Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 75 "The Whistle of Death"

Zion, 58th Armored Brigade Command.

Brigadier General Eugene stared into the distance at the air column trailing black smoke, and at his bombed air defense positions, lost in thought.

What kind of play is this?
Are they using the air force as bait to lure out my air defense positions?

Zion's second-generation fighter jets were all purchased from Western countries at high prices and were usually treated like precious treasures. But why did they become consumables in Shuangzhi's case?
He actually suspected that there was a problem with Shuangzhi's air force, since none of the bombs they dropped hit their targets.

However, his own Sidewinder missile launchers were precisely bombarded by the enemy artillery as soon as they appeared, leaving him both bewildered and impressed.

What else could it be but being detected by the air force and having its location reported to the artillery position?
Brigadier General Eugene was momentarily unsure.

The chief of staff reported: "We have sent both tank battalions to the northern defense line. The enemy's offensive is fierce, but there are also signs of enemy movement in the south."

Brigadier General Eugene snapped out of his daze and walked to the map. He quickly understood Lu Lin's tactics: "The Shuangzhi people want to encircle us! The armored forces in the north are responsible for containing the armored group, while the ones in the south are here to cut off our route to Gaim. We need to leave an armored battalion behind to guard against their forces coming from the south."

At that moment, the communications officer came to report: "Lieutenant Croyd requests ammunition support. They have already destroyed six enemy main battle tanks in the ambush!"

Brigadier General Eugene was overjoyed upon hearing this; after fighting for so long, he had finally heard good news!
"The fact that they need ammunition resupply means that the Shuangzhi troops' offensive has been contained by us!"

He paced back and forth excitedly in the command post: "Tell them that we have as much ammunition as they need, and after we've finished firing, I'll personally apply for the David Medal for them!"

It doesn't matter if the fighting is fierce, as long as it becomes a protracted war, that's a success.

He knew that once the Arabs realized they couldn't capture the city after a prolonged siege, their morale would slowly crumble, and the quality of their soldiers was far inferior to that of the well-trained Zionite elites.

"Let them keep going!"

Brigadier General Eugene slammed his fist on the command table: "Like a nail, nail Shuangzhi's troops right here!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The fighting in northern Sergiad has reached a fever pitch.

As Zion committed more and more armed forces and gained a defensive advantage, Bandar's several attacks failed to break through the defenses, and he instead faced an even stronger counterattack from Zion.

Lieutenant Omar, his voice hoarse, cried out, "Colonel! Hammerhead Battalion is already down to half its strength! Those Zionites' turtle shells are impossible to crack!"

Zion adopted Proson's defensive methods and built permanent fortifications at Sergei. They reinforced the bunkers with concrete and hid Centurion tanks inside, leaving only the gun barrels exposed.

Like a sniper's gun barrel, it retracts after firing one shot and reloads, while machine gun positions are set up on both sides to keep approaching infantry pinned down in shell craters.

(That's roughly the idea; I couldn't find a suitable picture, but you could park a tank in there.)
In addition, the terrain is well-concealed, so even if a 155mm shell hits, it can only injure the infantry inside. However, if it hits the soldiers inside the tank, the effect will be greatly reduced.

"What's there to be afraid of!" Bandar wiped the gunpowder from his face, his eyes bloodshot. To boost morale, he had personally led the charge. "I'll take responsibility for anything that happens!"

"But what about the major general?"

"The Major General assigned me the task of drawing enemy fire," Bandar said to Lieutenant Omar. "Listen! The Zionese fire is even fiercer than before, which means that the enemy's armored forces are being drawn to us!"

He clicked his tongue: "The more enemies we have on our side, the fewer enemies Ibrahim has on his side!"

Upon hearing the mention of a major general, Bandar suddenly had a flash of inspiration and slapped his thigh: "That's right!"

He remembered that Lu Lin had a 203mm M110, which was much more powerful than his 155mm howitzer!
That thing is specifically designed to destroy fortifications. They tested it before and it can penetrate 2 meters of reinforced concrete. It will definitely be effective against Zion's fortifications!

If the Major General were in command, every shot would be a sure hit!

Bandar immediately shared his idea with Omar, who was stunned: "Using an M110 as a sniper rifle? Even a major general couldn't do that, could he?"

"Just report this to the Major General!" Bandar waved his hand dismissively. "The Major General will find a way to resolve this!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The communications soldier reported the situation at the front to Lu Lin, and the First Armored Brigade requested precision strike support.

Lu Lin stroked his chin. Well, this kind of requirement would probably leave a commander completely stumped. Without precise coordinates, only a general location, the best they could do was provide fire support.

These days, laser guidance technology is probably still in the United States' laboratories. The guidance methods used in warfare are basically traditional observation, at most using mechanical computers to calculate the parabola and firing angle.

But Lu Lin is different. He can see the entire field of view. Even without precise coordinates, he can still make fine adjustments through multiple rounds of shooting and then achieve a precise strike.

The northern front was filled with smoke and fire. Lu Lin controlled Enqi to adjust the direction and soon spotted a fortress that was "shrinking" its position.

He immediately took out his radio and called the artillery, preparing for a test firing: "Artillery battalion, this is command, listen up—"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Zion, north of Sergiev Posad, codenamed "Anvil" Highlands.

Sergeant Golan bit into the chocolate bar packaging, and the sweetness of caramel soothed his tense nerves.

He looked down the mountain through the tank's periscope; the wreckage of the Shuangzhi Armored Brigade's M60A1 tanks was still burning, with black plumes of smoke shooting straight into the sky.

"That's the seventh one!" the young gunner exclaimed excitedly. "Sergeant, we've taken down enough tanks to fill half a company today!"

He skillfully braced himself against the breech handle, pulled back with his arm, and the heavy breechblock slid open. Then, the scorching hot brass cartridge case was ejected from the breech and clattered to the ground.

The loader then quickly pulled a new 105mm armor-piercing shell from the ammunition rack and pushed it horizontally into the breech using his waist.

This was originally a strenuous physical task, but now everyone is doing it with great enthusiasm.

Loader Evan grinned and said, "After this battle, can we be promoted directly to lieutenant?"

"Save your breath!" Golan broke the chocolate into pieces and distributed them to everyone, jokingly saying, "We'd need to fight a tough battle! The enemy's artillery shells can only barely scrape off a layer of our wall. Even they can't handle this kind of mission."

His voice suddenly froze.

A sharp, tearing sound, like tearing fabric, was rapidly approaching through the battlefield noise.

It sounded like the whistle of death.

Golan's pupils suddenly contracted: "--No, this isn't a 155mm shell!!!"

The moment he opened his mouth, it felt like the end of the world had arrived.

A .203 caliber high-explosive shell pierced through the top layer of the fortification at a near-vertical angle, and the reinforced concrete structure shattered like a shortbread.

The explosion produced a terrifying noise that even drowned out the sounds of gunfire on the battlefield.

The earth-shattering sound caused both sides to momentarily halt their firepower.

Lu Lin looked at the high ground engulfed in flames, surprised that he had hit it with his first shot.

But he didn't actually know how effective it would be, so he said into the radio, "Maintain the angle, keep firing—"

"boom---!"

"boom---!"

"."

A sound like the collapse of the heavens echoed across the battlefield, and even the earth trembled.

Omar was so shocked when he saw a piece of the high ground that had been cut away that he almost dropped his jaw.

Is that all?

"I told you the Major General would succeed!" Bandar slapped the tank turret, clearly excited. He then issued another order over the radio:
"For Shuangzhi, for the Major General! Charge!!"

(End of this chapter)