Working as a police officer in Mexico-Chapter 1671 - 761: The 36 Stratagems—Heavy Punch Offensive!
If the boss wants results, then naturally the subordinates will work hard.
The Mexican Staff Department drafted plans overnight, quickly approved and issued them to the Indiana State Army Group at the front line.
To ensure the perfect conclusion of this "premiere", Chief of Staff Admiral Horatio Herbert Kitchener personally stationed at the front-line command post in Gree City, surrounded by more than 60 elite advisors from various branches. The enormous sand table clearly marked the expected attack routes of the Italian Army and the layers of deployment by the Mexican Army.
Admiral Kitchener's strategy was clear: "First give, then take, lock cage to slaughter the lion."
He commanded the units on the front line, upon encountering the initial Italian attacks, to display a stance of being "tenacious but underpowered", then "orderly" retreat, abandoning some non-essential supporting points, even leaving behind some equipment that appeared damaged but had key components removed, all to make the Italians believe they had really breached the line and engaged the "retreating" Mexican Army deep.
No one opposed this plan when it was proposed.
It's important to know that if the troops "pretend to fail", it can easily lead to real dispersal. Many times, when one sees fellow units running, everyone starts running?
Therefore, ordinary units cannot play this game.
Without basic command and combat skills, don't play, it's easy to get yourself killed!
Meanwhile, the Mexican Quick Reaction Brigade, renowned as "Desert Scorpion", the well-equipped 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and the heavy artillery groups of the 3rd Artillery Brigade with terrifying firepower capability were secretly maneuvered to the predetermined ambush circle, the narrow valley area codenamed "Death Canyon".
Two squadrons of "Warthog" attack aircraft armed with anti-armor cluster bombs were on standby at the rear airport, pilots and ground crews ready at a moment's notice.
The minefield was meticulously laid on the Italian Army's inevitable path and possible retreat routes, while anti-tank missile teams lurked in the dense woods of the hills, artillery observers advanced like ghosts, relaying coordinates in real-time to the artillery groups at the rear.
On the other hand, Italian Expeditionary Corps Commander Colonel Bertolini, fueled by a strong determination for revenge and proving themselves, led a vanguard composed mainly of elite snipers and some armored units to launch an attack on the Mexican lines at the Indiana border at dawn on April 20.
The battle began amid the roar of artillery fire.
Salvador Richi, a young Italian sniper Corporal, lay in a hastily dug foxhole, the coolness of the morning dew still lingering, his ears ringing with the deafening roar of his side's artillery batteries firing in unison.
Orange tracer rounds streaked across the sky like a meteor shower from hell, crashing onto the hills of the distant Mexican Army positions, setting off continuous fire and dense smoke. The ground beneath shook violently, as if ready to split open any moment.
"Advance! For Italy!" The company commander's voice came through the explosions, distorted.
Salvador took a deep breath, raised his Beretta AR70/90 assault rifle, and followed the veteran Vic next to him as they leapt out of the foxhole.
The Italian armored vehicles, including some "Centaur" wheeled tank destroyers and older M60 tanks, began to advance towards the forward positions of the Mexican Army after the artillery's barrage extension.
The initial engagement was smoother than expected.
The bullets fired from the Mexican Army positions appeared sparse, with resistance being precise yet lacking in strength.
Salvador saw his side's armored vehicles easily suppress several enemy strongpoints with cannon fire, and infantry charged into the first trench line of the Mexican Army. There, only sporadic signs of fighting and a few hastily abandoned Mexican soldier corpses remained, alongside some damaged radios and weapon parts scattered on the ground.
"They've retreated! Chase them!" Victor shouted, his face flushed with the thrill of initial victory.
A flicker of doubt crossed Salvador's mind; this breakthrough seemed too easy. But seeing his comrades charging forward around him, and hearing messages of smooth advancement from various units over the radio, that doubt was soon swept away by the adrenaline of battle.
The Mexican Army's "dispersal" performance had begun.
The Italian Army continued to penetrate deeper, encountering resistance that was in a "fight and retreat" fashion.
Mexican Army small detachments would depend on a farmhouse, a grove for brief resistance, firing a few mortar rounds, using machine gun bursts, but once more Italian forces or armored vehicles drew nearer, they would quickly withdraw, leaving behind smoke grenades and the hurried backs of retreating figures.
Sometimes, they would even "panic" enough to abandon some personal gear or a jeep apparently left behind due to mechanical failure.
Colonel Bertolini, at the rear command post, received continuous front line reports of "victories" and finally showed a smile on his tense face.
Through radio, he ordered: "Bite them! Don't let them have the opportunity to reorganize their defenses! Remember, we are Italy's elite; we must silence everyone with a glorious victory!"
The pursuit orders were executed to the letter.
Salvador's company had penetrated nearly ten kilometers deep into Indiana territory. The surrounding scenery gradually transformed from open land to rolling hills and dense woods, with the roads becoming narrower. They were chasing a contingent of about one platoon of Mexican soldiers into the area marked as "Death Canyon".
The slopes beside the valley were overgrown with oak and pine trees, with a winding dirt road and a small creek running through the middle.
