Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1272 Fierce Attack on Baiji

Two hours before H, at 2:30 AM.

The southwestern outskirts of Baiji are a dry desert region.

Under the cover of darkness and terrain, the mercenaries of the Second Battalion silently infiltrated forward.

In the darkness, these elite mercenaries, dressed in desert ghillie suits and equipped with rifles and crossbows fitted with silencers, blended into the darkness with their thick face paint, appearing as if they were part of the night, and were not easily distinguishable even with infrared reconnaissance equipment.

Wells personally led a vanguard team, using thermal imaging and low-light night vision devices, to precisely locate and eliminate the two forward observation posts that 1515 had set up in the southwest direction.

The process was clean and efficient, with almost no sound.

Only the faint scraping sound of a dagger slicing through a throat and the muffled thud of a body falling to the ground were quickly carried away by the night wind.

A safe passage was quickly opened.

Soon, the engineers moved forward and cleared several paths through the enemy's minefield and barbed wire, making them passable for vehicles.

"The passageway has been cleared and is safe."

Wells' calm voice rang out on the radio channel.

Inside the command vehicle, Song Heping watched as the green dot representing the Second Battalion steadily advanced on the screen, while the red markers representing enemy outposts went out one by one.

He pressed the microphone: "First Battalion, the attack channel is open. It's your turn to make your move."

"First Battalion, understood!"

Milos's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Ten minutes before H, at 4:20 AM.

A convoy of armored vehicles, consisting of pickup trucks equipped with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, and a few armored personnel carriers, has assembled near the safe passage.

The First Battalion, responsible for the main attack, is fully prepared and is just waiting for the final assault.

Time ticked by, and a tense atmosphere permeated the air in the temporary command post at the rear.

Song Heping sat at a simple folding table, his eyes fixed on the spread-out battle map and the flashing communication terminal screen next to him.

He was holding a heavy ceramic cup filled with very strong green tea, the tea leaves almost filling half the cup.

He mechanically raised his cup and took a sip. The warm, bitter tea slid down his throat, but it did nothing to dispel the anxiety between his brows.

His gaze swept across the watch face for the third time—

It is 4:15 a.m.

There are only fifteen minutes left until the scheduled time H.

According to the original plan, the main force of the Abuyu Brigade should have already marched from the direction of Mosul to the west side of Baiji and entered the attack launch position.

They will be responsible for firing the first shot in this battle, launching a feint attack from the west to attract and tie down the main force and firepower of the defending enemy.

Only after confirming that the Abuyu Brigade has arrived and opened fire can his two mercenary battalions, serving as the main attack spearhead, launch a general offensive and deliver a fatal blow to Baiji's defenders.

However, the specific frequency belonging to the Abuyu Brigade remained unsettlingly silent on the communications channel.

The strict radio silence continues, which may be a good thing, meaning they are undetected and maneuvering covertly; but it could also mean they have encountered unexpected trouble and failed to arrive on time.

That's how the battlefield is.

luck.

Sometimes it is beyond human control.

"Still no news..."

Song Heping's fingertips unconsciously tapped the side of the cup.

He downed the remaining strong tea in his cup in one gulp, his eyes fixed on the screen representing the western battlefield, waiting for the decisive signal to appear.

Twelve minutes before H, at 4:18 AM.

A convoy of armored vehicles, consisting of pickup trucks equipped with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, and a few armored personnel carriers, has assembled near the safe passage.

The engine roared low, like a beast panting as it pounces on its prey.

Time ticked by, and the atmosphere on the battlefield grew increasingly tense.

4:30 am.

The radio channel light belonging to Abuyu's brigade finally flickered, changing from red to green, and Abuyu's rough voice came through—

"Boss, I'm in position. Attack now, right on time!"

Almost simultaneously, a burst of gunfire and explosions suddenly erupted from the west of Baiji!

The three thousand men of the Abuyu Brigade did not disappoint Song Heping; they arrived on time and launched their attack as scheduled!

Although they did not bring heavy artillery this time in order to speed up their journey, they possessed a large number of RPG rocket launchers, mortars, recoilless rifles, and heavy machine guns.

Although the firepower was chaotic, it was extremely powerful and quickly disoriented the 1515 garrison in the west of the city.

The city's alarms blared mournfully, instantly waking the sleeping city.

The attention of the 1515 garrison and the command system was drawn to this "main attack" from the west.

"Now!" Milos roared into the radio upon learning that the Abuyu Brigade had launched an attack in the west of the city. "First Battalion, attack!"

