Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 309 This is an aerial gunship

Frontline in Guatemala City.

Boom boom boom! ! !
A platoon leader of an infantry unit was personally controlling his PKM general-purpose machine gun, firing wildly at the river while silently counting down the time in his mind—this was a training rule that, unless the situation was completely unacceptable, once fire was opened in one place, the unit had to be moved to a smaller position within a specified time.

Otherwise, enemy mortar shells could very well land on their heads.

Boom boom boom…

"The first support firepower unit must retreat immediately!"

"Aim at that speedboat over there, see it? Fire an RPG, whether it hits or not! Fire it!"

"..."

When the enemy suddenly launches a river crossing operation, the command post, which is not located at the very front line, does not actually receive any orders immediately. However, this situation has been practiced countless times during training.

In an emergency, orders may not come so quickly, but company commanders, platoon leaders, and even squad leaders can make combat decisions based on their own judgment.

So the moment the enemy began their river crossing operation, the machine gun positions unleashed their firepower.

The subsequent orders from headquarters quickly stabilized the morale of the attacking troops—the enemy's shells were free, so of course they should take advantage of this opportunity to hurl them down hard.

boom! boom! boom!
A large number of shells exploded on the opposite bank of the river, and the order was broken before it could be organized. Many poorly equipped enemy soldiers jumped into the cold river wearing life jackets, but the dense bullets quickly shot them to the bottom of the river.

"Platoon leader! Some enemy soldiers have lost their life jackets and dived underwater; we can't see them!"

Unlike the movies where bullets enter water and create a long bubble that kills people underwater, in reality, bullets deflect once when they hit water, greatly reducing their accuracy. Moreover, they can't travel very far before being completely stopped by the enormous water resistance.

It actually provided a way for a small number of enemy soldiers to survive temporarily...

The platoon leader fired a final long burst at a soldier swimming towards him, blowing his head off. He then immediately picked up his PKM and began to move. Only then did he have time to speak: "Let's leave him alone for now. The river isn't a swimming pool; he can't hold his breath for long."

"Follow me now..."

"Yes, sir!" The adjutant, holding the bullets, ran with the platoon leader towards the designated second position. As he ran, he patted his Level 3 heavy body armor and laughed, "You see? The enemy's equipment is really bad. They only have a rifle and nothing else!"

This platoon includes several former guerrilla fighters whose combat experience far surpasses that of the enemy.

"Have you forgotten the old days so quickly?" The platoon leader chuckled. "Have you forgotten the days when we didn't even have shoes, were carrying rifles that were about to fall apart, and were chased by government troops over several hills?"

"Hahaha!!!" The soldier glanced at his body armor again, touched his tactical helmet, and thought about the advanced firearms, the artillery support that was always available, and the massive armored units. He laughed, "We're still fighting the same group of people. The situation has completely reversed now!"

This set of equipment saved at least five lives for this soldier—in the most dangerous incident, the bulletproof plate actually blocked a piece of shrapnel from an artillery shell!

Looking at their equipment, they were no different from guerrillas.

Soon, the two arrived at the new machine gun position, set up their guns, and began the next round of firing.

However, before the platoon leader could fire a few long bursts, he heard dense machine gun fire coming from the other side of the river.

The platoon leader subconsciously lowered his head slightly, revealing only his eyes, intending to observe the enemy's machine gun positions and then contact the mortar positions to conduct artillery suppression.

However, after observing for a while, the seasoned platoon leader was astonished to find that the enemy machine guns were not firing at him, but at the river!

Are they shooting at their own people?!
The platoon leader was a little unsure. He rubbed his eyes and took another look... The enemy was indeed firing at their own men, but their targets were the soldiers who were retreating.

"This..." The adjutant also witnessed this astonishing scene. "Should we... call for artillery fire?"

The platoon leader thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Calling out—they're firing to stabilize morale, and they're clearly a greater threat than those cannon fodder with only a rifle. Taking them out will also hasten the rout of those cannon fodder."

"Yes, I'll report the coordinates right away."

Boom boom boom... Boom boom boom...

