Working as a police officer in Mexico-Chapter 1680 - 763: I Really Don’t Understand What It’s Like to Be Beaten Up by a Group!

May 1, 1996.

Indiana Front Command Headquarters in Gree City,

The massive operational map displayed the blue arrows representing the "Freedom Alliance" and NATO Allied Army, piercing multiple points along the extensive border, stretching inland.

Although each advance came with a cost, as marked by the dense presence of red "blockade points" and blue "loss assessments" on the map, it was undeniable that the defensive line was being compressed.

The Italians' disastrous defeat in the Komodo River Valley seemed to have only fueled the other NATO forces with a stronger desire to perform and compete.

We have to outperform the Italians!!

"River Town has fallen."

A combat staff officer pointed dryly at a location on the map approximately 80 kilometers southwest of Gree City.

That was originally a battalion-level stronghold of the Mexican Army, controlling an interstate highway spur leading inland.

"The 1st Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment reported that they repelled two joint assaults by the French Foreign Legion and the Polish 'Lightning' Brigade, but the German 26th Airborne Brigade battle group infiltrated from the hilly flank, cutting off their retreat and supply lines. The battalion HQ ordered a dispersed breakout, the formation has been disrupted, casualties estimated over half, and the remaining personnel are regrouping towards the second line of defense."

Chief of Staff Admiral Horatio Herbert Kitchener leaned both hands on the edge of the table, his eyebrows knitted tightly together.

Inside the command center, aside from the static of the radio and the subdued conversations of the staff, there was an anxious silence. Over 60 elite advisors drawn from various military branches and intelligence departments gathered around the sand tables and maps, all equally grave-faced.

Admiral Kitchener broke the silence, his voice steady, "Facing us are the British, French, Germans, Polish, and the Dutch battalion that's foolishly joining in. They are well-equipped, well-trained, and—"

He swept his gaze over the blue arrows on the map, "They are learning fast, no longer rushing in like the Italians, beginning to encircle, using superior firepower and technological equipment to wear us down little by little."

"General."

An advisor from the armored troops, whose shoulder stars indicated a similar high rank, spoke up, "We can't just sit back and take the hits like this. The border is too long, and our forces can't possibly hold every point well enough to resist this multi-national coalition's multi-pronged thrust. I suggest we concentrate our armored reserves, choose one of their routes, and launch a counterattack! Just like we did with the Italians!"

"And then?"

Before Admiral Kitchener could respond, a seasoned Colonel from the General Staff Intelligence Bureau countered, "Take out one route, and the other routes will seize the opportunity to launch fierce attacks, potentially even encircling our counterattacking troops. We're not up against a mere mob; this is NATO! They have a comprehensive battlefield surveillance and intelligence-sharing system—though they are fraught with internal conflicts, basic tactical information will still get through. When we move, they'll know immediately. Moreover, counterattacks require sufficient space and good battlefield conditions; right now, we are the side being squeezed."

"Are we just going to watch them bite their way in one piece at a time until they reach the gates of Gree City?" The armored troop advisor was somewhat agitated.

"Of course not."

Picking up the conversation again, Admiral Kitchener moved to the massive map of Indiana, tracing his finger along the border and past several larger towns. "We must change our strategy. Abandon the unrealistic attempt to completely stop them in the open field, which would only waste our precious mobile forces in endless positional battles."

His finger landed heavily on several towns located at major transportation nodes, with sizable and complex building structures, including "Logansport" further behind "River Town" and the satellite city of "Fort Wayne" to the east, mentioned earlier.

"Shift to urban defense. Use every town, every building, every street, and engage them in street fighting!" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Street fighting?" someone softly repeated.

"Yes, street fighting."

"Cities are the quagmire of modern armies, a battlefield where the technological advantages are most greatly neutralized. We can use the buildings for ambushes, sniping, harassment, using minimal forces to tie them down, and deplete their living strength and time to the maximum extent."

He paused, looking at the Intelligence Bureau Colonel: "Notify all commanders above regiment level at the frontline to implement the 'Hedgehog' plan, relinquishing those open-field positions that are difficult to hold and orderly restracting into the pre-set urban defense circles. Deploy in companies, platoons, or even squads, operate independently. Our goal is not to hold every inch of land, but to turn every town we choose into a black hole that swallows coalition soldiers and time! We want to turn Indiana into their Stalingrad!"

"Yes, sir!"

15 kilometers north of River Town, Logansport City.

Unlike the large city of Gree, this was a typical Midwest industrial town, its population no more than fifty to sixty thousand at its peak, now nearly deserted due to the ravages of war.

The town spread across both banks of a tributary called the "White River," with the Old Town composed of dense brick and stone structures, warehouses, and a Gothic church, while the New Town had wider streets and some reinforced concrete factories and malls. Several highways and a railway intersected here, making it an unavoidable "Nail" for the coalition forces' northward and eastward advances.

The remnants of the Mexican Army's 19th Motorized Infantry Brigade, along with some stragglers who retreated from River Town and other locations, totaling less than two battalions in strength, were under the command of Colonel Herman Bark, racing against time to transform Logansport into a death trap.