Chapter 1303
Naval Battle! Naval Battle! Naval Battle! Frigate Combat Platform, Li Aiguo, Zhang Jing
At night, a torrential downpour swept across the sea.
Inside the command center of the Yang-class destroyer.
Du Changsheng was leisurely sipping his wine and chatting with the Smith team specialist.
"Sir Commissioner, after this mission is over, I must treat you to a fun-filled day at the military amusement park."
Upon hearing this, Smith waved his hand dismissively.
"Du, stop with that nonsense. I've been to that place before, and the women there are just too ugly."
"No, no, no, you only went to Jiazi. There's another courtyard next door, and that's where the real beauty is."
As Du Changsheng spoke, he almost drooled.
"Really? Then I'll have to enjoy myself. But Du, as the captain, you should really take this mission seriously."
Commissioner Smith looked down on people like Du Changsheng.
Everyone knows what a military amusement park is all about.
He even had the audacity to drag outsiders along for a stroll.
"Commissioner, you are overthinking it. This time, our fleet will complete the mission with unstoppable momentum."
Du Changsheng certainly had the confidence.
This mission has been approved by President Ken, and its level has been significantly elevated.
The micro-management master specially allocated a large number of warships to participate in the mission.
Two Yang-class destroyers, two Tai-class escort destroyers, a large number of gunboats, and one Yong-class minesweeper.
There is also a Chinese-class tank landing ship.
It was loaded with a reinforced company and more than ten tanks.
The intention is obvious.
If we break through easily, we can take the opportunity to make a big push. Even if we can't take control, we can still take the opportunity to expand our influence and curry favor with President Ken.
Of course, these acts of risking one's life to gain credit had absolutely nothing to do with Du Changsheng.
As long as they blow up the shipyard's No. 2 dock with one shot, they can immediately turn around and return to port.
Risking your life to fight? Only a fool would do that!
At this moment, the deputy captain came in to report the situation.
"Reporting, Captain! We have successfully passed the outer perimeter. We will reach the target shipyard in about ten kilometers!"
Upon hearing this, Du Changsheng immediately perked up.
His biggest worry was the mines on the outer perimeter, which is why he brought a minesweeper. He was incredibly lucky this time.
"Pass the word down and tell the brothers to get ready. After the destroyers open fire first and clear out the enemy's firing points, they will head straight for Dock 2."
Before the enemy can react, let's press on and complete the mission in one fell swoop.
"Yes, sir!" The vice-captain quickly relayed the order.
In an instant, all the cannons in the entire fleet were loaded with shells.
Especially the lead Yang-class destroyer, whose main gun, the only one capable of long-range, high-intensity artillery fire, had its muzzle raised high, ready to fire.
The rain on the sea was getting heavier, and thunder and lightning filled the sky.
On the lookout post, a crew member rubbed his eyes, feeling as if he had just misjudged what he was seeing.
"Wait a minute... why do I see cannons pointing right at us from the shore?"
"You must be seeing things because of the rain! We're still five kilometers away from our destination."
"We just scouted this area a while ago. It's all reeds. Where would we find a gun emplacement?" The crew member next to him immediately scoffed.
"Really..." The crew member scratched his head, still feeling uneasy.
Before the words were even finished, a blinding burst of light suddenly erupted on the dark shore!
Boom boom boom!
More than a dozen cannons roared in unison, their shells slamming into the fleet with trails of fire!
"It's bad! Captain! We've been ambushed!" The first officer, who had been calm and collected, now scrambled into the command room.
At this moment, Du Changsheng also heard the sound of cannons outside, but he was not flustered at all.
"What's the panic! Order the fleet to advance at full speed and get through this waterway as quickly as possible!"
"But Captain! We already have two small boats that have been hit and damaged, and they are carrying supplies!" The first mate hesitated.
"What are you afraid of! As long as we complete the mission, Comrade Jianfeng will not only not blame us, but will also reward us!"
"Understood!" The vice-captain gritted his teeth, turned around, and rushed out to relay the order.
