Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 162



Only Krnovel

Episode 162 – Allied Forces

It was truly shocking that China had mobilized nearly a million troops, a number that was equivalent to the population of Monaco, Luxembourg, and Mongolia.

“It seems like they are thoroughly prepared, perhaps because of their experience in the First Sino-Vietnamese War.”

“At that time, the number of troops mobilized was 200,000···.”

“Sir, can Vietnam stop it?”

“Vietnam also has a standing army of 450,000. It is a country that is good at protracted warfare, so I think it will be able to hold out for some time.”

“Are there any information about China’s strategic objectives?”

“When considering various pieces of information, it seems that the goal is to completely occupy Vietnam and then establish a pro-Chinese government.”

“Then doesn’t that mean we’re going to eat up all of Indochina, starting with Vietnam, then Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand?”

“I think that is also the intention. If Vietnam falls, countries like Laos and Cambodia will naturally turn pro-China.”

“Okay, I understand. Please continue working hard.”

“Yes, sir.”

First, a statement was made to China. The summary of its contents was as follows:

The idea was that if Vietnam, a member of ASEP and a member of PATA, did not withdraw its troops from the territory within 24 hours, not only Vietnam but also mainland China would become targets of the OSS attack.

There was no reason to declare an all-out war with China, but because of Vietnam’s geographical characteristics, it was difficult to project naval and air power without attacking mainland China.

China was a country with a standing army of 4.2 million men and a reserve army of over 10 million men. Its human resources were beyond imagination.

However, more than 20% of the troops scattered across that vast landmass were concentrated in one place, Vietnam.

It was a great determination on China’s part, and one could guess that it would not be an easy war.

I thought that the current situation in which America’s power has weakened would have helped China make its choice. And

On the other hand, I also felt a bit sorry.

I thought it was fortunate that the troops did not push their way down to the Far Eastern Republic or the Korean Peninsula.

Also, I reflected on the fact that I had overlooked the fact that China was a country with a crazy amount of material.

As China’s intention to take control of the entire Indochina Peninsula and the South China Sea became clear, we had to respond.

The 1st Strike Group, including the aircraft carrier USS Guardians, was sent north to the southern coast of China’s Hainan Province.

In order to completely seize supremacy, a major battle must be fought in the Chinese Sea and with the Chinese Air Force.

In order to secure the 700km combat radius of the F/A-18E/F, it was necessary to move north to the coast between Vietnam and China’s Hainan Province to support Vietnam.

The presence of two strike groups and an aircraft carrier northward near Hainan Province meant an all-out war with China.

I also tried to go on an aircraft carrier, but due to strong dissuasion from those around me, I had to transfer to the ARK.

Before the strike force departed, Admiral Son Il and Submarine Command Commander Choi Eun-seok were called in.

“I can’t even bring myself to entrust the mission to you two.”

– This is a war that will have to be fought someday. There is no other choice. We have prepared a lot for this day to come. Don’t worry.

Commander Choi Eun-seok opened his mouth with a solemn expression.

– Sir, we were able to do it with just two submarines during the Taiwan War.

– Now, compared to then, we are in a much better position. Now, we can see through the South China Sea as if we were looking at the palm of our hand. Leave it to us.

“I feel a little better when you say it like that. Hainan Province is the center of the China Sea and the air force. I can’t help but be worried.”

– Yes. A half-baked intervention won’t help Vietnam or the OSS.

– It seems that air power projection will be possible only after complete control of the seas.

– The investigation and research on Chinese submarines have already been completed. Our attack submarines Wolf 1, 2, and 3 are already chasing Chinese submarines from a distance.

“Already?”

– That’s the thing about submarines. If you try to find them suddenly, you can’t. They’ve been operating secretly for a long time.

“I feel much more at ease with Commander Choi Eun-seok’s words.”

– We are fully prepared to ensure that our aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships can operate without disruption.

“China will also be well prepared. I would like to add one more thing out of concern: Always keep in mind that your enemy is more prepared and smarter than you.”

– Yes, I understand. I will keep that in mind.

– Yes. What I learned from the CEO was to distinguish between courage and pride. I always prepared and prepared to gain that courage.

“Thank you. Then, please depart.”

It seemed like it would be a tough fight.

No matter how state-of-the-art the OSS’s equipment was, it was a pitiful force in the face of China’s enormous force.

This is because Iran learned from its attack on a U.S. aircraft carrier that if it unleashed an overwhelming amount of force, it could overpower super-distance technology.

There was only one corner we believed in.

The only thing they had was more combat experience than China and were better at joint tactics.

…

While Vietnam was holding back the Chinese, it proposed forming a coalition force under the Asian Southeastern Pact (ASEP), a subordinate Southeast Asian organization of PATA.

But the reaction was unexpected. No, it was surprising.

It is understandable that Laos and Myanmar are sending fewer allied troops, as they need to protect their own borders.

