Thunder Warrior Saves the World

Page 29

“Very good. Warriors, let’s send these beasts who deserve to go to hell back to where they belong.” Miller didn’t need to say anything more. These warriors, who had long been enraged by the Belken army’s atrocities, were already burning with anger and were just waiting for the Belken to come to them.

Volume 1: Chapter 160 (Chapter 146) The Hunt

Belken Empire soldiers, clad in chemical protective gear, advanced stealthily, closing to within 200 meters of the position without encountering any attacks. This seemed to confirm the claims of the Imperial Army's commanders at all levels—the Algerians had all perished in their gas attack, and all they had to do was take over the position from these corpses.

However, the sharp-eared Imperial soldiers seemed to hear faint, vibrating sounds in the air. But when they looked up to try and find the source of the sound, it disappeared. The Belken soldiers, unwilling to remove their gas masks, had no choice but to give up.

"Fire!"

At Miller's command, the forward positions of the Alpha Beacon began to bare their fangs—the anti-tank teams' rockets all hit their targets, and a single salvo completely destroyed the remaining armored forces of the 611th Regiment. The flank machine gun positions mercilessly reaped the infantry behind the tanks; the barrage of bullets was like the Grim Reaper's scythe, and soldiers touched by it vanished from the ground like cut leeks. The riflemen were not to be outdone; although their rate of fire wasn't as fast as the machine guns, they relentlessly picked off the remaining enemy forces in the blind spots of the machine guns.

The Belken soldiers seemed completely unprepared for such fierce—even more intense—firepower than in previous attacks. Most of them were stunned by the onslaught, and one company, acting as the vanguard, was instantly vaporized. Fortunately, the soldiers of the 611th Regiment were not invincible; the infantry behind them instinctively dropped to the ground or crouched behind tank wreckage, avoiding fire from all directions. Some even dared to try to pinpoint the location of enemy firing positions by observing muzzle flashes in order to return fire.

However, upon closer inspection, they were completely dumbfounded—the muzzle flash was significantly suppressed by the flash suppressor. Under normal circumstances, this might have been easy to find with a little effort, but now, the orange streaks of bullets everywhere, and the occasional ammunition explosions from tanks created a constantly shifting light environment on the battlefield. It was difficult for people on the battlefield to even adjust their eyes to such changes in light, let alone conduct a search in this environment.

"Damn it, those guys in the Ordnance Department could have sworn to guarantee the effectiveness of this thing!" The commander of the 611th Regiment was furious when he saw this, but he quickly realized that things were not as he thought.

"No, although the Algiers' firepower is indeed fierce, their firing points are not as numerous as during the day." Although the muzzle flash of the AK guns equipped with flash suppressors has been suppressed, the commander, who is located in the rear and has a panoramic view, unlike the soldiers who are restricted in their positions, still noticed a clue through his binoculars.

"The sounds we heard this afternoon didn't seem fake either," a staff officer added. "My friend is a battalion commander in the 0630th Infantry Regiment. They've used these chemical bombs before, and the effects were indeed as the Ordnance Department described."

“You might as well put it more clearly,” the commander of the 611th Regiment said, glancing at the staff officer before raising his binoculars again.

“I think the Kingdom’s troops on the position have suffered heavy casualties. They have chosen to maintain what appears to be a large amount of firepower so that we will think that chemical bombs are ineffective against them and give up the attack.”

This wasn't impossible. In a standoff between two armies, the biggest fear is revealing one's weakness first. Even when wounded, both sides prioritize concealing their injuries to maintain a powerful image and intimidate the opponent. Moreover, chemical bombs are no ordinary artillery shells. According to documents from the Ordnance Department, without adequate protective equipment, they are virtually impossible to defend against. With this in mind, the commander of the 611th Regiment once again raised his binoculars, carefully observing the situation on the battlefield.

“You’re right, they’re already at their last gasp. The remaining men have all been reassigned to operate machine guns, and there aren’t even any riflemen left.” Seeing that the muzzle flashes on the Kingdom Army’s positions on the battlefield were almost all bursts, the commander came to this conclusion: “We just need to put in a little more effort to break through their defenses.”

But the Belken infantry on the battlefield didn't seem to think that way. The vanguard was in a state of panic, while the central and rear troops were in a state of shock or worry. With such low morale, it would be difficult to launch an organized attack in the short term.

