Chapter 1626: Chapter 1543: Ben in Chaos
The totally unprepared city defense troops of Ben City were bewildered by the sudden attack of the elite Tang Army. They had no idea why the Tang Army appeared in the city, nor could they organize an effective defense at all.
Urban warfare also requires organization; if it’s just running around like guerrillas, then a troop without logistical support can last only a few hours at most.
Modern urban warfare demands substantial supplies, so city combat like that in Stalingrad requires a stable “rear”.
In other words, only when the front line can be stabilized within an acceptable range, can urban warfare continue.
The dwarf officers within Ben City actually have no confidence in maintaining the front line. They can’t even locate all their troops: two infantry divisions are deployed in Ben City, but these divisions are light infantry, with average equipment levels and combat effectiveness.
Even the most pessimistic dwarf commanders didn’t expect the Tang Army to push the front lines near Ben City within three days.
General Moss even believed that the front two lines of his Steel Rampart would consume the Tang Army three to five days.
Unfortunately, all were mere estimations; the Tang Army basically broke through the two lines on the first day, and the second day was entirely spent waiting for more reinforcements to arrive.
Upon receiving more reinforcements, the Tang Army immediately launched a larger scale attack, which disrupted the Ice Cold Empire’s pre-war operations from the very beginning.
Running home from the airport, the dwarves working in Ben City felt so rushed that their breathing almost blew off their beards. Dwarves customarily keep beards — out of a hundred dwarves, ninety-nine have one, and the remaining one has a stub.
“Huff, puff…” The dwarf was panting heavily as he rushed into his apartment building. Dwarven buildings have their signature style: Being three to five stories high, with pointed roofs and small windows, they resemble fortresses.
Buildings in cold regions maintain similar styles: small windows to conserve heat, thick walls for better insulation, and pointed roofs for easy snow removal…
Such structures easily become fortifications during war; they are sturdy and can endure shell fire without crumbling even when directly hit by a shell.
“Hurry… pack… your things! Humans… are coming!” He stomped on the wooden stairs, making them creak as he shouted loudly while climbing.
Hearing the call, the civilians living in the building opened their doors, seeing their neighbor’s face smeared with blood, and were utterly shocked and confused.
“Where’s Tommy? Buck! Where’s my Tommy?” A stout female dwarf living downstairs wailed with a trembling voice, as her husband had gone out with the neighbor, yet only the neighbor came back.
“I don’t know! Gunshots are everywhere, I ran back desperately, I don’t know where Tommy is or how he is.” Buck, the dwarf shouted in a muffled voice while climbing.
Of course, he wouldn’t know that Tommy was already shot dead beside the airport runway. Even if he knew, he couldn’t answer in such circumstances.
Now, he needed to hurry home and have his wife pack their luggage, to quickly escape from Ben City in another direction while the Tang People were not here yet.
The stairwell was chaotic, and outside, a jeep with the Ice Cold Empire’s icy mountain emblem painted on the engine hood wobbled past. The officer inside was extremely nervous, uncertain if his command post even still existed…
This officer is the Division Commander of one of the two infantry divisions the dwarves deployed in Ben City. He had just attended a meeting, learning that the Tang Army occupied a field airport twenty kilometers away and ordered the suspension of Ben City’s airport repairs.
After all, it was already close to becoming a frontline city, and the airport certainly wouldn’t function anymore. Repairing it would be futile, better to conserve energy for constructing some defensive works.
Indeed, airport repairs were to be suspended, but more bunkers and trenches needed to be built to prevent the Tang Army from capturing Ben City.
Yet no sooner had the meeting concluded, than the Tang Army stormed in — who knew they could move so fast? Were the dwarf troops along the way just for show?
According to past combat experiences, field troops would gradually be unable to hold out, fleeing back into the city, those who had persevered in battle for a long time with tattered uniforms and low morale would join the city defense troops to form a new defensive line within the city.
Enemies would not easily invade such a city; they would encircle it and start shelling, preparing for a few days before attempting to besiege the city, crushing its resolve to resist.
Finally, amidst ruins left by shelling, both sides would engage in urban combat, the weaker side fighting bitterly until depleted, surrendering to earn their opponents’ respect…
But what is this madness before us? On a battlefield filled with dwarf field troops, the Tang Army’s troops advance over 20 kilometers in a day? Surely you jest? Do dwarf troops have such marching speeds?
As the jeep wobbled down a street filled with fleeing soldiers and refugees, a Black Hawk Helicopter appeared between the buildings and spotted a target on the ground.
It decelerated and turned sideways; from the concealed side hatch, a Tang Army Soldier holding a machine gun began shooting.
Golden shell casings fell from the helicopter one by one, seeming to rain down a golden shower. The tracer bullets formed a dense and deadly wall.
The jeep was instantly riddled, glass shattered instantly, and a row of bullet holes appeared on the engine hood. Blood splattered on the shattered glass, and the car lost control and crashed into the building’s outer wall.
With a loud crash, the vehicle twisted and broke down by the roadside, the corpse of the Lieutenant fell from the passenger seat, clutching a document bag. That was the Commander’s adjutant, who was also in the car.
The sudden appearance of the helicopter further chaos. The fleeing soldiers didn’t resist but frantically rushed into the surrounding alleys, along with panic-stricken civilians fleeing, screaming in terror.
A few minutes later, a type 96 main battle tank of the Tang Army rolled past the scrapped jeep, with Xiang Ziyu leading his soldiers behind it, tilting his head to catch sight of white bed sheets fluttering from the nearby windows…
——-
Happy New Year everyone, Dragon Spirit is back, updates will resume, wishing everyone a joyful Spring Festival.