Damn the World, Ride a Submarine - Chapter 190



Only Krnovel

Episode 190 – The Decisive Battle

I asked President Jin Min-gyu about the news that the Korean military had suddenly entered the Second Taiwan War.

“Ah! Did the Secretary General persuade you?”

“My persuasion that we should contribute to the Taiwan War in order to gain postwar vested interests worked, but there was also pressure from the United States.”

“It was a really exquisite moment of cheering. But why now….”

“That’s because the current government’s military commander-in-chief was weak-willed and indecisive, so he couldn’t make a decision. Then, when the tide turned, it seems someone advised him to get a spoonful.”

“Anyway, that’s fortunate. I was a little worried inside, but…”

“I heard that the Far Eastern Republic also expressed its intention to participate in the war, but you tried to stop it. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. Russia is also looking for an opportunity, but if the front expands to that extent, there is no way out.”

“I guess so.”

“Anyway, you really worked hard, President.”

Although I had doubts about the ability of our OSS-SC to conduct a perfect operation alone, I thought that if the South Korean Navy joined in, it would be an opportunity to wipe out China’s naval power.

The news that South Korea had entered the war was certainly welcome news, especially since the 7th Mobile Fleet, along with the Navy’s 3rd Fleet, was pursuing the Chinese South Sea Fleet.

The 7th Mobile Fleet was an elite combat fleet equipped with DDG Sejong the Great-class Aegis ships, DDH Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyers, and Cheonji-class logistics support ships. The fleet’s base was located on Jeju Island, making it a close force.

However, it is regrettable that it would have been better if South Korea had made the decision to participate in the war just one day sooner.

Although the Korean Navy was helpful and reliable, it seemed that in the current situation, it would only play a role in blocking the retreat of the Chinese fleet.

The good news continued. The operations situation room director approached.

– This is a report on the results of the first air raid by the OSS Air Corps.

“Yes. Go ahead.”

– Currently, F/A-18E/F and F-35 have completed 93 sorties, and there were no damages on our side.

(Sorty: Sortie – The number of solo sorties of military aircraft. 25 aircraft sortied twice, making 50 sorties.)

“What is the status of the Chinese army’s advance?”

– The Chinese forces on all five sides have slowed significantly and are in disarray due to air strikes on their rear supply lines.

“How much armored power does the Chinese army have left?”

– Most of the leading tanks and armored vehicles were eliminated in this sortie. 30% of the total force was destroyed.

“Are there any changes in the enemy after the air raid?”

– It seems that they have decided that advancing by road will be difficult. It seems that a significant number of troops will pass through the eastern mountainous region.

“So what is the expected speed of the advance?”

– You will have to march into the mountains for a distance of 60km at the shortest and over 150km at the longest. Considering supplies and preserving combat power, it will likely take at least a week.

“Um… Please prepare assuming that ground forces will engage in combat within a day at the earliest.”

– yes?

“If what we have confirmed is 60km, we should be prepared for closer units. The Chinese military is not all fools.”

– Oh, yes. I understand.

“What is the speed of the Chinese fleet’s southward advance?”

– It’s very slow. It seems like they’re coming down carefully while conducting anti-submarine patrol operations.

“It would be even more so if our fleet did not intervene to intercept it…”

We had no choice but to wait, and that’s how time passed.

The Chinese ground forces were advancing gradually to keep pace with their own fleet, and the OSS bombers were constantly scrambling to attack, but… there were just too many.

The Chinese fleet entered the Philippine Sea cautiously and appeared to change course toward eastern Taiwan.

After a while, the operator shouted softly.

– The Chinese fleet has begun to enter the operational coordinates.

On one side of the battle situation panel was a screen transmitting from medium-altitude drones such as the MQ-9B Sea Guardian and the Bayraktar TB-2. The Chinese fleet began to appear there.

Anti-submarine helicopters were seen dropping dipping sonar into the sea, and destroyers were seen searching for submarines.

It would have been possible to intercept Chinese anti-submarine helicopters with drones, but there was an operational directive from Commander Choi Eun-seok to ‘not launch any maritime attacks until the OSS-SC submarines are in operation.’

Besides, we couldn’t know the exact location of the submarine, so we had no choice but to just watch and wait.

– Beep~ Beep~

In the situation room, warning sounds and flashing lights were blaring to indicate an enemy attack.

– The Chinese fleet has begun firing anti-submarine missiles.

The screen showed dozens of anti-submarine missiles being launched from a Chinese warship.

It meant that something had caught the Chinese military sonar. My heart was pounding and my mouth was dry.

‘There’s no way it could have been found that easily… The decoy must have been eaten…’

The Chinese fleet continued to fire missiles without stopping, and depth charges were constantly being dropped from their warships.

Anti-submarine missiles fly at supersonic speeds of 10 to 20 km, enter the water, and strike submarines. Because of their high speed, submarines have difficulty responding.

Even if the submarine had detected it in advance, it would only have been able to travel 1 to 2 km due to its slow speed.

