Mercenary I am the king

Chapter 1292 Bickering!

The U.S. military's temporary command center, codenamed "Outpost".

Colonel Kurt stood in front of the main screen, which displayed different angles of the battlefield.

The chaotic battle zone as seen from a drone, the blurry image transmitted from the helmet display of an Apache pilot, and the location information marked in the Viper 1-1 report.

"Precision strikes are impossible, and the risk of friendly fire is extremely high!"

The pilot's report was like a cold needle piercing Kurt's eardrums.

Just minutes earlier, the AWACS "HawkEye" sent another more detailed analysis report: "The number of mobile clusters in the southeast direction has stabilized at over 320, mainly light vehicles and some trucks. The vanguard is expected to arrive at the southeastern outskirts of Tetris within an hour. No large-scale heavy equipment has been detected. However, the troop strength... far exceeds expectations."

The troop strength far exceeded expectations.

The enemy and the friend are completely mixed.

Kurt felt a throbbing sensation in his temples, and a surge of anger and anxiety rushed to the top of his head.

"SHIT!"

The shouts echoed inside the command vehicle.

“Order them,” Kurt’s voice was forced through clenched teeth: “Strike enemy follow-up echelons and targets deep within the city! Prioritize attacking any enemy vehicles or personnel groups that leave the fighting area and move towards the city! Artillery! Call in our artillery! Suppress any possible enemy artillery counter-fire and reinforcements!”

"Yes, sir!"

The communications officer responded loudly and began relaying instructions.

Kurt knew it was likely to be in vain.

The essence of the enemy's "flying cavalry" tactic lies in rushing in to engage in melee combat, allowing follow-up troops to quickly follow and further expand the chaos, thus rendering their air superiority and long-range artillery advantages ineffective.

But he had to do something.

Just then, the intelligence analyst turned around, his face even more grim:

"Sir, our aircraft have detected multiple intermittent, brief bursts of heat signals in the northeast and northwest of Titrick, within a range of about 10 to 15 kilometers from the city center, accompanied by artillery fire detected by audio sensors. Pattern analysis suggests it is enemy mobile artillery, a hit-and-run tactic."

"Artillery? They have organized artillery units?"

Major James was incredulous.

Kurt's heart sank.

Ambush, Pikachu swarm assault, mobile artillery harassment...

This is not the kind of teamwork that can be achieved by a disorganized, haphazard group.

The opposing commander not only anticipated his attack but also prepared multi-layered countermeasures.

Wasn't it said that the Titrick region was entirely composed of the defeated 1515 army that was routed by Song Heping?
Didn't they say that their commander, Az, had been captured by Song Heping's men?
How can they still be so well-organized?

Will there still be so many soldiers and equipment?
They don't look like demoralized, routed troops at all!

Where did they come from?

What went wrong with the intelligence?!
He frowned and stared at the screen for a long time, when suddenly a place name popped into his mind.

Ozam!
That's right!

It must be in the direction of Ozam!
Only there can you find a large number of Unit 1515!

At this time, the Iligor government's 9th Armored Division in the direction of Ozam was responsible for launching a diversionary offensive, which was supposed to keep the local 1515 militia firmly in place, preventing them from sending reinforcements to Titrick.

But now, so many enemies have suddenly appeared in Tetrique, exceeding all intelligence estimates...

There is only one possibility——

The 1515 armed forces in the Ozam direction were not firmly contained by the 9th Division at all!

They likely left only a small number of troops to delay the government forces, while secretly drawing their main force to reinforce Titrick!
If that's the case, then the Ninth Division Commander, Saif, is either an incompetent fool who failed to complete the containment mission, or he deliberately held back to preserve his strength and launched a passive attack!

In either case, Kurt believes it is unforgivable and directly led to his current predicament!

A cold glint flashed in Kurt's eyes.

He needs immediate confirmation, and even more so, he needs to apply pressure.

"Connect me to the direction of Ozam, to the command post of the 9th Armored Division in Ilig, and find Commander Saif himself!"

Kurt gave the communications officer an order that left no room for argument.

He then strode to the dedicated secure communication terminal and put on the headset.

A few seconds later, the line was connected, and the background noise was somewhat chaotic, with faint sounds of artillery fire that could be heard.

"Colonel Kurt?"

Division Commander Saif's voice came through, tinged with a hint of doubt and a barely perceptible sense of detachment: "This is Saif. We are carrying out a diversionary attack as planned. What are your instructions?"

Kurt's voice was laced with suppressed anger:

"General Saif, Titrick's 1515 armed forces far exceed our expectations. We have encountered a large-scale, organized ambush and counter-offensive, and the front lines are currently in chaos. At the same time, our reconnaissance has detected a large number of enemy reinforcements pouring into Titrick from the southeast!" He paused, letting the weight of his words carry, and then continued:

"According to our pre-war intelligence sharing and plans, the 1515 armed forces in the Ozam direction should have been firmly contained by your forces, preventing them from being able to spare any resources. But the current situation can only be explained by one thing—either your 9th Division and the government forces under your command have not been strong enough in their containment efforts, allowing them to free up their main forces to reinforce Titrick; or our intelligence was wrong from the beginning, and Titrick has been hiding a large number of troops all along!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the communication line, before Saif's voice carried a hint of formulaic explanation and a subtle displeasure:
"Colonel Kurt, please watch your wording. The 9th Armored Division launched its attack on the enemy at Ozam at dawn this morning, in accordance with the joint operations plan. Our vanguard has now broken through the enemy's first line of defense and is engaged in fierce fighting. The enemy is putting up a tough fight, relying on the terrain and fortifications to hold back our troops. Our forces have suffered heavy losses, but the progress is in line with expectations, and there is no indication of any large-scale troop movement by the enemy. Your claim of 'drawing away the main force' lacks evidence."

