Chapter 654
The enemy is at the gates! Destroy the Kwantung Army!
boom!
With the fierce firing of naval guns, the battle of Ximentang to attack Busan officially began.
Haeundae!
This place is located on the eastern coastline outside Busan, about 30 kilometers from the inner city.
Location-wise, Haeundae is the eastern gateway to Busan, and it is sickle-shaped.
The commander of the Kwantung Army stationed at Haeundae was named Hisamichi Sakuragi.
This man was originally a general under Oyama Iwao, with numerous military achievements and a high position in the entire Kwantung Army.
He deployed a large force along the Haeundae defense line, dividing them into two groups for defense.
The two armies were stationed at the eastern and western borders of Haeundae, respectively, with their backs against the outer walls of Busan Fortress.
It extends from the east side of Haeundae all the way to Saha.
Sandbags were piled high to form a wall, creating three layers of defense.
Furthermore, a dense array of bunkers was constructed between the three lines of defense.
All the troops stationed along the defensive line were in bunkers and trenches, holding their ground with utmost vigilance.
Ma Ming, the captain of the First Fleet of Ximentang, was designated by Chen Jie as the commander-in-chief to launch the first general attack.
He commanded three divisions to launch a fierce attack on the Kwantung Army stationed in Haeundae.
The 1st Division was tasked with attacking the northern defenses of Haeundae.
The 2nd Division attacked the southern defense line of Haeundae.
Then,
The naval fleet's marines formed the Third Division, which attacked the eastern defense line.
Meanwhile, the Second Fleet and Fifth Army of Seommun-dang launched a feint attack from the north of Busan, cutting off support for the Haeundae defense line.
The entire war plan was rehearsed several times on a sand table.
After the battle began, the mortars of the 1st and 2nd Divisions opened fire on the Haeundae defense line.
Artillery barrage!
This is the overwhelming style of play that Simon Tang uses: a direct, forceful push that is unstoppable.
In fact, the troops of the Japanese Kwantung Army stationed in Haeundae were elite forces, equipped with ample Japanese field artillery and heavy machine guns.
but,
However, the number of shells was far from sufficient, and there was a lack of large-scale production capacity.
therefore,
After the two sides began exchanging fire, the defensive positions in Haeundae were completely destroyed by the artillery fire of Seomundang, and sand and gravel flew everywhere.
The elite soldiers of the Kwantung Army could only huddle behind sandbag bunkers or lie prone in deep trenches, not daring to show their faces.
In this intense barrage of artillery fire, daring to peek out is practically suicide.
but,
The Kwantung Army general Nishimondo learned a lot of tactics.
When setting up the defensive line, they used the same tactics that Ximentang had used before, such as trenches, sandbags, and curved lines.
Therefore,
Overall, Haeundae's defenses were very well laid out.
Although Ximentang's firepower was extremely fierce, the Kwantung Army was powerless to fight back.
but,
The damage to Haeundae's defenses was not significant.
However, the towering bunkers on the defensive line became targets for artillery fire.
In the first round of artillery bombardment, Ximentang directly used armor-piercing shells, showing no intention of waging a protracted war.
After a fierce artillery barrage, all the bunkers in the front row were completely destroyed.
Once the first wave of attacks by Ximentang ended, Sakuragi Hisamichi immediately ordered all Kwantung Army soldiers to be on high alert.
Based on his understanding of Ximentang's tactics, he knew that Ximentang's second wave of attack would likely push the front line forward and use artillery to bombard the area again.
but,
Just as the Kwantung Army was waiting for Saimon to launch a second artillery barrage, a shout suddenly came from a lookout in the distance:
"Sir, a fleet has been spotted on the sea!"
Sakuragi Hisamichi stood on the observation tower of Haeundae and saw a fleet appear on the sea through his binoculars.
This massive fleet, consisting of about thirty ships, slowly sailed in from the southwest sea off Haeundae.
hiss--!
