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Page 180
The tank commander immediately closed the hatch, and then through the periscope, not only them, but all the tanks around them were suddenly completely blocked by piles of rising mud and flames.
"All troops, accelerate and advance through the artillery fire zone!"
The artillery fire couldn't stop the tanks' rolling tracks, but it served as a good indication for the fighter jets overhead. In an instant, several squadrons of Thunderbolt fighters flew in from behind, diving down towards the center of the village from four different directions in a staggered, thread-like fashion. Like a stage curtain being drawn back by the fighter jets, they left the tank crews' audience with a spectacle of explosive light, like stage lights.
……
"Damn it, it seems the US military isn't an enemy that can be stopped with just a few shells."
At this very moment, two KMF aircraft with slightly conspicuous paint schemes are hidden north of Dowdendorf village; they are the aircraft belonging to Shishian and Juliet.
"what are you guys saying?"
"Captain Griffin, please tell the warriors in the sky that Dowdendorf is likely lost." Shisian was absolutely right. Those tanks painted with white stars were rampaging through the flames of their own artillery like harvesters, fearless of artillery fire, just like the steel beasts of the Soviet army. It was as if they would dare to charge even if a skyship were placed in front of them.
The village is almost completely destroyed—although tank bunkers and trenches had been repaired before, the American warplanes that came to bomb it had already turned it upside down, and the American howitzers had been firing shells like they were free, basically razing all the surviving houses in the village. It was clear that they were determined to take this place.
“What can we do? Reinforcements are definitely not going to be available.” Juliet sighed. “The British are putting pressure on Magdeburg from both sides, and the commander has no more troops to spare.”
"Hey, you two." Griffin was still dealing with a large number of American and British warplanes in the sky with Angeli and Lilizia. What was even more frightening was that birds with red stars suddenly flew over from the east.
"Hurry up and come back to the sky, okay? And while you're at it, do something you need to do? Uh, like tell the city about the assault guns and KMFs across the river, and tell them to stop providing indirect fire support in broad daylight, okay? Oh my goodness!"
"Captain?!" The two young ladies looked up in fright and saw that Vincent of Griffin had almost crashed into the Elbe River in the distance, right behind a fighter jet.
"Watch yourself, Griffin." Angelina quickly lifted the captain's plane, helping him regain speed. "Can't I say what you need to say?"
"My God, are you kidding me, honey? I'm going crazy! What kind of heavy-duty tanks are those British bringing here? Shisian and Juliet are equipped with small-caliber weapons, and Ipel is still recuperating in the rear. Even if we can save the sky, how can we protect the ground?"
"Warrant Officer! Take off quickly, we'll create some space for you here." Angelina completely ignored Griffin's complaints.
However, just as Xixi'an was slowly accelerating using the wings on her back, several American warplanes with ill intentions caught up with them and threw rockets and machine gun ammunition belts at them.
"Watch out!" Lilizia was the first to swoop down to help drive it away, but it was too late. She saw that Xixi'an's blue plane suddenly burst into flames and then began to veer out of control towards the city center. Even more terrifying, more fighter jets were chasing after Xixi'an, seemingly aiming at where it was about to crash, and then released the hooks of their bombs.
"Oh my god..." Fortunately, the fireball didn't engulf her as she collapsed to the ground, but it struck the radio signal tower in the city center square. With a chilling screech, the tall steel support fell like a guillotine towards the girl's eyes...
……
"Are you alright... (sss)?"
“Julie?” Her eyes widened in surprise as she watched her companion's plane, holding a shield, shield her head. The ordinary metal bulletproof shield, for the first time, glowed green in front of her, firmly blocking the collapsing iron tower.
"Sorry, earlier (hiss)... the mechanic dismantled a junk (hiss)... Sunderland Crabbe." As Juliet's voice fluctuated on the radio, the electronic map in front of her became incredibly choppy, like a rusty gear. "Hurry... get out of here!"
