Jasman stood firm, insisting it couldn’t be a reserve artillery unit. It was simply impossible to set up new firing positions that quickly.
“Damn it! If it’s not a reserve unit, what then? Is their artillery invincible? Are their guns clad in armor?” Kelly cursed. Through the flashes of the distant explosions, he could clearly see his soldiers being blown into the air.
Kelly was furious. He had already called in an airstrike, yet they still hadn’t managed to wipe out the enemy artillery!
“Sigh! It’s already past 3:00 AM. We have no choice but to endure this!” Jasman stated.
“But how are the men supposed to rest like this? If they can’t sleep, how are they supposed to fight tomorrow? They’re already exhausted! No, we must destroy their artillery. We cannot let those guns survive. Absolutely not!” Kelly insisted.
“How do you propose we destroy them? The bombers just left. Even if we request another airstrike, setting aside what the Air Force command will say, by the time they arrive, it will be past 5:00 AM. How are the men supposed to get any sleep then?” Jasman reasoned.
“Damn it!” Kelly knew Jasman was right. By the time the bombers returned, it would almost be dawn.
“We should disperse our troops and begin moving in other directions to encircle the city!” a senior staff officer suggested from behind them.
“Encircle the city? The city is massive. If we disperse our forces, the enemy will be thrilled. They have artillery inside, and Wulin City behind them is still under their control, meaning they likely have reinforcements there.
“If we try to encircle the city, we will be divided and conquered. We absolutely cannot split our forces. We can spread them out to the west and north, but we must not move into the east or south.
“Our opponent is no simpleton. It’s obvious their bombardment tonight is designed to exhaust our soldiers. Corps Commander, we must order our men to start digging trenches immediately.
“We won’t be able to take this place quickly, and we certainly can’t just bypass it and continue our advance. If we do, they’ll surround and attack us instead of the other way around.
“To deal with an enemy like this, we must advance steadily and avoid recklessness. We still don’t even know how many troops they have. From the looks of it, their forces might exceed two corps, perhaps even more.
“Currently, the two divisions from the Vaal Kingdom advancing in the south have also encountered heavy Eastern Spirit resistance. Do you know where they were intercepted?” Jasman asked Kelly.
“Where?” Kelly asked immediately, having not yet reviewed the latest intelligence bulletins.
“A small town fifty kilometers ahead of Nage City. Just tonight, the two Vaal Kingdom divisions were ambushed by Eastern Spirit forces, suffering thousands of casualties.
“And they might still be under attack. Nage City is over 700 kilometers away from here. We are in Dingkang Province, and Nage City is in Tianxiang Province, separated by parts of Tianhe Province.
“This means our opponent potentially controls sectors across three provinces. Do you think two corps are enough for that? They are defending against the Vaal forces near Nage City while simultaneously holding us off here in the west. Think about it: they are fighting a two-front war!” Jasman analyzed.
It had to be said that Jasman was incredibly sharp. Based on fragmented intelligence, he had accurately deduced the general area under Hu Hao’s control and roughly estimated his troop strength.
Although his guess of “at least two corps” wasn’t entirely precise, it wasn’t wrong either. Hu Hao currently had about two corps’ worth of combat-ready troops; the vast majority of his army consisted of newly formed units that didn’t even have their full complement of officers yet!
“So you’re saying the force we’re facing here could be two corps, or even more?!” Kelly stared at Jasman.
“Exactly. Furthermore, if we ignore this city and push forward, the defending forces near Nage City might abandon that front and rush here to attack us.
“As for the troops inside Yonghe City, we still don’t know their exact numbers. However, I estimate there are no less than two divisions. Definitely no less. Even though they don’t seem to have a massive amount of artillery.
“But our opponent dared to intercept us here. Without a substantial force, he wouldn’t dare be so arrogant. Our 1st Corps has won numerous battles, and our combat effectiveness and elite equipment are renowned. Would he really dare face us with less than two divisions inside Yonghe City?” Jasman reasoned.
“You’re right. We cannot be reckless. Taking Nage City in three days is impossible. Even if we try to force our way through and manage to reach the outskirts of Nage City…
“…our forces will be in grave danger. If they encircle us, they can dictate the terms of the battle. If we suffer catastrophic casualties, it will be a massive blow to the Mara Empire!” Kelly finally agreed.
