Thunder Warrior Saves the World

Page 17

"With your driving skills, I wouldn't dare entrust my dear little Betty to you," the driver shook his head. Because the Belken people liked to call their vehicles "Land Cruisers," they simply followed the navy's example and named their vehicles after themselves; their vehicle was named Betty. And this driver was clearly a suspect in a case of machine-related homosexuality.

“If I leave here, even if I return to the rear, Lu will probably be arrested for desertion,” the loader Eddie said sadly. “In that case, it’s better to be a martyr. At least that way my family’s livelihood will be guaranteed.”

Perhaps out of honor, perhaps for their families, or perhaps simply out of camaraderie, the crew of the "Betty" tank all chose to stay.

"Damn it, a bunch of ungrateful idiots." Roy choked for a moment, cursed, and then said, "Since you bunch of fools are so eager to die, then turn on all the headlights and tell those Elgins that we're here."

"Sir, I don't think the Elgins would have this kind of weapon. Otherwise, how could we have pushed all the way here? I think it's very likely that group of Amelias," the second gunner reminded him.

"You think you're so smart, huh!" Roy grabbed his military cap and slapped it on the second gunner's head. "If you're so smart, why don't you take down an Amelia tank?"

"Next time for sure, next time for sure," the second gunner chuckled.

"Müller, start the engines! Let's charge straight in and show those Amelias the mettle of the Belken tank force! Everyone else, prepare for battle!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Why are you yelling so loudly? I'm not deaf yet, you bunch of idiots..."

Amidst the tremors, a Mark I tank, even larger than the T-72AV, used its powerful engine to smash through the wreckage of the tanks that were serving as cover, and swaggered to a stop in the open space among the wreckage. Provocatively, it turned on all its lights, then used the differential speed of its tracks to turn, pointing its starboard main gun at the T-72AV whose lead turret had already turned to the three o'clock position, but it did not fire.

"Notify Belken Tank to surrender and disarm. Why do you still want a tank to fight alone?"

Faced with the Belken tank that neither fought back nor fled and whose movements were strange, Lei Ming hesitated for a moment. Instead of ordering the gunner to fire, he turned on the Anton Star's unique external speaker and tried to persuade the tank to surrender in English.

"It's not alone, look around!" Several shells came from an unexpected direction, hitting the base armor exposed after the reactive armor exploded. However, these shells obviously could not penetrate the steeply sloped armor, and only gave Lei Ming a "copper wall and iron wall" medal.

"I see." So they were just stalling for time... Lei Ming was somewhat disappointed. Despite differing stances, a warrior who dares to face the enemy head-on always earns the respect of another warrior, and a warrior's respect is earned through fighting with all their might and without reservation. Lei Ming's gunner ignored the tanks attacking from other directions and fired a shell at the target in front of him.

The conical metal lining was pushed outward by the shock wave, moving in a liquid-like manner. These metal jets continuously impacted the metal material that made up the upper glacis armor of "Little Betty," forcing the metal molecules to flow in all directions. In this clash of spear and shield, the "shield" was penetrated before it could even absorb half of the "spear's" jet. It was sprayed at high speed into the vehicle's interior with fragments formed during the impact and penetration, completely churning up both the vehicle's equipment and human tissue.

Some of the tanks attacking from other directions were indeed in the blind spots of the 1st Company, but the 7th Brigade had never only deployed the 1st Company on this battlefield from the beginning. The 2nd Company, which was providing support from the outside, was not to be underestimated. Whether they were brave warriors who were making a desperate charge to create a glimmer of hope for their allies, or defeated ones who were retreating in a sorry state, as long as their tanks were exposed to the gun sights, they would attract deadly fire. Roy and his men's efforts were nothing more than self-deception and self-comfort.

Volume 96: Chapter Release Remarks

This book will be available tomorrow. Thank you all for your continued support. As a relatively new author, I am only able to sign a contract and have the book published thanks to your kindness. I would like to express my sincere gratitude once again!

Let me explain a few reasons why I wrote this book. First, regarding the inspiration, I had the idea of ​​writing an isekai story about a War Thunder system about a year ago. However, at that time, I was thinking of writing a fanfiction about being close to my idol in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, and I also felt that my current writing skills might not be enough to support this idea, so I never started working on it. But that fanfiction about the entire mental world was a complete flop. Whether it was Qidian or Hedgehog Cat, I wrote about 100,000 words in four or five versions, and they all failed miserably. In the end, I felt that I hadn't captured the flavor I wanted, so in a fit of anger, I switched to writing this idea (laughs).

