Chapter 252: The Entire Jin Northwest Region In Chaos
The Blue Army Command Post was completely wiped out by the Special Operations Platoon. The few grenades thrown before leaving were enough for the referee to rule that all equipment was destroyed.
All cadres at the Regiment Command Post were killed in action, including the battalion commanders of two battalions, and all communication equipment was gone.
The Blue Army’s command system was basically paralyzed.
However.
Paralysis does not mean death.
The exercise did not state that decapitating the command post would lead to victory. The Blue Army Unit still had combat effectiveness, and the rules required bringing the battle flag back.
If the Red Army could not seize the Blue Army battle flag during this period when the Blue Army had lost command and was in chaos, and bring it back to the Red Army headquarters.
Once the Blue Army recovered from the chaos…
With the Red Army’s great advantage in command system, they would definitely win this confrontation in the end.
But the Special Operations Platoon would absolutely be annihilated, and Chen Jun’s bold claim of ending the confrontation in two hours would become a laughingstock mocked by others as arrogant.
Chen Jun had already considered all these aspects before designing the plan.
So he made preparations and explained the details.
The Special Operations Platoon followed Chen Jun’s instructions, not lingering to show off at the Blue Army Command Post, completing the decapitation in a few seconds and hurriedly leaving.
They had to seize every second!
Here, the decapitation operation was successfully completed, and another squad had found three armored vehicles.
The Blue Army Command Post was the core of the Blue Army, with large amounts of supplies stored here, and spare armored vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles everywhere.
The three squads of the Special Operations Platoon moved at a very fast rhythm, their actions neat, orderly, and well-coordinated.
They split into two personnel carriers and one infantry fighting vehicle, forming a group of three armored vehicles, flooring the accelerator straight toward the Blue Army battle flag.
Meanwhile, the anti-aircraft company camped a few hundred meters from the regiment headquarters, with no air units to defend against.
They had no idea the Special Operations Platoon existed until they heard the intensive gunshots from the regiment headquarters, realizing something major had happened.
The Regiment Command Post was located deep in the rear of the Blue Army position, where gunshots theoretically should not occur.
If gunshots occurred, there was only one answer—
An enemy attack!
The anti-aircraft company had no infantry fighting vehicles or armored personnel carriers, and its personnel numbered less than half an infantry company, with very average ground combat capability.
But even so.
Upon hearing the intense gunshots from the regiment headquarters, the anti-aircraft company reacted immediately, organizing its warriors to rush to the regiment headquarters at the fastest speed.
The anti-aircraft company was already very fast, arriving at the regiment headquarters in less than two minutes.
Unfortunately.
The Special Operations Platoon was simply too fast, completing the decapitation in just ten seconds; from entering the camp to driving away, it took less than a minute total.
Even though the anti-aircraft company took two minutes to arrive, it was too late—the opportunity was long gone.
When the anti-aircraft company commander arrived, he saw everyone from the regiment commander down to the communicator, all disheveled and embarrassed, standing outside the command tent.
Why outside the command tent?
Because the tent was now filled with white smoke, indicating it had been completely destroyed; both people and objects inside were all eliminated.
Seeing so many regiment leaders gone, the anti-aircraft company commander wanted to speak.
But he didn’t know what to say.
Theoretically, he should salute and report to the regiment leaders, but according to the exercise rules, they were all corpses, and corpses could not speak.
Not to mention that as the only defending company, having been completely wiped out meant he would bear great responsibility.
Unsure whether to stay or leave, the anti-aircraft company commander felt extremely tormented, racking his brain desperately for a solution.
“Got it!”
A sudden flash of inspiration hit him, and the anti-aircraft company commander shouted loudly: “They must be going for the battle flag. Quick, everyone, get in the vehicles and hurry to protect the battle flag.”
After speaking, the anti-aircraft company commander moved swiftly, leaping into the vehicle in a few strides.
Under the gaze of the ashen-faced Blue Army Regiment Commander Wang and a group of disheveled regiment leaders, he drove off into the night.
The anti-aircraft company commander reacted quickly, but his speed was simply too slow.
Two minutes earlier.
The Special Operations Platoon had already completed the Blue Army decapitation, driving toward the battle flag one kilometer away.
By the time the anti-aircraft company group drove over, the blue flag that had been flying high on the position was gone, leaving only a lonely flagpole.
Below it, a squad of warriors was still emitting white smoke.
This Blue Army squad responsible for guarding the battle flag was neither too slow in reaction nor negligent; they were simply caught by an information gap.
When the Special Operations Platoon drove up in three vehicles marked with Blue Army insignias.
