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Text Chapter 884 Robbery (End)

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    Hundreds of citizens died at once, including more than a dozen intelligence officers. This was something that had never happened since the Japanese army advanced southward.  When the news came out, the Japanese ambassador to Saigon immediately went to Norodom Palace to ask the French Governor-General Jean Degou for an explanation and asked him to let the Japanese enter Saigon to arrest the murderer.

    Although Europe was completely defeated, the French's aloof temper was not diminished at all. Governor Jean Dego even used the intelligence provided by Beijing to question the Japanese army's assembly in Wuchunli.  Although the negotiations have failed, Japan is not a fool. There must be national power behind such a big move.  Judging from past experience, even if the French colonial government knew about it, they would not be ruthless and kill them all, not to mention that Takeo Imai's body was not found at the scene.  Today, the only country in Southeast Asia that can carry out such a large-scale intelligence operation and needs Takeo Imai is China.  Therefore, after Heisuke Yanagawa learned the news, he believed that this was a signal for China to enter French East Indies. That night, he ordered two regiments of the 18th Division to attack the Khmer Sisophon Province (today's Banteay Meanchey Province). At the same time, he ordered Tai  The commander-in-chief of the army, Songkhen, asked the Siamese army to cooperate with him in an immediate attack.

    The Siamese Army has a total number of 600,000, 134 tanks and more than 200 aircraft. The Air Force also has more than 200 fighters, 48 ??of which are White Shoulder Eagles and 16 H-2s purchased from China, as well as an army of 31 warships.  composed of the navy.  On paper, it is a strong combat force in Southeast Asia, so Japan has always hoped to take it into its hands.  In addition, the military government and nationalists headed by Songkham have always hoped to build a Greater Thailand spanning the southeastern peninsula. Therefore, when China has been reluctant to go south, they tried their best to join Japan. This time they also dedicated 200,000 army troops.  and hundreds of artillery pieces, as well as bombers and fighter jets, simultaneously launching an attack on Madewan, Laos and Khmer.  It only took one day.  With the help of aircraft and artillery, the Siamese army quickly occupied the unsuspecting Vientiane and Madeleine, and also bombed Phnom Penh, Saigon, Hanoi and Cam Ranh Bay.  At the same time, two regiments of the 18th Japanese Division also captured Siso Feng without any blood and advanced towards Siem Reap.

    French Governor Jean Degou is not an old fool. He knows who did it, and he also knows that there is nothing he can do now.  So we simply deployed all 15,000 French troops, 50,000 Vietnamese servants, and 47 old ft-17 tanks at the four key locations of Hanoi, Champasak, Saigon and Siem Reap, and also asked the East India Fleet Commander Bolangier to  March along Saigon to the Gulf of Siam and sweep away the Siamese navy.  Finally, the news of Japan's attack was sent back to China.  As for how to deal with domestic love, he has done everything he can.  The beleaguered French government is of course very stubborn, but the United States responded surprisingly quickly this time.  Less than 15 hours after the Japanese-Siamese coalition attacked, Secretary of State Hurdle said in an interview that Japan had become an "obstacle to peace" in Asia and even the Southwest Pacific.  The Japanese government must immediately and unconditionally cease its aggression and withdraw its troops from the south.

    On the same day, the Prime Minister of the Republic of China Wang Zhengting also used an unusually harsh tone when reporting to the National Assembly in Beijing, demanding that the military immediately terminate the Sakhalin Oil Cooperation Agreement, and stated that he would consider activating the provisions of the "China-France South China Sea Agreement" to ensure the safety of French expatriates and maritime affairs.  To ensure that the French East Indies did not fall into the hands of unfriendly countries.  This speech struck a vital chord in Japan. You must know that Japan has a serious shortage of oil tankers and is subject to embargoes by various countries.  The Balikpapan and Palembang oil fields have never been completely repaired, and the small amount of oil produced cannot be transported back to the country in time. Therefore, Sakhalin's annual 200,000 tons of crude oil is particularly important to Japan.  Hideki Tojo, who was eager to deal with the huge gap after Nagata Tetsuzan's death, did not expect that Beijing would react so strongly and directly threatened Sakhalin with an oil cutoff.  But it's too late to say anything at this point.  The army has already attacked, and naval support is about to arrive, so we can only bite the bullet and find Hirohito to come forward through the imperial meeting.  Let Sugiyama Gen and Nagano Shushen strengthen their cooperation, hoping to win the French East Indies before Beijing launches the South China Sea Agreement.