Regarding the update schedule, which readers might be concerned about, I tried updating twice a day in November, but I missed a few days. Also, the workload was a bit heavy for me. Therefore, I will update one chapter every night from now on, with occasional extra chapters. The quantity will be less, but I can guarantee that this book will not be banned. This is not a promise, nor is it just a passing fancy. I still hope to achieve financial freedom through writing novels. This book is also an experiment for me to accumulate experience in writing long novels of over a million words and to control the overall structure. The outline is already finalized, so you can read it with confidence.

If there's an update tomorrow, I guarantee at least two chapters. I hope you can all do me the honor of subscribing to the first chapter. Thank you in advance!

By the way, the book club group is already being created, and the group number will be released tomorrow or the day after. We might share some character side stories in the group later, so feel free to join if you're interested.

Volume 1: Chapter 97 Chapter 87 Erwin's Wrath (Seeking Hedgehog↓∑4摺￡∫代购℃_：樲＠＄九∨〖?｜〇＝〔钐〗◎'路司首订)

Just as the northern mobile force ran headlong into the trap set by the 7th Brigade, the main force in the south also made some unusual moves.

Perhaps to cover the mobile forces launching the main attack from the north, Irwin disregarded the potentially severe casualties from the air raids and assembled his troops to launch a massive offensive against the 44th Division's defensive line south of Svobrella.

After determining that the Erwin battle group would launch an attack from both the south and the north, Kenen adjusted the deployment of the 44th Division. He moved the 441st and 442nd Regiments, which were stationed on the east and west flanks, to the southernmost position to construct the first line of defense. He also reinforced this line with the 44th Division's artillery battalion. The 445th Regiment was positioned 25 kilometers behind this first line as a second line of defense. If the first line of defense showed signs of collapse, the 441st and 442nd Regiments and the division's artillery battalion could quickly withdraw to the second line to continue blocking the enemy. The 444th Regiment, now missing a battalion, was positioned in the city of Swobera as a general reserve. Furthermore, if both lines of defense were breached by the Belken, the 444th Regiment would put up a final resistance in Swobera.

The overall defensive plan clearly prioritized the 44th Division of Algeria. This was unavoidable, given the sheer size of the 7th Brigade. After the main force was detached for the decisive battle to the north, the remaining troops could only serve as auxiliary forces. A mechanized infantry company was left as a mobile force, to be combined with a reconnaissance company when necessary to harass and disrupt the Belken front from its flanks and rear. Two air regiments, a self-propelled rocket artillery company, and a self-propelled artillery company served as supplementary firepower to the Algerian defenses. Such firepower support was extremely generous for the 44th Division. In fact, without this support, Kenen might not have dared to leave the city and deploy field defenses.

In order to provide timely and precise fire support to the 44th Division, Lu Wu had to send his own men into the defensive line to provide sufficient intelligence support to the artillery. Even so, faced with the overwhelming numerical superiority of the two main divisions, the support from the two artillery companies was stretched thin. The self-propelled artillery company was better off, as their SU-122Ms were of excellent accuracy and rate of fire, and could be separated into vehicles for support. However, the self-propelled rocket artillery company could not be separated into vehicles, since they used the BM-13 Katyusha, not some kind of "rocket" with a guided warhead. Its accuracy was quite disappointing, and it was a suppression weapon that could only rely on the amount of projectiles to ensure its lethality. Separating it into platoons was already the limit; further separation would compromise the effectiveness of fire suppression. Considering that the Katyusha's loading was not as quick and convenient as the SU-122M, its suppression effect would be further reduced.

So Lu Wu thought of those short-lived, transitional self-propelled artillery pieces that had been gathering dust in the warehouse and had served in the 7th Brigade for less than half a month. The 7th Brigade certainly couldn't spare enough manpower to operate these artillery pieces, but Ireland did! Artillery is indeed a highly technical branch of the military, but not every artillery position requires high technical skills. At least for the loader position, as long as you can understand human speech, distinguish colors, read, and are physically strong, you can basically do the job—theoretically, as long as you follow orders, the loader doesn't even necessarily need to be a professional soldier.

