Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 484: Volume 5 Chapter 77 Heaven’s Fury, People’s Resentment

Just as Fatty was being chased and surrounded like a rat in the street, the Expeditionary Army had made a breakthrough in the Jiacuo battlefield.

The live broadcast of Stephen’s assassination by SkyNet greatly boosted the confidence of all the warriors in the Expeditionary Army. A few hours ago, the stalemated situation under the human wave tactics of the Stephen Group saw an opportunity for a breakthrough as the armies controlled by the great nobles started to retreat in panic.

Douglas naturally would not miss such an opportunity. He decisively committed all the main forces of the Expeditionary Army. The First and Second Armored Divisions quickly launched a full-scale attack on the enemy’s ring fortifications in the northern suburb of Jiacuo. At the same time, the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Armored Divisions in the city, as well as the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Independent Armored Divisions in the southern suburb of Jiacuo, also launched relentless assaults on the enemy.

After two hours of fierce battle, with the full follow-up of sixteen fully mechanized infantry divisions from the Independent Army, the Jiacuo city area, which had been fiercely contested by both sides, finally fell firmly under the control of the Expeditionary Army. Having captured this central position, where every building and every ruin was a fortress and a blocking point, the Expeditionary Army’s subsequent advance was unstoppable!

The Third and Sixth Armored Divisions split into two arrows, left and right, attacking from inside out, coordinating with friendly units in the southern and northern suburbs to launch fierce assaults. They divided the defensive positions piece by piece. In less than an hour, the panicked Stephen Group lost several defensive lines in both the southern and northern suburbs of Jiacuo successively.

When the armored forces from the Expeditionary Army’s southern, northern, and central routes launched their final assault on the eastern suburb of Jiacuo from three directions simultaneously, the disheartened Stephen Group no longer had the determination to hold out. The nobles, each with their own plans, commanded their respective armed forces to retreat step by step, which ultimately turned into a competitive escape.

Everyone understood that Jiacuo was finished. No one wanted to waste their resources meaninglessly here. ”Tree falls and monkeys scatter” - this saying aptly described the current state of the Stephen Group.

Seeing the brilliant battle results achieved by the Expeditionary Army on the war report, looking at the map where the attack arrows from multiple directions were charging forward madly, and observing the elated looks of the combat staff in the frontline command center, Douglas felt an inexplicable taste in his heart.

He had devised the battle plan. The aerial forces, the main forces of the Independent Army, the priority logistics supply, and the command and intelligence systems were all under his control. Yet, for so many days, against the human wave assaults of the Stephen Group amassed in Jiacuo, the six elite Feiyang Armored Divisions had not made an inch of progress.

It wasn’t until this moment, when Major General of Leray, leading an independent command force, carried out a long-distance raid and assassinated Stephen, that this long-awaited victory was brought about.

This taste of victory was indeed somewhat bitter.

The Feiyang Armored Division was by no means lacking in precision. The Feiyang soldiers had also given their all. The one-to-four casualty ratio alone was enough to prove the strength of the Feiyang Army. The six continuous large-scale attacks and countless meat grinder-style fierce battles had proven Feiyang’s full commitment in Jiacuo.

However, having been accustomed to fighting outnumbering the enemy, fighting stronger versus weaker opponents, with ample preparation and logistical support, and rarely facing time constraints in local wars, the Feiyang Army showed clear signs of unadaptability when faced with such battles.

Especially after the retreat of the Space Fleet. Losing the firepower support of space-based aircraft, the Feiyang Army suddenly found itself struggling. They were shocked to find that the enemy was so resilient, and the invincibility of the Feiyang Armored Division seemed so powerless in front of the enemy who wouldn’t yield an inch.

In the face of enemies who were familiar with the terrain, burrowing around like mice and appearing in an endless stream, the formidable Feiyang Armored Division seemed like a group of bewildered and clumsy elephants. Unit officers repeatedly called for support, and division commanders repeatedly had to reluctantly abandon the positions they had already seized.

The local forces of a third-rate country, when on the brink of despair, displayed a tenacity that greatly surprised Douglas. After experiencing one failed attack after another, he finally began to view his opponents with new eyes and similarly reevaluated his allies.

Gazalin, a nation long embroiled in war, had extremely rich war experience. Defeating this country’s army under evenly matched conditions was not something a few military staff could achieve by just coming up with a battle plan off the top of their heads.

Douglas understood that his own arrogance had led to the stalemate in the battlefield. He couldn’t help but recall the words of Tian Xingjian, the Major General of Leray, during the battle meeting at Prisk.

His judgment about insufficient troops was correct!

If the Expeditionary Army had deployed more armored divisions from the start, the situation would not be as it was now.

The Expeditionary Army won the battle, but this kind of victory was a torment to every proud Feiyang warrior.

If it were not for the desperate resistance of Leray’s newly-built 19th Division on the western front, if it were not for their division commander personally taking risks, assassinating Stephen at the crucial moment, this battle might have been lost! What was there to boast about such a victory? What could make these ”backward and weak” allies respect them?

What was respectable was the newly-built 19th Division, that white and chubby Major General of Leray! He fulfilled his promise to Douglas. He led his troops, giving the Feiyang soldiers sufficient time! He even single-handedly, with a sniper rifle, opened the door to victory for the Feiyang Army!