The commander of the 611th Regiment was very dissatisfied with the situation and was determined to change it. So he issued a very French-style order: "The guard company shall be engaged in battle and fulfill its duty of supervision. All units must advance bravely. Those who are cowardly and retreat will be shot on the spot."

Having received support but also feeling threatened, the Belken soldiers finally stopped hiding and, driven by their officers, picked up their guns and continued their attack.

At this point, the disadvantage of the 48th Company's small size became apparent. With fewer than a hundred men, they were now responsible for the defenses originally handled by two battalions. Although their automatic weapons largely compensated for the lack of firepower due to their small numbers, this weakness was being magnified by the sheer number of Imperial troops.

More and more Imperial soldiers fell before the lines, but the Imperial army was also getting closer and closer. This change was undoubtedly encouraging the Imperial army to continue its offensive.

"Wow, looks like you guys had a great night. Want to join us for some fun?" A flippant voice crackled over the radio. It was Vasha from the Hound 4 crew. At this crucial moment, the Hind squadron finally arrived on the battlefield. Even the intense firefight couldn't mask the noise of the helicopter rotor blades.

“Yes, these Imperial soldiers are so enthusiastic. I believe they are very welcoming to our new friends.” This relieved Miller, who knew that with the arrival of the Hind helicopters, the Belken’s plan to seize the position at night was doomed to fail.

“Brother, mark our positions. We’re preparing to enter from the southeast of the Alpha beacon,” Alyosha reminded them. The Mi-24V wasn’t equipped with night vision goggles; the crew’s night vision was achieved through NVGs on their helmets. These had limited range, so to be on the safe side, he had Miller and the others mark their positions to avoid friendly fire.

The 48th Company was very familiar with this process. The does quickly grasped the location of their allies, and after verifying that the coordinates were correct, they assigned mission areas. Then, the helicopters lowered their altitude and entered their respective entry routes, starting the hunt.

Volume 1: Chapter 161 (Chapter 147) The 611th Regiment Becomes History

The fire spitting from the cannon under the nose of the Mi-24 helicopter adorned the night sky, ruthlessly reaping the Belken soldiers on the ground.

The noise from the sky, the orange fire serpents tearing through the night, and the enormous, indistinct figures reflected in the flames rising from the ground—the Belken soldiers finally realized that the sky was no longer safe. Despite the presence of the guard company overseeing the battle from behind, the Imperial army's offensive ultimately came to a halt.

Captain Miller, in his position, had a clear view of the changing situation. Judging by the current trend, the enemy's attack would soon be defeated once again. Just then, he heard a series of sounds behind him. Turning around, he saw a large number of unprotected Kingdom infantrymen rapidly entering the trenches.

"What are you doing... This is a contaminated area!" Miller immediately guessed that the rear command had sent in reserves out of fear of losing the front lines. However, the situation at the front was now under control, and there was no need to send these unprotected soldiers to areas contaminated by chemical weapons. A significant difference between chemical weapons and conventional weapons is that chemical weapons contaminate soil, air, and water, causing continuous harm to organisms in the contaminated area. Although the medical company had carried out disinfection in these areas, the limited time, the large area covered, and the inadequate facilities meant that the disinfection was only partially effective, and contamination remained on the front lines. Soldiers without protection would also be poisoned if they stayed in these areas for too long.

"Where is your commander?" Miller didn't waste his energy trying to persuade the soldiers to leave the front lines. Those who could be kept in the reserves were usually elite soldiers, and these soldiers wouldn't obey his orders without receiving orders from their superiors.

"...The Belken Empire has invaded our homeland, slaughtering our children and our companions! Take up arms, soldiers! Let the unclean blood of the invaders irrigate our trenches! For Elgia, charge!"

Miller was ultimately a step too late. By the time he reached the area where the reinforcement commander was, the reserve commander, a major, had already sounded the charge. The sharp whistle, and even the roar of gunfire, couldn't completely drown it out. The battle-ready Kingdom soldiers deftly braced their bayonets on their rifles, shouting "For Elgia!" and followed the major, who was leading the charge with his pistol, leaping out of the trenches and beginning their charge towards the Imperial army.

Not only did the reinforcements launch an attack, but Miller even saw heavily poisoned Kingdom soldiers, leaning on their rifles, staggering to their feet and hoarsely shouting, "Elgia will never surrender!" They followed behind the reinforcements, charging with faltering steps. The meaning of the whistle seemed to be etched deep into the minds of these Kingdom soldiers; even the wounded, who had previously struggled to aim at the enemy and pull the trigger, heard the whistle and, with the help of their comrades, struggled to their feet and joined the counterattack.

