Expedition to Europe

On the morning of the 23rd, the weather was clear and cloudless. The sun rose as usual. There were seagulls foraging on the sea outside the port as usual. It looked no different from usual.

There was still a difference. If it was normal, eight o'clock in the morning was the meal time. At that time, the dock was extremely busy. There were all kinds of Eastern and Western breakfasts. The whole dock was filled with the sweet smell of breakfast. The ears were filled with the hawkers' hawking and noisy laughter. No matter who it was, they would feel the thriving and exciting atmosphere.

Today's dock was particularly deserted. There were almost no people. Occasionally, there were soldiers in full uniforms who flashed by. They were in a hurry and had clear purposes, which made the atmosphere on the dock even more tense.

The news that the Pers Expeditionary Force was about to arrive had spread throughout Port Hedland last night. Everyone knew that the war was imminent. Although the combat mission had been assigned to the team level and everyone knew what they should do, it was inevitable to be nervous when the war came.

Facing the cruisers of the Persian Expeditionary Force, Chen Zhaoqiang did not intend to let the Persians into Port Hedland without any resistance. On the breakwater of the outer harbor of Port Hedland, four artillery batteries were ready for battle. The 12 150mm caliber guns purchased from Lan Fang were carefully maintained by the gunners and were in the best condition, ready to "welcome" the arrival of the Persian Expeditionary Force at any time.

In the No. 3 artillery battery, Hou Xing'an, the gunner of the 9th artillery unit, was comforting his youngest subordinate, Qian Lixin, an Annanite who was only 18 years old.

"Now this is just a small battle. When we were in France, every battle was fought with tens of thousands of artillery pieces and hundreds of thousands of people. That was a real big scene. Compared with that, this is child's play. How many artillery pieces do we have in total? 12 pieces. Do you know what 12 pieces means? In our artillery division, it is just a battalion, and each of our artillery divisions has 8 such artillery battalions, so why should we be nervous? This is nothing!" Hou Xingan held a newly produced artillery rangefinder from the Lanfang Optical Research Institute in his hand, and patiently guided Qian Lixin who was working hard to wipe the shells.

Hou Xingan is an old artilleryman from the Foreign Legion period, and he is considered a veteran in the entire Port Hedland.

The Chinese performed very well in the world war, and the artillery was the best group. It must be said that the Chinese are very talented in mathematics. Even Hou Xingan, a "semi-illiterate" who had only attended public school for two years before, quickly mastered the knowledge of rangefinder under the guidance of the French instructor.

Of course, now that we have the artillery rangefinder, it is easier to become an artilleryman. As long as you learn to use this little guy, you will be an excellent artilleryman.

Lanfang's Optical Research Institute originated from the Zeiss factory in Germany. When Germany was defeated, the people of Lanfang almost moved the Zeiss factory to Lanfang as a whole. Now more than two years have passed, and Lanfang's Optical Research Institute has begun to launch its own new products based on Zeiss's technology. Whether it is a gun sight or a telescope, or even an optical rangefinder, Lanfang Optical Research Institute has launched new products, which has strongly promoted the application of new equipment.

"Hehe--" Hearing Hou Xing'an's words, before Qian Lixin had time to express it, Jason, a member of the artillery group, began to hum, and the meaning of sarcasm was still very obvious.

Jason is a German. The foreign legion faced the Germans in the world war. Hou Xing'an's "tens of thousands of artillery" left a deep impression on Jason. Jason also suffered enough at the beginning, but he was lucky enough to survive.

It has only been two years since the World War, and the scenes at that time are still vivid in Jason's mind. Jason still often dreams about the scenes of the World War, the battlefields of war, and his companions who have died in the war. Now, hearing Hou Xing'an say it so unreservedly, Jason is obviously not very happy.

To be honest, Hou Xing'an and Jason have a good relationship. They cooperate with each other tacitly. Both of them are sincere and kind to others, so Jason has no scruples when talking to Hou Xing'an.

"What? You are not convinced by what you said?" Hou Xing'an immediately changed his target, with a strong sense of provocation.

"Very convinced——" Jason did not intend to argue with Hou Xing'an, and directly choked Hou Xing'an back.

It was really a bit choking. Hou Xingan took a long breath before he felt his breathing return to normal. Just as he was about to continue to persuade Qian Lixin, he suddenly heard someone shouting at the door of the artillery: "The Pers people are 15 nautical miles away, get ready for battle!"

15 nautical miles, if converted into meters in the conventional sense, is probably less than 28,000, which means that in about half an hour, the Pers Expeditionary Fleet will enter the range of the artillery.

The 150mm caliber artillery equipped in Port Hedland is the latest product produced by the Lanfang Arsenal. The range can reach 14,000 meters beyond the visual range. This distance is much farther than the main gun range of the flagship "Pers" in the Pers Expeditionary Fleet. Of course, at a distance of 14,000 meters, this hit rate is really not guaranteed.

