Before dawn, the bombers on the aircraft carrier took off one after another. Tan Renhao only returned to the command cabin at this time, he seized the second half of the night to sleep for a few hours, the aviation combat operations were planned by Hao Dongjue, and the aviation combat arrangements of the First Task Force were in charge of Zhu Rongzhe, in Tan Renhao's words, this was to exercise Zhu Rongzhe's independent command ability, to put it bluntly, he was just lazy.

At this time, the island of Kauai 150 nautical miles away was already "lively". The 3rd Task Force began its shelling operations at 5:05 a.m., and in the previous hour and a half, that is, before dawn, hundreds of heavy guns in the fleet carried out a covered shelling of the main landing site, dropping hundreds of tons of shells on less than five square kilometres of ground and repeating rounds of shelling of the marked targets. After daybreak, the fleet switched to focused artillery bombardment, with cruisers and seaplanes on battleships providing target information for the ship's guns. In addition, the destroyer formation reached the shore and carried out intensive artillery bombardment of the US permanent fire point near the beach of the landing site. By this time, the U.S. shore artillery system had been completely destroyed, and there was no way to deal with the Imperial Navy warships that were approaching.

At about seven o'clock, the artillery bombardment formations of the three task forces also joined the battle, of which the artillery bombardment formation of the 4th task force assisted the 3rd task force, while the shelling formations of the 1st and 2nd task forces mainly shelled the secondary landing grounds. By this time, the shelling had been going on for two hours, but this was only the "opening ceremony" of the "suffocating fire strike" before the landing.

The fleet's bombers arrived at about 7:15 a.m., first by bombers from Task Force 1 and Task Force 2, and hundreds of bombers and fighters dropped a large number of bombs on the islands. The main use was an improved version of the incendiary bomb. In the past, ordinary incendiary bombs used to bomb cities had a good burning effect, but their mobility was not good, and it was difficult to deal with fortifications below the ground. As a result, the Imperial Navy's arsenal improved the design of incendiary bombs, increasing the proportion of gasoline, which in turn increased the mobility of the incendiary agents, which could flow into the underground fortifications of the American army. Then it burns rapidly, and even if it can't burn the U.S. troops to death, it can have a suffocation effect, suffocating the U.S. troops hiding in the underground fortifications.

By half-past nine, the firepower was ready to reach a fixed point, the bombers of the five task forces were dispatched, the fleet responsible for the shelling was also firing with all its might, and even the fire support fleet of the landing fleet joined the battle. Thousands of artillery pieces and rockets were constantly pouring shells and rockets on American targets on the islands. Thousands of bombers flew over the island, dropping bombs from time to time. At the same time, the formation of landing craft that had already been assembled eight nautical miles off the coastline also left the landing fleet and began to storm Kauai. Each landing craft carried a platoon of troops, and the first batch to go ashore were all infantry, whose mission was to break through the American defense line on the beach, carve out the beach position, and then let the sappers go ashore to clear the mines planted by the American army on the beach. Finally, heavy armored units went ashore. Advance inland.

Zhao Haiguang was a platoon commander of an ordinary second lieutenant in the Imperial Marine Corps, and his company was tasked with capturing the 200-meter-wide stretch of beach in Section 5 of the main landing field. Before boarding the landing craft, the company commander sent the task down. And a photo taken by the reconnaissance plane was attached. On this 200-meter-wide stretch of beach, the U.S. military has set up at least 5 permanent fortifications, more than 20 machine-gun fire points, and there must be a network of tunnels under the solid ground behind the beach. This is not the first time Zhao Haiguang has participated in landing operations, he enlisted in the army at the end of 23, when Japan was almost defeated, before he had been fighting in the southwest Pacific, participated in a series of landing operations such as Kuah Island, and also landed on the Australian mainland. However, Zhao Haiguang knew very well that this landing operation was a real tough battle. The density of the American defense far exceeded that of every previous battle, and perhaps, this time his platoon will lose a lot of brothers.

"Fifteen minutes to go!" The sergeant sailor, who was standing on the bridge behind the landing craft, shouted loudly, but the sound of the huge waves still made his voice faint.

