Why would I join the army if I can’t drive a Gundam!

Chapter 126 Disaster Is Coming
"How could the Federation forces destroy our defenses so easily?"

"Now is not the time to talk about this!"

In the Zeon divisional command post behind the lines, the officers and soldiers were in an uproar. When the Red Dragons attacked the 1st Brigade command post, Farmington was still engaged in an extremely fierce battle. The Zeon army had committed nearly four regiments to fight against two Federation brigades. Under such intense fighting conditions, they naturally did not pay much attention to the Salt Lake City side.

Then, something bad happened!
While the Red Dragons attacked the 1st Brigade headquarters, Colonel Taylor had already assembled two divisions to launch a full-scale counterattack. He assembled a commando team of nearly three hundred mobile suits, which charged straight into the defensive line torn open by the Red Dragons.

Subsequently, the commando team began to expand their gains along the defensive line towards the Zeon forces on the southern front, while subsequent Federation forces followed in a steady stream.

By the time the divisional command received the news, the Zeon army's most important logistical route, Highway 80, which they had occupied, had been cut off by the Federation forces.

Most importantly, due to the Federation's counterattack, the Zeon forces attacking Farmington have now been cut off from their allies and have become a giant dumpling surrounded by the Federation forces, and a meat-filled one at that!
So, what happens next is obvious. Opportunities to wipe out four Zeon regiments in one fell swoop are rare, so the Federation Forces will not let this good opportunity pass!
"We must find a way, either to establish contact and withdraw the troops, or to break through the Federal Army's defenses as soon as possible and escape their encirclement!"

"Where is the nearest unit to Highway 80?"

"They're right here, but I don't think they can make any difference!"

A Zeon intelligence officer said calmly.

"why?"

"Because it was the Red Dragon that spearheaded the counterattack!"

"That damned bastard!"

A Zeon colonel couldn't resist becoming a desktop cleaning master and swept everything off the table.

Three regiments of his troops were surrounded. Before the attack, he had been dreaming of a glorious future. However, in just five hours, his troops' situation took a sharp turn for the worse. They went from being sharp swords aimed at the enemy to being surrounded like dumplings.

"Why isn't anyone able to take down that guy?"

"Don't we also have some very famous ace pilots? Like Crimson Lightning, Red Comet?"

It was the same intelligence officer. He hesitated for a few seconds before speaking.

"In fact, the Crimson Comet had fought with the opponent before. If he hadn't run away quickly, the Red Dragon might have had another victory!"

"Also, everyone, I have some bad news!"

The intelligence officer produced the information he had just obtained.

"The Red Dragon is advancing along Highway 80, and it's only 30 kilometers away from us!"

Then, the division command post fell into dead silence.

Should we move?

Finally, one of the Zeon officers couldn't help but speak up.

Are you telling me to run away?

The commander of the 2nd Division roared angrily.

Although he was a little flustered, this was a time to test everyone's determination and will, so he gave a very firm order.

"I'm sitting right here today, watching you all. Anyone who dares to mention retreat again will be court-martialed!"

Of course, while expressing his firm resolve, the division commander also ordered all nearby friendly forces to press forward and hold Highway 80 to the death. He refused to believe that the Red Dragon could break through his defenses before it ran out of ammunition!

"What about our troops at Farmington?"

At this moment, the Zeon forces in Farmington were still engaged in fierce fighting with the Union 128th Brigade. They had not yet received news that their retreat had been cut off, but as Colonel Taylor's troops began to tighten the encirclement, it would not be long before they discovered this harsh reality.

However, it is too early to say that the besieged Zeon forces are completely isolated. Their occupied territory still has a civilian airport, and because it is adjacent to the salt lake, the Zeons can still provide support to their own troops in the encirclement using speedboats.

Land contact was out of the question. With the Red Dragons drawing attention by attacking cities and fortresses ahead, Taylor was ordering the 4th Armored Division, which had launched a counterattack, to repair and strengthen its defenses on the spot. They quickly constructed a tight blockade using the captured Zeon defense line.

"Let Farmington's troops launch a full-scale assault, no matter the cost!"

