Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 495 Response
When the news of the fall of Mount Libona came, several key officers of the Humeta Fortress gathered together to discuss countermeasures.

"The situation was clear. Within one day, the enemy used two light cruisers with a displacement of about 1300 tons and four gunboats with a displacement of about 4 tons to carry out two rounds of bombardment on the Libona Hill Fortress Group, totaling about 700 hours. Together with the bombardment launched by the land attack, the enemy fired a total of 2 to 6000 shells of various types.

At the same time, the enemy also launched attacks from the south and east sides of the Libona Mountain fortress group, with a total attacking force of more than 3000.

The Han army was really generous, firing 6000 to 8000 artillery shells of various types in two hours. They were really willing to spend money.

It's a pity that Colonel Ramirez, a brave and loyal soldier of the Republic, was annihilated with his 1000-man army. If we had known that the Han army's attack would be so fierce, we should have sent reinforcements."

Colonel Evans, commander of the 1st Regiment of the 2nd Division of the Brazilian Army, lamented.

"Although the sacrifice of the 10rd Regiment of the nd Division was heartbreaking, it was also worth it. They resisted the enemy on the position for days until the last moment.
We should report back to Rio de Janeiro to honor and publicize the bravery and sacrifice of Colonel Ramirez."

Colonel Sanchez, commander of the Taksa Fortress Group, the main position of the Humeta Fortress, said: “As for sending reinforcements, General Davis had already issued an order for reinforcements. Unfortunately, we did not expect the enemy’s attack to be so fierce. The Libona Mountain position was lost before the reinforcements were deployed.

Moreover, the enemy fired 1300mm heavy artillery shells from a 120-ton light cruiser on the Paraguay River, covering the Libona Mountain position with artillery fire. The strength of the two armies was too different. Even if the reinforcements arrived in time, it would only increase casualties and could not change the fate of the Libona Mountain position being lost. "

Talking about the disparity in the strength of the two armies, Sanchez walked to a huge sand table in the center of the command room, pointed in the direction of the Humeta Fortress, and explained: "In mid-October, the two forces of the Han army's land and water attack merged, with a total strength of about 10. Four days ago, another reinforcement force of about 7 people came from the lower reaches of the Paraguay River and joined the attack on the Humeta Fortress. At present, the total number of enemy troops facing our army is estimated to be about 3.

The number of enemy ships is unknown, but based on the density of troops and the need to maintain normal combat supplies, it is estimated that there will be no less than 200 ships and more than 400 guns of various types. "

"The enemy has five times as many troops as ours, three times as many artillery pieces as ours, and their individual combat capabilities are also higher than ours. Fortunately, the enemy does not have siege cannons with a caliber of more than 150mm, otherwise, there would be no way we could continue this battle."

A middle-aged officer took a breath and said with some fear.

"The situation is not that bad, don't be discouraged."

Major General Miller, commander of the 5th Division of the Brazilian Army, stood up and said, "Although we have fewer troops and artillery than the enemy, our army also has its own advantages.

First of all, the Hume Tower Fortress was built on mountains and hills, with dozens of large and small fortresses. The distance between adjacent fortresses was moderate, and cross fire could be formed through artillery positions and machine gun firing ports to block the enemy's offensive channels. There were no blind spots and defensive dead spots, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Secondly, the Malshan Fortress Group and the Ulami Fortress Group are composed of two fortress groups, which are equipped with a total of 6 150mm fortress guns with a maximum range of more than 10km. They are extremely powerful and can block the river along the fortress and attack the enemy's water transport supply routes. In the absence of heavy artillery of the same caliber or above, it is basically impossible for the enemy to break through the two positions of the Malshan Fortress Group and the Ulami Fortress Group.

Third, the entire fortress has stockpiled enough combat and living supplies for 2 people to use for half a year, which is enough to support it until the end of the war.

Therefore, even if the enemy has an advantage in manpower and firepower, it is impossible to break through the fortress's defense system. Even if they are willing to sacrifice their lives, it is difficult to do so. "

Major General Miller, commander of the 10th Division of the Brazilian Army, paused for a moment, observed the reactions of the crowd, and continued, "Gentlemen, during the First Paraguayan War, Lopez Jr. led more than defeated soldiers and relied on the solid defense of Hume Tower to resist the Brazilian and Argentine coalition forces for nearly a year.
Our army now has twice as many artillery pieces as Lopez Jr., and the Republican soldiers' fighting will, morale, and weapons and equipment are far stronger than those of the Paraguayans. Since they were able to hold out for a year, we can certainly do it too.

Even if the war develops in the worst direction and the three fortress positions on the river bank are all lost, our army can retreat to the main position and continue to resist.

If we don’t completely capture the Humeta Fortress, the enemy’s water supply transportation route will always be threatened by our army. Even if the enemy continues to advance towards Asuncion at the risk of losing a large number of troops, they will have to leave a large number of troops to confront our army. In this way, our army can also play a role in pinning down the enemy’s main force and reduce the defensive pressure on the Asuncion front.”

"The Hume Tower Fortress has a complete defense system. It will not be easy for the Han army to conquer it."

Major General Davis, commander of the Second Division of the Brazilian Army, nodded in agreement, then changed the subject and said, "However, the Libona Mountain position cannot be abandoned, and we must organize troops to retake it.

If Mount Libona cannot be defended, the Malshan position will be threatened. If Mount Mal is lost, the cross-fire blockade formed by the high ground at both ends of the river fork entrance will be breached, and the enemy will be able to set up heavy artillery from the west river and the south Malshan to attack the Ulamishan position.