……
"Berlin calling Magdeburg, respond if you hear... Signal check, Magdeburg, respond if you hear... Repeat, respond if you hear, Magdeburg!"
"..."
"Your Highness Elizabeth! We have lost radio communication with the commander of the Magdeburg garrison!"
Chapter 219, Section 290: Dedication to Duty
"Calling FH point, troops are ready to proceed along the river, situation report."
"Roger that, sir. There's no movement from the Soviet forces here... Wait a moment, a fighter jet is flying over from the Soviet area. It should be a reconnaissance plane."
"Is there any Soviet ground troop activity?"
"No, sir."
"Continue to observe..."
Much later, when a large group of helicopters passed over the Elbe River, FH point still reported the same message: "No anomalies."
"OK, the troops are about to launch an attack. FH point, retreat immediately."
……
All of this happened within half an hour of the fighting starting in Schönebeck.
Everyone thought, or at least the Stars and Stripes thought, that they had unfortunately become the enemy's primary target, right? But in the end, the only force besieging the two or more American regiments in the city was a brigade and a regiment. Obviously, with such a small force, even with air cover, it was not enough.
According to Her Highness Elizabeth, whether or not this city is captured is not overly important to their next grand strategy. Ostensibly serving as reinforcements for the river crossing, the troops have actually turned their attention to the Soviet army. The next step is to launch an even more ferocious attack on the Red Flag positions, similar to the attack on the American forces.
This was something neither the Stars and Stripes nor the Union Jack could have foreseen—they were simply following orders to drive away potentially threatening visible targets on the Il-2's advance after their comrades in the trenches were attacked, and incidentally, they ended up lending a hand over Schönebeck.
Unbeknownst to them, after the enemy's unfamiliar jet fighters attacked the American forces, they immediately returned to the airfield to reload. What they didn't know was that the enemy was presenting their comrades with an overwhelming force, and those jet fighters would be among them.
……
"Your Highness! The attacking forces on the west flank have successfully broken through all the outer defenses of Zerbst except for the south. The city is now almost completely surrounded!"
"Your Highness, the troops in the Loridan direction report that they have captured the city."
The recovery of the two cities is good news, because it means that the road route from Berlin to Magdeburg is no longer threatened by land, although this may only be temporary.
However, this cheerful atmosphere was quickly disrupted by news of Magdeburg's communication failure. The city was a crucial hub for preventing American and British troops from crossing the Elbe River and joining forces with the Soviet army. Most of the bridges in other towns had already been destroyed by the Americans themselves, so if the British and Americans wanted to make a large-scale eastward advance, they would have to capture Magdeburg.
Moreover, this war is not over yet. What they need to do is not just defend. If they can hold out for a while longer, 1.2 million reinforcements will arrive, and their plan to counterattack the occupied territories will obviously depend on Magdeburg, the city on the west bank of the Elbe. Otherwise, crossing the river to the west will cost even more blood, and the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack will be watching Berlin from 100 kilometers west for a longer period of time.
……
"Oh heavens... Your Highness, communications have finally been restored."
"I'm sorry," the commander's voice finally came through the radio waves. "American warplanes destroyed our main radio tower, causing our communication lines to be disrupted for a while. A radio tower on the east side of the river was also damaged."
"How is the situation, General Dalyr?"
"The British army has already surrounded us from the west and north. Fortunately, there are still a few villages in the north of the city that have not been lost. Now the American army is consolidating their encirclement from the villages in the south towards the British army. We can basically do nothing except use artillery and air power to delay their convergence."
"General Calm Down, have all the indirect fire been moved to the east bank of the river? Can the front line be held?"
"I hope we can get more reinforcements. Although I can do my best to make the most of all the remaining firepower, they won't be able to break into the city in a short time. Let's make them bleed more outside the city... Also, have the troops that forced back the Soviet troops succeeded? I hope we can receive this comforting news."
"Haha, how much you want to get the soldiers fired up is up to you. It's great to hear your voice, General."
