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

Chapter 245 Landing on the Beach
"Block the sea, even if it's just a plank of wood, flip it over. Tell the Marines to move faster. With so many civilians detained, are we supposed to feed them?"

Inside the white base, Captain Bradnoa, holding his teacup, was loudly issuing instructions to his subordinates. To him, the gathering of so many civilians here was a terrifying thing. The slightest mistake could lead to a major humanitarian disaster. But Makarius had ordered him to take responsibility, so Captain Bradnoa had no choice but to be on high alert.

"I didn't offend that kid Markarius, did I?"

Bradnoya, his throat dry from talking, glanced at the ships being driven in one direction by the Federal Army on the sea, and then couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Maybe they value you!"

Standing next to Brad, Milai Bazhou gave the captain a slap on the back, telling him not to grumble behind his back. Although restraining civilians was troublesome, it didn't bring any merit, yet it required a suitable person to do it. Among the Federation's captains, the others were all powder kegs that could explode at any moment, and only Brad was suitable for this task.

"His high regard for her is quite special!"

As Brad said this, he looked down at the profile of the person next to him and then asked in a low voice.

"Once the mission is over, I'll be able to take a vacation. Have you decided where you want to go?"

"Do I have to go with you?"

As Miley said this, her ears gradually turned red.

"So who do you want to go with? Is it your ex-fiancé?"

"I'll go with Amuro, okay?"

Mila felt incredibly sorry for the captain's emotional intelligence, and her good mood vanished completely. She gave the captain another loving elbow strike, making him gasp in shock.

Then, Millai turned around to return to her position, only to find that everyone else on the bridge was staring at her.

"Sailors, where are you? You just left Gabro? Oh, never mind!"

The other officers and soldiers who were caught secretly watching the drama unfold reacted quickly, immediately turning around and pretending to be busy, but their attention remained on the two guys who were secretly dating.

Under Brad's control, the Union blockade of the sea did not result in any serious incidents. Marines who arrived at the scene quickly, carrying riot shotguns and stun guns and shields, began boarding the ship for inspection.

Although many believers tried to stop the Marines, they were ultimately defeated by the riot shields, stun batons, and shotguns that fired large rubber bullets in the battle. They were beaten so badly that they cried out for their mothers. Meanwhile, in the sea, Water Jim would occasionally raise his fist and scoop up a large ball of seawater to cool down the hot-blooded believers.

Although the beatings were brutal, the federal soldiers still maintained a degree of restraint. They did not make things difficult for those who cooperated, and even allowed them to leave first after completing identity registration and verification.

This move effectively divided the camp of the Nanyang Alliance believers. Those who wanted to have passionate interactions with the federal officers and soldiers would now be met with resistance from those believers who wanted to leave as soon as possible. After all, faith is faith, but life is only once!
Brad's work proceeded smoothly. The escaped ordinary ships were all confirmed to be free of any important members of the Order of Order and to ensure that they were not carrying any contraband. Then, the Federation forces opened a passage for them to leave. As for the personnel on the transport ships that wanted to escape but whose power systems had been destroyed, they were temporarily transferred to islands and reefs other than Taal Island.

After all, their ships are no longer able to sail, and the Federal Army will not compensate them for their ships. However, after the war ends, they can apply to the Federal Government for repairs. If the Civil Service has available slipways, they can help them with the repairs.

After all, the Federal Army had already made a call over the communications system long ago. Those who cooperated would naturally benefit, while those who didn't, although they wouldn't do anything particularly bad, would still have to suffer for a few days and learn a lesson.

Although the monks of the South Sea Alliance on Taal Island witnessed everything that happened on the sea, they did not rush out of their base to fight the Federation army in righteous indignation. Instead, they watched as the Federation army cleared the sea little by little, as if they were watching strangers. Then, after the last civilian ship disappeared on the horizon, the Federation army around the island seemed to have evaporated and disappeared.

