Munitions Empire-Chapter 1161: Night 1081

What the commanders of the Shen Army’s 2nd Armored Division did not expect was that the Tang Country Paratroopers, who had been defending Leping all along... suddenly launched a counterattack.

Moreover, the opposition wasn’t using their infantry to counterattack but unleashed an armored corps emerging from behind those Tang Army paratroopers.

Three Type 59 tanks quickly defeated the advancing Shen Army troops, and under the cover of approximately fifty Tang Army paratroopers, initiated the first counterstrike against Shen Army’s 2nd Armored Division.

The Great Tang Empire’s tanks rumbled past the fiery or already extinguished blackened wreckage of Shen Army tanks, aiming their long barrels at the retreating Shen Army armored corps.

The Shen Army commanders could scarcely believe that the Tang Army paratroopers, who moments ago seemed on the verge of collapse, suddenly had tanks in their arsenal.

This was partly because Shengwu Zhong failed to anticipate that after breaking through the beach defenses, the Tang Army would immediately push deeper inland, missing the chance to alert his armored corps.

Uninformed, the Shen Army armored corps was spread out in full offensive mode, with no defensive fortifications and most of their focus diverted to anti-aircraft efforts.

For over two hours, harassed by Tang Army aircraft, the Shen Army armored commanders were forced to improvise camouflage for their units.

In November, the trees were mostly bare, so they could only gather dry branches to drape over tanks and armored vehicles, trying to disguise their heavy equipment as woodland as best they could.

Additionally, they had to create shelters for their artillery positions, as the Tang Army aircraft had relentlessly targeted the exposed cannons.

Furthermore, they somehow managed to bring in two anti-aircraft guns and positioned them as strategically as possible to protect their supply lines.

After a hectic afternoon, by around 3 p.m., the enemy planes no longer bothered them—only to have the enemy tanks arrive.

Chaos enveloped the Shen Army as the Tang Army tanks began their advance. The Shen troops scattered in panic, unable to mount any effective defense.

And thus, several dozen Tang Country paratroopers, supported by less than a platoon of tanks, stormed the Shen Army’s 2nd Armored Division’s positions.

The scene quickly intensified: the departure zone for the armored corps was a chaotic cluster of vehicles, including ammunition trucks bringing tank munitions, fuel trucks refueling the tanks, heavy and light tanks adorned with dried tree branches, and trucks unloading soldiers and repair parts.

As Tang Army tanks ascended the hill and surveyed the sight before them, the tank commanders could hardly believe their eyes.

Countless cars, motorcycles, tanks, and armored vehicles were scattered across this reverse slope, numbering approximately over a hundred.

Immediately, the Tang Army tank crews began a deadly race to rack up kills. Charging forward, they rotated their turrets incessantly, destroying enemy vehicles one after another.

Trucks were mowed down with machine guns, while armored vehicles and tanks were obliterated with their cannons, continuing their onslaught until the three Tang Army Type 59 tanks had completely run out of ammunition and withdrew from combat.

By this point, the Shen Army’s 2nd Armored Division had utterly collapsed, so much so that no one noticed the Tang Army tanks were out of shells. Everyone fled without even daring to look back.

The battlefield was strewn with burning wreckage, and the Tang Army soldiers played a crucial role as well. Their ferocious advance drove off any Shen Army infantry trying to mount a counterattack, and they used their hand grenades to destroy numerous trucks.

The Shen Army retreated to their artillery positions before they finally stopped their rout, realizing the Tang Army wasn’t pursuing further.

Embarrassed and enraged, the 2nd Armored Division Commander of Shen Army immediately organized a force of several hundred troops, alongside retreating tanks, to launch a counterattack.

Unfortunately, along the way, all they saw were wrecked tanks abandoned by their troops and hundreds of corpses of Shen Army soldiers—Tang Army forces were nowhere to be found.

"Damn it! They’ve returned to Leping!" Having realized the Tang Army’s true strength didn’t seem as overwhelming as it appeared, the 2nd Armored Division Commander finally began reflecting on his losses.

After assessing the damage, he decided to retreat immediately and pull the remaining forces back to a position approximately 15 kilometers away from Leping.

After an entire day of intense fighting, of the 200 heavy tanks and 170 light tanks under the Shen Army’s 2nd Armored Division, less than half remained operational.

Currently, he only had 110 heavy tanks and under 100 light tanks available. Of the remaining tanks, about 40 were inoperable due to mechanical issues, and around 120 had been destroyed.

In such a condition, he was in no position to sustain combat and had to stabilize the situation by finding a secure location to endure the night.

