Children! Come out! (Some previous chapters have been revised)
Dusk was falling on Frax, outside the landing zone... The Frax River, which runs north to south through Planet Phalanx, was at the foot of the mountain.
With the start of Operation Market Garden, the entire Frax had descended into chaos, and signs of engagement were everywhere around the landing zone.
The eastern landing zone had been captured, but the Chaos Traitor Army was rapidly and frantically surrounding and attacking it. The traitors could not allow the landing zone to successfully begin receiving large troop deployments. If the landing zone was held by the Imperial side, then the traitors would have already lost half the war.
Li Feng and several officers lay on the hillside, watching the fierce battlefield in the distance to the east through binoculars. At this time, the first units of the 88th Siege Army of the Death Korps of Krieg had already established their defensive lines and were engaged in a brutal meat grinder battle with the overwhelming Chaos Traitor Army.
Transport planes continuously ferried troops to the ground, flying back and forth. The entire Krieg 88th Siege Army originally consisted of 4 core armies (each army comprising 4 siege regiments), 2 assault armies (composed of armored, siege, and artillery regiments), and 2 artillery armies (composed of 3 siege artillery regiments, with 10 independent artillery companies and 4 heavy mortar companies under each artillery army), totaling approximately 8 million men. It would take at least half a month to complete the transport.
At this moment, Li Feng handed the binoculars to Spears, the company Commander of D Company, Airborne Division, who had also joined Li Feng's unit. Li Feng spread the map on the ground, and several officers looked at the map.
This area was located in a mountainous region, and the landing zone was chosen in a plain within the eastern mountains for convenient troop transport and deployment. In their direction, High Ground 30 was in front of them, and next to it was a valley road that was continuously delivering Chaos Traitor Army to the landing zone.
If they wanted to cross the river to the landing zone, they had to take High Ground 30 in front of them, otherwise, if they crossed the river below, the Chaos Traitor Army above could strike them from a commanding position.
This High Ground 30 was originally supposed to be a strategic point to be captured in Operation Market Garden, but due to this failed operation, it seemed that this high ground was not in friendly hands. This resulted in High Ground 30, a traitor's bridgehead, still being able to shell the landing zone from its elevated position.
If they crossed the Frax River and took High Ground 30, they could both open a green corridor to the landing zone and severely impede the traitor's troop transport route, while also alleviating pressure on the landing zone.
"Winters? What do you think?"
Lieutenant Winters lay on the ground looking at the map, then looked up at the river below, and then at High Ground 30 in the distance. His inner thought was that they had to fight.
If they fought, there would still be a glimmer of hope; at least they would open a path to the landing zone. If they didn't fight, this isolated force would eventually be trapped and perish here.
Winters thought, then looked back. Li Feng's force now numbered almost 2,500 men, enough to constitute a regiment (in the 2K era) for a non-Astra Militarum unit.
Infantry, armor, artillery... all were present, and all command authority rested with the highest-ranking man in front of them.
Major Li Feng from the 12th Valhalla Field Artillery Regiment.
Winters nodded and then said:
"Based on the current situation, it seems we only have one way: to take High Ground 30."
Hearing Winters' words, Li Feng turned to look at the other officers; they had the same thought. Li Feng put down the map, stood up, and walked down the mountain.
"Notify everyone! Cross the river after dark, attack High Ground 30! Everyone, prepare for battle now!"
Li Feng took the tripod-mounted artillery observation scope from Lieutenant Xiao Meng and began surveying... The artillerymen he picked up along the way had some interesting gear... Deep in the night, High Ground 30... The Chaos Traitor Army was currently on the other side of the high ground, operating 406mm cannons and shelling the landing zone.
In the darkness of night, a Chaos Traitor Army Soldier was patrolling with a rifle... He walked on the small path down the mountain... Due to the continuous shelling throughout the day, which caused atmospheric pollution... A thunderclap and lightning exploded in the sky... The lightning momentarily illuminated the ditch at the foot of the hill, shining on hundreds of steel helmets... In an instant, this traitor, who had participated in countless bloody sacrificial rituals and witnessed the terrifying Greater Daemons of the Warp, was startled. He wanted to let out a shriek... because he saw countless pairs of eyes filled with hatred and killing intent beneath those steel helmets... As soon as his mouth opened, a catachan dagger pierced through his head. Behind him stood a Kharon tough guy with a red bandana on his head.
In silence, the elite Soldiers of Kharon and Cadia had begun to progressively clear the outposts. Before the enemy was alerted, every mile advanced saved a comrade's life.
Soon, Li Feng and a few men arrived at the foot of the mountain. The Kharon tough guy who had come down from above began to recount the reconnaissance situation:
"Major, the mountain has been hollowed out by them, riddled with tunnels. If we want to take this mountain, we'll have to fight a tunnel war."