The flag-guarding Blue Army squad thought they were friendlies coming to support them in guarding the battle flag, preventing stragglers from the regiment headquarters side from slipping through, so they had no defenses.
No mistake.
Even hearing the gunshots, the flag-guarding Blue Army squad did not believe the regiment headquarters could be wiped out, thinking it was just Red Army straggler scouts harassing.
They even less believed such a large regiment headquarters could be wiped out by the Red Army in seconds.
It was simply too exaggerated.
Even if they boasted about it, they wouldn’t dare claim that.
So the outcome was no surprise: the Special Operations Platoon’s three vehicles charged straight in, warriors inside firing a rain of bullets through the firing ports.
The few in the Blue Army squad were eliminated without resistance, bodies emitting smoke.
“Damn it, late again.”
The anti-aircraft company commander was furious and anxious, not caring about civility, slapping his thigh and cursing.
But even after his leg went numb from slapping, he dared not delay another second.
Because the anti-aircraft company commander knew the confrontation rules: the Red Army would definitely send the battle flag back after seizing it.
And on the way here with his group, they hadn’t encountered the flag-seizing Red Army group, proving the Red Army was moving forward.
Meaning they had to cross the entire Blue Army position, through the battle line, back to the Red Army.
“What big guts. If we let you escape, where do we put the face of our 384th Regiment? Today, even if we go all out, we have to stop you.”
Having determined the Red Army’s withdrawal route, the anti-aircraft company commander immediately had an idea.
He steeled his resolve!
He ordered the troops to continue pursuing along the line, while using radio to communicate with battalion headquarters, relaying his guessed situation to their own Third Battalion Headquarters.
Since the Regiment Command Post had been wiped out, command could only come from battalion level.
The Third Battalion commander had been at the regiment headquarters earlier and was now emitting smoke as a corpse, so he couldn’t command Third Battalion actions.
But the battalion headquarters still had the deputy battalion commander and political instructor, who could still exercise battalion-level authority.
The deputy battalion commander succeeded to command authority, immediately issuing orders to all Third Battalion units to transfer troops back to search for the Red Army infiltration unit.
Once this Red Army unit was spotted, publicize the position immediately.
All units conduct annihilation!
At the same time, he appointed the anti-aircraft company to continue pursuit along the route, forming a pincer with Blue Army troops withdrawing from the front, determined to “dismember” this Red Army unit.
The deputy battalion commander not only issued orders to Third Battalion but also relayed this information to the other battalions.
The Blue Army frontline was locked in fierce combat with the Red Army, yet their own main camp in the rear had been raided by the Red Army; now the entire Blue Army hated the Special Operations Platoon.
They wanted to catch them all and beat them while hanging from trees.
Upon learning the approximate withdrawal direction of the Special Operations Platoon, they all immediately transferred troops for annihilation.
If viewed from a God’s-eye perspective now, one could clearly see in the vast Blue Army rear war zone, over a dozen small units converging on the Special Operations Platoon.
What menacing momentum!
These Blue Army small units varied in size, from one squad to two platoons.
Without external reinforcements, under their 360-degree no-dead-angle encirclement, the Special Operations Platoon would absolutely be caught.
Even with poor nighttime visibility, there would be nowhere to hide.
And once spotted by any Blue Army unit, the dozen others would swarm, greeting them with a mass siege.
No matter how strong the Special Operations Platoon’s combat effectiveness, under annihilation by so many Blue Army units, the final outcome would be like the command room hat under white smoke—eliminated.
Not only would the battle flag be recaptured.
Likely, these dozens of men in the Special Operations Platoon would suffer plenty of dirty tricks from the Blue Army.
The Blue Army, with this mindset, gritted their teeth determined to finish off the Special Operations Platoon, not believing the Red Army Special Operations Platoon could escape.
Thus, at this moment, over ten Blue Army companies achieved unprecedented unity and single-minded focus with no disputes.
The Special Operations Platoon seemed trapped in crisis—would the Red Army just watch?
Obviously not!
All this was within Chen Jun’s expectations; he had laid low for over an hour upfront just waiting for this moment.
When Tuo Yonggang’s radio connected to the regiment headquarters.
Reporting he had completed the Blue Army decapitation, seized the Blue Army battle flag and was returning, also syncing the return position.
Regiment Commander Wang and the other regiment leaders received these two pieces of great news one after another, all excited with flushed faces.
They had always wondered what Chen Jun was up to, and only now understood he had prepared such a grand strategy.
It truly surprised them.
So exciting!
Under the stimulation of this excited mood, they admired Chen Jun’s resourcefulness even more.
But after the excitement came hearts in throats, worrying if the Special Operations Platoon could escape alive.
