Eagle Sauce: The 055 destroyer was launched into the sea just after the founding of the country?

Inside the NATO joint command center, General MacArthur stood in front of a large display screen with a grim face. The radar image on the screen had just confirmed that his last F-15 had been shot down.

More than twenty of the most advanced fighter planes, along with their elite pilots, were lost in just fifteen minutes.

Such a strike rate has never been seen even in the worst war simulations.

"All F-15s are confirmed lost," the communications officer's voice was low and heavy. "No ejection signals, no survivors."

MacArthur took a deep breath and clenched his fists.

He had never experienced such heavy losses in his military career.

As a commander, every soldier who died was a burden on his heart.

But at this moment, a stronger emotion - an unprecedented anger - was drowning out his grief.

"This is a Dragon Country fighter plane," he said, almost gritting his teeth, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "It's impossible for the Russians to possess a plane of this level of technology."

“They don’t have the capability to shoot down all those F-15s without being detected by our radar. This must be the work of the Dragon Nation.”

The intelligence officer flipped through the documents quickly and nodded in confirmation.

"Based on our intelligence analysis, this is most likely China's latest J-20 stealth fighter jet. Our intelligence suggests they are still in the testing phase, but obviously, our intelligence is outdated."

MacArthur's eyes grew sharper, and the lines on his face deepened with anger.

When he mentioned the Dragon Kingdom, an uncontrollable anger welled up in his heart.

The experience on the peninsula, the armistice agreement that was forced to be signed, and the humiliation of being forced to retreat still linger in my heart.

"Dragon Country," he practically squeezed the name out through his teeth. "Dragon Country again. They prevented my victory on the peninsula back then, and now they're interfering in European affairs?"

Adjutant Colonel Wilson coughed lightly and spoke cautiously.

"General, considering we have lost air superiority, perhaps we should reassess our plans for the attack on Stalingrad."

"Without air cover, ground forces would be at great risk."

MacArthur turned around suddenly, with an almost fanatical light in his eyes.

“Retreat? Reassess? Wilson, are you suggesting I back off?”

The atmosphere in the conference room instantly became tense. All officers knew that although General MacArthur was a strategic genius, he was also known for his stubbornness and competitive nature.

In his dictionary, the words "retreat" and "surrender" do not exist.

"General," Wilson tried to explain, his voice pleading, "I'm simply suggesting a more cautious approach."

“Our ground forces, without air cover, will face enormous risks. If we attack rashly, we may suffer unnecessary losses.”

MacArthur sneered and shook his head: "Wilson, you overestimate the Dragon Kingdom."

“How many reinforcements could they possibly send in such a short time? A few fighter planes? Maybe a couple of armored battalions? It wouldn’t be enough to change the tide of battle.”

He strode over to the map and tapped his finger on the location of Stalingrad.

"Think about it, most of the missiles and ammunition of those fighters have been used to shoot down our F-15s. In the short term, they will no longer pose a threat."

"Besides, even if they still have ammunition, so what? The air-to-ground strike capability of a few fighter jets is limited and cannot stop our ground offensive at all."

Military staff officer Colonel Rogers frowned: "But General, without air superiority, our ground forces will be exposed to air strikes, which is extremely dangerous-"

"Dangerous?" MacArthur interrupted, his voice rising. "War is inherently dangerous, Colonel!"

"Besides, if we stop now and wait for the main reinforcements from Dragon Country to arrive, that would be the real danger!"

"Now is our best chance. Before the main force of the Dragon Nation reinforcements arrives, we must take Stalingrad! Once this city falls into our hands, the entire war situation will completely change!"

MacArthur's eyes flashed with determination, a determination that would never give up until the goal was achieved.

"Besides, we have M1A1 tanks."

This sentence caused a murmur in the conference room.

The M1A1 Abrams main battle tank is the latest ground combat ace developed by the United States. It uses revolutionary composite armor and advanced fire control system. Its 120mm smoothbore gun can easily penetrate the armor of any known tank in the world at that time.

