It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 97 | No Time to Lose

Before the off-road vehicle came to a complete stop, Shang Ke jumped out and rushed into the temporary command post of the city defense force.

This was originally a warehouse, hastily set up an hour ago. Many telephone wires were tangled together on the ground, and busy officers and signalmen were coming and going.

The city defense commander, Major General Gadel, went to the front line in person to give orders. They were deploying troops according to the anti-airborne plan.

This thing was originally developed by Shang Moumou and the staff of the General Staff. It was at best an after-class exercise, but I didn't expect it to come in handy.

Shang Ke rushed forward shouting "I want to see the commander" and no one could stop him.

How could the distracted Major General Gardel have any free time now?

He simply waved his hand to send the man away, and said impatiently: "Mr. Consultant! I don't have time to listen to you!"

Unexpectedly, Shang Ke also came straight to the point and said bluntly: "This anti-airborne plan was formulated according to my instructions. I know more about it than you."

The major general looked him up and down without saying a word.

Shang Ke went to the map and took a quick look at it. The current battle situation could be seen from the team logos and numbers marked on the map.

The Hungarian army, having reacted, had established a preliminary encirclement around Vitesse Airport, but because it was too hasty, the encirclement was very fragile.

The units that have been reinforced are:

｜Part of the 10th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division (reinforced battalion level)

｜Part of the 51st Reserve Infantry Division (Battalion Level)

｜Part 202 of the nd Field Replacement Regiment (Battalion Level)

In addition, many units are still in motion but have not yet arrived at their designated locations.

In Shang Ke's view, this encirclement was like an eggshell, and the Ivan Ross airborne troops inside could easily break through it.

"I'm speechless! The artillery regiment of this division has been transferred away!" Shang Ke stared at the map and cursed asshole.

If the 10th Field Artillery Regiment of the 10th Infantry Division had not been transferred to the Tisza River defense line, there would be nothing to worry about. More than 105 150mm and mm howitzers could directly cover the airport with artillery fire. If one base was not enough, another base could be added, and finally the infantry would go up to clean up the mess.

"The enemy should be gathering and preparing, gathering offensive forces. The area near the airport is too flat and not suitable for defense. The enemy will definitely choose to attack the city to the west next." Shang Ke said with certainty.

Even if Ivan Ross's ground forces rushed over unimpeded, it would take several days, so these paratroopers must prioritize ensuring they gain a foothold.

The eastern suburbs of Budapest are vast wheat fields with no strategic locations to defend.

It’s different in the city. Street fighting is very troublesome, and you can hold on for a long time as long as you occupy two or three blocks.

Shang Ke pointed heavily at the map and said to the staff officers present, "I will lead the Royal Guard to occupy a pre-set position southwest of the airport. If the enemy attacks the city, we will directly attack their flanks."

"Great! What we lack now is ready reserves." A lieutenant colonel exclaimed excitedly.

"Also, I remember there are some usable tanks in the Danube Casey Armored Forces Academy? Let them prepare to join the war." Shang Ke reminded Major General Gardel before leaving.

"Okay, Major, go and demonstrate your tactical skills." The latter nodded to show that he understood.

At 11:15 am, the 4th Airborne Infantry Regiment of the Russian Empire had basically assembled, and the second wave of the 5th Regiment was about to arrive.

Lieutenant Colonel Antonov ordered an attack on the city. More and more Hungarian troops were surrounding them, and they had to find a foothold as soon as possible. There was no time to lose!
Under the deployment of Lieutenant Colonel Antonov, three airborne infantry companies were deployed in an inverted T-formation, with two in front and one in the back. The attack front was about eight or nine hundred meters wide, and they rushed towards the city with great momentum.

There was only a company of the Hungarian Reserve Infantry Division blocking the way head-on, and they were no match for the ferocious Russian paratroopers.

Two rounds of mortar bombardment, heavy machine gun fire cover, alternating attacks by paratrooper squads... with these three quick and effective moves, the more than one hundred Hungarian rookies were completely defeated.

The Hungarian recruits were shot one after another during their retreat. The terrain was flat and open, which was like target shooting for the Russian paratroopers. The scene seemed like a massacre!

A female warrant officer's hands were shaking after she had used up two magazines. To be honest, she herself didn't know how many people she had just killed, nine or ten?

"This is so much like hunting rabbits in the wilderness along the Volga River!" someone sighed.

The soldiers cheered and continued to advance towards the city in a victorious manner.

What obstacles will we encounter in the remaining two or three kilometers?
But just when they were happy for a while, something strange happened!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several consecutive loud bangs were heard on the west side of the airport, where the mortars and the two subsequent airborne infantry companies were located. But now they were under artillery fire?
Several small black dots appeared in the southwest of the airport. The alert Lieutenant Colonel Antonov looked through his telescope and found that they were actually several armored vehicles!
At the same time, a female sergeant on one of the armored vehicles was also observing with binoculars.

"Gray Fox 1 reports on the calibration. Valid hits. A2 fire strike mission, no need for secondary calibration. Effective fire, four rounds, instantaneous fuse, ready to fire."

In an instant, the personnel in the newly opened artillery command post understood what she had seen and heard.

After a while, the Royal Guard howitzer company officially began to fire.

Four Skoda 75mm cavalry guns fired at the same time, and high-explosive shells weighing about 6.3 kilograms whizzed towards the mortar positions of the Russian paratroopers.

After a series of violent explosions, there was no more movement there. In the smoke and dust, only the figures of medical soldiers rescuing the wounded could be seen.

While his own artillery was suppressing the enemy mortars, Shang Ke ordered his two infantry companies to advance in a ladder-shaped formation, with one in the left front and the other in the right rear.

What is more embarrassing is that Huns did not finalize and mass-produce high-quality 60mm mortars, so Shang could only equip the infantry company of the Royal Guard with 81mm mortars. This should have been a battalion-level weapon, but when it was decentralized to the company level, it could only be reduced to two mortars per company.

Fortunately, in comparison, the RM-38 50mm light mortar that the Ivan Ross army is equipped with in large quantities is a very useless weapon. Its maximum range is only 730 meters, and its high-explosive bomb weighs no more than 0.85 kilograms. Its range and power are both very poor, and it is completely incomparable to the 60mm mortar.

Shang Ke stretched out his hand and waved it, shouting, "Almost done. Set up the heavy machine guns and nail them where they are!"

"Understood! Sir!"

Following Shang's order, the heavy weapons platoons of Company A and Company B immediately took action, deploying ZB-37 heavy machine guns at a distance of one kilometer from the enemy and firing at the enemy, while the remaining infantry platoons continued to advance cautiously.

"Ta-ta-ta-ta-"

Six heavy machine guns continued to fire long bursts, and dense Mauser heavy pointed bullets flew like raindrops towards the Ivan Ross airborne troops on the field, suppressing them and making them unable to move.

Immediately afterwards, mortar shells came down one after another.

Under the double blow of machine gun fire suppression and mortar bombardment, the three airborne infantry companies suffered heavy casualties.

They fell into a brief period of chaos, but everyone knew that they could not sit idly by and wait for death.

"Captain! We're pinned down! The enemy's heavy machine guns are a mile away!"

(End of this chapter)