Munitions Empire-Chapter 1186: Battle of Great Southern Bay 1106
Another massive shell landed on the position, exploding several meters deep into the earth, hurling everything around it into the air.
Black smoke spiraled upward, churning and rolling as it floated to the sky, forming a small, spectacular mushroom cloud.
The ground trembled, and all the Mirage Country soldiers curled up in fear. The choking scent of disturbed soil filled the air, and once everything quieted down, an eerie silence enveloped the position.
How powerful was this shell? Powerful enough that a command post far, far away from the Mirage Country troops clearly felt the shockwave.
The cups on the table rattled incessantly, dust fell from above and into the cups, rendering their contents undrinkable.
The map became covered in dust; through the crevices in the room, officers watched the distant positions engulfed in combat, where Tang Army shells fell one by one, smoke blotting out the sun.
"How long has it been since we last contacted the 3rd Battalion of the 1st Regiment?" The Mirage Country Division Commander asked worriedly, turning to his adjutant.
About more than half an hour ago, that battalion’s position had been out of contact. The Tang Army had continually attacked there, and the surrounding 2nd and 1st Battalions mentioned seeing Tang military movements, but as for how many soldiers remained in the 3rd Battalion or how much of the defensive position still belonged to the Shen Army, no one could say for certain. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"I sent someone to attempt contact, but there’s been no reply yet." The adjutant spoke hesitantly and described his measures.
The Division Commander nodded, then asked about the situation of the 1st Battalion beside the 3rd: "How’s the 1st Battalion’s position near the 3rd Battalion doing?"
"They’re nearly depleted of ammunition; the enemy is launching a fierce attack. Five minutes ago, the 1st Battalion Commander sent someone to request reinforcement." The adjutant replied with precision.
"Send someone to deliver ammunition! Don’t hold back!" The Division Commander picked up binoculars and gazed toward the distant positions. The flag of the Mirage Country was riddled with bullet holes, stubbornly standing atop a small knoll, refusing to fall.
"Understood!" The adjutant nodded and left to find someone to deliver the ammunition. Barely having taken a few steps outside, a shell landed squarely in their trench.
The immense explosion blew the adjutant away and claimed the lives of several guards from the Division Headquarters, along with a few goblin officers who had been outside smoking.
The exaggerated shockwave burst into the Division Headquarters’ bunker, knocking the Mirage Country Division Commander off his feet. Several officers inside the headquarters were also sprawled on the ground, and when they climbed back up, they could only hear a ringing in their ears.
The dust hadn’t entirely settled and rolled within the dim command post. The Division Commander groped his way out of the room, only to be met with the sight of shattered bodies strewn across the ground.
"Sir!" A soldier dashed over hurriedly, gripping the goblin Division Commander’s hand and shouting loudly, but the Commander couldn’t discern his words.
After some time, a faint voice reached the Commander’s ears. The soldier reported that the Tang Army had broken through the 1st Regiment’s defense line.
"Sir! The enemy is less than 50 meters away! Please, leave this place immediately!" Finally, the soldier’s cries registered clearly to the goblin Division Commander.
He froze momentarily before snapping back to reality—the enemy was right on their doorstep! Panicked, he shouted at the soldier: "Retreat! Retreat! Get me out of here!"
Their location was a trench that had been modified; behind it was a collapsed outer wall of a building. Behind them lay the Great Southern Bay harbor.
This city was considered one of the few modernized cities in Mirage Country—it had been built to a higher standard due to frequent trade with other empires.
Although there weren’t towering skyscrapers here, the city featured many cement houses. Compared to the wooden houses typical of other Mirage Country cities, these were sturdier and better equipped to withstand bombardment.
The Tang Army showed no hesitation in their destruction. General Feng Kezhi didn’t mind obliterating the Great Southern Bay harbor. Since the port had already been damaged, the remaining structures were largely irrelevant to the Tang Army.
A city, especially a port city, revolves around a few critical locations: most notably, the harbor, followed by the power plant and the water treatment facility.
Apart from these locations, residential areas and the like were of little value and could be destroyed without concern. Shengwu Zhong might destroy the docks and port, but he couldn’t bring himself to destroy the power plant or water treatment facility.
After all, there were still hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the Great Southern Bay who needed water and electricity. If he personally demolished the power and water plants, wouldn’t he make a fool of himself?
But clearly, whether you destroy them yourself or not, the Tang Army is going to prioritize these locations. Destroying them would break the defenders’ will to resist.
Because without water or electricity, most of the Shen Army dug into the ruins wouldn’t be able to hold out. They would either surrender or retreat.
At the battlefield, the goblin Division Commander had just left the abandoned command post when Tang Army soldiers stormed up the trench and invaded the command center.