"Damn it! Young Eagle, be careful! The Elgins are charging! Be aware of their firepower, don't let them get friendly fire! Repeat! The Elgins are charging! Be aware of their firepower, don't let them get friendly fire!" Miller could only quickly contact the helicopters in the air to avoid friendly fire.

"Damn it, what's going on?!" The Hind pilot, ravaging the skies, was both shocked and furious upon hearing this. Looking down at his own lines, he saw, just as Miller had predicted, that the Kingdom's forces had launched a full-scale counterattack. These Kingdom soldiers weren't carrying any IFF (Independent Firearms Forces), making it difficult to distinguish them from the Imperial forces in the air. The pilot knew this wasn't the time to investigate his ally's decision. He moved his aircraft out of the ground-penetrating formation, climbing to a suitable altitude for a comprehensive view, and began issuing commands: "Attention all aircraft, redistribute firepower..."

While the allied forces were momentarily thrown into chaos by the Kingdom's reckless charge, the Great Empire's army failed to notice this in time, or rather, even if they had, they were unable to exploit it. When they saw that those charging towards them were a group of staggering, blood-sucking, hate-filled, and stiff-moving "dead," their spirits, suppressed all night, ultimately failed this sanity check.

Fear drove the Imperial soldiers to fire at the "corpses," but trembling hands and the obstruction of gas masks reduced their accuracy to the same level as the First Order Stormtroopers. The Imperial soldiers, however, failed to notice this; they felt they were aiming at the enemy before them, yet their bullets couldn't even make the enemy stagger.

"They are immortal! We can't kill the dead!" As the menacing faces approached, the first fleeing soldier finally threw down his weapon and turned to run away. The rout swept through the army like wildfire, and the temporary military police supervising the battle were not only unable to control the situation, but were also swallowed up in the chaos.

"Damn it, how did this battle turn out like this..." The Hind pilot in the air looked helplessly at the crowd on the ground that had merged with the Belken Empire's army, completely giving up on the idea of ​​suppressing the Imperial infantry.

"Sir, I think I've found the Belken Empire's command post..." At this moment, another crew of pilots brought a message to the helicopter group that had been relegated to playing a supporting role in the sky.

"Upload the coordinates and let us see if your hunch is accurate." The squadron commander simply left a small team in the air to monitor the battlefield, and led the rest of the armed helicopters straight toward the command node that was suspected to be the Belken Empire's command post.

When the aircraft reached these coordinates, they discovered an extremely low wooden building surrounded by trenches and other circular fortifications, with signs of human activity. After comparing the site with a map and communicating via radio, they were absolutely certain that the Kingdom's forces had not been active there. In other words, the entire scene described below was the work of the Belken people.

That makes things easier. It's just a matter of bombing them, something these pilots are good at.

The rocket and cannon fire instantly turned the low wooden command post into ruins. The rocket explosions also set the wood ablaze, and the fire engulfed the ruins. In the end, not a single person managed to escape from the frontline command post.

Thus, the 611th Regiment of the Belkien Empire finally became part of history.

Volume 1: Chapter 162 (Chapter 148) Lu Hang's Relocation Plan

Ultimately, the Allied forces did not completely annihilate the 611th Regiment. There are many reasons for this.

While the Kingdom's charge did rout the 611th Regiment, it also took a heavy toll on the Kingdom's forces. The low visibility inevitably led to friendly fire incidents, and the Kingdom's night-fighting capabilities were inferior to the Imperial's. They also lacked a "night-fighting miracle drug" like "Cat's Eye Pills," and suffered strange non-combat casualties such as "falling into shell craters." A reinforcing infantry battalion suffered nearly a hundred casualties that night. Of the more than six hundred men in the charge, nearly half were wounded by mustard gas poisoning, and less than a third of them survived the battle.