Their goal became as unified as the Blue Army’s.
Just the complete opposite.
The Blue Army was determined to stop the Special Operations Platoon, absolutely preventing them from returning with the battle flag.
Otherwise, first lightning decapitated by the opponent, then the battle flag seized, all with just one platoon’s troops piercing their entire regiment.
Such a humiliating stunt would ruin the 384th Regiment’s face.
Turning them into the division’s laughingstock!
While the Red Army was determined to find a way to extract the Special Operations Platoon deep in Blue Army encirclement; success meant victory.
Victory was within reach, so naturally they would go all out.
Both Red and Blue sides locked onto the Special Operations Platoon; the final great showdown between Red and Blue was about to unfold, pushing the exercise atmosphere to its peak.
Even though it was already past 7 PM, the directing staff area was still brightly lit and packed.
Because the confrontation was too wonderful, even well past dinner time, the leaders were reluctant to leave, fearing missing the most exciting climax.
And the director who had stirred trouble before now huddled whispering about this situation.
Likely plotting again!
Under the eager attention of the leaders, the battlefield dynamics soon changed, in a way that brightened their eyes.
Under Chen Jun’s suggestion and Regiment Commander Wang’s personal command oversight.
The Red Army’s offensive surged like great waves.
Wave after wave pounding the Blue Army.
First, First Battalion, Second Battalion, and Third Battalion shifted from feint attacks to full assaults, determined to pin down the Blue Army main force to the maximum.
Each battalion also transferred one tank platoon temporarily under Combined Arms Battalion command.
Then, Man Guangzhi’s personally commanded reconnaissance unit intensified pressure, further squeezing the Blue Army.
All Blue Army reconnaissance units had to be pushed back behind their frontline, clearing space on our frontline.
Leveraging the reconnaissance unit suppression advantage, the long-vanished Combined Arms Battalion launched its second wave offensive.
Unlike previous guerrilla lightning breakthroughs, outnumbering foes to whittle and consume the Blue Army with negligible own losses.
This second wave, the reconnaissance battalion transformed into the battlefield “door-breaker.”
Target: 189 position!
This position had one Blue Army tank company and half an armored infantry company deployed, with very strong defensive strength.
Yet no matter how strong its defense, being targeted by Chen Jun meant bad luck.
Because it was the door to breach.
“All units prepare, fire!”
With Chen Jun issuing the order without a microphone, the pre-prepared artillery from First Battalion, Second Battalion, Third Battalion, and Combined Arms Battalion all fired in unison.
Nearly forty heavy artillery pieces firing together, and three full salvos at once.
Under such exaggerated heavy firepower strike, the Blue Army at 189 position suffered badly; in actual combat, the ground would be gouged half a meter deep.
And per the on-site referee’s calculation and evaluation.
The Blue Army on the position lost over fifty percent in this artillery strike.
Now the Red Army artillery was fully exposed; Blue Army artillery radar could lock positions in minutes, giving full chance for counterbattery.
Even if Red Army heavy artillery withdrew quickly, they would pay a heavy cost.
But the Blue Army Command Post was destroyed, lacking top-level unified command; the three battalions below fought independently, unable to unify.
Unable to organize effectively in time.
This was the greatest drawback of headquarters decapitation: the command system becomes more bloated and sluggish.
After the Red Army artillery barrage cleared the way, Combined Arms Battalion’s armored company plus the transferred tank company charged the Blue Army position en masse.
The shell-shocked Blue Army already had greatly reduced combat power and couldn’t match the assault rhythm.
Before organizing effective defense, Red Army’s two tank companies rushed the position, forcing the remaining Blue Army to withdraw helplessly.
The two Blue Army tank companies did not pursue the fleeing troops but charged in the specified direction.
Exactly the direction the Special Operations Platoon came from!
Meanwhile.
Other Red Army units operating near 184, after Combined Arms Battalion tore a huge gap in the Red Army defense line, all turned and maneuvered over.
Blocking both ends of the torn gap.
Preventing nearby Blue Army reinforcements from closing it via pincer from both ends.
With friendly forces as rear guard, Combined Arms Battalion tank company had no worries behind, and under coordinated support from most of Steel Seventh Company infantry converging, accelerated straight into the Blue Army heartland.
Upon learning Red Army troops had penetrated, the Blue Army did not falter but had bloodshot eyes.
The unyielding guts of Chinese soldiers were vividly embodied at this moment.
The Blue Army could easily infer the direction the Red Army support troops were heading was the direction the Red Army infiltration troops came from.
All Blue Army returning to annihilate the Special Operations Platoon pounced toward Combined Arms Battalion like mad.
That scene…
As if ready for a fight to the death!
