Munitions Empire-Chapter 1003 - : Advancement of 925 Dahua
Chapter 1003: Advancement of 925 Dahua
Amid the smoke of gunfire on the battlefield, a Dahua soldier who had been retrieved from the trenches days earlier was cautiously moving forward in the trench.
In front of him were other Dahua soldiers, and an equally large number of soldiers followed behind him, for he was now a squad leader, having been promoted.
All the soldiers who had fought alongside him had died, and the freshly replenished recruits needed someone with experience to lead them, even if it was just the experience of retreating.
Not far above these Dahua soldiers, a Type 5 tank of the Dahua Empire burned, having just been pierced through its side armor by artillery, and was completely destroyed on the battlefield.
No matter how thick the armor, it could not be invincible. The side armor of the Type 5 tank didn’t provide much advantage, after all, it had to be moved by an engine.
As long as it wasn’t solid, tanks could not be invincible, so the destruction of a Type 5 tank was not unusual; it was merely a representation of the brutality of combat.
The battle of Fengjiang had indeed started to become brutal, the Dahua Empire had chosen to fight a desperate battle at Fengjiang to end the adverse impact brought on by the disastrous defeat at Guiguang.
Zhao Chen had no other way to turn the tide of defeat; he could only seize Fengjiang, then sever the links between Fengjiang forces and the Great Tang Empire to weaken the strength of Fengjiang’s army.
He poured troops into effort regardless of the cost, inching forward little by little, employing tactics that were so hysterical they were terrifying to witness.
To ensure the gains, he even ordered his troops to keep digging tunnels and after each attack, attempted to connect his own lines with the controlled positions of Fengjiang.
Under his series of maneuvers, the Dahua Empire’s forces had actually advanced 3 kilometers towards Fengjiang, and the closest Dahua-controlled area was now less than 17 kilometers from the urban district of Fengjiang City.
“Careful! These Goblins are extremely cunning!” The newly appointed Dahua squad leader reminded his soldiers while moving forward.
In his hand was a captured Boposha Submachine Gun, a weapon that came to the battlefield with the Dwarf mercenaries, and soon some astute Dahua soldiers discovered its effectiveness.
The Boposha Submachine Gun was quite reliable, mainly due to the 71-round drum magazine that Dwarves equipped, ensuring sustained firepower and comfortable use.
As a result, many Dahua soldiers would go to great lengths to procure such a weapon for themselves; having this weapon under the complex conditions of the battlefield was like having a life insurance policy.
“Ura!” With a battle cry, a group of short but very robust Dwarf soldiers charged out from around the corner of the opposite trench.
Armed with Mosin-Nagant Rifles, they screamed and rushed towards their enemy. The Dahua soldiers also bellowed and rushed towards these opponents, and both sides immediately became entangled in the trenches.
Cradling the heavy drum magazine, the Dahua squad leader began to spray the charging enemy with bullets, the projectiles hitting the Dwarves and spraying a mist of blood.
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Screams filled the entire trench, with bloodthirsty Dwarf soldiers taking Dahua troops with them in mutual destruction, and Dahua soldiers being pierced by bayonets and collapsing into the bottom of the trench.
“Yah!” A Dahua soldier also stabbed a Dwarf soldier with a bayonet, who let go of his weapon and clutched the Dahua soldier’s rifle as he fell, blood spilling from his mouth.
Before he could pull out his bayonet, this Dahua soldier was stabbed by another Dwarf’s bayonet and screamed as he fell.
A barrage of bullets came, and several Dwarf soldiers fell, struck by the projectiles. More Dahua soldiers surged forward, overpowering the attempting-to-counterattack Dwarves.
There were too many Dahua soldiers, and under the cover of tanks, they had taken over nearby trenches, while long-range artillery was still suppressing the distant positions of Fengjiang, with shouts and explosions everywhere.
Suddenly, a howling shell flew over their heads. The sound was like from hell itself, and the ground shook violently; the shells fell on the Dahua-occupied positions, causing an explosion that made everyone unable to remain standing.
“Boom!” The explosion, like a landslide, lifted a cloud of smoke taller than a building, with debris flying through the air and shrapnel whirling amidst the shockwaves.
The Dahua squad leader who had just been firing the submachine gun now toppled and sat upon a fallen comrade’s body. Rumbling filled his ears, blurring his vision.
During the dizzying disorientation, as everything seemed to shake, a massive blast of air carrying dust obscured his sight.
In the darkness, he couldn’t distinguish direction or hear anyone’s call; he had no idea what had happened, and the entire world seemed to have ended just then.