    Although Nagano Shushen was angry at the Army Ministry's self-assertion.  But he did not want Japan to fail, so he immediately sent another telegram to Narumi Inoue, requesting that he rush to the French East Indies before the 22nd Fleet to help the army control Saigon and Cam Ranh Bay.

    Just when Nagano Shushen and the Japanese Navy focused their attention on the 22nd Fleet, thinking that the 22nd Fleet was the main force of the French East Indies, they led 55 warships to personally protect 43 Tianshan-class landing ships and 39 large ocean-going ships.  Having quietly arrived in Da Nang, the destroyers had even dispersed to clear the first landing site.  Since the 22nd Fleet successfully attracted all the attention of the Japanese Navy, he was not harassed at all during his trip, not even submarines or reconnaissance aircraft.

    "Report, we have arrived in Da Nang and the destroyers have set off."

    At the same time as the navigator reported, Chen Shiying also walked into the command tower: "Commander, the Qingye and the Siamese fleet have arrived to the west of Cape Ca Mau."

    "Where is the French fleet's position?"

    "Thirty-five minutes ago, the reconnaissance plane reported that Bolangier's position was 25 nautical miles southwest of Conlun Island. Based on this distance, it will be encountered at Cape Ca Mau in two hours at most." Chen Shiying marked two points.After showing the position and situation of the fleet's head-on collision, he put down his pen and continued: "Look, the Japanese-Siamese combined fleet has a total of 18 warships. In addition to the Japanese heavy cruiser Aoba and the light cruiser Nagara, the Siamese Navy  Four shallow-water heavy artillery ships, one destroyer, and seven torpedo boats were dispatched. Two of them were in Kampong Som Bay to support the army, and the rest were all here. In addition, it is believed that four Siamese submarines are already operating in this area.  This fleet is not strong in terms of strength, but their position blocks the Saigon landing site. If they are not driven away, the third landing formation will not be able to deploy, and the fourth landing formation will not be able to land in Kampong Som. Look here, this  This is the location of the 27th frigate detachment. They have merged with the gunboat detachment and are less than 70 nautical miles away from the Mekong River"

    "What's your suggestion?" Bingwen asked immediately before Chen Shiying finished speaking.

    "The 27th Frigate Detachment only has four territorial sea-class escorts and six gunboats. If the Qingye does not leave, they will not be able to go up the river to support Siem Reap and Champasak. What's more, the Qingye has blocked the landing site, so I suggest  Deport it immediately! You see, the Ning Hai battleship formation has arrived 110 nautical miles southwest of Fugui Island, and is only 55 nautical miles away from Kunlun Island. It can reach it in up to three hours at full speed."

    "Where is Marquis Zhu Bin?"

    "Already at Nanwei Island, he judged that Inoue Narumi would cross the South China Sea from here."

    Bingwen is not a hesitant person.  He has a strong and decisive character, but this time he was slow to give the order.  It¡¯s not because of fear. Judging from the situation, through a series of cover by the 22nd Fleet, Japan¡¯s attention has been diverted by Zhu Binhou. The reason why the order was delayed is because the order has not yet come.  Although he was eager to immediately order the killing of Inoue Narumi, the General Staff wanted to control the conflict within a smaller scope, at least until the United States made no clear move.  unwilling to declare war on Japan.  Just as he was thinking about it, the communications staff finally brought good news: "Report to the commander, the authorization from the General Staff has arrived, and Operation Typhoon can start at any time!"

    Bingwen breathed a sigh of relief and immediately followed Chen Shiying's plan.  The Ning Hai formation was ordered to rush to Ca Mau Point at full speed to support the French fleet. At the same time, the third and fourth landing formations also accelerated southward to Saigon and Kampong Som.  "Commander, you hope Bolangier can hold on." Chen Shiying turned on the radio, handed the microphone to Bingwen, and suddenly smiled: "Stillcan't hold on?"

    Bolangier couldn¡¯t stand it. This traditional French naval officer in his forties didn¡¯t like Jean Degou¡¯s plan from the beginning.  Because his fleet is too weak.  The only ones that can be fought are three warships.  The light cruiser La Motte Bige was built after the war in Europe. The Admiral Charnel and the Dumont de Vere are also old destroyers that have been in service for more than fifteen years. As for the remaining gunboats, they are basically  Vulnerable.

    But all navies around the world have one creed, which is "When encountering the enemy, you must fight!".  So after receiving the order, Te had no choice but to bite the bullet and sail towards Ca Mau Point.  The result was of course unlucky, because as soon as the fleet turned, it hit the Japanese Navy heavy cruiser Aoba head-on.

