Chapter 441: Season 2 Book 18 Trans-Siberia – 2-1 Sakhalin Landing Operation
December 7th, 2023 11:00 (Russian time 12:00)
183 kilometers southwest of Oblast Poronaisk in Sakhalinskaya, Russia
From the 87-kilometer wide C-type coast, 183 kilometers southwest of the sea, the 10th Landing Fleet, the 7th Fleet, the 3rd Fleet and the 11th Submarine Fleet were operating a cryogenic IUSW-B.L02 sonar at sea depth.
Starting with the occupation of Vladivostok, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had also launched a landing operation on Sakhalin when a full-fledged invasion of coastal occupation began.
The Marine Corps, which will be participating in the Sakhalin landing operation, was the 3rd Marine Corps (Hwarong), a military force stationed in Hokkaido, to have boarded the 10th landing fleet after gathering at Hakodate Port in Hokkaido three days prior. In addition, some units of the 1st Marine Division (Haeryong) and the 6th Marine Division (Cheonryong) in Osaka were urgently moved to defend Hokkaido on behalf of the 3rd East Marine Division (Hwaryong).
Currently, the 68th Corps belonging to the eastern Russian military district was stationed in Sakhalin. As the former Far East and Siberian military districts were merged and reorganized into a new eastern military district, the 68th Corps was disbanded. However, in early 2020, President Putin reorganized the 68th Corps, a defense force stationed in Sakhalin, into a fire-power-oriented corps. Accordingly, the unit organization was the 18th Machine Gunner Division, the 39th Vehicle Rifle Brigade, the 312th Rocket Division, and the only two land combat units composed of infantry and the 39th Vehicle Firearms Brigade. If the 3rd Marine Corps (Hwarong) landed in Sakhalin, it was far from enough to stop it from the ground.
Naturally, the 68th Corps command was also aware of this. Accordingly, the 68th Corps command established an operation plan to defend Sakhalin by thoroughly preventing it from landing. It was possible because there were the 13th Machine Gunner Division and 312 Rockets, which boast of strong firepower, on the basis of being able to establish such an operation plan.
“It’s time to get started.”
Admiral Ahn Hyung-woo, who looked at his watch from the bridge of the Dokdo (LPH-6111) bridge, muttered to himself and looked at the landing site beyond the horizon.
Two years ago, Admiral Hyeong-Woo Ahn, who led the Maritime Task Flotilla Seven and made remarkable achievements in naval battles against Chinese and Japanese fleets, was promoted to Major General and was appointed to the position of commander of the 1st Fleet at the same time.
“If we had waited for this long, the Russians would have prepared everything as well?”
Brigadier General Oh Dong-seok from Bukju, the deputy commander of the 1st Fleet, also countered while looking at the blue horizon beyond the bridge window.
“That’s it. I still didn’t know the intention of the seafarer. It’s an amphibious operation, but isn’t it necessary to deceive the enemy’s eyes and carry out it secretly? I can’t believe you’re doing it so openly.”
Brigadier General Oh Dong-seok revealed his uneasy feelings about the orders he received from the seafarer.
“It was an operation plan decided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, so even the pirates would have no choice but to do it. I hope you didn’t establish an operation that harms our navy. We just need to execute the orders given to us without mistake.”
Major General Ahn Hyeong-woo had a high rank but when talking to Brigadier General Oh Dong-seok, who was about 10 years older, he spoke respectfully.
“Even so, it is something I don’t really like.”
“Haha, I know very well what Brigadier Oh is worried about. Trust me for once and follow me.”
The 1st Fleet, Maritime Task Flotilla Seven, and Maritime Task Flotilla Eleven, in charge of escorting the 10th Landing Fleet, had arrived at the sea eight hours before and had been waiting. In other words, it gave time for the 68th Corps to know where the ROK Marines would land and prepare for it.
There was a reason for giving the other country time to detect the landing point and prepare for it. Since the Joint Chiefs of Staff had secured air rights over the entire region of Sakhalin, including Primorsky Krai, the strategy was to gather all the forces of the 68th Corps in one place and destroy them all at once with a large-scale attack.
