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The distance from Dambad to Calcutta was two hundred and forty kilometres, and at the speed of the Anglo-Indian army, it would take at least six days. However, Admiral Kitchener gave a death order to the Anglo-Indian 18th Army, requiring them to arrive at Calcutta within four days. Otherwise, all the generals of the 18th Army will be dealt with by military law. Under the orders of Admiral Kitchener, the officers of the 18th Army had no choice but to order the whole army to speed up the march and at the same time collect a large number of livestock to haul logistics supplies to speed up the march.

The 2nd Army, the main force of the Anglo-Indian army, was ordered to hold out at Nybdewip and remain there for the time being until the Anglo-Indian command was issued. Wait until the situation in Kolkata becomes clearer before making the next move. In Admiral Kitchener's view, if the Chinese attack at Calcutta was only a feint, the 2nd Army would have been able to quickly rush to the middle and lower Ganges to participate in the battle. Even if the Chinese launched a large-scale attack in Calcutta, then the 2nd Army as the main force, plus the 18th Army and the 24th Army, which was originally stationed in Calcutta, could also withstand the attack of the squadron.

The 24th Anglo-Indian Army, which had taken over from the 2nd Army in Calcutta, was also strictly ordered by General Kitchener to hold Kolkata until reinforcements arrived. If there were not many troops attacking Calcutta, the 24th Army would have to destroy the Chinese who had come to attack. It's just that this order is completely impossible for the 24th Army. The detachment of fire support ships of the Chinese Navy has entered the Hooghly River, and the activities of the 2nd Marine Division of the Chinese Marine Corps are also within the range of the ship's guns. The British and Indian forces were to risk the threat of the naval guns of the Chinese Navy to destroy the landing squadron. That's absolutely impossible. The power of naval artillery has been tested as early as the battlefield in Bangladesh!

Lieutenant General Benjamin, commander of the 24th Anglo-Indian Army, after receiving a telegram from Admiral Kitchener. He immediately scolded that he had hoped that the 2nd Army would be able to rush back to Calcutta quickly. However, unexpectedly, Admiral Kitchener ordered the 2nd Army to stand by in place in Nebdavip. If the Chinese really launched a large-scale operation in Calcutta, it would mean that the 24th Army had to resist the main force of the squadron for at least two days. This was undoubtedly a disaster for the 24th Army of the Anglo-Indian Army. Lieutenant General Benjamin does not think that he can withstand the attack of the squadron with 500,000 Indian Asan, which has been proven on the battlefield in Afghanistan and the battlefield in Bangladesh, and the army composed of Indian Asan. There is a numerical advantage, but in front of the elite units of the Chinese Army, it is simply vulnerable!

At 10 a.m. on November 25, the Chinese Navy's fire support ship detachment covered the 2nd Marine Division, which sailed upstream from the Hooghly River to Port Diamond. At this time, the 243rd Army of the 24th Army of the British and Indian Army stationed in Port Diamond had already entered the position, and tens of thousands of British and Indian troops were ready to resist the attack of the squadron. It's just that tens of thousands of officers and soldiers of the 243rd Army of the Anglo-Indian Army. No one wanted Port Diamond to become a landing point for the Chinese, when Chinese Navy warships and transports stayed about ten kilometers from Port Diamond. Then after stopping and continuing to advance, the officers and soldiers of the 243rd Army of the British and Indian Army were very depressed!

"There are so many cities along the Hooghly River, why did those Chinese choose to land here?" Major General Harrison, commander of the 243rd Army of the Anglo-Indian Army, wanted to cry without tears. However, he still had to order the subordinates to prepare, and the commander of the 24th Army, Lieutenant General Benjamin, had already given a death order that all armies must hold their positions tightly, and if they were broken through by the Chinese, they would all be severely punished.

Port Diamond, as an important port in the south of Kolkata, has well-developed port facilities. If the squadron can capture this place, the large troops behind will be able to directly enter the port area, and the speed of disembarkation and equipment loading and unloading will be much faster.

"Order the ships, prepare to fire! Be careful not to shoot at the Minato area, we are going to occupy an intact Minato area! "Rear Admiral Lei Hua, commander of the Chinese Navy's fire support ship detachment, gave the order aboard the battleship 'Beijiang'.

"Boom! Rumble! Rumble! "The battleship 'Northern Frontier' was the first to open fire. Then the other battleships opened fire. For a time, the positions of the Anglo-Indian troops turned into a sea of fire. The large-caliber naval guns are so powerful that almost every one of them can leave a huge crater on the ground. The positions of the British and Indian forces in Port Diamond were all civil fortifications, which were not poured with reinforced concrete, so the Chinese Navy's fire support ship detachment used high-explosive shells. The high-explosive shells were even more lethal to personnel, and the British and Indian soldiers on the positions could not survive even if they hid in the anti-artillery holes. The anti-artillery holes built by the British and Indian troops are like paper tied to the 305 mm caliber naval guns, which can be blown up lightly, and the British and Indian officers and soldiers hiding in the anti-artillery holes are often buried alive in entire companies and platoons.

