March 20, 10:00
Flagship Akagi, off the capital Custefai
The Japan-US Joint Fleet departed from McTayle and approached as far as the coast of Custefai. Despite waiting for nine days after the occupation of McTayle, no official contact from the Altian Empire had been confirmed, and on the contrary, the infiltrated Marines had confirmed that the forces deployed in other areas were being moved to the capital.
'The time lag between the landing at the seaside of the capital and the assault on the Imperial Palace and Senate is the most worrisome element of this operation... Although the capital and Senate are monitored by the infiltrated Marines, they cannot see everything from their position. The best way to secure the heads of government is to have the locals who have access to the Imperial Palace and Senate do it without causing any casualties. But they are enemies, after all... will they succeed that well?'
Rear Admiral Hasegawa, the fleet commander, was anxious to work with the coup forces led by the Third Princess Savia Iliam. However, the operation was already proceeding on the premise of cooperation with them, and there was no turning back now.
"It is almost time to launch the operation!"
Ship officer Commander Iijima informed a thoughtful Hasegawa that the time has come.
"All vessels, begin to advance toward the capital!"
The screws of each ship begin to turn in response to Hasegawa's order. Inside the well docks of the JMSDF's amphibious assault ships Oga and Kojima, the rejoined Shimabara, and the US Navy's dock landing ship USS Green Bay, landing craft and AAV7, landing parties consisting of JGSDF personnel and US Marines are assembled with various weapons and they are standing by with their equipment. At this moment, the final operation to capture the capital, Operation Downfall, was finally underway.
. . .
Senate Grand Hall, Custefai, Altian Empire
At that time, 214 members of the Senate were gathered in the Senate Grand Hall located in the center of Custefai, the capital of the Altian Empire. On the same day, the Senate Assembly was in session to discuss how to deal with the Japanese. The senators included members of the nobility as well as cabinet ministers and members of the imperial family, and the emperor was seated on the throne. They had no idea what was about to happen. Except for one person, Savia Iliam, who was in contact with the SDF...
'The day has finally come... failure is not an option!'
Sitting in her seat, Savia waited for the moment to arrive in a cold sweat. Her subordinates, including Sitos and former soldiers, were standing by at another point, waiting for the right moment.
"The today's Senate will now come into session."
Vizier Irta Orbit, acting as the facilitator, announces the opening of the Senate session. At this moment, the longest day in the history of the Altian Empire had finally begun.
. . .
Flagship Akagi, off the coast of Custefai
The Japan-US Joint Fleet, positioned almost in the center of Hemray Bay, began its advance toward the capital, already approaching 35 kilometers off the coast of the capital, Custefai.
"We will reach the capital soon. All landing forces, be ready!"
The commander's announcement is transmitted to each ship in the fleet. The faces of all the participating personnel, regardless of rank, were filled with tension as they looked ahead to the final operation that had finally arrived.
Takanami CDC
On the sea leading to the capital, military vessels of the Capital Guard Maritime Unit, not as large as galleons but about 30 meters in length, were on patrol. Each ship's anti-surface radar showed them.
"Transmission from flagship! Use the cannons!"
Orders from the Akagi are delivered to all vessels. All obstructions to the landing party must be removed.
"Gun ready!"
Under the command of the gunnery chief, Lieutenant Commander Yojiro Takahashi, the gun of the Takanami aimed at an enemy warship as a target. The guns of each of the other ships participating in this attack on the capital captured the Capital Guard's warships on their trajectory.
"Commence fire!"
With an order from Takahashi, a shell is hurled from the Takanami's OTO Melara 127 mm cannon. Controlled by the FCS-2-31B, it fired a shell toward the predicted position of the enemy ship, which was calculated instantaneously. Other ships also fired shells one after another, and the sea was filled with the irregular sound of gunfire.
. . .
25 km offshore of Custefai
The Japan-US Joint Fleet approaching the capital was spotted by various military vessels belonging to the Capital Guard Maritime Unit, which is responsible for the defense of the capital. One of the soldiers spotted a huge gray fleet suddenly approaching from the east. What appeared there were strange shapes, different from the warships owned by any other country in the world.
"Giant ship spotted! We think it might be Japanese ships!"
"Contact the capital immediately! All hands take battle stations!"
To prevent the enemy from entering the capital, the soldiers of the Maritime Unit take up positions to intercept the enemy who has finally appeared.
"Enemy ships opened fire!"
At that moment, however, the enemy ship's guns emitted a flash and a cloud of gunpowder smoke. Immediately thereafter, the warship ahead sank, hoisting up pieces of wood one after another. Behind them, the irregular sound of gunfire echoed across the sea.