Du Changsheng snorted coldly, picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp: "These bumpkins, they dare to set up an ambush?"
"I'll show you what a truly invincible fleet looks like today!"
He wasn't just bragging.
The fleet sped up at full power, quickly gaining speed and soon breaking out of the firing range of the cannons on the shore.
Meanwhile, on the slipway of the shipyard's No. 2 dock.
Leader Wang was holding up binoculars, staring at the firelight on the distant sea.
"Patriotic comrade, the enemy is about to charge in."
"Xiong Meng should start making his move now," Li Aiguo said, also holding binoculars.
"Order the Yangtze to launch a full-speed attack, and order all artillery along the line to fire freely!"
The communications officer next to him picked up the intercom and quickly relayed the order.
"Yangtze River, full speed ahead!"
"Fire freely!"
Boom boom boom!
The ambush position, which had been silent all along, was instantly fully activated!
The muzzle of the cannon was shooting out sparks.
Although many of the cannons had limited range and couldn't even reach the enemy fleet, their sheer number made up for it.
The overwhelming barrage of artillery fire completely stunned Du Changsheng.
"Captain, the Tai-class escort destroyer has been hit in the hull and its propulsion system is damaged!"
"Have the Tai-class ships hide in the middle of the fleet to avoid detection!"
"Captain, we have spotted a warship approaching at high speed ahead! It's the Yangtze! They opened fire first and have already damaged three of our warships!"
"Damn it! Are you all dead? Can't you fight back?!" Du Changsheng's face turned green, and he cursed loudly.
"Captain, all ships are moving at full speed and dodging artillery fire from both banks. We simply can't spare any time to retaliate!"
Du Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the endless flames on both sides of the river.
He originally thought of himself as a rampaging elephant.
But now, I feel like I'm going to be eaten alive by this swarm of ants!
"Full speed ahead! Speed up, speed up!" Du Changsheng knew that only by rushing forward quickly could they have any hope of completing the mission.
This fleet was considered one of the enemy's elite forces. At a single command, all the ships pushed their engines to the limit.
Those ships that had already been hit and damaged were simply abandoned behind them, left to be torn apart by the barrage of gunfire.
This isn't surprising; for these people, this is always what happens to things that have lost their usefulness.
The militiamen, who had been waiting on the shore for a long time, jumped into the icy water without saying a word when they saw the ship sink and busied themselves rescuing the wounded who had fallen into the water.
Du Changsheng stared intently at the No. 2 dock that was getting closer and closer in his field of vision, his eyes red, as if he could already see the hope of completing the mission and returning to be promoted and ennobled.
On the slipway, Li Aiguo, watching the enemy fleet charging straight towards him, stood up and smiled at Leader Wang beside him, saying, "Leader, it's time for our Type 65 frigates to get moving."
"Let's get moving," said Leader Wang, his heart filled with anticipation.
The Type 65 corvette has not yet been launched and was originally excluded from the ambush plan.
However, Li Aiguo had an idea: the fact that the frigate could not be launched did not mean that the shipborne attack helicopters could not be used. He decided to take advantage of the enemy's attack to test the shipborne attack helicopters.
Upon receiving the order, the Thunderbolt attack helicopters, which had been parked on the aft deck of the Type 65 frigate, were dispatched.
Armed helicopters roared as they hurtled toward the fleet.
Du Changsheng never imagined that the enemy would send out armed helicopters at this time!
By the time he realized what was happening, the helicopter's machine guns were already firing wildly at the deck!
The coastal defense guns on both sides of the strait, the naval guns of the Yangtze River ship, and the machine guns of the helicopters intertwined to form an impenetrable fire net.
The crew members, who had been gritting their teeth and determined to risk their lives, finally gave in and their mental defenses crumbled.
"Captain! Let's retreat! If we keep fighting, we'll all sink here!"
Normally, Du Changsheng would have shot this guy who was undermining morale long ago.
But as he watched another warship break in two and sink to the bottom of the sea amidst the gunfire, he finally let out a long sigh and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth.