Upon seeing this, Sakuragi Hisamichi was taken aback.
This fleet was neither from the Goryeo Dynasty nor the Eastern Empire, but belonged to the Ximentang Fleet.
When General Takeuchi Hisakichi of the Kwantung Army was deploying the entire Busan defense line, he had already considered the naval advantage of Ximentang.
However, judging from the naval deployment of the Ximentang, the Ximentang fleet is currently deployed in the East China Sea, with the aim of intercepting the support of the five major fleets of the East.
Haeundae is located on the east side of Busan, facing the Eastern Empire across the sea.
If Ximentang's warships want to attack Haeundae, they must go around the Korean Strait, which is a long and arduous journey and not worth the effort.
Therefore, when Takeuchi Hisakichi deployed defenses in Haeundae, he did not give much thought to the attack by the Nishimado fleet, but only set up the most stringent defenses on the land.
Takeuchi Hisakichi clearly underestimated the penetration capability of the Nishindo fleet.
Before launching the general offensive, Simon had already surveyed the Korean Strait.
While launching the attack on land, the Ximentang naval fleet also launched a general offensive from the Haeundae defense line.
The First Fleet of the Ximengtang Army advanced directly towards the Kwantung Army's positions from the waters east of Haeundae.
of course,
There are risks involved in the fleet's journey from the Korean Strait to the waters near Haeundae.
Because the Korean Strait is adjacent to the Tsushima Strait of the Eastern Empire, it is easy to encounter the Eastern fleet at sea during the detour.
If discovered by the Eastern Fleet, all that is needed is to lay powerful long-range artillery in ambush in the Tsushima Strait.
Then,
The First Fleet of the Westminster will be in great danger.
The long-range artillery deployed on the island was extremely lethal to the fleet.
The Ximentang fleet could hardly avoid being bombarded by long-range artillery from a high vantage point.
However, the speed of the Ximentang First Fleet was extremely fast, and by the time the Eastern Empire's fleet discovered it, it was too late to redeploy its defenses.
All of the Kwantung Army's heavy weapons were deployed in the inner city of Busan, concentrated on the land front.
therefore,
The Kwantung Army soldiers in charge of the Haeundae defense line, as well as commanders such as Sakuragi Hisamichi, could clearly see the Nishimado fleet swaggering into the Haeundae defense line.
Sakuragi Hisamichi was so anxious that he cursed loudly, wanting to redeploy the defense.
Unfortunately, it's too late to mobilize heavy artillery now.
The Eastern Empire's defensive line at Haeundae in Busan was set up with its back to the defenses of Busan City.
therefore,
When Ximentang's fleet arrived at Haeundae Port.
The entire eastern part of the Eastern Empire's defense line was exposed to the gun range of the First Fleet of the Western Empire.
The First Fleet of the Westminster consisted of one battleship, eight cruisers, twelve ironclad frigates, twelve gunboats, twenty-four 'Storm' attack ships, and several supply ships.
At this time, only half of the fleet's configuration had arrived in the waters off Haeundae.
Each cruiser was equipped with hundreds of naval guns, making them incredibly powerful.
at this time,
The warships lined up and launched a fierce bombardment of Haeundae's positions.
The other two major divisions attacking from land also opened fire.
The ships launched a frenzied attack with incendiary bombs, long-range artillery, armor-piercing shells, and other weapons.
Although the trenches dug by the Kwantung Army provided shelter from artillery fire.
but,
The limited space in trenches meant that not everyone could get shelter inside.
Moreover, the trenches were too crowded, and the biggest worry was incendiary bombs.
If an incendiary bomb hits a trench, it can easily ignite, causing oxygen depletion in the surrounding area.
The most terrifying thing is that once you're attacked inside a trench, there's nowhere to hide.
Those Korean soldiers, who were temporarily assigned to the Kwantung Army, had never seen such a terrifying artillery attack.
