"What the hell, why didn't I report that there were so many enemies during the previous reconnaissance?"
Colonel Acat reassessed the situation and his tactical arrangements, and then realized that if this level of human sea continued to press on the team from all directions, the 99th Kadian Regiment would be defeated.
Now all the tanks were lined up in a steel wall, leaving no space between the vehicles, and the explosive shells tore the crowd apart, but individual madmen still passed through the defense line, like water seeping through the cracks in a dam.
Although Leman Russ's main gun is firing, it cannot shoot at targets that are too close, and it cannot keep firing all the time - the Leman Russ's barrel has a limited life, and continuous firing can easily damage the barrel. This can be There are no parts for them to replace.
"Stop!"
Colonel Acat gave the order and then connected the artillery line.
"The Wyvern team (self-propelled artillery, based on Chimera, equipped with four storm fragmentation mortars), organize Xu Jin barrage, three bases, start covering one hundred meters in front of our army, keep firing, and wait Further orders, Cerberus, move to the second rank of the formation and prepare to break into the front."
A few minutes passed, and the battlefield fell into chaos. Apart from the violent roars of the thugs, there were various sounds from laser guns, the intermittent low roar of heavy explosive bombs, and the roar of tanks' engines changing positions.
There was not enough space left for the tanks, and it was even more difficult to maintain the formation while changing positions, but Cadian drivers had accomplished more precise maneuvers in the narrow terrain of urban warfare.
The variants of Leman Russ retreated one after another, making room for Cerberus to advance.
Afterwards, a more intense storm roared.
That was the steel breath of the wyvern twin-linked storm fragment mortars when they fired, and the roars heralded death from the sky.
The three self-propelled guns fired continuously, so close together that the fire seemed to merge into one great tide.
The shells drew arcs over the formation. They first flew high into the sky, then swooped down and pounced on the ground with a hungry scream. Their tone was as sharp as a sharp blade, cutting through the roar of the mob.
Equipped with an auto-targeting system similar to that of Hydra anti-aircraft tanks, and able to focus on continuous close-range searches for enemy infantry, these vehicles' machine spirits are known for their distinctive malevolence - they always is to actively seek out the densest or most vulnerable clusters of enemies to target, sometimes without even their own crews being able to control them.
Colonel Acat counted down the hours until the fragments would fall.
"Now."
The moment he spoke was the precise moment the explosion shook the air.
A metal storm measuring more than a hundred meters swept through the crowd, as if an "iron rain" had fallen, turning the main film area into a bloody slaughterhouse.
In a matter of seconds, the air was replaced by flying broken steel. The fragments were dense and unstoppable, like smoke and dust kicked up by an explosion.
Colonel Acat heard screams, human screams, and something else.
Although the sound was fleeting, it revealed a power more powerful than anger.
This power continued to show, the cannons roared and roared, and the shells screamed like rain.
Then the explosion began to spread forward, with flashes of smoke and dust, and the screams of the enemy in the fragmentation storm.
The smoke of gunfire drifted across the battlefield, mixing with the stench of blackened flesh and blood, making it almost suffocating.
Colonel Acat couldn't help but smile. He breathed in the pungent smoke and tasted the taste of victory.
This is steel power.
"Cerberus."
He then picked up the radio.
"Lead us forward and scorch the land."
The Cerberus fire-breathing tank moved forward, commanding the Chimera to follow the team, and the troops entered the hell they had created.
At this time, the day faded into the changing dusk, and the terrain under everyone's feet was broken, covered with corpses and soaked in blood, like a swamp.
Suddenly, the hellhound releases a burst of fire, drying the ground, burning corpses into dust, and igniting any enemies that rush into the gap.
Further behind, the flying dragon continued to fire, and the barrage advanced, leaving footprints of massacre one after another.
Colonel Acat waited until he judged there was no living creature within a kilometer of him, the smoke and carnage undoubtedly weakening the mob and the pressure on the flanks easing.
"Well done, Wyverns, switch to low-speed fire mode, let's see what we can do with the momentum you bring, Cadian, move forward! Fight off the enemies here!"
The vehicle began to accelerate, and the breeze blew against his cheeks. Colonel Acat heard the radio operator calling him again, so he leaned back inside the tank and closed the top compartment.
"What's wrong?"
"This is a communication from the headquarters, Colonel. It seems that the Soshiyan Chapter Commander of the Astral Knights is on his way."
Colonel Acat nodded and sat down in front of the radio.
The Astral Knight also came, faster than he predicted. He had hoped to be closer to his goal before then.
Although somewhat anachronistic, once the Space Marines arrived, the glory of victory would turn to them, and the Cadian people would become little more than a minor footnote in the war - if they were even mentioned at all.
"Tell the headquarters that we have occupied favorable terrain and are defeating the attacking enemy. If necessary... we can turn around and participate in the siege of the fortress."
While waiting for the command's reply, he squeezed into the seat in front of the strategy table. The Chimera drove over the uneven terrain. Colonel Acat felt the bumps and happily thought that maybe some of the hills were the remains of the Empire's enemies and were being destroyed. Flatten.
The Chimera's speed felt good, and there was a tough battle ahead, but he was already sure of the enemy's situation.
The 99th will defeat any Chaos reinforcements, and he will show the Astartes what unenhanced humans can accomplish. After all, they are not mortals, and Cadian never breeds mediocre people.
Then he frowned at the radio operator:
"Why did it take so long?"
"I don't know, sir."
"Atmospheric interference?"
"I could hear them one moment and not hear them the next, and the transmission signal didn't weaken."
“Turn on the speakers and let me listen.
The correspondent flipped a switch, and a crackling sound of electricity came from the radio speaker.
Colonel Acat felt uneasy.
"Keep trying."
After saying that, he opened the top hatch again, wanting to experience the sights and sounds of the battle going on smoothly.
Smoke and thunder shrouded the surroundings, and the air was filled with the smell of pungent exhaust gas and burning promethium. In front of his eyes, the violent tongues of fire of the hellhound illuminated the gloom.
The wyvern was still firing, but the rate of fire slowed down, and the arcs of death were separated by long beats.
The Leman Russ had room to fire its main gun, and some of the tanks fired forward. The shells fell barely visible in the distance, but Colonel Acat knew they had hit their target.
Unless the thugs suddenly changed tactics, there was no chance of Cadian defeat.
On the flank, the infantry was also beating up the enemy. Colonel Acat used the radio to inquire about the situation with the officers in the queue, and received the reply that the damage was minor.
Their counterattack lasted twenty minutes and finally completely routed the crowd.
Those people did not retreat, but they were unable to attack because they were all dead, and the ground was also blasted into pits, making it difficult to pass quickly.
The 99th Regiment returned to the high ground.