"They've cleaned up the battlefield!"

Elder Doni, who was already in the command room, patted his bald head and let out a long sigh.

"Now, it's our turn!"

"Elder, an increase in the concentration of Minovsky particles has been detected!"

"Activate backup reconnaissance mechanisms, turn on optical auxiliary equipment. Scattering rice grains is just the beginning. Everyone, stay at your posts!"

Just as Doni was making these arrangements, hundreds of heavy missiles suddenly flew out from the distant sea and even the high sky. These missiles either moved at high speed skimming the sea or swooped down in high-angle trajectories, all heading towards the mudflats and rainforests surrounding the island.

"Launch anti-aircraft missiles and launch an interception; they want to eliminate the outer defenses!"

Subsequently, trails of white smoke rose rapidly into the sky from Taal Island; these were the anti-aircraft missiles launched by the monk soldiers. Then, long-range missiles launched by the Federation Army and anti-aircraft missiles from the South Sea Alliance engaged in fierce combat on the island. Missiles flew back and forth in the air with extremely strange paths, followed by continuous explosions. From time to time, Federation missiles were intercepted and then exploded in the air into bright fireworks, while other missiles passed through the interception and landed in the predetermined target area. With the interference of grains of rice, it was impossible to expect missiles to achieve zero-error hits. Fortunately, the Federation Army had enough targets and a wide enough range to attack.

Subsequently, the various deployments made by the Nanyang Alliance on the beachhead and even in the rainforest behind it were destroyed by heavy missiles. Traps, minefields, tunnels, and other facilities were all reduced to ashes.

The intense air battles lasted only a short time. Although the Nanyang Alliance had a lot of ammunition stored at the Taal base, it couldn't withstand the terrifying consumption. In less than a few hours of air defense operations, nearly a thousand anti-aircraft missiles were shot down. This made Doni a little scared. The remaining ammunition would not last long in the face of this consumption. And the main force of the Federation Army had not yet appeared. Missiles had to be conserved!

But the Federation forces had no such concerns. The amount of military supplies produced during the year-long war was terrifyingly high. Storing and destroying those weapons and ammunition would incur considerable costs, so they could produce as much as they wanted. After all, the Gabro base had dispatched a professional logistics support team to supply the strike fleet's daily needs. Gop might feel a little reluctant if the soldiers wanted red wine and steak, but firing missiles would only make him happier. How could new missiles enter service if the old ammunition wasn't used up? So, the Federation forces on the outskirts of the island were celebrating like it was New Year's, unleashing wave after wave of long-range munitions. That was just the first wave; then came the second, the third, and the fourth.
Meanwhile, the resistance of the Nanyang Alliance became increasingly weak. After all, there were more missiles flying overhead than the entire base's garrison. How could they possibly fight back? The outer anti-aircraft missile positions were even more unfortunate, because the Federal Army's strike zone was adjusted based on real-time feedback. As a result, these positions naturally became targets. At first, the soldiers could intercept a few missiles, but later, they couldn't stop them at all!

The number of anti-aircraft missiles fired by the Nanyang Alliance subsequently decreased to just over a hundred. In the end, only a small number of shoulder-fired launchers were still able to fire into the sky. As for fixed and mobile anti-aircraft defense systems, they dared not take any action.

After nearly a day of continuous attacks by the Federation forces, Taal Island was rapidly transformed. The entire island used to be lush and verdant, with extremely dense vegetation. Deep in the rainforest, there were babbling brooks and birdsong. This was because Taal Island is a volcanic island, and the volcanic ash from the eruptions had accumulated over time, providing abundant nutrients for the island's ecological development.

However, now, the lush vegetation looks like it has been chewed by dogs, becoming pitted and uneven. The golden sand is also covered with scorched bomb craters. Trees have fallen and rivers are blocked. If a botanist came here and saw such a tragic scene, he would surely drop a pearl!

