Chinese Warlord From Joseon - Chapter 440



Only Krnovel

Fierce battle

September 11, 1940.

The British troops galloping along the northern coast of Libya were truly impressive.

The 1st Armored Division took charge of the front, while the 3rd Armored Brigade, located about 10 kilometers to the northeast, was providing cover in case of a surprise attack.

“In some ways, it’s great. It’s surprising that this war has dragged on this far.”

Finally, Benghazi was not far away.

British commander Montgomery recalled the desert fighting he had experienced over the past few days.

Although China’s armored forces were strong, it was a war that was far more advantageous to Britain.

This is because the role of reconnaissance aircraft, which still fly through the sky and thoroughly search the ground, is significant.

“Our military has always prioritized reconnaissance. We have checked for Chinese troops lying in ambush along the coastal road, and have had reconnaissance planes thoroughly check for any Black Turtles preparing to make a detour and launch an attack.”

Montgomery’s adjutant listened silently to the monologue that didn’t sound like a monologue.

“Then how on earth does Hanshin manage to defend? It’s inexplicable that the advance is so delayed, even though they only attack the weakest points based on their tight air superiority. It’s as if they’re not affected by airborne operations at all.”

Initially, Montgomery viewed this war simply as a war to beat up yellow people.

It was understood that this was a strategy to beat up and kill those ungrateful bastards using the excellent military training and advanced technology of Britain.

But there is a reason why the former commander was dismissed.

It was here in Libya that Montgomery first experienced the practical, theoretical reality that did not work.

“They say there is a traditional divination technique in the East. It is a magic that involves making a contract with a supernatural demon to foretell the future. Hanshin may have mastered it.”

One of the young staff members chattered absentmindedly.

Montgomery immediately shouted.

“You idiot! There’s no such thing as magic!”

“But their ghostly defenses cannot be explained without magic.”

“And yet, our army advanced. If Hanshin were truly a servant of the devil and the Antichrist, he would not have made it this far.”

At that moment, a radio transmission came from the reconnaissance unit.

It was a radio transmission that a Chinese armored unit had been discovered.

“Where are you? Where are you located?”

“It’s about 50 kilometers southeast of Benghazi. It looks like they’re trying to carry out some kind of attack operation.”

Montgomery knew it immediately.

“You’re trying to make de Gaulle a corpse before our troops arrive!”

The staff chattered.

“It seems that Hanshin has finally realized that our army’s offensive target is Benghazi.”

“What should we do? The 1st Armored Brigade is within range to provide support right now.”

“This time, we’ll get our revenge. The Black Turtle will be helplessly crushed by the Matilda tank that appears from the side.”

But Montgomery summed up the operation in one word.

“There is no change in the attack route. We will attack Benghazi as is.”

The staff shouted in surprise at those words.

“Yes? Are you thinking of giving up the French army?”

“Give up, who says that? Cheese kids have their own war! Who wants to be stranded in the middle of the desert in a frenzy?”

A split-second decision can determine the outcome.

“I thought it would be useless, but it did play a part in the end. The Black Turtle’s loss while dealing with Renault was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Hanshin must have calculated that he would have enough time to return after dealing with De Gaulle, but that’s ridiculous. This is where the information gap comes into play.”

It was worth pushing the commanders to speed things up.

Hanshin still has no idea how close the British forces are to Benghazi.

Montgomery insisted on giving the order again.

His voice seemed to be shaking a little.

“It just comes crashing down. Like a desert storm.”

***

A barren desert without a single tree.

It’s an environment that’s usually considered impossible to hide, but when Chinese ground dogs show up, it’s a different story.

It was very difficult to dig the loose ground.

Beyond simply laying anti-tank mines, I wanted trenches that could accommodate at least a platoon-sized unit.

Moreover, he ordered the digging of not just one but hundreds of such trenches, so it was only natural that there were cries of death among the soldiers.

But despite their grumbling, the soldiers eventually completed it.

The world, while it loathed Chinese coolies, could never let them go because of the labor force they provided.

There was a widespread belief among soldiers that it was better to serve their country than to be exploited cheaply by Western capitalists.

Plus, there was a spoonful of rosehip added to it.

The fact that the sole Marshal of the United States of China was personally serving as a field commander and struggling in a harsh environment also served as an encouraging propaganda slogan.

“The unrivaled national leader is with us!”

At first, there was strong opposition.

The logic was that if it was revealed that Hanshin, and not someone else, was in Benghazi, the enemy would attack even more vigorously.

But for me, being stationed in Benghazi meant something else.

Hanshin is staying in Benghazi.

It meant that the city would be defended no matter what happened.

and···.

The night of September 11th.

An enemy aircraft was detected on the radar’s air defense network.

It was a large formation that included strategic bombers, not a typical reconnaissance aircraft.

That night was very long.

I was in the underground bunker all night.

The explosions continued, and communication networks were increasingly paralyzed in various places.

Around 2am.

The adjutant approached him, hesitantly, and whispered.

“Your Majesty, just in case, how about taking refuge in a nearby unit? The legion mobile force is stationed in Marji, so you should be safe there.”

I stared intently at the adjutant who said that.

This is the first time that a major has come to assist me in place of the old Li Feiyang.

He still looks very young.

“Should we go outside now? Bombs are falling from the sky?”

“I’ve calculated the time it takes the enemy to reload their shells. In about 20 minutes, we’ll have a chance to escape.”

If you look at what he does, he’s not really stupid.

Did you say you graduated from Woochang Military Academy as top student?

