In order to seize Pusha Island this time, the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet of the Han and Tang Empires dispatched the first, second, third, fourth, eighth, and ninth, a total of 6 main formations.

There were 38 battleships with full main guns, 26 battle cruisers, 23 large armored cruisers, 36 light cruisers and 48 destroyers.

The fifth and sixth formations of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet had already arrived in a certain sea area around Gaowo Island at this time, and the seventh formation of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet had already arrived in a certain sea area around Phongsha Island.

The former was to monitor the Eighth Fleet of the Golden Lion Imperial Navy on High Snail Island, and the latter was to monitor the Fifth Fleet of the Red Tiger Imperial Navy.

Once the fleets of these two orc nations send troops to aid Pusha Island, the fifth, sixth, and seventh formations of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet will immediately launch an attack to give the main force of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet time to adjust their tactics.

The Third Fleet of the Silver Wolf Imperial Navy can combat 8 all-main gun battleships, 10 all-steel battleships, 12 large armored cruisers, 22 light cruisers, 26 destroyers and 48 torpedo boats.

Due to the torpedoes currently equipped by the Royal Navy of the Silver Wolf Empire, the range is only about 800 meters, and torpedo boats and destroyers can only carry out torpedo attacks when they are close to large warships.

So in a large-scale naval battle, especially when the opponent is protected by a large number of light cruisers and destroyers, destroyers and torpedo boats are not very effective against large warships.

If the Third Fleet of the Royal Navy of the Silver Wolf Empire wants to stay on Pusha Island, it is equivalent to using 18 capital ships and 12 secondary capital ships to oppose the 64 capital ships and 23 secondary capital ships of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet of the Han and Tang Empires, and the difference in strength is very large.

At present, the navies of various countries have designated large armored cruisers as secondary capital ships.

For example, the German Scharnhorst-class large armored cruiser obtained by Zhou Rui from the lottery system, with its 210 mm main gun of 40 times the caliber, also poses a considerable threat to the battleship with all main guns in naval battles.

This is also the reason why Igna, the governor of the Silver Wolf Empire, ordered the Third Fleet of the Silver Wolf Empire Navy to withdraw from Pusha Island after learning about the approximate scale of the Han and Tang Empire's Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet's dispatch.

At about 3 o'clock in the afternoon of January 26, after the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet arrived in the waters near Pusha Island, Song Limin, commander-in-chief of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet, was not surprised to learn that the Third Fleet of the Silver Wolf Imperial Navy had taken the initiative to evacuate Pusha Island.

If you change places, you won't let your own fleet stay and die.

Song Limin then looked around at the battleship that was almost covered with the sea through the bridge observation window of the Ruixue battleship, and couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his heart.

For the main fleet of the Silver Wolf Empire Navy to choose to retreat, presumably among the navies of all human countries, only the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet can do it.

Song Limin said to Chen Yongliang, the captain of the Ruixue: "Give orders to all formations, choose a favorable position, and let the capital ships carry out saturation artillery bombardment on the port of Pusha Island and the batteries on the mountain peaks, so as to clear the obstacles for the Zhenwei army to land."

In addition, let the fourth and eighth formations send several sub-fleets to search for traces of the Third Fleet of the Wolf Imperial Navy in the surrounding waters, so as not to be killed by the other side and take our southwest coastal defense fleet by surprise. ”

Chen Yongliang was originally the captain of the flagship Zhenhai all-steel battleship, but after the reorganization of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet, the Ruixue all-main gun battleship became the new flagship, and Chen Yongliang was also transferred to the Ruixue as the captain.

The fourth and eighth formations both used battle cruisers as the main ships and had an advantage in speed, so Song Limin asked these two formations to send warships to search in the surrounding waters.

Chen Yongliang said with a smile: "Presumably, the Third Fleet of the Wolf Empire Navy has been frightened, otherwise with the arrogance of those beast countries, it is impossible to escape without a fight." ”

The corners of Song Limin's lips raised slightly: "The arrogance of the beast country is based on absolute strength, but in the future, when those beast countries face our southwest coastal defense fleet, it must be difficult to show their arrogance again!" ”

The island is 35 kilometers long from north to south, 5 kilometers to 12 kilometers wide, with an area of about 353 square kilometers, and the terrain is high in the south and low in the north, with a peak of 400 meters above sea level in the southwest of the island as the highest peak.

The harbor of Pusha Island is located due south, and the Silver Wolf Empire has built five permanent batteries on the hills near the harbor, and three more permanent batteries on the highest peak.

The three batteries on the mountain peak, equipped with 24 220-mm coastal defense guns of 50 times the calibre, can cover the entire island of Pusha.

The five batteries in the port were equipped with a total of 18 45x caliber 280 mm coastal defense guns and 20 45x caliber 150 mm coastal defense guns.

When the battleships and battle cruisers of the Southwestern Coastal Defense Fleet, at a distance of more than 10,000 meters, used their main guns to shell the harbor and the batteries on the mountain peaks.

18 280-mm shore defense guns from five batteries in the port and 24 220-mm shore defense guns from three batteries on the mountain peaks, immediately counterattacked.