So he generously "lent" the 18 SU-5-1 guns to Kenen to enhance the firepower of the defensive line as much as possible. They were facing too many enemies now, and unlike in the north, they could not use the terrain to restrict the enemy. The terrain south of Svorbella was mostly plains and jungles, which was most convenient for the army to deploy. Now was not the time to hold back for the sake of maintaining a technological advantage.

Leaving aside how happy Kai was to receive this unexpected windfall, the 7th Brigade, in order to ensure that these equipment could be used to their fullest potential and that the Ergia wouldn't damage them, had Lu Wu transfer some men from his personal guard to the front lines along with the artillery.

But Erwin was unaware of the firepower configuration hidden along this defensive line. Just as the main force was about to crash into the defensive line set up by the 44th Division, he received a telegram from the forward command post, where he and a group of staff officers were at the forward command post, that the Northern Mobile Force had been ambushed on the way and suffered heavy losses.

At the time, he was pointing at a map of the province of Víslav, with two blue arrows pointing in two directions towards Svorbella. He was gesturing with a blue pencil, saying, “I know the lads have been badly bombed by the coalition planes, but we don’t need to break through the enemy’s lines, so it doesn’t matter. As long as we create enough noise, we can get the mobile forces to launch an attack.”

"Commander," the stern-faced staff officer, having just arrived at Erwin's side after receiving the telegram, overheard these words. He glanced at the other staff officers for help, their expressions immediately changing as they realized something. They quickly averted their eyes from the stern-faced officer, leaving him no choice but to speak, "The Northern Mobile Force..."

"The northern mobile forces have just been ambushed and suffered heavy losses. They no longer have sufficient troops to launch an offensive from the northern front."

The pencil in Erwin's hand trembled visibly. Without warning, he slammed the pencil onto the map, his eyes bulging, and roared with a ferocious expression, "The commanders of the mobile forces are a bunch of liars, cowards, and good-for-nothings! I gave them hundreds of tanks, and most of the trucks, and they tell me they have no troops left!"

"Commander, our armored forces were ambushed by Amelia's armored forces. Their equipment is more advanced than ours. They were annihilated after a fierce battle. What you're saying is too much..." Staff Officer Sima spoke quickly, as if he were reciting lines that were too hot to swallow, trying to exonerate his close friend, the commander of the mobile force.

“These generals are the scum of the Belken people! They have no sense of honor!” Erwin completely ignored Staff Officer Sima’s words. “Even if I gave these tanks to a pig to lead, they wouldn’t be wiped out in an ambush! Did they only learn how to eat with a knife and fork during their years at the military academy?”

"This is an unforgivable betrayal of His Majesty the Emperor!"

The hoarse roar not only intimidated the staff present, but even the guards standing watch on the three sides of the front command couldn't help but glance at the closed curtain, secretly speculating about the situation inside.

"Commander, should we still launch an attack now?" a staff officer asked anxiously, tugging at his collar.

"Of course we must attack!" Erwin suddenly turned his head and stared intently at the staff officer. "Since they were able to wipe out the Northern Mobile Force, it means their main force is in the north, and the Southern defense line is just an empty shell. Although we have lost four divisions, we still have two infantry divisions and two artillery divisions. The advantage is on our side!"

……

There's a reason the update is late: my boss had a meeting at 5 pm, which went on until 7 pm. By the time I finished my other work and got home, it was already 8:30 pm.

There will be a second update. I hope you readers will do me the honor of subscribing to the first chapter!

Volume 1: Chapter 98 (Eighty-Eighth Chapter) The cannons are going to bombard his mother!

Historically, a seemingly perfect man who uttered the brilliant insight that "the advantage lies with me" later suffered from overindulgence in half-cooked food, requiring medical treatment in Taiwan and developing a chronic illness that prevented him from boarding ships. Even in death, he couldn't return to his homeland. Therefore, General Belken, who dared to express such a profound opinion, was also a figure of great stature, no less impressive than this historically perfect man. As for his micro-management skills, whether Erwin could match even a fraction of his are still to be seen.

However, this opportunity to verify it came unexpectedly.

To bolster the morale of the infantry, severely damaged by the air raids, and propel them forward against the Elgia defenses, Erwin disregarded the objections of his staff and personally went to the front lines to inspire the soldiers. Throughout history and across cultures, this approach of connecting with the grassroots has clearly won over those on the front lines. Even though some knew this might just be a show, the morale of the Belken troops reached its peak since entering Villand province after Erwin announced he would remain on the front lines to oversee the offensive.

