The expeditionary force began to dominate Southeast Asia by recruiting defeated soldiers

Chapter 404: Battle of Kranji Dam (Part 2)

Outside the dam, the main attacking force was divided into three waves, and began to hit the core area of ​​the dam from the northeast, east and southeast directions.

In order to avoid damaging the dam itself, they did not use large-caliber heavy artillery, but 75mm tank main guns, RPGs, mortars and other weapons were used in turn.

Under the cover of artillery fire, the M4 Sherman tanks began to advance against the fire of the ambushed Type 92 infantry guns, Type 75 mountain guns and field guns.

The infantrymen providing cover around them used grenades and RPGs to clear obstacles for the tanks.

By dusk, the Japanese outer positions were basically wiped out, and the remaining 200-odd defenders hid inside the dam. The entire battlefield fell into a brief silence.

As night fell, dark shadows began to creep through the woods.

A fully armed naval special forces team quietly followed the river channel to the reservoir upstream of the dam.

The members of this special operations team have all received rigorous training from the Italian Navy's frogman unit.

During World War II, Italy's Tenth Assault Fleet (Decima Flottiglia MAS) carried out many high-risk underwater sabotage missions with remarkable achievements.

The most praised of these was the Alexandria raid in December 1941, in which six Italian frogmen used manned torpedoes (non-suicidal, they could jump out at the last moment) to successfully paralyze two battleships of the British Royal Navy, the Queen Elizabeth and the Warrior. Although the two ships were anchored in the port and did not sink after suffering heavy damage, they returned to service after more than a year of repairs. However, this raid still greatly shocked the Allies.

These achievements not only demonstrated the outstanding combat effectiveness of the Italian frogman unit, but also provided valuable experience for subsequent special operations training.

Previously, the Anmin Army introduced a number of experienced frogman instructors from the defeated Italy to systematically train its own naval special forces.

These instructors imparted their mature knowledge of frogman tactics, equipment use, and psychological training to the Anmin Army Navy without reservation, enabling this special forces unit code-named "Jiaolong" to quickly grow into an elite force with superb underwater combat capabilities.

Taking advantage of the cover of darkness, this special forces team, which had completed multiple stronghold infiltration and elimination operations during the day, boarded a modified assault boat and quietly approached the Kranji Dam along the upstream waterway.

These assault boats are specially designed for performing covert missions at night.

The team members wore black diving suits, carried light diving equipment, and carried G-type combat rifles in waterproof plastic bags and high-standard silent pistols purchased from the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), ready to complete the mission in the shortest time possible.

When approaching the dam, the special operations team was divided into two groups, one group was responsible for sneaking in from the drainage ditch below the dam, and the other group was responsible for climbing along the maintenance passage on the side of the dam.

At this time, the Japanese were hiding in the dam building, with only a small number of observation posts left on the periphery. They took advantage of the cover of night and terrain to avoid the Japanese surveillance and quickly entered the dam.

The damp and cold cement walls exuded a dull, oppressive feeling, and the condensation water flowing down the metal pipes made tiny echoes on the ground.

The interior of the Kranji Dam at night was like a maze, with the occasional shouting of the devils and the wailing of the wounded heard in the darkness.

The third assault team of the Anmin Army's Navy Special Forces, code-named "Black Shark", was now moving through the narrow maintenance passages, approaching the dam's main control room step by step.

"Come this way. Climb up and you will reach the corridor of the main control room." Yun Zhixin, who was in charge of leading the way, waved his hand and said in a low voice.

He is a local and once worked as a maintenance worker at Kranji Dam, so he is naturally familiar with the intricate pipelines inside the dam.

The local resistance organization that had always been in contact with the Anmin Army naturally approached him and asked him to lead the special forces.

Yun Zhixin was soaked all over at this time, but still full of energy. He was full of energy at the thought that he would soon be able to drive these hateful devils out of his hometown.

Captain Lin Zhuo nodded and began to climb carefully with the team members behind him. The other team members raised their weapons, aimed at the surroundings and provided cover.

Soon, they passed through a corridor with lanterns hanging on the wall. Lin Zhuo listened attentively and quickly made a gesture:

There is a corner ahead, three devils, and no guard.

The deputy captain nodded and quickly raised his hand to signal the two people in the front row to go forward and take count.

Two team members took out their silent pistols and crouched down against the wall.

The next second, the four men rushed forward quickly, raised their silent pistols and pointed them at the three Japanese soldiers on the other side of the corner.

The three Japanese soldiers sat on the ground, holding their long rifles with bayonets. The depressed expressions on their faces quickly turned into fear when they saw the special forces members on the opposite side.

"Eight--"

Without waiting for them to shout, the four men raised their hands and shot.

Lin Zhuo's first shot hit the cheek of a Japanese soldier under his helmet, and blood splattered on the wall. The remaining two Japanese soldiers were shot to death before they could react.

Lin Zhuo listened for a while and found that he had not alarmed the Japanese, so he signaled the team to continue moving forward.

Soon, they arrived near the corridor where the main control room was located.

"There are at least a dozen Japanese soldiers crowded inside. What do you say?" asked the deputy.

Lin Zhuo looked at Yun Zhixin and asked quietly, "Is the dam's gate opening device strong? Will it be damaged by the explosion?"

Their team's mission was to prevent the remaining Japanese from becoming desperate and releasing the water, so naturally they had to ask clearly in advance.

Yun Zhixin thought for a moment and said, "The main control facilities inside are all mechanical, especially the rotary valve that opens the gate. It takes three strong men to turn it seven or eight times. If you guys drop a bomb in there, the most you'll do is blow the rotary valve to pieces. No one will be able to control it for a while, and it can be repaired later."

Unlike the control rooms in various facilities of later generations that were fully electrically controlled and filled with computer screens, although the control rooms of this era also had many instruments and facilities, the main means of control were still mechanical. Yun Zhixin's explanation quickly dispelled Lin Zhuo's concerns.

After some communication on the radio, the second assault group, which was acting separately, soon opened fire with assault rifles inside the dam to distract the Japanese.

Lin Zhuo quickly took out a few small pieces of military explosives from his backpack, inserted the fuse, and connected the detonator.

"boom--!"

After a low explosion, the dozen or so Japanese soldiers and a major remaining in the control room were all stunned.

The enemy didn't take the usual route. Instead of going through the door, they blew up the wall and came in!

Amidst the thick smoke and flames, several grenades were thrown into the control room. Then Lin Zhuo and several team members set up their combat rifles and fired wildly into the room.

A few minutes later, everything was settled. Lin Zhuo immediately took out his radio and switched to the designated channel:

"Black Shark calling the mothership, the target control room has been captured, all defenders have been eliminated, and subsequent engineers are requested to move in. I repeat, the dam is safe!"