"This is impossible, we are still too far away!"
Colonel Plaque Scavenger, the commander of the Maritime Unit, could not believe the reality of the scene he was seeing. Although he had some prior knowledge of the Japanese military's capabilities through the news reports of the Telecommunications Company, when he actually saw them, he despaired of the difference in offensive power, which was so far removed from his own that it was of a different dimension.
"Is this... reality...?"
A one-sided annihilation with no room for counterattack from far out range is unfolding before his eyes. Colonel Plaque muttered helplessly as he listened to the screams of his men as they disappeared one after another into the ocean's debris.
. . .
Akagi CDC
The warships of the Capital Guard Maritime Unit sink one after another, scattering debris. And in less than an hour, the fleet of ships guarding the route to the capital was annihilated.
"The enemy ships have been eliminated."
A few dozen minutes later, the annihilation of the Capital Guard Maritime Unit is confirmed. The navigators of the vessels ahead turn their attention to Custefai, which was already close enough to be seen.
"It is time to go. Tell all units to commence operations!"
Hasegawa, who had been keeping an eye on the war situation from the flagship sailing astern, invokes the next stage of the operation. Upon the order of the fleet commander, a code was sent out to all units announcing the departure of the landing force.
"Sunrise is in the sky, and so is Muroran!"
As a signal, the Shimabara, Oga, and Kojima, which had already flooded their well docks, and the USS Green Bay, which belonged to the San Antonio-class dock landing ship, sent out a large number of AAV7s and nine LCACs and four LCMs on loan from the US Army will be used to transport various vehicles, including Type 10 tanks, and a joint landing force of the JGSDF's Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade and the US Marine Corps. The troops, totaling around 1.000 personnel, started marching toward the seaside of Custefai.
From the flight decks of the Shimabara, Oga, and Kojima, a swarm of AH-1S Cobra, AH-64D Apache, and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, as well as UH-1N Twin Huey and UH-1J Iroquois general-purpose helicopters belonging to the JGSDF and USMC took off toward the port.
. . .
Coast of Custefai
On the coast of the capital city of Custefai, soldiers of the Capital Guard Ground Units stationed at the port were in an intercepting position after receiving an urgent call from a warship on patrol. On the beach, cannons, ballistae, and trebuchets were lined up side by side in preparation for the landing of the Japan-US Joint Fleet, and soldiers with swords and guns were frozen in place like a wall blocking the advance toward the capital.
There are two units in the Capital Guard Ground Unit protecting the capital, 1st Unit and 2nd Unit. Originally, the headquarters of the Ground Unit would have been located at a base inland from the capital, but it was moved to the coastal area by the Capital Guard Headquarters, which feared an attack by the Japanese forces. Therefore, the headquarters of the land forces is located inside a temporary tent built on the coast.
"Enemy forces approaching from the sea! We need reinforcements!"
Colonel Olga Reticulum, commander of the 1st Unit, who was in command of the soldiers in the temporary tent, sent an urgent message to the headquarters, located in the center of the city, about the enemy attack, following the annihilation of the Maritime Unit and the appearance of enemy vessels.
"What!?"
Upon receiving the report of the enemy attack via the faith shell, General Lean Sprayn, commander of the Capital Guard, was shocked.
"Alright... I'll send the border patrol's dragon riders to the sea immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
General Lean decides to send reinforcements to the coast. A total of 20 dragon riders, which had been moved from the border patrol, then set out for the sea from temporary dragon houses around the city.
. . .
Kirishima Bridge
Commander Reiji Yasuoka, an officer of the Kirishima, who is in the forefront of the fleet, watched through binoculars as the Capital Guard fortifies its beach defenses, a little dismayed at the enemy's stubbornness to give up.
"Never fails to impress me that they can still retain the spirit of resistance under these circumstances," Yasuoka sighed and murmured.
At this time, the Japan-US Joint Fleet was approaching roughly 20 kilometers from the coast of the capital.
"Enemy air units in sight!"
Radar showed a herd of dragon riders approaching from the capital. The dragons belonging to the Capital Guard were supposed to have been destroyed by Shimabara's planes in the recent Operation Olympic.
"Are those dragons transferred from the border guard after the Capital Guard's dragons were wiped out...? According to a Marine who infiltrated the area, there are about 20 of them."
The Force Recon, which had been dispatched to the capital city of Custefai to contact Savia Iliam and Sitos Sphinoid, had also reported to Akagi about the situation in the capital. Therefore, it was already known to them that the dragons, which should have been deployed to the Border Guards, had been moved to Custefai.
