Munitions Empire-Chapter 1208: The imminent battle of 1128

The soldier standing at the railing kept vomiting, returning all the delicacies he’d just eaten to the sea. He was not alone; there were others retching nearby. Long periods of sea travel weren’t easy for a landlubber like him.

He leaned on the railing, seeing in the distance a massive ship rising and falling with the waves. That vessel was also filled with soldiers, many of them leaning over the railings, some vomiting just as he had.

Transporting soldiers from the distant Beiyuan to the South Island was no easy task. Thousands of people eating, drinking, and relieving themselves aboard the transport ships was even more complicated than imagined.

Standing on the deck and gazing out, all across the sea were warships, one after another, stretching endlessly beyond sight.

The seawater in late April was no longer so icy, and the sea breeze no longer stung the face. Supplementary troops dressed in Army uniforms curiously observed the now nearly defunct floating dock in the distance.

The dock was about ready to be abandoned; many parts that once extended into the sea had become unstable and severely wobbled. Though it could no longer unload supplies, it could still barely manage unloading soldiers.

The Great Tang Empire’s spring offensive continued. The 9th Group Army had been reinforced with fifty thousand new recruits, along with an additional 150,000 Orcs sent to the South Island for further infrastructure construction.

Five large-scale thermal power plants needed to be built here, along with four wastewater treatment facilities, three massive freshwater stations, three jet-capable airfields, and a functional military port.

Anyone witnessing such a colossal fleet would feel a tremendous sense of pride. Surrounding the large vessels were countless warships standing on alert, flashing intercommunication signal lights in dazzling patterns akin to the stars in the sky.

Since large-scale anti-submarine operations weren’t temporarily needed, the fleet was packed closely together, appearing remarkably dense. The destroyers only needed to focus on surface-level threats.

When Pirate Fighters from the escorting aircraft carriers circled overhead, some soldiers lifted their heads to gaze at the planes, noticing their fuselage-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks.

They seemed quite relaxed, finding life aboard the ships somewhat comforting except for the seasickness. On the deck, soldiers held various contests, and within the cabins were plenty of leisure facilities, making their time fairly enjoyable.

After all, they truly couldn’t conceive of any force the enemy might use to stop such a massive fleet from launching its offensive.

Waves splashed against the ship’s hull as a huge passenger ship docked beside the shaky floating platform. Soldiers descended the gangway and immediately noticed the platform rocking severely due to the ship’s movements.

It was as if they had jumped from one vessel onto another. Officers shouted for them to quickly leave the dangerous area. The scene was chaotic, with some even spotting new recruits falling into the water off the side of the dock.

"Watch your step! That section’s moving! Careful with the gaps! You’ll lose your foot if it traps you! Jump over! Maintain your balance!" Officers working near the floating dock repeatedly reminded each incoming soldier.

Once these recruits stepped onto the sandy shore piled high with supplies, they were surprised to find the things here vastly different from what they had imagined.

The bunker ruins riddled with bullet holes had been completely abandoned. Some served as makeshift offices, others as temporary storerooms, all appearing rather chaotic.

Not far away stood a temporary bus stop built amidst the bustle. Goods stretched from the beachfront all the way to that station. Countless military trucks congregated, transporting assortments of supplies to various destinations needing them.

Tents lined the roadside, along with several wood-plank buildings. Orc laborers filled the area, tirelessly working—carrying supplies, constructing roads—turning the place into an enormous construction site.

In the distance, one 130 model transport aircraft after another took off and landed, highlighting the relentless busyness of the island’s airports. Nobody here seemed idle; the atmosphere was hotter than wartime.

"Proceed to Zone One to collect your food and living supplies! Each soldier gets two portions! They’re all in the backpacks! Check thoroughly; attached is an inventory list! Match everything and sign your fingerprint before leaving!" A soldier carrying a Type 56 assault rifle directed the dense crowd of people.

To improve transport efficiency, personnel and equipment were shipped separately. None of these recruits had brought gear; naturally, they would collect everything needed on the South Island.

"Zone Two! This is Zone Two! Steel helmets issued here! Everyone must have one! Make sure to register!" Moving forward, another sentinel yelled continuously.

He held an iron megaphone, shouting over and over. Soldiers clutching their newly issued backpacks entered the helmet distribution area.

A departing soldier wore his steel helmet as ordered, enabling him to take a share of the supplies piled near the docks, optimizing the transport process.

As they moved further along toward the end, they were dispersed into trucks and assigned to various units within the 9th Group Army.