All member states, including Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, were lukewarm about forming a coalition.

The lukewarm countries pretended to have done their duty by sending brigade-level troops to the PATA rapid response force.

Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore were of the opinion that they would not send even a single troop. It seemed that they were naïve in thinking that China would not come down to the Indochina Peninsula.

Also, there may have been a calculation that it would be sufficient if the remaining countries took care of blocking it on their own.

‘…they will regret this someday.’

Rather, the Philippines, which is part of ESSO, has expressed its intention to join the coalition.

With great difficulty, we managed to gather 50,000 ASEP allied forces and assemble them in Danang, Vietnam, but that also took time.

Of the 150,000 OSS Southern Forces stationed in Burma, 100,000 were ordered to move to the Vietnamese border area in Laos.

In the midst of all this chaos, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un requested a phone call.

“Your Majesty! What is this?”

“Oh, as you know, Chairman. It was China that did it.”

“I guess these guys are crazy.”

“Yes. I thought it would happen someday, but I’m still flustered.”

“Marshal! Is there anything our Republic Army can do to help you?”

“No. It is more important to protect the Far East.”

“Ah, if I just sit still, my balls will get twisted···.”

“Mr. Chairman!”

“Speak, Your Majesty.”

“It would be helpful if the Republic Army could move a bit to prevent China from diverting its forces in the northeast.”

“Guilty, I know what you mean.”

“And Mr. Chairman!”

“Yes, my lord.”

“How about holding a joint training exercise with the Korean military in the West Sea while we’re at it?”

“Gi-geon… but still….”

“I think it would be good to have a mobile training exercise with the participation of the North Korean Navy and South Korean military in our OSS unit’s training.”

“Ah, I’ll do it. If the enemy strongly urges me to do it, I’ll do it. But the South will be against it. We’ll fight many times in the West Sea…”

“I will try to persuade South Korea. If it doesn’t work, there is nothing I can do. What China believes now is that the South and the North are still hostile.”

“It’s long but hurry…”

“They say China mobilized 950,000 troops in Vietnam, but China’s standing army alone is 4.5 million. We need to show them that the South and the North are cooperating so they don’t misjudge.”

“I understand. If the South agrees, I will follow the Marshal’s wishes.”

I asked ESSO Secretary General Jin Min-gyu to persuade the South Korean government to emphasize the need for joint training with North Korea in the West Sea.

North Korea’s Kim Jong-un has moved troops from the Military Demarcation Line to the northern border in an attempt to appear conciliatory toward South Korea.

The North and the South issued a statement saying, “This is to build mutual trust as members of ESSO and to strengthen defense against the current threat from the North.”

The number of North Korean troops at the Military Demarcation Line was reduced by more than half, and Secretary General Jin Min-gyu’s persuasion was enough to make the South Korean authorities and military understand.

Perhaps it was because China, after the chaos in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, realized with its invasion of Vietnam that ideology was of no help in survival.

In this way, the joint mobile training between the South and the North was successful.

In fact, the Myeongbok exercise was a mobile training exercise, but it was actually closer to a maritime demonstration of force involving the OSS, South Korea, and North Korea.

It could be said to be a monumental event on the Korean Peninsula.

Even if the South and the North cannot achieve unification, it has become an opportunity to at least acknowledge each other’s existence and recognize that they are indispensable to each other.

North Korea served as a fence to block Chinese invasion, and South Korea served as a breakwater to block Chinese threats in the West Sea.

Also, only then could we prepare for winter, protecting the oil and energy of the Far Eastern Republic.

Japan was busy recovering from the tsunami caused by the massive earthquake in the American continent.

Japan was a true breakwater on the Korean Peninsula and faithfully played its role in keeping China in check in the East China Sea.

…

The situation in the Middle East war was unfolding strangely.

Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iran played a leading role in making Palestine independent.

Palestine came to the point where it was split into two countries based on political inclinations.

The West Bank, controlled by a relatively moderate political party, became independent as Palestine.

The Gaza Strip, controlled by the armed political party Hamas, became another independent Palestinian state, the Republic of Gaza.

In the past, part of the southern part of Israel became the territory of the Gaza Republic, and the Gaza Republic came under the influence of Egypt and Iran.

The Palestinian West Bank came under the influence of Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, while Israel was able to maintain its statehood.

This time, Israel was trapped behind a wall, but it was still able to maintain its national existence.

Ironically, it was because they did not use the nuclear weapons they possessed.

It may be because of the characteristics of the front lines where the PIA is mixed up, but if they had misjudged and used nukes, they would have almost disappeared from the map.

The excuse was that we still cannot let our guard down against Israel and the United States.

It was a standoff to maintain influence over the two independent Palestinian states.

Such chaos of power brought about another incident.

[ … Egyptian President Samir Asran was assassinated.]

…