dmims Chapter 157 He's Really Become a Major General
Chapter 157 He's Really Become a Major General
After collecting the fuel, Yan Shuo headed to the coal storage compartment. As he passed the engine room duty room, the two Japanese soldiers were still talking loudly, completely unaware of the unusual activity inside the engine room.
He successfully collected more than 900 tons of coal, then moved to the small artillery shell ammunition room and collected all of the approximately 600 tons of various small artillery shells, not even leaving the ammunition compartments of anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns untouched.
Along the way, Yan Shuo encountered several guards, but he killed them all with a single blow, stuffing their bodies directly into an empty cabin to leave no hidden dangers.
Inside the weapons compartment, various anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-aircraft cannons were neatly arranged, along with many replacement cannon barrels, including spare barrels for the 410mm main gun.
Yan Shuo couldn't help but curse. This thing was huge and inconvenient to carry, so it was indeed useless right now. But then he thought that it would be good to melt it down and make a small cannon when he got back. So he simply put it into his spatial ring and made sure it was not wasted.
He looted the medical supplies compartment completely, taking out everything from medicines and bandages to various medical equipment. These items could save lives on the battlefield and were far more useful than being left idle on the warship.
Just as he finished packing, Ash's voice suddenly rang in his mind, his tone urgent: "Master, time is almost up! Only 30 minutes left! Hurry up and evacuate! Don't delay!"
Yan Shuo didn't dare to delay and quickly climbed back onto the deck through the escape shaft.
He took away the coal and oil for two reasons: first, to prevent oil leakage and pollution of the Yangtze River after the explosion; and second, because these were hard currencies that could be used to exchange for supplies and support the team later.
As for the scrap metal from the sunken warships, we can collect it again after the storm has passed in a few days, without wasting a single resource.
He straightened his sailor uniform, smoothed out the wrinkles, and pretended to have finished his inspection before returning along the same route. On the way, he encountered patrolling sentries again, but he still dealt with them calmly and skillfully with his composed demeanor and fluent Japanese, passing through all the sentries without making a mistake, and returned to the anchor chain on the ship's deck.
With only 20 minutes left before the detonation, Yan Shuo confirmed that there was nothing unusual or any sign of Japanese patrols around him. He quickly climbed off the anchor chain, jumped into the icy Huangpu River, took out a doll, tied it around his waist, and manipulated the doll to quickly sneak along the shallows of the riverbed towards the dock.
They skillfully avoided Japanese patrol boats and underwater surveillance nets along the way, and with the help of the substitute doll and their own superb stealth skills, they arrived at a secluded spot on the dock in just a few minutes.
After landing, he quickly changed into civilian clothes behind a hidden pile of debris, put his stealth suit, doll, and Japanese military uniform into his spatial ring, then started the vehicle he had parked beforehand and quickly left, heading straight for the pre-set hidden observation point.
An abandoned pavilion on the banks of the Huangpu River, about 2000 meters from the Zhaoguang, offers a wide view, allowing for a clear observation of the warship's every move, and making it difficult for the Japanese army to spot it.
Yan Shuo took out his binoculars and stared intently at the Zhaoguang ship on the river. At this moment, there were only 3 minutes left before the timed detonation.
The Japanese soldiers on the warship remained completely unaware; some chatted and smoked on the deck, some rested by the railing, and others rested in their cabins.
Everything seemed perfectly calm, but little did they know that a deadly crisis was quietly descending upon them.
Just as the countdown ended, a deafening roar shattered the tranquility of the river!
A blinding fireball erupted first from the main gun ammunition depot of the Zhaoguang, billowing black smoke shot straight into the sky, instantly turning half of the night sky red, and the pungent smell of gunpowder spread with the river breeze.
Immediately following, a series of violent explosions occurred, igniting the propellant charges and shells in the ammunition depot. The massive shockwave directly blew the 410mm main gun turret off its surface, sending it crashing heavily into the river and creating a splash several meters high.
The middle section of the ship suddenly bulged and broke apart, and icy river water rushed into the cabins. The warship began to list rapidly to one side, and the hull emitted a piercing creaking sound, as if it were making its final lament.
The Japanese soldiers on the ship were instantly thrown into extreme panic, fleeing and crying in all directions. Some jumped into the river in an attempt to escape, while others were hit by the shockwave and shrapnel from the explosion and fell on the deck, howling incessantly. Still others were trapped by the broken hull and desperately called for help.
On the river, cries for help, explosions, the creaking of warships breaking apart, and the roar of the river mingled together in chaos. The once invincible Japanese sailors were now reduced to stray dogs.
Even more tragically, the "Shoko" explosion was extremely powerful, directly affecting several warships of varying sizes in the surrounding fleet.
The two nearby destroyers were violently thrown about by the shockwave, their hulls shaking violently. The shells piled up inside were shaken off and collided, instantly triggering secondary explosions. Flames shot into the sky, and the hulls were quickly blasted open with large holes, allowing seawater to rush in. Within minutes, they began to list and sink.
Three other patrol boats were hit hard by fragments of the main gun and steel debris blown away by the "Shoko". The hulls were directly smashed and damaged, some broke apart on the spot, and some burst into flames. The Japanese soldiers on board had no time to react before being engulfed by the fire, or fell into the river and were swept away by the turbulent river.
The scene was so horrific that it defies description; the river was littered with burning wreckage, floating corpses, and desperate cries for help.
In just over ten minutes, the once invincible battleship "Zhaoguang" broke into two pieces and slowly sank into the cold Huangpu River.
The flames on the ship were still burning, and thick smoke billowed for a long time. Various wrecks and Japanese soldiers' corpses floated on the river, a truly gruesome sight.
Yan Shuo stood at the window of the abandoned attic, looking at the scene before him. A hint of relief flashed in his eyes, along with a subtle solemnity.
He succeeded, destroying the evil warship stained with the blood of Chinese people, avenging countless compatriots who died, dealing a heavy blow to the arrogance of the Japanese army, and cutting off its vital transportation line between Shanghai and Nanjing.
He put away his binoculars, carefully observed his surroundings, and after confirming that there was no unusual movement by the Japanese army and no risk of exposure, he quietly withdrew from the observation point and disappeared into the night.
News of Yan Shuo's night raid on the Japanese battleship "Shoko" and his successful detonation of the ammunition depot, which also destroyed several Japanese ships in the fleet, was transmitted back to the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters overnight and delivered to Chiang Kai-shek's residence in the early hours of the morning.
At that time, Chiang Kai-shek was discussing the anti-Japanese deployment along the Shanghai-Nanjing line with his wife, Dai Li, Kong Xiangxi, Chen Cheng and others. Upon hearing this, everyone immediately stopped the discussion and gathered around the battle report to carefully read it, their faces showing undisguised joy.
Holding the battle report, Chiang Kai-shek spoke with both excitement and satisfaction: "Excellent! Yan Shuo, despite his young age, possesses extraordinary courage and single-handedly infiltrated the enemy ship, destroying the 'Zhaoguang,' a heinous warship stained with the blood of civilians. He also severely damaged the Japanese transport fleet, cutting off a vital supply line and greatly boosting the morale of our troops!"