However, the high morale did not change anything.

In a battle between two armies, the side with higher morale certainly has an advantage, but this advantage is based on the premise that both sides have similar equipment and training. When the other side has an absolute equipment advantage, the influence of morale on the battle will decrease significantly. Just look at the Boxers when they faced foreigners. They also had extremely high morale, but under the attack of firearms, their high morale could not change the course of the battle - except for the Middle Eastern oil tycoons and African mudskippers.

After the morale-boosting and pre-battle mobilization, the routine fire preparation phase began. Based on his assessment that the main Elgin forces were concentrated in the north, Erwin decided to take a risky tactic, preferring to dedicate all his heavy artillery to the air raids rather than the battle itself, hoping to break through the Elgin lines in one fell swoop. He hadn't heard the proverb "a second attempt is weaker, a third is exhausted," but he knew that if these two infantry divisions suffered another defeat in ground combat, rebuilding morale would become extremely difficult.

The Belken artillery, equipped with heavy artillery, had always been a priority target for the 7th Brigade. Therefore, when the scouts scattered around the Belken troops heard the sound of heavy artillery, they became excited and quickly found some heavy artillery positions that were not in good locations.

Therefore, relying on their mobility advantage, the mobile artillery of the 7th Brigade regrouped into several detachments and began to move towards suitable firing positions, quickly launching a counterattack against these heavy artillery positions. This massive artillery battle was not only participated in by the original artillery units of the 7th Brigade, but even the two SU-5-1 artillery companies, where the 7th Brigade operated the guns and Ergia drove and did odd jobs, were pulled in.

At first, Erwin, on the front lines, remained calm and collected upon hearing the artillery fire. However, just over ten minutes later, he began to sense something amiss—the flashes from the Elginian lines seemed to be decreasing, and the explosions appeared to be shifting towards the rear of his own lines.

This ominous premonition was quickly confirmed in the staff officer's whispered report.

'Has things really gotten this far...?' Many heavy artillery positions had been subjected to enemy counter-fire, much sooner than he had anticipated. His meticulously planned strategies were repeatedly thwarted, and the commander's confidence was clearly crumbling. But he knew that as a general, even if he was internally panicking, he had to maintain a composed and unwavering demeanor on the surface.

"Don't panic. The fiercer the enemy's counterattack, the more it proves that our firepower preparations are effective! They are desperately hoping to mislead us into thinking that the artillery bombardment is ineffective through a fierce counterattack, thus stopping this futile effort and even instilling fear in the Elgin troops. But we will not let them have their way." Erwin waved his hand. "A fierce attack will make these clever Elgins understand that in the face of absolute strength, trickery is useless."

Irwin's words were automatically interpreted by the frontline officers as meaning to prematurely end the firepower and prepare for the charge. Someone then asked, "But sir, the density and duration of the fire suppression are insufficient; charging in like this will result in heavy casualties..."

"Nonsense, how could I not know? But if we drag this out any longer, we might not only lack fire support, but we might even get bombed. It's better to take advantage of the fact that the enemy's artillery is currently on our own heavy artillery positions and charge straight up to them, engaging them in close combat. At least that way, the enemy artillery will have some reservations."

"To capture Svorbella, we must take advantage of the opportunity presented by the 44th Division's main force being lured north to break through their defensive lines in one fell swoop."

"but……"

The officer was about to say something when Erwin interrupted him, his face stern. "This is an order! Gentlemen," he said, "the Empire expects everyone to be dutiful and courageous, not to hesitate and cower after receiving orders!"

These politically correct remarks were extremely damaging. Erwin was clearly not a pure-blooded soldier inexperienced in political maneuvering; he could readily label people, instantly branding officers who questioned the order's legitimacy as "cowardly," "irresponsible," and "insubordinate." This was unacceptable to those hoping to advance within the military system. And the officers, their dissent silenced, naturally wouldn't bother continuing to question the order—after all, they weren't required to be at the forefront, and if the battle went poorly, they could easily shift the blame to Erwin, who knowingly insisted on fighting despite inadequate firepower preparation.

This is a situation where both sides are betraying each other, yet it's also a win-win situation, and everyone has a bright future.

So, amidst a chorus of sharp whistles, Belken's infantrymen formed loose ranks and surged toward the 44th Division's positions like ants.

