Chapter 690 Battle of Augusta 1

"Pooh."

Next to Ailan Lake, Wu Peifu licked his numb tongue, kept spitting into the lake, and said with a smile, "The translation of this name is the same. Unfortunately, it is far worse than the lake of the same name in our province. You can't drink it at all."

"Brother Ziyu, aren't you asking for trouble? I said that this is a salt-alkali lake, because it is lower than the sea surface, and it is formed when the sea water penetrates from the ground. Don't see it clearly, only this season has a little water in the four seasons of the year." Feng Guozhang smiled and handed him a kettle to rinse his mouth. Then he straightened up and looked at the salt-alkali lake area. His pride suddenly rose: "Let's cross the ocean all the way here. Now let's look at the shiver ahead."

"What, can't wait?!"

"A little bit, but this shiver is not easy to fight." Feng Guozhang walked to the jeep side by side with Wu Peifu. As he walked, he continued to say, "In the past few days, the plane reconnaissance came back and said that these guys had almost built Augusta Harbor into a fortress group. There were fortifications made of stone and cement everywhere, and the Flinders Ridge behind had a highland advantage, which was condescending and convenient to defend, not to mention As you just said, we haven't fought several decent battles all the way, and the total number of deaths and captures is only about 100,000. It can be seen that they have been waiting for us here for a long time.

Unfortunately, the entrance to the bay is blocked by a mine. It will take ten days and a half months for the navy to clean up, and the aircraft carrier plane can't come so far. Otherwise, the navy will have a lot of fun to write it down.

"It's not unusual. I would have done the same. I lengthen the enemy's supply line, find a dangerous place to defend, and counterattack after exhausting my energy. I have a good abacus."

"That's good, but it's a pity that they miscalculated the terrain!" Feng Guozhang smiled and pointed to a dry salt lake in the distance and said, "I went to see it just now. This lake bed is dry and harder than foreign ash. As long as the stones and sand on it are cleaned up, it will be a natural airport. As long as the air force can help us clean up those solid fortifications, give him a few more. What can a million soldiers do? About 300 meters of highland and mountains, I dare to say the sky, hum! I can poke a hole directly.

Wu Peifu smiled slightly. Feng Guozhang's words are true. Although Persia and Russia are also on tanks, there are several armored regiments and steppers on the scene at all. Only in Australia has three real armored divisions, especially after each division has added 50 Siberian tigers, and their combat strength is even better. The floor.

People who have not been in contact with it can't understand the ability of the regular armored division at all. This is not just a few more tanks and armored vehicles. The 18,000 people in the division are all hiding behind thick leather armor, just like heavy cavalry wrapped in a layer of armor. When they soar, there is really nothing to block in front of them. .

If it weren't for the long supply line, or putting the armored division in a place like France, maybe it would have flattened them in a month. Why did it take more than two years like Germany now, but it was still being squeezed back by little by others.

"Now it depends on whether the supplies can be delivered in time." Wu Peifu is not worried.

Seeing his worries, Feng Guozhang smiled and said, "Ziyu, don't worry, the headquarters has just sent a telegram. Ten days ago, the Navy and Marines have taken down Kenny Harbor. It is only 400 kilometers from where to come here by land, and the truck will arrive in the slowest 8 hours, and this time Commander Zhao has personally from Po. S has collected 37 10,000-ton ships and hundreds of fishing boats, and asked that 1,000 trucks and supplies must be sent here within three days, and this time the general support is also responsive to us. Luzon also has a transport fleet of a total of 200 cargo ships. As long as we can take Adelaide, they will I will leave immediately."

"200 ships!"

"Is it a lot?" Feng Guozhang smiled and said, "I tell you, this is only part of it. There is a fleet of about the same number in Guam, ready to cooperate with the landing in East Australia."

Hearing Feng Guozhang's words, Wu Peifu also took a breath of cold air. Standing in his position, he could still know something. Although China began to accelerate the construction of ocean-going cargo ships, it has only been more than a thousand ships for so many years. He suddenly took out nearly one-third to support this decisive battle. It can be seen that he is determined to solve Australia as soon as possible. .

Not to mention 200 ships, even the 37 10,000 tons of ships and hundreds of fishing boats that are about to arrive, they are at least 200,000 tons of materials. Apart from food and other things, they can carry at least 60,000 tons of ammunition and gasoline.