Of course, besides the objective reasons mentioned above, the Kingdom's army also had subjective considerations in letting go of the hundred or so remnants of the 611th Regiment: the 611th Regiment was ultimately just a vanguard; annihilating this unit wouldn't make much difference, after all, it was only a regiment. However, if these demoralized Imperial soldiers were allowed to return to their main force, this negative sentiment could spread among the enemy's main force, and the chaotic intelligence brought by the fleeing soldiers could further disrupt the commanders' decision-making. Furthermore, since they were only a hundred or so fleeing soldiers, even if they didn't play a role in disrupting the enemy, or even if they were re-engaged in the assault on the Alpha beacon, the overall impact on the situation wouldn't be significant.

Regardless, the Kingdom's army ultimately secured its first victory in the defense of the Alpha Beacon—although the heavy casualties cast a shadow over this victory, making it bitter. But even a bitter victory is better than a defeat, and the Kingdom of Elgia desperately needs victory after victory to rebuild the confidence of its people.

Meanwhile, in Swobella, Lu Wu and King Rosetta were furious upon learning of the Alpha Beacon's defeat.

“These Belken people dare to use chemical bombs today, they’ll dare to use nuclear bombs tomorrow, and they’ll dare to use viruses the day after tomorrow. We must strike hard and tell them that this is not a place where they can act recklessly!” Lu Wu’s fist slammed on the table with a loud “bang.”

“So what should we do next? We don’t know where Belken’s chemical weapons are stored, we’re not even sure if they’re stored in a central location…” Yelena frowned, while Rosetta looked at Lu Wu, hoping he would offer some fresh and innovative suggestions.

“We’ll take a two-pronged approach.” Lu Wu already had a plan in mind. “There must be a center within the Belken Empire used to produce and store this chemical weapon. Your Majesty, I need your intelligence personnel to uncover this place and then destroy it.”

If the Kingdom of Elgia had a military aircraft capable of long-range bombing missions, it would only need to provide the corresponding coordinates. Unfortunately, the 7th Brigade does not currently possess such a powerful weapon and has had to rely on the Kingdom of Elgia to handle the task.

“No problem,” Rosetta agreed immediately. Although the Kingdom’s intelligence network within the Empire had already suffered heavy losses during this period, and such an operation would inflict further damage on these intelligence personnel who had barely escaped unscathed, Rosetta also knew that if the Empire was allowed to use chemical weapons indiscriminately, the Kingdom of Elgia would suffer even greater losses.

“487连的补给什4么时候出发1？”陆武又6问道。9@0￠〉7≯%8■¨0‘◇

"Two hours later, two Mi-4s will resupply the 48th Company with ammunition, medicine, and some spare parts," Yelena replied immediately.

“I remember Donghuang also sent some reporters, didn’t they? Make some space and take them along,” Lu Wu said. He was slightly regretful. If Donghuang’s military observation team had arrived by now, he could have easily sent them to the Alpha Beacon site. He believed that after facing Belken’s chemical weapons firsthand, Donghuang would be more determined to stand with them, since soldiers are better able to understand the tactical and even strategic changes a new weapon can bring. But for now, they could only focus on humanitarian issues, trying to further isolate Belken internationally. War is a continuation of politics; in the face of war, besides military confrontation, international political confrontation is also a crucial element.

“That’s indeed a good method. Now even the Federation will have to think twice before supporting the Belken Empire,” Rosetta agreed, her eyes lighting up. He had only considered using domestic journalists, but Lu Wu went a step further, finding the currently neutral Eastern Empire to report the story. This would make the report of the “Belken Empire using inhumane chemical weapons” more credible in the international community. After all, there are always some people who believe that reports from relevant parties are all fake news, with ulterior motives. The Belken Empire could also deny the Kingdom’s accusations and accuse the Kingdom’s military of using a self-inflicted wound to gain sympathy. With the Eastern Empire’s endorsement, other countries wanting to get involved would have to consider the negative consequences of cooperating with a barbaric and inhumane regime.

“Ming Shou° Suo…:∽WuˉQi Liu 6san○∷Bai, I’ll immediately order someone to do it.” Yelena nodded.

"The construction of the Alpha beacon needs to be accelerated, and the runway should be the top priority. Once the runway is completed, my air regiment can move into Fabandi, which will make it easier to deal with Belken's large force."

"But we don't have any fuel or ammunition reserves there. All supplies can only be delivered by road. Helicopter transport is just a drop in the bucket, and the air force's sortie rate will be a big problem," Yelena had to warn.

