Why would I join the army if I can’t drive a Gundam!

Chapter 113 The Crossroads of Destiny
For the 100th Independent Battalion, this day was destined to be unforgettable. In the evening, the interference in communications had dissipated a lot, but the news that came was all bad news.

The entire 21st unit lost coordination and communication due to the interference of the rice grain, and then was attacked by the Zeon army.

The communication channels were filled with cries for help and warnings about attacks. The European forces of the Federal Army were clearly not yet accustomed to this complex combat environment with so much interference, but it was too late to adapt now.

As the fist force of the Third Army, the 21st Battalion was in a very bad situation. After losing coordination, the entire division could not even carry out effective defense. The scattered troops were cut and penetrated. Some troops were determined to hold on, while others had already retreated. This was the case with the friendly forces near the 100th Battalion. It can be said that at this moment, there were no friendly units within a radius of 100 kilometers of the entire th Battalion.

They are also the most forward troops in the entire division. In other words, to a certain extent, they have now broken through the main force of the Zeon army and entered the rear of the Zeon army.

After receiving the news from the signalman, Major Conte's hands were shaking.

"Has the situation deteriorated to this extent?"

"Sir, what do we do now?"

"The original plan remains unchanged. Now that we're here, we have to fight. The other friendly forces have been beaten back. We have to pick up the pieces of shame!"

Conte rubbed his head and then asked his deputy.

"What are our current logistical reserves?"

"We just restocked it yesterday. The rations and water are enough for seven days. If we eat sparingly, we can last ten days. But the fuel for the entire brigade won't last that long!"

"It doesn't matter. We are in Central Asia now. The things we have the most here are sand and oil!"

Conte then told a cold joke and knocked on the camp table in front of him.

"Then the plan remains unchanged. All troops will launch an attack at 1 a.m. This attack must be swift and deadly!"

Afterwards, Conte once again sent a reconnaissance team composed of elite personnel to Guliyev. This city is located on the banks of the Ural River. It was an important oil industrial city in the past. In addition, the Ural River has extremely rich fish resources. The canned fish sold there are even praised by extraterrestrial colonies.

However, at this moment, there were no people in this prosperous city. The Zeon army acted extremely quickly and occupied the city without firing a single shot. Even the federal army and police in the city thought it was federal reinforcements when the Zaku drove towards them.

After entering the city, the Zeon army remained restrained and did not do anything reckless. They simply drove out a large number of people and cleared out half of the city for military use.

In addition, the city’s factories, warehouses, etc. were also taken under the control of the enemy at the first time. Subsequently, a large amount of daily necessities were directly distributed to the nearest combat troops.

This greatly boosted the morale of the Zeon army. After all, what did everyone eat on weekdays? Synthetic meat paste plus potatoes and peas was the most common food. Occasionally, they could eat some tomatoes and cucumbers as a holiday.

Now everyone has real canned meat, as well as fruit and vegetable drinks. Dozle even promised the entire army that he would treat everyone to the most authentic Earth whiskey after he captured Odessa.

It was under such circumstances that the 21st Unit ran head-on into the highly motivated 21st Division, which vented all the grievances it had suffered in Baikonur on the st Unit.

Afterwards, the 21st Division launched an all-out attack, frantically pursuing the fleeing 100st Units across a battlefield spanning hundreds of kilometers. The 21th Battalion, by chance, avoided the Zeon Army's attack route, thus becoming the only remaining st Unit.

The reconnaissance team sent by Conte then lurked in the delta outside the city, investigating the situation in the city.

Afterwards, the reconnaissance team discovered that after nightfall, the Guliyev highway was still extremely busy, with a large number of Zeon vehicles constantly arriving here. Obviously, this place had been regarded as a logistics hub by the Zeon people.

When this situation was reported back to Conte, he couldn't help but knock on the table with joy.

"That's even better. Tell the brothers not to be secretive when we take action later!"

"Everyone, drive to the main road, turn on the lights, and move forward with confidence!"

"Isn't this a bit too dangerous?"

"Fortune and honor are sought in danger. The Zeon army probably didn't realize we were there behind their supposedly safe rear. Even if anyone gets suspicious, we can just say this is captured Federation equipment. As long as we enter the city, there's no need to hide it!"

"Understood!"

After nightfall, the support team of the 100th Battalion immediately started cooking and used the kitchen truck to prepare a sumptuous dinner for the entire team.

After dinner, the entire brigade hid their logistical supplies and transport vehicles in the hills, then turned around and drove onto the highway.

Following Conte's order, the armored vehicles, tanks, and mobile suits all turned on all the lights that could be turned on, and then marched towards Guliyev in a swagger.

During this period, a convoy also drove out of Guliyev, and the two sides almost passed each other, which scared the federal soldiers so much that their hearts almost jumped out of their chests.

But then, cheers came from the Zeon convoy. Obviously, these drivers really regarded this army heading to Guliyev as their own spoils.

