MTLNOVEL Chapter 549: Bombardment of Yelu City
On the battlefield surrounding Yelu City, as the ground forces advanced, the Jieke Group almost irresistibly destroyed the You Tai Army's defensive lines one by one, causing the entire front to teeter.
The 1st Mechanized Battle Brigade was like the sharpest spear, piercing through the defenses of You Tai Country in one swift move.
You Tai Country's most elite divisions were destroyed head-on by the 1st Mechanized Battle Brigade, beaten into an indistinguishable mess.
With the successful breakthrough of the 1st Mechanized Battle Brigade, the southern gateway of Yelu City was wide open, embracing the Jieke Group.
However, the 1st Mechanized Battle Brigade did not immediately enter the city but instead expanded to the wings to consume other You Tai Country garrisons outside the city.
These iron beasts lined up to advance, their shiny metal surfaces reflecting dazzling light, like moving metal oceans, eight-legged limbs crushing stones and soil, amidst deafening roars, the steel torrent shattered defensive positions, breaking through all obstacles with an almost brute force posture.
Wherever the mechanical army passed, smoke and dust billowed, the angry wind rolled up the dust on the battlefield, obscuring the sky and sun.
Everywhere they went, these main battle mechas brought nothing but death and destruction.
The battlefield was littered with collapsed fortifications, wreckage of destroyed and burning vehicles, and corpses piled high.
After the 1st Mechanized Battle Brigade broke the You Tai Army's lines and defenses, other Jieke Group units began to follow up one after another, to clean up the mess, further accelerating the collapse of the You Tai Army's lines.
Just like peeling an onion, the You Tai Army around Yelu City was continuously eliminated.
In an attempt to rescue Yelu City, the Holy City and strategic stronghold, the You Tai Army began to fight desperately, constantly adding reinforcements.
But those reinforcements were bombarded by airstrikes on the way, basically being disrupted during air raids.
If any troops managed to break up and continue advancing through the airstrikes, they would face heavy artillery waiting in formation, with 155 howitzers and rocket launchers turning small teams of You Tai Army into disoriented targets.
Occasionally, some scattered soldiers managed to break through, only to face a death trap constructed by genetic warriors and spider main battle mechas, with a predictable outcome.
In fact, most of the You Tai Army reinforcements were already shattered during the airstrike phase, with majority dispersing and fleeing in chaos.
Because a significant portion of the You Tai Army consisted of militia reserves, the You Tai Army seemingly numbered over half a million but had low combat quality.
Many would scatter like rabbits once bombarded, fleeing everywhere like an explosion of hares.
Through this tactic of encircling and attacking reinforcements, within the following week, the Jieke Group exterminated a large number of You Tai reinforcements.
Until the You Tai Army realized they were caught in a baiting game—Jieke Group would deliberately leave Yelu City unchecked to lure them into sending troops to their deaths—did they finally cease sending reinforcements.
By then, the number of You Tai soldiers killed or injured around Yelu City had already surpassed two hundred thousand. Of course, the majority had surrendered.
These You Tai soldiers had neither the determination nor the courage to fight to the end. Facing the overwhelmingly powerful forces of the Jieke Group, they surrendered in waves, much like wild grass sprouting in spring, difficult to completely eradicate.
Even the You Tai soldiers defending Yelu City, though not yet attacked by Jieke Group, some still ran out to surrender to Jieke Group.
These surrendered You Tai soldiers were handed over to the Faha soldiers for management.
How they would be treated by their bitter enemies, the Faha soldiers, was beyond the concern of Jieke Group.
After all, Jieke Group was not violating the Geneva Convention, and whatever Faha soldiers did could not be blamed on Jieke Group, or even in the event of criticism, Jieke Group simply would not care.
In merely a week, Jieke Group had virtually secured victory, exterminating the elite troops around Yelu City with minimal casualties.
Nothing else, just the Yin Soul Banner disguised as military flags, during the Jieke Group's assault, absorbed a large number of Yin Souls from You Tai soldiers, significantly strengthening the Soul Banner.
After clearing the defenses and positions around Yelu City, seeing the You Tai Army had no intention of sending further troops, Jieke Group finally advanced to the city, then commenced to enter the city.
Due to the war, Yelu City's population was somewhat reduced, but those remaining still numbered in the millions, mostly You Tai.
In the eyes of these You Tai, the Holy City must not be occupied by the Jieke Group, seen as heretics. Many even held the resolve to live and die with Yelu City.
Thus, the Jieke Group's vanguard entering Yelu City not only needed to contend with You Tai soldiers but also had to guard against sneak attacks from the You Tai civilians, with incidents of hidden gunfire and homemade bombs.
The first Jieke Group unit entering Yelu City quickly reported the situation and was subsequently ordered to withdraw.
Although Jieke Group could manage the situation, their genetic warriors were overwhelmingly powerful in urban combat, they had simpler and more effective means.
Outside Yelu City, the commander of the 1st Mechanized Battle Brigade, Hao Guang, spoke with a hard expression, ordering: "All mechas prepare, target Yelu City's southern district, southeastern district, and western district, conduct carpet bombing."