For this reason, the expected landing point was exposed to the 68th Corps and all forces had gathered in one place and were waiting until the time came for them to prepare for the landing. If the operation plan established by the Joint Chiefs of Staff succeeded and incapacitated all forces of the 68th Corps at once, it was safe to say that the entirety of Sakhalin fell into the hands of the Republic of Korea without further engagement after the successful landing.
“Commander! It is a call from the seafarer. This is an order to launch a landing operation in the next 30 minutes.”
The communications officer of the Dokdo ship (LPH-6111) vigorously recited the order from the Naval Operations Command.
“In 30 minutes…open communication to each fleet commander!”
“Yes, the communication network has been opened.”
“This is Major General Ahn Hyeong-woo, commander of the 1st Fleet. The landing operation will begin in the next 30 minutes. Commanders of each fleet, please check once again so that there is no disruption to the operation. Over.”
<hr />
December 7th, 2023 11:50 (Russian time 12:50)
The command center of the 68th Corps, 50 kilometers behind Oblast Poronaisk Beach, Sakhalinskaya, Russia
“Captain! It is a report that the Korean Navy is once again sailing around Poronaisk Beach.”
The 68th Corps Operations Officer, Major General Viktotz Carpen recited the report of the maritime patrol aircraft.
Lieutenant General Islom Inomov, who only nodded slightly as if he had been waiting for this, turned his head to the staff and shouted so loudly that the temporary command post rang.
“If the South Korean marines succeed in landing, Sakhalin is the same as being invaded. We have to stop the landing somehow. Tell each subordinate unit, even at the risk of their lives, that not a single marine must ever set foot on Poronaisk Beach.”
All subordinate units of the 68th Corps were deployed to the 89-kilometer-long C-type beach, and all preparations were made to stop the amphibious landing. Various artillery units were encamped in camouflage shields and waiting in the rear.
The impressive artillery power of the 68th Corps was beyond one’s imagination. In particular, the 312th Rocket Division was organized into BM-30 Smersi, and 72 launch vehicles were equipped with 12 300-millimeter rocket rounds. Furthermore, using the GLONASS system, a ground-level precision attack was possible. It was one of the forces that would pose the greatest threat to the Republic of Korea Marine Corps upon landing.
In addition, the 8th Machine Gun Artillery Division had artillery forces of various calibre. Among them, three were deployed as the latest Russian 2S35 Koalichiya-SV self-propelled artillery. There were 54 doors with self-propelled artillery and multiple rocket launchers of various calibre were lined up.
In addition, numerous mines that could blow up the armored vehicles, as well as various X-shaped iron obstacles, were buried in the coastal area. Numerous heavy machine guns and armored vehicles only had their turrets sticking out of the temporarily constructed positions. For the 68th Corps, it was just a situation of waiting after completing all preparations to stop the landing.
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December 7th, 2023 12:20 (Russian time 13:20)
Russia, Sakhalinskaya Oblast Poronaisk, 80 kilometers southwest
The 10th Landing Fleet, which reached 80 kilometers southwest of Poronaisk Beach, began the landing procedure in earnest. WAH-91SP Peregrine Falcon attack helicopters, which faced the beach and would be able to support with firepower upon landing from the flight decks of Ganghwado LHD and LPH class assault ships, arranged in a flank formation and were preparing for back-to-back take-off. However, more than 80 Eagle-II-M drones, an attack drone for marines, had already flown to the coast where they were planning to land and have begun to search the surroundings and get into attack positions.
The Eagle-II-M drone, equipped with VR-M-class clairvoyance optics, 8-millimeter laser Vulcans, and six 50-millimeter plasma-activated carbons, launched an attack on previously identified positions and newly discovered positions.
The 1-meter Eagle-II-M drone sprayed beams of light while dodging the anti-aircraft guns and machine guns from the ground.
Even before the full-scale landing took place, the defense force of the 68th Corps, which defended the landing from the attack of the Eagle-II-M drones, had a tough time.
As the Eagle-II-M drones flew off the coast, the 1st Fleet and 7th Task Group destroyers, which were escorting the 10th Landing Fleet, fired surface-to-surface missiles and artillery fire.
