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“As I said before, we need a forward base. This forward base must…” Captain Miller’s spirits lifted; what followed was the core of the mission. He laid out the requirements for the forward base all at once, and at Adelaide’s signal, the Ergia staff brought out a detailed map of Fabanti and began searching for a suitable location based on Miller’s requirements.
There are actually quite a few locations outside Fabandi that could satisfy the 7th Brigade's need to establish a forward base, but it's a pity that all of these places are now under the control of the Belken people.
"This is it." After eliminating three less-than-ideal locations, Miller's eyes lit up, and he immediately made the decision.
“This place…” The Ergan staff members smiled, a rare sight. “It’s only 7 kilometers from Razor Base. You’ve come at just the right time. We’ve just recaptured it, and we can use Razor Base as a springboard to regain control of the area.”
……
The project is nearing completion; I estimate it will be finished by the end of the month.
Volume 1: Chapter 154 (Night Raid on Swarthburg)
As the sun sets and darkness falls, humans begin to rest—a biological instinct determined by their biological characteristics, a state that has existed for millennia. The human eye cannot see as clearly in low light as it does in daylight, often limiting the activities of those without adequate lighting to areas exposed to light. For them, the unknown darkness is synonymous with fear and danger. After a full day of activity, physical and mental energy levels drop, leading to drowsiness and lethargy, and a deep desire for rest.
However, not everyone will obey this biological instinct. The first person to realize the negative effects of night on the human body and apply it to warfare may be unknown, but through long-term warfare, humanity has become increasingly aware of the enormous impact of darkness—or low-visibility environments—on military operations. Even the arrival of night does not mean that war has paused; on the contrary, with technological advancements, it may become a harbinger of something big coming.
Miller's air assault company didn't stay at the Royal Army headquarters for long. After finding three seemingly suitable locations, they immediately went to scout the area with local guides. Meanwhile, to the northwest of Fabanti, six Mi-4AV helicopters carrying reconnaissance soldiers had already silently landed under the cover of night northwest of Swarthorpe and began to approach the Belken base, as indicated by intelligence.
Swarthburg is an ancient bastion with over a century of history, perched on a small hill, occupying a prime location. The surrounding area is barren, and the Belken have established sentry posts, trenches, barbed wire, and searchlights. Patrols and sentries, both visible and concealed, are hidden in places unseen by the naked eye. Even a reconnaissance company would find it difficult to infiltrate Swarthburg without triggering an alarm.
However, with the development of technology, the means by which frontline troops obtain enemy intelligence have become increasingly diversified. Traditional close-range reconnaissance methods such as infiltration and interrogation are no longer necessary. High-altitude reconnaissance by drones, interception and eavesdropping of radio communications, satellite surveillance... the endless stream of new methods makes it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of both sides in a war to conceal their own actions.
Valerio's reconnaissance company, however, includes specialized personnel for drone operators and radio operators.
Upon arriving at the mission area, Valerio divided the reconnaissance company into three groups. One group found a suitable location to set up a radio to ensure uninterrupted communication with the Swabella command and to intercept and monitor the Belken's communications. Another group was responsible for controlling drones to conduct aerial reconnaissance via cameras. The last group served as a last resort. If the first two methods of technical reconnaissance failed for any reason, they would carry on the fine tradition of reconnaissance soldiers and sneak up on the enemy's nose to obtain intelligence.
The Belken people seemed not to have considered that an enemy could infiltrate from their rear—after all, the Qi Elgians were already trapped in Fabanti, and unless they grew wings, they would have no chance of bypassing the Belken army at the front line and getting around to the rear of Swarburg. Therefore, the Swarburg's security perimeter was limited to the high ground where the castle was located. The three detachments of the reconnaissance company found their suitable positions and lay in ambush in just one hour.
The reconnaissance company was carrying the Eleron-3 tactical reconnaissance drone, which has a maximum takeoff weight of only 5.5 kg. Its electric motor makes it extremely quiet, minimizing the possibility of detection during nighttime missions. However, its limited battery capacity only supports 100 minutes of flight time, and its communication radius is only 25 km. Even so, these performance specifications are more than sufficient for the Fabandi battlefield.
The compact Eleron was launched by hand by the operator, maintained at an altitude of 500 meters, quickly and stealthily passed through the outer perimeter of the guard posts, and hovered over Swarthburg. The images captured by the infrared camera were transmitted to the terminal in the operator's hand via the network.