“The only concern is fuel. The manufacturing process for cast iron bombs isn’t complicated, and I believe the factory in Fabanti can provide us with sufficient ammunition.” Lu Wu looked at Rosetta. “As for fuel supplies, I hope you can provide more trucks and drivers to ensure the fuel supply for the frontline troops.” As is well known, aircraft mostly use aviation kerosene, rather than the more common gasoline or diesel, and the production process and technology of high-quality aviation kerosene are quite different from those of ordinary kerosene. This is not something that Ergia can master in a short time.

“I will draw trucks and drivers from the military and civilians to meet your needs.” Rosetta gritted his teeth. For Fabanti's defensive campaign, a slight decrease in troop mobility wasn't entirely unacceptable, but the situation was completely different for the Volunteer Army. After spending time together, the King had come to understand that the Volunteer Army's formidable fighting power was inextricably linked to its various vehicles, each a major fuel consumer. A fuel shortage would drastically reduce the Volunteer Army's combat effectiveness, which was precisely what he least wanted to see.

Volume 1, Chapter 8: Chapter 164 (Chapter 149) - Expansion and Division of Troops (Part 3)

Elgia's strategy of feigning an attack worked.

The Belken army behind the 611th Regiment spent considerable time gathering the fleeing soldiers, but the intelligence they obtained from them was contradictory. Some reports claimed the chemical bombs were highly effective, evidenced by the widespread suffering on the enemy positions. However, another report of a large number of Elgins launching a nighttime counter-offensive that routed them left them bewildered. "Damn it," they thought, "are these Elgins all barbarians, sprouting up like mushrooms after being planted in the ground?" Another report that the Elgin defenders might be equipped with a large number of automatic weapons drew their attention, although soldiers who managed to escape the Elgin counter-offensive reported that the enemy still primarily used conventional bolt-action rifles. As for the report of dragons in the sky, they dismissed it as confusion caused by high tension, mistaking ground-based firing positions for aerial ones. It was common knowledge that the Fabandi airspace had become the Imperial Air Force's backyard, and the Imperial Air Force never worked night shifts.

In any case, the overwhelming amount of confusing intelligence made the unit cautious for a time. They even tried to get the moles hidden deep in Fabandi to dig out details about the Alpha Beacon garrison, but the command stopped them.

Time passed quietly, and three days had already gone by when the Belken army decided to continue their attack. Lu Wu, far away in Swobella, finally received an email notification that the maintenance was over.

Considering that the upcoming battle of Fabandi would certainly be a large-scale affair, Lu Wu no longer kept the Golden Eagle under his wing. He spent it all, along with the compensation for the extended maintenance period, to expand the army.

First, there was the upgrade of the air force units. Thanks to Brother Anton, who provided a Su-7BMK with a certified expert pilot, the 1st Squadron of the 588th Aviation Regiment finally escaped the embarrassing situation of having only one aircraft—becoming a two-aircraft formation. Although three more such formations would be needed for the squadron to be considered full-strength. As for the 2nd Squadron, its Il-2s were upgraded to the more heavily armored Il-2M3 variant to cope with more intense combat situations.

As for the ground forces, they have undergone a major expansion.

首先是炮营的3个连扩充成了5个连：新增一个装备9辆2S24Podnos的自行迫击炮连，一个装备SU-122M的自行火炮连。这样算下来，即便是纪伊的自行榴弹炮连要留下来守家，第7旅在法班提的远程火力也没有得到削弱。

The mechanized infantry battalion was also reinforced with a company of mechanized infantry, ensuring the 7th Brigade's ability to deploy a full-strength mechanized infantry battalion at Fapanti. The reconnaissance company directly under the brigade headquarters was expanded from 96 infantrymen to 120, and its vehicles, like those of the medical company, were upgraded to larger Mi-8 helicopters.

In addition, Lu Wu also learned from the combat experience of the previous period and formed four additional independent special forces units to deal with different situations.

The first special operations unit is a chemical defense unit tasked with countering biological, chemical, and even nuclear weapons. This unit is small, with only 60 personnel, and can rapidly deploy to target areas using Mi-8 helicopters or ZiL-135 trucks. The second unit is an electronic warfare unit, equipped with the 1L269 Krasukha-2 jamming station, capable of conducting electromagnetic suppression against the Belken at any time.

The third special operations unit was the Spetznaz Unit, led by Major Sergeyev. This 30-man unit was skilled in unconventional operations such as long-range infiltration behind enemy lines and subversion of local forces. The unit was also enhanced with firepower and mobility by three Mi-24 helicopters.