"retreat!"
"No, we can't retreat! Du, if you dare to retreat, I'll report you when we get back, and you'll be in big trouble!"
Commissioner Smith was waiting to be promoted to supervisor and never expected this outcome.
“Mr. Smith, my fleet has already lost more than half of its strength. We have no chance of winning this battle today.”
"A bunch of useless trash! Even if you all die here, you must destroy Dock No. 2 and destroy the Type 65 frigate!"
Commissioner Smith did not know where the armed helicopter came from, but it was inextricably linked to the Type 65 corvette.
Imagine how terrifying it would be if frigates were equipped with helicopters.
"You bunch of useless trash, get the hell out of here..."
boom!
A dark gun muzzle appeared on Smith's temple, and blood gushed out instantly.
He swayed, staring incredulously at Du Changsheng, who stood before him, still holding a smoking pistol, and managed to utter only one word.
"you……"
He never imagined that this lapdog, which usually wagged its tail and begged for mercy, would dare to bite him, and with such a fatal bite at that.
Unfortunately, he never had the chance to figure it out. His body went limp, and he fell straight to the ground, completely silent.
"Mr. Smith, please rest assured."
When I get back, I will definitely report to Langley that Commissioner Smith was brave and fearless, charging at the forefront of the battle, and unfortunately was hit by a stray enemy bullet and heroically sacrificed his life.
After saying this, Du Changsheng didn't even glance at Commissioner Smith, but turned to look at the vice-captain.
"Order the fleet to retreat at full speed!"
"Yes!"
At this moment, seeing the fleet retreat, cheers erupted on the slipway of Dock No. 2.
"The enemy has been defeated and is in retreat."
"We've won!"
Everyone got excited, because the enemy fleet was really too powerful.
"Comrade Aiguo, shall we proceed to the next step?" Leader Wang asked Li Aiguo with a smile.
When the defense plan was being formulated, he discovered that Li Aiguo had an extraordinary and unique understanding of naval warfare.
Take this cross-strait artillery encirclement tactic as an example. Many leaders did not approve of it at the time, since the artillery range was limited and it was difficult to pose a threat to the enemy's main warships.
But Li Aiguo insisted on adding it despite all the objections.
The tactic proved to be surprisingly effective, disrupting the enemy's formation and creating an excellent opportunity for a subsequent ambush.
"Of course!"
Li Aiguo stood up and walked towards the missile launch room of the Type 65 warship.
They were as arrogant and domineering when they came, and as pathetic and miserable when they fled!
Du Changsheng discovered that the enemy was extremely ruthless. Not only were the cannons on both sides firing continuously, but the Yangtze River was also in hot pursuit.
Fortunately, the remaining ships were all very fast, and they managed to shake off the Yangtze and break out of the artillery barrage.
As it turns out, at some point, those damned guys actually laid mines at the entrance to the waterway.
Even worse, the only minesweeper, the Yong-class, had already been sunk in the earlier melee.
Du Changsheng's eyes darted around, and he gritted his teeth as he gave the order.
"China-class landing ships! You go ahead and scout ahead, we'll cover you from the rear!"
The guys on the landing ships behind had no idea about the trickery involved; they thought Captain Du had taken pity on them and prioritized their evacuation.
One by one, they were moved to tears, and without saying a word, they went full speed ahead and plunged into the waterway.
then.
With a deafening roar, the entire landing ship was hurled into the air by a mine, instantly exploding into a fireball.
"Damn it... a few mines traded for one of my landing ships, a reinforced company on board, and a dozen tanks... I've really lost big this time!"
Looking at the special forces soldiers who had fallen into the water, Du Changsheng felt his heart bleed.
These were the elite troops of Dongyin Island, and they've all perished here. "Captain! Don't stand there! Let's run! It'll be too late if we wait any longer!" the vice-captain shouted at the top of his lungs.
Du Changsheng snapped out of his daze: "Yes, yes, yes! In order not to let down these brothers who risked their lives to pave this way, we must break through no matter what!"
