Munitions Empire

Unlike the expedition to Dongwan Island, this time the troops of Tang Mo had stockpiled their supplies on Dongwan Island, so their speed of being dispatched to the front lines became much faster.

The earlier deployment in Zheng Country, the secretly stockpiled supplies, the locals volunteering as guides, and the extensive network of roads, all made the advance of the Tang Army more convenient and swift.

Through the sea route between Dongwan Port and Linshui Port, Tagg effortlessly transported his 1st Motorized Infantry Division and the 1st Infantry Division across the strait, and soon more troops completed the transfer.

Counting the 1st Division of the Marine Corps and the 4th Division of the Army, Tagg had managed to land four divisions on the coast of Zheng Country without much combat.

The combat effectiveness of these troops was not something ordinary units could match; these main force units were basically full divisions nearing 20,000 personnel each, and the number of artillery pieces equipped by a single division could exceed that of an entire country in the past.

Responsible for the amphibious landing, Tagg did not want to easily send the 1st Marine Division to the front lines for consumption, so he held this navy unit back, not allowing them to participate in subsequent battles.

Most of this division’s troops were now stationed around Linshui Port, and because they could not be equipped with a large number of vehicles, this amphibious landing force did not have the capability for long-distance, rapid marches on land.

Tagg deployed the remaining three divisions in three main directions: to the far south was the relatively weakest 4th Division, pushing southward all the way to the border between Zheng Country and Chu Country.

The attack to the north was led by the relatively faster 1st Motorized Division, the unit with the most vehicles and fastest advancement; their mission was to quickly push to the northern region of Zheng Country and secure the border with Qi Country.

The remaining division was Tagg’s original command, the strongest 1st Infantry Division. Tagg ordered them to advance westward, directly towards the direction of Zheng Country’s King City.

For the follow-up troops, Tagg also made arrangements; the similarly stronger 5th and 6th Divisions were considered as reserves, advancing westward behind the 1st Division, with the 7th Division heading north, and the 8th Division south, serving as reserves for the 1st Motorized Infantry Division and the 4th Division, respectively.

From north to south, Tagg’s formation was arranged as 232, a total of seven divisions of operational troops. If necessary, there were two additional divisions in the process of being formed on Dongwan Island that could be sent as reinforcements at any time, namely the 9th and 10th Divisions.

Blocking the way of these troops, the main force of the Zheng Army was about 200,000 strong, with 50,000 deployed on the border with Chu Country, and another 70,000 or so garrisoned on the northern border with Qi Country.

In other words, the Zheng troops that could be immediately brought into the battle amounted to only about 80,000 at most, completely at a disadvantage in terms of personnel.

In the hands of Zheng Country’s Great General Li Jun, there were only 40,000 men, and most of these troops were not yet ready for combat.

In comparison to Great Tang, the level of industrialization in Zheng Country was too low; most of the weapons and equipment they had planned to produce themselves could not be fully deployed in time due to production capacity issues.

Moreover, due to reasons such as corruption and delays, the equipment modernization of the Zheng Army was not even one third complete.

In fact, of the troops under the main force of Li Jun, only about half were equipped with the Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifles purchased from Shireck, and a small number of breech-loading cannons.

In addition, Zheng Country had another relatively formidable force, the Imperial Guards of Zheng Tong stationed at King City, whose weapons were more advanced and training levels higher.

Beyond these two units, the majority of Zheng Country’s army was still equipped with flintlock muskets and muzzle-loading cannons, making their combat effectiveness quite a laughable matter.

As the Great General of Zheng Country, Li Jun was still able to hold the passes and stabilize the defense lines. To say that his military prowess was divine would be less accurate than to say the troops of Great Tang had voluntarily halted their advance.

Concerned that his own troops might suffer a sudden counterattack, Tagg prudently ordered his troops to stop their advance and wait for the follow-up forces.

On Li Jun’s side, he reported a great victory to Zheng Tong; he had successfully stopped Tang Army’s advance and stabilized his own defense lines.

Afterward, the first true battle of this war broke out, with both sides vying for control of the central stronghold of Tongcheng in Zheng Army’s defense line.

Tongcheng, located roughly in the center of Zheng Country and named for the surrounding copper mines, had numerous mines and therefore many factories, making it a place of great importance for Zheng Country.

Li Jun had deployed 10,000 elite troops there, equipped with the Shireck Type 1 bolt-action rifles and supported by 30 breech-loading field cannons. The defenders reinforced the city walls and also deployed defensive fortifications on the outskirts.

The attacking forces from Great Tang consisted of the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 1st Infantry Division, with a combined force of over 7,000 soldiers, in addition to strengthened artillery support, completely overwhelming the Zheng Country defenders in firepower.

The two sides engaged in a fierce artillery battle; Li Jun’s elites desperately resisted, and after an entire day of intense fighting, Tang Army annihilated the Zheng forces and captured Tongcheng at the cost of 17 dead and more than 110 wounded.

The battle was almost a one-sided slaughter; the Zheng forces were completely crushed during the artillery exchange.