Once the anti-submarine missile entered the water, the guided torpedo would detach and track the submarine.

China also seemed to have prepared well, having suffered losses from our submarines.

…

– The Chinese fleet fired 108 anti-submarine missiles, 23 of which hit unidentified underwater objects and exploded.

After hearing the report, I felt afraid.

I was scared because I couldn’t see our submarine counterattacking.

‘There’s no way Commander Choi Eun-seok wouldn’t have expected this…’

There was no movement on the reconnaissance drone’s screen. The Chinese fleet was leisurely moving forward, cutting through the deep blue sea.

As I was not giving any orders, the operations officer and the combat information room chief seemed to be glancing at my face and checking my mood.

That was when.

– Oh, oh. Wow~

– Phew~

– Okay, then. Haha.

The combat information room was filled with cheers.

This was because our submarines were appearing one by one on the screens and combat information panels captured and transmitted by reconnaissance drones.

The cheers of relief began to turn into exclamations of wonder.

– Uh… Uh…

– What is that···. Wow~.

– really ···.

– amazing.

– Minister, Minister…

Information panels and screens began to display dozens of our submarines and nearly a hundred unmanned underwater vehicles.

-Wow~

-Wow!

– … amazing······.

On the screen, countless torpedoes were flying through the sea, raising white foam, heading towards the Chinese fleet.

Dozens of submarines and unmanned torpedo boats fired torpedoes simultaneously as if they had made a promise.

The number of torpedoes displayed on the combat information panel was counting up, and someone was repeating the numbers.

– It’s 151 shots. Oh, no…

– 211 …

– 383 …

– 401 …

– 505 …

– Ah, our submarine squadron fired over 500 torpedoes.

The foam from a torpedo splitting the waters of the Philippine Sea was drawing huge white lines.

The lines created by the torpedo’s trajectory were tangled like a net.

– Oh, that’s cool. Ah~

Chinese naval vessels were seen changing course here and there to avoid it.

There was no way to escape the net of torpedoes that covered the entire sea.

and

A huge column of water shot into the sky from the Chinese warship that had been hit by the first torpedo.

The sight of hundreds of torpedoes cutting through the sea on the screen sent by a mid-altitude reconnaissance drone was truly spectacular.

For some, it was a terrifying scene, while for others, it was like a refreshing drink that helped them forget the pain of the past years.

It showed a Chinese warship being split in two after being hit by a torpedo.

The torpedo exploded below the ship’s waterline, creating a jet of water that shot skyward, lifting the warship’s waist.

The massive steel warship, with its back raised, could not support its own weight and split in half in the sea.

And from the waist of the warship that was cut in half, a huge column of water shot up into the sky.

Such scenes were performed here and there in the sea, and it seemed as if a giant fountain show was being performed in the middle of the sea.

But that wasn’t the end.

There were still countless torpedoes hurtling towards them, cutting through the water, and the central fleet’s warships frantically evaded them.

There was no way to avoid the net created by the torpedo foam that covered the entire sea like a cast net.

If the leading warship evaded, the warship following it would be hit, and if it evaded one torpedo, three more would rush toward its bow.

It was a thrilling scene, but it was also horrifying to think of the deaths of the Chinese sailors who were not seen on screen.

‘The Chinese Navy is now finished.’

Above the sea, the figures of Chinese sailors jumping off the tilting and splitting ship floated like grains of rice on the surface of the water.

Some ships were already tilted forward, with their stern screws pointing into the sky like helicopter propellers.

The sailors hanging on the edge of the tilted ship’s deck were clinging closely together like cicadas on an old tree on a summer day.

– The Korean Navy has arrived at the front line. This is the 7th Mobile Fleet.

“Ah, that’s a relief.”

– The battle is almost over… You’re going to take the excuse of going to war without doing anything.

“No, that’s not true.”

– yes?

“What are we going to do with the Chinese sailors who fall into the sea? Submarines are not suitable for rescue missions due to their nature, and they can only carry so many people.”

– ah ···.

“You came at a good time. War is war and life is life.”

– Oh, my thoughts were short.

“If we have to watch soldiers who have no will to fight get drowned, it will not be good for the morale of our military.”

The 7th Mobile Fleet of the Republic of Korea Navy, living up to its name, quickly pursued and followed the Chinese South Sea Fleet.

Even Chinese ships that were lucky enough to avoid torpedoes from our submarines encountered the 7th Mobile Fleet.

The warships that followed the South Korean Navy’s order to evacuate were able to survive, but three warships that ignored the order and attempted to escape were hit by the 7th Mobile Fleet’s ship-to-ship missiles and torpedoes and were sunk.

The South Korean Navy conducted operations to rescue Chinese sailors who fell into the sea, saving many lives.

There were so many people in the sea that it was difficult to accommodate them on board.

And UDT members were dispatched to Chinese ships in accordance with the order to seize them, and they had to take in the Chinese sailors they rescued there.

‘I guess we won’t see the Chinese flag at sea anymore.’

…