bookrandom Chapter 680 Offensive and defensive changes
Chapter 680 Offensive and defensive changes
“How the hell did they do that?!”
MacArthur cursed under his breath, clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, but he felt no pain at all.
“How did they develop such an advanced weapon system in just a few years?”
This pain far exceeds the military setback.
For MacArthur, this was a profound personal humiliation.
He couldn't help but recall the scenes during the Korean War - at that time, the Eagle Sauce's bombers could attack the Longguo positions with impunity, dropping tons of bombs, and the Longguo was almost powerless to fight back except to passively take the beating.
“What an irony,” he muttered, his eyes gleaming with pain and anger. “We once controlled the skies, and now they look down on us like hunters looking down on their prey.”
The radio continued to receive distress signals and chaotic reports from the troops.
Front commanders desperately pleaded for air support or permission to withdraw, but MacArthur knew that with such overwhelming air superiority, any conventional counterattack would be futile.
"General, we must order a retreat!"
Adjutant Colonel Wilson said anxiously.
"Our troops are suffering a devastating blow. Staying here will only result in unnecessary casualties!"
MacArthur did not immediately respond.
A rare hesitation took hold of his mind.
As a general known for his offensive tactics, the word "retreat" hardly existed in his vocabulary.
But the situation before him left no room for stubbornness or arrogance—his troops were being systematically destroyed, and he had no effective means of counterattack.
"No," MacArthur suddenly said excitedly, with an almost paranoid light in his eyes, "I will not repeat the mistakes of the Peninsula!"
"Order all troops to counterattack at all costs!"
"Let the air defense system open fire and scatter those damn drones! Infantry use all available portable air defense missiles! I want to see those machines fall from the sky!"
Colonel Wilson looked at his commander in shock.
General MacArthur was always known for his calmness and strategic vision, but at this moment, he seemed to be swayed by some personal emotions and made an obviously irrational decision.
"General, please think twice!"
Wilson tried to dissuade him.
“Our air defenses have been suppressed, and portable missiles are almost ineffective against so many scattered small targets. If our soldiers expose their positions and try to shoot, they will only become targets for the next wave of attacks!”
MacArthur turned around suddenly, his eyes burning with anger.
"Are you questioning my orders, Colonel?"
The atmosphere in the battlefield command room suddenly turned cold.
All the staff officers held their breath and dared not interrupt.
Colonel Wilson's face turned pale, but he did not back down. As a conscientious chief of staff, it was his responsibility to prevent wrong decisions that could lead to disastrous consequences.
"General, I'm not questioning your orders, but rather providing a professional battlefield assessment." Wilson tried to keep his tone steady. "Under the current circumstances, the most sensible course of action is to retreat in an orderly manner, conserve our main forces, and wait for a more opportune moment to counterattack."
MacArthur's chest heaved violently, his hands clenched into fists, and the veins on his forehead were faintly visible.
Deep down, he knew Wilson was right, but admitting this meant accepting a fact that was difficult for him to face - Dragon Country had surpassed the Eagle Sauce in military technology, at least in some areas.
Just as MacArthur was struggling between his arrogance and reason, a communications officer reported in panic.
"General! The 7th Armored Brigade reports that 80% of its M1A1 tanks have been lost!"
"The 15th Infantry Division suffered heavy losses, and its communications system was almost completely paralyzed! The air defense system reported that it was unable to effectively lock onto enemy drones!"
These reports were like a bucket of cold water poured over MacArthur's head, temporarily extinguishing his burning anger.
Decades of military experience and command finally overcame his personal feelings. He took a deep breath and managed to regain some composure.
"Order...an orderly retreat," he finally said, his voice low and painful. "Prioritize the evacuation of the wounded and critical equipment. All units should rotate to cover each other to prevent a rout."
The order was quickly passed down, but for many troops on the front lines, it came too late.
The Longguo drone swarm continued to attack for nearly an hour, almost destroying the entire front-line command system and communication network.
Many units were unable to receive orders to retreat and continued to struggle in the chaos.
MacArthur stood in front of the command vehicle, staring blankly at the tragic scene before him.
The elite NATO coalition forces that he was proud of and the most advanced weapons and equipment that he personally selected were now shattered in this one-sided massacre.
First, the F-15 was shot down by a mysterious fighter jet, and now the M1A1 was destroyed by a drone.
All this was beyond his comprehension and shattered all his understanding of modern warfare.
"The intelligence services have completely failed,"
He whispered, his tone filled with bitterness.
"We completely underestimated the technological level of the Dragon Nation. They are no longer a country that can be easily bombed. They have... surpassed us."
To admit this would have been tantamount to self-denial for MacArthur.
As one of the representatives of the Eagle Sauce military, he has always believed that Eagle Sauce's military technology is at least 20 years ahead of the world.
This belief has now been ruthlessly shattered.
Just as the NATO forces began to retreat, the Longguo drone swarm suddenly stopped attacking.
They hovered in the air for a moment, then, in an astonishingly precise formation, rose rapidly and flew eastward, eventually disappearing into the horizon.
An eerie silence suddenly fell on the battlefield.
The silence was broken only by the crackling of burning tanks and the groans of the wounded.
MacArthur took a deep breath and felt a glimmer of hope - perhaps the worst was over.
"The drone swarm is withdrawing," the communications officer reported, a hint of confusion in his voice. "They seem to have... stopped attacking."
MacArthur quickly recovered from his shock and frustration, and his military instincts took over.
No matter how hard the blow was, he was still a commander with a duty to protect the remaining troops and salvage the situation if possible.
"Reorganize the defense line," he ordered, his voice becoming firm again. "Gather all surviving M1A1 tanks and armored vehicles to form a new defensive position."
"Priority is given to restoring communications and the chain of command. The wounded are evacuated to the rear, and combat units remain on alert. This may only be a temporary respite."
The troops began to act according to orders. Despite heavy casualties, the NATO coalition forces maintained a certain degree of discipline.
Tanks and armored vehicles began to regroup, medical teams risked their lives to rescue the wounded, and engineers urgently repaired the destroyed roads and bridges.
MacArthur picked up the telescope and carefully observed the situation on the other side of the Volga River.
The Russian defenders also seemed to reorganize and began to occupy positions abandoned by NATO.
But strangely, he did not see any regular Dragon Kingdom troops - no tanks, no infantry, not even visible artillery positions.
“Where are the Dragon Nation’s ground forces?”
MacArthur asked, confused.
"Our intelligence indicates they've sent reinforcements, but other than the drones, I haven't seen any regular Dragon Kingdom troops."
"Could it be that the Dragon Country's military aid has ended just like that?"