Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 228 Battle Situation in the Sinai Peninsula
Let's push the time forward a little.

General Salmon stood at the lookout post of the forward command post, looking through binoculars at the outline of the Mitra Pass in the distance.

Mitra Mountain is located in the central part of the Sinai Peninsula, with the Haitan Valley to the east and the Mitra Valley to the west, and a saucer-shaped plateau in the middle with cliffs on both sides, making the terrain extremely steep.

Zion's defenses were built on high ground, with anti-tank gun and machine gun positions constructed on the reverse slope, forming a crossfire network that blocked the entire valley floor.

The communications officer strode into the command post and handed over a new battle report:

"General, the 3rd Armored Brigade reports that they encountered enemy tank units while breaking through the third line of defense. Our T-62s hit the targets head-on multiple times with their 115mm smoothbore guns, but the enemy tanks only produced smoke and dust and were still able to maintain normal maneuverability."

General Salmon frowned. The T-62's main gun had a revolutionary design: it fired fin-stabilized discarding sabot armor-piercing rounds, which had extremely high muzzle velocity and powerful armor-piercing capabilities, theoretically enough to penetrate the Chieftain tank's frontal armor.

Moreover, this has already been tested in numerous previous real-world scenarios.

"you sure?"

"Confirmed!" the communications officer replied affirmatively. "Furthermore, according to current statistics, our casualty ratio against Zion's tank forces has reached 1:8, which far exceeds the figures during the Yom Kippur War!"

"What about the anti-tank mechanized forces?"

The adjutant quickly replied, "Infantry casualties are equally heavy. The anti-tank team attempted to get close and fire, but the enemy armor appears to be detonable, thus mitigating some of the damage from the armor-piercing rounds."

Is this yet another new technology designed by Zion?

"Report this back to Allied Command and ask if they've encountered a similar situation."

General Salmon then asked, "What is the current situation on both sides of Wadi Ghazala and Hassanal?"

The staff officer immediately pointed to the west side of Mitra Mountain: "The enemy's deployment on these two sides is relatively weak, but it's winter now, and the Wadi Ghazara Riverbed must be a large muddy area. Our armored vehicles' tracks will definitely get stuck."

General Salmon thought for a moment and said, “Order the 7th Armored Brigade to maneuver along Wadi Ghazala, the 9th Brigade to penetrate through the Hasana Depression, the main force to continue to hold the enemy at the front, and the artillery to concentrate on bombarding the observation post on the north side.”

"Yes, sir!" The staff officer immediately carried out the order.

Samon raised his binoculars again and looked toward the Mitra Pass in the distance.

This unnamed mountain pass on the Sinai Peninsula became known to people all over the world during the Suez Canal War, a war that lasted twenty-five years, due to a devastating defeat.

Taking advantage of the weak defenses of the Masr army in the area, the Zion's 202nd Parachute Brigade airdropped a portion of its troops and captured the eastern end of the mountain pass. The main force then joined them, capturing more than 6,000 Masr soldiers, leading to a crushing defeat for Masr.

Two years ago, during the Yom Kippur War, history repeated itself.

After seizing the east bank of the Suez Canal, Masr chose to consolidate his position in place, thus missing a good opportunity to launch an attack.

When they prepared to continue their attack on Mitra Pass, their haste and recklessness led to a separation between their main force and air defense forces, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of tanks by Zion's air force.

Having suffered two consecutive defeats in the same area, the Mitra Pass has become a scar in the hearts of all Masar people.

But can they win this time?
In truth, General Salmon already knew the answer to this question in his heart. ——————

"Is Masr still attacking?"

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Zion Tal, commander of the First Army Group of Zion, muttered while holding a cup of instant coffee, "Sigh, everyone says the Arabs have it tough, but aren't we the same? Now we can only drink this muddy coffee on the front lines, it's absolutely terrible!"

The adjutant beside him comforted him, "Please bear with it. After all, the domestic finances are tight. I heard that in the first half of this year, even the pensions were cut, and even government officials couldn't be paid their salaries. But things will get better once overseas aid is sent to the front lines."

"Why pay them salaries?" the operations staff officer sneered. "A bunch of troublemaking idiots, each thinking about how to line their own pockets, even daring to embezzle military pay."

General Tal sighed, "I still miss the days when I was in the R&D department. At least I could drink a cappuccino every day, and have a smoothie in the summer."

Of all the army group commanders in Zion, Zion Tal is arguably the most unique.

Because, strictly speaking, he was not only a general, but also an engineer.

He participated in and led the development of many Zion vehicles, the most typical being the Merkava series. He introduced features such as a front-mounted power unit, a wedge-shaped turret, an infantry compartment at the rear of the vehicle, and a 60mm mortar.

Therefore, he was later hailed as the "Father of the Zion Tank".

Beyond his scientific research, Zion Tal was also an outstanding military strategist. He participated in the United Kingdom's fighting in the Italian theater of World War II, transitioning from infantry to armored forces, serving as regimental commander and division commander, and commanding the Southern Front during the Yom Kippur War (succeeding Bar-Lev).
Shmuel had served as his chief of staff at the time.

If Yeshavishin is currently the most brilliant of all the generals in Zion, then Zion Tal is the one who sets the tone for the entire Zion army.

He drafted all the operational regulations and training outlines for the modern Zion armored forces. He also promoted extremely high standards of combat-oriented training, which has resulted in the combat quality of Zion soldiers far exceeding that of Arab armies for nearly twenty years.

"How is the airborne division doing now?"

“Everything is going well.”

The adjutant responded, "We just received news from the 72nd Airborne Brigade that they have completed their airborne landing on the east side of Jidi Pass and are advancing towards the logistics route to Masr."

"very good."

Zion Tal looked at the sand table and laughed, "But this time the Marsel have learned their lesson. It seems they're preparing a feint attack on Mitra, but it will ultimately be in vain. I suspect they're trying to get around to our rear from the Vadi or Hasana Depression, little do they know that my two artillery divisions are waiting for them."

The operations staff officer asked, "But the orders from headquarters are to encircle Masr's forces on the Sinai Peninsula within 72 hours. Isn't a passive defense a bit too rushed?"

There's an old saying in Seris: "Haste makes waste."

General Tal calmly finished his last sip of coffee and said confidently, "Masr is currently on a roll in attack. Let's wear them down for a while, and when their morale starts to wane, it will be time for us to launch our attack."

What I want is a complete victory.

(End of this chapter)