Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 191 He will definitely come
The moment the speedboats launched their attack and the enemy began laying down the pontoon bridge, the enemy displayed an unprecedented level of coordination.

The already intense artillery fire became continuous, with shells raining down on the rebel camp!
Heavy machine gun bullets from all angles seemed intent on thoroughly ploughing up the entire land!
"They really did hide a lot of artillery positions. If they had opened fire right away, we would have been finished!"

Feeling the fierce firepower, Lak gripped the AKM that had been with him for many years, almost all of which had been replaced, and shouted, "The enemy is crossing the river! Start the counterattack! We must hold on!"

"Our friends are about to break through Retaluleu, the destruction of Quetzaltenango is imminent, and Lopez is doomed!"

After offering a few words of encouragement, Lark noticed that the soldiers in the communications platoon looked a little better before preparing to give specific tactical instructions.

There was no way around it; being bombed like that was really affecting morale. Even he himself could hardly suppress the instinctive shock he felt, let alone his soldiers.

"The area near the key defensive dock is where the river is narrowest, making crossing the river most convenient. There are also a large number of boats there, so it must be the enemy's main attack direction!"

"The delta where the two tributaries of the Seguala River meet is flat and easy to land, but it will also be the enemy's main direction of attack. We must hold on, hold on!"

Further ahead, the enemy forces would need to cross two rivers, and behind them, there was an extremely complex hilly terrain, making it difficult for armored units and large-scale infantry to cross.

There are no other suitable places to land, so we just need to hold these two areas.

Lak patted the communications soldier on the shoulder and said, "Pass on my orders: wherever the defensive pressure is high and the enemy is about to collapse, release fuel and set the river ablaze to stop their advance."

For this battle, Lak emptied almost all the fuel he had prepared for vehicles and aircraft!
After saying that, Lak picked up his AKM, crouched down, and crawled out of the command post.

He needs to go to the front lines to obtain more intelligence and more information.

Boom! Thump thump thump!
The sounds of 115mm smoothbore cannons firing and assault boat machine guns firing could be heard as enemy engineers began laying pontoon bridges across the river under the cover of artillery fire.

And it's very efficient.

What's even more alarming is that tank units need to wait for pontoon bridges or hovercraft, but amphibious infantry fighting vehicles don't!
The enemy was also fighting very hard, with six BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles assembled on the shore, followed by several troop transport boats full of people. It seemed they were planning to push all of them forward!

So, just as Lak arrived at his satisfactory command position, he witnessed a horrifying scene.

A barrage of fire, consisting of the 73mm smoothbore cannons of infantry fighting vehicles, the 115mm smoothbore cannons of tanks, the 20mm autocannons at the bow of ships, and various mortar and heavy machine gun positions, rained down on his face!

The resistance forces were utterly insignificant in the face of such an "iron torrent".

The disadvantage in equipment and firepower was so great that it could not be overcome by human effort.

Seeing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Lark's eyes—to be honest, if the enemy attacked in waves, he would have an even bigger headache.

Given the strength of the resistance, the enemy wouldn't even need to launch a full-scale attack before the defenses could crumble.

Small-scale attacks have a high probability of forcing the rebels to reveal a large number of their trump cards, making it impossible for them to defend against subsequent attacks.

The fact that so many people are coming at once has actually created an opportunity.

Without hesitation, Lak shouted orders to the communications officer beside him: "Send the order to our artillery positions: bombard the enemy infantry fighting vehicles immediately after they are launched into the water! The infantry fighting vehicles can swim, but not in speedboats; they are very, very slow!"

"If the speedboat follows behind them, it also loses its speed advantage!"

"The enemy artillery positions have been bombarded for so long, now is the perfect time for a firepower lull, let's make good use of this opportunity."

"Blow them up!"

boom! boom! boom!
The mortar positions, which had been hidden for a long time, were aimed at the target and unleashed their firepower shortly after receiving the order.

The slow-moving infantry fighting vehicles and speedboats were indeed like sitting ducks, getting hit by artillery shells and bullets from the rebel soldiers.

shhhhhh...

The government troops operating the machine guns on the slow boats were the first to be hit, falling to the ground from the incoming bullets. Then, the shells flew through the air in a beautiful arc before landing among the crowd.

boom!
The infantrymen following behind the infantry fighting vehicles, crammed onto the speedboats, were instantly engulfed in flames, demonstrating the devastating power of high-explosive shells on personnel.

After just three rounds of shelling, the enemy troops who had been coordinating so well collapsed instantly, abandoning their speedboats and scattering in all directions. Before long, only those six infantry fighting vehicles remained on the river.

Even if there are quite capable commanders in the enemy camp, they are still just a bandit army.

Without the protection of infantry, armored units are extremely vulnerable.