After hanging up, he quickly instructed the operators to switch the message to another channel.
"Berlin is calling Crescent Ship. Respond immediately."
"Roger that, Berlin. We've arrived in Magdeburg. There are a lot of enemy planes in the sky, but we still managed to cross the bridge safely."
"Were there any losses?"
"One artillery piece and the truck that was towing it were destroyed, but the rest were fine."
"Is it alright to get into the defensive positions as soon as possible?"
"No problem, Your Highness."
"Give me a satisfactory answer in the future."
……
"Bruno." After the communication was cut off, Elizabeth called over an engineer she had previously summoned. "The cannons you built seem to have had a smooth journey without any major incidents?"
“This is somewhat unexpected, Your Highness. I had anticipated the possibility of our aircraft being shot down by American warplanes en route, but of course, it is not that I lack confidence in our air force.”
"Don't be so pessimistic. At least you need to show the same confidence you had when you boldly introduced your work to me. And tell me again, what are the performance specifications of your new artillery?"
"My design parameters are 7 rounds per minute, capable of penetrating 300mm of vertical steel plate at a distance of 2,000 meters, although we are still some distance from achieving that result. The research results on shells and artillery are partly due to our long-term technological accumulation, and partly, you may not believe it, but I'm sure some generals remember a letter specifically requesting a Soviet SU-100 self-propelled howitzer..."
"Ah? It's you." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow curiously. "Well, nothing strange about it. There's nothing shameful about learning from the enemy. So, these new towed artillery pieces you've provided can solve our immediate problem?"
"The number of artillery pieces may not be enough to salvage the current disadvantage, but at least I can give the warriors on the front lines another shortcut to deal with opponents of the giant rhinoceros level. The installation of this artillery piece is still underway, and it may not be able to arrive in time for the counter-offensive in District 45, but Your Highness must have confidence in it."
"Wow, this is good stuff... Why did it only appear now..."
“Her Highness is aware of Britannia’s problems.” Bruno took a deep breath. “The existence of KMF has greatly limited the survival space of many so-called ‘old-world weapons.’ Infantrymen no longer need machine guns because KMFs have them; tanks no longer need to go to the battlefield because KMFs are lighter and more maneuverable; high-powered artillery no longer needs to be used because the battlefield no longer needs those slow-firing weapons to deal with KMFs… Before coming to Sector 45, no one thought there was anything wrong with KMFs, so those old-world weapon research institutes and manufacturers have gone out of business one after another because they have no orders.”
"It's fortunate that your research team was preserved. Perhaps this proves your excellence, which is why powerful forces are going to great lengths to protect your research?" Elizabeth smiled wryly, looking at the young man who was much older than her. "What are your plans for the future?"
"I want my future works to be able to hunt minotaurs, anytime, anywhere, in any direction. Of course, we will not refuse the challenge of new opponents... To say something that may sound arrogant, but is very realistic: no other design team can solve the ground crisis in Area 45. We will do our best to solve all difficulties for the expeditionary force."
One can only imagine the helplessness in Elizabeth's heart. She wished that District 45 was a world with a god—a god who could hear her pleas, who could give her more soldiers to solve her military shortage, and who could let her see the entire war machine of the American and Soviet armies become utterly vulnerable before her eyes…
However, it's still just a dream right now...
……
"Your Highness, there is new news from Magdeburg."
"What?" At this moment, Kelly came over, heard it, and quickly ran to her sister's side.
"They discovered a large group of bombers approaching from the west, about two hundred of them, and were reading their expected flight paths."
"Hmm, they didn't come to Berlin, but... it seems they're heading towards that airport west of Berlin?" The prince noticed something.
"My God, this is cutting off the air routes for armed transport planes and fighter jets! How many air units do we have at our disposal?" Elizabeth's heart tightened.
“The Soviet forces and the Magdeburg direction are both exerting all their strength to suppress them, so it will be difficult to have enough troops to effectively intercept them.” Kylier shook his head.