Guided missile cruiser USS Shiloh CIC
"The dragons are coming..."
Captain Anthony Rodriguez of the Shiloh murmured as he watched the SPY radar displayed a group of dragon riders approaching the fleet.
"Flagship has ordered Kirishima, Takanami, Benfold, and Shiloh to prepare fro anti-air combat! Destroy the enemy air power with our guns."
An operator working at the CIC transmitted the orders relayed by the flagship.
"Alright... ready the gun!"
At the captain's command, the Mk 45, 5-inch gun mounted forward of the Shiloh pointed its barrel upward. The dragons, tracked by the SPQ radar, is captured by the gun's GFCS system as a target without missing a beat.
"Fire!"
The gunnery officer put his hand on the firing mechanism. Immediately after, the sound of gunfire echoes through the sea. Shells were also fired from the other three ships.
. . .
Sea
20 dragon riders belonging to the Border Guard, which had taken off from various locations in the capital, were approaching the landing force consisting of AAV7s, LCACs, LCMs, and various helicopters, running between the coast and the Japan-US Joint Fleet.
"Sink them before they reach the capital!"
Colonel Casp Pulmonany, commander of the 1st Border Guard Dragon Cavalry, pulled on the reins of his dragon while inspiring the riders behind him. At that moment, the sound of gunfire from the enemy ship echoed in their eardrums.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
At the same time as the sound of the bombardment, 16 dragon riders transformed into lumps of meat and fell toward the sea.
"Impossible! Their cannons can aim not only at ships but also at us in the sky from that distance without missing a beat!?"
Casp cannot hide his shock at seeing the power that the enemy ship's guns possess. Looking out to sea, he saw his men, who had fallen, floating in the water.
"Damn you, devils!"
Casp charges toward the enemy ship to avenge the death of his men, with whom he has lived and eaten for so long. Immediately thereafter, however, the sound of gunfire rang out, and the remaining dragon riders were shot down. Casp left this world before he could avenge the death of his men and the Maritime Unit, which had already been wiped out.
Custefai Beach
The soldiers of the Capital Guard, who had been gathered on the beach, saw a strangely shaped boat emerge from the ship. They were roaring and heading toward them at high speed. And from the sky, unseen flying objects were approaching them, roaring its strange wings. They wondered if those are 'helicopters' that were reported by the Telecommunications Company.
While they were thinking about this, 20 dragons flew in from Custefai behind them. They passed overhead and headed for the enemy landing force approaching the coast. Everyone prayed for their success, but their hopes were cruelly dashed. When they thought they heard the sound of gunfire from the enemy ship, the 20 dragons were wiped out in an instant.
"......"
Everyone present was stunned by the momentary occurrence, which was so unbelievable.
"D-don't flinch! There will always be an opportunity! We will avenge the Border Guards!"
Colonel Olga, commander of the Capital Guard's 1st Ground Unit, who is in command of the ground forces, gave a speech to the stunned soldiers. However, everyone's face was dark as they faced the reality of what they had been shown.
. . .
Over the coast of Custefai
The Capital Guard was consolidating the beach, which could be seen from the helicopter units that were heading the beach.
"Enemy troops are gathering on the landing site!"
Second Lieutenant Kou Uzaki, who was observing from an UH-1J Iroquois, a general-purpose helicopter of the JGSDF, reported to the flagship Akagi. As it is, it is not possible to land infantry on the seaside.
"Shall we attack on our side?"
Each helicopter flying overhead is equipped with Hellfire and TOW anti-surface missiles, Hydra 70 rockets, machine guns, and other weapons. Using these weapons, it seemed easy to eliminate enemy soldiers who had only artillery and muskets.
"No... the fleet will launch a ground support attack against the enemy ground forces. All helicopters, fly low and then deploy to the left and right."
"Understood."
Hasegawa gives instructions to the helicopters flying in the air. They then moved to the left and right to avoid being caught in the barrage from the fleet.
Shimabara Flight Deck
JGSDF vehicles are fixed to the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship Shimabara and the transport ship Ōsumi. Those containers, placed out of the way of the helicopter takeoff and landing space, were loaded with numerous rockets and aimed at the beaches of Custefai. They are a type of self-propelled multiple-launch rocket launcher called MLRS, and each MLRS has two container-type launchers mounted on a swivel launcher, each of which can fire six rockets, or a total of 12 rockets per vehicle.
"Fire!"
GSDF Colonel Takeshi Akiyama gave the order for the four MLRS fixed on the decks of the two ships to launch its munitions. Immediately after, rockets shot out toward the seashore of Custefai, where Altian soldiers were deployed. Controlled by the multi-rocket command system, they flew so that there was no overlap of impact points in order to quickly, accurately, and effectively kill and wound the enemy.