“Precisely, Corps Commander. Right now, we must secure the west and the north. Furthermore, if our attacks today do not go smoothly, we must request reinforcements. We need pure infantry units to fight this urban battle effectively. Using heavy mechanized troops in a city fight puts us at a severe disadvantage!” Jasman urged.
“Mm, alright. Have the troops mobilize now. The 1st and 2nd Divisions will move to the north and establish defensive positions and bunkers. The rest of the forces will hold their ground here and build fortifications.
“We will not attack this morning. Let the men finish constructing their defensive lines first. We will launch our assault tonight!” Kelly ordered.
“Yes, sir!” Jasman nodded and immediately instructed the staff officers to relay the orders.
“They will undoubtedly continue their bombardment during the day. With better visibility, their strikes will be even more effective. They probably won’t stop. To think we’ve already lost several thousand men without even knowing how many troops the enemy has!” Kelly sighed, rubbing his temples.
“There’s nothing we can do. The climate here, combined with our heavy mechanized composition, makes us entirely unsuited for urban warfare!” Jasman sighed in response.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The explosions outside continued to rattle Kelly’s nerves, but he was at a loss for a solution. He could only let the bombardment continue for now.
He needed his soldiers to finish constructing their fortifications first. If the enemy forces inside the city decided to launch a sudden counter-charge, his army would be in serious trouble without defensive lines. Kelly didn’t dare gamble. He was facing a commander who had already annihilated several Allied corps. Until he fully grasped the enemy’s situation, he refused to act recklessly.
Meanwhile, Hu Hao had already retired to a camp bed in the command center. He slept until a little past 6:00 AM. After waking up and washing his face, he returned to the main command area.
“Hao-ge, last night, Lu Guangsheng’s forces launched an attack on the Vaal Kingdom troops. They annihilated three enemy regiments and inflicted heavy casualties on another division. We suffered 2,291 KIA and 1,849 severely wounded,” a staff officer reported, handing Hu Hao a document the moment he sat down.
“Over 4,000 casualties to wipe out three enemy regiments? That’s hardly an advantage!” Hu Hao frowned.
“Hao-ge, we won! We initiated the attack!” The staff officer had expected Hu Hao to be pleased, and was surprised by his reaction.
“We won? We initiated the attack?” Hu Hao chuckled and shook his head.
“Hao-ge, isn’t that a victory? We took the initiative and wiped out three of their regiments—that’s roughly 4,000 to 5,000 men. A 1-to-1 casualty ratio is completely normal, isn’t it? The other combat zones can’t even dream of achieving results like this!” the staff officer argued, clearly confused.
“Alright. Inform Lu Guangsheng to call me as soon as he wakes up!” Hu Hao instructed.
“Yes, sir!” The staff officer nodded.
Hu Hao then stood up and walked outside, where the officers participating in the training had also awakened.
“Hao-ge!” “Hao-ge!” they greeted him as soon as he emerged.
“Mm. Once you’re done washing up, take a seat. Let’s see how things are looking in Yonghe City first,” Hu Hao smiled.
He walked over to the large screens and saw that the Eastern Spirit artillery was currently bombarding the Allied forces positioned to the north.
“The Allied forces moved north? Have we spotted any enemy troops to the east or south?” Hu Hao asked a nearby staff officer.
“Not yet. It’s quite strange; the Allied forces didn’t launch an attack this morning!” the staff officer replied.
“That’s to be expected. They haven’t neutralized our artillery; do you think they’d dare attack? Are you absolutely certain there are no Allied troops to the east or south?” Hu Hao pressed.
“Positive. We deployed drones over those areas and found no trace of Allied forces!” the staff officer confirmed with a nod.
“Smart!” Hu Hao nodded approvingly as he stared at the screen.
“Hao-ge, are you talking about the Allied forces?” another staff officer asked.
“Mm!” Hu Hao nodded. The staff officers were bewildered. Why was Hu Hao praising the enemy?
“Hao-ge, you’re up?” Wu Xunqi appeared on the screen connecting them to Yonghe City.
“You’re on duty?” Hu Hao asked with a smile.
“Yes, the other two went to sleep. I managed to get some rest earlier, so I’m taking the watch now!” Wu Xunqi replied cheerfully.
“The Allied forces didn’t attack this morning, and they haven’t deployed any troops to the east or south. You need to figure out why. And that goes for all of you as well! You must analyze this!” Hu Hao told Wu Xunqi, then turned to address the officers seated in the command center.
(End of Chapter)