roccoschili Chapter 758 Landing in Australia!
Chapter 758 Landing in Australia!
In the early morning, the sea in Kempard Bay is as calm as a mirror.
The sun had just peeked halfway up the horizon, painting the eastern sky a golden-red. There was no wind, no waves, only the occasional seagull flying by, emitting a few piercing cries. The seawater shimmered like scattered gold, surging towards the shore in waves, then receding, making a rhythmic splashing sound.
Li Te had been standing on the bridge of the Dingyuan for a full two hours.
He didn't sit or lean against anything; he just stood there, straight, hands behind his back, holding binoculars and looking at the increasingly bright horizon in the distance. The binoculars reflected a faint light in the morning glow. He remained motionless, like a statue.
Chief of Staff Lin Huaiyuan walked to his side and handed him a cup of hot tea.
"General, have some tea. You've been standing here all night."
Lee Te took the teacup, but didn't drink it; he just held it in his hand to warm his palm.
"Is the fleet ready?"
Lin Huaiyuan nodded.
"Ready. Twenty-four transport ships, forty thousand men, two mechanized divisions. The entire Fourth and Fifth Divisions are on board. Ammunition, fuel, fresh water, and rations are enough for three months."
He pointed to the dense array of boats in the distance.
"Look, they're all over there."
Li Te followed his finger and looked.
On the sea, twenty-four transport ships stood in a massive formation, silently awaiting the order to depart, escorted by several destroyers. The ships varied in size and age, but at this moment they were all fully loaded with soldiers, tanks, trucks, and artillery, like a pack of wild beasts about to pounce on their prey.
Further away, the silhouette of the battleship Zhiyuan stood out majestically in the morning light. Its 380mm main guns were raised high, their muzzles pointing towards Australia, like two eyes ready to pounce on their prey.
Li Te put down his binoculars and looked at the ships for a long time.
"Lin Huaiyuan, tell me, how big is Australia?"
Lin Huaiyuan was stunned for a moment.
"It's huge. More than six million square miles. Bigger than the whole of Europe."
Li nodded.
"More than six million square miles. We have 40,000 people deployed there, each person responsible for 150 square miles."
He turned to look at Lin Huaiyuan.
"Tell me, is that enough?"
Lin Huaiyuan thought for a moment.
"General, Australia is large, but the British don't have many troops to defend it. Intelligence says that there are fewer than 30,000 British troops in the entire country, scattered across Perth, Darwin, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. If we split our two divisions into two groups and sweep through from one direction, they simply won't be able to stop us."
Lee Teuk remained silent for three seconds.
"It's one thing to be unable to stop them, but it's another to be able to occupy them all. Australia is too big. Even if we defeat all their troops, it will take time and manpower to control such a large territory."
He walked to the chart table and pointed to a small dot on the west coast of Australia.
"Pidamara. We'll land here. Then we'll split into two groups. The Fourth Division will advance east along the north coast, targeting Darwin and Cairns. The Fifth Division will advance east along the south coast, targeting Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne. Finally, we'll meet in Sydney."
His finger drew two red lines on the map.
"Three or four months. I'll finish driving these six or seven thousand kilometers in three or four months."
Lin Huaiyuan took a deep breath.
"General, this distance... is quite far."
Li nodded.
"It's far enough. So we have to be quick. The faster the better. We have to get to them before the British even realize what's happening. By the time they do, we'll have already taken them down."
He straightened up and looked out the window at the increasingly bright sky.
"Order all ships to prepare for departure."
The order was given, and the signal lights on the Dingyuan began to flash.
One after another, transport ships began to start, the roar of their engines echoing across the sea. Their bows cleaved through the water, creating white spray. Destroyers escorted them on both sides, vigilantly scanning the surrounding waters.
Litt stood on the bridge, watching the massive fleet slowly sail away from Kempard Bay.
In the distance, the sun had risen completely, and golden sunlight shone on the sea, on the ships, and on the soldiers who were about to head to the battlefield.
The fleet sailed south, toward Australia, toward that unknown battlefield.
Pidamara is a small port city on the west coast of Australia.
It's called a port, but it's really just a simple dock, a few dilapidated warehouses, and a few dozen households. Usually, only a few fishing boats dock there, and if a merchant ship comes by, that's a big deal.
The sun had just risen, and the dock was quiet. Several local fishermen were preparing their nets, getting ready to go out to sea. An old man sat on the dock, smoking a pipe, squinting at the calm sea in the distance.
He suddenly froze.
The pipe fell from his mouth and landed on his leg, burning him, but he didn't feel it.
Countless black dots appeared on the sea surface.
The black dots grew larger and clearer—they were ships. Many, many ships. Big and small, lined up in a dense formation, heading this way.
The old man opened his mouth, as if to shout something, but couldn't make a sound.
A young fisherman next to him followed his gaze and was also stunned.
"What...what is that?"
The old man finally shouted, "Boats! So many boats!"
Chaos erupted at the dock. Fishermen threw down their nets and ran towards the village. Some shouted, "The enemy is coming!" Others yelled, "Run!" Some stood frozen, unsure what to do.
But it was too late.
The first landing ship rushed onto the beach, and the hatch slammed shut.
Seawater rushed in, icy cold, reaching above ankles, knees, and waists. Soldiers in khaki uniforms jumped into the sea, guns raised, and rushed towards the beach.
More landing ships rushed ashore, and more soldiers jumped into the sea. The beach was instantly packed with people, a dark mass, surging towards the shore like a tide.
A British sentry rushed out of the house, but before he could even raise his gun, several soldiers pinned him to the ground. He struggled and shouted something, but no one paid him any attention. He was bound hand and foot and thrown aside.
When Liu Zhenjie, commander of the Fourth Division, stepped onto the beach, the sun had just risen halfway up the sky.
He looked around—the docks were under control, the warehouses had been occupied, and the villagers had been gathered in an open area, trembling with their hands over their heads. Several soldiers were inspecting the warehouses, removing supplies from inside.
Chief of Staff Zhang Haiyang ran over, his face full of excitement.
"Commander! We've captured them all! An entire British company, over a hundred men, have been captured. Not a single one escaped!"
Liu Zhenjie nodded.
"What about casualties?"
"Zero. We didn't suffer a single casualty. The British were still asleep when they were cornered in their beds."
Liu Zhenjie smiled.
"Alright. Order the troops to rest and regroup as soon as possible. Once the supplies are unloaded, depart immediately."
Zhang Haiyang was stunned for a moment.
"Commander, are we not waiting for the Fifth Division?"
Liu Zhenjie shook his head.
"No way. We'll each go our own way. We'll go north, they'll go south. Whoever gets to Sydney first treats us."
He walked to the dock and looked at the fleet of ships unloading cargo in the distance.
Tanks rolled off the ship one after another, their tracks leaving deep ruts on the sand. Trucks followed, transporting ammunition, fuel, and food ashore. Soldiers lined up to receive supplies, checked their equipment, and then waited in formation for orders to depart.
Everything was proceeding smoothly, like a sophisticated machine.
Liu Zhenjie looked at the soldiers and suddenly asked a question.
"Zhang Haiyang, tell me, how far is it from here to Darwin?"
Zhang Haiyang thought about it.
"Over four thousand kilometers. Along the coastline, it's at least four thousand five thousand."