"Check your weapon preparation and don't throw your gun overboard." Zhao Haiguang stood in the center of the team, and he quickly glanced at the soldiers in front and behind, "When you go to the beach, bury the low spots, don't gather together, that will become the target of the enemy's machine guns." Find the cover point as soon as possible. Marines, charge! ”

"Marines, charge!" More than 30 people shouted, followed by the sound of bolts pulling, and after checking their weapons, more than 30 people wrapped their rifles in waterproof plastic bags.

The landing craft was jolting violently, and the closer it was to the beach, the stronger the reverse wave became, and the more the landing craft was jolting. Although the landing plank in front of it blocked everyone's view, which also served as some protection against bullets fired from the front, experienced Marines were able to judge how far they were from the beach based on the degree of turbulence and the frequency of the bumps.

Zhao Haiguang glanced at the few recruits who had just been assigned to the platoon, and he noticed that two of the recruits were trembling slightly with their rifles, and the other was drinking water to hide the fear in his heart. Zhao Haiguang didn't blame these recruits, everyone on the battlefield would be afraid, because death could come at any time, Zhao Haiguang had seen several brothers fall beside him, and he didn't even have a chance to struggle. Veterans can also feel fear, and the difference between veterans and recruits is that veterans are able to control their inner fears and concentrate on fighting, while recruits are often controlled by fear and don't know what to do in battle, and lose their lives because of it.

"Platoon commander, when they see 'Red', they won't be scared." Sergeant Zhu Qingguo, the deputy of the platoon, was next to Zhao Haiguang, he was the oldest soldier in the platoon, and he was not promoted to officer because he made several mistakes on the battlefield, but he had to admit that he was the best soldier in the platoon.

Zhao Haiguang glanced at the recruits again, and then said to his partner: "Old rule, wait for you to go to the left, I will go to the right, leave the beach as soon as possible, the fleet has created a lot of cover points for us, we must close the distance as soon as possible!" ”

Zhu Qingguo nodded, he has participated in more than ten landing campaigns, from Ryukyu Island to the Mariana Islands, to the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia. and then to Australia, every time he survived the battle, as for how to fight, this does not need anyone to teach him, on the battlefield, Zhu Qingguo knows how to fight completely by instinct.

"Five minutes!" "Brothers, we are the first to go ashore, don't let the other rows go. The third platoon ran ahead of us to show the Yankees the real Marines! Marines—"

"Charge—"

The landing craft shook violently, and then the landing springboard in front of it fell, and then a fierce machine-gun fire came from the noise of the waves, and the bullets shot into the landing craft like flying locusts, and the first few soldiers immediately fell, and the two recruits standing behind were immediately frightened and did not dare to move.

"Damn, get out of here!" Zhu Qingguo kicked out the recruit in front of him, "You want to kill everyone?" All rush me, Marines. Charge ......"

Three landing craft washed up on the beach almost simultaneously. The machine guns of the US army blocked the route for the officers and men of the landing team to go ashore, because the exit could only allow two people to enter and exit at the same time, and some of the officers and men had to jump into the sea from the side side. Zhao Haiguang rushed out after Zhu Qingguo. A few bullets flew past his arm, and he heard a scream of pain coming from behind him, but he didn't look back, he had to rush forward, rush to the crater to be safe, and stay on the landing craft to die.

The gunfire quickly intensified, and then the whistling of shells piercing the air was heard in the air, and the heavy artillery on the destroyer parked 3 nautical miles behind began to provide accurate fire support for the landing force, and the exposed American machine gun points began to be named one by one. Zhao Haiguang tried his best to curl up in the crater from the shell, he was not afraid of death. Rushing out now can only be a fearless sacrifice, and it is a meaningless sacrifice.

"Find a place to hide, don't expose it outside, and wait for the shelling to end!" Zhu Qingguo became the commander of the platoon at this time, and his rich combat experience became the "savior" of everyone.

The shelling lasted only five minutes, and when the last explosion had not yet dispersed, the officers and men of the Marine Corps, hidden in the crater, quickly rushed out, took advantage of the fact that the American machine gunners had not had time to organize a new fire network, and left the most dangerous beach and rushed to the outside of the beach defense line established by the American troops.