Whether out of fear of shells hitting their own men, or simply because the heavy artillery positions were nearly destroyed, the Belken artillery ceased firing. Meanwhile, the Ergia soldiers, crouching in trenches taller than a man, emerged from their dug bunkers on the sidings at the sergeant's command. Shaking off the dirt, they stood on firing platforms, leaning against the corrugated-paneled breastwork, cocked their rifles, and pointed them at the obstacle course covered in barbed wire and mines, awaiting the Belken's appearance.

……

The second update is here!

Qi ＿』ˇ∴Yi Lu∵Just 'Ling Qi & Pa Lin Zhong↓：ｑuN:Touched

Volume 1: Chapter 99, Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Insurmountable Barrier

Although the shelling by Belken did not last long, it was enough time to clear some mines around the 44th Division's defensive positions, creating a relatively safe passage with few mines. Under the guidance of their officers, the attacking Belken soldiers advanced towards the defensive line through these passages.

Bullets raining down, landmines not cleared by artillery beforehand, hidden bamboo stake pits, craters from explosions… this road was destined to be anything but safe. Every second, young men from Belken fell on the charge, but no one stopped.

Soon, rows of barbed wire covered in rusty barbs appeared before the Belken soldiers like an ancient dragon coiled on the ground.

Artillery shells can detonate buried mines in advance. Unless hit directly, it's difficult to deal with these barbed wire fences. Some fragments might be able to cut the wire, but the Elgin troops used serpentine wire, whose unique structure gives it extremely strong resistance to blasts and shears. Loose fragments are simply insufficient to destroy these inexpensive yet highly effective fortifications. Generally speaking, if light infantry wants to quickly destroy barbed wire and pass through, they can only use steel-reinforced linear explosive charges or demolition charges.

So here's the question: Did every soldier in the Belken troops have a demolition charge?

Obviously not.

In the world of Ens, demolition charges are a relatively new invention. Their long, slender shape makes them inconvenient to carry, so most Ens troops equipped with them only have engineers carrying them. Therefore, upon encountering barbed wire ahead, the light infantry, lacking suitable obstacle-clearing tools, instinctively lay prone in the nearest crater, awaiting the engineers' arrival.

The demolition experts, carrying several thin tubes on their backs, crawled to avoid the line of fire ahead. Guided by the riflemen, they moved their bodies into the foxholes formed by artillery shells. Statistically speaking, unless someone is specifically targeting you, it's almost impossible for one shell to hit another crater created by another shell on the battlefield. If this happens, it's generally advisable to credit the source when posting explicit images in your next life, and if possible, include a valid download link. Accumulate some good karma so you won't be so unlucky on the battlefield again.

"Be careful, these Elgins are deadly." Although the two were complete strangers, the rifleman, who was lying prone, grabbed the demolition expert as the expert was loading the seal into the seal chamber at the end of the demolition charge and about to lift up to shove the charge into the bottom of the barbed wire, and warned him.

"Don't worry." The demolition expert turned around and nodded.

The rifleman then released his grip, but immediately extended his rifle out of the foxhole, shouting, "Cover fire!"

Upon receiving the order, most of the Belken infantrymen braved heavy fire to emerge from their foxholes and launch a counterattack, thus providing cover for the demolition team's actions. Smoke-filled demolition charges were tucked under the barbed wire, and the demolition team members, having safely completed their task, retreated back into nearby foxholes. A shout of "Take cover!" sent these covering soldiers back into the relatively safe foxholes.

The detonation charge lasted only a few seconds. After a brief explosion, dozens of 1.6-meter-long and 2.5-meter-wide paths were torn open in the barbed wire barrier. Behind the foxholes, the whistle to launch the assault sounded again. The rifleman fired forward once more, and only after the infantrymen behind him leaped into their foxholes and began firing beside him did he pick up his rifle, jump out of his foxhole, and crouch low as he charged forward.

Although the Belken infantry could only use bolt-action rifles, while the Ergia had machine guns, the Belken's standard rifles, with their numerical advantage, rear-locking mechanism, and short bolt travel, initially provided a firepower density comparable to the Ergia's. This allowed the Belken advance, though slow, to be resolute. If the Ergia had no other options, and this trend continued, the likelihood of the Belken infantry breaking through the obstacles and entering the trenches would greatly increase. Once trench warfare commenced, the balance of power would tip in the Belken's favor.