A rebel soldier who had reached within 200 meters of the river fired a PG-7VR tandem armor-piercing round with an RPG, which directly hit the turret of a BMP-1 that was crossing the river.

boom!
The fire and explosions turned the river red, and the remaining five infantry fighting vehicles immediately abandoned their attempt to cross the river, seemingly preparing to return to the shore and regroup.

"We held on!"

"We stopped their first wave of attack!"

"The enemy is fleeing!"

"We won!!!"

Lak was extremely excited—the RPG, equipped with a tandem armor-piercing warhead, has a hit rate of less than 30% at 200 meters, so to hit it so accurately was nothing short of a miracle!
There was also the artillery unit that Lak had meticulously trained, which had already achieved great success in combat.

As long as they can maintain this battlefield situation, they will definitely be able to hold the front line before Quetzaltenango falls!
Lak turned his head with great satisfaction and looked at the artillerymen not far away.

They too were cheering and celebrating the victory, their faces beaming with long-lost relaxed smiles.

"Quickly evacuate and move to the next position..."

But just as Lak announced the good news of the victory to the soldiers on the front lines and was about to have the communications officer issue the order to retreat and relocate, a familiar voice entered his ears.

Boom!

The sound of drums!
Lak was all too familiar with that sound, because in the days leading up to it, enemy howitzers had been bombarding him relentlessly, and that sound had accompanied him almost every time he fell asleep.

But this time, that voice appeared in my ears!

No, it appeared on the mortar position.

Lark's vision went black as a powerful shockwave swept past the bunker, slamming him heavily to the ground. The overpressure directly crushed his lungs.

He coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood.

boom! boom! boom!
Large-caliber high-explosive shells continued to fall, one after another carpet bombing the area around the rebel army's newly exposed mortar positions.

Lak struggled to push away a rock that was pressing down on him—something that should have been incredibly easy for him, but this time it took him all his strength.

A sense of absurdity and doubt welled up in Lark's mind.

how could be?

This evacuation time should have been more than enough. The enemy's mortars in front were in a firing window, and the howitzers in the rear weren't very effective...

Howitzer...

Lark was horrified, and then a terrifying, yet the only possible explanation came to mind.

"Counter-battery radar, they have counter-battery radar too!!!"

"Tell all artillerymen that the original relocation time is invalid! From the moment the first shot is fired, the relocation must be completed within one minute! Not a second can be wasted!"

After shouting, Lak helped the communications soldier, whose face was complicated, to his feet and looked toward the mortar position.

All that remained were scorched earth, charred parts, and charred limbs—the ground had been scorched by heavy artillery fire, and even the air was scalding hot; there was no way anyone could have survived.

A few shells, and all of Lak's carefully trained artillerymen were wiped out.

The few artillery positions that were available did not survive for more than 3 minutes on the battlefield.

Just as Lak was trying to calm himself down, the communications officer next to him suddenly spoke up, bringing him one piece of bad news after another.

"Commander... the enemy has regrouped and is crossing the river again!"

"Airplanes! Helicopters! The enemy air force has been deployed! P-51 Mustangs, Dragonfly helicopters, and Lark helicopters, they've all arrived!"

"The second assault company attempted to capture a front-line position but was discovered by the enemy and subjected to heavy fire. The casualties are still being tallied..."

Lak sighed inwardly, coughed violently a few times, and then gave the order: "Everyone, take cover and wait for the enemy air raid to end. The 107th Artillery Company in the rear should not make any rash moves for the time being."

"Pour fuel, set the river ablaze, and delay the enemy's 'three-army coordination' operation."

The communications soldier also sensed the unfavorable situation and nodded heavily, saying, "Received."

This was originally a trump card, but it was used so soon after the war started, it's just...

At this rate, let alone Milton's army conquering Quetzaltenango, the rebel front will likely collapse completely before Milton even sees a glimpse of Quetzaltenango.

If this continues, Lopez might not even have the strength to return to his base after dealing with the rebels!

Lak coughed loudly: "Let's go... take me back to command post."

At this moment, the gunfire did not stop for even a second. Several speedboats capsized and sank in the flames, and many resistance fighters were killed on the battlefield.

The casualty figures on both sides are rising at an extremely rapid pace.

The decisive battle had just begun, and its ferocity surpassed that of most of the battles they had participated in before.

Lak sat down in his seat, regaining his composure and calm, and began to issue orders methodically: "Contact Juan and tell him to complete the mission as soon as possible... I finally understand why the 'Hell Tax Collector' would do everything in his power to counter the enemy as soon as he heard that they had this weapon."

Either take it, blow it up, or buy a counter-battery radar.

"The enemy is too strong, the defensive line needs to be tightened a bit more... from here, to here..."

"Form a suicide squad. We must not let the enemy's heavy equipment cross the river, absolutely! Prepare explosives. If necessary, use TOWs. Don't worry about losses."