"Shout with them!"

Conte immediately gave the order, and the federal soldiers could only cheer with stiff necks.

It was not until the two sides separated that everyone realized that these Zeon people had really been deceived!
"Okay, okay, Krini, the method you taught me is really useful!"

Conte was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. Although he was the one who proposed this plan, he had no idea whether it could be implemented. Even in front of his subordinates, he had to hold on with his head held high. But now, he has confidence!

Afterwards, the 100th Battalion drove straight into the suburbs of Guliyev, where the armored vehicles in front were stopped by a checkpoint with only two people.

"You are?"

Looking at the hover truck coming in front of them, the two sentries didn't think anything was wrong. The only difference was that the driver had taken off his military uniform and was only wearing a solid-colored combat uniform underneath. It was quite cold at night in this season!
"Captured!"

Because they were worried that they would be discovered if they said too much, the federal soldiers in the car could only mention it briefly. At the same time, the infantry in the car were ready for battle and were waiting to start a massacre.

"Oh, buddy, do you have any loot? Let's exchange it!"

The Zeon sentry's eyes lit up immediately, and he pulled out a bottle of vodka from his backpack.

"Um, what do you want to change?"

"Anything is fine, it would be best if I could change it to an officer's pistol or something!"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

The federal soldier in the passenger seat nodded, then turned around and pulled out a still-warm pistol from the car.

"Thank you, you have worked hard, please come in!"

The sentry who got the pistol happily moved the roadblock away, and then retreated into the bunker without even looking. As for the other sentry, he had already drunk from the bottle until he was dizzy.

These logistics troops seized a huge amount of supplies, so they would naturally coordinate some of them secretly. Even at this moment, their superior commander had already found out the location of Guliyev's brothel, and he was having a great time in it like a god.

Then, the 100th Battalion continued to advance until it entered the city, where it was finally stopped by a gendarmerie patrol.

"We're delivering captured equipment!"

"Then why don't you dress according to military regulations?"

The Federation soldier in the co-pilot's seat felt as if a thousand wild horses were galloping through his heart. Why were the military police so annoying, whether they were from Zeon or the Federation?
But fortunately, everyone has already entered the city, so there is no need to perform!
The next second, the tarpaulin covering the 20mm Gatling gun on the hover truck's roof was peeled back, and an officer, having lost his beloved gun, unceremoniously turned the muzzle on the military police blocking the road. "Kill!"

The roaring Gatling gun instantly slaughtered the entire group of military police. Then, the driver stepped on the accelerator and the vehicle began to run wildly through the deserted streets of the city, heading towards the Zeon army's logistics reserve warehouse.

The targets of the Federation's mobile suits were the huge black shadows standing quietly on the streets. The pilots of the Zeon mobile suits had already left their machines, found a private house, and then fell asleep on their comfortable beds. The machines they parked on the streets were now motionless targets and could be easily destroyed.

The sound of gunfire and explosions spread throughout Guliyev.

"Don't linger in the fight, charge towards their vital points, and don't worry about ammunition loss, just fire everything at them!"

Conte took the lead, crushed the Zeon military vehicle parked on the side of the road with one foot, and then gave orders loudly.

Afterwards, the buildings in the old town of Guliyev were generally not too tall and could not block Jim's sight and shooting range at all. Soon, all the Zakus that were parked randomly were destroyed.

During this time, various Zeon soldiers kept rushing out of the door in a hurry, and then, they were greeted by Jim's high-altitude machine gun fire. At the same time, the federal soldiers in the hover trucks and tanks were also paying attention to any situation on the street.

As soon as the Zeon troops showed up, the machine guns would immediately fire at them. The Type 61 even turned its turret and fired high-explosive bombs at the bars and restaurants where the Zeon soldiers gathered.

In such a chaotic situation, there would definitely be accidental injuries, but there was nothing that could be done about it. The federal army was firing with the idea that it would rather kill one person by mistake than let one escape.

Faced with such a surprise attack, the Zeon army in Guliyev City also fell into panic. They had never experienced a similar situation. There was even a Zeon army officer who tried to stop the rampaging tanks and accused these guys of madly attacking friendly forces, but then he was crushed into a meat patty.

When the explosion sounded, Major General Meyerling, the highest commander of the Zeon army in the city and the chief of logistics for the 1st Division, was even sleeping soundly with two sixteen-year-old girls in his arms.

This was sent by the local government chief who was promoted by them, as a thank you for the Zeon soldiers' kindness. The major general obviously liked this gift very much and was even overworked, so much so that the guards had to slap him twice before they pulled him out of bed.

"Sir, we're under attack!"

"what?"

"The federal army is attacking us, we have to protect you and leave!"

Afterwards, the major general was picked up by the guards and hurried downstairs. When they rushed out of the building, they saw a Jim destroying a fleeing Weasel armored vehicle. The flames of the explosion dyed the Jim's body red, and the rising smoke made the staff officer next to the major general scream.