侦查连和医务连退下来的8架米-4AV直升机陆武并不打算就此封存或者转给爱尔吉亚王国，第7旅可没那么财大气粗。他干脆围绕这几架直升机组建了最后一支特种分队——空降兵分队。这支满员92人的空降兵连队的番号最后被确定为：第6空降兵连，与第48连合并成为一个独立的伞兵营。

In this way, the 7th Brigade's organization has expanded from the original 17 companies to 24. Even if three combat companies are left to guard the base, 13 combat companies can still be deployed to Fabandi.

The addition of seven companies has brought enormous logistical pressure. Individual weapons are manageable; Anton is kind enough to provide them with weapons and a basic load of ammunition by default. Premium vehicles like the 2S24 are also readily available; orders placed before 10 AM arrive the same day. However, Silver Lion vehicles like the SU-122M, Mi-8 helicopter, and Il-2M3 attack aircraft will have to wait in a long queue for factory shipment. It's unclear if Anton got addicted to Hearts of Iron during the update, but the production lines in the Mother Base's Industrial Complex experience reduced production efficiency during transformation, taking some time to recover to 100%—thankfully, Anton didn't impose a production efficiency cap debuff on the Mother Base.

Regardless, five days after the Belken launched their second offensive against Alpha Beacon, a makeshift dirt runway was completed inside the beacon, large enough for Il-2M3 attack aircraft to take off and land. That same day, the Baba Yaja Squadron of the 588th Air Regiment moved to this extremely rudimentary airfield and began conducting close air support missions. By the seventh day, the 7th Brigade had largely completed its equipment upgrades and resupply—except for the Mi-4 helicopters of the 6th Airborne Company, which were not yet fully in place. The six Mi-4s from the reconnaissance company were still waiting for the Belken in Fabandi-Swarburg. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Kyrgyzstan's army, by mobilizing trucks, formed a supply convoy and established a transport line linking Fabandi and Svorbella, successfully stockpiling ammunition and fuel suitable for the Chinese People's Volunteer Army inside Alpha Beacon. The Allied forces successfully established a foothold at Alpha Beacon.

During those seven days, the Belken forces naturally suffered heavy losses at the Alpha Beacon. After their casualties exceeded one thousand, they ceased their futile offensive. However, after numerous reconnaissance missions, Miller deduced that the Belken had not given up on retaking the area; on the contrary, the enemy was amassing strength, preparing a large number of tanks and artillery for a major offensive.

Under these circumstances, the Alpha Beacon finally received its first batch of reinforcements from the Chinese People's Volunteer Army—90 paratroopers and 24 reconnaissance soldiers arrived at the Alpha Beacon aboard Mi-8 helicopters.

Volume 1: Chapter 1658 (Chapter 150) - Reaching the Highest Point of the Alpha Base

"Captain Doronin, you've come at just the right time."

Captain Dolonin, commander of the 6th Airborne Company, was warmly welcomed by Captain Miller upon landing. Although the 48th Company had repelled several Belken attacks during this period, its personnel were exhausted, but Miller dared not allow the 48th Company to withdraw from the front lines for rest. The condition of the weaponry was also less than ideal; two Mi-24 helicopters had experienced engine malfunctions requiring major overhauls. Miller had to reduce the sorties of other helicopters to prevent irreparable accidents in the air, as a crash would severely damage the morale of the coalition forces at Alpha Beacon.

"The temporary command post is over here. If you're looking for the highest-ranking commander of the Kingdom's army, you can come over here. Colonel Garland usually stays here. If you can't find him here, it means he's gone to the tower or the front lines. As for our situation here, I believe you already know about it in Svorbella," Miller explained as he led the way.

“Yes, I know there are about two battalions of Ergia infantry here besides us, but I wouldn’t mind knowing more detailed and up-to-date information,” Doronin said, surveying the Il-2 attack aircraft parked in the open. He noticed that the Il-2s were clustered on one side of the runway, with ground crew inspecting and maintaining these steel wings. Meanwhile, a large number of prisoners of war dressed in Belken uniforms were laying steel plates on the flat ground on the other side under the supervision of the Kingdom’s army. Clearly, they were building a second runway, one with better takeoff and landing conditions, allowing heavier aircraft to take off and land.

