Chapter 911: landing point
Chapter 911: landing point
??On February 19, a huge transport fleet transporting 200,000 people from the 8th Army of the German Army arrived in the waters of western India. The German Eighth Army has no troops stationed in Egypt or the Middle East. Their task is to defeat the enemy, and the occupation and control of these colonies will be arranged domestically.
?? At that time, the General Staff will send special troops to station, and at the same time reorganize the troops of the German protectorate, so that the combat effectiveness of these troops can be increased to a level sufficient to ensure the safety of these protectorates.
??That afternoon, Admiral Ludendorff, commander of the Eighth Army, boarded the battleship Nassau, the flagship of the Indian Ocean Fleet. Next, the Eighth Army needs to cooperate with the Indian Ocean Fleet.
?? "General, welcome!" Lieutenant General Ingenor and Major General Ruyter saluted General Ludendorff.
?? Although, they belong to different systems. However, Ludendorff is an admiral after all, with a higher rank than them.
?? Admiral Ludendorff returned a salute.
?? "Your Excellency, Commander, Your Excellency the Chief of Staff. Next, the Eighth Army has many places that need to trouble you!" Admiral Ludendorff said. It is impossible for him to use his rank to coerce the Indian Ocean Fleet into doing anything. After all, it is not a system. If the other party ignores him, there is nothing he can do.
?? "General, it is our responsibility to fully cooperate with your operations. The Indian Ocean Fleet will definitely cooperate with the 8th Army." Lieutenant General Ingenor said quickly.
?? Afterwards, they went to the war room to communicate about the upcoming battle.
?? "General Ingenuel, I plan to launch a landing operation tomorrow. Can the fleet dispatch some capital ships to provide fire support for our landing?" Admiral Ludendorff asked.
?? "General, the 8th Army has come a long way, don't you need to take a break?" Lieutenant General Ingenor did not answer immediately, but asked with concern. After all, taking a boat is not a good thing. Especially for long-distance voyages at sea, for the army who is used to land, many people will get seasick.
"It's not necessary. If you want to rest, wait until you get ashore. Every day we delay, the British can arm tens of thousands of Indians. That is the real disaster for us." Ludendorff came Said with a serious face. According to the information they got, the British are crazily arming the Indians. It is said that the British Indian army has grown to five million people, and the British conscription has not yet ended and is still going on. This is not good news for the German army.
?? After all, the German army has too few troops to fight in India. Compared with India's huge land area, 400,000 people are nothing at all. If the time drags on longer, it will be more unfavorable to the German army. In that case, the British would have enough time to arm more British and Indian troops, and even train them to make them more effective. At that time, if the German army wants to defeat these British and Indian troops, it may have to pay a higher price. In any case, the German army must try its best to prevent this from happening.
Lieutenant General Ingenor nodded: "That's true, General. In the past two days, we have sunk dozens of ships from other countries that tried to forcefully break through our blockade and entered India. The Pacific Fleet attacked The sunk ships are only a lot more than ours. Obviously, the British have not stopped transporting weapons and equipment to India."
?? "The important task of preventing the British from transporting weapons and equipment to India is left to you." Admiral Ludendorff said.
"This is our duty! Don't worry about fire support, general. Several other capital ships will arrive tonight. Tomorrow morning, we will gather seven capital ships to provide fire support for the army's landing." Lieutenant General Ingenuel said.
??The Mediterranean Fleet has only seven capital ships in total, and they can all be assembled to provide fire support for the landing of the 8th Army. This is undoubtedly supporting them with all their strength. This made General Ludendorff very satisfied.
?? "By the way, General Ingenuel, we are newcomers. The Mediterranean Fleet has been wandering around the western coast of India for several days. Do you think it is better to choose where to land." Admiral Ludendorff asked.
"General, if you want to choose a landing point, Mumbai is naturally the best. Mumbai is the largest city in India and the most industrially developed city. It has a complete port. If Mumbai can be taken, the logistical supply for the troops will be great. Very beneficial." Lieutenant General Ingenuel suggested.
??General Ludendorff nodded. The supply of more than 200,000 people from the 8th Army alone is a huge number. After the 4th Army arrived, the pressure on logistical supplies was even greater. If Mumbai, especially the port of Mumbai, can be taken intact, it will play a very important role in ensuring the German army's operations on the Indian subcontinent.
"However, if they attack Mumbai directly, the British will destroy Mumbai! At least, they will blow up the port of Mumbai. In that case, we will get nothing." Admiral Ludendorff worried about the British Will choose to die together.
"Yes, General, it is indeed possible. But as long as we launch an attack on Bombay, the possibility of the British destroying the port of Bombay will definitely exist. It is very difficult for us to take the port of Bombay intact. But as long as It is a rare victory to be able to keep the main body of the port. As long as you act quickly, it may not be impossible." Lieutenant General Ingenor suggested.
?? "Well, that is indeed the case. Then, choose this place as the landing point!" Admiral Ludendorff's finger landed on the map.
??The place Admiral Ludendorff pointed to is called Alibag, a small coastal town about 20 kilometers away from Mumbai.
"This is indeed a very good landing point. According to the information we have obtained, there is a small port there, which can satisfy the landing of certain troops. The most important thing is that it is very close to Mumbai, and the landing troops can go directly to Mumbai. Launch an attack," Lieutenant General Ingenuel said.
?? "How many British and Indian troops are there in Alibag?" General Ludendorff asked.
?? "Thousands of people, almost the strength of an infantry brigade of the British Army. However, the combat effectiveness of troops composed of Indian natives will not be too strong." Lieutenant General Ingenor said.
?? "Well, then there should be no problem." Admiral Ludendorff is undoubtedly very confident about the next landing operation.