However, if the supply is solved, it does not mean that he can win this battle smoothly. If there is enough time, there is no problem, but the emperor is still so determined when he is about to start the war against the United States and shows such a strong ocean navigation force, which shows that he does not want to be dragged into consumption, or requires a quick decision.

In this way, the pressure on the front-line headquarters is much greater. You should know that the opposite side is not only dangerous to defend, but also at least five or six00,000 troops, and hundreds of thousands of troops can be supported by train at any time. More importantly, this is their home. The terrain is more familiar than their own, and they are single-minded. If it is not a strict blockade, there is a strict lack of force. Maybe all the people are soldiers.

After the two slowly walked into the division's department, Wu Peifu immediately walked to the map and looked at the dozens of kilometers wide Lake Torrens in front of him. It was a pity in his heart that if he waited for Australia's summer a few months later, it would be dry up and there would be no such trouble of being blocked.

So can you go around Torence Lake and go around the back of Flinders Ridge?

Thinking of this, Wu Peifu's eyebrows jumped slightly, and his fingers slowly crossed along the north of Lake Torrens. It was really not too difficult to go around between Lake Eyre and Lake Torrens. It was much better than the northwest. The only thing to consider was that this road was 1,200 kilometers, and from the perspective of aircraft reconnaissance, Australia The army is also ready to take a detour, so it has to cross the defense line of at least 12 divisions in a row from the north to the bottom!

This is not a joke. Although the formation of the Australian Allied Forces is different, each division is about 15,000 people, that is to say, it not only has to cross the complex Salt Lake area and walk about 1,300 kilometers, but also to pierce the interception of nearly 200,000 troops in a row, and it must also be completed before the other party reacts to reinforce. Yes, according to the sports speed of the contract [***] team, that is to say, the railway line between Port Augusta and New South Wales behind it must be cut off within 3 days!

Can it be done?

Thinking of the thrilling long-distance battle of the Flying Tigers in the Arabian Peninsula, Wu Peifu took a deep breath and turned his head and asked, "Brother Guozhang, when will the first batch of supplies arrive?"

=========The train rumbled, and outside the window was the desolate Victoria Desert. Although the railway line in South Australia had been destroyed many times, the Australian war zone still overcame many difficulties and rushed along the railway line, and then took two experienced construction regiments with the army as the main force. On the other hand, After repairing one side, it is so tenacious to extend the railway line to the east.

Although it is not yet possible to rely on the train to go directly to East Australia, it is everyone's efforts that enable the follow-up main forces to reach the front line through a steady stream of trains, so as not completely relying on trucks and feet to walk nearly 2,000 kilometers.

In the carriage, Zhao Long put down the curtains, handed the plan sent by Wu Peifu to Huang Fuqi, and asked, "How's it going?"

"I think it's okay." Huangfuqi nodded and said, "Now our West Route Army has advanced to Ailan Lake, one step away from Dong'ao.

The North Road Army also entered Normanton, north of Queensland three days ago. It can cut off the Cape York Peninsula in 10 days at most, and then go south along the railway line. The Middle Road Army is a little slower. There is no railway on their way, and they all have to rely on trucks and horses to supply. However, Gao Dingru telegraphed to me yesterday that he promised 5 Enter the grain-producing area of the Great Basin in a day, but it is also a place guarded by the Allied forces, and the Middle Route Army lacks heavy firepower, so if you want to open the situation as soon as possible, you must speed up the opening of the port of Augusta and take the port of Adelaide, so that the most important state of New South Wales and Victoria will no longer be in danger.

"Why don't you think it's risky? This is 1,200 kilometers!"

"Ha ha, it is said to be 1,200 kilometers. In fact, it is a large circle of roads. The radius of the troops has been maintained at about 500 kilometers. Now the front-line airport is under construction and can be used in 5 days at the latest. At that time, the air force can provide fire support throughout the whole process. As long as the air force opens the road, I think it is still It can be achieved."

Zhao Long nodded and took a deep breath: "It's a little risky, but we have no choice. The emperor and the chief of staff have ordered the Guam fleet to leave last night!"

"Hang!" Huang Fuqi took a breath and said, "Numia hasn't taken it yet. Is it so urgent?"

"Numéa can fight slowly, but East Australia will speed up in any case. In a few days, it will enter September. The First Fleet has been ordered to sweep and bomb the west coast of the United States from next month, and the U.S.-Cada coalition has also arrived near Skagwe and the Yukon River. At present, it has made peace with Japan. There was an exchange of fire.

