Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 280 The End

"Kill those who resist and refuse to surrender!"

The sounds of gunfire, artillery fire, and explosions mixed together, and the city of Buenos Aires was filled with the sounds of fighting.

The National Defense Forces that entered the city divided themselves into regiments, battalions, and companies, and dispersed to encircle and suppress the stubbornly resisting Argentine soldiers.

Ten men in a group, one hundred in a team, machine guns clearing the way, small mountain artillery and mortars following up. After suffering more than 1,300 casualties, the National Defense Army gradually took the initiative in the street fighting in the city, and continued to disperse and cut the Argentine troops into isolated small units.

Without the guidance and orders of the central command center, although there are still 50,000 remaining troops in Buenos Aires, the situation of each fighting on their own can only bring some minor troubles to the National Defense Forces, but cannot change the doomed fate of the Argentine Federal Army.

At 3:20 p.m., an Argentine force of more than 9,000 people broke through the blockade of a small number of National Defense Army soldiers, escaped from the west of the city, and fled to the northeast.

At 4:00 p.m., the National Defense Forces surrounded the city. Except for the 20,000 soldiers who escaped from the city in advance, the remaining 30,000 Argentine federal troops were all besieged in Buenos Aires, including the Argentine President Mitre who luckily survived.

The midday shelling caused Mitre to be affected by the explosion and was unconscious for about three hours. When he woke up and asked the surrounding military and political leaders about the progress of the battle, Gretzwig had been killed by a shell, and thousands of Wehrmacht soldiers poured into the gaps in the city walls.

I want to save the country, but I am powerless to change the situation!
The Buenos Aires defense line that Mitre had carefully laid out ultimately failed to save the Argentine Federation from its impending doom. Even after the city was captured, Mitre was surrounded by Colonel Brest's 3,000 militiamen and Lieutenant General Napier's 5,000 regular troops, but the desperate street fighting in the city still inevitably ended in failure.

The troops gathered around him were getting fewer and fewer, and the personnel sent out to contact the remaining troops in the city had not sent back any news for a long time. He forced himself to stand up and look outside. All he saw were wounded soldiers covered in wounds and a battlefield filled with roaring artillery fire.

"We lost, completely lost. The federal government was completely destroyed in my hands!"

A line of tears flowed from the corners of his eyes, and Mitre cried bitterly with his body shaking.

"Urgent report from the front!"

In an ancient castle that temporarily served as a command center, hurried footsteps were heard from outside.

"Mr. President, the situation is critical! General Napier was shot and killed. Colonel Brest temporarily took over the battlefield command. Colonel Brest is organizing the troops to rebuild the defensive position. The enemy is less than two kilometers away from our command center. The colonel begs the President to consider the overall interests of the Federation and urgently withdraw from the city."

"Thank Colonel Brest for his kindness. Go back and tell the colonel that there is no president who escapes in Argentina. Let him lead the frontline troops to fight well and don't lose the dignity of Argentine soldiers in front of the enemy!"

Mitre had already experienced the worst situation, and the death of an Argentine general in front of him did not stir up any waves in his heart.

“Please tell Colonel Brest and the soldiers on the front line that the federal army’s unfavorable situation is not the fault of the Argentine soldiers, but the enemy has too much advantage. Before facing the final defeat, I, Mitre, will only fulfill my last military duty with the federal soldiers and will never be a president who runs away!

Go back and tell the soldiers on the front lines that the Argentine president will never abandon his troops and run away!"

The haggard look was replaced by determination. Mitre emphasized twice that he would not abandon his subordinates and retreat. On the one hand, it was because the Wehrmacht's defense line was tightened and the possibility of the remaining troops breaking through successfully was very low. On the other hand, because of the failure of the war, he himself had lost the confidence to continue to lead the troops to persist in guerrilla warfare.

Being in a desperate situation and determined to die, his state of mind at this moment was the same as that of the Argentine troops fighting in the city, which was just a struggle before death.

After listening to Mitre's speech, the last glimmer of hope of the surrounding Argentine soldiers was shattered. Resentment, regret, resentment, all kinds of emotions lingered in the hearts of the soldiers in the temporary command center.