A Tang Army soldier stepped into the chaotic command bunker, grabbed a map off the table, and dismissively tossed it aside.
The cups on the table spilled onto the floor, while the walls still bore pockets stuffed with documents. Deployment maps were scattered everywhere, evidence of the Mirage Country officers’ chaotic escape.
"They didn’t even bother taking their sidearms! They ran real clean!" A Tang Army officer sneered, walking over to the wall where Mirage Country officers had hung their weapon belts, and drew a pistol with a smirk.
Due to the Mirage Country soldiers’ small stature, their officers favored compact pistols like the PPK. If circumstances allowed, most would equip themselves with similar weapons.
Unfortunately, it was clear the officers had fled in a rush, leaving behind even their weapons. A few prisoners divulged that this post was Division Headquarters—the highest-ranking command post in the vicinity.
The Tang Army, having captured this post, had essentially entered the Great Southern Bay. All it took now was crossing the trench, climbing over the debris of the collapsed outer wall, and stepping into the city itself.
After two days of relentless shelling and airstrikes, the Great Southern Bay was already reduced to a skeletal ruin—its urban infrastructure entirely crippled.
"I heard the neighboring units made it into the city?" Pocketing the compact PPK pistol, the Tang Army commander asked the captain accompanying him.
The captain nodded. "Indeed, several blocks have already been seized by our troops. The Shen Army doesn’t have the combat capabilities we expected… It seems they weren’t prepared for urban warfare at all."
"Take your men and continue pressing south! Aim to rendezvous with our neighboring unit! Drive the Mirage Country forces out of the designated No. 1 Power Plant! Then bring in the Engineer Corps to see if we can repair it." The officer pointed forward as he issued orders.
The captain stood at attention, saluted, and led his men away. The sound of machine guns persisted without pause; the Tang Army’s offensive pressed on, while the Mirage Country forces continued their collapse.
Within the city’s underground command center, Shengwu Zhong received one piece of bad news after another. Reports arrived that the northern defenses had fallen, that the water supply had ceased, and more.
His command center operated on generators, so electricity wasn’t an immediate concern. However, Shengwu Zhong knew this couldn’t last, and he was acutely aware of the looming catastrophe.
Urban warfare might appear favorable for the defenders, but that depended on well-organized command and capable troops. Either the rank-and-file soldiers must be adept at fighting, or the command systems must be advanced enough to counter chaos with chaos.
The Shen Army lacked in both aspects, and Shengwu Zhong knew that once urban combat began, the Shen Army would likely crumble rapidly.
Shengwu Zhong had initially planned to hone his troops with the outer defenses and then use these seasoned forces to wear down the Tang Army in prolonged urban combat.
Now, with the outer battles concluding far too swiftly, the Shen Army had failed to sharpen itself and was forced to retreat into the city prematurely, shattering Shengwu Zhong’s plans.
His hastily armed force of fifty thousand civilians lacked combat effectiveness but consumed vast quantities of Shengwu Zhong’s supplies and ammunition, draining him immensely.
Inexperienced civilian fighters wasted ammunition, broke ranks easily, failed to hold their positions, and frequently dragged the main forces into disarray, leading to widespread retreat.
After using them for a while, Shengwu Zhong stopped trusting these civilian units. He could only use them as reserve troops to fill the ranks of heavily depleted regular forces.
These untrained fighters, however, diluted the combat effectiveness of the seasoned forces. After three days of grueling battle, Shengwu Zhong’s civilian troops had proven to be more of a liability than an asset.
"General! Shenwu Erlang has sent word—his troops are unable to approach the Great Southern Bay; the enemy’s defensive lines are extremely strong." An adjutant approached Shengwu Zhong and quietly delivered yet another disheartening report.
Shengwu Zhong had anticipated this outcome. Waving dismissively, he sneered, "I never expected that fool Shenwu Erlang to succeed! He’s just like those cowards in the Navy!"
Among Mirage Country ground forces, insulting someone as "Navy" was about the most venomous attack imaginable. The adjutant understood Shengwu Zhong was venting frustration over the inadequate reinforcements of the 3rd Corps.
"The northernmost airport has been bombed to oblivion… No planes can take off… In fact, according to the latest No. 2 operational order, there aren’t any aircraft left to fly from there." The adjutant reported yet another demoralizing piece of news.
"Doesn’t matter—I never counted on that airport being of any help anyway." Shengwu Zhong waved his hand apathetically, wearing an air of resigned indifference.
The so-called No. 2 operational plan involved relocating all aircraft stationed on the South Island to the New Island to consolidate its defenses. At this point, Mirage Country leadership no longer held out hope to defend the South Island.
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