Chapter 242: Kelly’s Dilemma

Jasman was incredibly frustrated, unable to find a way to break the current stalemate. It wasn’t that his troops couldn’t win; it was that they couldn’t afford the catastrophic casualties an assault would require.

They were the Mara Empire’s 1st Corps, a heavy mechanized unit. They held virtually no advantage in urban combat. Yet, if they didn’t capture Yonghe City, they couldn’t advance any further.

Furthermore, the Eastern Spirit forces inside the city were bombarding them relentlessly, and they had no effective countermeasure against the artillery. If they used their own guns, the enemy would instantly retaliate! And now, two more divisions had reinforced Yonghe City, meaning the defenders were even stronger. Taking the city had just become significantly harder.

“We shouldn’t attack tonight. Let’s wait for our rear echelons to arrive. If we attack now, we’ll only suffer!” Jasman advised Kelly.

“No, we must attack. If we don’t, High Command will reprimand us. Yes, we are a heavy mechanized force, but we still have to fight. We can’t just launch one probing attack last night and then do nothing else.

“How would we explain that to High Command? Furthermore, the other nations have their eyes on Late City. Everyone wants to capture it before the rainy season arrives.

“High Command hasn’t given us much time. The rainy season is only about ten days away, perhaps even less. If we don’t reach Late City soon, the commanders at High Command won’t be able to suppress the other factions.

“There’s a massive Allied force advancing on the eastern front against the Eastern Spirit’s central defensive line. If we fail to secure this sector, those forces will pivot south and take it themselves!” Kelly explained, his tone heavy.

“Damn it! If we attack tonight, we definitely won’t gain any ground. In fact, we’ll likely suffer heavy losses!” Jasman cursed.

“Losses or not, we have to fight!” Kelly replied. He sat down, equally troubled by the situation.

After pondering for a moment, he ordered his staff to draft a telegram to High Command, officially requesting reinforcements to assist in the assault.

Shortly after sending the telegram, Kelly received a call from Vitali, a high-ranking Mara Empire official at Allied High Command. Vitali called to inquire why the 1st Corps was requesting reinforcements before they had even launched a proper attack.

“Chief of Staff Vitali, the Eastern Spirit forces here are far larger than we anticipated. We were all deceived. The combined enemy forces in this region likely exceed two corps.

“Furthermore, they currently control Yonghe City. If my forces attack, we will be forced into urban combat. My unit is a heavy mechanized corps; we possess absolutely no advantage in a city fight.

“Therefore, I request the deployment of a pure infantry force to assist us in capturing Yonghe City!” Kelly explained.

“Mm. But you haven’t even launched a full attack yet. Requesting reinforcements now… it doesn’t look good. What will the other units think?

“What will the other nations think? Many nations have their eyes on Late City.

“The Limaguo forces previously, and now the Vaal and Kabu forces, have all expressed interest in deploying troops to capture Late City. Our Mara Empire fought hard to secure this objective, deploying the 1st Corps specifically so you could take control quickly.

“If you request reinforcements now, how am I supposed to explain this to the Supreme Commander? All our forces have already been assigned their operational objectives. As you know, the rainy season in the Central Region is fast approaching.

“We hope to capture as much Eastern Spirit territory as possible before the rains begin. Once the rainy season ends, we must completely occupy the Eastern Spirit Empire before advancing on the other nations of the Central Region!” Chief of Staff Vitali lectured.

“I understand that. But right now, we need infantry to assist our assault. You can’t seriously expect me to send heavy armor into an urban meat grinder! The casualties would be astronomical!” Kelly argued. Jasman stood nearby, watching him intently.

“I cannot reallocate an entire corps to you right now. At most, I can transfer two infantry divisions from the western front. It will take them approximately two days to reach your position.

“In the meantime, your forces must continue to attack. Late City is simply too important. No matter the casualties, securing it is worth the price!” Vitali declared.

“Alright. Two infantry divisions will do. But more would be better,” Kelly agreed, having no other choice.

“There are no more to give. You will have to figure out a solution yourself. You must advance quickly. The Eastern Spirit forces in Late City are just remnants. You said it yourself: they have roughly two corps’ worth of troops.

