It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 127 | First Taste of the Golden Soup

Despite the poor weather conditions, the Imperial Russian Air Force persisted in carrying out the air raids on Budapest.

Train stations, waterworks, power plants, and docks were all targets of the Imperial Russian bomber formations, with the aim of maximally undermining the defenders' ability to resist for an extended period.

Looking at the dense mass of aircraft in the sky, Shang Ke wished he could immediately call for the anti-aircraft artillery positions to shoot them all down.

Unfortunately, in order to counter enemy tanks, on his advice, two-thirds of the large-caliber anti-aircraft guns were dispersed and deployed in bunkers at key street intersections, serving as fixed artillery positions.

The sporadic anti-aircraft fire had little effect; the gray-black smoke was sparse, and only a few bombers could be seen to have been hit and damaged, turning back eastward with trails of black smoke.

"Boom-boom-boom-"

The deafening roar of the aerial bombs was deafening, and towering plumes of smoke rose from many parts of the city.

The power supply was quickly cut off. The army didn't seem to care, as each division and regiment started up its own gasoline generators. However, the civilians stranded in the city were likely to have to relive the days before the electrical age.

In the afternoon, the probing attack on the city center officially began.

In the direction of the northern city, a battalion of the 337th Infantry Regiment of the 113th Infantry Division of Ivan Ross began its advance towards the enemy under the cover of several T-26 tanks, spreading out and approaching the Krakap district.

The buildings on both sides of the street were largely intact. The previous shelling was not large-scale and was mainly intended to deter, so it did not cause much damage to civilian buildings.

The afternoon here is quiet, as if deserted and empty.

The Russian soldiers maintained a dispersed formation, divided into several groups, and moved slowly into the interior along the three streets.

Perhaps the defending troops have already abandoned the city and fled?

Why is there no sound at all?

Apart from the sound of soldiers' footsteps, the only other sound was the roar of tank engines.

The lieutenant in the leftmost squad felt an indescribable panic; he even hoped to hear the defenders fire their guns.

The female warrant officer behind him, Sorokina, was a tall young woman. She said nervously, "I can sense them, Lieutenant. They're waiting in the shadows."

"Sorokina, has the enemy used a shielding ability?" The lieutenant looked around warily.

"definitely."

Just then, the lead group of six or seven soldiers advanced to the side of several abandoned cars.

The trunk of the last car was half open, and it appeared to contain a large leather suitcase. A watch lay scattered next to the exhaust pipe.

Someone couldn't resist bending down to pick up the watch and putting it in their pocket, then opened the trunk.

"boom!"

The violent explosion came without warning!
The three pieces of TNT inside the large suitcase detonated simultaneously, and the nearby scouts were instantly engulfed in smoke and dust.

Bullets, as dense as popping beans, came from the front, and in the blink of an eye, several people were hit and fell to the ground. Immediately afterwards, rifle grenades also fell in the middle of the street.

In just ten seconds, the entire street was ravaged by a barrage of crossfire!
"The enemy's firepower is too intense!"

"Idiot! Throw the smoke grenade in front!"

"Get away from the wide streets! Get out of here!"

"Lieutenant, there are at least four machine guns. What should we do?"

The lieutenant shoved the female warrant officer aside, yelling, "Soldiers! Retreat into the buildings!"

The Russian soldiers scrambled and stumbled toward the civilian buildings on both sides of the street.

Some kicked down doors, others climbed through windows, managing to escape the killing zone.

“Poor coordination, we shouldn’t have fired so early. Remember this lesson.” On the second floor of a building to the right of the intersection, Shang Ke was observing the battle through a small hole in the wall.

An ambush is all about 'simultaneous firepower', meaning the weapon with the slowest bullet velocity should fire first.

The gun was fired first, then the grenade was launched. The enemy immediately lay down after hearing the gunshot. Even if the grenade exploded, it wouldn't kill many people.

Explosives are always the most effective weapon.

Shang Ke turned to the female sergeant beside him and asked, "Has the enemy's second echelon approached yet?"

The latter blinked, quickly communicated with the observation post located a hundred meters away on the top of a tall building, and reported back: "Approximately two hundred enemy infantrymen have been observed moving along Highway IV in loose formation. They are approaching the A16 area."

"Now I'm relaying the instructions, listen carefully." Shank pointed at the map with a pencil.

He ordered, "Concentrate firepower to control and suppress the enemy's follow-up forces. Two lines of fire are enough. Anti-tank teams should prioritize attacking the tanks at the rear. Close combat patrols, prepare to move in and eliminate the enemy hiding in the buildings!"

"Yes! I understand!" The female sergeant nodded heavily.

As the defending side, pre-calibrating and calculating the firing parameters for each area is a basic operation.

Two blocks away in the square, there were five or six mortar bunkers, all made of sandbags and salvaged tables and chairs.

The mortar command immediately organized effective firing according to the instructions, and they flipped through their notebooks and booklets to directly copy the firing data.

"Attention! Area A16, Highway IV, unprotected enemy infantry unit, instant fuse, effective fire, four rounds, prepare to fire."

The Hungarian soldiers immediately got to work, turning knobs to adjust the elevation angle and attaching propellant charges to the tails of the mortar shells.

At 14:56 p.m., amidst the crisp sounds of bangs, more than ten 81mm mortar shells whistled and flew two kilometers away.

After firing four rapid shots in quick succession, the mortar switched to firing at a constant rate with long intervals, thus pinning the enemy in place and leaving them unable to advance or retreat.

The shells burst into brilliant light amidst the crowd, and the scattered fragments stirred up a storm of blood and carnage!
The Russian soldiers lay down for cover, and the cries for help from the wounded were heart-wrenching!
The sudden attack caused significant losses to the second echelon following up; an entire infantry company was slapped in the face before even entering the city.

Upon seeing this scene, Lieutenant Colonel Smirnov in the armored vehicle immediately realized that something was wrong.

Sure enough, something strange happened to the buildings in the distance; tiny bullet holes kept appearing on the walls, and dust and debris were flying everywhere.

"This is a trap!" Smirnov hurriedly picked up the signal pistol and instructed, "Provide cover for the first echelon, have the tanks reverse back, and help them retreat."

A green signal flare shot straight into the sky.

At this moment, for the Imperial Russian soldiers who had retreated into civilian buildings to avoid crossfire on the streets, the brief period of safety was fleeting.

As it turns out, they were just escaping from one hell to another.

The two soldiers had barely stepped into the stairwell when a barrage of bullets came raining down on them before they could even react.

"There are enemies!"

"They're on the second floor!"

"Grenade!"

A dark, shiny thing rolled down the stairs and exploded as soon as it hit the floor!
It was obvious that the Hungarian soldier who threw the grenade was an experienced soldier; he deliberately waited two seconds after the handle flew off before throwing it.

The Imperial Russian soldiers in the stairwell and living room were in complete chaos, as the Mosin-Nagant rifle was practically useless in the cramped space!
At this moment, in the storage room outside the two rooms...

Two days ago, a small hole was chiseled into the ceiling. Upstairs, several Hungarian soldiers moved the sofa blocking the hole and threw down a rope.

"It's time to surprise them! Let's go!"

The female sergeant major, with a Danuvia submachine gun slung over her waist, exchanged a glance with the person next to her, nodded slightly, and then took the lead in grabbing the rope and sliding down.

(End of this chapter)