Republic of China: German-equipped divisions massacred as warlords guarded the nation's borders

Chapter 227 Coastal Defense Records Diary...

Fuzhou, Chen Jiajun's temporary coastal defense command post.

The rain outside the window has just stopped.

The room was even more stuffy than on a rainy night.

A map of the Fujian coastline covered the long table, with small red, blue, and black flags planted densely.

The red flag represents the Taiwan Strait fleet of the Japanese fleet.

The Blue Flag marks the location of the Zhen Dong, the Mawei submarine detachment, the Minjiang River estuary artillery positions, and the Xiamen coastal defense warning point.

The black line represents the shipping lanes frequently used by merchant ships from various countries.

Chen Zijun stood in front of the nautical chart, his sleeves rolled up half an inch.

He did not sit.

Shen Li stood to his left, holding two telegrams in his hands.

Hans, on the right, used a pencil to connect several flight paths into one.

The staff officers even held their breath.

Because the Japanese flag on the nautical chart is moving closer to the merchant shipping lanes off Xiamen.

It's not a straight shot.

It's about walking close to the edge.

Like a hand that knows where the blade is, yet still reaches out its finger to scrape it.

Shen Li handed over the first telegram.

"Young Marshal, a call from Shanghai."

"Ms. Mo circled three Southeast Asian remittance subscriptions, and Su Guiying has already reached the second level."

"All three companies have old debts with the former compradors of the Japanese trading company. One of them even sent a telegram to the sea off Xiamen last night."

Chen Zijun didn't even lift his eyelids.

"content?"

"incomplete."

Shen Li said, "I can only spell out four words: government debt, fort, blue tide, and shipping route."

Someone in the staff room gasped.

Money shop ledgers, coastal defense bonds, the Japanese fleet, and merchant shipping routes.

Putting these things together, it's no longer just ordinary bond buying.

This is like using silver as a probe, trying to penetrate the Chen family army's coastal defense camp.

Chen Zijun looked at the nautical chart, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Military provocation, financial investigation, and public opinion labeling."

"Tsk, this combination of tactics could be included in a public relations disaster textbook in later generations."

Shen Li didn't understand the second half of the sentence.

But he knew the young marshal's criticism was spot on.

"Young Marshal, rest assured, Su Guiying has already taken notice."

"Those three sums of money will still be collected, the people involved will still be investigated, and the accounts will still be sealed."

"it is good."

Chen Zijun picked up a red pencil and drew a curved line in the sea off Xiamen.

"If the enemy tries to touch the gun emplacement, let them see it."

Shen Li was taken aback.

"look?"

"Look at the fake one."

Chen Zijun said calmly, "Have Mo Huixin allocate a sum of money from the special public debt account and use it for the renovation of the Xiamen coastal defense lighthouse and old gun emplacements."

"Have Su Guiying leak the information to those three businesses. Don't they want to know where the fort is? Let them drool over the old fort first."

Hans paused for a moment, his pencil still in his hand.

He finally understood.

Chen Zijun did not only deploy troops at sea.

He even faked the positions of the artillery emplacements in the ledger.

This is no longer just a simple war.

This treats the enemy's intelligence and mindset as a battlefield.

There were hurried footsteps at the door.

The radio operator rushed in and saluted.

"Report! Urgent telegram from the Fujian Provincial Government in Xiamen!"

Shen Li took it and glanced at it.

"Governor Yang reported that 2,413 overseas Chinese have been registered, 12 new shops have resumed business, the munitions warehouse remains sealed and unchanged, and the rice price is still as announced."

He paused.

"In addition, three foreign-flagged merchant ships off the coast of Xiamen have inquired whether to change course."

Chen Zijun nodded.

"Reply to Yang Yanzhao."

"The post-disaster data will continue to be reported every two hours."

"Tell him that the accounts in the concessions are not for the Japanese to see, but for the whole world to see that the Chinese can control their own ports."

Shen Li immediately took notes.

"Yes."

Hans pointed to the red flag on the nautical chart.

"Young Marshal, the Japanese advance ships have already broken away from the main force."

"Two destroyers and one small communications ship."

"The course is less like an attack and more like a probe."

Chen Zijun smiled.

"It's a blue tide."

"How can it be called a tide if the water doesn't crash against the shore?"

Shen Li asked, "Should we send the Zhen Dong forward?"

On the other side of the nautical chart, the blue flag representing the Zhen Dong is still some distance from the merchant shipping lanes.

This distance was left by Chen Zijun himself.

If they get too close, the Japanese will say that Chinese warships deliberately approached.

If it's too far away, it won't be able to command the atmosphere.

This is the measurement on the back of the knife.

Chen Zijun said, "Bring Lin Chengzhang."