"No need to hide the 'poison stinger' anymore, take it out, we'll use it whether we can hit it or not."

"Have the engineering corps lay some more mines..." "Try to infiltrate behind their lines and see if we can launch an attack on their supply lines."

"Finally, tell everyone to hold on. As long as you hold on, there is hope. Reinforcements will come—just like in so many previous battles. They will come."

Listening to the terrifying sounds of gunfire, the roar of airplanes, and the horrific explosions of aerial bombs hitting the ground outside, an adjutant thought for a long time before giving a bitter smile and asking, "'Commander,' we all came here with you. We all have family members who died tragically at the hands of the government forces. We are not afraid to die."

"But... with the battle situation like this, even if the 'Hell Tax Collector' could come, would it still be of any use?"

Don't be fooled by the fact that the defense line is barely holding on despite multiple rounds of attacks and tactical deception from the enemy—this was achieved only after sacrificing several trump cards that were no longer usable.

Once the fire subsides, the next wave of attacks will have to be stopped by the soldiers' own flesh and blood.

They were not afraid to sacrifice, but they also hoped that their sacrifice would bring some results.

Lak fell silent once again.

Yes, even if the "Hell Tax Collectors" miraculously manage to capture Quetzaltenango, can the province of Vevetnango still be held? Can the rebels' stronghold still be held?
The final outcome is likely that the "Hell Tax Collectors" will sweep away Lopez's former territory, but Lopez's army will also take over the rebels' territory.

Then Lopez could continue to eke out a living in their territory, cooperating with the warlords who controlled the Caribbean, cooperating with the government, and continuing his rule in another place.

Perhaps Lopez's power will be greatly diminished, perhaps he will go from being a powerful warlord to a collaborator with another warlord... but he will still exist.

After a long silence, Lark finally spoke: "I don't know if his arrival will make any difference, but I know he will definitely come."

"Our allies haven't given up on us, and we won't give up on ourselves either."

"..."

……

Meanwhile, in the rear positions of the Guatemalan 2nd Infantry Brigade.

boom!
As the earth trembled, another large-caliber howitzer shell was fired.

A second lieutenant, who had connections with many senior officers, wore a smug expression.

"Damn, this thing is awesome! Hahaha!"

"Cool!"

"Let's give that damn shot again!"

"Damn, no wonder they're Americans, they're really good. They made those ignorant country bumpkins run around like crazy, and with just a few simple tricks, they wiped out the rebels' artillery positions. Hahahaha."

"Nonsense, that's Ross, the leader of the 'Grey Wolf' mercenary group. He used to work in CIASAD. What's so difficult about beating up these bastards who deserve to have their scalps ripped off to make shoes?"

As the adjutant loaded the ammunition, he glanced at the expressionless "Grey Wolf" mercenary group members beside him who were adjusting the firing angle, and continued to flatter them in a low voice: "Heh... You think you're invincible just because you won a small victory by using some clever tricks?"

"I heard that we wiped out an entire rebel artillery unit with a single shell."

The lieutenant nodded smugly and said, "That's right. It's a pity they died too easily. If you ask me, we should have arrested them and drowned them all in the river."

As these idiots' words became increasingly absurd, the American mercenary responsible for calibrating the howitzer finally snapped: "Can you guys stop talking nonsense?! This is war, not a picnic."

Damn a bunch of idiots. If the government troops were even slightly more reliable, if the soldiers on the front lines had even half the combat skills of their "Grey Wolf" mercenary group, the river crossing operation would have ended after this wave of attacks.

Despite employing a series of elaborate schemes, risking the exposure of their own anti-tank radar, deploying their air force, and inflicting a heavy blow on the enemy, they still haven't crossed this treacherous river.

What kind of useless bunch are they, yet they have the nerve to be so smug?
After the failed airborne attack, Ross was ridiculed by many of his colleagues as "the great planner of Operation Market Garden II," which made him so angry that he almost vomited blood.

This hard-won advantage has been squandered by these trash soldiers... We might as well have brought over a few pigs.

If it weren't for the government forces having such good equipment, such high health, and such generous pay, the "Grey Wolf" mercenary group would really have given up.

The "Grey Wolf" sighed, stood up from his seat, waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, the airstrikes are over. The fighting on the front lines should calm down for a few hours while we wait for the air force to refuel."

"The rebels won't last long; they might be wiped out in the next airstrike."

"It's not too late to celebrate after we've truly won."

"Walk……"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a series of gunshots and explosions erupted outside the camp!

PKM general purpose machine gun!

MGL Y2 grenade launcher!
The dense barrage of fire and explosions immediately triggered a chorus of screams, causing great chaos at the artillery position!
The next second, a rocket grazed the leaves and flew in, its target very clear: the howitzer!
boom!
The loader, who was smoking at the gun position, only had time to look up before the armor-piercing projectile fired by the RPG-7 struck the howitzer's gun shield directly. The welded steel plate caved inward like a piece of paper, and the metal jet burned through the breech. The powerful shockwave overturned a large amount of debris around it!

