The Rise Of Australasia-Chapter 1182 - 886: The Struggle of the Trapped Beast_2
The Islanders were in an even bloodier predicament. The Island Nation Army, tasked with defending the Ryukyu Islands, had a total of 45,000 troops from two Type C Divisions and one infantry regiment from a Type A Division. Except for a small number that escaped to various places, the rest were totally annihilated by the Australasia Army.
While the annihilation of 45,000 troops may seem exaggerated, 40,000 of them were new recruits from the Type C Divisions, presenting little challenge to the Australasia Army.
Even the casualties of over 6,000 men, one-third of them were inflicted by that very infantry regiment fighting to the death.
The combined 40,000 strong from the two Type C Divisions only caused a little over 4,000 casualties to the Australasia Army.
Of course, such a casualty ratio could not represent the gap in strength between the Australasia Army and the Island Nation Army.
After all, the Australasia Army had achieved a surprise attack and also had a large Air Force at its disposal, which the Island Nation Army lacked.
The Island Nation fought this war in a situation where it had completely lost air superiority, and it was new recruits against the elite troops of Australasia. This casualty ratio could not explain much.
But regardless, after this battle, the Island Nation had lost over half of its troops in the Ryukyu Islands and completely forfeited its control over the internals of the archipelago.
This also meant that the troops stationed along the peripheral coastline of the Ryukyu Islands would ultimately just be making a futile resistance.
If they could not retake the city and the harbor, even if they firmly controlled the coastline, they were facing an inevitable defeat.
While the Australasia Army was cleaning up the battlefield, not far away in the northwest, at the military base, Brigadier Murai Noo, the commander of a Type A Division, was looking grim, his anger appearing to brim over.
"Damn it! All useless trash!" Murai Noo slammed the table forcefully, causing the cups on it to jump, before slamming back down with a thud.
"Your Excellency, we are left with only two choices now," the commander of the first infantry brigade, Tanaka Taro, said carefully, glancing at the enraged Murai Noo and reminding him with palpable fear.
"Shut up! It's all because of you, Mr. Tanaka." Murai Noo turned his furious gaze towards Tanaka Taro, finally finding an outlet for his anger, "Tell me, why was an entire infantry regiment crushed so quickly?
Damn it! That was a full force of 5,000 men, our most elite regiment from the Type A Division. Tell me, why could your men only hold on for 3 hours?
I don't believe the Australasia Army could have air-dropped that many paratroopers, not even 10,000. Could an infantry regiment not hold out even for a full day?
And those two incompetents, Mikuni and Yamamoto Akio on the Islandtop, even if they are dead, I will still report their families to the government to hold them accountable!
Two Type C Divisions and an infantry regiment from a Type A Division, a total force of 45,000 troops, only resisted for just over 10 hours?
Even 45,000 pigs would make the Australasia Army fight for a day! You're all worse than pigs, a bunch of incompetents!
Tanaka Taro, who didn't dare lift his head, stood up, hurriedly accepting his own culpability, and pleaded for Murai Noo's forgiveness, "Your Excellency, please give me another chance. With just one infantry regiment, I can reclaim Naha and the harbor for the Empire."
Although Tanaka Taro held the rank of Brigadier, he dared not resist the dominion of Division Commander Murai Noo in the strictly hierarchical Island Nation's army.
Although there's only one rank between a Brigadier and a Major General, the gap in the Island Nation's army is profoundly significant.
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Furthermore, Tanaka Taro was a direct subordinate of Murai Noo, making the gap even larger.
In the strictly hierarchical Island Nation army, subordinates of any level are not to defy superior orders.
"An infantry regiment?" Murai Noo looked at Tanaka Taro and sneered, "Two Type C Divisions combined with an infantry regiment couldn't stop the Australasia Army, and you tell me with just one infantry regiment you can do it?"
"This..." Tanaka Taro's head dropped even lower, not daring to answer Murai Noo's question.
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Earlier, the idea of retaking Naha and the Harbor with just one infantry regiment was merely something Tanaka Taro said to cool Murai Noo's anger.
Even if one thought with their toes, it was clear that a single infantry regiment could not retake both Naha and the Harbor.
Even if the goal was just to recapture Naha, it was definitely not something that a single infantry regiment could achieve.
According to the information sent back by the Type C Division earlier, there were at least 5,000 Australasia Army personnel in the Naha region who, with the advantage of defense and air superiority, would require the Island Nation to deploy more than 10,000 soldiers, even if they sent a Type A Division, to be able to retake Naha.
Even 10,000 soldiers were not really safe. Only if the entire Type A Division were mobilized might there be enough confidence to fight a major battle against the Australasia Army in Naha and take it back.
But the problem was, if an entire Type A Division was deployed, only a Type B Division would be left to defend the coastline.
A Type B Division, whether in terms of troop strength or combat power, was far inferior to a Type A Division, which meant that the defense of the coastline would be extremely precarious.
If the coastline were breached, the plight of the Island Nation Army on the island would still be inescapable death or capture.
In this light, regardless of whether they gave up on the coastline, the end for the Island Nation Army was destined to be only one – annihilation.
It was merely the difference between a slow-acting poison and a fast-acting one, but fundamentally, for the Island Nation Army right now, there wasn't much of a difference.
"Notify Mr. Yoshida, leave one infantry regiment to fully defend the coastline; the rest of the military forces to mobilize fully and take back Naha." After a moment of silence, the anger within Murai Noo had dissipated somewhat, and he issued his command.
"Brigadier, doing so will put our coastline at risk." The color drained from the face of the commander of the second infantry brigade, who hastily advised Murai Noo.
"Defending the coastline is already meaningless," Murai Noo interrupted the commander of the second infantry brigade, the angry look on his face had vanished, replaced by a hint of madness.
With a smile on his face, as if he were not the one who had vented his rage just minutes before, Murai Noo paused, turned his gaze to his two confidants, the infantry brigade commanders of the Type A Division, and ordered: "Leave one infantry regiment from the second brigade to defend the coastline; all other soldiers, including the division's direct troops, prepare to attack Naha with all your might!
Either we retake Naha and rely on the terrain for defense, awaiting domestic support or let us contribute the last of our strength for the Empire and eliminate more Australasia troops to alleviate the pressure on our forces back home."
Hearing Murai Noo speak thus, the two infantry brigade commanders and the other officers had no more words to say.
"Aye!"
All officers stood up in unison, their faces now showing fervor and madness again as they responded loudly.
With the Brigadier Murai Noo's order, the Type A Food Regiment quickly sprang into action.
The infantry regiment that was responsible for staying behind received an increased amount of ammunition and would delay time for Murai Noo's plan as much as possible.
The rest of the military quietly withdrew from their positions, assembled in the rear and set off for the southern city of Naha.
On the other side of the main island, Yoshida Kei, the commander of the Type B Division, naturally, also received Murai Noo's request.
As a division commander himself, but with Murai Noo in command of a Type A Division having a certain authority over all Island Nation forces in the Ryukyu Islands,
Yoshida Kei also understood what the Island Nation Army on the Ryukyu Islands was enduring. Without much thought, he immediately ordered the Type B Division troops stationed on the main island to leave a portion behind, with the remainder to forcefully move towards Naha in the southern region of the main island.
He knew this was the last chance for the Island Nation Army. If they failed to conquer Naha, then the Island Nation Army on the Ryukyu Islands would only have a beleaguered struggle left, doomed to be surrounded and exterminated on this small island.
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