Chapter 636: Cheating Our Men
At dawn the next day, Xiang Chu's ship arrived at Potou Port.
Four large Japanese warships have sunk at the dock.
Four berths at the dock were occupied, leaving only one berth.
Xiang Chu's boat stopped at the only berth and three people walked down the gangway.
Xiang Chu was dressed in the uniform of a lieutenant general and a golden mask, and he never showed his true face to anyone.
Kong Ling tied up her long hair and wore a major general's uniform, looking very capable.
Yu Xiaowan specially wore Bai women's clothing and a headdress, looking beautiful and charming.
This funny outfit is Xiang Chu's appearance label for this trip to the Xiangbei front line.
Gan Rong and his elite commando team have lined up neatly at the dock, waiting for inspection.
The elite commandos are both vanguard commandos and close guards.
This is an iron-blooded force that Xiang Chu carefully built with the Songhu battlefield supervision team as its foundation and the Namma Squadron of the Shadow Agency as its backbone. Naturally, it cannot be compared with other troops.
Xiang Chu walked towards the elite commandos and shouted:
"Brothers, you have made outstanding contributions in the battle. Thank you for your hard work!"
All the elite commandos shouted in unison:
"Defend China to the death! Protect the commander-in-chief!"
"very good!"
Xiang Chu nodded with satisfaction and asked Gan Rong with a smile,
"Lao Gan! Are the hundred smoke signals ready?"
Gan Rong said in a clear voice: "Return to the commander! Everything is ready. As soon as the Japanese bombers come over, we will sound the air defense alarm and set off signal smoke."
Xiang Chu nodded and said, "Very good! Old Ye! Everyone, please take your seats."
"Yes!"
Ye Shian immediately left with the elite commandos and returned to their respective combat posts.
Gan Rong pointed to a large transport ship and said, "Commander! Madam! The motor on the Dongmi is still working fine, so I specially chose the captain's room of the Dongmi as your temporary residence and command post.
The Japanese planes will not bomb our warships. There are several floors above and below, so even if they bomb, they can't penetrate them."
Kong Ling took a look at the Dongmi and said with satisfaction: "Yeah! It feels very good."
Xiang Chu smiled and said, "Thank you, Lao Gan, for thinking ahead. Let's get started with the heavy artillery first."
Gan Rong took out a stack of information and handed it to him, saying with a smile:
"We are not good at this and can't even understand their information. We are really ashamed."
Xiang Chu took the information and said as he read it, "What's there to be ashamed of? You are not professionals in this field. Oh, right! Send someone to move our belongings to the Dongmi Command Post. Hongyi is coming with a heavy artillery regiment, so we have to clear a berth at the dock."
"understand!"
Gan Rong hurriedly accepted the order.
Xiang Chu walked towards one of the brand new heavy artillery pieces and saw six red words written on the barrel.
Kong Ling laughed and said, "Doihara Xian'er is really funny. He even named it Doihara Lieutenant General Cannon."
Yu Xiaowan clapped her hands and laughed, "If we capture this lieutenant general cannon, we will almost be able to capture Doihara Ken'er himself."
Xiang Chu handed her a copy of the manual and scolded her, "Stop thinking about him and use your prodigy's intelligence to learn how to use this giant cannon."
"I only think of you, who thinks of him? Humph!"
Yu Xiaowan said angrily and took the information to look at it.
Xiang Chu and Kong Ling inspected the cannon together, operated it slowly, and figured out its operating procedures.
However, this giant cannon is indeed far more complicated than other artillery pieces, and it requires more than a dozen people to operate it.
Yu Xiaowan quickly finished reading the instructions given by Xiang Chu, and then picked up the other materials and checked them one by one.
Soon, Xiang Chu and Kong Ling figured out the trick and called the gunners to operate on the spot.
However, due to the lack of standardized procedures, things seemed very chaotic and we never got to the point.
Moreover, it was already bright and the sky was clear, which was very suitable for bombing by the Japanese bombers.
Xiang Chu couldn't help but feel anxious, and taught each gunner the key points step by step.
To the east, on Dongting Lake.
Takahashi Taisho finally waited for three gunboats loaded with shells.
He transferred from the medium-sized transport ship to the gunboat Leizi No. 1, pointed at the transport ship captain who had complained to him and shouted, "Captain Bird! Take your ship and get out of here!"
The captain of the transport ship glanced at him sideways, then turned around and sailed away.
