Chapter 1628: Chapter 1545: Two Immobilized Divisions
"What are these idiots on the road doing?" Before the sky was completely dark, Moss received definite news: Ben had been attacked by the Tang Army.
He walked to the map in his command center and seriously looked at the distance between Ben and the coastline—it’s truly a linear distance of nearly 30 kilometers, and the Tang Army covered this distance in less than three days!
From the 5th position to that damned field airport, it’s a total of less than 10 kilometers, while this field airport is over 20 kilometers from Ben as well.
As a result, this long distance, with so many fortifications, didn’t even hold for a day, and just like that, the Tang Army smashed through it.
The more severe issue is that due to the rapid advance of the Tang Army, the Dwarves simply weren’t prepared for any of the follow-up actions. Ben is stocked with a large amount of valuable military supplies, which couldn’t be distributed or destroyed in time.
Originally, these supplies were stored here to be easily replenished to the frontline garrison as the war progressed. But now, the Tang Army has already reached Ben!
These supplies in Ben weren’t rigged with explosives for destruction either, and there was no time to destroy them. Initially, when dispersing and storing supplies here, there was no consideration that storing so close to the front line would mean the Tang Army could directly capture them.
"General, we must find a way..." the adjutant spoke worriedly, trying to persuade, "Once the Tang Army gains the initiative, then Eternal Winter Port will also be unsafe."
This is an ongoing concern for the Ice Cold Empire: the Tang Army’s landing operations have always followed a certain pattern, not just confined to fighting for beachhead positions, but also regarding tactics for subsequent landing operations.
After capturing the beachhead, the Tang Army often sets the next target on the nearby port. Once captured, the port provides them with more stable logistical support, making subsequent battles much easier.
Obviously, within the Steel Rampart of the Ice Cold Empire, the only port worth the Great Tang Empire’s attack is Eternal Winter Port.
"From Ben’s direction, mobilize forces from the nearby 4th Armored Division to support! Even if it’s just half the city, you must hold it for me! Preserve at all costs!" Moss initially disregarded the situation at Eternal Winter Port, directing orders to contest Ben.
He couldn’t afford the grim consequences of losing Ben. If the Tang Army truly controls Ben, they might subsequently gain support from frontline air forces, adding insult to injury for the Dwarves’ predicament.
"Also, when can the air force reinforcements start fighting? I need tons of aircraft! Tons of aircraft! Destroy the Tang Army’s armored corps at all costs! This is our only chance!" When Moss said these words, it was almost a roar. He had been waiting for his side’s air force to initiate a counterattack, yet in three days, the Dwarves’ air force barely played any role.
Originally, he wasn’t very reliant on air power, yet his ground troops failed to hold the positions as planned, leaving him to rely on others for hope.
On this day, the Tang Army focused their offensive on the Dwarves’ depth areas, bombarding several cities while further damaging many airports.
The Dwarves’ air force risked their lives to deploy, but on this day only 110 aircraft were mobilized, which couldn’t compare to the Great Tang Empire Navy and Air Force’s aircraft numbers.
In this day alone, over 60 Dwarven pilots perished, with aircraft losses exceeding 80 planes, describing the Ice Cold Empire’s air force as suffering great losses wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
They have lost at least 400 planes in three days of combat strength, a figure that doesn’t include the Sab Bomber and other models of scrap destroyed on the ground.
The pace of such losses is beyond what an ordinary country’s air force can bear, and the Ice Cold Empire can’t endure such horrific loss speeds either.
"General, our air force suffered major losses, and our torpedo boats deployed in bunkers have lost more than half... The situation is extremely passive now," the adjutant reminded once more, dejectedly.
Moss was also very annoyed, all of his pre-war predictions had almost completely failed, the Tang Army’s landing operations unfolded without any sequence as initially assumed, and faced almost no obstruction.
The Dwarves’ pre-war preparations failed, leaving only the battlefield for both sides’ troops to fight it out with their lives, to force an outcome.
Moss felt as if his mouth were about to turn to desert, grabbing the nearby cup of water to gulp down all the boiling water, then felt a bit more comfortable: "Order the 15th Infantry Division near Ben to counterattack! No matter what they’re doing, immediately counterattack towards Ben! Drive the Tang Army out of the urban area!"
The 4th Armored Division of the Ice Cold Empire had previously been engaged with the Tang Country Paratroopers, and wasn’t too far from Ben, being among the Dwarves’ elite troops with fairly decent combat power.
As for the 15th Infantry Division, it’s also considered one of the more elite fighting forces in the Dwarves’ hands, stationed to the west of Ben, close to positions 1-3.
In Moss’s view, these two divisions are near Ben, with the farthest distance not exceeding 5 kilometers. As long as these troops act immediately, the Tang Army attacking Ben will surely fall into a bitter fight.
However, as Moss issued one command after another, feedback quickly transmitted back to the Eternal Winter City’s command post: the 15th Infantry Division was pinned down by a two-sided assault, unable to move; the 4th Armored Division was suppressed by air raids, nearly incapable of assisting Ben.
Starting from the 4th position, the Tang Empire Navy Marine Corps’ 1st Division is fiercely attacking the defense line guarded by the Dwarves’ 15th Division.
The Dwarven troops in the 15th Division are already doing their best to hold the defense line, hardly possessing any capacity to allocate forces to support elsewhere.
Meanwhile, the Dwarves’ 4th Armored Division, having stuck close to the Tang Army Paratroopers, had long been marked by the Tang Country’s air power: Whether it was part of combat requirements or just pure vengeance, the Tang Army aircraft launched vicious attacks on the Dwarves’ 4th Armored Division.
Originally laden with heavier weapons, the already devastated 4th Armored Division has lost half their tanks. Despite not retreating and continuing to engage with the Tang Army Paratroopers, they have no remaining forces to spare for Ben.
What’s more... is there any value in supporting Ben?
At this moment, in various channels of the Tang Army, the voice of Supreme Commander Tagg could already be heard: "Brave soldiers of the Great Tang! Ben is now under our control! Long live the Emperor! Victory belongs to the Tang Empire!"
"Long live the Emperor!" The cheers echoed in every corner of the battlefield, as the soldiers of the Tang Army celebrated their victory in the loudest voice.