Behind Hao Guang, more than a hundred spider main battle mechas lined up, their 203mm caliber main guns angled towards the Sky Dome, aimed at Yelu City.
"1st Mecha Battalion ready!"
"2nd Mecha Battalion ready!"
"3rd Mecha Battalion ready!"
"7th Artillery Battalion ready!"
The first to open fire were the 12 Fly Rocket Mechas, their eight metal limbs penetrating the ground, anchoring the chassis.
The Fly Rocket Mechas are the firepower units of the Mechanical Combat Brigade, each equipped with 48-tube multi-barrel rocket launch pods.
Accompanied by the drone and howl of vibrations, 220mm rockets were launched amidst dazzling light, and all 576 rockets were fired in a short span.
Such a 220mm rocket can cause devastating damage to unshielded targets the size of a football field.
Now, with the massive launch, it was as if red meteors fell from the sky. As the warheads exploded, shockwaves swept in all directions, destroying every human and structure around.
The You Tai settlement in the southern part of Yelu City instantly burst into flames, each house and building collapsing in the explosions, with steel and concrete flying everywhere.
Following closely were the 203mm cannons of the Spider Main Battle Mechas.
This main cannon has a maximum range of over 40 kilometers. Firing rocket-assisted shells can further increase the range, but these shells reduce the explosive charge and power. Since Yelu City lacks effective counter-fire, the Spider Main Battle Mechas use conventional shells, bombarding from 20 kilometers away, achieving higher accuracy.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hundreds of kilogram thermobaric high-explosive warheads landed and exploded, flipping cars and shattering bodies, and leaving huge craters.
When hit by these shells, the shockwave can throw body tissues hundreds of meters away, making the clearing capability exceedingly effective.
With the 1st Mechanized Battle Brigade raining fire on Yelu City, the You Tai enclaves were seen covered and surrounded by flames and smoke from a distance.
As time passed, more and more firepower joined in the bombing sequence.
Self-propelled howitzers and rocket artillery from the Army, and heavy air bombs from the Air Force, tons of ammunition were thrown into the city, as if determined to drown this ancient city in shells.
Amidst the continuous bombardment, the city's skyline was obscured by thick smoke, as if a giant beast had opened its deep maw. Buildings turned into ruins under the shellfire, debris swirling in the air, streets filled with burning vehicles and the panicked fleeing crowd.
Crying and calls for help rose one after another, each You Tai face marked with fear and despair, desperately seeking air raid shelters or places of refuge.
The Jieke Group's bombardment of Yelu City lasted for three days and nights, without a minute's pause, with various units taking turns to output firepower.
When the shelling ended, the ground troops of the Jieke Group re-entered the field.
Hao Guyu, piloting the A-180 Spider Main Battle Mecha, led a Mechanical Battalion into Yelu City, accompanied by a squad of Genetic Warriors and Super Soldiers who had swallowed Strengthening Pills.
"Whoa, they really bombed this hard."
Seeing the state of Yelu City, Hao Guyu couldn't help but click his tongue. It was much harder hit than Bitwei City.
The once bustling streets of Yelu City now lay in ruins, shop windows shattered, goods scattered everywhere.
The park's fountain had dried up, benches lay broken, the laughter and play of bygone days were no more.
The street-side trees were either toppled or set ablaze, the flames licking and consuming the green leaves.
The city had long lost its past hustle and bustle, eerily quiet.
"Enemy spotted at three o'clock."
Soon a scout reported discovering a hidden enemy in a Third Level small building, reporting the situation via radio to Hao Guyu, the battalion commander.
Seeing this, Hao Guyu moved the main cannon of the A-180 Spider Mecha under him, aiming at the small building.
Boom!
The cannon blast spread out, and the shell instantly drilled into the building.
With just one shot, rebar and concrete scattered like a Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers, the small building vanished completely, leaving only a crater. The few You Tai soldiers hiding there were naturally blown to bits.
"Commander, enemies found at five o'clock, along with civilians."
Another subordinate reported the situation, this time the location was a dozen-story building in a residential area, with quite a few You Tai soldiers hiding inside.
"With the enemy, they are not civilians, but militants, remember that."
Hao Guyu corrected his subordinate's wording and then called over a Scorpion Flame Sprayer Mecha.
The rear of the flame sprayer mecha arched high, its tail end spewing a torrent of fire reaching over 500 meters, flushing into the building and igniting everything inside including appliances, furniture, and bodies.
This was far more terrifying than ordinary infantry flamethrowers, the building like a skewer of lamb over a flame, quickly engulfed in fire.
In an instant, flames shot from the windows and balconies, accompanied by chilling screams and the stench of burning flesh. Engulfed in flames, one after another, the You Tai leaped from windows, hitting the ground, turned to pulp.
They would rather fall to their deaths than be burned alive.
Those trapped on lower floors didn't have that option, running madly amidst screams, set ablaze and struggling for minutes, until charred black, their skin and flesh emitting a burnt savory scent, reduced to curled, blackened corpses, dying in utmost misery.