"I suggest calling in attack aircraft to circle around here. The Belken devils have concentrated at least half a battalion of tanks here," the radio operator exclaimed in amazement. The black-and-white screen on the terminal showed more than twenty tanks neatly parked in a small area between the outer side of the castle and the guard post. All of these tanks were turned off, and next to them were artillery positions made up of cannons.
The operator tossed the joystick on the controller, constantly adjusting the drone's angle, zooming in and out, taking one photo after another. Belken's sentry post wasn't uncamouflaged, but this camouflage was entirely aimed at hypothetical enemies in the horizontal direction. For the reconnaissance company's drone reconnaissance, it wasn't exactly better than nothing, but rather completely useless—utterly ineffective.
As time ticked by, the reconnaissance company gained a clearer understanding of the surrounding situation—they had completely ascertained the layout of the outpost. The Belken had constructed a circular defensive position around Swarthburg, consisting of three arc-shaped lines, each ranging from 400 to 1000 meters in length. Four infantry companies and more than ten armored vehicles were positioned at the forefront, while two infantry companies were deployed approximately 200 meters behind the lines. The artillery positions, along with the remaining armored vehicles, were located adjacent to the central bastion.
This tiered deployment allowed the Belken to withstand attacks from enemy forces several times their size: while the frontline tanks lost mobility, they provided direct fire and reliable armored cover for the infantry, forcing the attackers to eliminate these "fortifications" before they could penetrate the outermost defensive line. When the attackers showed signs of breaching the lines, the rear tanks could launch a counter-offensive, decisively breaking through the enemy's advance. When enemy infantry surged into the front lines and the fighting became stalemate, two reserve companies would be deployed to repel the enemy attack once more. After this, nearby Belken allies would also arrive and join the battle…
Such tactical arrangements would be more than enough to deal with the Elgin army; even against the Federation or the Eastern Empire, the Belken could hold their own. However, the enemy they were about to face was not the old-fashioned army that only knew how to charge head-on. The 7th Brigade was not only good at fighting tough battles, but also adept at using tricks and tactical maneuvers.
Volume 1: Chapter 155 (Chapter 141) - A Great Upheaval
While the reconnaissance company was conducting a nighttime investigation of Swarthaburi, 200 kilometers away at the Svorbella mother base, the 7th Brigade's support battalion was working overtime to maintain and service various armored vehicles. To prepare for various situations on the Fabandi battlefield, the support battalion began planning to upgrade the protection of their BMP-2Ms. After all, the Belken people had already discovered some strange things through archaeological research, and new weapons might appear on the Fabandi battlefield; it was always better to be cautious.
The BMP-2M's own armor protection level is just so-so. It can protect against ordinary rifle bullets, but it would probably be in trouble against some high-explosive, high-penetration machine gun AP rounds. Upgrading the vehicle's armor is not practical, so Mead and his team pinned their hopes on the simple and practical solution of add-on armor.
8. They had considered using concrete as additional armor, just like their predecessors did with the T-34 in World War II. However, this proposal was rejected at the symposium before it even reached the testing stage. The reason was simple—too little concrete wouldn't stop armor-piercing rounds, and too much would make it too heavy, directly affecting the BMP-2M's mobility. If all these BMP-2Ms had undergone this modification, they might have all broken down halfway to Fapanti.
Ultimately, they dared to target the armored vehicles supplied to the Erjians—they couldn't hand-roll armor plates, but the mother base's industrial area could! They hauled these tanks, fresh off the assembly line and still smelling of paint, back to the workshop. After a flurry of dazzling maneuvers, a BMP-2M adorned with add-on armor was born. The modified BMP-2M was essentially immune to attacks from bullets smaller than 20mm, while the loss of mobility and the increase in fuel consumption were within acceptable limits. The biggest drawback of this method was probably its exorbitant cost—for every BMP-2M with add-on armor produced, a BT-7 or T-26 was lost.
The Algerians probably never imagined that the tanks originally intended for them would be dismantled like this...
Although San felt somewhat guilty about the delayed delivery of the additional Algiers order, Lu Wu immediately approved the mass modification plan. After all, it was an urgent matter, and they would find a way to compensate Algiers later. However, Lu Wu did not expect that an unexpected event would force him to adjust the battle plan for Baili Yuejin Fabandi.