The loader was riddled with holes by the flying shrapnel.

This D-20 howitzer is completely destroyed!
Everyone in the artillery camp, including the "Grey Wolf," was stunned by the sudden attack.

However, as government troops, the soldiers had ample experience in defeat. Although they were stunned, they moved quickly, transforming into sprinters in an instant and scattering in all directions.

Some of the quick-witted soldiers rushed toward the jeeps parked near the camp.

The "Grey Wolf" finally reacted, almost screaming, "Don't run! Don't run! The enemy can't infiltrate on a large scale. This is just a small special operations squad, at most a special operations platoon! They are few in number! Don't run, counterattack on the spot!!!"

"Grey Wolf's" voice trembled slightly with urgency as he turned to grab his rifle to organize a counterattack—only to discover that someone had taken his gun in the chaos!

Suppressing the urge to vomit blood, he had just stepped outside when he saw a government soldier kick a comrade to the ground, climb into the driver's seat of a jeep, and start the engine.

Boom!

The roar of an engine could be heard.

"Grey Wolf" watched as the jeep drew closer and closer into his field of vision.

boom!
The sound of flesh colliding with metal rang out as the "gray wolf" was slammed onto the hood of the jeep, smashing the windshield, and then crashing heavily to the ground.

Seeing this, the military camp descended into even greater chaos.

"Oh no, we've hit an American! Quick, help him up. Luckily, we weren't going fast."

"What do we do? There are still people outside who want to attack us, and they seem to have brought heavy weapons..."

"Run!"

"Oh my god... Americans have been shot?!"

"The American was killed by a sniper!"

"The rebel army has appeared! The rebels are attacking! The front lines have fallen! They have heavy weapons! 'Grey Wolf' has been killed! Run! Run!"

"..."

As the artillery position descended into chaos, a nearby unit was also fleeing rapidly.

Taking advantage of his familiarity with the terrain, Juan led his special operations squad to retreat quickly in a safe direction—and as a precaution, he also laid several Claymore mines along the enemy's likely route.

"Sir, we did it!" a soldier said in a low but excited voice. "We just took out an enemy howitzer! The pressure on the front lines will definitely be much, much less!"

"Hurry up, this artillery position is heavily fortified, we're no match for them in a head-on confrontation," Juan said urgently. "We might even have to fight in the jungle later..."

"Quickly shake off the enemy and retreat to a safe place, then await news from the other two teams. If necessary, we will also provide support to them..."

This special operations squad worked tirelessly, circling around several times, conducting several deceptions and counter-tracking maneuvers, and only after confirming that the enemy had been shaken off did they sit down to rest.

Having shaken off potential pursuers, Juan finally relaxed a bit and allowed the soldiers to cook.

No one could have imagined that there were actually no pursuers behind them.

While heating his MRE rations, the communications soldier turned on his radio to report combat information to headquarters.

Juan sat to the side listening, while also exchanging words with Lac.

"...The second howitzer has been successfully destroyed, good!"

"What? The enemy also has counter-battery radar?!"

"Is the situation at the front really this bad... If only we could have destroyed the howitzers sooner, sigh!"

"However, their artillery positions have been severely damaged, and there will definitely be some chaos in the rear. The pressure on the front line may be relieved a little. This round of attacks can at least buy them a day of breathing room."

"Make sure to truthfully inform the 'Hell Tax Collector' about the battle situation. Have you already told him? Good."

"The Third Special Operations Platoon has changed its mission at the last minute. It is to locate the enemy's counter-battery radar and destroy the third howitzer. The task of destroying the howitzer has been assigned to us and the Second Special Operations Platoon, right? No problem, we will depart in 10 minutes."

"I need detailed location coordinates..."

"receive."

After a brief exchange of intelligence, Juan finished his meal, buried the items, and then got up to continue leading his troops toward the location indicated by the counter-battery radar.

After arriving near the target location, Juan felt something was off—it was too quiet!
Sure enough, after getting closer, Juan finally saw an abandoned, deserted position.

The howitzer has been moved!
"Everyone, maintain absolute silence and evacuate. The enemy likely anticipated this attack and has laid an ambush nearby."

"...They also discovered that we have anti-battery radar."

In other words, the battles to come will no longer be surprise attacks—if they want to take down the last howitzer, the special operations platoon will have to face heavy enemy defenses and frequent relocations.

"We cannot retreat. Even if we have to engage the enemy head-on, we must hold out until the 'Hell Tax Collector' arrives! He will definitely come!"

At this moment, Juan's special operations platoon became a true suicide squad.

(End of this chapter)