Chapter 3181 Army VS Navy

Kurbalov, who did not want to report to the army commander that he had failed to complete the task, also tried his best in the process of going south.

The straight-line distance of 610 kilometers on the map was completed by Kurbalov in two and a half days with a fully mechanized rapid march.

On average, he had to run 244 kilometers on the map every day, which really shocked Malashenko who received the news.

Of course, running like this is not without cost.

The cost is that hundreds of armored combat vehicles were thrown on the road due to breakdown and waiting for repair. This is a very terrifying number, which certainly has a considerable impact on the actual combat effectiveness of the Kurbalov Division.

Most of the vehicles that can be repaired in a short period of time are constantly followed up and repaired by the maintenance team left by Kurbalov. As soon as they are repaired, they will set off on the road to catch up with the main force, but sometimes they will break down on the road again before they can catch up with the main force after being repaired.

There was no choice but to wait for the maintenance team behind to catch up and repair it again. The repair was like mending the crotch.

The good news was that Kurbalov, standing on the high ground near the city, raised his telescope and looked around, and immediately saw several ships anchored in the port, including transport ships.

This obviously proved that Kurbalov's trip was not in vain. Regardless of whether the Japanese army had loaded ships or not, Kurbalov had made up his mind not to let the Japanese devils escape again.

"Comrade Commander has called back."

Kurbalov, who knew that the person behind him was the chief of staff without looking back, still kept holding the telescope and looking at the city, and replied immediately.

"What do you mean?"

"Comrade Army Commander wants us to organize troops to launch an effective offensive in the shortest possible time, seize control of the port area and stop the Japanese army from completing the mission. If the Japanese troops in the city dare to resist stubbornly, they can be annihilated together, but we must pay attention to civilian casualties and use heavy firepower to attack the city with caution."

"There is also an additional order. If the Japanese transport ship escapes with cargo, our ground forces will not be able to arrive in time to intercept it. If necessary, we can launch artillery fire on the Japanese transport ship to sink it in the port. In any case, we cannot let it escape with cargo, but the first priority is to try to capture the target intact."

After listening to the truthful report of the chief of staff, Kurbalov, who put down the telescope in his hand, turned around and thought for a moment, and then asked.

"What is the current situation of the artillery unit?"

"Not very good, comrade division commander."

Take out the map from the briefcase he carries with him, come to Kurbalov's side and spread it out, pointing to the approximate path on it, and continue to add.

"Although we have given priority to the artillery, you know that our self-propelled artillery is huge and heavy, and they are all heavy artillery."

"So far, only about 30% of the artillery has arrived with the vanguard. It is estimated that by tomorrow morning, this number will reach 70%. Most of the artillery is either on the way or broken down on the way, comrade division commander."

"That is to say, whether it is artillery or offensive troops, we can only organize an offensive equivalent to the regiment level now, is that right?"

The manpower of a heavy synthetic division can only barely put together a regiment-level offensive. Knowing that this is quite embarrassing, the chief of staff thought about it and found that this is indeed the case, and then nodded to Kurbalov in response.

"Yes, Comrade Division Commander. But the follow-up troops are still arriving in a steady stream, and our strength is increasing rapidly. It is expected that by this time tomorrow, 24 hours later, we will be able to basically gather all the troops that can arrive, and at least have 70% of the combat power under full strength."

"24 hours, 24 hours? Unfortunately, the enemy will not give us so much time. We can't pin our hopes of victory on the enemy not escaping."

Kulbarov, who had not finished speaking, had already handed over his telescope, pointed in the direction of the underground port on the plateau and spoke immediately.

"Look at the port over there. These Japanese troops are making quite a show, with two destroyers and two transport ships. I have read the model in the identification manual. They are Akizuki-class destroyers of the Japanese Navy."

"This thing has four twin-mounted 100mm main gun turrets, a total of eight main guns, and at least 28 25mm anti-aircraft guns. It is simply a hedgehog to have so many guns on such a small ship. One ship is already a bit troublesome, but now there are two in the port."

"If we don't knock down these two damn broken ships, our troops will be directly exposed to the enemy's naval gun fire. The density of this firepower is too great. Once it enters the range, even heavy tanks can't resist it. We must kill them before the ground forces attack."

The chief of staff holding the telescope of the division commander can clearly see the shadows of the ships in the port. From the leader division to the current leader army, they have fought countless battles and defeated various enemies.

However, the Chief of Staff, who had never encountered such a battle as "Army vs. Navy", also felt it was difficult and agreed with the view of the division commander. After a little thought, he immediately expressed his own ideas.

"I think we should organize the artillery as soon as possible to seize the initiative, comrade division commander, and bomb them before the enemy fires at us."

"There are many high ground outside the city. We can use this to carry out reverse slope strikes, deploy artillery observation posts on the high ground, deploy artillery firing positions on the reverse slope of the high ground, and use large-angle curved artillery fire to attack the Japanese destroyers anchored in the port."

"This will not only ensure our own survivability, but also improve the strike effect. The shells falling at a large angle will directly hit the deck of the Japanese destroyer, and a large-caliber shell can destroy a large number of equipment and personnel on the deck."

"It would be even better if it hit the Japanese bridge directly. The destroyer has almost no armor protection and relies entirely on structural resistance. As long as it hits the bridge directly, the entire Japanese command on the ship can be killed with one shot."

The chief of staff also made up for the enemy's naval situation before coming, and specifically studied how to better destroy the Japanese Navy's destroyers by leading the army.

Kurbarov, who thought this plan was feasible, raised his hand and looked at his watch. Knowing that there was no time to lose, he immediately gave the order.

"Gather all existing artillery units to deploy firing positions, and start shelling in half an hour. Prioritize the two destroyers that are sinking, and do not fire at the transport ships for the time being. Wait for my order."

"Prepare for the ground force offensive simultaneously, and also gather all the troops that have arrived so far, and attack the port from the southeast corner of the suburbs. The terrain here is relatively open and there are not many buildings, which is most suitable for the deployment of troops."

"Tanks and infantry fighting vehicles rush into the port! Drive all the stubborn resistance into the sea, and do not let these Japanese troops escape no matter what!"