War Thunder® end users:
0 Maintenance Status: All running servers are undergoing maintenance.
All servers for the War Thunder terminal are currently undergoing maintenance and updates. The update is in its later stages, but significant delays in checking the completeness of data for certain server groups have prevented the servers from opening as scheduled. We will complete all data updates as soon as possible. The servers are expected to open in 48 hours. We apologize for the delay.
Your loyal friend: Anton Yudintsev
“Commander, this…” Yelena and Lu Wu have been together for so long, and this is the first time they have encountered such a delay in updates.
"I originally planned to have the troops equipped with new gear before heading north, but now it seems that might not be possible." Lu Wu frowned. Once is never enough. Although Anton said in the email that the maintenance was expected to be completed in 48 hours, who could say that what would arrive in 48 hours would be an email announcing the server opening instead of another "major change notice"?
"Should we postpone our northward advance?" According to Lu Wu's original plan, after the maintenance and upgrade were completed, the 7th Brigade would invest all its Golden Eagles in upgrading the artillery battalion's equipment to 2S24 Podnos, expand the company's equipment with BMP-2M or T-72AV, and replace the Mi-6s in the reconnaissance and medical companies with Mi-8s before advancing northward in better condition.
"Have the reconnaissance company and the 48th company sent back any messages?" Lu Wu asked in return.
"The situation in Swarthburg is roughly consistent with the intelligence provided by Celt Hal. The 48th Company has also found a suitable location as our front-line base outside the southern suburbs of Fabandi, and is currently discussing with the Royal Army how to take that location."
“In that case, let’s proceed according to the original plan. The new equipment will be deployed as the second wave of troops,” Lu Wu said after a moment of contemplation. “Belken has probably already noticed the Celtic’s loss of contact, and it’s hard to guarantee that they won’t relocate their command post or strengthen their defenses.”
Although the reconnaissance company has now reached the enemy's command post, even a temporary relocation wouldn't shake them off. The 7th Brigade could launch a decapitation strike at any time, guided by the reconnaissance company—even with strengthened enemy defenses, destroying the command center would still be very easy for them. However, their objective wasn't merely to disrupt the Belken's research. Lu Wu hoped to recover all the research data and equipment within the command center, which was far more difficult than simply destroying the target. After all, a competent commander would order the destruction of all classified documents and equipment when defeat was inevitable, leaving nothing for the enemy. Lu Wu also believed that the commander guarding this location wouldn't make the basic mistake of forgetting to destroy supplies and intelligence during a retreat…
"Tsk, if only I had a GRU squad under my command." Lu Wu sighed with regret. The 7th Brigade didn't have GRU or Spetsnaz special operations units because the main characters in the battles on Andon were always vehicles flying in the sky and running on the ground. On such a frontal battlefield, special forces weren't much better than regular soldiers, and investing heavily in special forces wasn't a wise choice. But right now, infiltration and espionage missions were exactly what the GRU excelled at. If Lu Wu had a GRU squad, he wouldn't have to worry about so much; he could just infiltrate and decapitate them...
However, if there are special forces, then we'll use the same tactics as the special forces. If there aren't special forces, then we'll still have our own methods. We can't let ourselves be held back by our own desires, can we? At worst, we can assemble our forces to break through the Belken's lines, creating the impression that our command center is right next to the breakthrough force's assault path, forcing the enemy to relocate. Then we can deploy airborne assault and reconnaissance companies to parachute into the enemy command post and seize control of the command structure and all supplies and documents as quickly as possible.
Volume 1: Chapter 156 (Chapter 142) Alpha Beacon
When Lu Wu received the notification from the Great Change, the soldiers of the air assault company, led by the Ergia guide, arrived at this place known as the "Alpha Marker".
As they saw at the Royal Army headquarters, this was an extremely suitable location for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army to establish a military base. As the saying goes, great minds think alike, and it seems that some of the Belken people also recognized the superiority of this location. Approximately a battalion of troops has already been stationed at this key point, and they have begun to build an FOB (Forward Depot) here.
Faced with such a large piece of meat, Captain Miller made a decisive decision and launched an attack from the air without waiting for the Kingdom's troops.
A mere battalion was no match for the air assault of the 48th Company, let alone an engineer battalion with relatively low combat effectiveness. The first wave of rocket attacks from the Mi-24 helicopters directly shattered the engineer battalion's will to resist. Upon seeing the enemy figures emerging from all directions, the major of the engineer battalion wisely raised the white flag and surrendered.