"At the same time, suppress this news!"

The Zeon division commander's intentions were good. If the Zeon troops in Farmington could transform into superhumans and break through the Federation's defenses, they would naturally be able to escape their encirclement. However, once the fact that they were surrounded was revealed, the local troops would likely fall into a state of morale turmoil, which would make the attack operation even more disadvantageous.

The problem is that the Union troops stationed there already know that the enemy at Farmington is surrounded. So, even if they are usually weak, these Union troops know that if they annihilate the enemy, their unit standing in front of the enemy will have accomplished a great feat.

"Immediately notify every officer and soldier in the entire brigade of this message!"

Upon learning of the situation, the brigade commander of the 128th Brigade immediately ordered his entire communications squad to mobilize, whether by phone or by relaying orders on the front lines, to ensure that every soldier understood the current situation.

"Commander Griffin, let us retreat! My company has lost two-thirds of its tanks, and the crews are almost all wiped out. These are some great lads, all trained by you!"

"Hold on a little longer, I've already sent reinforcements!"

Faced with the earnest requests of their subordinates, the Federal Army field commanders could only harden their hearts and watch their troops being slowly ground to pieces in the meat grinder. They knew just how important Farmington was.

Then, when the messengers from the brigade headquarters arrived, these field commanders clearly understood how heavy a responsibility had been added to the meaning of holding their ground at this moment.

"Joe, listen to me carefully. Our army has launched a counterattack in Salt Lake City. The enemy's retreat has been cut off. As long as we wait until dawn, our army can launch a counterattack. So, don't give me any more discouraging talk about retreating. I want you to stay right here, hold on on Eighth Street, no matter what, don't retreat a single step!"

"I understand, sir. Then, I request another platoon as reinforcements! I guarantee I will complete the mission!"

"Wait!"

Before long, the company commander, who had been wounded multiple times in the artillery fire, saw his reinforcements. It was Major Griffin, wearing a helmet and smoking a cigar, who arrived at the front line with the last platoon of tanks from the battalion headquarters, as well as armored vehicles, logistics units, and communications units.

The Zeon forces also received orders to break through the defenses at all costs. In fact, to support them, Zeon artillery units abandoned their counter-battery duties and began bombarding the Federation forces' lines instead. "For Zeon!"

"Long live Zeon!"

The roaring slogans briefly drowned out the rumble of artillery fire, and amidst the frenzied shouts, the Zeon mobile suit units and the Federation's GMs clashed violently once again.

The Zeon pilot, fueled by a stimulant, brandished his heat axe and chopped the GM in front of him to the ground. But before he could finish off the fallen GM, a roaring assault rifle knocked his mech down.

Then, a GM79 with its gun still steaming went forward to help the fallen comrade up, but the next second, its cockpit was pierced by a heat sword.

After taking down the GM, Tiger was looking for his next target when the fallen GM shakily raised his rifle and pulled the trigger before the seriously wounded pilot breathed his last, knocking Tiger to the ground.

The Type 61 tank, which was speeding along, opened fire on the Zeon Zaku, which was fighting its friendly GM, at a distance of less than 100 meters. The steel needles pierced through the tank, but the next second, the Type 61 tank was destroyed by a single shot from the airborne Magella.

As Magella rotated its turret to support its allies, it was pierced by Jim's beam saber once again and then exploded into a fireball.

At this moment, in the inferno of Farmington, the soldiers on both sides of the battle had completely lost the ability to think. They had only one thought in their minds: to kill the enemy in front of them.

Flying bayonets deflected enemy rifles and pierced chests; wielding entrenching tools cleaved helmets and plunged into necks; flamethrowers, machine guns, grenades, bayonets, even bricks and helmets became weapons; tens of thousands of people were engaged in a frenzied battle in these ruins.

Under the relentless assault, the Zeon forces painstakingly broke through the 128th Brigade's defenses bit by bit through fierce exchanges. At one point, they even attacked within fifty meters of the 128th Brigade's command post. The brigade commander could see the rocket launcher held high in the hands of the Zaku simply by looking up.

