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

Chapter 132 | Taking Over the Military Police
The Budapest garrison already had a considerable number of submachine guns and shotguns, giving them a much higher equipment ratio than the enemy.

Mr. Shang gave a reasonable explanation for his request and quickly received a promise.

The 560 Browning automatic rifles on the Marilyn Mur were modified versions of the 7.92mm Mauser rifle cartridge produced by FN under license. They were actually used as light machine guns, equipped with bipods, and had the important improvement of detachable and replaceable barrels compared to the original version.

As for the 800 submachine guns, they were all second-hand Bergman MP18 submachine guns. These were the world's earliest submachine guns and the iconic equipment of the famous Storm Commando. Their performance was mediocre, except that their rate of fire of 400 rounds per minute was a bit slow.

The Ptutya people, short of cash, couldn't afford the expensive Steyr MP34 or Brno ZK-383, so they purchased surplus European war supplies that the Varlanders were selling off at low prices.

As for rifles, we don't need them; the garrison has plenty of bolt-action rifles.

After thinking it over, Shank decided that if they distributed the weapons evenly, these thousand-plus automatic weapons would be enough to significantly enhance the close-combat firepower of the Budapest garrison.

Then the Ivanros and Romanians were undoubtedly going to hit the jackpot.

In the last few days of early November, the siege battle took on an eerie 'peaceful' appearance, with neither side engaging in major ground combat, while the fighting continued in the air.

The air battle was most intense on the penultimate day. On that day, the Royal Hungarian Air Force and the Great Federal Volunteer Air Force fought fiercely in the skies, shooting down more than ten Imperial Russian bombers and fighters.

Several Imperial Russian pilots parachuted into Budapest, where three of them were surrounded and beaten to death by angry citizens. By the time the garrison patrol arrived, they could only collect their bodies.

On the same day, the headquarters of the 'Janosh-Hungati' gendarmerie regiment was inexplicably subjected to long-range fire.

The nearby troops quickly realized this was not a coincidence and began to inquire about the situation, but the landline had been cut off.

Telepathic communication came in handy at this critical moment. Under the terrifying barrage of artillery fire, the female sergeant of the military police regiment trembled, unsure of the situation in the bunker where the regimental commander was located.

"Something's not right." Shang Ke keenly sensed something amiss. He frowned and said, "Why is the artillery fire heading straight for their regimental headquarters?"

He carefully observed the shell's impact point and density through the artillery scope, estimating that it was probably a 107 or 122 mm high-explosive shell with a relatively low trajectory, dropping about 24 shells per minute, perhaps belonging to a cannon battalion-level unit.

After the intense bombardment ended, the surrounding soldiers were able to approach to assess the situation and rescue the wounded.

Unfortunately, the regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Gaizo, and more than thirty officers and soldiers were either killed or wounded.

Late at night, Lieutenant Colonel Gaizau died from his injuries despite all efforts to save him.

His last words were: "Please bury me on the banks of the Danube, and do not erect a tombstone yet. Move my grave after we have defeated the enemy."

This unexpected turn of events made Shang Ke extremely vigilant.

The targeting is too strong; it can't possibly be a coincidence!
He said in a deep voice, "This is too abnormal. It doesn't make sense according to common sense. It must be because our position was exposed that we were attacked by long-range fire."

With a solemn expression, Major General Ratz-Jené said slowly, "Are their concealment and camouflage adequate? The first consideration should be whether they were detected by enemy aerial reconnaissance."

Without hesitation, Shang Ke said, "I saw it when I passed by the day before yesterday. I remember it. The air defense camouflage was good, the camouflage netting was completely covering it, and all the obvious markers were hidden."

The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly.

The chief of staff beside him also asserted with certainty, "It must have been done by agents hiding in the city!"

Shang Ke bluntly suggested, "Be careful, it's possible that not only the headquarters of the Military Police Regiment has been exposed. Now all departments that are not using sturdy buildings as cover should relocate quickly to avoid further losses."

“Absolutely right.” Major General Yene nodded in agreement, then looked at Shang and asked, “Colonel Shang, if you don’t mind, I will now recommend to the city defense command that you take over command of the military police.”

Corresponding to command authority is responsibility; he is not only accountable to the more than three thousand officers and soldiers, but also to fulfill the mission of this regiment. Now, he is destined to be unable to remain uninvolved. Shang Ke thought to himself.

He nodded slightly and solemnly agreed, "Okay, I will do my best."

Major General Yene laughed and joked to the Chief of Staff, "I think our enemies are going to suffer."

The latter corrected, "To be precise, it means suffering more."

The city defense command couldn't find a better candidate than Mr. Shang for the time being.

Moreover, having Mr. Shang command the 'Janosh-Hunyatti' military police regiment is a perfect fit for his profession.

How could a regimental-level unit be without a commanding officer? So the order from the commander was issued swiftly.

János-Hungati was a regent in Hunnic history and an outstanding military strategist. In the mid-15th century, he led a multinational coalition of Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany to defeat the Ottoman army, repeatedly achieving victories against overwhelming odds.

This military police regiment is an honorary unit directly under the Royal Army General Staff; you can tell from its name that it has a significant background.

Shank had heard of this unit; its predecessor was one of the sixteen customs (border guard) police battalions of Hurghia, composed entirely of experienced veterans and the best recruits. At the time, Hurghia was constrained by the Treaty of Criannon and could not openly expand its military, so in order to ensure its defense capabilities, it devised these borderline operations and successfully preserved a group of excellent recruits.

The organization of the military police corps is roughly as follows:
Military Police Battalion ×3
Engineer Company

Artillery Company (6 65mm infantry guns)
>Cavalry Company (17 armored vehicles)

Air defense squadron (6 12mm anti-aircraft machine guns)

Motorcycle Patrol Squadron

Field Communications Company
>Supply Squadron
The three battalions under its command also had their own weapons companies (4 81mm mortars and 8 heavy machine guns), which was considered a medium level of firepower among European armies.

After taking over the military police, Shank immediately began a surprise inspection of the unit's duty, sentry posts, patrols, and internal affairs.

After the inspection, recalling how he had painstakingly trained the royal guards a few months ago, trying every means to transform them from a rabble into a qualified army, and then looking at the well-trained military police regiment in front of him, Mr. Shang almost cried.

In name only, the acting commander of the military police regiment was Major Mirko, the battalion commander of the first battalion.

However, his orders were to follow the instructions of a certain Shang, who was the actual commander.

Major Mirko, who is just over 1.8 meters tall, has been serving on the front line for ten years. At that time, the 'Hungati' military police regiment was just a customs police battalion stationed at the border crossing, and he was only a second lieutenant.

Mirko didn't care who commanded the troops; he just wanted to fight the invaders head-on.

"...Since the outbreak of the war, our regiment has always been one of the general reserves and has never had the opportunity to fight the enemy. My soldiers and I have had enough of this cowardly life."

He said bitterly, "We have been waiting for the opportunity to fight, to prove our loyalty and courage to our motherland with the blood of the enemy or our own."

The newly built regimental headquarters, located in a different place, was still quite messy. Here, more than a dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on Shang.

With a smile on his face, Shang Ke said calmly, "There's no point in saying more. Hurry up and get the regimental headquarters ready. I need to get to work."

(End of this chapter)