Everyone seemed to have lost all vitality in an instant. They squatted on the ground numbly, waiting for the final moment of death to arrive.

"Good news! Good news!" The numb and decadent communications officer looked at the last printed telegram, and his eyes instantly regained vitality.

"Telegram from the Brazilian Empire! The British Expeditionary Force left Rio de Janeiro yesterday and is expected to arrive in Buenos Aires tomorrow night!"

The communications officer waved the telegram in his hand excitedly and ran quickly to Mitre and other Argentine senior officials.

"His Majesty Pedro II, the Emperor of the Brazilian Empire, and Sir Gordon, the Commander of the British Expeditionary Force, suggested that the President should preserve the military strength of the Federation Army and ensure the President's safety while waiting for the three-nation coalition to unite and attack the Han National Defense Army!"

"It's too late. If the British had arrived two days earlier, the situation of the federal government wouldn't have deteriorated to this extent!"

There was only a glimmer of fire in his heart, but it was immediately extinguished by the harsh reality. Mitre was suddenly filled with mixed feelings, unable to express them in words.

"Mr. President, there are 50,000 federal government troops in Buenos Aires, and tens of thousands of Urquiza's troops outside the city are only a hundred miles away from Buenos Aires. If the President is determined to break out of the siege of the National Defense Army, there is a chance of success. Time is running out, and the President must not hesitate any longer and miss the last chance!"

Seeing hope of survival in despair, everyone turned their eyes to Mitre and tried to persuade him earnestly.

"With the loss of the main force of the federal army, Mitre should have lived and died with the city of Buenos Aires. However, the situation has changed. For the sake of the overall situation, Mitre has to break his original promise and keep his old and weak body to do his best for the federal government. Everyone, please understand Mitre's difficulties."

Being old and sick, with not much time left, it was at this moment that Mitre changed his mind. Breaking out of the city to meet the British Expeditionary Force would be more painful than dying in the city. However, for the federal government he had worked for all his life, Mitre put aside his concerns and chose to compromise in order to survive.

As night fell, a thin mist filled the air. The sound of gunfire in the city gradually weakened after nightfall. Only about 6,000 Argentine troops were left around Mitre. At 11 o'clock at night, gunfire suddenly broke out at the junction of the two sides' positions. The Argentine troops concentrated their remaining machine guns, artillery and other heavy weapons to attack the Wehrmacht's defensive positions.

"Your Highness is truly a master planner. The Argentines really chose to break out at midnight."

On the top floor of the former Argentine City Hall, Luo Linshan looked at a fierce firefight in the city and complimented Li Mingyuan.

"They are fighting for survival. Not all Argentine officers are like Mitre, who is not afraid of death even at an old age. If they have a chance to survive, they will definitely not let it go."

Li Mingyuan said lightly.

The intelligence that the British Expeditionary Force was about to arrive in Buenos Aires was learned from the announcement of the naval forces. At the same time, during the street fighting in the city in the afternoon, the captured Argentine gendarmerie commander Major General Berdych also revealed all the intelligence about the Argentine troops. Therefore, in response to the possible breakout attempt by the Argentine troops in the city, Li Mingyuan ordered the troops to make targeted response deployments.

"Your Highness is wise. A large number of Argentine troops are defending the city. If our army wants to eliminate them, it will inevitably suffer two to three thousand casualties. However, if they give up their defensive advantages and attack the defense line built by our army, hehe, they will be in trouble."

"Don't let your guard down. The troops that can hold out to the end and not surrender are all Mitre's direct subordinates. Facing such a cunning enemy, we cannot be careless at all."

"I understand that I will not let the Argentines take advantage of this loophole and escape."

"Well, I'll go back and rest first. Tomorrow morning I hope to hear the good news that you have wiped out the remaining Argentine troops!"

"Your Highness, please rest assured that there will be no Argentine armed forces of any size in Buenos Aires before tomorrow morning."...

Thanks to Dean Hanjia i and I Want to Fall in Love for their support!

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(End of this chapter)