Munitions Empire-Chapter 1178: The Battle for Airport 1098

The Great Tang Empire’s fleet of 130 transport planes was almost entirely engaged in ferrying supplies. They had to cross the sea and drop various goods onto the South Island.

In addition to ammunition for the paratroopers, the planes now also carried portions of the Army’s ammunition and spare parts for some weapons and equipment.

Every day, countless parachutes descended from the skies, and the Mirage Country civilians had grown accustomed to the sight.

The day after the Tang Army annihilated Mirage Country’s main naval fleet, General Feng Kezhi’s 9th Group Army’s 9th Armored Division crossed the Great Southern River and flanked Great Southern Bay.

Soon after, another unit relieved the 9th Armored Division, liberating it so the Tang Empire’s armored force could continue advancing north.

A Type 59 tank, after bypassing a small stretch of forest, stopped behind the bushes at the forest’s edge.

The tank commander poked his head out, raised his binoculars, and scanned the distant scene. Then, he pulled out his map and verified the landmarks.

"It seems we’ve found an airfield… Based on the location, it should be Airfield No. 5 in the Central Region," the commander said to the gunner, who also had his head poking out of the hatch.

The gunner squinted at the distant aircraft wreckage piled near the runway, which were nearly all destroyed, and nodded, "Yes, that’s an airfield."

Heavy bombing by the Tang Army had completely devastated this Mirage Country field airport, leaving the runway riddled with craters. The Mirage forces had already abandoned repair efforts here.

The planes parked by the runway—Zero Fighters, Dragon Bombers, and several Type 47 transport planes—had also been destroyed by airstrikes.

Many planes had broken wings, dismantled landing gear, or missing flaps. Numerous fuselages and wings were pockmarked with holes.

These planes had been abandoned; they were beyond salvaging. Some wrecks had their engines removed, while others still had engines installed, presumably severely damaged.

Nearby airplane hangars were mostly collapsed, with roofs punctured by large holes.

In addition to the planes, there were some abandoned vehicles here, in a similarly battered state as the aircraft.

Most of the discarded vehicles had their wheels removed. Their hoods were open, suggesting their engines—or at least engine parts—had been stripped out.

"Too quiet. Either they’ve abandoned this place, or they already know we’re here!" The commander glanced at the gunner, speculating on enemy movements.

The gunner, familiar with the enemy he’d been battling for two days, replied, "Abandonment seems unlikely. They’re probably waiting for us to make the first move."

Their arrival would certainly have been audible, so the idea that the enemy hadn’t heard them was self-delusion.

"Several vantage points!" The commander’s binoculars focused on the airport’s control tower farther off. Surrounding it were a few structures, forming a modestly complex compound.

Curiously, the tower and nearby buildings were constructed from concrete and appeared sturdy. Despite some locations sustaining bomb hits, the main structures remained relatively intact.

"Be cautious over there! Could be hiding an entire battalion!" The commander warned his comrade as his gaze shifted away from the intact control tower.

The gunner retreated into the turret, his voice drifting out: "Tell the platoon leader then. No point telling me."

A voice crackled through the headset worn around their necks—it was the tank platoon leader: "Vehicle 2, provide cover! Vehicle 3, advance straight ahead! Vehicle 4, follow Vehicle 3’s side-rear! Attack!"

"Load HE shells!" the gunner’s voice came through the headset. The commander ducked back into the turret, reaching to shut the hatch over his head.

During their approach, their tank had received resupply, with its fuel tank filled and its ammunition stock replenished—combat readiness was at its peak.

As the commander returned to his seat, he spotted the loader pushing a high-explosive shell into the tank gun’s breech.

The driver started up the engine as the Type 59 tank labeled "3" charged out of the nearby brush.

Following closely behind was another Type 59 tank, and bringing up the rear was an armored personnel carrier. The Type 113 APC was outfitted with a mounted machine gun rather than heavy weaponry.

The roar of engines filled the air, breaking the relative silence. Infantry disembarked from the armored vehicles, spreading out. More Type 59 tanks emerged from the forest, charging toward the distant airfield runway.