The long-accumulated torrent of steel suddenly unleashed its maximum kinetic energy!

The convoy surged forward along the passage cleared by the Second Battalion, rushing toward the southwestern defense line of Baiji like a flood bursting its banks!
It wasn't until the convoy was less than a kilometer away that the 1515 garrison to the southwest realized the deadly threat coming from their flank and rear!

Sporadic resistance fire broke out, but it was quickly destroyed under the suppression of the battalion's dense vehicle-mounted heavy machine guns and automatic grenade launchers.

The second battalion's marksmen and snipers occupied high ground in the rear and began efficiently eliminating any enemy commanders and firing positions that attempted to organize resistance.

The effect of the surprise attack was maximized.

The garrison on the eastern front was already small, and most of their attention was drawn to the feint attack on the west side of the city. Under the swift and thunderous blows of the two mercenary battalions, the defense line quickly collapsed.

"Don't stop! Head straight for the refinery!"

In the command post, Song Heping stared at the offensive progress on the screen and loudly reminded Milos, the commander of the First Battalion.

The convoy of the First Battalion broke through the outer defense line almost without any hindrance and sped towards the oil refinery area in the city center along the designated main road!

The Baiji oil refinery, the lifeblood of the city and its highest point, has now become the epicenter of the fiercest battle.

1515 stationed about a company of elite guards inside the refinery. After a brief period of panic, they finally reacted and began to build layers of firing positions, relying on the huge oil storage tanks, the intricate pipelines, and the sturdy factory buildings.

The first convoy of the battalion had just entered the refinery gate when it was met with fierce resistance.

Heavy machine gun bullets clanged against the vehicle's armor, while RPG rockets, trailing flames, shot out from the shadows, turning a pickup truck that had been charging too fast into a fireball.

"Dismount! Infantry mopping up!"

Milos gave the order decisively.

The mercenaries quickly jumped out from behind the vehicles, spread out in standard tactical formations, and, using various cover, engaged in brutal close-quarters street fighting with the defenders.

Gunshots, explosions, shouts, and screams echoed through the massive industrial facilities, and the air was filled with the smells of gunpowder, blood, and the pungent odor of petroleum.

"Wells, I'm stuck here on a hard stake. I need your mortar company to help me take out their heavy machine gun positions."

Milos hid behind the building, peeked at the heavy machine gun emplacement mounted on the split tower across the street, and then reported the coordinates over the radio.

"Coordinates received. Artillery support, arriving in thirty seconds."

Wells' reply was concise and to the point.

At the pre-arranged mortar positions behind the attack sequence, the mortar company of the 2nd Battalion immediately sprang into action.

The well-trained gunners quickly adjusted the firing angle and azimuth of the 81mm mortars based on the coordinates transmitted from the front.

The loader took a high-explosive fragmentation round from the ammunition box, held it in his hand, and slowly inserted the tail of the round into the gun barrel, awaiting the final command.

"One test shot for the entire company, fire!"

The gunner's command pierced through the cacophony of the battlefield.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Several deep, powerful gunshots rang out in succession, like heavy hammers striking the earth.

The gas ejected from the cannon instantly stirred up dust on the ground.

Several shells traced high arcs as they hurtled toward the oil refinery.

boom--

Boom!

The explosion occurred near the pyrolysis tower, but slightly off target.

"It missed! Ten meters to the right!"

Milos was yelling wildly on the radio.

The gunner immediately issued a correction order:

"Adjust parameters, shift left by 005, add two. Fire three rapid-fire rounds in a row! Fire!"

Almost as soon as Milos finished reporting the deviation, a new firing order was issued.

Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
This time, the shells landed with extreme precision.

A series of explosions resounded throughout the refinery, with the first salvo accurately covering the cracking tower and its surrounding area.

The scorching shrapnel and violent shockwave sent the wildly firing heavy machine gun and its gunner flying.

The tall steel structure trembled violently in the firelight, emitting a piercing sound.

"Good job!"

Milos's voice rang out again on the radio, announcing the destruction of the target.

The moment the key firing point was destroyed, the mercenaries of the first battalion seized the opportunity to rush towards the enemy position that had just been bombarded by artillery fire.

The fighting inside the oil refinery was extremely fierce; every meter of progress came at a cost.

Fortunately, the mercenaries of these "musicians" defenses far surpassed the fanatical 1515 defenders in both individual skill and tactical coordination.

They advanced step by step, constantly shrinking the living space of the defending troops.

　Asking for a monthly ticket! Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)