Captain Miller readily accepted the prisoners of war, since they would be building a military base in the area later, and these engineers would be of good use.
After capturing the Alpha Marker, the Elgin forces at Razor Base began rapidly reinforcing the area. With this location secured, the Alpha Marker would replace Razor Base as the most prominent Elgin stronghold south of Fabandi. The Belken, unless blind, would not let this opportunity pass, and the Elgins would not easily relinquish this crucial point for reinforcements. Both sides were destined to commit significant forces to this battle for the Alpha Marker. Currently, the Elgins hold a slight advantage in this engagement. If they maintain this advantage, it could potentially transform into a strategic advantage once the 7th Brigade arrives.
At 2 a.m., an infantry battalion of the Kingdom of Ergia arrived at the Alpha Beacon, while the 48th Company, after temporarily handing over prisoners of war to the Allied forces, continued its advance southward, intending to clear out the scattered Belken forces in the surrounding area and create a sufficient buffer zone for the Alpha Beacon.
These Belken troops, already small in number, had never encountered an enemy so utterly indifferent to darkness. This wasn't a battle; it was a one-sided massacre. However, Captain Miller and his men felt no remorse. No matter how pathetic the Belken army's performance, it didn't change the fact that they were an invading force. To such an enemy, Captain Miller and his men would only say "good riddance," feeling no remorse whatsoever, and perhaps even hoping for more deaths.
The 48th Company's operations were extremely efficient, while the Kingdom's forces, starting from Razor Base, desperately tried to keep up, consolidating the buffer zone they had "hard-won." But even four-wheeled trucks couldn't match the speed of the Mi-24s. Unlike the 48th Company, which charged straight ahead without lingering in one place for more than ten minutes, the Kingdom's forces continuously left behind varying numbers of personnel at key points, their strength dwindling until they were forced to halt their advance. In just three hours, the Kingdom of Elgia's forces had advanced a full five kilometers along the southern front.
However, the advance came to an end there. After three hours of chaos, the Belken people finally recovered from the sudden counterattack. The scattered troops began to retreat and regroup, avoiding direct confrontation with the "main force of the Ergia" to prevent being defeated piecemeal by the enemy's superior numbers. The fact that the frontline troops in this area could lose contact in such a short time and not be able to send back any messages meant that there was almost only one possibility: the main force of the Ergia had come out in full force and annihilated their deployed troops with astonishing efficiency.
Considering the inconvenience of resupplying fuel and ammunition for Fabandi, and the fact that dawn was breaking and the Belken's counterattack was gradually gaining strength, Captain Miller decided to call it a day, halting the assault and returning to the Alpha beacon to rest and prepare for the next battle.
As time went on, the Belken forces, which had regrouped on the southern front, began small-scale probing attempts to determine the scale and specific direction of the Kingdom of Elgia's counterattack. Meanwhile, the Kingdom's forces deployed at the Alpha Beacon and its buffer zone exceeded two thousand men, while a similar reserve force of over two thousand men was deployed at the Razor Base in the rear.
Although the Kingdom's army had only regained control of the Alpha beacon for a few hours, it was enough for the Kingdom's soldiers to dig a trench to hide and protect themselves. A barbed wire fence was also strung in front of the trench to delay the enemy, and machine guns were concentrated on both flanks of the position, waiting for the enemy to arrive.
The vanguard was led by Belken's 611th Infantry Regiment. Through scouts, they gained a preliminary assessment of the situation—the Kingdom's counterattack was small-scale; they halted their advance after capturing one of their under-construction frontline supply depots. This was likely a showy operation with more political than military significance. Even so, the Belken Empire was determined to completely dismantle the counterattack, denying the Kingdom of Elgia any chance to boost morale and further crushing their will to resist.
The roar of gunfire roused the soldiers of the 48th Company, who were taking a light nap. They didn't immediately order the Hinds, waiting at Razor Base in the rear, to take off and provide support. After confirming that the attacking enemy was not large and that the Kingdom's forces on the defensive line were capable of handling them, most of the volunteer soldiers chose to close their eyes and continue resting. They knew the bigger battle was yet to come, and since they could rest now, they needed to seize every minute to recover their strength and condition.
