That night, with the support of the newly arrived A60 wheeled armored vehicles, Hannibal's planned counterattack once again kicked off at twelve o'clock at night.
Although he had suffered heavy losses in the night battle, Malashenko still did not withdraw his troops guarding the east side of the airport. On the contrary, he also tried to send out the few combatants on hand to try desperately to hold the position.
The anti-aircraft guns that had been forced to move their positions could no longer care about the threat of armored vehicles. In the dark night, the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army pushed the trailer to the high ground with great difficulty. Anti-aircraft guns fired in the line of fire in an attempt to suppress the Shadow Company charge. Chinese website
And the three 120mm mortars seemed to be free of charge, constantly firing heavy shells, trying to stabilize the defense line that seemed to be crumbling in the strong wind.
Although Malashenko invested almost all the power he could use, Shadow Company also used all its power in the counterattack. All Xinyunda tanks were put into battle, and mortars were also firing at full speed, except for ordinary high-explosive weapons. In addition to the bombs, Hannibal also fired dozens of incendiary bombs and white phosphorus smoke bombs towards the MPLA's defensive positions.
The raging flames lit up almost half of the sky. The People's Liberation Army's position was like a melting pot. Malashenko threw a squad into it, and all of them were killed in less than ten minutes. He threw in a reinforced platoon, and in less than a month, An hour becomes a class.
There were no casualties to evacuate at all. Although white phosphorus smoke bombs were also called smoke bombs, the white phosphorus contained in them burned the skin and internal organs of MPLA soldiers. Many wounded often died in combat positions before they could receive treatment.
In the two-hour-long attack, Shadow Company did not even launch a real charge. Every time the attacking team was almost just a massive feint, only letting the defenders see the figure, forcing Malashenko. Continuously put the people in your hands into it little by little.
And Malashenko didn't dare to gamble. After all, if he filled in people without adding fuel, the other side would inevitably launch a fierce attack and surround and annihilate his troops with superior strength. Therefore, although adding fuel at this moment was tantamount to drinking poison to quench his thirst, Malashenko Rashenko had to use this tactic. After all, casualties could be replenished. If the position was lost, it might not be possible to regain it.
But this refueling tactic has reached its final step after several hours of exhaustion. Malashenko now has to consider more than just the loss of the position. If he also adds the last reserve team on hand, Then he can't even defend the current headquarters.
While he was still hesitating, Hannibal made a choice for him. He transferred part of the team attacking the airport complex on the east side, and then under the cover of 0 armored vehicles, they headed towards his headquarters and artillery. The position came to kill.
At this time, Malashenko could only order the defenders to retreat in great pain. The mortars and anti-aircraft guns that provided fire support for the airport also shifted their targets and began to launch fire interceptions against the Shadow Company's offensive troops.
Relying on the powerful horizontal firepower of the 37mm anti-aircraft gun, the Shadow Company's offensive troops finally did not dare to approach Malashenko's artillery position, but retreated into the shadows after some movement at the edge.
But the position on the east side of the airport was eventually lost. After reluctantly withdrawing the few combat troops, the Shadow Company's P's easily regained the defensive position they abandoned two days ago, without waiting for the flames under their feet to extinguish. , the commander of the Apple detachment planted the company flag brought by Shepard on a two-story warehouse in the east side building complex.
After retaking the position, the Shadow Company's P's began to rebuild the defense without a moment's rest. The sandbags that they had previously excavated and filled with soil from the airport were filled in the gaps in the building, and the machine gun fortifications that could be reused were reused and damaged. The walls were blocked off with barbed wire and mines.
Unwilling to be reconciled, Malashenko did not forget to cover the east side with a burst of firepower, so the Ps were busy until the sun rose.
After that, everyone didn't care about the rivers of blood and corpses everywhere last night, and just found a comfortable place to sleep on the ground in the scorched earth. Fortunately, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Martel was a man who knew the general situation. He sent His men came to the position and helped the tired Shadow Company employees clean up the battlefield.
"I have to admit, I underestimated you yesterday! I just went to see the battlefield, and I have to say that your people are just as tough as my men!"
"Thank you very much, but we are facing the MPLA soldiers who are not very powerful in combat, and then there will be elite troops from Cuba. At that time, we may still have to rely on you!"
"Everyone works together, the Cuban airborne troops are not as powerful as we thought! We will definitely defeat them!"
Charlie Matt was very happy after being praised a few times by Shepard, but the old guy had a good idea and was not led away by Shepard's compliments.
For the sake of Charlie Martel helping his men deal with the aftermath, Shepard returned the two mortars seized by Hannibal yesterday. He is a man who always repays kindness, and Shepard's Taking the initiative to show good intentions has reduced the barriers between the two sides. Charlie Matt has even merged his headquarters with that of Shadow Company. Although everyone operates independently, they are jointly commanded. This can be considered progress!
As for the Cuban paratrooper battalion that was supposed to arrive today, Shepard waited all morning, but didn't see a single hair. Just when he thought there was an error in the intelligence, the scouts came to report that a team of paratroopers had appeared on the north side of the airport. convoy.
This caught Shepard a little off guard. He hurriedly jumped into the jeep with the others and rushed over. Then, he saw the Cuban paratroopers had launched an offensive formation.
"These guys, don't they take any rest at all?"
Holding the telescope, Shepard looked at the armored vehicles and military trucks that had become dirty due to the forced march, and it was difficult to understand. He understood what faith meant, but this did not mean that the commander should ignore the status of his subordinates.
But no matter what, the Cuban paratroopers who were eager to attack as soon as they entered the scene still opened Shepard's eyes.
The military quality of those Cuban paratroopers cannot be underestimated, but in terms of the most basic infantry tactics, they are already infinitely higher than those of the MPLA soldiers, and even compared to those veterans of Shadow Company. Not bad, even slightly better!
"Meeting this kind of opponent is really not what I want to see!"
Shepard suddenly felt uncomfortable holding the telescope. After all, everyone likes to pick on the weak, and he is no exception!