Each breath was full of dust and smoky odors; his nostrils filled with an odd scent of gunpowder mixed with the smell of mud.
He didn’t know where he was, as he couldn’t feel the walls of the trench or open his eyes. He tried to shout, to call out to his soldiers, but he couldn’t tell if he’d actually made a sound or not.
Because he opened his mouth and tried to make a sound with the vibration of his vocal cords as he expelled air, based on his experience. But he couldn’t hear his own voice; all he could hear was an intense buzzing sound. It was as though ten thousand cicadas were ceaselessly fluttering their wings inside his ears.
As time passed, more and more dust settled on his body, but the amount of dust whirling in the sky had visibly decreased.
The sky gradually brightened, and the smoke that had covered the sun began to dissipate. At this moment, the Dahua platoon leader finally managed to get a clearer view of his surroundings: his soldiers were sprawled in disarray, but it was clear that many were still alive.
Some attempted to rise from the ground, others were knocking on their helmets or clothing, trying to dust themselves off.
However, the scene before him seemed like a silent film, utterly void of sound. It felt unsettling to witness.
“Platoon leader! Platoon leader!” Finally, amid the constant buzzing in his ears, a distant yet nostalgic voice emerged.
The soldier close by opened his mouth wide, seemingly calling out. From the shape of his mouth, it was clear that the faint yet familiar distant voice had come from him.
What they didn’t know was that far away, a massive crater had just formed, its diameter exceeding ten meters, still emitting heat.
It was the result of an explosion from a 380mm caliber shell fired by Fengjiang’s coastal defense battery. That very shell had nearly obliterated them all.
Such high-caliber shells were a disaster for infantry, causing tremendous damage even if the impact was far away.
The soldiers in the trenches a bit closer couldn’t stand up anymore, with blood seeping from their ears and noses, their demise strangely peaceful.
Fortunately, the 380mm caliber coastal artillery didn’t fire quickly, taking half a day for a second shell to follow after the first had landed.
The Dwarves’ counterattack seemed to have subsided as well, and only the artillery shells of both sides continued to exchange hostility. Corpses and struggling wounded soldiers were everywhere.
There were also some Dwarf prisoners who needed to be sent to the rear: even though these mercenaries were infuriating, in reality, they were quite useful.
At least someone would pay to ransom them, or they could be traded for Dahua Empire soldiers who had surrendered. In any case, these prisoners couldn’t be killed; there were rewards for sending them back.
“Platoon leader! I, I found this!” Although the sound was still indistinct, some noise finally reached his ears, and he heard the call of that soldier, the Dahua Empire platoon leader who had once again survived by luck, turned to look at his subordinate.
Then, he saw in the other’s hand a drum magazine: an unused drum magazine, stuffed full with bullets needed for the Boposha Submachine Gun.
“Thank you!” He was shouting as loud as he could, but the platoon leader still felt his voice was very distant from himself.
The other handed him the drum magazine, and then left. There was much to tidy up on the battlefield; after this battle, many had gained a new understanding of what true combat was.
At the very least, they would no longer naively think that the enemy could be killed with a single shot: on the battlefield, eighty percent of the bullets you fired wouldn’t hit their target, and the enemy wouldn’t easily give up their position.
Just look at the fresh blood beneath your feet, and at the unprocessed corpses of soldiers from both sides; it all became very clear.
A Dahua soldier responsible for transporting ammunition passed by, carrying bullets and with a Maxim machine gun chain hanging around his neck.
He left behind some Hand Grenades, a machine gun chain, and a box of rifle ammunition, then continued on towards the distance.
Further away, on the reverse slope of a high ground, stood a Type 3 Tank, and behind it, a truck of an unknown model.
Today, their Dahua Troops had advanced about one kilometer forward, now less than 16 kilometers away from distant Fengjiang…
If they were to set up a 200mm caliber heavy artillery piece here, perhaps… they might already be able to reach Fengjiang City.
Indeed, just as the platoon leader had thought. As night fell and the Butcher Fighters of Fengjiang left the battlefield, sure enough, a tractor brought in a heavy artillery piece that looked enormous.
It was a 250mm caliber heavy artillery piece with a theoretical range exceeding 17 kilometers, capable of sending shells weighing more than 50 kilograms into Fengjiang City.
Throughout the entire night, a company of soldiers from the Dahua Empire were busy on the battlefield, they had to camouflage the cannon properly to ensure it wouldn’t be destroyed by Yir Attack Aircraft once daylight broke.
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(Rest again) I’ll adjust my schedule and do three updates tomorrow.
