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

Chapter 261 | Nip it in the bud

"We finally defeated them!"

"Well done, Marines!"

"Oh hoo!"

"Oh yeah!"

"It seems the Ivanros are not invincible."

"Of course, buddy, they're just human beings too."

The Marines' faces beamed with the joy of victory.

On this night of the full moon, the special task force led by Shang, at the cost of losing 3 armored vehicles and suffering a total of 88 casualties, annihilated 10 tanks and approximately 300 enemies.

On the surface, this may seem like a small-scale tactical victory that has little to do with the big picture, but if you take a longer view...

At least for the military, a particular machine of violence, a sense of collective honor is of paramount importance.

A proud sense of honor and an indomitable spirit can make an army resilient in adversity, while an army that is terrified will be as vulnerable as a dog with a broken spine.

MacArthur led an army of hundreds of thousands, possessing a three- to four-fold numerical advantage, yet was utterly routed by the small Ivan Ross Expeditionary Force.

This is not only an eternal disgrace, but also a shadow that the American Army will never forget, haunting it like a nightmare.

If one cannot escape the shadows, one will fear the enemy like a tiger for a day.

Shank also found it difficult to say for sure when the American Army would be able to regain its former glory.

At least, tonight's battle successfully nipped the fear in the bud, boosting the morale of the Marines, just as fear was about to spread from the Army to the Marines.

"Sir, today's battle proves that although the Ivanros have defeated the major land powers of Europe, they are not an invincible force. Their myth has been shattered. Sir, you are truly an excellent tactician."

Gazing at the tank wreckage still burning like a bonfire, Major Green sighed with genuine emotion.

"Shattered the myth of invincibility?" Shank couldn't help but laugh, patting the tank beside him, and said leisurely, "Major, hold yourself to a higher standard. It's just a few tanks and infantry; it's embarrassing to talk about it..."

Just as everyone was celebrating, a sudden loud bang was heard, and a fierce orange flash illuminated the earth.

"boom!!!"

Turning my head to the right, I saw a huge mushroom cloud made of flames rising from the direction of the port, which lasted for more than ten seconds before dissipating.

Immediately afterwards, a second and third explosion rang out, and a second and third mushroom cloud appeared one after another.

Everyone was stunned.

Atomic flash detected to the right front! Lie down facing away from the epicenter!
Oops! We've mixed up the shows!

If a nuclear explosion were to occur, everyone would be temporarily blinded on the spot due to light radiation; it wouldn't be that easy.

The shockwave swept across their faces, and a strange, unpleasant odor, seemingly a mixture of gasoline and asphalt, filled the air.

Shank picked up the flashlight and looked at the map, then calmly said, "That's the direction of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard."

At the same time, the Philadelphia Shipyard, an asset of the United States federal government, was dedicated to building various warships for the Navy. It had three large dry docks and two large slipways, capable of simultaneously constructing four large capital ships. Historically, many heavy cruisers and Iowa-class battleships were built here.

Now, the vanguard of the Imperial Russian forces has closed to within just a few blocks of the shipyard, practically within arm's reach.

To prevent the shipyard from being exploited by invaders, the base troops remaining there detonated the explosives that had been laid beforehand, blowing it up.

The dock gates, slipway rails, generators, ammunition depots, oil storage tanks, oil pipelines, gantry cranes... every single facility was destroyed without exception!
Thermite emits a dazzling white light when burned, releasing temperatures of two to three thousand degrees Celsius, enough to melt steel.

"Boom!"

The steel twisted and deformed, emitting a sharp squeak, and the tall crane collapsed with a crash.

Three blocks north of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard stood the Philadelphia branch of Wells Fargo Bank, a crucial gateway. The American soldiers defending this location temporarily halted the advance of the Imperial Russian vanguard, only surrendering after the shipyard's key facilities had been destroyed.

Later in the night.

The shipyard was engulfed in flames, and the fighting in the city inevitably triggered the fire. The fire illuminated half of the eastern sky, as if the sun had risen early.

Witnessing their country's cities fall to the flames of war was a terrible experience for the soldiers; sorrow and resentment filled their hearts.

"I wonder when we'll be able to take back this city," Major Green said, looking lost in thought.

"It won't be long." Shank, who was smoking a cigarette, put away his binoculars and waved his hand. A marine came over carrying an oil drum and poured it on the tank.

Shank threw his nearly burnt-out cigarette butt at the tank, and in an instant, the T-34 was engulfed in flames. The number 342 on the turret was quickly burned and blackened, becoming unrecognizable.

"Get the wounded together and onto the vehicles. We'll evacuate in fifteen minutes. Get ready!"

After taking in another group of defeated soldiers, Shang Kecai led the special task force to retreat calmly, returning along the country road they had come from.

It is impossible to accurately count how many people participated in the defense of Philadelphia.

There were about three or four thousand defeated soldiers after the Battle of Albany. Some Philadelphia residents and police also resisted, and there were also troops left behind at the naval base. All in all, there were probably several thousand people.

Unfortunately, their resistance was of little effect and did not cause much damage to the invaders. The Imperial Russian forces attacked and cleared Philadelphia in just two days and one night, with total casualties of less than a thousand.

In Shang's view, the Battle of Philadelphia was a complete failure, a classic example of a failed battle worthy of being included in military academy textbooks.

During the Battle of Philadelphia, the U.S. military lacked unified coordination. The nominal commander of the city's defenses was unable to effectively control the overall situation. Most of the time, this unlucky commander could only command a few companies around him, which was almost like a situation where "an imperial edict could not leave the Forbidden City".

As for other troops and militia groups, they mostly fought their own battles, or even engaged in infighting, resulting in chaotic and disorganized fighting.

These guys looked incredibly brave, fighting to the death and indeed paying a bloody price, but in the end, the results showed that they had only killed or wounded eight or nine hundred invaders.

After successfully returning to Washington, D.C., Shank discovered that Xia Zhizun had also arrived.

The two had worked together in Hungary last year and were quite familiar with each other.

A villa behind the Potomac River defense line has now been requisitioned as one of the reserve command posts. Xia Zhizun tapped the map on the table with his index finger, complaining with exasperation.

"I didn't expect the Americans to play so badly. In just a few days, both New York and Philadelphia have fallen."

(End of this chapter)