21st century Goguryeo - Chapter 152

Chapter 152: Book 6 Chapter 4-1 The Great East Asian War!: The Amphibious Mission!

December 17, 2020, 07:30 (China Standard Time 06:30); the northern beach 8 kilometers from Yen-tai Province, Fu-xan County, China

The 2nd Marine Division’s 10th Amphibious Fleet had been standing by at Da-ren port. As soon as they received the order, they moved to the Ten-jin area under the escort of the 71st Mobile Fleet’s Hocula destroyers at 0200h am on the December 17. However, when the 10th Amphibious Fleet arrived near Beihangjingdao port, they changed course abruptly and prepared to land when they reached the true landing site in two hours.

A few lights could be seen in the dark, foggy sea. It was the U-shaped Fu-xan County’s shoreline development district. Also, the large four-kilometer long Kaipaku beach the 10th Amphibious Fleet targeted to land on could be seen as well.

The amphibious mission in the twenty-first century since World War II was about to begin. Sixty-four WAH-91SP Peregrin falcon attack choppers aboard the Kanghwa class (LHD) amphibious ships flew toward the Kaipaku beach, and the four amphibious ships sent out MK-99A anti-submarine choppers to hover over them to guard them against submarine attacks.

Meanwhile, the 26th Army Group defending the Shandong peninsula had predicted the Korean Navy to land at Ten-jin. They sent their 138th Mechanized Infantry Division to defend it, thus, leaving only the 77th Infantry Division and Yentai Defense Division to guard the area. The 8th Division stationed near Lao-Ning moved toward Yentai while the 199th Infantry Division from China moved hastily to help defend the area.

The 8th Fighter Wing’s Pyeongyang Sun-an Airforce Base had sent out 12 KF-21P Phoenix fighter jets and 24 KA-11P Phoenix land attackers in time. The KA-11P Phoenix land attackers were escorted by the fighter jets and began to attack the Kaipaku beach area.

Woosh~ Woosh~ Woosh~ Woosh~

The 50-mm launch tubes equipped on the KA-11P Phoenix land attackers began to spew out plasma cluster rounds repeatedly. The 77th Infantry Division that had established their line of defense along the beach was completely blown to pieces by the plasma cluster rounds.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

Bang! Boom! Boom!

The numerous anti-air weaponry stationed at the rear line along the beach tried to strike down the Phoenix land attackers with all its might. However, the fast evasive maneuvers from the Phoenix land attackers made the attempt futile. Instead, the numerous land-to-air missiles and other anti-air forces were pelted by cluster rounds such that the defensive lines fell apart.

One of the flight wings that had four Phoenix attackers each began to fly at long altitudes to spray their 22-mm laser Vulcan beams on the surface below. Then the other flight wings fired their S-AGM-20 missiles to the anti-air artillery units and their armored vehicles. In a short time, the pillars of flame rising 10 meters high and the heat that emanated from them engulfed the beach.

Along the beach, flames and black smoke were rising and the bodies of Chinese soldiers were in a pile. Their defensive line was not prepared for a landing attack, so it was broken easily and the damages were extensive.

Across the horizon, the 7th Mobile Fleet’s Hocula destroyers that had escorted the 10th Amphibious Fleet were launching their cruise missiles and K-1 Harper cannons. The dank smell of gunpowder permeated the air, coming from the continued explosions along the beaches and the cities behind the beaches. The continued attack had also resulted in Chinese civilian casualties.

“You idiots! Don’t just hide and fire back! Don’t you realize we will all be dead if we stay put?”

An officer with a rank of Colonel glared at the QW-18’s operators, who were shaking with fear inside their foxhole and shouted at them.

“Hurry up! Are you going to disobey orders?”

When the officer pulled out his pistol and shouted again, the operators of the QW-18 emerged from the foxhole and aimed the missile launcher at the oncoming Phoenix land attacker jets. The officer gave the order to launch as explosions shook the ground, and the sound of gunshots filled the air.

“Fire!”

Four anti-air missiles flew into the sky while spewing white smoke when the officer gave the order to launch. However, unlike what the Chinese officer had hoped, the Korean land attackers deployed chaffs and flares and avoided the Chinese missiles. Instead, a spray of 22-mm laser Vulcan beams flew toward them, and the Chinese soldiers were torn to pieces. The QW-18 operators and the Chinese officer met their ends as well.

The 64 WAH-91SP Peregrin falcon choppers from the amphibious ships all moved along the Kaipaku beach and sprayed it with hellfire again.

Since the strike on the landing point was successful, Admiral Oh Seung-hwan, who had been monitoring the situation on the Dok-do ship’s bridge, gave the order to the Operations Director.

“Have the EFVs sent out from each LHD landing vessel.”

“Yes, sir. I will relay the order.”

“Then send in the LSTs as soon as we take the beach.”

“Yes, Admiral.”

Moments later, 100 or so K-24P-N amphibious armored vehicles rolled out in a line formation from the 4 LHD amphibious ships. The armored vehicles cut through the rough waves and headed to the shores of the Kaipaku beach.

Vrooo.

The dark sky had begun to light up from daybreak. The scene of over a 100 amphibious armored vehicles mobilizing toward the beach while anti-submarine choppers hovering alongside them was a sight to behold.

The latest EFV K-24P-N amphibious armored vehicles were able to move at an unbelievable speed of 55 knots because of its plasma water jet thrusters and glided over the ocean surface.

Bang! Boom! Woooosh~

The occasional artillery rounds caused pillars of water to rise between the amphibious armored vehicles. The Chinese artillery was attempting to stop the landing of the Korean marines. However, the Chinese artillery strikes had stopped after a while. The Hocula destroyer fleets had launched their surface-to-land cruise missiles and had sentenced the Chinese artillery to their fate.

