On the coast, there were only a few thousand enemy troops, and they were weak Indian natives. Their combat capabilities were extremely low. With a single assault, we could easily achieve a successful landing and crush them. Remember, we must occupy the port here as intact as possible to create favorable conditions for the army's landing," said Major General Adam, Commander of the 3rd Marine Division, to the battalion and regimental commanders under his command.
"If we cannot even defeat those Indian natives, then we will become a laughingstock—not only for the Marine Corps, but for the entire military and even the whole nation! So, gentlemen, I need a swift and decisive victory, one that will show these Indian natives what kind of enemy they are up against!" Major General Adam continued.
"Rest assured, General. We will surely defeat those Indian natives. We can easily crush them! I guarantee it!" The commander of the first wave of attack responded.
"That will be most excellent," Major General Adam said.
"General, the fleet has reported that we can begin the landing operation," a communications officer reported.
"1st Regiment, move out!" Major General Adam ordered.
"Yes, General!" The 1st Regiment's commander replied.
Minutes later, thousands of soldiers from the 1st Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division embarked on hundreds of landing craft and charged toward the beach of Alibag.
"My God! The Germans have launched a landing operation! Quickly, get to your positions! We cannot let the Germans reach the shore, or we're finished. They did the same thing in Britain!" shouted a British Army major. Having survived the battles on British soil and later escaped to Canada, he had been dispatched to India and knew the might of the Germans all too well.
The Indian soldiers, lucky enough to survive the artillery bombardment, scrambled and crawled into the trenches under the urging of their British officers, who motivated them with both threats and kicks. Fear overtook their faces as they stared at the landing craft, rushing toward the shore like monstrous beasts.
"Dammit! What are you standing there for? Shoot!" one of the British officers yelled.
"Bang! Bang!" Gunshots rang out from the British-Indian positions, but the bullets merely splashed into the sea, causing no threat to the German Marines whatsoever.
"Machine guns and mortars, fire! Destroy the German landing craft!" an officer ordered.
But as he gave his command, a barrage of shells descended upon their position.
Several German light cruisers and destroyers had approached within two to three kilometers of the shore, unloading a relentless torrent of artillery fire upon the British-Indian positions. Though these medium-caliber shells were not as powerful as the larger naval guns, they still posed a deadly threat to the ordinary soldiers on the ground.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deafening explosions filled the air as shells struck the beach. The British-Indian soldiers, crouching in their trenches, were torn to pieces by the blasts.
Many of the British-Indian soldiers, having not even fired a single shot, found their lives abruptly cut short.
"Damn it, the Germans have the support of naval firepower. Their artillery is too fierce, we can't hold back their assault!" a British officer said, his voice filled with despair.
"What should we do? No one expected the Germans to land at Alibag. We've already reported to Bombay, but reinforcements won't arrive for at least two or three hours. By that time, the Germans will have already taken Alibag."
Indeed, the Germans' choice of Alibag as a landing point completely caught the British off guard. As a result, they had no preparation, having only deployed a few thousand troops to defend the area.
The British-Indian forces currently had 25 army corps, but only three were combat-ready. The 1st Corps remained in Delhi, the 2nd Corps was stationed in Bombay, and the 3rd Corps in Calcutta. The remaining 22 newly formed corps were scattered in other regions. Although their numbers were vast, the fighting ability of the troops was dismal, with many of them barely able to handle their rifles, and their chances of hitting a target were as random as fate itself. As for other combat skills, they were sadly lacking. In the face of the world's most powerful German army, the outcome was predictable.
The British-Indian resistance posed no obstacle to the German Marines. Normally, the period before landing would be the most perilous, but in this instance, the British-Indian forces had failed to inflict any significant damage on the Germans.
Soon, the first landing craft reached the shore, and more than a dozen Marines jumped out.
Landing craft assaults were highly dangerous, as they were prime targets for concentrated enemy fire. Therefore, once the Marines disembarked, they immediately sought cover.
As expected, they were met with a torrent of gunfire from the British-Indian forces. Though the front of the landing craft was reinforced with steel plates to protect against bullets, the sides were unprotected and were quickly riddled with holes in battle.
The Marines who had just landed were in a perilous situation. They crouched on the beach, bullets whizzing past their heads. A moment's inattention could result in a fatal shot. Few could withstand the psychological pressure of such an ordeal.
As more and more landing craft surged toward the shore, the Marines began to regroup and counterattack. With the heavy fire support from the naval fleet, they broke through the British-Indian defense line.
The British-Indian forces, already suffering heavy casualties from the relentless naval bombardment, quickly collapsed under the German Marine assault.
In less than half an hour, the 1st Regiment of the 3rd Marine Division had secured the beach, establishing a safe landing zone. They then launched an attack on the city of Alibag.
With morale shattered and casualties mounting, the British-Indian defenders at Alibag broke entirely, allowing the Germans to easily seize the port. Most importantly, the port was almost completely intact.
The rest of the prepared Marine forces and the elite infantry divisions of the 8th Army soon began their landings. Capturing Alibag was just the first step. To defeat the British-Indian forces in Bombay and take the entire city would be the true victory.