If all three positions of Libona Mountain, Mar Mountain and Urami Mountain are lost, the enemy can cross the Paraguay River and reach Asuncion directly. At that time, General Miller and I will both face the responsibility of Asuncion and Rio de Janeiro. "

Major General Davis was worried that some officers were too passive and would lose the courage to fight the enemy head-on, so he reminded them: "Fort Humeta is the most important line of defense for Asuncion. Although Admiral Santoro tried his best to build and improve the Asuncion city defense system after occupying Asuncion, and added a line of defense in Carapegua, due to the terrain disadvantage, Carapegua could only delay the land attack launched by the enemy from the south, while Asuncion has a flat terrain and is easy for the enemy to deploy heavy weapons such as artillery. After losing the cover of Fort Humeta, it will be difficult for Asuncion to resist the enemy's attack for a long time. Therefore, the three positions of Libona Mountain, Mar Mountain, and Ulami Mountain must be firmly grasped in our hands and must not be lost."

Fort Humeta has great strategic significance. Historically, Lopez Jr. fought hard for more than a year with the help of Fort Humeta against the 10 Brazilian and Argentinean forces. Finally, due to running out of ammunition and food, he was forced to break out and evacuate, and Fort Humeta was lost. After the fall of Fort Humeta, Asuncion soon fell into the hands of the Brazilian and Argentinean forces. Major General Davis personally participated in the First Paraguayan War and knew better than anyone else the importance of Fort Humeta to Asuncion.

"Your Excellency means to organize troops, launch a counterattack, and retake the Libona Mountain position?"

Major General Miller, commander of the Brazilian Army's 5th Division, probed.

"Yes, I suggest that we redeploy our forces in the face of the current situation and retake the Libona Mountain position."

"General Davis, I need to remind you of one thing. The current intensity and strength of the war is far higher than predicted before the war. The ammunition and supplies that were originally stockpiled based on the normal scale of the war can only last for two months at most, and less than half a year if the war continues like this."

"If the ammunition and supplies are insufficient, ask Admiral Santoro for more. The Libona Mountain position is one of the key positions for defending the Humeta Fortress. I believe Admiral Santoro understands the importance of holding on to the Humeta Fortress."

"If the problem of insufficient ammunition is solved, I agree with your Excellency."

Major General Miller was convinced by the other party and nodded in agreement.

"General Davis, General Miller, I have a suggestion."

"Please say."

"The closest distance between the Malshan position and Libona Mountain is about 400 meters. There is a mountain road about 30 meters wide from the southern part of Malshan to the northern part of Libona Mountain. It is easy to climb and is the best offensive route to retake Libona Mountain. I suggest that 700 people be drawn from the nearest Malshan, 800 people from the main position of the fortress, the Taksa Fortress Group, and 1500 people from the flank and rear positions. After the 3000 people are assembled, launch a counterattack against Libona Mountain from the north to retake the position."

Colonel Sanchez, the commander of the Taksa Fortress Group, the main base of the Humeta Fortress, spoke up.

"The northern part of Mount Libona is indeed an ideal attack route, and the main offensive forces can be concentrated in this direction."

Davis agreed with the other party's point of view, and then made some adjustments to the plan proposed by Colonel Sanchez.

"The enemy has deployed about 1 troops in the three positions of Tierraca, Lencia and Carapegua in the flank. They are continuously digging tunnels to shorten the distance with our fortress. The flank position is the only passage connecting Humeta Fortress and Asuncion. It cannot be lost. It is not suitable to withdraw troops from the flank defense line.

The two positions of Malshan and Ulamishan were more important. At the same time, they faced the threat of enemy naval gunfire from the river. Not only could they not withdraw troops, but they also had to strengthen their defensive forces.
I suggest that the last 2000 reserve troops be deployed, and 2500 troops be drawn from the Taxa fortress group, of which 800 will be sent to Mount Mal, 700 to Mount Ulami, and the remaining 1000 will be combined with the reserve troops to form an attack force and be deployed in the counterattack against Mount Libona. "

"But if we make this adjustment, the Taksa fortress group will be understaffed, and if we put all the reserve troops into the Libona position, if the enemy launches an attack at the same time and one of the fronts is breached by the enemy, we won't even have emergency mobile forces."

"Request reinforcements from Asuncion."

Davis gritted his teeth and made the decision.

"The Humeta Fortress can normally accommodate 6.5 people. The total force in Asunción and in Antequera, Concepcion and other places behind it exceeds 4000. We don't ask for more, but only for another troops to make up for the damage caused by the war. Admiral Santoro will agree."

Everyone reached a consensus on the battle plan, deployment of troops and other details. Davis walked to the other side of the sand table and said in a serious tone:
"The enemy had just occupied the Libona Hill position and had no time to repair the fortifications and forts destroyed by the bombardment. The northern offensive route was smooth.
It is dark at night and the enemy gunboats cannot provide reinforcements. We must seize this favorable opportunity and seize the position in one go.

Otherwise, in a few days, once the enemy had gained a foothold, moved their artillery and heavy machine guns to the top of the mountain, and reorganized their defenses, it would be even more difficult to drive them out.

Moreover, the rain has stopped now and the road conditions are gradually improving. In case the weather is abnormal and the sunny weather continues for the next half month, the enemy can take advantage of the brief gap in the improved road conditions to transport large-caliber heavy artillery to the front line by land, and then rely on Mount Libona to observe the positions of the heavy artillery on Mount Mal and Mount Ulami, and carry out saturation bombardment. At that time, the Humeta Fortress will be finished.

While the situation has not deteriorated, we should work together to launch a counterattack tonight and recapture the Libona position!"
(End of this chapter)