The War of Resistance: My Expedition, My Country

Chapter 269 A brief exchange of fire

Major Biss excitedly rushed to the headquarters of the 13st Battalion, 871st Regiment, 1th Division. Lieutenant Colonel Sanchez then called over a sergeant major beside him and ordered, "Have all the company commanders come over. We need to adjust our mission. We won't attack the immediate block. Wait for Major Liu's orders and make a big move!"

This battalion-sized unit, a Marine battalion from the US Navy's 2nd Fleet, was ordered by General Wedemeyer to join the defense of Kuwait. The US Marine Corps is a large organization, with a Marine battalion comprising 1500 soldiers, organized into five companies, and commanded by a lieutenant colonel. They had just arrived, and due to a misalignment in command, they were assigned the same mission as the 5st Battalion, 13st Regiment, 871th Division.

Lieutenant Colonel Sanchez saw that the Chinese had briefly reunited these American and British scattered soldiers and had unexpectedly unleashed such combat power. He immediately realized that this was a good learning opportunity. Without hesitation, he condescended to accept the command of Chinese Major Liu and prepared for a shocking battle.

After listening to Major Biss's introduction, Major Liu rushed over without hesitation to meet with Lieutenant Colonel Sanchez. Including the US Marine battalion, his total force reached a staggering 3000 men, surpassing the 871st Regiment. After a brief discussion, the two men decided that with over 3000 men concentrated here, it would be better to expand the force. They planned to split the force into two groups, launch a counterattack, and retake the border area occupied by the Germans.

Soon, the established combat plan was implemented. The 871st Battalion of the 1st Regiment and the attached American and British skirmishers attacked from the left, and the Marine Battalion made a detour from the right. Under the instruction of Major Liu, the Marine Corps also quickly organized a commando team according to the Chinese style. The Marine Corps' tank battalion (24 wheeled armored vehicles) secretly passed through a block, and the remaining troops began to advance from various hidden locations according to the new commando team organization.

On the left, the 871st Battalion of the 1st Regiment and its attached American and British skirmishers charged towards the German-held block like a tiger descending from a mountain. Under the command of Major Liu, they coordinated and quickly broke through the German's first line of defense. Gunfire and explosions echoed, and bullets rained down on the German positions, sending up clouds of dust.

On the right, soldiers from the Marine Battalion, driving wheeled armored vehicles, sped through the streets. Machine gunners on the vehicles' roofs fired relentlessly, providing cover for the infantry. Like ghosts, the Marines' tank battalion weaved between the blocks, quickly infiltrating the German rear.

They charged forward with valiant force, engaging the Germans in fierce hand-to-hand combat. The cries of the soldiers and the screams of the Germans mingled in a terrifying cacophony. House after house was blown up, flames shot up into the sky, and smoke filled the air. The German fortifications gradually crumbled under the fierce Allied assault, and they began to retreat.

However, the German army did not give up easily. They organized a tenacious resistance and tried to stop the Allied offensive. The two sides fought fiercely in every street and every house, and the battle entered a white-hot stage.

"Boom boom boom!" The German flank came under sudden fire, revealing the concealed Type 41 rocket launchers. The barrage rained down, destroying one before it could evade it. Then, a dozen wheeled armored vehicles appeared. These were small vehicles, their guns small in caliber, but their dense fire, like a raging torrent, dealt a fatal blow to the Germans.

"Retreat! Retreat!" the German lieutenant colonel shouted grimly. The enemy's two-pronged attack had disrupted his deployment, and he was outnumbered. Continuing to hold on would only put his troops in a desperate situation. He decisively ordered his troops to evacuate the area, while simultaneously calling for reinforcements from the troops behind him.

When they retreated to the last few tall buildings to defend, support troops rushed over quickly, with a fierce German tank company rushing in the front. The tanks' muzzles spewed fire, and shells whizzed towards the US Marines' wheeled vehicles.

"Boom!" A wheeled tank was hit, and a huge flame instantly engulfed the entire vehicle. The soldiers on board had no time to evacuate and were immediately surrounded by the flames. Their screams echoed across the battlefield.

"Panther Gs, Panther Gs! Get back! Quick!" A captain in charge of the frontline command was frantic. He quickly ordered the tanks to retreat into the buildings and ordered the assault teams to occupy advantageous terrain and prepare to block the attack. Behind him, several 105mm short-range rocket launcher teams quickly assembled their gun mounts and adjusted their parameters. Their movements were skillful and swift, as if they were racing against time.

At this point, regardless of whether the barrel contained a high-explosive or armor-piercing round, the gunner gave the order, and with a roar of "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" countless flames shot up into the air, rapidly flying towards the German tank group. "Boom, boom, boom" the dense explosions resounded through the sky, and the German tank column was engulfed in a sea of ​​fire.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, several anti-tank fighters appeared in every corner holding the new "Bazooka 2". These armor-piercing rockets, which were strengthened to a huge caliber of 88mm, would be the devil of German tanks in close combat. If they were hit accidentally, the entire vehicle would definitely go to hell.

The German army encountered a rocket attack. Although not many were damaged or destroyed, it also gave them a clear warning. The commander hid in the vehicle and shouted to each crew to maintain formation, take turns to cover, and attack cautiously.

He also called the infantry company following behind, asking them to expand in all directions and search for and attack suspected enemies. The grenadier lieutenant colonel also rushed out of a building, took over the infantry signalman's microphone, and contacted the tank convoy. The two sides quickly agreed on a joint attack method.

With a wave of the lieutenant colonel's hand, the German grenadiers rushed out of the building again. Several German rocket launchers that retreated were reloaded with ammunition, lowered their elevation angles, and launched a barrage of artillery fire at the block they had just retreated from at almost a level angle.

The German tanks immediately began to move. Around each tank, scattered about a dozen German infantrymen and grenadiers, soon, fierce fighting broke out again in the ruins.

"Report!" A staff officer rushed into the command center and reported to Kuang Zhengqi and a group of commanders.

General Li Zongfang, the temporary chief of staff, took his battle report, looked at it carefully, and forwarded the telegram to Kuang Zhengqi. He then began to work on the map to dynamically display the new trends.

This was a joint battle report from the First Battalion and the U.S. Marine Corps Battalion. After several rounds of fighting, they recaptured some blocks, but the German tanks and rocket launchers outside the blocks dealt a heavy blow to the infantry camp. They had to abandon the plan to completely recapture the blocks and continue to adopt an active defense strategy, luring the German army deep into the blocks and engaging in street fighting with them!