Country was able to build so many defense lines in just over half a year.

"Still no clear information?" Seeing his staff officer had returned to command, Shenwu Zhong anxiously asked.

"Not sure, the Navy fleet is heading south, and they have become very cautious after hearing that the enemy has aircraft involved," the staff officer told Shenwu Zhong helplessly about the Navy’s timidity: "They say it is best to engage at night, this way the threat from the enemy’s aircraft can be avoided."

"We can provide air support! Didn’t you tell them?" Shenwu Zhong mentally cursed the ancestors of the Navy Commander, but he still hoped that the Navy could help him solve some problems at the critical moment.

"I told them, so they plan to send out a fleet comprised of Cruisers and Destroyers from the northwest to launch a sneak attack and probe the reality of the Tang Imperial Fleet," the staff officer spoke of the Navy’s arrangements.

Clearly, such a cautious arrangement left Shenwu Zhong with nothing to say because no one could be sure where exactly the Great Tang Empire’s aircraft were coming from.

Actually, Shenwu Zhong had not revealed the truth to the Navy Commander: the fighter jets and bombers that took off early in the morning had suffered heavy losses, and he was no longer able to provide effective air cover for the Navy.

Of the 30 Zero Fighters that took off to engage in the combat, almost all were destroyed, and the 35 Dragon Bombers tasked with the bombing missions did not return... Of the Mirage Country’s aircraft remaining on South Island, probably only about half could still participate in combat.

The performance of the Zero Fighters was not as good as imagined; when facing those Tang Army fighter jets that they had never seen before, they were almost completely unable to fight back. freewebnøvel.com

Moreover, the airports were already mostly destroyed, and the few remaining had limited capabilities for launching aircraft. In this state, the few Shen Army aircraft that managed to take off had little chance to display any numerical advantage.

From early morning until now, Shenwu Zhong had been considering whether or not to continue sending the remaining aircraft on offensive missions. The aircraft and pilots he had lost were precious treasures of the Mirage Country.

After all, if Shenwu Zhong really allowed the rest of these precious aircraft and pilots to be lost, it would be impossible to guarantee naval air defense—if it affected the more valuable fleet, Mirage Country’s national foundation could be shaken.

Currently, he was more concerned about his few remaining airports potentially being attacked by Tang Army aircraft appearing near the beaches: if any more were destroyed, he might lose air superiority over South Island entirely.

So he could only have the successive Zero Fighters remain close to the airports defensively, turning the far-ranging Zero Fighters into awkward defenders of airfields.

"Damn it! How exactly did Tang aircraft manage to fly over South Island?" Shenwu Zhong Dong’an was still agonizing over the inexplicably lost air superiority.

"In the beach direction, several telegrams requesting reinforcements have already been sent... What’s crucial now is to recapture Leping and Dongshan villages and Bridge No. 1... Otherwise, General... once the Tang people manage to land their supply trains ashore, then we’re in big trouble," the staff officer reminded.

"I know, tell the defenses in the beach direction to hold their ground! By noon today! I will retake Leping and Dongshan! I’ve already dispatched the Armored Corps there!" Shenwu Zhong was aware of the urgency, and after receiving the first telegram requesting reinforcements from the front, he began deploying and directing troops.

At this very moment, Mirage Country’s 2nd and 3rd main Armored Divisions are less than 2 kilometers away from Leping, Dongshan, and Bridge No. 1. In Shenwu Zhong’s view, as soon as the Tanks arrive, the Tang Country Paratroopers holed up in these places could only retreat.

He had good reason to be confident: both of these units were main forces of the Shen Army, and behind them followed two Mirage Country Infantry Divisions… These forces combined had several hundred Tanks and a full 30,000 Infantry! How could a group of Tang Country Paratroopers possibly withstand such power?

The Great Tang Empire’s weather forecast was quite accurate; during this period, the skies over Mirage Country’s southern seas were clear, with no huge waves at sea. The Aircraft Carrier adjusted its course against the wind, and a Pirate Fighter jet landed on the deck, its tailhook snagged on the arrestor cable.

The spinning propellers gradually slowed down, and the ground crew on the deck hurried to the airplane. They helped pull open the cockpit canopy of the Pirate Fighter and took the goggles and hat passed out by the pilot.