"Did you find the tunnel entrances?"
"Our men have secured every tunnel entrance."
Li Feng turned to the officers behind him and said: "Notify your Soldiers to prepare for chemical defense! And prepare for close combat!"
The officers received the message and immediately gestured to the Soldiers. Soon, the Soldiers took out gas masks from their gear and collectively put them on.
"You guys take a few men and prepare some explosives, leave only 1-2 entrances, blow up all the others, then have the Adeptus Mechanicus' chemical warfare units vigorously pump poison gas inside, and you just guard the entrances with bayonets, waiting for them to come out!"
At this moment, Winters asked somewhat puzzled: "Major, will these corrupted traitors be afraid of poison gas?"
Li Feng smiled faintly. He did not answer the question. Because he had generated an STC today, and using the Adeptus Mechanicus' production instruments, he had created something very interesting... 'Nova-6'.
...Inside the tunnel,
As several explosions rang out on High Ground 30, the Chaos Traitor Army inside the tunnel were immediately awakened. Even the Chaos Traitor Army continuously shelling the landing zone stopped their actions.
"Enemy attack!"
When they were about to exit the tunnels, they saw yellow poison gas beginning to drift down from the upper levels... The Chaos Traitor Army officer guarding High Ground 30 laughed. He looked at the poison gas floating at his feet.
"Hahahahaha! I laugh at the Imperium's incompetence, the Emperor's lack of wisdom! We are all blessed by the Four Chaos Gods! How could we fear this mere poison gas, with the protection of Nurgle, the Father Nurgle / Nurgle! We fear no poison gas! Hahaha ah ha... ah ha?"
He suddenly felt his face itching a bit, so he reached out and touched it. Why was it blood? He began to incessantly touch his face, and flesh hung on his fingers with his movements.
The next second, all the Chaos Traitor Army in the tunnel began to vomit, their bodies started to rot, their eyeballs shriveled... They ran towards the outside of the tunnel... "This way is blown up! Try another entrance!"
Suddenly, a light appeared above! These traitors, their bodies rotting, vomiting, and defecating, immediately cried out when they saw the light:
"It's an entrance! We're saved!"
When they stumbled and ran to the entrance, a group of Imperial Soldiers armed with bayonet-fixed rifles were already waiting outside... 30 minutes later,
Li Feng, wearing a gas mask, arrived at the entrance. By this time, a pile of bodies had already accumulated outside the entrance. Several Cadia Soldiers were removing their flamethrower equipment. (Sentry equipment found!)
The tunnel had now been cleared, and the flamethrower Soldiers had gone in and burned everything. Li Feng quickly gathered a few artillerymen, had them put on gas masks, and use the traitors' cannons to give the traitors a taste of their own medicine!
...At the front line of the landing zone, a fierce offensive and defensive battle was underway. The Chaos Traitor Army repeatedly tried to break through the Imperial barrier, attempting to completely destroy the landing zone.
However, the Krieg 88th Siege Army stationed at the other end of the defensive line did not waver in the slightest. Field Marshal Model personally commanded these Death Korps of Krieg, renowned for their suicidal resolve.
The Krieg Soldiers, dressed in dark Prussian steel helmets and gas masks, silently met the Chaos Traitor Army's charge. Their steps were steady, without a trace of hesitation, as if they had no fear of death.
The battlefield was filled with artillery smoke, and intense exchanges of fire filled the air with the shock and heat of explosions. With every charge, the Soldiers of the Death Korps always responded calmly to the Chaos Traitor Army's attacks with almost mechanical movements, constantly counterattacking.
The Chaos Traitor Army's firepower was dense and fierce, attempting to tear a gap in the Krieg defensive line.
However, the Soldiers of the Death Korps were as steadfast as an immortal fortress in the muddy trenches. Craters and shattered bodies were everywhere on the battlefield, yet the Krieg Soldiers never wavered, instead frequently launching countless counter-charges against the Chaos Traitor Army.
Suddenly, the sky above the Chaos Traitor Army's position trembled, followed by rounds of artillery fire flying from their distance. Heavy shells accurately slammed into the Chaos Traitor Army's positions, and the shockwaves of the explosions threw the Chaos Traitor Army's ranks into chaos.
The fierce firepower tore through their lines, and Soldiers frantically sought cover, shouts and screams intertwined. The Imperial heavy artillery was like wrath descending from the heavens, shattering the Chaos Traitor Army's tanks and artillery.
"The Imperial artillery has begun its action," a Krieg Soldier said in a deep voice from his position.
Field Marshal Model observed all of this. He slapped the table and went to the top of the command post, picking up his binoculars.
"No! This isn't our artillery! These shells are being fired from behind the enemy!"
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