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

Chapter 172 | Do you know how hard I've worked?
Sunset West Mountain.

Panhard armored vehicles travel on the dilapidated, potholed streets.

As we passed through the recently concluded war zone, the wreckage of Russian-made tanks and armored vehicles was still burning, with black plumes of smoke rising straight into the sky.

Shank saw corpses scattered along the roadside, and rows of prisoners were being escorted westward.

“The Ivanros and the Romanians are too weak; they are not formidable opponents,” Morro said dismissively.

Shank's lips twitched, and he poured cold water on her, saying in a low voice, "You should know that the troops sent to Hunry were only second-rate. The strongest forces are attacking Valland. Bolin is now in dire straits. If Valland is defeated, you will face Ivanros's millions of troops."

“That’s nothing to be afraid of. One of our divisions can take on three Ivan Ross divisions,” Morrow continued stubbornly.

The convoy coming from the opposite direction consisted of Citroën and Peugeot trucks, towing anti-tank guns and howitzers, followed by a large number of Mariana soldiers in two columns.

The city of Perth on the east bank of the Danube has been reduced to ruins after nearly two months of fighting, with rubble and debris everywhere.

The fires caused by the fierce fighting also destroyed a large number of buildings. The Romanian army looted extensively, and some people even committed arson to cover up their war crimes.

After passing through three checkpoints, the armored vehicle finally arrived in front of Citibank.

At that time, Citibank served as the city's defense command, and the Capitol Building, located across the street, was the last stronghold of the remaining defenders.

The once sturdy reinforced concrete building is now unrecognizable, with more than a dozen huge bomb craters clearly visible on its exterior walls, demonstrating just how fierce the desperate battle that took place a few days ago was.

"My God! I'm not seeing things, am I? Colonel Shang? You're still alive!"

A gasp came from the side, and a lieutenant colonel staff officer with a bandage on his arm walked over quickly. When he realized it was indeed Mr. Shang, he couldn't help but shout loudly.

This man was one of the staff officers in the city defense command, and Shang Ke remembered him.

Shang Ke deliberately put on a serious face and said, "Of course I'm still alive."

After his initial joy, the lieutenant colonel became somewhat embarrassed and said with a troubled expression, "You've been missing for several days; we all thought you were dead."

After saying that, the lieutenant colonel added, "I heard that the higher command has already notified the embassy and even issued the relevant certificate."

Seriously? That's way too hasty! How can you assume you're already dead when you're still alive?
Upon hearing this, Shank panicked and quickly ran into the Citibank building...

Shang is alive? He returned safely after being missing for several days and nights? And he even managed to capture two battalions of Romanian soldiers with just a dozen or so men?
Commander Lieutenant General Caroy and the officers present stared at each other in disbelief.

Logically speaking, it would be good enough to hide and survive on your own, let alone pull off a big heist before finally escaping. It's just too legendary.

As for why it is said that Mr. Shang died, it is mainly because the Battle of Budapest was too brutal.

As is well known, KIA (Killed in combat) and MIA (Missing in combat) are two different concepts, with the latter potentially converting to the former under certain conditions. In low-intensity warfare, one would typically wait several months after being declared missing before being classified as killed in combat. However, in a bloodbath like the Battle of Budapest, most people wouldn't survive more than a few days, let alone an officer who went missing during a breakout.

Lieutenant General Caro was extremely grateful to Mr. Shang, and personally inquired about his experiences over the past few days.

Then, Lieutenant General Caroye waved his hand and ordered a lieutenant colonel staff officer to personally 'supervise' him as he crossed the river, for a simple reason—Shang (in his physical condition) needed to rest and recuperate.

At the beginning, some people questioned this comprehensive city defense system, but these doubts quickly dissipated as the defense battle intensified.

The precarious situation has now been reversed. The outnumbered defenders not only held out against the overwhelming enemy forces for two months, but also inflicted heavy casualties on the invading enemy.

The tangible results prove that the 'three-dimensional composite urban defense deployment' is very effective. It can greatly limit the attacking side's troop strength and firepower, level the playing field between the two sides, and gain a huge tactical advantage by destroying the city.

If we take the 'Lynard' counterattack plan as a watershed, the period before it was the first phase of the Battle of Budapest, and the period after it was the second phase.

In the first phase of the campaign, the weaker Hunnic army inflicted incredible casualties on the invading enemy.

During the nearly two-month-long fierce battle, the defending forces initially numbered only 4.2 men. According to statistics, they were intermittently replenished with 3.3 men, mostly new recruits with only a small number of officers.

匈尔瑞军队总伤亡6.6万人，其中死亡1.9万人，另外损失各种身管火炮239门、坦克30辆、汽车230辆、飞机202架。

作为进攻方的伊凡罗斯军队蒙受了严重伤亡，总伤亡多达10.1万人，其中死亡2.88万人，一共损失火炮86门、坦克121辆、汽车308辆、飞机234架。

As the attacking side, the artillery suffered fewer losses, but the tanks, which needed to support the infantry advance, were extensively damaged.

This only represents the casualties of Ivanros's army. The Romanian army, which joined the battle, played a supporting role, but it also suffered heavy losses, with seven or eight thousand casualties.

Considering the vast difference in troop strength and firepower between the two sides, the fact that the exchange ratio was close to one to two was largely due to the correct tactical guidance.

Shank himself didn't have high hopes at first. He thought it was a bit naive to let the mighty Ivan Rus' army be defeated in Budapest. He only wanted to dampen the Ivan Rus's spirit.

To everyone's surprise, the Hunnic army was so determined and fearless, and the Ivanlus army was so lacking in urban warfare capabilities.

This battle should be recorded in classic military history!

As Mr. Shang sighed, Moro became unhappy.

She muttered unhappily, "Aren't we the ones who will make the final decision? What if the expeditionary force hadn't come? The Ivanros were only a day away from victory."

“Colonel Shang, you have no idea how hard we worked,” Morel continued, pouting. “We traveled for days and nights in a stuffy train (fortified), unable to see the outside world. We could only tell if it was day or night by peeking through the cracks in the carriage doors. We had to relieve ourselves in a corner of the carriage, where there was only a cloth hanging to cover it, and the stench was constant. When we finally arrived, we didn’t get a single hour of rest before we were immediately assembled and sent to the front lines…”

Shank nodded slightly and took out a small and exquisite Colt pocket pistol from his officer's satchel, which he had previously found on a dead Captain Romania.

(End of this chapter)