The performance of Shireck’s 130mm field howitzer was no match for the 105mm caliber howitzer from the Great Tang Group, and the gap in performance meant that Great Tang Group’s artillerymen were able to continually suppress the Zheng Army’s gunners.

In addition, the artillerymen of the Great Tang Group had even more powerful 155mm caliber howitzers at their disposal, firepower so devastating it could truly be described as earth-shattering.

A typical Zheng Army position would nearly collapse after just one hit from a 155mm howitzer shell.

If they did not abandon their position and retreat immediately, they would suffer a second strike—enduring the terror of an entire position quaking in an explosion was not something every soldier could withstand.

The infantry firepower was also unevenly matched; the Zheng Army hardly had any machine guns, let alone submachine guns, and their bolt-action rifles were no match for the automatic weapons in the trenches wielded by the troops of the Great Tang Group.

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The most tragic part was that most of the Zheng Country’s forces didn’t even have the chance to hide in trenches and engage the Great Tang Group’s troops in close combat; they were bombarded by artillery before the Tang Army even charged.

The Tang Army fully leveraged its equipment advantage, turning the Zheng Army’s deployment into a complete joke. The reinforced walls fortified by the Zheng Army crumbled effortlessly under artillery fire, and their amateurishly constructed defensive fortifications outside the city were of little use.

Lacking modern warfare experience, the Zheng Army suffered heavy losses under the Tang Army’s assault, finally realizing the vast gulf in firepower between them in the face of mounting casualties.

It wasn’t just the large-caliber howitzers; the Tang Army also equipped a substantial number of mortars for additional firepower. These flexible but potent weapons were the Zheng Country military’s nightmare.

Although Li Jun had stationed a significant force at Tongcheng and defended from a position of advantage, these troops quickly crumbled under the fierce bombardment from the Great Tang Group’s forces.

Li Jun’s trusted general, the valiant warrior Lu Fang of Zheng Country, was killed on the ramparts, and the 3,000-strong "Li Family Army," Li Jun’s most loyal troops, were completely annihilated.

Having lost Tongcheng, the Zheng Country forces were at a total disadvantage; what was once a cohesive defensive line suddenly had a breach in the central area, prompting an immediate retreat across the board.

The biggest problem was that the armaments stored in Tongcheng became spoils for the Tang Army, and with the loss of a significant amount of supplies and baggage, the nearby Zheng forces were effectively incapable of further combat.

Simultaneously, the mines, ore processing, and metal smelting facilities around Tongcheng, including the Tongcheng ammunition factory and other ordnance factories, had all fallen into the hands of the Tang Army.

Li Jun did not believe that the remaining forces under his command had the capability to counterattack the Tang Army and recapture the vital Tongcheng ordnance factories.

Knowing his limitations, General Li immediately led his troops toward King City in a disordered retreat, not bothering to protect the rear.

Following this, the Tang Army captured over 10,000 fleeing enemy soldiers, achieving a great victory at Tongcheng. With Li Jun’s troops retreating, the nearby Zheng forces immediately showed their true colors, scattering like birds and beasts under the Tang Army’s offensive.

What began as an 80,000 against 60,000 battlefield in the central region suddenly became 30,000 against 60,000. The Zheng Army’s negligible numerical superiority was completely obliterated.

Even after rallying the over 20,000 royal guards stationed at Zheng Country’s King City, the military strength in the central region of Zheng Country was only about 50,000. Meanwhile, with the arrival of the 5th and 6th Divisions, the Tang Army now deployed over 60,000 troops in the central region.

As Tagg put it, he had never fought such a well-provisioned war before! For the first time in the main offensive direction, the Tang Army had a numerical advantage!

Having captured Tongcheng, Tagg did not rush to advance toward King City; instead, he turned his attention to the southern and northern regions.

Thanks to the Great Tang military’s victory at Tongcheng, the resolve of Zheng Country’s border troops wavered. Considering their futures, the frontier commanders seriously reconsidered the offer made by the Great Tang Group.

On the seventh day of the hostilities, 50,000 border troops in the southern region of Zheng Country laid down their arms and surrendered to the Great Tang Kingdom. As per the agreement, they did not abandon their positions but continued to hold the border until the end of the war.

Two days later, having received assurances of safety, 70,000 border troops in the northern region of Zheng Country announced their surrender to the Great Tang Kingdom. Tang Mo, achieving his goal, took control of the border region and firmly held Zheng Country in his grasp.

Today, only the area around King City continues to resist Zheng Country. Meanwhile, the 1st, 5th, and 6th Divisions of the Tang Army have begun their advance toward the vicinity of Zheng Country’s King City.

Tagg, who in less than 13 days had completely encircled Zheng Country’s King City and occupied nearly the entire country, unexpectedly slowed down.

He decelerated the advance of his troops, taking firm and steady actions without overreaching, and by the 22nd day of the war, had advanced to the outskirts of Zheng Country’s King City.

Although slower than Redman in the conquest of the Kingdom of Germelin, this pace of advance still reminded the world of a name: "Tagg."

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Due to health issues, I will be taking some time to rest and will only be able to update once for now. My apologies to my dear readers.

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