On the buffer zone, Belken's firepower did inflict some casualties on the Kingdom's army. After all, the hastily dug trenches couldn't compare to the protective capabilities of concrete fortifications like bunkers. The two infantry companies deployed on the buffer zone, after delaying the 611th Regiment for half an hour, withdrew from the battle under orders from their superiors and returned to the Alpha Beacon. The withdrawal of these two infantry companies further confirmed Belken's judgment. After passing through the two infantry companies' lines, the 611th Regiment headed directly for the Alpha Beacon, which the scouts had identified as an enemy outpost, attempting a desperate pursuit.
……
Why are there still people in my kendo dojo's group trying to stir up gender antagonism?
Volume 1: Chapter 157 (Chapter 143) Attack and Defense (Part 4)
It's hard to say whether the Elgins were too good at camouflage, or if the Belken had become blinded by their recent victories in establishing connections; a company of infantry, originally just on a reconnaissance mission, recklessly attacked the Alpha beacon.
The result was naturally not pleasant; they left behind dozens of corpses without even managing to reach within a hundred meters of the front line. This practice of sending casualties to the enemy was quickly stopped by superiors, and replaced by more cautious probing attacks.
The 611th Regiment's artillery battalion conducted a ten-minute pre-battle on the Alpha beacon, while two companies of infantry stood ready on their own positions. After the pre-battle, over two hundred infantrymen began advancing in a loose skirmish line. Just as the Royal Army was about to repel the 611th Regiment's attack, the Belken sent a battalion of reinforcements into the flanking positions. This successfully lured the Royal Army's machine gun positions on both flanks into firing, and the prepared artillery battalion quickly launched a counter-offensive. Although some Royal Army machine gun teams began to withdraw after firing for a period, some fire teams were still killed in this counter-offensive. The Imperial Army displayed admirable combat skills here—they did not collapse due to the casualties caused by the previous flank machine gun fire; instead, they turned their target and rushed directly towards the flank positions that had lost machine gun cover, attempting to exploit this gap to create a breakthrough.
The Belken nearly succeeded; some of them even reached the Kingdom's lines. However, the situation stabilized again after the Kingdom's commander committed reserves. Seeing no hope of a breakthrough, the 611th Regiment withdrew from the battle.
Captain Miller had suggested adding the Hinds to the battle to eliminate the enemy artillery. However, this suggestion was rejected by the Kingdom's commander. Air support was one of the Kingdom's key assets in their fight against the Belken, and he didn't want to use it so quickly. Fuel supplies for the Hinds were difficult to obtain, and their use should be cautious. Besides, after fighting the Belken for so long, if they couldn't even withstand their probing attacks, they might as well take off their uniforms and go home to grow sweet potatoes.
However, the situation seemed to be developing in a way that was unfavorable to the Kingdom's army. Two hours after the probing attack, a Belken tank unit arrived. A company of tanks wasn't large, but when these war machines, born for breakthroughs, appeared in the enemy ranks, many of the Elgin veterans' breathing became heavy. Many of them had the unfortunate experience of being chased around by tanks, and it was difficult for them to have a positive impression of these metal monsters.
Fortunately, this time they had other anti-armor weapons besides cluster grenades—four 75mm anti-tank cannons. These four highly anticipated anti-tank cannons did not disappoint the Ergia; at a distance of 500 meters, they penetrated the 60mm armor of the Belken tank from the front, successfully turning the two iron cans into iron coffins.
This situation was completely unexpected by the Belken. When they realized that their mounts could no longer protect them and even made them targets, the armored soldiers' response became increasingly poor. They twisted their bodies, trying to interfere with the anti-tank gun's aim, while frantically searching for its location, completely unaware that the infantry behind them had been exposed to enemy fire because of their actions.
When the anti-tank guns fired a second time, they finally pinpointed the location of an anti-tank gun crew using the flashes and smoke. The nearest tank then slightly swerved, allowing its side-mounted casemate to destroy an anti-tank position. In this engagement, the Belken tank force lost another vehicle. Seeing their accompanying infantry pinned down and unable to lift their heads, the 611th Regiment, deeply pained, had to halt their advance. The anti-tank gun destroyed in this attack became the Belken force's greatest achievement to date at the Alpha Beacon.
Although the tank units received some artillery support during the retreat, the artillerymen fired cautiously for fear of accidentally damaging the valuable tanks. While not entirely ineffective, the effect was minimal, leading to further losses for the tank units during the retreat. One tank's track was hit by a shell, crippling the massive vehicle 400 meters from the Kingdom's trenches. The crew repeatedly tried to dismount the disabled vehicle, but the machine gun positions on both flanks, which had already been repositioned, once again blocked their movement.