The platoon leader continued to move back and forth between different positions, firing his gun to prevent the enemy from crossing the river... but soon he discovered a problem: there were just too many enemy troops!
These cannon fodder were continuously driven into the river, and the barrels of the eight machine guns that were normally equipped in an infantry platoon began to overheat after being fired at high intensity!
Of course, we have backup weapons, but they are not enough to cause a "problem" at the moment. However, we still need to report this matter as soon as possible, since it is obvious to everyone that the enemy's main force has not yet appeared.

What worried the platoon leader even more was that the enemy's previously silenced firepower was gradually becoming more concentrated, and if they didn't move out of position in time, they would be hit by artillery shells...

All signs indicate that the enemy's general offensive is about to begin.

As the attacker, the platoon leader knew that their defenses were not very solid.

Without further hesitation, the platoon leader summoned the communications soldier:
"Signalman, report to the company commander and tell them I need more machine guns and more ammunition belts!"

"Yes."

"..."

"Report, the supplies are on their way... but the company commander has another order."

The platoon leader nodded, signaling the communications soldier to continue.

"He told us not to completely pin down the enemy on the other side of the river right now, but to put some men on the shore to suppress their beachhead and prevent them from being too scattered."

"If we feel that we are about to lose control, the company commander will order us to request reinforcements immediately."

The platoon leader didn't think about why his superior had made such an arrangement; he simply obeyed the order and issued the relevant instructions to his soldiers.

Sure enough, after the suppression intensity was reduced, some cannon fodder finally crawled ashore, covered in dust and grime...

Seeing that even cannon fodder could successfully cross the river, the enemy finally stopped hiding. Various assault boats appeared, and various infantry fighting vehicles drove out from the reverse slope, leading their main force, and set off from the direction of the river.

The artillery pieces that hadn't been destroyed earlier, as well as the machine guns on the infantry fighting vehicles, began firing furiously at Milton's attack positions, trying to create more space for the beachhead.

Assault boats brought soldiers across the river in waves, and infantry fighting vehicles landed one after another, attempting to break through to the outer perimeter...

boom!
An anti-tank mine planted nearby exploded...

The enemy's first surprise attack was repelled, but their losses were manageable, and a steady stream of troops were filling the gaps. The next breakthrough was brewing, and it would be even more powerful than the first.

The platoon leader changed positions again, and seven or eight seconds later, the spot where he had just been was hit by a round of artillery fire!
"No, machine guns alone won't be able to suppress the beachhead for much longer! At most, we can only maintain control for less than an hour!"

"Give me the radio, I'll report personally!" "Reporting to the company! Calling for company-level fire support! Although the enemy has crossed the river, they haven't dispersed yet. If the artillery fire is in place, their losses will be extremely heavy!"

"..."

The company commander remained silent for a long time.

Just as the platoon leader was about to continue fighting in the unfavorable battle situation, just like he had done in the guerrillas, the company commander suddenly announced: "Request for fire support received."

"Our gunships have been launched."

……

Vevetenango military airfield.

"No special intelligence has come from the airports in Guatemala. Their air force still poses no threat to us at present. Since the Jaguar was shot down, related military aid appears to have completely stopped."

"After Honduras lost two F-5 fighters to our 'send-out' operation, instead of sending more fighters, they retreated their remaining combat aircraft further back... Our pilots are more skilled than theirs, and three F-5Es are enough to establish air superiority."

"good……"

Milton nodded—all the hardships he had endured before had been fully rewarded in this most important decisive battle.

Milton slaughtered many of the Americans' elite troops, leaving no trace of their remains. This made the Americans, who were not yet determined to fully intervene, no longer dare to send more "resurrected soldiers" into the country.

They are probably still investigating why, once their people enter the country, they are quickly targeted by the Pan Madre Group, their location information is completely transparent, and they die much faster than the people of Arsu.

The frontline battle officially began. The escorting F-5E fighter squadron and the attack aircraft group consisting of A37s, Su-25s and AC-130s were already waiting to take off on the runway, while Milton was in the cockpit gathering information.

Suddenly, a static-filled voice came from the radio.

"Reporting to 'The Godfather,' the enemy is launching a fierce attack, and the soldiers on the front lines are in dire need of fire support."

“Very good.” Milton finally received the news, suppressing his excitement. “Tell them that the gunships will arrive in 30 minutes.”

"Received. Please be careful."