However, protecting the environment was not the Federation's mission at that moment, so the bombing continued. Even after confirming that the island's anti-aircraft firepower posed no threat, the Federation Navy's carrier-based aircraft began to approach the island and drop various air-to-ground munitions. The bombing only stopped intermittently after the rear command confirmed through various means that all suspicious deployments around the island had been destroyed.

"Attack begins!"

"Commandos, move out! Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

On several Himalayan-class aircraft carriers belonging to the Navy, one after another, the MI6D AGVs leaped into the water. Then, in the well deck at the rear of the carrier, hovercraft carrying 61A5 tanks also sailed into the sea with the swaying waves.

On the landing craft, fully armed Federal Marines were giving their rifles a final check.

Meanwhile, in the sky, on the four landing ships that were on high alert, Federation pilots were making their final preparations. Their mobile suits were being removed from the maintenance platform one by one by the hangar arms, and then the pilots quickly climbed onto their mobile suits using the elevators.

Then, these fully equipped mechs stepped onto the flight ramps that had been hooked by the catapults. Once the armored hatches on the warship's cantilever were fully opened, the flight ramps quickly carried the mobile suits on their backs and soared into the clouds.

"Our troops are expected to arrive in five minutes!"

"Launch the missile!"

After the first batch of mobile suit units set off, the four Pegasus-class ships began launching all their missiles again. However, this time, the missiles they launched were not targeting the beachhead, but rather a deeper area. Djamitov timed the attack perfectly, so that the missiles could arrive at the same time as the attacking forces.

Generally, the defending forces on the beachhead will place personnel and equipment in the second line of defense and launch counterattacks. That's why there is a second batch of missiles. If the enemy has deployed personnel and equipment in the depth, the missiles will disrupt their counterattack rhythm, thus helping friendly forces at the front to take the beachhead position more quickly.

So, just a second before the first batch of Water Jims and hovercraft reached the mudflats, a barrage of missiles slammed into the rainforest beyond their sight.

"Go! Go! Take the position, quick!"

As the fully armed federal troops trooped onto the soft sand, the Nanyang Alliance's beachhead garrison also began its counterattack.

The whistling mortar shells flew out from the rainforest, which had been ravaged by artillery fire, and landed among the landing Federal troops.

However, the shelling posed little threat to the Federation forces because the first group to land were mostly mobile suits. Although the Water GMs were not particularly strong, they had armor that could withstand mortar fire, and their tall stature allowed them to suppress the artillery positions from above.

Under the attack of the Water Jim, the front-line defenders of the Nanyang Alliance immediately chose to retreat. Their numbers were not large to begin with, and their deployment there was only to carry out tasks such as monitoring and fire observation. After all, the Nanyang Alliance still had quite a few old-fashioned 120mm heavy mortars.

However, the 120mm cannons were ineffective, which made the defenders quite uncomfortable. They did not expect that the Federation Army would send so many mobile suits to lead the charge. When those water GMs emerged from the sea one after another, many monks on the shore thought it was the end of the world, after all, the scene was terrifying.

Behind the Water Jim, a large number of landing craft continued to bring batches of Marines and armored units ashore.

"Elder, we must launch a counterattack!"

Seeing that the Federation troops were still coming ashore in droves, some monk commanders immediately asked Doni to order the second-line mobile soldiers and the few armored forces to launch a counterattack.

"Currently, the Federation forces have only deployed the Water GM, which our army can still handle. But once the special mobile suits and even Gundams are deployed, we will never be able to take back that beachhead!"

“I know, but that’s the problem. Those second-line troops are also preparing for Gundam. What if we launch a counterattack now and Gundam appears?”

"But now, even without Gundam, we will lose our beachhead!"

"At the very least, we should take back the beachhead first!"

"Alright then, now prepare the counterattack forces!"

No sooner had Doni finished speaking than a monk rushed out from Commander Tarri.

"Sir, the lookout reports that enemy air forces are approaching from the northeast!"

(End of this chapter)