"Open fire!" The Mirage Country soldiers had not surrendered the airfield, as evidenced by their sudden appearance following a frenzied shout.

They fired from behind aircraft wreckage, from buildings near the control tower, and even from cratered positions—all directions were alive with gunfire aimed at the Tang Army.

At least an entire battalion seemed to be concealed here, with tracer bullets zipping across the broad runway and grasslands.

"Clang!" A bullet struck the armor of a Tang Type 59 tank, ricocheting harmlessly into the air.

The robust design of Tang Country’s Type 59 tank frequently produced ricochets, endangering Tang Army soldiers trailing behind the tanks.

Regulations forbade soldiers from advancing beside tanks, and strict distance requirements even applied for marching behind them.

The wide treads of the Type 59 rolled over the grass beside the airfield, gradually bypassing a massive crater amidst the firefight before aligning its gun toward Mirage Country’s defensive line.

This crater was likely caused by a Stuka Dive Bomber—a 500kg aerial bomb must have been dropped there, as surrounding craters were noticeably smaller.

The Tang Army’s H-6 bombers typically deployed advanced cluster munitions, which left smaller individual impact impressions. Even the Flying Fortress bombers conducting nighttime raids and using similar-sized aerial bombs weren’t likely to land them with this level of precision.

"Boom!" Hidden at an inconspicuous corner, a Mirage Country 76mm anti-tank cannon finally fired.

A plume of white smoke rose, and the shell struck a Tang Type 59 tank, only to deflect off its frontal armor, leaving a shallow dent.

A nearby Type 59 tank rotated its turret and aimed its gun at the anti-tank cannon hidden under airplane wreckage.

"Boom!" The tank gun spewed its own plume of smoke, and an HE shell detonated at the anti-tank position, even blasting away the wreckage covering it.

A portion of an aircraft wing went spinning through the air as the lone anti-tank position of the Mirage troops fell silent.

The machine gunner atop an armored vehicle targeted a group of retreating Mirage Country soldiers crawling out of craters. The gunner squeezed the trigger, with a hail of tracer bullets tearing through flesh.

The Mirage Country goblin soldiers jerked as if electrocuted, falling one by one amidst the torrent of bullets.

"They’re retreating toward the building! Second floor! A heavy machine gun is in the second floor!" Seeing the Mirage soldiers retreat, a Tang infantry officer shouted loudly, pointing at the building’s second floor where a window spat fire tirelessly.

"Got it!" A nearby platoon leader gave a thumbs-up before motioning for the rocket launcher operator beside him to aim.

"Rocket launcher!" Before firing, the operator shouted to alert nearby comrades to safety. A wave of heat burst from the rocket launcher’s rear as the shot rocketed toward the overactive machine gun nest.

"Boom!" The rocket struck the window, blowing away its frame and instantly silencing the relentless Maxim heavy machine gun.

With suppressive fire eliminated, the Tang Army’s assault quickened. Grenade launcher operators fired shells that landed on the intact rooftops of buildings, exploding—whether they wounded the Mirage soldiers was unclear.

A Type 59 tank advanced toward the enemy’s buildings. While underway, a sudden explosion under its treads severed the tank’s tracks—a landmine had been triggered.

Its rolling tracks slid forward as the tank came to a catastrophic halt. From a nearby trench, seven or eight goblin soldiers with long pole-mounted anti-tank explosives suddenly rushed toward the immobilized Tang tank, shouting fiercely.

Before they could affix their explosives to the tank, the goblins were gunned down by Tang Army soldiers trailing nearby.

The inexpensive anti-tank pole explosives failed to deploy effectively, leaving the immobilized Type 59 tank standing intact despite several explosions around it.

Another Type 59 tank advanced past its stranded comrade, firing its cannon again at the distant tower. As dust and smoke cleared, Mirage soldiers evacuated the building’s opposite side, allowing the Tang Army to swiftly seize Airfield No. 5.

A blood-red Dragon Banner was hoisted atop the bullet-ridden airport structures, while near the immobilized tank, medics tended to wounded tank crew members.