"Yes, gentlemen," MacArthur continued, a hint of pride in his voice, "the 7th Armored Brigade has been equipped with thirty M1A1 tanks."

"These steel behemoths will be the spearhead of our breakthrough of the Stalingrad Line. The Russian T-54 and T-62 will be no match for them. Even if the Dragon Kingdom sends its main tanks, they will not be able to stop our attack."

Tank warfare expert Major Duke raised his hand and said, "General, the M1A1 is indeed the most advanced main battle tank in the world."

“But we only have thirty of them, and they’ve just arrived at the front. Most crews aren’t fully familiar with this new equipment. Without air cover, their advantages may not be fully utilized.”

MacArthur shook his head with an almost contemptuous smile on his face.

"Major, you're too conservative. One M1A1 is worth ten tanks from Russia or China. Their armor is nearly indestructible, and their fire control systems can accurately hit moving targets from two kilometers away."

"Trust me, even without air cover, they can still be kings on the battlefield."

He looked around at every officer in the conference room, his voice firm and infectious.

"Gentlemen, history is watching us. Stalingrad is the key to the European battlefield. Once it falls into our hands, the road to Moscow will no longer be blocked."

"I will not allow the Dragon Nation's interference to prevent our victory, as they did on the peninsula. This time, I will personally lead the coalition forces and strike straight into the heart of the enemy!"

Colonel Wilson looked at the almost paranoid determination in MacArthur's eyes and knew that further persuasion was useless.

MacArthur had made his decision, and he knew that once the general made up his mind, no one could change his mind.

Historically, MacArthur's stubbornness and courage have brought brilliant victories, but have also led to disastrous consequences.

“In that case,” Colonel Wilson sighed, “we need to develop a detailed battle plan. If we don’t have air cover, we at least need to strengthen anti-air raid facilities and defense measures.”

MacArthur nodded and turned to the operations staff: "Make sure each infantry company is equipped with sufficient portable air defense missiles. The M1A1 tank formation must be equipped with the cover of the 'Avenger' air defense system."

"In addition, I want all reserve artillery to be concentrated to form a super-powerful firepower group to provide covering fire support for the attacking forces."

The staff officers quickly marked the positions and marching routes of each unit on the map and formulated a detailed battle plan.

Although most people still had doubts in their hearts, MacArthur's firmness and courage somewhat alleviated their concerns.

After all, the general had extensive experience in warfare, and his intuition had been proven correct many times.

"Our intelligence shows that the Russian army defending Stalingrad has run out of ammunition and food,"

The intelligence officer reported.

"Aside from those mysterious Dragon Nation fighters, they have almost no effective heavy weapons. If we launch an attack immediately, it is indeed possible to capture the city before the main reinforcements from the Dragon Nation arrive."

MacArthur nodded with satisfaction: "See, this is what I call a window of opportunity."

“The Dragon Nation may have sent their most advanced fighters, but their ground forces will take time to arrive. We must seize this opportunity and act quickly!”

He turned to the communications officer: "Issue attack orders to all coalition forces immediately."

"The 7th Armored Brigade's M1A1 tank formation will serve as the spearhead of the assault, directly crossing the Volga River and capturing the center of Stalingrad."

"The 15th and 23rd Infantry Divisions will encircle the enemy from both flanks, cutting off their retreat. Artillery units will provide all-around fire support. Operation codename: 'Thunder Sword'."

The order was quickly passed down and the entire NATO coalition position immediately became busy.

Soldiers checked their equipment and loaded ammunition, tank engines roared, and artillerymen adjusted their gun positions.

Although news of the disastrous air defeat had spread, MacArthur's prestige and the legend of the M1A1 tank continued to maintain the morale of the troops.

In the command center, MacArthur walked to a corner alone and stared at the old map on the wall.

It was a map used during the Peninsular War, marking the offensive route he had planned but never implemented.

“This time, no one can stop me,”

He whispered to himself, his eyes flashing with complex light.

"Especially you, Long Guo..."