Cai E has also made efforts in Panama. He has promised the emperor that he will take the canal by the end of the year, so the United States must have known that we are preparing to attack their homeland. If we continue to delay, it will be more unfavorable to us. Therefore, I estimate that the war order against the United States will be comprehensive after the end of the New Year at the latest. It's issued. There really can't be any more delays here.

Huang Fuqi slowly sat down. Zhao Long was right. Up to now, there have been 1.2 million troops in Australia. It's easy to just be restrained. The empire is not short of excellent soldiers, but the problem is that there are not only soldiers here, but also two construction regiments that come with the army to repair the railways, as well as prisoners. The hundreds of thousands of Allied soldiers, all of whom add up to nearly 2 million mouths, have to eat and drink every day. In addition, Western Australia and North Australia are not grain-producing areas, so half of them need to rely on domestic supplies. Even if they arrive here from the nearest Luzon, there are still 3,000 kilometers of sea, which is really difficult to supply.

This is also the main reason why it is to let the Middle Route Army enter the Great Artes Basin when it is aware that there is no railway, most of them have to travel through the desert, and the traffic is extremely inconvenient, because it is the largest grain-producing area in Australia.

Ordinary people don't know, but he, the commander of the war zone, knows very well that in fact, the northwest and Australia consume the most of the empire, which together consume 70% of the materials in the war and contain nearly half of the navy.

If it hadn't been for the containment of these two war zones, it would have been estimated that the emperor would have directly entered the United States as soon as the war began, which would not give the United States the slightest chance at all. Now the northwest is a temporary solution, at least Russia can't play tricks before the end of the civil war.

The main force of the North African campaign that just begun was Ottoman. For the empire, it took Djibouti, captured the Sinai Peninsula, and stuck the Allied forces from Egypt to support Damascus by land. It was enough to close the Suez Canal. It depends on the mood whether it goes deep into Cairo or not, so it doesn't consume too much. As for the landing of tin. Lan, the Indian Grand Fleet is now blocked at home by the First Task Force and more than 20 submarines. It is very difficult to come out, so the navy only needs to send five or six divisions to make a look and control Colombo. I'm afraid the Indian Allies there would have been desperate. If it hadn't been for India's large population, it would have been too much to control. Trouble, it will consume too many resources. Maybe it has already waved troops on the Indian Peninsula.

Although the empire suddenly attacked the whole line during this period, it was actually preparing for contraction, because it was not a joke to hit the United States. The depth of the territory was similar to that of Australia, but the population was 30 times larger, and the industry and mobilization capacity were incomparable. If the 1.2 million troops did not consider logistics and distance, they would step on the flat. Australia, with a population of 3.5 million, is no problem at all, but if it wants to hurt the United States, it needs to be at least several times more.

Although the left and right of the navy have sank many American [***] ships, it is not harmful to the United States. The only thing that can make him afraid and scared is to land on the mainland, completely breaking people's fantasy that the geographical environment of the United States is good and there are no natural enemies around him!

Therefore, solving Australia has become the most urgent part of shrinking troops. How much time it can solve the main battle will become the main signal to decide whether to fight against the United States. Therefore, the emperor did not hesitate to send the battleship to the Japanese dynasty in exchange for 600,000 troops, so as to send a landing fleet in advance and land in East Australia as soon as possible. Open up the second battlefield.

"Report, the Air Force sent a telegram."

"What's the matter?"

"Commander Xue Muhua told you that 78 Kunpeng bombers will arrive in Darwin from Rabaul this afternoon. He said that if it goes well, he will arrive at Ailan Lake at the latest in the afternoon of the day after tomorrow, asking us to speed up the construction of the airstrip."

"78!"

"Great!" Hearing the news, even if the commander was still around, Huang Fuqi jumped up. This is a new force. If this batch of bombers can arrive, then in the early stage, the third air division stationed in Australia will have 250 Kunpeng, 600 storms and 450 wild horses.

This is enough to change a lot of things!

"Order Feng Guozhang to completely repair the airport and build a simple machine shed within 2 days. In addition, order Perth to immediately transport all the stored napalm bombs to Lake Ailan by sea for standby."

"Tell Wu Peifu that the first batch of supplies can arrive tomorrow night. He has five days!"

(to be continued)