Chapter 5: Golden Spears and Silver Wheels (4)

  Article 4

  The aerial battle over the East Java Sea lasted for a full hour, with the Japanese "Nanyang Dispatched Army" Air Self-Defense Force deploying almost all of its available air power to intercept. However, apart from losing 36 F-2 fighter jets, 12 F-1 fighter jets and 4 F-15J fighter jets, they only managed to shoot down a mere 7 out of the 50 Y-8S large transport planes in the first wave of airborne troops of the Chinese Expeditionary Force.

  Of course, in order to protect their own airborne troops, the Chinese Air Force and Naval Aviation also paid a heavy price of 26 J-10s, 15 J-11s and 33 J-8D fighter jets. However, their sacrifices were valuable, at least that's what the tearful soldiers of the 77th Amphibious Infantry Brigade of the People's Liberation Army Marine Corps and the 22nd Airborne Division of the Air Force thought as they sat inside the Y-8S large transport aircraft.

  "In fact, such a large-scale airborne operation should not be launched at this time. We have not yet fully seized air superiority, and the enemy's ground combat effectiveness is almost intact. To put it bluntly, I feel that we are using people as cannon fodder."

  Inside the command center of the Southeast Asian War Zone Command of the People's National Defense Army, facing the airborne troops who were about to arrive on the battlefield in Java, General Ren Lingyu, who had hardly touched cigarettes and alcohol since joining the army, made an exception and asked General Qian Xiao for a cigarette. He lit it alone and spoke slowly.

  "You've already expressed this opinion before we started deploying, and at that time I simply refuted it. To be honest, I was worried that you would report to Beijing about me, saying that I don't take the lives of soldiers seriously." Qian Xiao General lit a cigarette from the pack with ease and said lightly.

  "Of course not, I know you're not that kind of person." Ren Lingyu replied naturally after being choked by smoke for a moment. "Little Ren, you're wrong! One victory can lead to a thousand bones drying up. I don't care about casualties. Of course, we both know the distance between Indonesia and our military bases on the front lines, and what that means for a modern expeditionary force. We can use our military advantage to fight a low-casualty war. First, seize control of the seas, then destroy the enemy's airports with missiles. Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds, Indonesia is not Taiwan, it's too big, and there are too many unknown airfields in the wilderness. But that doesn't matter! We can slowly find them one by one and smash them with our expensive missiles. Then we'll send out thousands of sorties every day, so that little Japan can't even find a single intact piece of armor before landing. However, comrade, we don't have that much time, the international situation and the balance of power between us and the enemy force us to end this war quickly. But more importantly, war is not a game, you and I both know that from our experiences. If today our soldiers' blood stains the red earth of Java, then in the future, the Republic will not hesitate to use even more blood to defend it. Perhaps I'm an old-fashioned soldier, but perhaps we are the ones who understand war more directly. I still remember the night I first went into battle, when we set out from the military academy to the southern battlefield, there were many comrades in my class who were better than me, but in the end, only I returned with all four limbs intact. Please remember, Ren Lingyu, the most effective and direct way to defeat the enemy is to crush them with your will." The quiet command center was left with only Qian Xiao's old and firm military voice.

  "Willpower cannot withstand steel." Standing atop a mound overlooking the sea of flames engulfing Sanbō Roppo International Airport, General Jūzaburō Isugi, Supreme Commander of the "Nanyang Dispatch Army", said with equal determination.

  Several kilometers away, outside a newly dug 4-meter-deep and 5-meter-wide anti-tank ditch, several Type 89 infantry fighting vehicles were desperately using their 35mm autocannons to sweep the opposite bank of the ditch, covering their armored bridging vehicles as they completed the construction of a land bridge. Huge steel plates spanned the anti-tank ditch.

  The first Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle charged forward bravely, at which point an anti-tank rocket projectile accurately shot out from the ruins on the opposite bank of the trench, but in the darkness it was too conspicuous. The Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle quickly stopped and reversed to dodge the fatal blow, while more bullets densely fired at the hiding place of the ambusher.

  In the dark night, 35mm machine guns fired and debris splashed everywhere. The Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle sped even faster towards the opposite bank, at this time all Japanese armored soldiers could clearly see through night vision devices a blood-stained figure crawling out of the rubble pile with an RPG anti-tank rocket launcher on his shoulder that had been reloaded, of course such a reckless attack didn't have any chance to succeed, under the tracer rounds the broken body was torn apart like scrap paper and scattered, disappearing into thin air.

  "It's safe." Just as the first Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle was about to drive over the land bridge, a small figure suddenly rushed towards the tracks of the vehicle. In the midst of a massive explosion, the main wheels of the Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle and the flesh and blood of the Chinese heroes were blown into the air together. The Type 89 infantry fighting vehicle, which had lost power, was unable to turn its turret to protect itself and was torn apart by incoming anti-tank rockets. The second vehicle slammed on the brakes but failed to stop in time and crashed into the first one, perhaps trying to push its "comrade" that had become scrap metal off the bridge, but it did not succeed and instead became a target itself...

  "We can't take it, so we'll destroy it. Get me the artillery units, I want not a single inch of the runway at Tripoli International Airport intact within 10 minutes."

  Uesugi Junroku said with gritted teeth.