Milton hung up the radio and relayed the takeoff order directly to all ready flight units.

The attack aircraft squadron took off first, followed by the fighter jet formation. With their faster speed, they overtook the attack aircraft squadron and rushed towards the front line!

To ensure maximum safety, the flight formation chose to bypass Guatemala City, which was equipped with vehicle-mounted anti-aircraft missiles, and the Guatemala City garrison that was attacking Brandon's forces. Instead, it flew at low altitude in the northwest and directly penetrated the heart of the northern warlord group!
This is also why Milton chose to take off from Vevetenango Airport.

Boom boom boom...

The AC-130's four powerful T56-A-15 engines, each producing nearly 5000 horsepower, emit a reassuring noise.

After a while, the three ace pilots of the fighter squadron reported: "We were attacked by enemy anti-aircraft artillery positions and man-portable air defense systems, but they failed to pose a threat to our side... The anti-aircraft artillery positions have been destroyed."

"We will send one F-5E south to scout for potential enemy aircraft threats, while the remaining two will continue to escort the attack squadron. Over."

Milton nodded. "Understood."

"'Tax collector,' this is the navigator's 'compass.' We are 8 kilometers from the target airspace, at an altitude of 10000 feet, and the speed..." The navigator's voice came through the communicator, "Below is the middle reaches of the Tagu River..."

Milton walked to the sensor control panel, where the screen displayed images transmitted from the electro-optical pod—the smoke and dust on the beach had not yet completely dissipated.

Those were the marks left by previous anti-tank mines and machine gun suppression. You could see several shell craters, equipment that had been blown to pieces, and a few small dots crawling along the ground.

"We are not yet equipped with an IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) system. Instructor, uh, 'tax collector,' please make sure to confirm the friendly front line to avoid friendly fire. Also, report priority targets. Over."

This is also why Milton wanted to personally board the plane, not only to capture enemy infantry, but also because he had the "friend or foe identification" system provided by the panel.

Allies will be marked; those that aren't marked are enemies. Attack them relentlessly!

"I have confirmed the enemy's position location, coordinates... There are 3 moving targets on the east side of the beachhead, tracked vehicles, initially identified as BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles—attempting to turn their guns towards friendly fortifications. There are also 8 assault boats on the opposite bank of the river, coordinates... Friendly forces have not advanced. Priority targets: those BMPs on the east side, their machine guns are bombarding our bunkers."

As for the artillery positions behind enemy lines, they will be temporarily left to be handled by other attack aircraft from the attack aircraft squadron.

"'Compass received.' Wind 01 is entering a circling pattern, descending to 5000 feet, speed..."

"..."

Milton looked down at the three weapon control consoles in front of him, then turned to look at the airmen beside him who were holding shells and nervously preparing to load the 105mm howitzer.

"All weapon systems are ready!"

Milton didn't hesitate any longer. The crosshair on the screen was firmly locked onto the green infantry fighting vehicle, and he pressed the fire button for the 40mm Bofors cannon.

Generally speaking, 25mm Gatling guns are used to engage infantry and light vehicles; 40mm Bofors guns are used to engage armored units; and 105mm howitzers are used to bombard fortified targets or groups of infantry units.

There was no earth-shattering roar, only the continuous "bang bang bang" of gunfire coming from below the fuselage, each shot causing the air gunship to tremble slightly.

Looking out the porthole, you can see three orange-red shell trajectories hurtling towards the ground!
The infantry fighting vehicle, which had withstood several rounds of machine gun fire and transported several troop loads of soldiers ashore, had its upper right armor easily penetrated by a 40mm shell. A second shell hit the ground, and shrapnel knocked down several more infantrymen who were using the vehicle as cover nearby.

The last shell, by sheer luck, hit the BPM-1's turret.

With a burst of intense fire, the turret was blasted into the air!
There was no earth-shattering sound; from the screen, it looked as if a small toy had been smashed to pieces by a pebble thrown at it.

This is how gunships suppress infantry!

The other BMP-1s immediately dispersed and fled!

Just as Milton was about to aim at another target, a loud shout suddenly came from the side.

"Coordinates...direction...there are so many infantry over there, so many!"

Milton was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and switched the weapon system from a 40mm machine gun to a 25mm Gatling gun...

(End of this chapter)