Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 77 A Narrow Victory

Ibrahim may not know that it was from this Yom Kippur war that the fighting style of armored formations, represented by tanks, officially changed on the Middle Eastern battlefield.

And he was just one small cog in the machine that led to this transformation.

For the past two decades, Middle Eastern countries, including Zion, have primarily used tank tactics involving massed assaults.

With their superior mobility and firepower, tanks rampage across the battlefield, and the quantity and quality of their armor are a powerful weapon for victory for all nations.

According to Masr's estimates, a fully equipped T-54 has firepower roughly equivalent to that of an infantry company.

But this situation began to change precisely from the Yom Kippur War.

The specific reason is the widespread use of anti-tank missiles.

Although Zion already had the SS.11 during last year's Six-Day War, it was only in trial phase at that time and was not deployed on a large scale.

After experiencing success in the defense of the Sinai Peninsula, Zion's forces at all levels began to equip themselves with anti-tank missiles.

If Lu Lin remembers correctly, during the Six-Day War, the Arab Front lost 1,500 tanks, of which less than 5% were destroyed by anti-tank missiles.

However, during the Fourth Middle East War, this proportion increased ninefold, reaching a terrifying 45%.

This means a complete disruption at the tactical level, where an infantryman hiding behind a sand dune can destroy a tank worth millions with a missile worth a few thousand dollars.

The era of the steel torrent is about to come to an end.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The destructive power of the "oak stick" on the chief gave Major Jacob a fright.

Anti-tank missiles! And anti-tank missiles capable of tearing through the Chieftain's defenses head-on!

It is no exaggeration to say that this impactful scene completely overturned the Zion soldiers' preconceived notions about Arabs, and also slightly shook their confidence in the sheikh's reliability.

Even the experienced Major Jacob was momentarily unsure of himself.

However, Zion's armored forces were elite after all, and the tanks' main guns retaliated immediately the moment the missiles struck.

An M551 was hit through by an armor-piercing round, and the semi-automatic radio system immediately caught fire, with the fire spreading rapidly inside the vehicle.

"Looks like it hit?" Major Jacob observed through the thick smoke.

But instead of exploding into a fireball as expected, the tank opposite him emitted strange white smoke from the cracks. He was somewhat surprised and uncertain: "Why didn't it explode?"

Then, an anti-tank missile, seemingly out of nowhere, struck Major Jacob's right-wing chieftain's side armor.

He watched helplessly as the Chief tilted instantly, its right road wheel blasted into the air.

"Let's retreat first, Major! The Chief can't utilize his advantages here; he'll only be a target for missiles!"

The driver of one of the vehicles shouted over the radio.

Honestly, if the enemy had anti-tank missiles comparable to the SS.11, probably no one would be willing to drive a tank into the front lines.

Major Jacob was somewhat unwilling, but it seemed he had no choice but to do so, because he couldn't just hand over his tank battalion here, otherwise the entire brigade headquarters behind him would be finished.

"Fire a round of smoke grenades first to cover the infantry's retreat!"

Upon receiving the order, the remaining twenty-odd Chieftain tanks began to retreat while firing smoke grenades.

"The enemy's tank units have begun to retreat!" the adjutant exclaimed in surprise.

From the actual battlefield perspective, it looked as if the enemy rushed up, "sacrificed" themselves, and then ran away with their tails between their legs.

But Ibrahim knew that this was due to an information gap, and the enemy would definitely be more prepared next time.

So he ordered: "Let the M551 continue to advance and try to destroy more Chieftain tanks while the enemy is retreating!"

However, a moment later, the adjutant brought some rather embarrassing news: "Colonel, most of our M551s have shut down due to engine overheating. The maintenance crew said that sand has completely blocked the cooling system, and they are currently working on repairs!"

Ibrahim's expression was quite interesting.

Half of the shots malfunctioned after only one round?

Although its initial performance was impressive, it didn't seem very reliable. No wonder the major general looked so disdainful when he heard that the M551 was going to be deployed.

Just then, several loud noises, like thunder, faintly came from the north.

Ibrahim listened for a moment: "It's a 203mm howitzer. It seems that Bandar's armored forces have encountered a tough nut to crack. They're calling for Major General's support."

At that moment, a communications soldier came to report: "Colonel, the broadcast vehicle you requested is in place."

“Great!” Ibrahim ordered, “Drive it up here!”

Ten minutes later, a modified M113 slowly drove forward. It was equipped with a high-powered amplification system and multiple speakers.

Ibrahim patted the "big iron box" and asked, "Have you already tested it?"

"Don't worry, Colonel."

The soldier in charge of logistics replied, "This thing is incredibly powerful! We've tested it, and it can be heard clearly from at least two or three kilometers away. Plus, it can not only broadcast but also play cassette tapes!"

“Very good,” Ibrahim said. “Have the artillery battalion stop Xu Jin’s barrage.”

Record me an audio clip, then turn it up to the maximum volume and play it for those Zionists!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sergei, Zion 58th Armored Brigade Command.

Brigadier General Eugene frowned, listened intently, and seemed to faintly hear the voice from the radio: "Go and find out where the sound is coming from!"

His order was carried out quickly, and a moment later a soldier from the reconnaissance platoon came to report:
"The sound is coming from the south. Shuangzhi's army has somehow found a broadcast truck and is playing a recording."

Brigadier General Eugene sensed something was wrong and asked, "What are they broadcasting?"

The reconnaissance platoon soldier hesitated for a moment before saying, "They said they left us a retreat route to the east, and we sent people to check it out; it's definitely true."

After hearing this, Brigadier General Eugene angrily threw his baton on the ground, breaking it in two.

He flew into a rage: "This is psychological warfare by the enemy! They're trying to force us to relocate and expose our weaknesses!"

"Damn Desert Eagle, they actually resorted to such despicable tactics!"

The chief of staff hesitated, "But with our current forces, we simply can't withstand Shuangzhi's offensive. If this continues, we won't be able to hold out for long."

Silence fell over the staff room. Everyone knew what the outcome would be if they continued to resist. The loud bang that came from the north just now was definitely beyond the capabilities of their weapons.

Brigadier General Eugene remained silent for a long time, and finally gritted his teeth:
"We cannot retreat. Our orders are to hold this position to the death!"
Every hour we hold out here is valuable, but if we give up, not only will the 58th Brigade be finished, but the division headquarters will also be finished!

We can be killed, we can be captured, but we cannot escape or surrender!
Because if we do that, we become sinners against Zion!

He shouted to everyone present, "Think about who you are, think about your families, Zion will not let down any warrior who sheds blood for it!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Eighteen hours after the start of the war.

Lu Lin walked into the command post of the 58th Brigade in Zion. The air was filled with the smell of burning paper, indicating that the staff was processing documents before the attack.

Brigadier General Eugene, bound hand and foot, was forced to kneel before him, his face bruised and battered.

Brigadier General Eugene was forced to look up at the young Arab general who had defeated him, his eyes filled with scrutiny:
"You're the Desert Eagle?"

Lu Lin saw the highlighted display above the other person's head, as well as the unique gold trim, and thought to himself, "You're pretty arrogant."

Fahd moved a chair over and placed it opposite Brigadier General Eugene, then wiped the chair twice with his sleeve.

Lu Lin sat down in a chair, while the other person knelt.

Yes, he feels much better now.

He then nodded: "Yes, that's me."

　Brothers, the movie will be available next Wednesday.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)