"As expected?"

Kurt almost sneered, but he suppressed it. "General, I don't care what your 'expectations' are. What I need now is results! The enemy in Titrick is launching a fierce attack on my troops, and they may very well have slipped through your theater of operations! I demand—no, I urge your 9th Armored Division to launch a full-scale counter-offensive immediately! Not a 'predictable' attack, but a relentless, all-out assault! I want Ozham's 1515th Army to feel the deadly pressure, to use every bullet and every man on defending against your attack, to completely cut off their possibility of sending even a single soldier to Titrick!"

His tone was stern, almost commanding, even though he was not officially authorized to directly command the government forces.

Saif was clearly enraged, raising his voice slightly: "Colonel! I understand the difficulties you face, but my troops have their own operational rhythm and risk assessment! The enemy has been fortifying Ozam for a long time, and their defenses are strong. A rash attack would result in heavy casualties! My mission is to contain and weaken the enemy, not to wage a devastating siege! Besides, how can you be sure that the enemy reinforcements to Titrick are definitely from my theater of operations? Couldn't they have been brought in from another direction by 1515?"

Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Bureaucracy, preserving strength, shirking responsibility...

Saif is shirking responsibility!

From another war zone?

where?
Reinforcements that sprouted from the southern desert?
Song Peace controls Mosul and Baiji in the west, unless those 1515 militants can fly!

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for so many reinforcements to infiltrate right under their noses!

He was all too familiar with the common excuses and shirking of responsibility used by the bureaucrats and military generals of the Iligo government.

But now is not the time to argue.

“General,” his voice softened slightly:
"Operation 'Balance Beam' is the highest priority operation in the theater at this stage. If Operation Titrick fails due to the inability to effectively contain the enemy in the Ozam direction, someone must take responsibility. I will truthfully report the current battlefield situation, including the movements of suspected enemy reinforcements, and the content of this communication between you and me, to the Joint Command and Baghdad. Now, as the frontline commander of the coalition forces, I formally request your troops to intensify their offensive, at least one powerful armored assault, to verify the strength of the enemy's defenses and effectively pressure the enemy so that they cannot divert their forces."

He emphasized the words "request" and "report".

Silence fell again on the other end of the communication line, with only a faint static sound.

After a long while, Saif's voice came again, but it was noticeably colder: "I will consider your 'request' and assess the battlefield situation of my unit. But I must prioritize the lives of my soldiers and the sustainability of the mission. Over."

Communication was interrupted.

Kurt took off his headphones and slammed them onto the control panel.

He knew he wouldn't get any immediate help from Saif.

The government forces' "considerations" and "assessments" often mean delays and perfunctory responses.

He turned around, facing the gazes of everyone in the command center.

A chaotic battlefield, a stalemate, uncooperative "friendly forces," and the true enemy situation hidden...

The "balance beam" project is turning from a planned, precise surgical operation into a bloody and out-of-control mud wrestling match.

"Sir..."

Major James hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

Kurt raised his hand to stop him.

He walked back to the main screen and looked at the constantly changing situation map.

"Notify all units at the front,"

Kurt's voice regained its calm: "Hold the existing positions, establish a ring defense in company and platoon units, and prioritize ensuring fire support corridors between them. Concentrate air power to strike confirmed enemy follow-up echelons and artillery positions that are not intersecting with our forces. Artillery stand by, prioritizing counter-artillery operations. Meanwhile..."

He paused, his gaze sharp.

"Order Thunder Defense's 'Alpha' and 'Bravo' companies to cancel their planned air assault and immediately advance to the high ground northeast of the brick factory area to establish a stronghold, and prepare a company-sized rapid reaction force. They will be responsible for supporting and stabilizing the front should the Kolde Line show signs of collapse."

"In addition, we will activate 'Plan B' logistics contingency plan to urgently transport anti-tank ammunition, medical supplies, and engineering equipment to the front lines. We need to prepare for a possible shift to a war of attrition and defensive warfare."

Orders were issued one after another, and the command center became busy again, but the atmosphere was completely different.

The initial optimism and ease vanished, replaced by a heavy sense of gravity and urgency.

Kurt walked to the window and looked at the bright sunshine outside.

The sky in the direction of Titrick was increasingly polluted by black smoke.

"Balance beam"...

The meticulously designed battle plan was now groaning under the strain of the enemy's brutal and effective "sticky" tactics and unexpectedly large forces.

The first phase of the attack fell far short of expectations.

Now, he must find a way to prevent this defeat from turning into a rout.

　Asking for a monthly ticket!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)