GBP Chapter 336 Replicate the Incheon Landing?
Chapter 336 Replicate the Incheon Landing?
If we say that the greatest highlight in the military life of General MacArthur, the five-star general of the United States, the emperor of Japan, the top graduate of the West Point Military Academy, the crusher of veterans demanding their wages, and the omnipotent General MacArthur, who lost more than he won, was the Incheon Landing.
Faced with the unfavorable situation where the White Eagle and South Korean coalition forces were suppressed in a corner of the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and could go to sea at any time, this large-scale amphibious landing operation not only eased the situation on the front line in one fell swoop, but also directly surrounded the North Korean troops on the front line. Half of the 7 North Korean troops were captured or killed, and the elite troops before the war were wiped out in one day.
Zhang Chi had naturally done some research on this landing battle, so when attacking Lion City, Zhang Chi had considered replicating this tactic in advance.
The Malay Peninsula is long and narrow, and the bordering areas are all Siamese territories. Considering the pressure of logistical supply, Zhang Chi did not let Qi Quan's troops launch a large-scale frontal attack, but instead confronted the Japanese in Pattani and Penang.
He knew that if he launched an all-out attack rashly, the Japanese defense line would be difficult to hold, but the complex terrain would greatly restrict the armored forces of the Anmin Army, making it impossible for them to complete a pincer attack and effective encirclement.
So in the end, Qi Quan's main force would drive more than 3 to 4 Japanese defenders back to the Lion City Fortress like herding sheep.
Then the two sides launched a fierce battle under the Lion City Fortress, known as the "Gibraltar of the East".
Zhang Chi could imagine that if the situation really developed according to this scenario, the brutality of the battle would be no less than the Battle of Mount Suribachi in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
Therefore, instead of launching a frontal attack on Singapore, he preferred to set up a pocket formation on the Malay Peninsula in advance to surround and annihilate the main force of the Japanese.
Zhang Chi looked at Zhang Guangjun and asked, "What about the specific hydrological conditions? You said you had a plan. Have you scouted the appropriate landing sites, tide data, and the Japanese coastal defenses?"
Of course, an amphibious landing operation is not like in the game "Hearts of Iron 4", where you can just draw a line and wait for a few weeks to launch it.
If we fail to find suitable mudflats for landing craft and floating docks, fail to clear mines and obstacles in advance, and fail to choose a suitable date based on the tide, then the landing operation will undoubtedly become a "suicide" operation.
Zhang Guangjun thought to himself, you are underestimating me. I am the commander of the navy and I have so many staff officers under me. How could I not have specific data?
But he just said this in his mind, so he gave a look to the staff officer beside him, and the staff officer brought three file bags after a while.
"The investigation has been completed a long time ago..." Zhang Guangjun unfolded the three file bags one by one, then picked up a red and blue pencil and circled three circles on the west side of the Malay Peninsula on the map.
"South of Penang, west of Kuala Lumpur, and southwest of Muar, all three locations are suitable for landing. After landing, we can immediately follow the roads left by John's people to head south to the Lion City.
The ideal time for landing is around mid-September. During the early morning and afternoon hours, high tides are common along those coastlines. Our amphibious tanks and landing craft can easily bypass the enemy's anti-landing obstacles, such as caltrops and hidden stakes, set up along the low-tide line, and deliver the Marines directly to the beachhead."
"That means the earliest we can launch it is in more than half a month?" Zhang Chi tapped the map with his finger.
"That's right." Zhang Guangjun nodded. "The two Marine Regiments under the Marine Brigade have already completed simulation training and combat readiness, and are just waiting for your order."
"It seems you've been prepared for a long time and can't wait!" Zhang Chi said with a smile, "Then in your opinion, which of the three landing points is the best?"
"West of Kuala Lumpur." Zhang Guangjun pointed decisively at the map.
Zhang Chi frowned slightly. "Why? The coastline there is close to Kuala Lumpur, the center of the Japanese's rule in West Malaysia. They should focus on defending it, right?"
Zhang Guangjun smiled and rubbed his hands. "But it's right next to the Kuala Lumpur Port, so there are ready-made port facilities available after landing. Besides, the Japanese didn't lay mines there!"
"No mines laid?" Zhang Chi was stunned when he heard that.
"Perhaps it was to facilitate supply." Zhang Guangjun shrugged. "Or perhaps the Japanese army thought their navy could still control the sea power, so they didn't consider this at all."
Zhang Chi didn't continue to worry about it. He quickly slid his finger across the map and converted the distance in his mind according to the scale on the map.
"From Kuala Lumpur Port to Kuala Lumpur and then to the north coast of Singapore, it's over 300 kilometers in total, not including the coastal highway left by the Johns. Based on the ideal road travel speed of a mechanized unit, we can cover about 100 to 150 kilometers a day."
(In the 40 Tour de France Rally, Guderian's armored forces advanced more than 100 kilometers in one day)
Of course, what Zhang Chi calculated was the theoretical advancement speed. The weather must be sunny, the Japanese would not block us along the way, and there would be no aircraft harassment in the sky, which is an absolutely ideal situation.
The reality is that the ideal state never exists.
"If everything goes well, the landing will be successful that morning, and the first wave of the army's mechanized forces will be delivered to Kuala Lumpur Port that afternoon by taking advantage of the high tide. We will then quickly advance towards Singapore."
"If we're going to be generous, that means it will take 3 to 5 days to reach the outskirts of Singapore, which is more than enough."
The enemy's main force of over 30,000 troops are pinned down on the confrontation line, and their logistics rely entirely on supplies from Kuala Lumpur. Once their retreat is cut off, they can only wait to be crushed. Thinking of running back to Singapore? Dream on!
By then, the mechanized troops that can penetrate Lion City will only need to face a small number of remaining Japanese devils, and the intensity of the battle will drop sharply.
After making a rough estimate, Zhang Chi tapped the map and looked up at Zhang Guangjun:
"Very good, then the tentative date for the amphibious landing near Kuala Lumpur Harbor is September 14th. Both the Army and Air Force will cooperate with you. Your immediate tasks are to continue refining the landing plan and maintaining reconnaissance."
This roundabout amphibious landing plan certainly cannot be accomplished by the navy alone, especially since there is still more than half a month until September 14. If the Japanese suddenly receive reinforcements from their homeland or deploy heavy troops in Kuala Lumpur, the original plan may be disrupted. Therefore, Zhang Chi can only coordinate the army, navy and air force to improve the plan, while continuing to maintain high-intensity aerial reconnaissance of the Japanese in West Malaysia and be ready to respond at any time.
In particular, Zhang Chi remembered that in the world line before he traveled through time, when Itagaki Seishirō finally surrendered in Lion City, Lion City was the headquarters of the Japanese 7th Front Army, commanding the Japanese 16th Army, 25th Army and 29th Army left in Southeast Asia.
Although according to reconnaissance, there are only one battalion of Japanese soldiers, two anti-aircraft artillery squadrons, several 150 cannons split from independent heavy artillery regiments, and some small boats left by the Japanese navy in Lion City.
But who knows if Japanese reinforcements will suddenly arrive in the next half month, or if the Japanese will suddenly decide to abandon the Eastern Sindhu Islands, march their entire army north, and concentrate their forces to defend Singapore and the Indochina Peninsula?
"Keep a close eye on it. Don't wait until the landing craft reaches the beach and find that the Japanese have temporarily piled tens of thousands of people in." Zhang Chi gave Zhang Guangjun a meaningful look. "By then, it won't be us eating the Japanese's dumplings, but the Japanese will come to eat us."