"The update is that in the past 7 hours, Belken has sent at least a dozen reconnaissance teams to help us take pictures. We managed to keep some of them and found that they were preparing coordinates for the artillery, but we don't have many people, and we estimate that many of them have gone back with intelligence. Although we have redeployed the firing positions, this is not a long-term solution."

“We need to find their artillery and solve the problem at its root,” Dolluolin said before Miller could speak, having already understood Miller’s meaning.

“Absolutely right.” Miller whistled. “I guess you just happen to be good at this kind of work?”

"I came with twenty-four reconnaissance soldiers, and I think they would be happy to stretch their limbs."

“That’s fantastic. My lads are exhausted. If they have to go do this work, they might fall asleep on the way,” Miller explained. “I hope you can take over our position as soon as possible. My men desperately need rest. I can’t sleep soundly until we take out the Belken artillery.” Long-range artillery was the only thing the Belken had that could threaten the 48th Company. Although they hadn’t even fired a single shot, they had already become a thorn in Miller’s side that he wanted to get rid of as soon as possible.

"Do you have any idea?"

“There are several places nearby that are very suitable for deploying large-scale artillery. I think you can go and take a look there first.”

Have you never tried fishing?

“Air Force.” Miller instantly understood Doronin’s meaning, shrugged, and said helplessly, “If these Belkens have anything to offer, it’s the overall quality of their scouts. Putting aside equipment, their reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance capabilities are no worse than ours. Friendly reminder, don’t be too careless; one of my two-man reconnaissance teams almost went bust.”

Although they were paratroopers, not fully-trained reconnaissance soldiers, their skills were still quite good. The fact that Miller took them so seriously shows that these Belken reconnaissance soldiers were indeed quite capable.

“I’ll be careful,” Doronin nodded in understanding. During their conversation, the two entered the command post set up next to the runway. Doronin glanced around and noticed that the highest-ranking Elgin officer present was only a lieutenant; clearly, Colonel Garland wasn’t there.

"Perhaps the colonel is staying in the tower. Come on, I'll show you around. It's a bit late, but welcome to Alpha Base."

The tower, located opposite the command post, serves as the command center for coalition air power in Fabandi and offers a panoramic view of the entire Alpha base.

After this period of construction, the Alpha Base's fortifications have been upgraded. The frontline breastworks, previously made of sandbags, have been replaced by standardized Esk blast walls. These Esk blast wall units are galvanized steel mesh containers with a layer of polypropylene fabric as an inner lining. They can be folded into a flat shape for storage or transport, and when needed, they can simply be unfolded and filled with sand (Fabanti contains a considerable amount of engineering machinery; even though some were damaged in combat, many are still operational. This machinery was transferred from Razor Base to Alpha Beacon and participated in the base's construction). This provides excellent resistance to small arms fire—the outer metal mesh is difficult for small arms to penetrate, and most of the projectile's energy is absorbed by the inner filling material; even if damaged, repair costs are very low.

In addition to building walls, the Allied forces also used these blast wall units to construct supporting defensive works such as watchtowers and bunkers. It was thanks to these fortifications that the Allied forces were able to hold the base with relatively few casualties. However, every advantage has its disadvantage. While these fortifications provided protection for the Allied forces, they also signaled the positions of the opposing forces. It was foreseeable that when the Belken launched another attack, these watchtowers and bunkers would become the enemy's primary targets.

"As you can see, the entire Alpha Base is shaped like an irregular crescent moon. Our main pressure comes from the west, while Razor Base is 7 kilometers to our northeast. However, there's only one battalion of infantry there. They can hold Razor Base, but don't even think about reinforcements." Miller explained to the new recruits from the highest point of Alpha Base, in the drafty command center.

"Along the runway, Alpha Base is roughly divided into three areas. The west side of the runway is the forward positions and medical center, while the east side is the living quarters and warehouse area. Unfortunately, the cooks here are not very good." Miller sighed, showing that he had some complaints about the Kingdom Army's cooks.

"Take a look at the two ends of this crescent moon. Our four anti-tank guns are positioned at these two sharp points, but we don't have many armor-piercing rounds left."

"Then I have good news. In addition to medicine, we have brought a batch of brand-new mortars and ample ammunition."

Volume 1: Chapter 166 Chapter 151 Speights' Debut (1)

While Dolonin and Miller were giving their orders, two hundred kilometers away at the Swobella mother base, a large convoy was orderly passing through the base's gates and heading towards Fabandi.