. . .
Custefai Beach
"Draw the enemy's flying objects to you... Fire as soon as they enter effective range!"
Helicopter units approached the coast of the capital with the rattle of their wings. In order to intercept them and prevent them from entering the skies over the capital, the Capital Guard soldiers were preparing to launch all kinds of flying devices. However, the approaching helicopters suddenly split off to the left and right. Immediately thereafter, from behind the Japan-US Joint Fleet, that is, from beyond the horizon, a swarm of lights with white smoke trailing behind them appeared.
"What is that!?"
Colonel Olga tilted his head. But he soon realized that they were coming closer to him.
"R-retreat!"
Instinctively sensing a danger to himself, Olga ordered his soldiers to evacuate. The soldiers, who had been fortifying the beach to escape from the fire-breathing rockets, are scattered and fleeing.
"AAAAAH!!"
Too late, a swarm of M31 rockets attacked them. The fuses of the M31 rockets were set to proximity fuse, and the explosives in the 200-pound warheads detonated just before they hit the ground.
"I-I need help...!"
"GAAAH...!"
A huge explosion occurs above their heads. Flames and fragments of rockets exploded in the air and scattered to the ground, striking the soldiers on the ground like a hail of bullets. Pieces of the soldiers' flesh were flying in the air as the bombs exploded over and over again. Cries for help and the sound of rocket explosions drowned out the cries, and all of this combined to create a huge noise that covered the beach. Residents near the beach watched with trembling as the one-sided slaughter took place on the beach. It was only about half an hour later that the corpses of about 3.000 people were piled up on the beach.
. . .
Amphibious assault ship Shimabara
"Not bad... looks like they're doing pretty well."
Colonel Akiyama watched the explosion through binoculars, a satisfied smile on his face. The rockets fired from the MLRS, which were lined up two by two on the flight decks of the Shimabara and the Ōsumi, reached the enemy positions precisely and caused explosions one after another.
The MLRS system, which is fixed to the deck of the ship with a vast flight deck and fires rockets toward the ground, was originally designed to fire on enemy landing forces and occupying enemy units from the sea and eliminate offshore vessels and landing crafts attempting to land, and the joint land/sea simulation firing drills were frequently conducted. This method of operation was invented because the rockets used in the MLRS are now compatible with GPS guidance. However, since GPS does not exist in this world, this attack method was adopted this time for a demonstration test to see how accurately rockets fired from an MLRS could be controlled using only inertial guidance.
For the team members, using live ammunition against the enemy was a valuable experience with a sense of tension that they could not get from simulated fire drills. Furthermore, in a world where the internet does not exist, there is no need to worry about leaks to the media, even if they fail and kill or injure civilians.
"All vehicles are out of ammunition."
The four MLRS vehicles released a total of 48 rockets. From the beach at Custefai, the target point, a faint black smoke can be seen rising. After completing their task, the MLRS were immediately stowed in a hangar below deck.
. . .
Sky above Custefai beach
With the MLRS attack over, the helicopter unit heads back to the beach of Custefai. The enemy command structure had already been destroyed, and the beach was littered with the corpses of enemy soldiers and the wreckages of artillery lines. Most of the survivors had already fled toward the city, but a few soldiers who had not lost their fighting spirit were still pointing guns and crossbows at the helicopters flying overhead.
"The enemy forces had already scattered. Destroy any obstacle to the landing force!"
Helicopter units used their machine guns and rockets to drive back enemy soldiers. Later, as the helicopters finished their sweep, landing crafts landed on the beaches of the city. With the momentum of the run on the sea, a large number of AAV7s, nine LCACs and four LCMs plunged into the beaches of Custefai.
"All hands, begin landing operation!"
Among those landing craft, Type 10 tanks, Type 16 mobile fighting vehicles, Type 87 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled howitzers, Type 89 armored fighting vehicles, and a landing force of 1.000 men with all kinds of weapons. After finishing the landing of the troops, tanks, and vehicles, the LCACs turned back to the sea to return to the four ships to land more personnel.
"The landing is completed from the eastern shore and promptly enters the city center."
The first landing party, quickly formed in formation, began marching toward the city center, toward the main street leading from the port to the Imperial Palace, under the command of Major Mitsuo Tashiro. The residents of the coastal areas, who had witnessed the annihilation of the Capital Guards, all huddled together in their homes, some hiding under blankets, others cradling their children in their arms to cover them, were terrified, perhaps for the first time in their lives, of the landing force's advance.