"Drop anchor!" The huge iron chain slid into the sea following the command. On the rippling sea, small boats had been pushed out of the side of the freewheel by the crane.
The modified side rope ladder was fixed by the sailors, and the temporarily installed ship side iron staircase was crowded with soldiers carrying various equipment.
"No resistance!" Putting down his telescope, the captain of the navy said to his adjutant regretfully on the bridge of the Bunas ironclad lying on both sides of the fleet.
All the angled guns on the battleship have been pointed at the coast, and the gun barrels of various thicknesses are silently waiting for their moment of roar.
"Get on board! Get on board!" The officer with a lifebuoy around his neck waved his arms and shouted loudly while leaning on the ship's railing.
The soldiers who had climbed to the end of the rope ladder with their weapons on their backs jumped onto the rocking boat with the help of the sailors.
"Be safe! Be safe!" Every soldier reminded each other of his companions. Since they had only been sailing for a few hours, they were now in very good condition.
There is no fatigue from traveling long distances, nor dizziness from being bumpy on the sea for a long time. Now they are vigorous Datang Group soldiers, marines who receive special allowances every month!
"He's already in place! You can cut the safety rope!" After placing the soldier on the seat on the boat, the sailor took a sharp dagger and cut the rope tied behind the soldier.
After learning the lessons from the last landing, all soldiers carried orange life-saving equipment. Before boarding the ship, all soldiers had a safety rope fixed behind their backs.
This rope will ensure that after they fall into the sea, someone can still help them return to the sea. Although it is complicated and clumsy, it can indeed improve the survival rate of soldiers falling into the water.
Amidst the noise, heavily armed Marines began to rush towards the coast. On the small boats were helmets swaying with the waves.
In the water that was enough to cover their waists, these soldiers jumped out of the boat, held their weapons high, and trudged hard in the shallow water.
"Quick! Move fast!" This was a practical exercise, and the officers shouted one after another. No one knew whether the enemy would really come, so everyone was very alert.
After all, the last time they landed, they encountered a sudden counterattack by the Mirage troops, so this time, no one dared to take it lightly.
"First Evolution"
"Spread your legs! Take big strides forward! Watch your steps!" A platoon leader walked hard forward while waving his arms to ask his soldiers to follow as quickly as possible.
Also based on the lessons learned from the previous landing, the landing troops landed as intact as possible. Troops from a company will be grouped together as much as possible and land at the same time as possible.
This will avoid the chaotic situation of the previous landing battle: no company's organization is complete, there is chaos everywhere, and it can only barely fight by relying entirely on the deployment of frontline commanders.
In short, experience is something that needs to be accumulated. Equipment that meets experience needs time to produce.
Compared with the previous landings, the Datang Group's weapons and equipment this time were obviously a level higher.
Due to the weight reduction, the machine gun can accompany the troops ashore at the same time. This is definitely a big improvement for the offensive troops.
At the same time, Datang Group’s landing boats have also received some minor improvements: some boats have been equipped with gasoline engines and propellers!
This is also a huge improvement: because the addition of engines and propellers can reduce the number of sailors rowing, which allows a small boat to carry more Marines.
Moreover, such small boats are faster and can make more round trips per unit time, thus transporting more soldiers.
It is also not too afraid of the impact of rising or falling tides on its speed. It is many times more advanced than a rowing boat.
With such small boats, the first batch of troops from the Tang Dynasty came ashore faster and in greater numbers.
The soldiers who landed quickly established defensive positions around the landing site based on their experience.
The reconnaissance troops that came out also took action, helping the commander who came ashore first to obtain the surrounding terrain information, and also further confirmed that there were no enemy defense forces nearby.
It was also based on the experience summed up in the last landing operation. Wireless telegraph communication equipment was also brought ashore as soon as possible to establish contact with the fleet.
By doing this, you can call for artillery support, and you can also report your progress to senior commanders in the rear, making command and dispatch faster and more targeted.
Then, amid the noise, the 1st Marine Regiment successfully landed, followed by artillery and vehicles that were reinforced for them.
The strong 1st Battalion of the 1st Marine Regiment quickly assembled its troops and began to rush towards their previously intended target under the guidance of local guides. According to the mission plan, their main attack direction is the only town on the island.
Not to be outdone, the 2nd Battalion began to attack the hinterland an hour later. Their target is the bandit camp entrenched on the island. The 3rd Battalion stayed to protect the landing site and help unload subsequent large weapons and equipment.