"Zhu Qingguo. How many more people do we have? ”

"No more than two classes!" Zhu Qingguo was greeting his comrades-in-arms who followed behind.

"Let them all come over, where are the sappers?" Zhao Haiguang tore open the plastic belt wrapped in the submachine gun, "Everyone prepare weapons, don't just know how to tremble, it's the Yankees who should tremble, not us!" ”

All the officers and men began to check their weapons, and two sappers with blasters on their backs rushed over, one of whom was concentrated by the bullets before he could reach the rear of the dirt slope.

"It's Xiaolong, damn it, Medic—"

Zhu Qingguo grabbed the comrade-in-arms next to him who wanted to rush out. "Don't give the fuck any trouble, get the blaster!"

"When will the next shelling start?" Zhao Haiguang didn't care about these things, and now he had to break through the first line of defense of the American army before the next round of shelling.

"Fifteen minutes later, platoon commander, we don't have much time!" Zhu Qingguo suddenly shrank his neck, and a few bullets landed on the dirt above his head, splashing a few mud flowers.

"Blaster, we're not waiting, damn it!"

"Platoon commander, you're injured!" The medical officer rushed over.

Zhao Haiguang glanced at his left arm, which was bleeding. "Damn, I was bitten, it's okay, you go and save Xiaolong. Hurry up and get the blaster. ”

The blasting canister that was divided into several pieces was passed up, and Zhu Qingguo immediately connected it, and then pushed the blasting canister into the defense line of the American army.

"Explosion—"

More than a dozen officers and men reflexively shrank down, hugged the steel helmets on their heads, and then the blasting canister exploded violently, blowing out a "trench" about ten meters long and nearly one meter deep on the breakthrough.

"Heavy, deal with the bunker above, the others, follow me!"

The two machine gunners quickly opened fire on the American machine-gun bunker, and Zhao Haiguang was the first to rush out, and went straight to the bottom of the American army's permanent fortifications along the blasted passage.

Zhu Qingguo was the last to follow, he had already tied three grenades together with bandages, and at the moment when he was close to the bunker, he threw the cluster grenade into the mouth of the US army's bunker, followed by a violent explosion, several officers and soldiers leaning on the bunker were shocked and flew up, and smoke and dust came out of the bunker.

"Pyro, up!"

The infantryman, who was captured with a twin flamethrower, quickly rushed to the exit of the bunker, and a fire dragon rushed into the bunker, and the Pyro dispersed to the side. Three American troops, covered in fire, rushed out.

"Don't shoot, burn the son of a bitch!" Zhu Qingguo stopped a few soldiers who were about to shoot.

"Lao Zhu, don't delay here, you take a group to the left, and the others follow me to the right." Zhao Haiguang quickly raised his head and glanced ahead, "Do you see the permanent firepower point in front?" Ten minutes later, we'll meet there, don't get hit by our own shells! ”

Zhu Qingguo also quickly glanced at the huge permanent fortification. "No problem, I'm sure I'll be there before you this time."

The two looked at each other and smiled, then they called their subordinates separately and advanced along the trenches built by the American army.

When Zhao Haiguang's second platoon broke through the first line of defense of the US army and entered the defensive position of the US army, the other two platoons of the company and the other 20 companies that landed at the same time also quickly broke through the US defense line. The battle was raging on the beach about 5 kilometers long from the main landing site. The American army had a large number of permanent fortifications and more concealed machine-gun fire points. A large number of underground tunnels were also built. However, in the face of powerful firepower, it is difficult for the US military's defense system to play a role, and it is even more difficult to block the stubborn fortifications of the Imperial Marines. At about half past ten, the American troops lost the first line of defense and retreated to the second line, and the engineering units of the Marine Corps began to go ashore at this time.

The landing operation at the secondary landing site began half an hour late, and although the American resistance was a little more stubborn, the first line of defense of the American army also collapsed before half past eleven. Long Zhen stepped onto the beach before twelve o'clock, and he was obviously much more "positive" than Fang Xiaoxian.

The landing operation throughout the morning was not difficult, and was mostly expected, which is a good start, but it is only the beginning.