The radio operator immediately turned around.

A moment later, static from the bridge of the Zhen Dong ship came through the radio loudspeaker.

The wind was very strong.

Lin Chengzhang's voice was harsher than the wind.

"Young Marshal, the Zhen Dong requests permission to proceed."

"The Japanese advance ship has moved close to the merchant shipping lane."

"If we let them push forward any further, the foreign merchant ships will panic!"

Chen Zijun looked at the nautical chart.

"Captain Lin, where are you now?"

"Fourteen nautical miles northeast of the warning line off the coast of Xiamen."

Why are you there?

There was a brief pause on the other end of the radio.

Lin Chengzhang suppressed his anger.

"Because the young marshal wanted the Zhen Dong to remain visible on its flanks and not to enter the enemy's main search area."

"Then stay there."

"Young Marshal!"

Lin Chengzhang became anxious.

"The Zhen Dong isn't made of paper! The Japanese advance force consists of two destroyers and one communications ship. I, Lin, am confident I can take them down!"

Chen Zijun's voice turned cold.

"I know you're confident."

"But what I need is not your confidence."

"What I want is for the Zhen Dong to still be standing at sea tomorrow, so that the main force of the Japanese army can't sleep soundly."

Only the sound of the wind could be heard on the radio.

Lin Chengzhang's breathing was heavy.

The old navy veteran was not afraid of death.

They are not afraid to engage in artillery duels with Japanese warships.

But Chen Zijun's words carried more weight than a military order.

The Zhen Dong is not a ship that acts rashly.

It was the face of the Chinese navy, which had just emerged from the water.

Chen Zijun wasn't afraid of damage or sinking; he could just buy more if necessary. But the spirit that the Chinese Navy had built up must not be dissipated!

Lin Chengzhang said in a deep voice, "Zhendong understands."

"Maintain the visibility of the flanks."

"Do not enter the enemy's main search area."

"very good."

Chen Zijun said, "The cannon can be turned, the fire control can be calculated, and the radio can be used to broadcast."

"But the hull must not be overturned."

Lin Chengzhang couldn't help but mutter a curse.

"The Zhen Dong is not a reckless brute."

Chen Zijun smiled.

"Remember this sentence."

"By the time the newspapers are writing their articles, the headlines have already been come up for them."

A few sailors' suppressed laughter came from the radio station.

Laughs aside.

On the bridge of the Zhen Dong, the helm command has been given.

"Keep on course!"

"Main guns turned towards the enemy vanguard!"

"Use rangefinder to track, but don't fire!"

Lin Chengzhang raised his binoculars.

At the edge of the gray-blue sea, the small Japanese ships, like several blackened nails, were slowly driving themselves toward the edge of the shipping lane.

Twenty meters underwater off the coast of Xiamen.

Inside the U91-type No. 3 boat, the lights were dim red.

Zhao Dezhu sat next to the listening position.

He wasn't wearing a hat.

The hair on his forehead was stuck to his forehead by sweat.

Shui Tingbing pressed the earphones down tightly and moved his lips a few times.

"Captain, 27 degrees to the left front, two sets of propellers."

"One fast, one slow."

"The fast ones are destroyers, the slow ones are like messenger ships."

Zhao Dezhu held the pencil between his fingers.

"distance?"

"Between nine thousand and ten thousand yards."

"Speed?"

"Fifteen sections or so."

Zhao Dezhu tapped on the small nautical chart.

"They're not coming for us."

The young torpedo operator whispered, "Captain, could we surface a little higher to get a better firing line?"

Zhao Dezhu glanced at him.

That look wasn't fierce.

But this immediately shut the young soldier up.

"The last time we ate meat, it was the young marshal who pressed the meat down on the chopping board."

"This time, the young marshal wants to hear the sound."

He drew a short line with his pencil.

"Record the flight path."

Record the rotational speed.

"Record the angle at which it approaches the merchant shipping lane each time."

Shui Tingbing asked, "What if it crosses the line?"

Zhao Dezhu remained silent for a moment.

"Then report it first."

"Submarine torpedoes are not for spiteful purposes."

He patted the hull of the boat.

"We are wolves, not stray dogs stealing bones on the street corner."

The cabin fell silent.

This sentence carries the imprint of a German instructor.

It also carries the shadow of Chen Zijun.

Shui Tingbing suddenly looked up.

"Captain, the Japanese ship is turning."

"Angle twenty degrees to the right."

"It's close to the shipping lane."

Zhao Dezhu's eyes turned cold.

"remember."

"Send a telegram."

"The first dangerous turn by the Japanese advance ship, including the time, bearing, and speed, is all clearly recorded."

"The rest is up to the young marshal..."