Chapter 8: No Choice (2)

  2.

  If Koster Jr. were to come up with a list of the weakest U.S. presidents in history, he would undoubtedly give that title to the current president - Mike Lee. In the face of China's growing military presence in the Java Sea, the White House has always given orders to General Koster Jr., who is already stationed in the Timor Sea, and the USS "Eagle" aircraft carrier fleet of the U.S. 7th Fleet to "remain vigilant".

  "If we allow China to expand in the South Pacific like this, sooner or later we will be driven out of this ocean." Although he also dislikes the nauseating Japanese, General Koster still misses the days when the Stars and Stripes flew over Sasebo.

  "We should join forces with the Japanese hybrids to stop the rise of the Chinese dragon." Standing on the deck of the already outdated "Little Eagle" aircraft carrier, Koster infinitely missed the unparalleled glory of the 7th Fleet in its heyday, but like the "Little Eagle", those honors and glories were also about to become a historical chapter that the United States had turned over.

  Since being "asked to leave" Sasebo and Okinawa by the Japanese government in 2005, the US Seventh Fleet has been living a nomadic life, wandering between the Philippines, Singapore, and even Brunei. The main warships of the Seventh Fleet have been replenished at ports in these Southeast Asian countries for two years.

  Apart from the military action in 2005 when the US and China jointly intervened in the Vietnam War, the name of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet, which once represented power and glory, seems to be gradually fading out of the sight of Asian people.

  Although the US Navy has been seeking to build a large naval base in northern Australia, its most loyal ally in Asia, Koster does not see any hope during his tenure. The "Little Eagle" which is about to reach retirement age will also be removed from the US Navy's combat sequence and sold to the Australian government. However, the new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that replaces the "Little Eagle" is still nowhere to be seen, and there are even non-mainstream voices within the US Navy calling for the abolition of the 7th Fleet.

  Koster couldn't help but resent the literati government at home and the Chinese who were strong enough to kick him out of the Western Pacific. But he was a soldier, he had no choice.

  Compared to the powerful but distant China, Iran which is making waves in the Middle East and Argentina which is always stirring up trouble in the US's backyard have more reason to tie down the US government's energy. Before eliminating these two major threats at home, the US does not want to make an enemy of China in Asia. However, Kostur believes that the day when all Americans are shouting "kill all Chinese" is not far away, and he can see it with his own eyes.

  As the first airborne assault formation of the 22nd Airborne Division of the Chinese People's National Defense Army left the besieged Danmu Forest after 15 hours and arrived at the outskirts of Sanbao Ridge, the battle to jointly recover Sanbao Ridge by the Chinese Expeditionary Force and the Indonesian Chinese Salvation Army officially kicked off. Since the main force of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces had withdrawn one step ahead, the iron fist of the Chinese army directly smashed into the newly arrived Indonesian 7th Infantry Division in the Sanbao Ridge area without mercy.

  The battle can only be described as a crushing defeat, under the cover of 88C main battle tanks from the 77th Amphibious Infantry Brigade's tank battalion of the People's Liberation Army Navy Marine Corps, China's elite paratroopers and marines annihilated over 7,000 Indonesian soldiers within Sanbao Village in just four hours.

  Looking at the Sanbao Ridge city that had become a piece of rubble after several fierce battles, Yang Quan, who had already become a colonel in the Indonesian new government army, had red eyes. "After the war is over, I want to erect a monument here." Yang Quan said hoarsely to Ren Lingyu beside him.

  "Should we engrave the names of all the martyred soldiers?" Ren Lingyu could understand the feelings of a commander who had gone through an unprecedented brutal battle with his troops. "No, too many of them didn't leave their names behind. I think it's enough to just write three words on the monument: 'Chinese Soul'."

  At the same time that the Chinese Expeditionary Force's First Landing Assault Group was fully in control of Sanbaoling City, Japan's 16th Division was also advancing at full speed towards the battlefield.

  The 16th Division of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force has jurisdiction over three motorized infantry regiments, one mechanized infantry regiment, one artillery regiment, one anti-aircraft battalion and a six-company tank regiment, with a total strength of nearly 10,000 personnel.

  To emphasize mobility, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces withdrew most of its highway transport power from Java to ensure that the division's affiliated trucks could transport three infantry regiments at the same time. On Indonesia's "highways" with potholes everywhere, military vehicles painted with jungle camouflage stretched out like a steel-filled flood.

  "Damn it, get the bloody Chinese out of here and let's leave this godforsaken place that doesn't even have women." As the large military convoy marched on, Japanese Self-Defense Force fighter jets occasionally flew overhead, while Type 74 tanks rumbled along beside them. Most of the Japanese soldiers were in high spirits, laughing and chatting loudly without a care, some even humming popular Japanese tunes.

  "It can't be denied that the Chinese have a powerful army, but this is Java! The Chinese cannot keep sending troops endlessly. If we hold out for just a few days, our government will force the Chinese to negotiate." The small man sitting next to Tokubetsu seemed to know a lot about the Chinese military and kept commenting on the current situation, making Tokubetsu and the other officers listen intently, afraid of missing any details.

  "The Chinese are now concentrated at Sanbao Ridge, we can march safely..." Before the little guy could finish speaking, a sudden explosion sound made all the soldiers in the car tense up. "Get off the bus quickly."

  "Take cover!" With the order from the active-duty officer of the JSDF, the Japanese Self-Defense Force personnel, who were almost stunned, finally came to their senses. They hastily jumped off the military vehicle and took cover on the wet Indonesian red soil. "It's so cold." As soon as he lay down, a chill ran down Tanaka's spine, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

  "The enemy is on the left ridge, firing at the firepower point you discovered. Shoot, shoot." Although 50mm grenade launchers carried by Chinese paratroopers were constantly firing at the Japanese army convoy on the highway, the bewildered reserve soldiers could not distinguish where the artillery fire was coming from and could only blindly pour bullets into the hillside on the left side of the road. The instinct to survive also prompted Tang Ben to raise his own Type 89 automatic rifle and sweep it wildly.