Cheers erupted on the Kingdom's positions, where they had repelled two attacks from the Belken Empire. In contrast, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere hung over the Imperial's positions. Two offensives had not only failed to capture the position, but had also resulted in significant losses. Unwilling to suffer further casualties, the 611th Regiment finally unleashed its trump card.
Half an hour later, the artillery group of the 611th Regiment launched another barrage. Just as the Ergia thought this was routine fire preparation before the next offensive, the brownish gas emanating from the impact points of the shells, accompanied by a strong, pungent odor, alerted the Allied soldiers to something bad.
"poison gas!!"
Unlike the Kingdom's soldiers who were foolish enough that some even went forward to inspect the shells, the few soldiers from the 7th Brigade who were acting as observation posts and mostly slacking off changed their expressions drastically. They immediately issued a warning and pulled out their chemical protective gear to put it on. After the soldiers of the 48th Company had wrapped themselves up completely in full protective gear, they were surprised to find that the Kingdom's soldiers were just watching their actions with curiosity and made no attempt to put on their gas masks.
"Where are your gas masks? Put them on if you don't want to die!" The soldiers who had been resting in the rear filed out to reinforce the defensive line. They all understood that a gas attack meant the enemy had launched a new offensive. However, the response from the Kingdom's soldiers only filled them with helplessness and despair.
"Gas mask?" The other person repeated the word, which they hadn't stopped using, with a stiff accent. "What's that?"
"Company Commander, the analysis results are in, it's mustard gas!" The medic, who was ordered to investigate the type of poison gas, quickly completed the sampling and analysis process and brought Captain Miller the worst possible news.
"Mustard gas... How dare they..." Even a tough guy like Captain Miller felt a sense of fear upon hearing the name mustard gas.
Volume 1: Chapter 158 (Chapter 144) Holding Firm
The first real-world application of mustard gas was during World War I. Although this poison gas was not produced in the largest quantity at the time, it killed far more people than other types of gas such as phosgene or chlorine. Its victims even included a famous Austrian corporal.
Contrary to popular belief that poisonous gases only affect the respiratory tract, mustard gas can cause poisoning through skin contact alone. As a vesicant, mustard gas poisoning causes horrific damage: blistering, erosion, necrosis, and a high risk of secondary infection, with wounds healing very slowly. Even on Earth in the 21st century, let alone the 7th Brigade, there is still no effective cure for mustard gas. Treatment can only address the clinical symptoms, and those poisoned will suffer this torment for life.
"Medic, do your best to dispose of these chemical shells. I'll go inform the Kingdom's commander that they have no protective measures and must retreat," Captain Miller ordered, then immediately ran towards the Kingdom's command post.
"Commander, the enemy has used chemical weapons. I suggest moving their 0 unit to the rear 8th defensive line." Captain Miller, with his bizarre appearance, was almost stopped by the guards at command post. He had to remove his gas mask before entering the command post by his face. Once inside, he immediately found the colonel in charge of the Alpha beacon and explained the situation.
"Withdraw? No, we've already retreated enough since the start of the war." The colonel immediately rejected the suggestion. "My troops have just repelled several enemy attacks and are in high spirits. Even if they use some new weapon this time, they won't be able to break through our lines. Besides, this is just a smoke bomb that will only make your eyes red."
Captain Miller immediately realized things were in trouble—he probably couldn't convey the horrors of mustard gas to the colonel with words alone; only horrific casualties would do the trick. But he still tried: "This isn't one of those smoke bombs that only sting your eyes, this is fucking mustard gas! If it touches your skin, it'll rot it off, and the wounds it causes may never heal!"
Captain Miller's caution finally made the colonel take the situation more seriously. He picked up his binoculars again and looked at the gradually thickening brownish-yellow smoke on the position. After hesitating for a while, he still did not give the order to retreat. "No, if we retreat, the enemy will continue to throw these shells at our second line of defense. Are we going to keep retreating? We must repel the enemy's attack here and show them that it is useless to do so."
“Your troops don’t even have any protective equipment. You’re murdering your soldiers!” Miller exclaimed incredulously.