This convoy was not simply composed of vehicles from the 7th Brigade; it also included supply convoys organized by the Kingdom of Elgia, as well as guards from the royal family.

Yes, members of the royal family of Elgia will participate in this operation. For Rosetta, as the head of the kingdom, he had never considered fleeing Fabandi. After all, the negative impact on the people of a nation if its king abandons the city when the enemy is at the gates is immeasurable. He came to Svorbella previously for special reasons, and now that the volunteers are going to Fabandi, Rosetta would naturally be returning to the country's capital. However, this idea was met with considerable opposition from the kingdom's high command. The reasons were simple: no one dared to say that there were no rebels left in Fabandi. If His Majesty the King were to be assassinated after returning to Fabandi, they would be held responsible. Furthermore, if Fabandi ultimately fell, they would have to find a way to rescue the King from the capital to prevent him from falling into the hands of the Empire. "You'd better stay in Svorbella and stop causing trouble."

Rosetta originally intended to drag Lu Wu into the mess, using the Volunteer Army to silence the ministers. Unfortunately for her, Lu Wu didn't endorse her and didn't interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Elgia at all. "Are you kidding me? I don't even have enough people of my own, and you expect me to send troops to protect you?" Although Lu Wu's true thoughts were unknown, his statement of non-interference in internal affairs relieved some of the kingdom's previously wary individuals regarding the Volunteer Army, and even some conservatives began to re-evaluate their attitude towards the Volunteer Army.

Lu Wu was unaware of the internal discussions within the Kingdom of Elgia, but the final compromise was that King Rosetta would remain in Svorbella, while Princess Rosa, as a representative of the royal family, would travel north with the 7th Brigade back to Fapanti. Although the king was replaced by a princess, the presence of a member of the royal family at the front made all the difference. Despite Lu Wu's repeated assurances that he couldn't spare the manpower to protect the princess, he relented under Rosetta's insistence, allowing Princess Rosa, along with several of her guards and three colonel-level observers, to join the convoy.

Fabandi and Svorbella are connected by a road called the "Tsavo Highway," which is 312 kilometers long. Although the armored group of the 7th Brigade can maintain a marching speed of 50 kilometers per hour, considering that the convoy also includes a supply convoy from the Kingdom of Ergia, whose equipment and personnel are not up to the standards of the 7th Brigade, the convoy's speed is controlled at 30 kilometers per hour. With a 30-minute rest every 3 hours of marching, the journey will take 12 hours. That is to say, they are expected to arrive at Alpha Base at 4:9 a.m. on September 23.

The 7th Brigade, which had deployed its marching formation on the Tsavo Highway, resembled a giant python nearly 30 kilometers long. As the brain of this python, the 7th Brigade headquarters was located in the center of the formation, which was also the location of the royal delegation, who would move together with the brigade headquarters.

For these observers, witnessing the march of the 8th Mechanized Unit for the first time left an extremely deep impression. In their understanding, the marching column of an infantry division was only a dozen kilometers long, while on Amelia's side, a mere brigade's marching column already exceeded that of a traditional infantry division. This not only meant that the equipment of an Amelia brigade surpassed that of an Elgia division, but also that they could perform tactical tasks that traditionally required a division-level unit with just a brigade-level unit. Perhaps due to manpower limitations, this brigade-level unit, which integrates the firepower of a former division or even corps, might struggle with tasks such as filling gaps and capturing positions, but it would be extremely suitable as the main force for breakthroughs.

Regardless of the thoughts of the Ergia officers after gaining a full view of the 7th Brigade, Lu Wu and the other commanders of the 7th Brigade turned their attention back to Swarburg outside Fabandi. They had not forgotten that the main purpose of this march on Fabandi was to disrupt the Belken Empire's research into the practical application of Gilahani technology.

The reconnaissance company had been lying in wait in Swarthburg for nearly a week, and had already thoroughly investigated the situation around Swarthburg. They had even obtained some peripheral information about the Swarthburg garrison. With this information, it would not be difficult for the 7th Brigade to annihilate and destroy the Swarthburg command center.

However, Lu Wu's desires went beyond simply destroying the command center; he also wanted to seize all the research findings within it. Previously, the reconnaissance company alone couldn't fulfill this greedy ambition, but with the addition of the Spetznaz detachment, the weakness in special operations was truly addressed, and the conditions for realizing this idea finally became available.