“We will also arrange for forces in the south to launch an offensive. However, as you know, the troops currently stationed in the south are reserve units. Their combat effectiveness isn’t high, but they should be able to pin down some of the enemy forces. This means the force directly opposing you is only about one corps. Your forces should have no problem taking Late City!” Vitali concluded.

“Yes, sir. We will fight as hard as we can!” Kelly promised. After hanging up, he looked helplessly at Jasman.

“Two divisions?” Jasman asked.

“Mm. They are sending us two infantry divisions to assist the assault. For the next two days, we will use our tanks and armored vehicles to launch probing attacks against Yonghe City. Damn it, our artillery is neutralized! Attacking without artillery cover is going to result in significant casualties!” Kelly sighed heavily.

“Then we have no choice but to fight from the outskirts. Order the men to dig communication trenches immediately. We must extend the trenches to within a kilometer of the city limits. This is the only way to minimize casualties as we advance.

“Fortunately, the soil here in the Eastern Spirit Empire is soft and fertile. With our excavators, the digging should progress quickly!” Jasman sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Mm. We dig communication trenches close to the city, then our troops launch rapid assaults from there. That will minimize the casualties inflicted by their artillery!” Kelly nodded. This was currently the best solution to mitigate the Eastern Spirit artillery threat.

“Issue the orders to the subordinate units. Their artillery will undoubtedly open fire!” Jasman told a nearby staff officer.

“Yes, sir!” The staff officers immediately began drafting the plans for the communication trenches before relaying the orders to the frontline units.

Soon, the 1st Corps sprang into action. Excavators roared to life, rapidly carving jagged, zigzagging communication trenches across the plains, inching steadily toward Yonghe City.

Meanwhile, inside Yonghe City, Li Nan and the others had relocated their command center to an underground air raid shelter in the western sector. The two reinforcing divisions had arrived without division commanders; they were led entirely by regimental commanders—over ten of them in total.

Each regimental commander had brought their own unit. Since Li Nan and the original acting commanders had arrived first, they were currently leading the joint command, with the other regimental commanders coordinating alongside them.

Bai Ye remained uninvolved, merely observing from the sidelines. According to Hu Hao’s orders, Bai Ye’s tank forces and the city’s air cavalry were not to engage unless a critical situation arose!

“They are digging communication trenches. Their goal is to advance their troops to the city limits as quickly and safely as possible, significantly reducing the effectiveness of our artillery!” one of the newly arrived regimental commanders analyzed.

“Exactly. It looks like we need to prepare for urban combat. Our troops are already constructing fortifications within the city. We’ve knocked down walls to connect many buildings and established defensive positions along the main streets and high-rises. Now, all we can do is wait for them to come to us!” another regimental commander nodded.

Most of these regimental commanders had previously been battalion commanders, or even company commanders. Hu Hao simply didn’t have enough qualified officers, so he had been forced to promote them rapidly.

“Mm. Hao-ge is still on his way. Our artillery is currently bombarding their rear echelons and inflicting casualties. Do you think we should redirect our fire to bombard their communication trenches and slow their progress?” Liu Yichuan asked the group.

“I agree we should bombard the trenches. We brought two additional artillery regiments with us. We have more than enough firepower to suppress their trench-digging and significantly delay their progress!” another regimental commander concurred.

“Division Commander Bai, do you have any suggestions?” Li Nan asked, turning to Bai Ye.

“None. I have no opinions whatsoever. Just fight. Hao-ge wants to train you. If he simply wanted to wipe them out, he wouldn’t be fighting like this. You can command however you see fit!” Bai Ye shook his head immediately.

“Oh… well, then. Should we order the artillery to bombard the trenches?” Li Nan asked the other regimental commanders.

“Agreed!”

“Agreed!” the other commanders nodded.

They immediately began calling the artillery batteries, ordering them to shift fire to the Allied communication trenches to halt their rapid construction. Having issued the orders, they resumed discussing their next tactical moves.

Watching their discussion, Bai Ye subtly shook his head.

“Division Commander Bai, you disagree?” Li Nan immediately noticed. He had been keeping a close eye on Bai Ye.

Li Nan knew that Bai Ye was perfectly capable of commanding a tank division, and as a former veteran regimental commander, his tactical acumen was excellent. Therefore, Li Nan desperately wanted his input.

(End of Chapter)