"Iska," she called to her guards, "can the Royal Guard launch a full-scale attack?"
“Hmm, no problem, but Your Highness…”
"Sister, you wouldn't..."
"Little brother, you stay here. You handle everything. I'll be back soon." He then pulled Iska along and left. "Come on, can my Lancelot Judge be activated?"
"Oh my god..." Kelly watched her sister's figure walk further and further away with trepidation, trying her best to imagine the VARIS gun on her sister's plane that could fire hadron cannons.
"Sister will be alright...she'll be alright..."
……
[I forgot to mention before, the emojis I drew the other day were for Kagurazaka Mafuyu, hehe]
Chapter 220, Section 291: I said this was just the beginning.
"OK, precise connection."
A squadron of newly arrived Spitfire fighters flew back into the sky, accompanying the Lancasters and Sky Fortresses eastward. The leader was naturally Hudson, who had been chasing the enemy jet fighters earlier. He led the exhausted gentlemen back to the front-line airfield to land and resupply, and then hurriedly returned to protect the bomb camels on their way.
It's not that the British are short of aircraft. To be honest, the enemy's KMFs are probably busy suppressing the Soviet forces on the other side of the Elbe. Wouldn't it be better to concentrate as many superior forces as possible and give the enemy airfields a good thrashing? Besides, according to the front lines, Magdeburg is already surrounded. Just wait a while, until the bombardment of the city starts and the tea in the tanks cools down, then we can advance.
"Gentlemen, how about enjoying the blue sky and white clouds?" Hudson exclaimed cheerfully. "It seems we're under little pressure this time. We haven't seen any interceptor formations. We're almost in Berlin, aren't we?"
"But our target was outside Berlin, haha, just like the Japanese back then."
"what?"
"The Japanese were panicked when the bombing started, so the bombers scattered leaflets, and one by one they fled from Tokyo, haha. Well, I heard that in the end, those who stayed in the city turned into charcoal and had to be transported by train."
"Well, too bad Berlin isn't some Japanese hut or basket; incendiary bombs won't do much good. Oh well, let's take advantage of their escape to tidy ourselves up?" Before Hudson could finish speaking, he suddenly saw something appear in the distance. "God, what is that?"
"Attention everyone, enemy air units are approaching." The team leader was alert to everything in front of them. Some KMFs with an abnormal color were approaching from the southern sky.
"Elegant clothes, and quite handsome?" Hudson frowned, but still smiled calmly. "Go, gentlemen, it seems they only have a few trump cards left to send into the sky."
……
"Your Highness, we have made contact with the escort fighters... Ah! My cockpit is on fire!"
The bombers collided with some sparks on their way to the outskirts of the city. The royal guards, acting as a suicide squad, were trying their best to attract the attention of the escort fighters. This made the birds with red and blue concentric circles and white stars completely oblivious to the fact that three birds were hiding in the large clouds nearby, waiting to ambush the bombers.
"Hmm, Your Highness, our losses seem a bit excessive," said Iska, one of the two guards accompanying Elizabeth. "To attract attention, your harem is now..."
"Don't say anything unnecessary. The bloodshed today is so they can feel comfortable undressing in front of me later. How far are the bomber groups from here?"
“1.8 kilometers to go… Wait, Your Highness, what are you thinking?” Iska was so startled that she tightened the zipper of her clothes.
“Hobbies don’t change just because things aren’t going well, huh? Kelly said that although your butt is nicer lately, you seem to have gained some weight on your stomach.” Elizabeth smiled faintly. “Alright, get ready to move in 20 seconds.”
As the guards blushed and frowned, the princess's aircraft, Lancelot Judge, slowly raised the VARIS gun hanging on its back, then lowered the two grappling hooks into the air and gradually increased the engine noise.
……
"Oh no, what's that thing rushing out of the clouds?"
Hudson was startled by his wingman's shout and looked up at the sky. In a large cloud not far from the bomber formation, three ant-like things scurried out.