However, the commanders of the 441st and 442nd Regiments were not anxious about this. The black dots that appeared in the sky were a magic card called "Air Strike" launched by the Allied forces.

The squadron that carried out the CAS mission was the 2nd Squadron of the 588th Aviation Regiment, nicknamed "Baba Yaja".

伊尔-2攻击机那天蓝色的机翼下方窜出了数道火苗，与RS-132火箭弹一起降临的还有100千克的FAB-100sv航弹，而这也成为了为数众多贝尔肯步兵看到的最后画面。完成投弹的伊尔-2攻击机并未就此离去，而是用它的两门VYa-23机炮不断地扫射着阵地外的一切活动目标。

In stark contrast to the lethality of the 23mm autocannon was the rifle in the hands of the Belken infantry. Whether it hit its target was another matter; the Il-2's reputation as a "flying tank" was well-deserved. Its engine, lubrication system, liquid cooling system, fuel tanks, and cockpit were all armored, and the fuel tanks even had an onboard nitrogen generation system to prevent fires upon impact. Therefore, the bullets fired from these Belken rifles at most produced a large spark at vital armor plates, resulting in a single "hit." As for the unarmored rear fuselage and wings, although riddled with bullet holes, the ruggedness and durability of Soviet equipment once again proved its worth—despite the apparent dents and craters, the Il-2 continued to soar through the skies, repeatedly performing dives, pull-ups, and dives again, except for a slight decrease in maneuverability due to aerodynamic damage.

It wasn't until all 300 rounds of machine gun ammunition were used up and the Shkas machine gun ammunition was almost depleted that the squadron leader of the "Barbajaja" squadron finally gave the order to evacuate Winchester.

Before the Belken could even catch their breath, the mobile artillery, which had already completed its position shift and adjusted its firing parameters during the rampage of the "Baba Yaga" squadron, opened fire again. This time, they unleashed a barrage of fire at the Belken.

Unable to stay in the command post any longer, Erwin went outside to observe the battle. He saw the horizon once again shrouded in smoke and fire, his fingernails digging deep into his palms, and a deep sense of sorrow filled his heart.

Six planes! Planes! And more damn planes! The Imperial Air Force has ruined me! If those air force guys weren't so incompetent, how could Irwin have ended up like this? Judging from this, the Imperial Air Force is probably Belken's biggest traitor. If he could return to the capital, he would surely advise His Majesty the Emperor to pay with their own blood. They would drown in their own blood!

……

Another citywide nucleic acid test is required, but I just got my third shot, so it seems like I'm not a good time to get a nucleic acid test?

Volume 1: Chapter 100, Chapter 90: Returning Like Lightning (1)

In the combined air and ground attack, Belken's infantry suffered heavy losses and ultimately failed to reach Ergia's position. They were halted two hundred meters from the position and could not advance an inch.

Because they had not received orders to retreat, the disorganized attacking force could only maintain its "offensive" in vain. With officers waving their pistols, the soldiers could only reluctantly advance with their guns at their sides. But once they found a suitable foxhole, they would hide inside. When they heard the attack whistle from behind, they would only fire their guns outwards from inside the foxhole without any real effect. Unless the officers rushed into their own foxholes, they had no way to deal with these disobedient soldiers.

"Let them withdraw." The allied artillery bombardment continued unabated, casualties mounted, and the offensive grew increasingly sluggish. Erwin knew this wave of attacks was unlikely to yield any substantial results, so he made the decision: "We retreat, and after nightfall, we'll send another force to launch a new attack."

"Yes, sir." The frontline commander breathed a sigh of relief and quickly issued the order to retreat.

A mournful whistle echoed across the battlefield. The Belken soldiers, who had already lost the will to fight, were finally able to leave the trench battlefield that seemed like an insurmountable chasm. Although they were eager to leave this crude Belken sauce processing plant, their training kept them rational even in this situation. The ones at the front began to retreat, while those at the next front began to provide covering fire, just like when they had taken turns providing cover as they advanced. Only this time, their direction of attack had changed by 180 degrees.

"They...retreat?"

The frontline soldiers of the 441st Regiment stared at the scene before them in disbelief. Although they had not fought the Belken many times, the Belken army had always left a strong impression on them. But today, they had not even been able to get within 300 meters. This was something they had never seen before, and it was not common even on other battlefields.