"The landing process was much smoother than the last time." Putting down the telescope in his hand, Bernard was very satisfied with the scene in front of him.
As a naval commander, the newly formed Marine Corps was an elite force under his command. Seeing that his newly assigned troops were performing well, Bernard naturally couldn't hide the smile on his face.
He knew that the attack on Zheng State and the possible subsequent attack on Mirage State would definitely be spearheaded by his marines, so he was full of expectations for the future.
"Yes! To compare based on time, last time at this time, the 1st Battalion was still gathering troops on the beach." The adjutant also said with a smile.
The previous landing battle on Dongwan Island was indeed too chaotic. Although many plans were drawn up before, when it came time to implement them, all kinds of troubles occurred.
The war horses have been ashore, the reconnaissance cavalry is still floating on the sea, the artillery shells have been ashore, but the cannons have not yet begun to be loaded into the landing boats.
What is even more depressing is that the bulky Maxim heavy machine gun cannot land ashore at the same time as the landing troops. This results in only one machine gun being able to participate in the battle when the enemy counterattacks.
Well now, the new MG42 machine gun is obviously lighter than the Maxim heavy machine gun and can directly accompany the army's attack. There is no need to worry about not being able to keep up with the army's attack rhythm.
Because the order of the landing was rearranged, the entire landing force appeared to be in order, and a lot of time was also saved.
"We can't relax yet. There are still many details that need to be recorded, perfected, and improved!" Bernard concluded seriously: "Every detail that is perfected will save one soldier from being lost in the real landing operation in the future! This point is clear. You must always remember it!”
"Yes! General! I understand!" the adjutant replied solemnly: "I will keep an eye on this matter."
"Afterwards, let every soldier write down his feelings! Every non-commissioned officer, squad leader, platoon leader, company commander, and battalion commander must write a summary report!" Bernard took the trouble to remind: "As long as it feels uncomfortable, Everywhere needs to be rectified!”
"If the equipment is not good, change the equipment! If the tactics are wrong, change the tactics!" Before the adjutant could speak, he continued to add: "We both have to think carefully about what else needs further improvement!"
"Yes! General!" The adjutant stood at attention and saluted.
"Report! A call came from the headquarters of the 1st Marine Regiment on the shore. Except for one soldier who sprained his foot while wading in the water, no one was injured! The follow-up equipment is being landed on the shore, and everything is going well." A messenger stood behind Bernard, stood at attention and saluted to report road.
"Call back to the commander of the 1st Regiment to celebrate the successful completion of the actual combat exercise of the 1st Regiment! I hope you will have the same success in the subsequent battles." After Bernard finished speaking, he returned a military salute. Then he took the pen handed by the other party and signed his name on the shorthand message.
On the island, the locals who had discovered the landing troops did not seem to be afraid. They watched numbly as these Datang Group soldiers dressed like aliens passed by their village.
After hearing what the guide said, these people were even overjoyed and expressed their willingness to lead the way to find those bandits and bandits who did all kinds of evil.
They had no food to bring out to welcome Master Wang, but they still supported their weak bodies and stood on the roadside, waving desperately to the troops of the Datang Group.
The soldiers of the Datang Group's security forces who passed by them also carried forward their tradition and threw the food they carried to the hungry civilians who lined the streets to welcome them.
Soon, some civilians picked up the food and wolfed it down, and some waved their arms to express thanks while eating.
These skinny people used body movements to the best of their ability to express their joy to the security forces of the Datang Group as much as possible.
"Next time...this...should we bring more food?" Seeing his troops throw away their raincoats and food again, the battalion commander of the 2nd Marine Battalion looked at He asked his adjutant, dumbfounded.
This was an old tradition of his unit. He would throw things wherever he went, whether they were given to locals or left behind at the landing site... This... was the tradition of the 2nd Battalion.
"Indeed... you should carry more soft, easy-to-eat, slightly better-tasting food... This will make it easier to give alms..." the adjutant wrote seriously in his notebook: "In addition, I also need to remind the soldiers , do not waste pure water, and should not accept drinking water provided by local people...it is easy to be infected with parasites and prone to diarrhea."
"Oh my God! Look, I didn't even think about the water source." The 2nd Battalion Commander looked at his adjutant and praised: "You continue writing, I will go to the front to take a look."
After saying that, the 2nd Battalion Commander patted his adjutant on the shoulder, took out two chocolate candies from his pocket, and walked towards a dirty child on the side of the road.
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Will continue to update during the day tomorrow.