Whether it was good luck or sheer grit, the Yang-class destroyer somehow managed to navigate the minefield through the gap created by the landing ship's blasting.
The moment the ship broke through the outer edge of the Yangtze River estuary and sailed into the open sea, Du Changsheng slumped into his chair and let out a long sigh of relief.
"Finally...finally we escaped..."
Before he could finish speaking...
Whoosh!
A missile, trailing a fiery red beam, hurtled across the sea.
The missile rapidly magnified in his field of vision, eventually filling Du Changsheng's entire pupil.
"It's over."
"Report! Missile has accurately hit the enemy ship! The Yang-class destroyer has been sunk!"
The observation room of a Type 65 corvette.
The comrade in charge of observing the battle results suddenly stood up, gave Li Aiguo a standard military salute, and his voice was full of barely suppressed excitement.
"Well done!" Li Aiguo clenched his fist tightly.
Beside them, two veteran experts, Zhao Qingyang and Chen Gen, embraced each other excitedly.
When Li Aiguo proposed using the missiles on the Type 65 missile to deal with enemy ships, they were somewhat hesitant.
After all, launching ship-to-ship missiles from a dry dock that hasn't been launched yet is unprecedented; no one has ever done it before!
Who would have thought that the Shangyou-1 anti-ship missile would actually achieve a one-shot kill, completely destroying the enemy's command ship!
"Great! Great! The Shangyou-1 took down the enemy's flagship in its first battle. What a brilliant fight!" Chen Gen was the most excited.
The old missile researcher was so moved that tears streamed down his face.
"Comrade Aiguo, shouldn't we report this great victory to our superiors immediately?" A comrade next to him leaned over and whispered a reminder.
"Report! Report immediately!"
Li Aiguo stood up. He still had to stay at the salvage site to keep an eye on things. The fleet sent by Dongyin Island this time included quite a few advanced ships.
Keep picking them up, keep picking them up, you might find some good stuff.
There was nothing we could do; the transport team leader was just that enthusiastic.
While Li Aiguo and his naval comrades were busy picking up the items, the navy also reported the results of the ambush at sea.
In a study in the capital city.
It was already past midnight, but the higher-ups were still awake, unable to sleep because they were thinking about the situation at the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Led by his assistant, the naval leader entered the study.
"How is the situation?" The superior immediately looked up and asked impatiently.
"We won! We've achieved a great victory! According to the battle report, we sank five warships, more than a dozen gunboats, and more than a dozen tanks," the naval leader reported.
"How is the situation?" The superior immediately looked up and asked impatiently.
"Yes! The enemy has equipped the landing ship with a reinforced company and tanks, probably intending to take advantage of the situation to land and cause trouble."
They didn't even reach the edge of the dock before we sank the ship and tanks together!"
The naval leader paused, then added with a smile, "By the way, Comrade Li Aiguo is currently leading a team to salvage people who have fallen into the water and the wreckage of the sunken ship."
They said they couldn't waste the good stuff the transport captain had brought them.
Upon hearing this, the superior immediately burst into laughter: "Well! It seems that our patriotic comrade is not only a technical expert who can fight battles, but also a good comrade who knows how to manage a household and is thrifty!"
"That's right! Comrade Wang at the front said that Comrade Li Aiguo made great contributions to this ambush!"
Not only did he participate in the entire ambush plan, but he also personally commanded the missile launch, which accurately hit the enemy's command ship, wiping out the entire enemy commanding force!
"Oh? Our patriotic comrade is actually a hidden naval warfare expert! Great, great!" The higher-ups were increasingly pleased as they listened.
Over the years, higher-level leaders have also gained a full understanding of Li Aiguo.
This person had no other thoughts than wanting to contribute their own strength.
Which leader wouldn't like a comrade like that?
"Well, that's it. Our transport captain is probably not going to get a wink of sleep tonight!" The superior officer stood up with a smile and opened the window.
The superiors' guess was entirely correct.
at this time.