When incendiary bombs, mortars, naval guns and other powerful artillery began to bombard the ground, all the Goryeo soldiers screamed and fled in terror.
They even jumped out of the trenches to find cover. In this situation, no one's orders mattered.
For a while,
The entire Haeundae defense line was completely thrown into chaos.
Seeing this, Sakuragi Hisamichi stomped his feet in frustration.
But for the time being, he could only watch helplessly as the defense line was breached, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
at this time,
The 1st and 2nd Divisions launched a ground offensive while the naval fleet opened fire.
A pincer attack!
Sakuragi Hisamichi felt a chill run down his spine.
He decisively ordered the entire army to attack and engage in a fierce firefight with Ximentang.
Otherwise, if Ximentang continues to bombard the area, Haeundae will soon fall.
Whoosh—!
The Kwantung Army launched a series of attacks, leaping out of their trenches and engaging in fierce, fearless fighting.
but,
After being bombarded by Ximentang's firepower, the morale and fighting spirit of the Kwantung Army had been crushed.
The two sides are currently engaged in a firefight, but they are not even on the same level.
The more fiercely the Kwantung Army charged, the faster they died.
They were harvested mercilessly, like wheat.
The elite troops of the Kwantung Army were mixed with a number of cannon fodder from the Korean mainland.
Although they were forced by the Kwantung Army to launch an attack under the fire of the Ximengtang cannons.
However, once they were freed from the supervision of the Kwantung Army, they immediately turned around and fled.
Or perhaps they were so frightened that they knelt down, raised their hands, and surrendered before even entering the range of the artillery fire.
Koreans aren't stupid; no one would really want to be cannon fodder.
As the leading Goryeo commander surrendered, the other Goryeo soldiers followed suit and knelt down to surrender.
As a result,
The scale of surrenders began to expand, and the Korean soldiers who had been forcibly conscripted by the Kwantung Army dared not continue their charge.
Less than half an hour into the close combat, Haeundae's defenses collapsed completely.
Ximentang pressed his advantage, pushing forward relentlessly and quickly capturing the Haeundae defense line.
Faced with a powerful offensive, all defenses will crumble.
Sakuragi Hisamichi led a portion of the remaining troops and retreated to the second line of defense in Busan.
This battle,
Ximentang annihilated 50,000 elite troops of the Kwantung Army and captured more than 30,000 prisoners, most of whom were Goryeo soldiers.
After capturing the Haeundae position, Ma Ming, the commander of the First Fleet of the Ximentang, ordered the redeployment of the defensive positions.
The prisoners were all held in one place, in preparation for a full-scale attack on Busan.
in addition,
He had someone send a telegram to Chen Jie to report the battle situation.
Less than two hours after Haeundae was captured by the Seomun-dang First Fleet, the Seomun-dang First Army Division easily broke through the southern land front and outer defense line of Busan.
The battle unfolded similarly to the one in Haeundae, a swift and overwhelming victory, almost entirely one-sided.
Hiroki Hiroyuki, the commander of the Kwantung Army on the outer defense line of Busan, was killed on the spot by the bomb.
After the defeat, fewer than three thousand men escaped back to the second line of defense in Busan.
The other elite Kwantung Army troops were either killed or captured.
Two of the defensive outposts set up outside Busan were lost within two hours.
This kind of battle is unwinnable!
When Takeuchi Hisakichi saw the military report at his headquarters in Busan, he felt a chill run down his spine.
For a moment, he had a bad feeling.
Ximentang pushed things forward too fast!
but,
We've reached a life-or-death situation, and I'm afraid I won't be able to solve the problem.
We must hold out for five days, otherwise if Busan falls, the Kwantung Army may be completely annihilated.
then,
He summoned his generals at all levels to a meeting to discuss how to defend Busan.
Lieutenant General Kuraki Hajime of the Kwantung Army spoke first:
"General, two breaches have been made in our stronghold outside Busan, and our forces are too scattered."