Boom Boom Boom~

Ten minutes later, the amphibious armored vehicles arrived on the beach. The five MLRS installed in the amphibious armored vehicles simultaneously launched the multi-area smoke bombs. When the smoke bombs exploded 5 meters above the surface, the entire beach was covered with thick yellow smoke. Then the 22-mm laser Vulcan beam sprayed white laser beams in all directions via remote controls. The 16 (4×4) MLRS launchpads, attached on both sides of the vehicles, shot out plasma cluster rounds in an arc to spray down fire to the defensive structures set along the beach.

“First platoon! First and 2nd squadron dismount! Dismount.”

When the amphibious vehicle arrived on the beach, the vehicle commander gave the landing marines orders to dismount. The rear hatch of the vehicles opened and 16 marine soldiers alighted.

Ba ba bang! Vrooooo! Boom! Bang! Bang bang bang!

China’s 77th Infantry Division that had survived the airstrikes, missile attacks, and cannon fires from the Korean military begin to retaliate. Some of the marines coming out from the amphibious vehicles fell down from the gunshots. However, because of the protective suit’s bulletproof capabilities, they got back up and ran toward the area to cover themselves.

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December 17, 2020, 08:00, Yongsan-ku B2 bunker (ROK Military Joint Command Center), Seoul

Chairman Kang Ui-sik, who had been monitoring the landing operation on Yentai all night, was very pleased by how smoothly the operation went.

Looking at World War II from history, a landing operation was risky and could have the invading force suffer from damages that could be ten times greater than the enemies’. However, Korea’s first landing operation in the twenty-first century had completely fooled the Chinese commanders and it went according to plan.

“This is a relief, sir! It seems our casualties and equipment damages are so far all insignificant.”

Since the operation was mainly conducted by the navy, the Chief of Naval Operations smiled happily and spoke.

“I hope we can disperse the Chinese forces that are defending Beijing to the Shandong peninsula with this operation,” Chairman Kang said.

China’s most powerful force, the 38th Army Group, was determined to have been eliminated. But in the afternoon the day before, it had completed its reorganization and revealed itself at the eastern side of Beijing to defend against Korea’s 20th Armored Division.

The 20th Armored Division was already facing off against the 65th and 27th Army Group and had to retreat to Jiaodingshan when the 38th Army Group joined forces in the battle to avoid unnecessary casualties.

Then the 25th Light Armored Infantry Division stationed in Jinzhou was ordered to move toward Jiaodingshan. The move was made to reinforce the 20th Armored Division and also to disperse the Chinese forces along with the 2nd Marine Division’s landing operation.

“That is a point of concern as well, but I am also concerned about China merging the 21st Army Group with Beijing’s defending force that had been at Tenjin to defend against a landing, now that they know the landing point has been changed to Shandong, sir,” the Chief of Naval Operations said.

“I am concerned about that as well. If they do merge their forces and have the 21st Army Group join Beijing’s defending force, I am worried our 20th Armored Division would not be able to break through four army groups. No, I think they might only sustain heavy losses instead of breaking through China’s line of defense,” Chairman Kang answered.

“China would not be able to hastily move the 21st Army Group from Tenjin, sir.”

The Operations Director who was standing behind Chairman Kang Ui-sik answered.

“Is that so?”

“Yes, sir. No matter what happens, it still doesn’t change the fact Tenjin is the pathway to Beijing. They would probably consider the idea but would never deploy the 21st Army Group to somewhere else.”

“I just hope they do as you say. However, if the 21st Army Group does join the fight, have the 20th Armored Division to only passively engage in battle until the 25th Light Armored Infantry Division joins them.”

“Yes, sir. I understand. ”

“Are paratrooper rangers making their preparations?”

Chairman Kang Ui-sik changed topics and asked the Operations Director.

“Yes, sir. The four paratrooper special forces brigades and the 2nd Heavy-armored Paratrooper Brigade under the 2nd Military Command headquarters are all standing by at the Sung-nam base. They are ready to go as soon as you give the order, sir.”

“Let’s wait for the results of the Yentai landing first.”

At the 15th Special Operations Fighter Wing’s Sung-nam Airforce base, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th Paratrooper Special Forces were all fully equipped and standing by for deployment. They were waiting to take over the various cities along the Shandong peninsula once the anti-air bases in the area had been taken out successfully.

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December 17, 2020, 09:10 (China Standard Time 08:10), Kaipaku beach, Yentai Fuxan Province, China

Some 1,600 marines successfully took over the beach from the first wave of amphibious armored vehicle landings, and a firefight was in progress on the roads along the beach. The Chinese military was using the buildings within the city to take cover and began their retaliation.

Meanwhile, the second and third waves of marine soldiers arrived on the beach aboard amphibious armored vehicles. Then the 8 Cheonwang class amphibious landing ships arrived on the beach, and 12 K-2 Black Panther tanks began to move out from inside the fleet.

Vrooooom!

The K-2 Black Panther tanks all glided across the sand and easily climbed over the railing at the beach roads. Then the main turret moved and a loud explosion that could pierce eardrums rang out, causing the 55t Black Panther tanks to shake.

Boom! Boom! Bang!

The anti-personnel high-explosive (HE) rounds installed on the K-2 Black Panther tanks flew like a clothesline toward the areas that the Chinese soldiers would take cover and they exploded. The HE rounds had torn the hiding Chinese soldiers into shreds, and those that survived the blast had their eardrums blown or organs decimated.

The 2nd Marine Division that consisted of 10,000 marine soldiers had completely taken over the Kaipaku beach with a single armored battalion at their lead. The marines marched forward to chase after the fleeing 7th Infantry Division and strike the defending division for Yentai.