Published at 13th of February 2023 07:01:05 AM

Mumbai, the 2nd Army Command of the British Indian Army.

The commander, Admiral Howard, was frowning. The news of the German army landing in Alibag had been reported to him. However, he hasn't figured out how to deal with and solve this problem.

As the three most elite armies of the British and Indian Army, the 2nd Army is very powerful. Except for the British troops stationed in India, they are the strongest. Therefore, Lord William Nicholson will also deploy the 2nd Army of the British and Indian Army in Mumbai.

After entering Mumbai, Admiral Howard and the 2nd Army were preparing to fight. Mumbai has too many people to evacuate all of them. Admiral Howard didn't care about the life and death of those Indian natives, so he directly built fortifications in the city, preparing to resist the German attack in the city. As for whether this will cause civilian casualties, it is not up to him to decide.

In the port of Mumbai, Admiral Howard also planted a large amount of explosives, preparing to detonate these explosives when the German troops landed in the port. In this case, not only can the Germans be unable to use the port of Mumbai, but it can also cause great damage to the Germans, which is undoubtedly killing two birds with one stone.

As for defending Mumbai, the living general has never thought about it. After all, he knew the combat effectiveness of the British and Indian troops he commanded. Even if the troops under his command are all composed of British, he has no confidence. What's more, most of the troops under his command are Indian natives.

"General, your lord's telegram!" A staff officer reported.

After Admiral Howard read the telegram, he finally showed a smile on his face.

Lord William Nicholson has issued an order that the several armies on the west coast of India are all under his control for the time being. That is to say, in name Admiral Howard has been able to command and mobilize these British and Indian troops deployed on the west coast. In addition to the 2nd Army, there are seven other British and Indian Army Groups deployed on the west coast.

"Order the subordinate departments of the 2nd Army to deploy the 11th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Infantry Divisions to attack Alibagh. Order the 11th Army of the British and Indian Army to attack Alibagh from the south The 12th Army, rushed to Mumbai to participate in the battle. This time, we must drive the Germans into the sea before the Germans can gain a firm foothold!" Admiral Howard ordered.

"Yes, General!" The staff officer immediately went to give the order.

"This time, six main infantry divisions and two ordinary army groups were dispatched, with a total of more than half a million people! It should be able to withstand the German attack, right?" Admiral Howard said secretly.

When the British and Indian troops began to mobilize, the German marines had already captured Alibag. Moreover, the 3rd Division of the Marine Corps and the main force of the 8th Army of the Army began to disembark quickly through the port of Alibag.

Admiral Ludendorff knows that now is to compete with the British for time. It is necessary to send as many main forces ashore as possible before the British counterattack. In this way, it is possible to resist the British attack.

"General, the Navy's seaplane detected that a large number of British and Indian troops are approaching Alibag! Not only are there British and Indian troops in the north, but also in the south. It is expected that they will attack us in three hours. ' a staff officer reported.

"How many troops can we go ashore before the British launch a counterattack?" Admiral Ludendorff frowned.

"General, Alibag's port is too small. According to the current speed, apart from the 3rd Marine Division, probably only the 1st Infantry Division can go ashore. In addition, the 2nd Infantry Division may be able to go ashore for a regiment!" Staff Officer The officer reported.

"No, too few. We have to face the attack of hundreds of thousands of British and Indian troops. Let the landing craft of the Marine Corps join the transfer force. Even if heavy weapons cannot go ashore, light weapons and people must go ashore. Firepower For support, you can find the Indian Ocean Fleet." Admiral Ludendorff said.

"Yes, General." The staff officer immediately went to make arrangements.

The landing craft of the Marine Corps can directly send people to the beach. Although it is impossible to help transport heavy weapons, there is still no problem with transporting personnel. In this way, as many troops as possible can be sent ashore before the British and Indian troops launch an attack, thereby resisting the British and Indian troops' counterattack.

Before the main force went ashore, the situation of the German army was not so good. If they were not careful, they might suffer failure or even be driven into the sea. In that case, the German army may become the laughing stock of the whole world. This will not only have a great impact on Germany's occupation of India, but will even affect Germany's prestige in the world.

"Contact the Indian Ocean Fleet, we need more support!" Admiral Ludendorff said.

When the army was unable to bring heavy weapons ashore, the fire support relied only on the navy's warships. Fortunately, the Indian Ocean Fleet has assembled its main force to ensure the success of the 8th Army's landing this time.

"Yes, General."

Soon, there was a reply from the Indian Ocean Fleet, and the commander of the fleet, Lieutenant General Ingenor, assured that the Indian Ocean Fleet would provide comprehensive fire support to the 8th Army. When the Indian Ocean Fleet bombarded Alibag before, it only dispatched two capital ships. The remaining five capital ships are all on standby. This time, Lieutenant General Ingenor has ordered the remaining five capital ships to rush to the theater.

Time passed by one minute and one second. The British and Indian troops are rushing to Alibag, and they are going to drive them into the sea to feed the fish before the German army has a firm foothold.

And the German army is also taking the time to disembark, try their best to send more troops ashore before the counterattack of the British and Indian troops begins, to ensure that they can resist the attack of the British and Indian troops in the next battle, and then they can let them The main force goes ashore. Once the main force of the German army has landed, it will not be a big problem to sweep the entire India with their combat effectiveness.

"How long will it take for the 4th Army to arrive?" Admiral Ludendorff asked.

The former commander of the 4th Army, the Duke of Wrttemberg, was killed. After the war, Qin Tian cleaned up the 4th Army and replaced those officers who had connections with the Duke of Wrttemberg. At the same time, the proportion of troops in other regions in this group army has been increased to ensure the control of this group army. Of course, after the large-scale reorganization and reequipment, the combat effectiveness of the 4th Army not only did not decline, but also increased.

"General, it is estimated that the 4th Army will take three more days to reach the battlefield."