Chapter 8: Indecisive (Four)

  Article 4

  At 2:30 pm, the two understrength tank battalions of the 77th Amphibious Infantry Brigade's Tank Regiment, consisting of 41 Type 88C tanks and dozens of supporting armored vehicles, formed a loose two-column formation under the command of Colonel Shen Fangzhong, commander of the 77th Amphibious Infantry Brigade's Tank Regiment, advancing rapidly in a column formation.

  Along the way, I've seen fewer and fewer abandoned vehicles of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces. Various signs seem to indicate that Shen Fang's tank column is gradually approaching the defensive line established by the enemy's rear guard troops.

  "Maintain speed, each unit close the distance and gather formation." The soldier's intuition also told Shen Fang - the battle is about to start. And at this moment, Shen Fang was not afraid, he even had some desire for the Japanese side to bring out a decent armored force to have a decisive battle with him.

  "On the left flank, 4 Japanese military helicopters appeared." With the warning from the air defense command vehicle equipped with CLC-2 type short-range low-altitude search radar with a maximum detection range of 20 kilometers in the group's direct air defense company, 2 "Ching-kuo" light air defense missile launch vehicles produced by Taiwan quickly entered combat position. The "Ching-kuo" light air defense missile launch vehicle is based on the famous American "Hummer" high-mobility off-road vehicle and is equipped with 4 Taiwanese-made "Tien Kung I" air defense missiles."

  "The Flying Leopard" emerged in the People's Liberation Army as a result of the 2006 fiscal year joint military procurement between mainland China and Taiwan. As compensation for Taiwan's purchase of Type 88C main battle tanks from the mainland, the PLA Marine Corps also adopted the "Flying Leopard" as its primary field air defense weapon.

  Objectively speaking, the performance of "Jie Ling" is not bad. However, two OH-1 type armed reconnaissance helicopters and two AH-1S armed helicopters of the Japanese Self-Defense Force suddenly appeared on the flank of the Chinese tank column, using terrain as cover, and were discovered when they had already approached close by. The salvo of anti-tank missiles and rockets instantly destroyed 5 tanks of the Chinese Marine Corps. Meanwhile, the hastily counterattacked "Tian Jian" only hit one AH-1S that was unable to turn around in time. This sudden attack made Shen Fang feel a faint sense of foreboding.

  "Enemy tanks appear on the left front, number unknown." "Enemy tanks appear on the right front, number unknown." Just as the smoke from the dense American-made "Nine-Headed Bird" 70mm rockets and TOW anti-tank missiles had not yet dispersed, the frontline troops' alarm sounded again.

  In the smoke of a 60mm mortar fired from a vehicle, Nambu Osamu skillfully divided his 12 Type 74 tanks into two attack groups and launched an attack on the Chinese army from both wings. The low-profile body of the Type 74 tank was not easily detectable in Indonesia's hilly terrain, but more importantly, Nambu Osamu chose the right timing. The Chinese army, which had just been hit by an air raid, could not accurately judge his true strength for a while.

  Simultaneous pressure from both flanks was enough to render a well-trained army equally helpless, although the Type 74 tank was only equipped with the British Vickers company's 51-caliber L7A3 105mm rifled gun, but it had an initial velocity of up to 1501 meters

  After being hit by the M735 APFSDS, it can still easily penetrate the side armor of the Type 88C tank. Within a short span of 3 minutes, 8 tanks in the front row of the Sharp Blade Brigade were destroyed or damaged to varying degrees by accurate enemy fire, losing their combat effectiveness.

  "Call in air support." The Chinese naval infantry, who encountered the attack, quickly released smoke and used the superior firepower of the rear tanks to cover their own armored units as they retreated from contact with the enemy. At the same time, they extended their wings to form a battle line, shaking off the disadvantage of being pinched on both sides.

  Colonel Shen Fang, who had been continuously attacked by enemy armed helicopters and ground armored troops, directly used the regiment's satellite communication system to request support from the Chinese Navy's "Shanghai" nuclear-powered aircraft carrier battle group patrolling in the waters off Java.

  While Nanmoku Jirō, who had the upper hand in the first round of fighting, understood that his opponent was only temporarily stunned and did not rush to expand his gains. Instead, he waited on the spot for the support of the Japanese Southern Expeditionary Army's Special Tank Regiment, which would be thrown into battle later. As both sides adjusted their deployments while releasing large amounts of smoke, the entire battlefield was shrouded in a colorful mist.