    "What the hell! It's a Japanese heavy cruiser. Turn the rudder, turn the rudder quickly!" I saw the Aoba approaching rapidly.  Bolangier, who identified the ship type, cursed loudly because the intelligence did not mention that there was a Japanese heavy cruiser in the Siamese fleet.  "Left full rudder, hurry! Send a telegram to the Governor, we have been attacked by a Japanese navy heavy cruiser! Let the Chinese planes come for reinforcements! Hurry, damn, increase the speed as fast as possible!"

    When the La Motte Bigay and the two destroyers turned around in a hurry, on the Aoba on the opposite side, Colonel Suzuki Sosaku had already made a quick deployment and ordered the Nagara and the Siam Navy to deal with the two destroyers, and then the La Motte  .The Bigay left it to himself: "Fire and sink them!"

    Following the order, the 203mm/l50 naval gun that had been prepared took the lead in roaring.  Amidst the rumbling sound of cannons, the La Motte Bige was immediately covered by thick water columns.  As Japan's first treaty heavy cruiser, the Aoba has a full load displacement of 10,822 tons after modification. It is equipped with three twin 203 mm/l50 naval guns and has a speed of 33 knots.  Bolangier's flagship, the light cruiser La Motte Bigay, is the second ship of the Duguet Trouan class. Although it was built at the same time and has a full load of 10,100 tons, it has a big drawback, which is that  In order to maximize speed, the power system accounts for 2,500 tons of displacement!  Therefore, only four twin 155mm/l50 naval guns were installed.  A power system that is too large not only leads to a decrease in firepower, but also causes the problem of insufficient protection. Except for the ammunition depot, the entire ship has almost no armor, and it also adopts an outdated design of large transverse watertight compartments. Even the thickest turret is only thin.  Thin 30mm armor.

    As you can imagine, when the Aoba opened fire first at a distance of 25,000 meters, the 155mm naval gun with a maximum range of only 26,000 meters had no power to fight back, and was soon hit by a shell at the stern of the ship, causing water to enter.  On the other side, the Nagara light cruiser with a displacement of 5,500 tons and seven 140 mm guns also defeated the Admiral Charnel and the destroyer Dumont de Vere without the ability to fight back.  The Japanese gunner only used 10Within a few minutes, the Dumont de Vere, with a displacement of 1,970 tons and only three 138mm naval guns, caught fire and was eventually sunk by the Siamese Navy's shallow-water heavy gunship Ayutthaya Ayutthaya with a 203mm gun.

    When the Dumont de Vere caught fire, Borangier knew that he was losing, so he immediately ordered a retreat.  What's worse is that due to water entering the stern of the ship, his speed suddenly dropped to 28 knots, the opponent Aoba's was 33 knots, and the Nagara was as high as 36 knots.

    "At full speed, we must sink it." Colonel Sosaku Suzuki and the Japanese sailors were very motivated and continued to accelerate the pursuit. However, they did not know that the battleship Ninghai was already at a speed of 32 knots at this time, leading the light cruiser Minjiang and 2  A Taishan-class destroyer rushed towards it.

    In the bridge of the La Motte Bigay, Bolangier's face was ashen.  Without the Aoba, he still had hope of defeating the inexperienced Siamese navy, but now he had no chance.  "General, this is the Admiral Charnel, we should go rescue them!" As the first mate shouted, the destroyer Admiral Charnel was quickly overtaken by the Nagara, probably knowing that there was no chance to escape.  , more than a hundred French sailors on the destroyer poured out cannonballs like crazy.  But facing the Nagara, which was two sizes larger than it, the counterattack seemed futile and tragic.  soon.  The Admiral Charnel was hit by Nagara's 140mm main gun one after another and set on fire.  Seeing that the Admiral Charnel was about to be sunk, Bolangier simply gave up escaping, ordered a left turn to approach the destroyer, and blasted the Nagara with eight 155mm main guns.  His idea is simple, it is better to break one finger than to hurt ten.  As long as the Nagara can be sunk, even surrender is decent enough.

    When the La Motte Bige aimed at the Nagara, Sosaku Suzuki had already zoomed in to 18,000 meters.  This is a dangerous distance. For the Japanese Navy, which has been conducting monthly trainings for decades, the hit rate of artillery fire from this distance is already quite high.  Sure enough, shortly after the second shot was fired.  The La Motte Bige took three shells in succession and lost two turrets.  One of the shells also hit the chimney and the smoke could not be removed, causing the speed to drop again to less than 20 knots.

    "Prepare for a lightning strike!" Seeing the La Motte Bigay lose speed.  Sosaku Suzuki decided to use the Japanese Navy's best lightning strike tactics.  Under his order, the three Minekaze-class destroyers following behind immediately rushed towards the La Motte Bigay at a high speed of 36 knots.