"Our immediate priority is to withdraw everyone from the outer defense line and concentrate our forces in order to stop Ximentang's fierce attack."
At the two defensive outposts outside Busan, the Kwantung Army suffered heavy casualties, losing nearly 100,000 elite troops.
If we continue to disperse our forces, they will be defeated one by one by Ximentang.
Another Kwantung Army lieutenant general, Terashima Shigeru, shook his head helplessly and said, "The successive falls of Haeundae and Busan South District were mainly due to the surprise attack by the Saimun-dang fleet, which left us attacked from both sides and led to the breach of our last line of defense."
"We have the advantage of high ground in the other defensive positions, so even if Ximentang launches a strong attack, it will be difficult to take them easily."
"We absolutely cannot give up now, especially Changwon. If it falls to Ximentang, their long-range heavy artillery can directly attack Busan City."
Upon hearing this, Kuraki frowned and said:
"Changwon is indeed a strategic location that cannot be lost, but if Saha and several other defensive strongholds fall, Busan will be in danger as well."
"On the surface, we have hundreds of thousands of Kwantung Army troops stationed here, but after the troops are dispersed, they have no combat effectiveness at all, and the defense is very weak."
"My opinion is still to consolidate our forces and abandon the outer perimeter."
Hearing the two arguing, Takeuchi Hisakichi was at a loss for what to do.
Both of them made sense.
If strategic locations fall, the defense of Busan will become significantly more difficult.
However, if they do not abandon the defense of strategic locations, Ximentang can easily be defeated piecemeal.
Just then, Ken Takahashi, the most valiant general in the Japanese army, suddenly said:
"Why do you all keep talking about defense, but never mention taking the initiative?"
"As a Japanese samurai, it is cowardly to always be on the defensive. Only by taking the initiative can you disrupt the opponent's offensive rhythm."
"Let me lead an elite force out of Busan, annihilate a Ximentang army, and boost the morale of the Kwantung Army."
Ken Takahashi, a descendant of the Takahashi family of Japanese martial arts, is exceptionally brave.
His martial arts skills were extremely high; he was a rare, indestructible expert among the Japanese army.
He was Emperor Meiji's most capable general and enjoyed his deep trust.
Ken Takahashi looked up at Hisakichi Takeuchi and said:
"General, I am willing to personally lead an elite force out of the city to ambush and kill Ximen Tang's troops. Please grant me permission!"
Although Ken Takahashi's tone was full of arrogance.
but,
Upon hearing this, Takeuchi Hisakichi's eyes lit up.
good idea!
Although it's risky, it has to be said that this is definitely the most efficient tactic.
The Ximentang army pressed in, and in less than two hours, they captured Haeundae and Busan Nam-gu in succession, their momentum unstoppable.
Under these circumstances, Ximen Tang would never have imagined that the Kwantung Army would take the initiative to come out of the city to meet the enemy.
If a surprise attack is launched from the flank of Ximentang's army, it would be easy to catch Ximentang off guard.
If a unit of Ximen Tang's army could be defeated, even if it was not the main force, it would greatly boost the morale of the Japanese Kwantung Army.
Just as Takeuchi Hisakichi was about to give the order.
suddenly,
When the military report arrived, the troops stationed at Saha outside Busan City surrendered without a fight.
They not only surrendered to Ximentang, but also handed over the entire Shaxia encampment.
The defensive positions surrounding Busan Castle, Haeundae and Saha, are two strategic points.
If only Haeundae were to fall, the impact on Busan's second line of defense would not be significant.
but,
If Saha also falls, then with a pincer attack from both sides, half of Busan's defenses will be breached!
Upon hearing this news, Takeuchi Hisakichi felt a wave of dizziness and nearly fainted.
His original plan was to hold out for five days and try to hold off Ximentang's main force.
But in less than two hours, a huge breach has been torn in Busan's defenses.
It's unstoppable!
At this rate of advance, Busan might be completely overrun by evening. (End of Chapter)