"Prepare for battle, cheer up, hold your rangefinders, don't bump them, otherwise you can only use your thumbs to gesture, and prepare your shells and fuses. Don't make a mistake by not installing fuses, otherwise you will be stuck in the barrel and shot out. Keep calm, don't think too much, recall the knowledge you learned in class, and show all the steps perfectly, and you will get an extremely perfect victory-" Tang Shengli, the commander of the No. 3 turret, patrolled back and forth in the turret, reminding everyone with a loud voice.

The thing that Port Hedland lacks the most is iron ore, so these turrets are built very solidly. During the construction, the construction workers used a lot of reinforced cement, including the top cover, and the thickness of all the walls exceeded one meter.

After the artillery entered the turret, they reinforced the turret. First, they used sandbags to build a layer outside the turret, and then reinforced it on the top. Steel plates were also installed in the middle of the sandbags, so it is not an exaggeration to describe the turret as solid as a rock.

"Little guy, get ready. It's time to test you. If you can get through this, don't you want to join the Lan Fang nationality? I will be your introducer!" Hou Xing'an promised Qian Lixin.

"Really?" Qian Lixin's voice was full of surprise, and the excitement could overflow.

"Of course it's true. When have I ever lied to you?" Hou Xing'an took the responsibility.

Lan Fang is currently sparsely populated. In order to increase the population, Lan Fang encourages immigration, especially Chinese and Annan people. As long as they apply for naturalization, they will basically be approved.

Of course, this naturalization is also conditional. For example, young people like Qian Lixin who have just become adults must find an introducer if they want to join the Lan Fang nationality. This introducer must also play the role of a guarantor. If there is any problem with this person's identity certificate, or if he commits a crime after joining the Lan Fang nationality, the guarantor must bear certain responsibilities.

So it is not easy to find a guarantor in Lan Fang, especially for young people like Qian Lixin who have no background.

"Don't worry, boss, I promise there will be no mistakes!" Qian Lixin vowed.

"Yeah, you'd better remember your words. I'll keep an eye on you." Hou Xing'an felt a little relieved, smiled at Jason, and turned back to observe the sea.

Jason was also an old hand, so Hou Xing'an didn't need to worry about it. With Jason's presence, Hou Xing'an could focus more on the sea and didn't have to worry about the coordination of the gun crew.

At 8:45, the alarm sounded throughout Port Hedland. This was a signal that the enemy had entered the ten-mile range of Port Hedland. From this moment on, Port Hedland entered combat status.

The original text is available at Six # 9 @Books/Bar!

Ten miles away, the Perth Expeditionary Force also began to enter combat status.

With multiple orders, the Perth Expeditionary Force was doomed to fail in this battle. Even though the battle was imminent, there was still a dispute in the bridge of the "Perth".

"We need to make a tentative attack to test the defense capabilities of the port artillery and find a new landing point. We can't just rush in all at once, otherwise we will suffer heavy losses." James Jerome, wearing a life jacket, was very determined this time. Even though Derek Chaplin had already arranged a battle plan, James Jerome still argued with reason.

To be honest, by now, James Jerome no longer fantasizes about winning this war at the lowest cost. James Jerome doesn't think about whether this battle can be won or how much praise he will get after winning. As long as he can save the life of one more navy brother, James Jerome feels that his struggle is worthwhile.

"Heavy losses? It doesn't matter. At least it doesn't matter to you. You have already put on a life jacket. Even if those damn bumpkins are firing fiercely, you can jump into the sea to escape." Derek Chaplin's disdainful sarcasm was very strong and he didn't hide it at all.

If Derek Chaplin had a little respect for James Jerome before, that little respect disappeared without a trace from the moment Derek Chaplin saw James Jerome wearing this life jacket.

In the World War, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps did perform very well. The Australian Army may not be as powerful as the French Foreign Legion, but the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps is not lacking in fighting spirit. Australians have never lost their courage, which is why Derek Chaplin is proud of it.

"Whether I wear a life jacket or not is my business. If you can understand the difference between the navy and the army, this life jacket should not be worn." James Jerome did not have much respect for Derek Chaplin.

James Jerome is a pure British. Facing an Australian, the British have a psychological advantage in their hearts. What's more, in the British military sequence, the importance of the army has never surpassed the navy, so naval officers have an extra layer of pride when facing army officers. So in general, a British naval officer can imagine the psychological advantage when facing an Australian army officer.

In terms of military rank, Derek Chaplin is higher than James Jerome, and James Jerome should give Derek Chaplin due respect, but now James Jerome can't respect Derek Chaplin no matter what. If it weren't for the fact that there was still a trace of rationality in his heart, James Jerome would have taken off the epaulettes on his shoulders and smashed them on Derek Chaplin's face.

Go to the Expeditionary Force!