Inside a luxurious office on the island.
The micro-management master was pacing back and forth in his office with his hands behind his back.
"What's going on?! It's almost dawn, where's Du Changsheng's telegram?!"
There hasn't been a single word since then. Is he dead or alive?!
Comrade Jianfeng, standing beside him, was ramrod straight, his forehead covered in cold sweat, and he had already cursed Du Changsheng's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart.
You know perfectly well what kind of person the old man is; he likes to meddle in everything and micromanage every step of the way.
Even if the game is very close, you should at least send a telegram to let them know!
There's been no word from them all night; aren't they just walking into the line of fire?!
Despite his inner turmoil, he could only force a smile and smooth things over: "Father, please calm down. I estimate the fleet is still engaged in fierce fighting."
As you know, the country has developed rapidly in the past two years, and its weaponry is now vastly different from what it used to be. If Du Changsheng wants to crack this tough nut, he'll have to put in some effort..."
Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Only after hearing the micro-management master's order did the adjutant dare to push open the door and come in.
"Did you receive the telegram? What's the situation?" the micro-management master asked impatiently.
"Report: We haven't received any telegrams from the fleet, but according to our informants on Dongyin Island, Du Changsheng's entire fleet has been wiped out."
"what!"
Upon hearing this, the micro-management master's face turned ashen, his body swayed, and he almost fainted to the ground.
Fortunately, Comrade Jianfeng quickly went over and helped him up.
"Idiot!" The micro-management master shoved Jianfeng's hand away and looked at him with a face full of disappointment.
In the past, when it came to information warfare, Comrade Jianfeng suffered repeated defeats, but the losses were relatively small.
but.
But this time it's different!
That was a complete main fleet! Five capital warships! It was one of the few remaining naval assets he possessed!
It would take at least three to five years to make up for it!
Especially since this was a joint operation with the US, President Ken was keeping a close eye on it.
It failed!
The micro-management master pointed at Comrade Jianfeng's nose and cursed him repeatedly.
Comrade Jianfeng could only lower his head and silently endure the scolding.
The micro-management master originally wanted to suppress the news of the failure.
However, how could the loss of so many ships possibly go unnoticed?
Especially now on the small island, some people are dissatisfied with the micro-management master.
News of the naval ambush quickly spread.
The family was in an uproar.
It's important to know that the fleet that the micro-management master sent out this time is incredibly powerful; even the US would have to think twice before deploying it.
However, the entire army was wiped out.
"My God, what kind of devastating weapon has the other side developed? It's so powerful!"
"I heard it's a Type 65 corvette, equipped with missiles and armed helicopters."
"Is that the Thunderbolt attack helicopter that everyone's been talking about? No wonder! That thing would be a game-changer at sea!"
Jeko, the older brother, and his younger brothers on the east side were naturally overjoyed.
After all, they are all partners of the Economic Promotion Association.
For a time, newspapers were filled with news of this great victory on their front pages:
A Great Victory in the East! Five Invading Enemy Ships Sinked in One Fall!
Justice will prevail! A classic example of a naval ambush victory achieved by thwarting imperialist plots and defeating a stronger enemy!
The leader of the Little Beauty family, Ken, is now furious.
I finally got the information and handed it over to the micro-management master. I was hoping to get a big reward.
Don't end up getting beaten to a pulp.
But right now, the most important thing for Xiaomei's family is to distance themselves from the situation.
Commander Da Ken immediately and sternly rebuked the micro-management master, telling him to behave himself and stop trying to cause trouble.
They wished they could have the words "I have absolutely nothing to do with this" engraved on their foreheads.
As for Langley's group, they were naturally summoned to Whitehouse and given a good scolding.
The elder brother should have been pleased to see Xiaomei's family suffer a setback, since the Elephant People, whom Xiaomei's family supported, had a significant impact on their plans in Southeast Asia.
Unexpectedly, a family suddenly arrived in Moscow, disrupting the elder brother's good mood.