  "But our troops are about to make a breakthrough! Some units can almost step onto the runway."

  "Dog of Tosa" Inada Saburō lieutenant-colonel grasped the arm of Uesugi Katsuchika and said.

  "Too late, I've wasted too much time on you trash already. Fire!!"

  Uesugi Rikuo shook off Uchida Saburō's hand with force, he had already heard the noise on the communication channel, that was the masterpiece of Chinese electronic warfare aircraft which were closing in.

  "Fire command confirmed!" In the jungle 25 kilometers away from Sanbao Ridge International Airport, 15 Type 99 155mm self-propelled howitzers slowly raised their 52-caliber long barrels... Surrounding the still fiercely battling Sanbao Ridge International Airport, the Japanese Self-Defense Force had constructed three firing positions. Within these hidden positions, 50 Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's 75-style and 99-style 155mm self-propelled artillery guns were already waiting in ambush. Compared to the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which inherited the former Soviet Union's large-caliber firepower suppression theory, the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's long-range artillery technology was not superior. Even the expensive Type 99 155mm self-propelled howitzer had mediocre mobility and firepower. However, it was fortunate that the powerful Chinese army had not yet landed.

  "The firepower preparation team has arrived at the designated location and is ready to launch an attack at any time."

  The Southeast Asia War Zone Command of the Chinese People's National Defense Army held in its hands a long list of casualties and missing pilots from the intense air battle that had just ended. Lieutenant General Ma Yiling, Commander of the Air Force of the Southeast Asia War Zone, walked into the command center with an expressionless face.

  "Got it! As soon as the satellite and drones complete their positioning, we'll carry out a large-scale firepower coverage. That's all we can do for our soldiers. General Rong Lianying, please go again later! The 171st Air Assault Brigade and the 259th Mechanized Infantry Brigade will serve as the second attack echelon, they have five hours left. Go talk to their commanders."

  Qian Xiao Shang Jiang looked at the huge screen of the automated command system, where a red arrow representing the First Airborne Brigade was displayed, and turned to Ren Ling Yu.

  "It's an enemy unmanned reconnaissance aircraft."

  In the night sky of Sanbao Ridge, a swarm of ASN-206 multi-purpose drones took off from the H-6C bomber fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force, fluttering like midnight elves on the battlefield where iron and fire intertwined. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces' various short-range air defense weapons opened fire one after another, because they also knew that in modern warfare where "being discovered means being destroyed", even drones used solely for reconnaissance were often the most dangerous enemies. Seeing a cheap drone hit by their own 81-style "Short SAM" surface-to-air missile and exploding in mid-air, Colonel Shigenari Shibata, commander of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' 4th Mixed Brigade, walked up to General Uesugi Atsushi and whispered: "It's about to begin."

  The first wave of Japanese Self-Defense Forces' long-range artillery fire rained down on the positions of the Chinese armed group "Nanyang Liberation Army" still holding out at the Sanbao Ridge International Airport, with the power of 155mm howitzers far exceeding that of high-explosive shells fired by the main gun of Type 90 tanks. In the midst of flying shrapnel, soldiers from both sides engaged in close combat in the departure lounge were almost simultaneously experiencing a hellish ordeal.

  "It's all over." Looking at the runway that was constantly being hit by shells, Yang Quan had already forgotten to hide his despair. At the entrance of the highway leading to the airport parking lot, young Chinese warriors who were loyal to their own beliefs were still desperately resisting, a two-man anti-tank team was operating an Israeli "Gil" anti-tank missile in a semi-open simple fortification made of sandbags, aiming at the enemy tanks that were driving by in the distance amidst the falling shells. A retired Chinese-American soldier from the US Army skillfully controlled the missile to a "curved trajectory" state, and the long tail flame of the "Gil" anti-tank missile loaded with a tandem warhead dove towards the Japanese Self-Defense Force's Type 90 tank like a mortar shell, tearing through its weak top armor. But almost simultaneously, a grenade also mercilessly exploded inside the bunker.

  "Everyone, being able to fight alongside you, I, Yang Quan, am already content with this life." As the enemy's artillery fire paused, Yang Quan shook hands one by one with the soldiers beside him. Then, he led the charge out of the bunker, ready to dedicate his own thin life to this great war. Just as he was about to do so, a "shooting star" of hope suddenly flashed in the night sky above Sanbao Ridge - 48 "Red Bird" X-1G cruise missiles launched by 24 H-9 bombers of the Chinese Air Force flew low over the battlefield and accurately struck the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' long-range artillery units that were preparing to relocate. The combat purpose of the "Red Bird" X-1 cruise missile is similar to that of the US "Tomahawk" cruise missile. After being guided by satellites and unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, the "Red Bird" X-1G cruise missiles relied on their precise guidance system to fly over the battlefield at a speed of 0.8 Mach, opening up the 30 launchers in the warhead section and scattering 150 small kinetic energy penetrators over the target area. The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force's 75mm and 99mm self-propelled guns had not yet had time to relocate when they were destroyed one after another in this deadly rain of projectiles. "Hey! Can anyone from the Nan Yang Liberation Army hear me? Please respond, please respond..." Almost simultaneously, the anti-jamming short-wave radio behind Yang Quan, which had been silent for a moment, suddenly crackled back to life with the familiar voice of his motherland.