Overlooking the flight deck, Bernard saw the pilot crawl out of the aircraft, while the ground crew proceeded to move it towards the elevator according to protocol.

Inside the hangar, the Pirate Fighter loaded with ammunition and refueled will be transported to the deck by the lift, while the plane that had just completed its mission will be sent below for inspection and to be reloaded with ammunition and refueled.

Pirate Fighters on patrol skimmed over the fleet with the radar antennas on the masts of the vigilant Destroyers continuously rotating.

"Marshal! No sighting of the enemy fleet yet!" An officer approached Bernard from behind, stood at attention, and saluted to report: "Other Aircraft Carriers are sending inquiries... whether to launch a new batch of ground support aircraft."

"Launch! Have the surrounding fleet on alert! The enemy wouldn’t let us move unimpeded near the landing site, they will either try to approach the landing site under the cover of their planes, or they will make a fierce move to rush in tonight!" Bernard reminded his officers not to slack off.

"Yes, Marshal!" The officer turned around to convey the orders.

The Chief of Staff stood beside the chart table, peering over the sea chart and the lodestones representing their own fleets: "According to the sighting by U48 submarine of the enemy fleet, if the enemy heads south at full speed, we could detect the main fleet of Mirage Country on our radar by noon."

"Indeed, so if they really do make a move, the vicinity of the landing site may become even livelier." Bernard pondered over the casualty report that had just been delivered, the feeling of loss returning to him.

Merely a preliminary count, and the Navy Marine Corps’ 1st and 2nd Divisions had already suffered thousands of casualties. By the end of the battle, that number could very well double.

At this moment, the fight continues on the beach. Even with the Great Tang Empire’s involvement of various new weapons, the situation had begun to tilt favorably towards the Great Tang Empire. Yet, victory was still undecided—who would dare claim triumph so prematurely?

It seemed the battle at the landing site would persist at least until noon. Whether the paratroopers could hold off the enemy’s Armored Corps had become another decisive factor in the battle’s outcome.

If the paratroopers can defend their position and allow General Feng Kezhi’s Armored Corps of the 9th Group Army to land, the battle situation would completely swing in favor of the Great Tang Empire.

Conversely, if the Mirage Country’s Troops could breach the paratroopers’ defense, then their Armored Corps might maintain momentum, potentially driving the Great Tang Empire’s landing forces back into the sea.

At Beiyuan Airfield, after a night of rest, the Great Tang Empire’s H-6 Bomber units were preparing for takeoff. Despite seven aircraft being unable to continue due to malfunctions, the remaining 90-plus bombers were in very good condition.

They were scheduled for a bombing mission in the morning, followed by a second sortie in the afternoon. Leveraging the high speed of the H-6 Bombers, they could strike South Island twice during daylight.

For nighttime bombardment, the Tang Nation Air Force Commander Xiao Yun had allocated it to the slower Flying Fortress Bombers. At this time, these bombers were undergoing maintenance, and their pilots were resting.

Being able to schedule 100 jet bombers and 300 Flying Fortress Bombers for missions, having so many pilots available for shifts, and finding enough ground crew... perhaps only the Great Tang Empire could handle such a feat around the world.

Due to the distance, the Great Tang Empire’s long-range bombers could only provide limited support. The transport planes were also busy, for tonight they were tasked with a mission to air drop supplies to the paratroopers.

However, whether they would continue to fly depended on the daytime battle situation: whether the paratroopers scattered behind enemy lines could hold on until nightfall.

"A message from the 1st Division of paratroopers... Mirage Country’s Armored Corps has been spotted!" A staff member approached Xiao Yun, handing over a telegram that wasn’t exactly good news.

"They’ve arrived quickly..." Xiao Yun frowned and asked, "Is it possible for the navy to deploy planes for support?"

"We have already sent a message to the fleet. As for whether they can send reinforcements, and how many planes can be sent... that’s uncertain," said the officer, unsure himself about the coordination across military branches.

Xiao Yun nodded and ordered, "Send another message, ask them to provide support as much as possible."

"Yes!" The officer stood at attention, then turned and departed.

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I’m not in good shape today, so the update is delayed. There will be only two chapters, sorry.