“Watch your words, Captain.” The colonel frowned. “If we give up the position, we might not be able to take it back even if we pay a greater price.” The Kingdom’s forces were outnumbered, and the colonel did not want to give up the advantageous defensive battle and turn to the more dangerous head-on hand-to-hand combat.
"My company can operate even in a gas-filled environment, and we also have air support. Leave the position to us."
“But your company has less than a hundred infantrymen. How wide a front do you expect one person to be responsible for? How long do you think your fully automatic weapons will last? If one place is breached, it’s all over.” The colonel persisted. “Instead of arguing here, I’d rather you teach our soldiers how to protect themselves in this environment.” Although they were now on the same side and had different ranks, they were not superior and subordinate, and neither could truly order the other to act according to their own will.
“This sacrifice is pointless. You’ll regret it.” Seeing that he couldn’t persuade the colonel, Miller left those words resentfully, put the gas mask back on his face, and walked out.
Miller, upon leaving the command post, immediately dismantled the assault company and reinforced the positions with as many personnel as possible, using the existing resources to help the Kingdom's soldiers resist the chemical weapons attack. After distributing the raincoats they carried, all they could do was wet towels to cover their mouths and noses and tighten their cuffs and trouser legs—measures that were not entirely useless, but were certainly not very effective.
Meanwhile, the assault company's medics were constantly moving around the position. Although Miller had instructed them to handle the chemical shells, their lack of specialized equipment limited their capabilities. They could only direct some of the 7th Brigade soldiers to move the chemical shells that had been driven into the trenches. As for the chemical shells outside the position, exposed to enemy fire, they were powerless to do anything, letting the mustard gas seep out and drift towards the position on the breeze.
Subsequently, the medics began to retreat, establishing a buffer zone between the two lines of defense. Behind the buffer zone was a temporary medical station specifically set up to provide emergency treatment for poisoned soldiers. The medical area was then isolated from the second line of defense to prevent contamination.
The brownish-yellow smoke quickly drifted into the position. While some textiles did offer some initial protection against the mustard gas, as the concentration of mustard gas increased, it began to penetrate the fragile clothing and come into contact with human skin. The Kingdom's soldiers exposed to the mustard gas didn't seem to experience any obvious symptoms at first; they only felt fear. But within ten minutes, most of the mustard gas on their skin had been absorbed, entered their bloodstream, and distributed throughout their bodies. From that moment on, their lives were completely steered in a different direction. (Wu)
Ten minutes later, some soldiers with weaker constitutions began to experience respiratory and conjunctival symptoms. These soldiers were quickly transferred to the buffer zone by other soldiers who had not yet shown symptoms. VII
"This doesn't seem as exaggerated as the Amelia people made it out to be. It's even less effective than the old smoke grenades; those were much more choking." In the command post, which had retreated to the second line of defense, the Kingdom's command had been closely monitoring the situation at the front. A staff officer, looking at the wounded soldiers in the buffer zone, tried to ease the tense atmosphere in the command post. However, his witty remark had no effect. On the contrary, it made the colonel even more uneasy.
Mustard gas cloud enveloped the position for nearly forty minutes, and more than thirty soldiers showed obvious symptoms of poisoning and were evacuated. The kingdom's army, which had been on tenterhooks against the Belken attack, did not see the enemy advance until all the chemicals in the shells had reacted and the smoke dissipated.
This offensive seemed to have ended rather anticlimactically, much to the relief of many Kingdom soldiers.
Volume 1: Chapter 159 (Chapter 145) This road is blocked.
"What did command say?" Captain Miller put down his binoculars. The Belkens across from him hadn't shown any intention to attack in the past two hours, but Miller knew perfectly well that they were waiting for the poison gas to take effect.
"The medical corps' helicopters have already taken off, but they're still a long way from here," the deputy corps commander said helplessly. It would take at least an hour to get here from Swobella, and the two Mi-4 helicopters of the medical corps could only carry a very limited amount of medicine and supplies—a drop in the ocean for the more than two thousand people at the Alpha Beacon forward position.
"Get the doe ready. We light infantry alone can hardly withstand such an attack from so many enemies." In the past two hours, nearly a hundred Kingdom soldiers had shown symptoms of mustard gas poisoning. Their organ mucous membranes had been damaged, and sloughed-off tracheal mucosa splattered with blood with each cough. The condition of the thirty-odd wounded soldiers evacuated earlier had worsened further; clearly defined red patches had appeared on their perineums, armpits, and other delicate skin areas, causing them excruciating, burning pain. They lay on stretchers, groaning and writhing in agony. The assault company's medics were already overwhelmed caring for these thirty-odd wounded soldiers, and when the second batch of soldiers showing symptoms arrived, they were even more stretched thin.