    "Destroyer! Release smoke, full right rudder. Get out of here, get out!" See the destroyer on the sea level.  Bolangier immediately realized that the Japanese navy was going to use torpedo tactics.  You know, France is the first country in the world to systematically study torpedo tactics, and it is very clear what the consequences will be if the destroyer approaches.  By this time, Suzuki Sosaku had already gained the upper hand. Looking at the rapidly approaching destroyer, except for the six main guns, most of the officers and soldiers on the Aoba had stopped working, waiting to watch the spectacular scene after the torpedo hit the enemy ship.  Some sailors even sunk time to bet.

    Seeing the three Minekaze-class destroyers getting closer and closer, many sailors on the La Motte Bige had closed their eyes in despair. Bolangier had even asked the second officer to fly the white flag.  But at this moment, a distinctive scream came from above, and then Bolangier and all the French soldiers saw that a huge forest of water columns appeared around the proud heavy cruiser Aoba.  !

    "Enemy attack"

    The Japanese lookout who took cod liver oil every day screamed in horror. The huge figure of the Ninghai slowly emerged from the sea level behind the thick smoke released by the La Motte Bigay.

    ?¡­

    In front of Zhennan Pass, military flags are flying, iron currents are rolling, and majestic military songs are floating along the ancient pass.  During the singing, gentry, businessmen and elders of all ethnic groups from all over Guangxi were busy setting up incense tables and altars, killing pigs and sheep, paying homage to their ancestors, and praying for victory for the army officers who were about to go on an expedition from here.  A long line of condolences rushed forward, and the pockets of the young soldiers were filled with rice wine, fruits, tobacco leaves and even boiled eggs.  The girls from the Salvation ethnic group who were singing and dancing in tube skirts were so enthusiastic that they almost made the young men dizzy.

    The army is not like the navy, which has no roots and is cautious in everything. Especially after the Sino-Soviet war started and the army expanded, it can easily have a few or even a dozen divisions with just a shake of the hand.  For this operation, the War Department directly allocated one light armored division and six infantry divisions.  The light armored division is not smaller than the regular armored division. On the contrary, the 20th Armored Division, which is affiliated with the 17th Army, was strengthened before departure and has a total of three armored regiments.  Different from Japan's miscellaneous tank models, all 365 tanks are all Type 25C tanks specially improved for southern operations, nicknamed Tanuki.  It weighs 22 tons and is about the same as the Type 25. It has a new turret that is similar to the Type 36 main battle tank. It should use a more powerful diesel engine and widen the tracks to make the body more suitable for soft soil. Finally, it has been equipped with moisture-proof and swimming capabilities.  In the end, all six infantry divisions were equipped with T2 armored battalions that were built in large numbers after the last war.

      No wonder the people of Guangxi are excited. For them, the distant war in Central Asia is like listening to novels. Only by seeing such a prosperous armored cluster with their own eyes can they understand that the country is really strong.  Even the Chinese living outside Zhennan Pass, after hearing about it, traveled across the mountains and ridges to have a look in person, wishing that the troops would immediately enter Vietnam and drive away all the sullenness and grievances accumulated for generations.

    "Commander Ouyang, I am here to wish you success."

    "Yes, yes, we Annan have been waiting for you for a long time."

    "Commander, I heard that you are also from Guangxi. Come on, let me toast you and wish you success."

    The soldiers were busy preparing to leave the customs, and Ouyang Nan, commander of the 17th Army, was also surrounded by local gentry and businessmen.  From a child soldier in Lu Rongting's Gui Army, to a special sniper in the hunter unit, and now the commander of the First Army, he can now be described as returning home in glory, so the local gentry and businessmen can't wait to stick to it.

    ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Out of a good relationship with the military commander, isn¡¯t that a lot of money?

    Faced with so many elders from his hometown, Ouyang Nan couldn't resist their hospitality, so he had to express his gratitude one by one, and poured bowl after bowl of rice wine.  Seeing that the commander was about to "fall" before the troops started, a jeep finally arrived in time to rescue him.  Su Duozhen, commander of the 20th Armored Division, jumped out of the car. He squeezed through the crowd with a smile and pulled out the drunken Ouyang Nan: "Commander, the order is down! The navy has exchanged fire with the Japanese. Commander Qiu  We are asked to leave the customs in one hour!¡±

    "What order?" Ouyang Nan was a little dizzy and didn't react for a while. It wasn't until Su Duozhen said it again that he jumped up: "Let's go!" (To be continued)
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