"General, the Chinese attacked the positions of the 3rd Division. The losses of the 3rd Division were very large, their fortifications simply could not withstand the attack of the Chinese, and the commander of the 3rd Division asked for a retreat! A brigadier general officer reported to Major General Harrison.

"No! Order the 3rd Division to hold its position and not to retreat without an order! Also, report to General Benjamin that we are under heavy attack by the Chinese and we need sufficient reinforcements. Otherwise, we will not be able to prevent the Chinese from landing in Port Diamond! Major General Harrison said with a stern face. Although the squadron has not yet begun to land, the use of the navy's large-caliber naval guns to bombard the positions of the British and Indian troops is undoubtedly clearing the way for the landing force. With the defense line of the British and Indian troops, it is simply impossible to compete with large-caliber naval guns.

"Yes, General!" The brigadier officer nodded and walked out quickly.

The shelling of the Chinese Navy's fire support ship detachment lasted for half an hour, and nine battleships fired thousands of 305-mm naval artillery shells at the positions of the British and Indian troops, and the positions of the British and Indian troops were completely destroyed, and huge craters were distributed on the positions, just like the surface of the moon. The Anglo-Indian troops guarding this position suffered heavy casualties.

"Sue General Sù Peng, we have destroyed the fortifications of the British and Indian armies, and it is up to them next!" This was stated by Rear Admiral Lei Hua, commander of the fire support ship detachment of the Chinese Navy. He put down the binoculars in his hand, and he was very satisfied with the shelling. The fire support ship squadron composed of nine battleships is very powerful in ground strikes, and no country's army can resist it at all.

On the transport ship behind the fire support ship squadron, Rear Admiral Peng Jiantong, commander of the 2nd Marine Division, immediately ordered the 2nd Marine Division to start landing operations after receiving the news from Rear Admiral Lei Hua.

The convoy began heading towards Port Diamond, and they met no resistance until the convoy was only two hundred meters offshore. At this time, dozens of landing craft were lowered from the transport ship, and a battalion of Marines began to row towards the shore. The warships of the fire support ship detachment are also shelling the positions of the British and Indian troops with small-caliber secondary guns, providing fire support for the 2nd Marine Division.

The 3rd Division of the 243rd Anglo-Indian Army, which was stationed in this position, suffered heavy losses in the shelling and was simply unable to organize a strong counterattack. In the face of the landing of the Chinese marines, although they organized thousands of troops to intercept them, in the face of the elite of the Chinese marines, they were basically defeated with one blow. At half past eleven o'clock in the morning, the soldiers of the 21st Regiment of the 2nd Division of the Chinese Marine Corps had all landed, and several thousand troops launched an attack on the British and Indian troops, and after an hour of fierce fighting, they occupied the positions of the British and Indian troops.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, the 2nd Marine Division of the Chinese Marine Corps had all landed. The 243rd Army of the Anglo-Indian Army did not dare to launch a counterattack against the naval guns of the Chinese Navy. And the 2nd Marine Division of the Chinese Army began to attack the port area of Port Diamond. The Anglo-Indian 243rd Army put up resistance, but their resistance was not active, and soon the port area fell.

At 4:15 p.m., the transport fleet carrying the first wave of troops of the third cluster of the Chinese Army arrived at Port Diamond, the transport ships drove directly into the port area, and the equipment in the port of Guò began to load and unload the heavy equipment of the troops. At this time, the Anglo-Indian army also learned that the squadron was preparing for a large-scale landing in Port Diamond.

On the one hand, Lieutenant General Benjamin, commander of the 24th Army of the British and Indian Army, sent reinforcements from two armies to march towards Port Diamond, in an attempt to drive the squadron down the river without a firm foothold. On the other hand, they reported the news to Admiral Kitchener and asked for support. He knew that if the Chinese army carried out a large-scale landing in Calcutta, it would be absolutely impossible for his group army to hold it alone!

After Admiral Kitchener, who was far away in Delhi, learned of the relevant situation, he ordered the 2nd Anglo-Indian Army to return to Calcutta, which was in Napodwip, much to the dissatisfaction of these British soldiers! At the same time, the 18th Army of the British and Indian Army was ordered to speed up to Calcutta, preparing to fight a battle with the squadron in Calcutta to defend the most important city in eastern India.

On November 26, after a night of hard work, the first wave of the landing force of the third group of the Chinese army was all disembarked, and the four infantry divisions plus the artillery brigade, cavalry brigade and armored brigade belonging to the group army were all deployed, ready to attack the British and Indian forces at any time. A second wave of troops would be able to reach Port Diamond in the afternoon. (To be continued......)