  The entire highway was filled with smoke and the sound of various light weapons, the cries of the wounded Self-Defense Force members stimulating the fragile nerves of Domon and others who had just stepped onto the battlefield. Just as Domon finished firing his second clip, two AH-1S armed helicopters from the 4th Airborne Brigade, directly under the command of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' Southwestern Dispatched Army, arrived on the scene, covering four UH-1 utility helicopters loaded with infantrymen as they flew over the mountain ridge to drop behind the Chinese paratroopers.

  "Charge, charge!" At the same time, the Type 74 main battle tank that arrived simultaneously supported the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' charge with its 105mm rifled cannon and M2 12.7mm dual-purpose machine gun. Dōmoto clumsily stood up, replaced the magazine, and crouched down to charge up the slope.

  In the jungle, Japanese Self-Defense Force soldiers were constantly being blown up by booby traps set by Chinese people, their flesh and blood mangled. Fortunately, Tonomoto managed to rush up the mountain ridge unscathed. With a nervous heart, he searched the jungle for a while before finding the remnants left behind by the ambushers: in a pre-dug foxhole, there was a 50mm lightweight grenade launcher used by Chinese paratroopers and a blood-stained Chinese-made 87-type 5.8mm automatic rifle specifically designed for paratroopers.

  On the ground, there was also a torn outer package of a military emergency medical kit with the prominent logo of the Chinese airborne troops' twin-bladed sword emblem. Dōmoto carefully picked it up, folded it neatly and put it in his pocket, as if he had already seen Tarō excitedly say to him: "Dad is awesome!"

  The ambush on the Japanese convoy was apparently carried out by a small detachment of lightly armed infantry from two battalions of the 22nd Airborne Division of the Chinese People's National Defense Forces, which had parachuted into the interior of Java Island the previous night. The battle lasted for five hours, with over a hundred casualties on the Japanese side, and not a single body of a Chinese soldier was found after the Japanese had cleared the entire battlefield. Throughout the advance, the 16th Division of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force was constantly subjected to various kinds of attacks by Chinese paratroopers, which can be said to have been a series of shocks.

  While the Haruuchi administration in Tokyo, which holds Japan's fate, faces no fewer problems than ordinary soldiers fighting on the front lines, it can be said that the Japanese government has no shortage of military means at its disposal. Through outer space military satellites, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces can still clearly grasp the specific troop movements of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the Southeast Asian theater.

  The first airborne assault brigade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) - the 171st Airborne Assault Brigade "Snake Catcher" has deployed to the southern part of Kalimantan Island, which is controlled by the pro-Lin Guangzhao government's Islamic extremist force "Paradise Travelers". A small advance party of troops has already launched a surprise attack on Surabaya, an important port city in eastern Java. Meanwhile, a fleet of ships carrying heavy equipment for the PLA's Southern Theater Command 259th Mechanized Infantry Brigade is speeding towards the Java Sea under escort by naval vessels from China and Vietnam after departing from Ho Chi Minh City Port in southern Vietnam.

  The Japanese Self-Defense Forces are not entirely helpless in this regard. The commander of the 1st Submarine Group, Captain Nagata, has proposed a plan to intercept the Chinese troop transport fleet with three Harushio-class submarines from the 5th Submarine Squadron still operating on the front lines in the South China Sea.

  However, a remark by Chief Cabinet Secretary Tomoaki Murata has made the Maritime Self-Defense Force hesitant. "If China's submarine force retaliates against our country with unrestricted submarine warfare, can the Maritime Self-Defense Force guarantee the safety of Japan's 1,000-mile sea lane?" To be sure, in Sino-Japanese relations, Japan, which has lost US support, is more fearful than China.

  Although the soldiers of both countries in Java have already killed each other, the Japanese government cannot even impose economic sanctions on China. "Now is the time to wake up, if we continue to fight a lukewarm war with China like this, Japan will undoubtedly be defeated. Do we still expect China to spare Japan after grasping the entire Southeast Asia? Now is the time to make a decision, Spring Day!" Japanese Defense Minister Suzuki Kazuo said with a heavy heart.

  "Let's see how Washington reacts first?" Spring day almost whispered in a voice that only he could hear, facing the aggressive Suzuki and high-ranking SDF officials. However, Washington's response to Japan seemed to be forever - "The US is not convenient to intervene in East Asian affairs at this stage." The Japanese trading companies that had already penetrated deep into China were even more unwilling to give up the Chinese mainland market, and they repeatedly asked the Japanese government to end its confrontation with China through various channels. Some people even shouted out loudly, "Merchants can peacefully drain China dry."

  "Modern Japan is a country that has been castrated by Western democracy, and it no longer has the majestic air of the Meiji and Showa eras. A small number of politicians hold power in both the ruling and opposition parties, while the majority of the people are apathetic to the fate of the nation. That's why Japan is repeatedly betrayed and raped by China in front of its powerful ally." So wrote Suzuki in his memoir "The Decline of the Archipelago" before he died in the United States in his later years.

  Suzuki spent his entire life hating the United States for its betrayal of Japan in its most difficult times, and hating Japanese politicians for their narrow-mindedness. But he seems to have forgotten that China had given Japan opportunities to jointly develop East Asia's resources with it. Only these opportunities were forever regarded by arrogant Japanese as a sign of China's weakness and vulnerability. In the end, this led Japan into an irretrievable situation.