As dusk descended, the Great Tang Empire troops, who had secured footholds in Leping and Dongshan, began constructing simple trenches to guard against potential Shen Army night raids.

Xiang Ziyu’s unit was replaced for rest and recovery, with soldiers from the 19th Division of the 9th Group Army taking their place. By dinnertime, the Great Tang Empire had expanded its beachhead on South Island to a massive area 20 kilometers wide and 22 kilometers deep.

Within this zone, Tang Army troops, combined with paratroopers, exceeded 70,000 in numbers. It would be incredibly difficult for Shen Army to dislodge them with infantry alone.

In addition to the massive support in rocket artillery and conventional artillery, nearly 100 tanks had now landed to bolster the Tang Army. These tanks included not only Type 63 amphibious tanks but also the formidable "King of the Battlefield," the Type 59 main battle tanks. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

At this moment, Shengwu Zhong, who had just received news that both his 2nd and 3rd Armored Corps had retreated, finally recalled the reinforcements arriving from New Island.

Indeed, the Shen Army’s 3rd Corps had mostly reached South Island. However, due to railroad disruptions, they were advancing southward along highways with troops spread wide across open terrain.

Meanwhile, without Tang Army aircraft interference, Shen Army engineers were desperately repairing the damaged airports. Several of the less severely damaged ones might even be operational within two days.

"The 2nd Armored Division suffered heavy losses and can no longer launch attacks independently… Perhaps they should retreat to the Great Southern River alongside the supporting 22nd Armored Division," proposed a staff officer standing beside Shengwu Zhong.

Shengwu Zhong remained unwilling to cede the beaches, knowing that if his troops retreated, the Tang Army might take advantage and push the front further toward the Great Southern Bay.

To Shengwu Zhong, losing the Great Southern Bay port was unacceptable as it was critical for future Tang Army reinforcements. He believed he still had a chance to turn the tide if he could hold onto the port.

Unaware of the floating dock infrastructure the Tang Army was constructing near the landing zone, Shengwu Zhong also didn’t know the Tang Army possessed such advanced technology.

Shengwu Zhong was still unaware of the Tang Army’s aircraft carriers, leaving him clueless about the origins of the enemy’s planes.

However, Shengwu Zhong believed that eventually, things would turn in his favor. As night fell, the cursed Tang Army aircraft could no longer take off to disrupt Shen Army operations—whether on land or at sea.

That evening, Shengwu Zhong decided to organize a night raid, launching a large-scale counteroffensive aimed at recapturing the villages of Leping and Dongshan.

In his plan, the Navy would also deliver a dramatic victory that night: Shen Army’s main fleet would strike Tang Army’s vulnerable landing zone and give their disembarkation fleet a harsh lesson with their massive guns.

"Regroup the troops! Select the bravest warriors! Tonight, we will coordinate with the Navy’s assault and reclaim Leping and Dongshan!" Ultimately, Shengwu Zhong resolved not to retreat to the Great Southern River, equating such a withdrawal with abandoning his hopes of victory.

The staff officer understood Shengwu Zhong’s reasoning, nodded, and went off to relay the orders. After he left, Shengwu Zhong continued studying the map, which seemed to show that Shen Army still had substantial forces.

On the other side, Shen Haifeng led Shen Army’s main fleet, advancing south at full speed. For hours, they had conducted irregular maneuvers near the Great Tang Empire’s fleet perimeter, waiting for dusk to launch their charge.

The fleet, traveling at a speed of approximately 40 kilometers per hour, aimed to reach the Tang Army fleet before dawn. Regardless of where Tang Army aircraft originated, they would no longer be able to impede Shen Army’s assault by then.

Shen Haifeng even calculated that he could take advantage of dawn’s visibility to inflict severe damage on Tang Country’s Navy in a close-range gunfight!

Thus, around 6 p.m., Shen Army’s naval fleet in Southeast South Island began sprinting at full speed toward the Great Tang Empire’s landing zone.

Meanwhile, Shen Hai’ang’s northern cruiser fleet, which had suffered heavy losses earlier and was down to just a few warships, turned around again and charged at full speed toward Tang Army’s fleet.

About 20 minutes later, Bernard received reports from the perimeter patrol fleet indicating that Shen Army’s fleet had been spotted advancing rapidly toward the landing zone.

"Have the Dongwan-class battleships prepare! Position the decisive confrontation at 200 kilometers from the landing zone! Since we’re ready with Styx, don’t give them a chance to escape!" Bernard commanded, fixing his gaze on the naval chart and issuing orders to the assembled officers.