  20 minutes later, Shen Fang received the latest news from the "Shanghai" nuclear-powered aircraft carrier battle group: The first wave of ground support aircraft had taken off and would enter the combat zone within 5 hours. Thus, the Chinese naval infantrymen who were unwilling to be controlled by the enemy regrouped and launched another attack.

  The first attack group, led by Shen Fangzhong himself, extended a 2-kilometer-wide formation and confronted the enemy head-on under the supporting firepower of their own vehicle-mounted anti-tank missiles. At this moment, the first batch of support troops expected by Nanmu Zhihang had not yet entered the battlefield.

  22 Type 88C tanks of the Chinese army faced off against a mixed force of 18 Type 74 and Type 05 tanks of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, with the Chinese army having the upper hand. Moreover, the wind direction on the battlefield was also favorable to the Chinese army, as strong southwest winds were gradually dispersing the smoke from the Japanese positions.

  "Advance, engage the enemy." Amidst the rumbling of tank tracks, the "Jungle Tigers" of the Chinese Navy's Marine Corps charged forward once again. The two sides began exchanging fire at a distance of about 2 kilometers. The 88C-type tanks used by the Chinese Navy's Marine Corps employed a traditional overall layout and a fully welded conventional turret structure, with the fighting compartment located in the middle of the tank. The commander was positioned on the right side of the turret and could rotate 360° in the command tower below, which had a hatch cover installed with a day/night panoramic sight. The gunner was located on the left side of the turret, with a day/night sighting and laser rangefinding three-in-one stabilized sight mounted in front, using a four-link mechanism to ensure synchronization between the sight and the cannon, allowing the computer to coordinate the movement of the cannon along the sighting line. Although this fire control system was not advanced, it would not easily miss any target in the hands of well-trained tank crew members.

  The artillery battle lasted for 2 minutes, and more than 5 Type 74 tanks of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces were destroyed. The main gun of the Type 74 tank was unable to penetrate the frontal armor of the turret at this distance, and even if hit, it would only damage some sensitive components.

  So in fact, Narumi Jirō was facing off against Shen Fang's 22 Type 88Cs with just six 40-ton Type 05 medium tanks. However, Narumi and his comrades showed extraordinary combat prowess. With the help of a laser detection warning system of the same type as the Type 90 tank, Narumi's Type 05 tank dodged the cannon fire of several Chinese tanks with agility, firing without missing, and destroyed three Type 88Cs of the Chinese Marine Corps while on the move.

  At the same time, 4 J-11B carrier-based aircraft led by Liu Qingzhong also entered the battlefield.

  "Beep, beep." The first all-out dive with TV-guided bombs in Liu Qingzheng's squadron leader's cockpit suddenly sounded an urgent radar warning - he was locked onto by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' field air defense system. Although the electronic countermeasures pod mounted on it immediately implemented interference, it was apparently too late. Two 81-style "Short SAM" short-range air defense missiles hit the tail of the J-11H fighter jet piloted by Liu Qingzheng, and the plane instantly lost control and fell westward in flames. His wingman was also hit shortly after, exploding in mid-air.

  "Report, we encountered strong anti-aircraft fire and intercepts. Aircraft 071 and 072 have been shot down. Please instruct." The remaining two J-11H fighter jets immediately abandoned their attack, rapidly climbing and reporting the loss to the mother ship.

  "The pilot of No. 071 is Lieutenant Colonel Liu Qingzheng, the captain of the Donghai Arrow squadron. Including this battle, he has taken off five times in a row." The entire carrier's bridge was silent, with only Captain Ma Lan of the "Shanghai" speaking in a low voice. "Order them to return, and ask our ground troops to organize a search and rescue operation. In the short term, except for eliminating enemy air defense positions, no more close air support missions will be arranged." Commander Xu Jie of the Chinese South Sea Special Mixed First Sea-Air Attack Group slowly stood up, looking at the still busy flight deck. This is an aircraft carrier; you can't guarantee that every pilot returns safely.

  The fierce battle on the outskirts of Beihai is still ongoing. Shen Fang's first attack group, despite being unable to obtain air support, has managed to push back Nanmu Zhi Xing to an area about 5 kilometers from the city with its superior military strength, but it is also a last-ditch effort.

  As the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' reinforcements were gradually deployed, Shen Fang's first attack group was almost exhausted and had to start a full retreat at 3:25 pm. In this small-scale armored battle later known as the "North Ka Coast Peripheral Tank Battle", the 77th Marine Brigade of the Chinese People's National Defense Army lost 29 tanks, while the Japanese Self-Defense Forces lost 15 tanks. The northern front line of both armies was basically stabilized at a distance of 45 kilometers from North Ka Coast City.