In the Great Southern Bay, a newly constructed dock organized ranks of Type-59 main battle tanks, waiting to board landing ships.

General Feng Kezhi watched his troops’ heavy weapons being loaded, calculating the kinds of resistance he’d encounter on New Island.

Recon planes had brought him overwhelming amounts of intelligence, making him question if future commanders were even necessary: with the staff assisting, any random person could act as campaign commander without real difficulty!

He knew the status of the enemy’s coastal defenses on New Island—where they were damaged, where repairs were underway, where enemy forces heavily guarded, and where troops had suffered severe losses...

Although pinpointing every Shen Army machine gun emplacement remained impossible, their heavy artillery positions, anti-aircraft sites—these had nearly all been thoroughly identified. In this kind of battle akin to an open map, directing forces felt almost unnecessary.

Battalion commanders and company commanders had already divided their objectives for clearing enemy positions. Division-level and corps-level commanders would suppress the Shen Army with naval artillery.

Once the smoke cleared, Tang armored units would land ashore. General Feng Kezhi couldn’t imagine how Shen forces would respond; had it been him facing such a foe, he’d also find no effective solutions.

This time, with the South Island airports and aircraft carrier support, Tang Air Force deployed over 1,000 planes. The closer airfields allowed higher sortie frequencies.

During the South Island landings, the initially unavailable aerial support was now ready: over 100 H-6 bombers, 200 Flying Fortresses, 150 Yir Attack Aircraft, plus Stukas from the navy and air force.

More than 300 advanced warplanes, including jet fighters, maintained air superiority, aided by navy and South Island radar providing early-warning intelligence...

Clearly, just as the Shen Army expected, if the sea couldn’t block the Tang force’s invasion, the subsequent anti-landing operations offered Mirage forces no chance of victory.

"General, I’ll be commanding this operation. Marshal Bernard will remain in Beiyuan to oversee matters," Lu Qianshan saluted General Feng Kezhi with a smile.

His fleet was now able to resupply fully within the Great Southern Bay, particularly the destroyer groups with shorter ranges and heavier logistical demands, which could replenish food, fuel, and ammunition nearby.

Tang Country had successfully transformed the Great Southern Bay. Ports and docks originally obliterated by Shenwu Zhong were rebuilt to be even more modern. Shenwu Zhong’s destruction, in fact, spared Tang construction teams some demolition costs.

The new docks boasted higher throughput. Since many Great Southern Bay buildings had been destroyed, a larger military port warehouse was established without obstacles.

The entire bay had expanded outward by at least twice its area. Numerous buildings were erected, though you’d scarcely see goblins here anymore.

All goblins had been driven to the northern part of the island to work—shifts lasting fourteen hours daily. The Great Tang Empire planned to deport all remaining goblins to the Northern Island after the war concluded.

"Two Dongwan-class battleships will arrive by tomorrow... and according to the plan, the landing operation begins at dawn the day after." Lu Qianshan looked somewhat tense now—this was his first time commanding such a large-scale campaign.

The navy committed four aircraft carriers and two battleships to the operation. Although fewer transport ships were involved than in the previous campaign, more than 1,200 vessels had been assembled!

These ships were to shuttle continuously between South Island and New Island, delivering 9th Group Army units to New Island in droves.

"The Shen forces certainly know what we’re planning by now," General Feng Kezhi remarked, withdrawing his gaze from a distant tanker.

Lu Qianshan nodded. "With such a massive fleet assembled and planes bombing so frequently, even if they were sluggish, they should’ve figured it out by now."

"They’ll concentrate troops on the beaches—the satellite images and recon reports confirm as much." General Feng Kezhi felt that waging war so overtly seemed somewhat crude. He preferred deceiving the enemy into poor judgments rather than relying solely on brute force.

Lu Qianshan was confident. "I’ll order bombardments of the beaches; trust me, with over a hundred heavy guns in play, nothing on those beaches will survive."

"Let’s hope so," General Feng Kezhi nodded, putting away his doubts. Even if unsubtle, such overwhelming force... was a dream come true for many commanders.

On April 26th, the Tang fleet began concentrating near South Island. Ten submarines launched a blockade around New Island, sinking four Shen supply transport ships. Effectively, New Island had been isolated.

To reinforce New Island’s defenses, Shen forces scrambled to transport troops and ammunition overnight and urgently dispatched 20 additional planes to the island.

A fresh landing operation was on the verge of eruption.