This man is Indian. His family just bought several dilapidated warships from his elder brother's family, spent a lot of money to repair them, and was thinking of showing off their power on the sea.
Turning around, they saw a frigate that hadn't even been launched yet, which utterly routed the island's elite fleet.
With armed helicopters and anti-ship missiles, the Indians are really envious.
"Big brother! My good big brother! Could you also help me modify these warships?"
"Just modify it to be able to carry armed helicopters, exactly like the Type 65 corvettes on the other side!"
The older brother, bristling and glaring, waved his hand dismissively: "Change it! Change it my ass! What are we going to give you to change?!"
He was also feeling bitter! How could he have known that a frigate could be used like this?
He himself hasn't even figured out the combination of shipborne helicopters and anti-ship missiles yet, so what can he give the Indians to modify?
The Indian man, however, was not giving up and came closer: "How about... you sell me your ship-to-ship missiles, brother!"
The Styx anti-ship missile from the older brother's country has been in service for many years, and its performance is comparable to that of the Shangyou-1 missile on the other side.
"Get lost! Do you even know how to use those ship-to-ship missiles? Don't keep me from finishing my meeting!"
Without saying a word, the older brother chased the Indian away.
Just kidding, the Styx anti-ship missiles are Big Brother's prized possessions, how could they be easily sold to others?
The Indian man was scolded and could only go home with a long face. When he saw the warships his family had just bought, he was almost in tears.
This warship has no ship-to-ship missiles and no armed helicopters. Once it's at sea, won't it just get wrecked?!
As for John Bull and Gallic Rooster, they were sitting on small stools, eating melon seeds and watching the joke, laughing so hard they were doubled over.
When they heard that armed helicopters had been installed on frigates and, together with anti-ship missiles, had achieved such a brilliant victory, the two men instantly stopped laughing and their eyes lit up.
Especially the John Bull family.
His family originally owned an aircraft carrier, but it was too expensive, so they were always looking for a replacement.
A frigate equipped with armed helicopters and anti-ship missiles—isn't that a miniature version of an all-around combat platform?
It can attack ships, land targets, and air targets; it can even defend against submarines!
It's the perfect alternative!
The Bull family then sent a delegation to the east.
The French acted even faster; they had already established diplomatic relations with the East, and their foreign affairs personnel contacted them immediately.
Li Aiguo, the instigator of this incident, only heard about it casually from Leader Wang.
As for how to negotiate or to what extent, I don't care.
Because the salvage operation is currently in full swing.
Because it was near the coast and the warships had sunk relatively recently, their exact locations were known, so the salvage operation went relatively smoothly.
The personnel and ships involved in the salvage operation were a diverse mix.
In addition to the ships from the two southern destroyers, there are also ships from the Jiangnan Shipyard.
Even the militiamen from the surrounding communes came in a grand procession in their own fishing boats; the scene was like a bustling market.
Various ship parts, gun barrels, and unexploded ammunition were salvaged one by one and sent to Jiangnan Shipyard in a steady stream.
These past few days, the entire Jiangnan factory has been like it's Chinese New Year; everyone's face is beaming with joy.
Dongyin Island tripped and fell, and the Jiangnan factory was stuffed!
The intense salvage operation lasted a full week before it was successfully completed.
Meanwhile, Li Aiguo's work was almost finished.
Originally planned to build only 5 new Type 65 corvettes, the higher authorities made a bold move and increased the order to 10!
The subsequent production work was still entrusted to Zhao Qingyang.
After handing over the blueprints, Li Aiguo, along with the local specialties sent by Jiangnan Shipyard, returned to the capital with Chen Xueru and the children.
Before I even reached the gate, I heard a commotion.
"Yi Zhonghai! You old bastard! You patted your chest and guaranteed me a job as a factory worker, and now you want to renege on your promise? Let me tell you, no way!"
"Jia Zhangshi, stop making trouble! I haven't even become a leader myself, how could I possibly arrange a job for you?"
Hearing this, Li Aiguo smiled.
Well, it tastes just like before.
(End of this chapter)