"Isn't this just common sense? If it were you, being bombarded by cannons of this density, with planes in the sky that you couldn't shoot down, could you still keep shooting?" The machine gunner was much more relaxed and had the leisure to joke with the machine gunner.

"That won't do. If it were us, we'd probably start collapsing when the planes came to bomb us." The machine gunner put himself in their shoes and gave a regrettable answer, but fortunately, they had the air superiority now.

"Don't be careless. Based on my understanding of the Belken, they definitely won't give up so easily. They might come back tonight." The platoon leader, who was patrolling the defensive line and tallying casualties and ammunition consumption, happened to pass by and overheard the two men's conversation. He reminded them, after all, most Belken troops' tactics boil down to three simple moves: tanks breaking through infantry to expand their gains, artillery bombardment followed by infantry charges, and when in doubt, night fighting. It seems simple, but against the Elgeyans who lack anti-tank weapons, have inferior firepower, and no "night fighting magic bullet," these three moves are extremely effective. And this group of Belken soldiers in front of them doesn't have tanks. Today, their second tactic, a charge, failed, so it's foreseeable that they'll be using the third tactic next. "How much ammunition have you fired?"

The assistant gunner reported a number, which was a bit more than the platoon leader had expected, but still within the normal range. He noted down the consumption, gave a final warning to be wary of Belken's counterattack, and then left the machine gun position to move on to the next station.

Even the rank-and-file soldiers of the Ergia knew that the Belken were bound to launch a night attack, so it was impossible for the command of the 441st and 442nd Regiments not to make preparations in advance.

The defensive line was equipped with a large number of "danger lights"—no, I mean illumination lights and flares—to reduce the probability of the Belken forces successfully launching a night-fighting CI (Combat Initiation). They had initially thought that after nightfall they would only be able to rely on their infantry for dangerous close-quarters combat, but the liaison officer and tactical advisor sent by the 7th Brigade indicated that their artillery and air force could continue to provide support to friendly forces under cover of darkness. This was undoubtedly extremely encouraging news, though not so amusing to the Belken—it was akin to the Combined Fleet launching a night-fight only to find the enemy main force had retreated, while their secondary force still had a bunch of low-level trainers.

But this Belken night raid differed somewhat from their previous ones.

The northern mobile force has been annihilated, and it's foreseeable that the main force of the Elgin army will return like lightning after eliminating the northern threat, either to reinforce the defensive line or to launch an attack from their flank. They must break through this defensive line before the enemy's main force reaches the south, otherwise the tide of battle will turn. At this moment, Erwin is like a gambler, betting everything on this night raid.

The artillery units that had not been exposed during the day but had been urgently relocated for their own safety returned to their respective firing positions. Based on their experience with the day's shelling, they roughly adjusted the elevation and depression angles, and the shells and propellant charges were loaded into the breech. The artillerymen who had lost their cannons were reinforced in these artillery units, serving as replacements for those who suffered casualties and as rotations for loaders to ensure a rate of fire for extended periods. Meanwhile, an infantry brigade that had been decimated during the day and units that had suffered heavy casualties in previous harassment attacks were responsible for guarding the artillery positions.

Apart from one brigade of infantry left as reserves and garrison troops for the command post, the 10 regiments of troops spread out in two waves in front of the position. After clearing the mines from the path of advance, they will rush into the trenches of Ergiah as quickly as possible to turn the tide.

The time was set for 4:40 a.m.

Physiologically speaking, the human body is most fatigued around 2 or 3 a.m., while psychologically speaking, after the vigilance of the first half of the night, the troops on duty on the south side will feel relaxed because the first half of the night was peaceful. Therefore, this time is theoretically the most suitable time for a night raid.

This is a principle that everyone understands, even the dogs on the side of the road, and it's also why Erwin chose to launch the attack at 4:40.

The Elgins cannot be unprepared for a night attack; they will undoubtedly prepare in advance for the most opportune moment. Therefore, we should deliberately avoid that time, leaving them uncertain. This will force them to be on high alert, allowing us to launch a surprise attack when they are extremely exhausted and believe we are not coming. This is precisely the essence of warfare: deception.

Volume 1: Chapter 101 Chapter Ninety-One: Returning Like Lightning (2)

While the Belkens were moving, in the shadows, the scouts of the 7th Brigade, using night vision goggles, took all these movements into account.