Faced with mounting pressure, and despite knowing the serious risk of cross-infection, they had no choice but to bring in the Kingdom's army doctors. After brief training and the distribution of disposable medical and protective equipment, these Kingdom army doctors also joined this special battle.
Coughing up blood and groans coming from the rear had already made the Kingdom's soldiers uneasy, and the air assault company knew this was far from over. The incubation period of mustard gas varies greatly depending on its state and dosage. This round of poison gas bombs from the Belken primarily released mustard gas vapor, with an incubation period that could even reach 6-12 hours. During this incubation period, it takes time for the gas to begin causing real damage, thus minimizing resistance to the attack. Therefore, theoretically, the Belken could launch their attack as early as 7 hours after the gas release.
"Stay alert! Don't take off your towels and goggles. The air and soil here are contaminated. If you want to live longer, do as I say!" Miller's clothes were completely soaked with sweat under his airtight hazmat suit, and even inside his gas mask, a wisp of condensation had formed, but he dared not remove it. In contrast, some Kingdom soldiers boldly removed the towels covering their mouths and noses, breathing heavily. Captain Miller had to radio his men to keep a close watch and prevent these men from doing anything foolish.
With the volunteer soldiers constantly watching them, the Wang Guojun soldiers didn't cause any more trouble, but as time went on, more and more soldiers showed symptoms of poisoning.
At 5 PM, on the front lines of the Alpha Beacon, two-thirds of the Kingdom's troops had rapidly developed symptoms of poisoning; however, only a few hundred were able to be evacuated for treatment. The vast majority had lost their fighting ability, slumped in their positions, each breath excruciating as the air passed through their damaged mucous membranes. Fragments of their lungs were expelled with each cough, and the towels used to cover their mouths and noses were now stained with blood. The groans of the dying echoed across the battlefield.
Although the assault company soldiers carried medical kits containing some anti-chemical weapons medication, unfortunately, neither atropine nor diazepam was effective against mustard gas. The only useful medication was morphine. The assault company soldiers quickly ran out of morphine.
The medical team's professionals immediately began treating the wounded upon arriving at the front, but Wang Guojun's death toll continued to rise, soon surpassing one hundred. Most died of suffocation—asphyxiation caused by sloughed tracheal mucosa and blood clots blocking the trachea; the process was lengthy and agonizing.
When news of the horrific scene at the front lines reached the Kingdom's army command, the colonel clenched his fists tightly before finally making a decision.
At 6:30 PM, the Kingdom's commander decided to deploy the infantry battalion, which had been stationed as a reserve force on the second line, to the front. Everyone knew this was a short-sighted measure. Immediately, the Alpha Beacon sent a distress telegram to Razor Base. By this time, over three hundred soldiers on the front line had already died due to lack of timely medical care. Only about three hundred men remained capable of pulling the trigger and cocking their rifles; the trenches were filled with unconscious, vacant bodies.
"Captain, the Belkens have made a move!" As the sun completely sank below the horizon, a bad message came back from the outpost that had been keeping an eye on the Belkens' movements, prompting Captain Miller to immediately grab his binoculars.
Five tanks were deployed in front of the Alpha Beacon, with Belken infantrymen wearing gas masks and protective cloaks following closely behind them.
“These bastards have come out in full force.” Miller quickly estimated the scale of the offensive. The Kingdom’s commander at the front had also lost his ability to command. Miller naturally took over the command from the survivors. “Anti-tank team, let them get closer before you fire.”
"Understood." The anti-tank gun positions on both sides of the position had all been assaulted and connected by pipes. However, compared to these anti-tank guns produced by the Kingdom of Ergiah, they trusted the rocket launchers they carried more.
"Activate IR, be aware of firepower allocation," Miller flipped down the NVG on his helmet, flipped the switch, and dozens of PEQ laser designators immediately appeared in the green field of vision. These lasers were only visible through night vision goggles, and the approaching Belken soldiers had no idea that they had been marked and their lives were coming to an end.
"The Hind has taken off, ETA 10 minutes." The deputy company commander's voice came over the radio, bringing reassuring news.