But in the end, the Zaku still couldn't pull the trigger, because another GM traded its life for the Zaku's.

After resting and regrouping at Farmington, the 126th Brigade returned to this hellish place. Although the 126th Brigade had suffered nearly two-thirds casualties, these Federation soldiers still mustered their last bit of courage after learning about the current crisis. With the addition of this small but fresh force, the Federation forces managed to push back the Zeon army's advance.

Then, in order to curb the Zeon army's frenzied offensive, the Federation commander at the front even ordered friendly artillery to fire at their own coordinates.

"Broken arrow! Broken arrow!"

This term means calling in support fire to indiscriminately bombard one's own area.

The Zeon forces ultimately fell short due to a miscalculation in artillery support. The large pallet-class tank, which had completed its relocation, also joined the battle at its most intense moment. When its heavy cannons roared and landed on the battlefield, the Zeon commander at Farmington realized that his offensive had failed!
The bombardment, comparable to that of battleship main guns, was something they simply couldn't withstand. A company of Zeon troops was wiped out by the shelling before they could even fire a single shot.

Meanwhile, the Dopp aircraft group sent by the Zeon forces to attack the large pallet-class aircraft was also intercepted halfway by the Swordfish that took off.

Then, the Federation's Flying Ray bombers arrived on the battlefield, using countless bombs to create walls of fire and block the Zeon forces' advance.

Before the Zeon forces, whose attack had failed, could catch their breath, the roar of jet engines came from the eastern sky. A Midian squadron was delivering much-needed mobile suits directly to the Federation forces in Farmington.

"Sir, our army urgently needs readjustment!"

"There's no chance to adjust. Didn't you hear the artillery fire from the south? The Federal Army is launching a counterattack, and you're surrounded!"

This news struck like a thunderbolt, exploding directly in the ears of the Zeon commander at Farmington.

"How is that possible? I received supplies from friendly forces on Highway 80 just an hour ago!"

"That was the last batch of our troops to pass through Highway 80!"

"Listen carefully, you must continue attacking Farmington. Only by taking this place will you have a chance of survival!"

"How do you expect me to take it, sir? Did you hear that outside? Those are Federal warships shelling us. There's no chance left. We have to retreat!"

Then, the communication channel fell into a deathly silence, with only the constant echoes of gunfire outside.

"Alright, hold the airport and the lakeshore as much as possible. I'll find a way to send troops to pick you up!"

Then, when the communication was lost, the Geon commander in Farmington couldn't help but cover his head.

"One incompetent general can tire out the entire army!"

The Asian commander couldn't help but recall an old saying from his own culture.

But I just don't know who this incompetent general should be called.

Then, the Zeon troops in Farmington finally learned that they were surrounded. The shock of this extremely cruel reality was so great that several seriously wounded Zeon soldiers couldn't help but take out their pistols and put them directly into their mouths.

They knew very well that if they were surrounded, these heavily wounded men who couldn't move would have no chance of retreating.

“Tell the brothers not to be afraid, I will bring everyone back!”

When the Zeon commander learned that the wounded soldier had taken his own life, he was stunned for a moment. Then he clenched his fists and looked at the officers around him with great determination.

"Once the transport planes arrive, prioritize the evacuation of the wounded. No one may set foot on the runway until all the wounded have been evacuated!"

"But the divisional command ordered us to prioritize the evacuation of the mobile units..."

"My orders are for the wounded!"

"Yes, sir. What do we do next?"

"First, have the mobile suits not withdraw, but assume an attack posture. Then, have the follow-up troops gather at the airport. Once most of them have withdrawn, then have them retreat!"

"understand!"

The officers didn't ask how long it would take to evacuate tens of thousands of troops from the airport, nor did they ask if the federal army would let them evacuate by plane without any trouble. At this moment, it was better to leave a glimmer of hope.

As for evacuating from the salt lake, they're not a marine unit. How many people can those small boats carry? Even if the infantry can walk, what about the heavy equipment? Are they supposed to have the Zaku swim back with the marines?
　I spent four thousand today outside.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)