When several Cheonryong A cruise missiles soared simultaneously in the sky, leaving white contrails in their wake, they turned and headed towards the Poronaisk Coast when they reached a certain altitude. The Cheonryong A cruise missile, armed with dual-purpose amplified plasma bombs, flew towards the beach at a speed of Mach 3.5, and as soon as it approached the target, numerous submunitions were sprayed on the shore.
Bang! Bang! Bang! bang!
The sub-munitions that exploded 10 meters aboveground hit the ground and exploded again.
With the deafening second explosion, everything on the ground was mercilessly torn apart. In an instant, the surrounding area was engulfed in huge flames and smoke.
The Russian soldier, who had fired at the Eagle-II-M drone flying in the air with a heavy machine gun was hiding out in a hole the size of a human face. As a huge flame suddenly blew through the hole, he was burnt along with other soldiers hiding in the camp.
Bang! Banng! Babang! bang!
In addition, the shells fired from the destroyer were poured into various armored vehicles which were lying in wait. It was able to accurately fire by receiving location information from the Eagle-II-M drone.
“This one, this one has a lot more firepower than I thought.”
When Brigadier Oh Dong-seok, who was watching the video of the coast from the drones and Apollo satellites through the bridge screen, said with a satisfied expression, Admiral Ahn Hyeong-woo also nodded his head and responded with a look of satisfaction.
“Commander Oh! Didn’t I tell you to trust me and follow me? Now, as long as the Air Force hit their target, this upstream operation will easily be over.”
“Come on, you seem to have been too easy on the Korean naval forces.”
Brigadier General Oh Dong-seok was assigned a post as deputy commander of the 1st Fleet at the Naval Logistics Command after the end of the First Northeast Asian War and did not know how much naval power he had in actual combat. However, seeing the naval firepower in action with his own two eyes, he was very surprised.
“I shouldn’t have worried earlier.”
“Well, that’s possible.”
At this time, the deputy chief of operations came and reported.
“It is said that in the next five minutes there will be a massive bombing of the air force.”
“It’s time to tell the 10th Fleet and the 3rd Marine Division that the landing operation will begin in five minutes.”
“Yes, I will.”
At the command of Admiral Ahn Hyeong-woo, the hatches of several amphibious assault ships were opened. Then, dozens of new K-27P-M Kirin Marine Combat Armored Vehicles equipped with a hover system flew forward one after another while floating on the surface of the water.
Currently, all tanks and armored vehicles of the 3rd Marine Mobile Division (Hwaryong) are equipped with a hovering system, enabling hover flight of up to 150 kilometers with a single plasma condensed battery pack. In modern landing operations, the new concepts greatly exceed the current landing concept.
The WAH-91SP Peregrine Falcon attack helicopters, which were also in charge of fire support missions from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship, began to take off vertically one by one, and dozens of WAH-91SP Peregrine Falcon attack helicopters flew in formation in the sky.
In addition, hatches were opened from the left and right sides of the hull of the new concept assault support ships, the Namju-class No. 1 Namju (LHD-6201) and No. 2 Northern Ship (LHD-6202), and a long deck extended. Then, the world’s first unmanned tank, the 6th-generation C-4 Garion tank*, appeared.
*C-4 Garion tank
Crew: 0 (unmanned vehicle)
Weight: 25 tons
Weight to horsepower ratio: 260hp/t
Engine: KPP-200 (Hover System)
Output: 6,500 horsepower
Road maneuver: 120km/h
Off-the-field maneuvering: 80 km/h
Hover maneuver: 150km/h
Range: 4,000 kilometers
Main gun: 80-millimeter ultra-photon cannon
Penetration: 5,500-millimeter
Frontal protection power (KE): 3,000-millimeter (hydronium alloy)
Maximum angle of inclination: 65 degrees upward, 25 degrees downward
Secondary armament 1: 8-millimeter laser gun, 6 rows of Vulcans
Anti-aircraft/anti-tank weapon: 40-millimeter GTGAS-40 Black Dragon (4 x 2 = 8)
Active defense system: Super EMP shield system / Transparent protection function / Laser interception system
The number of ammunition for the main gun: 30 rounds x 10 based on plasma cell x 2 pack
Price: 30 billion won
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