Judging from the fact that he was appointed to my adjutant position, he must be an outstanding talent.

But why does the absence of Lipeiyang feel so big?

There is no romance in young guys.

There is no sign of a desperate resolve.

“You’re worried about losing the battle.”

“Yes, of course I have no doubt that we will win! But if by any chance this bunker collapses or enemy forces enter Benghazi, things will be a mess…”

“War is full of ambiguities. It would be a pain to say more. No one knows who will win tonight’s fierce battle. However, I have already declared to the soldiers of all units that Hanshin will defend this city. If I sneak out in the middle of the night, it would be embarrassing.”

The adjutant stuttered.

“Preserving Your Majesty’s safety is far more important than a momentary distraction…”

“Of course I know how important my life is. That’s why I don’t want to run away. I have to be in Benghazi so that our Republican soldiers can fight with all their might.”

“···sorry.”

“I don’t blame you. If it were me in the past, I would have ridiculed both the enemy and my allies as you said, and only carried out strategies that would ensure I would never be defeated from a safe location.”

Do people change as they get older?

I wanted to carry a little more weight.

Even at this very moment, I wanted to lighten the burden of the soldiers who were buried in trenches, unable to see an inch ahead, firing anti-tank guns and light machine guns indiscriminately.

At 5 o’clock in the morning.

As the intensity of the battle gradually weakened, the number of units reporting the battle situation increased.

“302nd Regiment total report. The trenches were breached in some places, but they were all held back on the second line.”

“We have reports that three more British tanks have blown up while crossing the coastal road. They appear to have run right into mines.”

“The 258th Regiment has cancelled its request for support. We were barely able to hold our defense.”

In general, the content was hopeful.

But I didn’t let my guard down.

Although wireless communication technology has developed, most communication networks are still wired.

If a unit has enough time to report the situation, the situation will naturally be better.

Wired communication networks were the most vulnerable to air raids and shelling, so there were many units that were unable to contact each other.

It was natural to assume that they would be in bad shape.

8 o’clock in the morning.

Reports poured in from units that had lost communication.

The signalmen must have repaired the damaged parts.

And most of the reports were favorable to our forces.

“We’ve destroyed two British tanks trying to capture the outer defensive point!”

“The offensive attempting to break through to the north has been stopped!”

“There was an enemy infantry charge, but they only got as close as 300 meters. They retreated without getting any closer.”

Feeling relaxed, I went to the bathroom.

But then I saw an adjutant with his head buried in the corner.

He had his hands clasped tightly over his head, as if praying.

I asked absentmindedly over the back.

“Are you a Christian?”

“Ouch! Sorry, I’m sorry.”

The adjutant is startled and embarrassed.

What, really?

I asked as a joke, but when he said it was true, I was speechless.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. China is a country with freedom of religion.”

“But I know better than anyone else what excuses the British troops outside are using to slander you. They are interpreting the Bible in their own way and are falsely accusing us, the yellow people.”

“Who said what?”

“So, then you’re saying that it doesn’t matter if I’m a Christian? All the people who are hell-bent on harming Your Majesty are Christians…”

I said in despair.

“You don’t know anything. You’re caught in the frame too.”

“yes?”

“This war is not a holy war between Christianity and anti-Christianity. It is a world-purification operation to stop the old, old-timers who have enjoyed the imperial status for hundreds of years and sucked the honey from it from not accepting the changing times and from shitting on the map.”

He patted my shoulder.

“Whisper to your god as much as you want. Just know that you have a lot of work to do here on earth, and not anywhere else.”

When I came out of the bathroom, I felt like a real adult.

But what awaits me is a new report.

So gloomy that it overshadows all the good news so far…

***

“If we just kill Hanshin, this war will end…”

The 3rd Combat Group of the French Foreign Legion were experts at killing.

Rather than being soldiers trained for war, they were closer to agents skilled in small-scale intelligence operations and counter-terrorism.

Entry into downtown Benghazi was easy.

Even before the British attack began, all Chinese forces had been deployed to the western front.

As the fighting finally began with air strikes that tore through the atmosphere, the 3rd Battle Group became a ghost forgotten by the world.

“Don’t try to live. Just do your best to kill…”

The night of September 11th.

Among the 3rd Fighter Group gathered on the outskirts of the city and crawling towards the enemy command, not a single one expected to return alive.

If you think about it, it was a strange thing.

There is nothing more important than being born as a human and protecting one’s life.

The 500-strong unit is united in one mind and one purpose, burning with determination.

What made them a suicide squad?

Before setting out, Commander de Gaulle recited the rules of the Foreign Legion.

Honor and loyalty to great France.

A sacred mission is more precious than death.

It was certainly the creed of an honorable Frenchman armed with patriotism.

The driving force behind the 3rd Fighter Group’s decision to risk their lives was not de Gaulle’s declaration, but something else.

“Antichrist and the devil of the century! The founder of heresy and the worst destroyer! The main culprit who massacred 100,000 of our compatriots in Indochina! The beast who put the French on the guillotine in Morocco and Spain!”

The driving force is none other than hatred for Hanshin.

Yes, that’s right.

Since humans have decided to harm humans.

Things like patriotism and peace were all secondary.

In reality, I just wanted to kill the opponent.

The Foreign Legion took up arms for that intense desire.

The night of September 11th was truly long.

Fireworks were in full swing in the sky, and the dry land continued to spew out black smoke.

It had nothing to do with the 3rd Battle Group.

Even if the world were to end, it would be enough to just kill Hanshin.