Originally, the firing range of these coastal defense guns on Pusha Island was very long, and the fort where they were located was built on a high place, which made the firing range of these coastal defense guns much more flat.

After the two sides exchanged shells for about half an hour, although the port of Pusha Island had been bombarded by large-caliber shells, the five batteries in the port were not damaged.

The five batteries are made of reinforced concrete, with a thickness of 1.5 meters on the front and top, and a staggering 450 mm of turret armor for the 280 mm shore defense gun.

Even the 356-mm guns of the Nevada-class full-gun battleships in the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet could hardly inflict a fatal blow on the five batteries in the harbor.

And the three forts on the mountain peaks, in much the same condition as the five forts in the port, are as if they had tortoise shells added.

Originally, the battleship and the shore defense guns were bombarded, and the battleships were at a disadvantage, not to mention that these shore defense guns on Pusha Island were also equipped with thick turtle shells.

As a result, after half an hour of confrontation, two battleships with full main guns on the side of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet were slightly damaged.

Seeing this situation, Song Limin could only helplessly say to Chen Yongliang, the captain of the Ruixue: "Order the capital ships of each formation to retreat back to a safe distance."

These forts on Pusha Island are built one by one like turtle shells, and we will suffer too much if we continue to bombard them like this.

Next, the Zhenwei army can only choose the second landing site for the beach-grabbing landing. ”

The second landing site chosen by the five infantry divisions of the Zhenwei Army was located north of the island of Pusha.

Chen Yongliang hesitated for a moment and said: "Song Zhi, landing from the north of Pusha Island, although the five batteries in the port are avoided, the three batteries on the mountain peak can carry out artillery bombardment on the landing force. ”

Song Limin looked at the watch on his wrist, "It's almost four o'clock in the afternoon, so we can only let the Zhenwei Army try to land at night after dark."

Let the second, third, and ninth formations go to the north of Pusha Island, and at least clean up the beach on the north side of Pusha Island. ”

On a transport ship with a full load displacement of 6,500 tons, Liu Erga lit a cigarette for Xie Dong, and then lit another one for himself.

"Brigade seat, it seems that this Pusha Island is not easy to fight, and the navy doesn't seem to have anything to do with those shore defense guns on Pusha Island."

Xie Dong nodded and said, "If it is easy to fight, we will not mobilize a full 5 infantry divisions of our Zhenwei Army this time."

Just now, the division commander has sent a telegram that our 7th Division will be the first to land from the north of Pusha Island this evening, and our 71st Brigade will be selected as the first landing force.

Liu Erga frowned and asked: "Luza, although it is landing from the north of Pusha Island, those shore defense guns on the highest peak of Pusha Island can still attack the northern beach of Pusha Island and the nearby seas, and the transport ships dare not approach it!" ”

Xie Dong took a hard puff of his cigarette, "There is no way, the transport ship can only stop at a distance of 10,000 meters from the beach north of Pusha Island, and this 10,000 meters can only be rowed by the brothers." ”

The Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet did not have professional landing craft, so the five infantry divisions of the Zhenwei Army carried a large number of wooden rowing boats this time and used them as landing craft.

When Liu Erga heard this, his hands trembled, and the cigarettes between his index and middle fingers almost fell, "Isn't it?" Have to row that far?

By the time they get to the place, the brothers will already be tired and tired, how can they fight! ”

"The only good news is downstream, as for the problem of too far distance, the division commander said on the telegram that the difficulties will be overcome by themselves, and before dawn tomorrow, our 71st Brigade must seize a foothold on the beach north of Pusha Island!"

In the temporary headquarters of the Third Marine Division of the Silver Wolf Empire, not far from a fort on the mountain peak, the division commander Rofer put down his binoculars and nodded with satisfaction.

Then he turned his head and said to the deputy division commander Inar: "Send a report to the Governor's Palace, our defenders of Pusha Island have damaged many battleships of the Southwest Coastal Defense Fleet of the Han and Tang Empires in the artillery battle, and now the opposing fleet has taken the initiative to retreat." ”

Inar then said in a deep voice: "Division commander, the other party sees that the five batteries in the port cannot be destroyed, and should choose to forcibly land on the north side of Pusha Island.

Maybe tonight, the human army will act. ”

Rofer said nonchalantly: "I'm still worried that the human army will not land!"

Otherwise, how can I turn Pusa Island into a flesh mill for human armies! ”

"Division commander, do you need to strengthen the troops on the northern beach?"

"On the north side of the beach, two regiments of the 32nd Marine Brigade have been arranged, and the strength is sufficient, and no amount of fortifications can be put down.

However, two infantry battalions of the Coastal Defense Brigade could be transferred to serve as reserves for the two regiments of the 32nd Marine Brigade. ”

At this time, there were only two units of the Silver Wolf Empire left on Pusha Island, one was the 3rd Marine Division and the other was the coastal defense brigade of Pusha Island.

The Para Coastal Defense Brigade has a total of 13 battalions, of which 8 battalions are arranged in eight batteries and the other 5 are infantry battalions.