Takahashi Taisho had been staring at his ship fiercely as it sailed away, and then he said to the captain of the No. 1 Leizi gunboat: "Captain! Send an order to the other two gunboats to quickly go to Potou Port to retrieve the nine 240mm heavy guns of the Empire."
The gunboat's captain was only a lieutenant, and he quickly bowed and responded: "Ha!"
He immediately shouted to the other two Japanese gunboats and they all headed towards Potou Port.
Takahashi Taisho was afraid of his own life and ordered, "Captain! You are the command boat at the back, let them move forward."
The captain of Thunderbird 1 said helplessly: "Well, okay!"
At Potou Port, Xiang Chu was intensively teaching the elite commandos how to operate artillery.
From the east, three Japanese gunboats came menacingly.
To the west, 20 88mm German guns of the Hongyi Artillery Regiment were approaching on several chain ships.
The Japanese bombers didn't come, but the gunboats came first, and everyone was as anxious as ants on a hot pan.
Gan Rong and Ye Shi'an hurriedly deployed the Type 92 infantry guns, ready to fight the Japanese gunboats head-on.
Xiang Chu was extremely anxious, thinking to himself, "It's over! It looks like we're going to suffer heavy losses."
At this time, Yu Xiaowan handed him the well-organized 240mm gun operation procedures and said with a smile: "Brother Chu! These little Japanese are really smart. The manual does not directly explain how to use this gun. Instead, it mentions it in some auxiliary materials. Take a look."
Xiang Chu took a look at the operating procedures. He was overjoyed and shouted, "Brothers! Follow my orders."
"Yes!"
The gunners received the order excitedly.
Everyone was sweating as they looked at the Japanese gunboat that was already at the mouth of the Yuanjiang River.
Takahashi Daisho picked up the megaphone and shouted from the gunboat behind:
"Thunderbird 3! Aim your guns at the group of people manning the guns on the dock, and attack as soon as they are within range."
"Hello!"
The captain of Thunderbird 3 hurriedly took the order.
At Potou Wharf, Xiang Chu directed the operations according to the operating procedures and achieved twice the result with half the effort.
The Japanese gunboat was getting closer and closer, and was about to fire.
Kong Ling was so anxious that she was sweating. She calmly shouted, "No hurry! Listen to the commander's operation."
Finally, the barrel of the 240mm heavy artillery was aimed at the frontmost Japanese gunboat.
Xiang Chu ordered loudly: "Loader, load! Prepare to fire."
The two elite commandos worked together to pick up the giant cannon shells, stuffed them into the ammunition compartment, and closed the back seat of the ammunition compartment.
Xiang Chu put protective caps on Kong Ling and Yu Xiaowan, and asked them to stay away. He personally adjusted the launch elevation and direction, and shouted: "Fire!"
"Boom!" There was a loud noise.
A heavy shell flew out of the gun barrel, drew a beautiful arc, and hit the Japanese gunboat accurately.
"Bang!" There was a sound.
The Japanese gunboat was instantly torn into pieces, the Japanese sailors were reduced to ashes, the broken hull gradually sank to the bottom of the water, and a patch of oil floated on the water surface.
"Good! Great!"
The elite commandos cheered loudly.
Xiang Chu shouted, "Quick! Reload again."
Once there is a first, there will be a second. Soon, the second shell entered the chamber and Gan Rong pulled the launching rope hard.
"Boom!" Another loud noise.
A 240mm shell flew towards the second Japanese gunboat.
The Japanese gunboat actually made a beautiful evasive maneuver in advance.
"Bang!" There was a sound.
The water surface was stirred up by a water column more than ten meters high, which almost overturned the second Japanese gunboat.
"Keep firing! Follow me and learn how to operate the second gun."
Xiang Chu shouted loudly and ran towards the second 2mm heavy artillery.
Yu Xiaowan wrote two new operation procedures and handed them to Gan Rong and Ye Shian, and said anxiously: "Master Gan! Deputy Captain Ye! Each of you go and command a cannon."
"Yes!"
Gan Rong and Ye Shian hurriedly took it.
With the operating procedures, everything will be solved easily and several heavy artillery can be fired at the same time.
Soon, the second Japanese gunboat was hit by heavy artillery shells and turned to ashes.
Kong Ling praised: "Sister Xiaowan! You are so smart."
Yu Xiaowan praised back, "Sister has studied artillery mechanics, Xiaowan is far behind."
Kong Ling whispered, "I studied economics, and I cheated on my man."