"Red Dragon!"

So the confused major general immediately woke up.

"Quick, retreat, retreat, let's get out of here!"

At this moment, no one thought about how Macharius, who was in Baikonur, flew over to attack them. Everyone got into the car and fled out of the city without even looking back.

When they left, they didn't even notify the friendly guards, so when the commander of the guard unit hurried to the headquarters to get orders to coordinate the defenders' counterattack, he couldn't find the major general at all. At this time, Conte's troops also happened to be charging over.

Looking at the extremely conspicuous Zeon flag on the headquarters building, the Federation Army mobile suits immediately raised their rocket launchers without hesitation and blew up the entire building along with the communication equipment.

After losing the communication center, the Zeon troops remaining in Guliyev were completely trapped in a situation of fighting each other. After the only squadron of mobile suits was wiped out, the remaining Zeon troops had no way to deal with the GM.

Afterwards, the Federation Army's light vehicles rushed all the way into the logistics warehouse, and the Zeon Army guarding there collapsed at the first touch. Those who dared to shoot from behind were beaten into a pulp by the Gatling cannon.

Then, the federal soldiers began throwing explosives and incendiaries everywhere, setting the entire storage area on fire.

During the battle, they had an unexpected surprise. The Zeon army captured many Federation soldiers when they ambushed Unit 21, and then sent them all to Guliyev. Now, these Federation soldiers were rescued by the raiding 100th Battalion.

"Sir, I've saved a lot of friendly troops, and there's a staff officer from the 200th Signal Battalion who wants to see you!"

"I don't have the time for that now!"

Conte, who was brandishing his two swords and fighting against the Zeon mobile suit, couldn't help but shout.

"But she has important information..."

Then, a female voice came over the radio.

"Major, I'm Lieutenant Hu Xian from the 200th Signal Battalion. I have an important intelligence report!"

"Okay, give me ten seconds!"

Conte activated Jim's head cannon and fired at the head monitor of the last Zaku in front of him. At the same time, he stepped back, pulled out the YF100 machine gun on his leg, replaced the magazine, and then pulled the trigger at the Zaku.

"Okay, I'm done. Tell me, what information do you have?"

"The Zeon army is using the local oil refining facilities to provide them with war resources. We must destroy as much of the equipment as possible!"

"what?"

Conte was feeling overwhelmed. He had originally planned to just do the job and run away, but why did he now have an extra task?

"We must destroy all the oil refining equipment here. The main Zeon force is using these resources to strengthen itself and pursue our army. Destroying everything here will slow them down!"

Conte immediately realized the seriousness of the problem. It can be said that he is now standing at the crossroads of fate, and the choice that will determine the fate of the retreating No. 21 is right in front of him.

"Okay, but I'll only give you half a day. Once that time is up, we'll retreat!"

After reuniting with the prisoners, the strength of the Federation Army increased significantly. You must know that these prisoners came from various units of the 21st Armored Unit. They could not be said to have special skills, but they all had their own strengths. They were captured because of bad luck, not because they were incompetent. Therefore, some captured Weasel armored vehicles and Majella tanks also joined the ranks to destroy the logistical reserves of the Zeon Army.

Even some local people took advantage of the chaos to join in. Kant did not drive them away. He even told these locals that they would leave soon and anything they could not take away would be blown up and burned, so they should pack more now.

Then, more locals appeared in the burning streets. They rushed into the Zeon army's storage warehouse and took away everything they could, even their weapons and uniforms. The Federation army engineers installed time bombs while waiting for these people to finish their work. Then, an extremely huge spark appeared in the dark night sky.

Then, the 100th Battalion quickly turned south and headed towards the Caspian Sea, where the oil facilities occupied by the Zeon army were located.

Under the guidance of the locals, the 100th Battalion immediately launched a thundering assault on the oil refinery. Although there were a large number of Zeon troops guarding here, they did not have heavy equipment. After all, they did not need tanks and mobile suits to supervise the workers' work. A loaded rifle was enough.

Then, they encountered the Federation Army's mobile suits emerging from the darkness. Guliyev's attack had put them on guard, but this guard had no effect at all!
"Destroy everything in sight! Even the tankers! We can't let the Zeon get another drop of oil from here!"

Under Conte's command, the federal army poured ammunition on everything as if it were free: oil wells, nodding machines, oil pipelines, oil storage tanks. In short, all oil-related facilities within sight became the targets of the 100th Battalion.

The Zeon troops who were supervising the workers were either killed or fled in the surprise attack, and were powerless to stop it.

In the past, it was unknown how long these devices had been running, but now, it took less than half a day to destroy them.

When the 100th Battalion withdrew, the entire area was burning like an inferno.

"Sorry, I'll come back to help you rebuild after the war is over!"

Before leaving, Major Conte did not forget to apologize for everything they had destroyed. After all, these facilities were built by the local residents with great effort.

(End of this chapter)