dognovel Chapter 735 Counterattack!
Chapter 735 Counterattack!
The airborne process went more smoothly than expected.
The air defense systems of Yugoslavia or Longguo did not seem to detect this night attacking force, and there was no interception of any anti-aircraft artillery fire.
This made the American commanders feel a little relieved. Perhaps the enemy's air defense network was not as tight as they imagined.
After landing, the paratroopers quickly assembled.
They worked in squads and platoons, using advanced night vision equipment and GPS positioning systems to quickly move through the complex mountains and forests, heading towards the rocket artillery positions indicated in the intelligence.
Their actions were professional and efficient, fully demonstrating the elite qualities of the Eagle Sauce ace troops.
After nearly an hour's forced march, the advance reconnaissance team finally reached the outskirts of the target area.
They hid on a hillside and observed the situation in the valley with high-powered night vision binoculars.
The valley was brightly lit, with dozens of large trucks arranged in a circle, each equipped with a massive multiple rocket launcher.
It was these weapons that dealt a devastating blow to the Eagle landing forces a few hours ago.
There were simple fortifications and patrolling sentries around the position, but the security did not seem to be particularly strict.
"Target confirmed!" The reconnaissance team leader reported to the commander in the rear via radio, "The enemy's rocket artillery position has about 30-40 guns and is weak in defense. Request an immediate attack!"
After receiving the report, the commander gave the order to attack without hesitation.
Hundreds of paratroopers, like ghosts in the night, silently surrounded the valley from all directions.
They were divided into several attack teams, some responsible for fire suppression, some for flank assaults, and some specifically for destroying rocket launchers.
The attack began at 3:00 AM sharp.
Several M72 anti-tank rockets, with trailing flames, first hit several watchtowers and machine gun fire points outside the position.
The explosion instantly broke the tranquility of the valley.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" The Yugoslav defenders' positions were suddenly in chaos.
The shrill alarm sounded and the soldiers rushed out of the barracks, frantically looking for shelter and weapons.
However, the attacks of the American airborne troops came like a tide.
They took advantage of their night vision equipment and accurately shot every exposed enemy in the darkness.
The Yugoslav defenders seemed to have been completely unprepared for such a sudden attack behind enemy lines, and their resistance was disorganized and vulnerable.
A fierce sergeant led his team and rushed into the position like a tiger descending from the mountain.
The M4 carbines in their hands continued to spew out flames, and the Yugoslav soldiers fell one after another under their precise shooting.
The equipment and training level of these defenders are obviously not on the same level as those of the Eagle Sauce's ace paratroopers.
The battle was almost one-sided.
The Yugoslav defenders put up only a few minutes of symbolic resistance before beginning to flee.
They abandoned their weapons and fled in all directions, without even having time to move or completely destroy their precious rocket launchers.
"Don't let them get away!" shouted an American officer, but the main task of the airborne troops was to destroy the rocket launchers, not to pursue the remaining enemies.
The soldiers quickly rushed towards the huge rocket launchers.
They found that the design of these rocket launchers was very strange and different from any Soviet or Chinese equipment they knew.
But they had no time to study, so according to the predetermined plan, they placed special plastic explosives in key parts of the rocket launcher, such as the launcher, control system and vehicle chassis.
"Hurry! Set the detonator! We must evacuate before their reinforcements arrive!" the commander urged.
As the soldiers were nervously installing explosives, they noticed a strange phenomenon - the fleeing Yugoslav soldiers seemed to have activated some kind of self-destruct program before escaping.
I saw a flash of electric sparks in the cockpits of several rocket launchers, followed by billowing smoke.
"They blew themselves up!" a soldier shouted in surprise.
The commander ran over to check and found that the core components of these rocket launchers, such as the fire control computer and launch direction device, had been completely destroyed by the explosives inside, leaving only an empty shell.
"Hurry! Ignore them and blow up all the remaining ones!" the commander ordered.
A few minutes later, all the rocket launchers were primed with explosives.
Following the commander's order, a series of violent explosions rang out in the valley, and flames shot up into the sky, illuminating the entire night sky like daylight.
Those "death harvesters" that once caused huge casualties to the Eagle Navy have now turned into piles of twisted scrap metal in the raging flames.
The mission was completed exceptionally smoothly.
Aside from a few soldiers slightly wounded in the initial firefight, the entire airborne force emerged virtually unscathed.
They quickly cleaned up the battlefield, collected some valuable intelligence (mainly about the wreckage of rocket launchers), and then quietly evacuated the area according to the predetermined route, waiting for helicopter pick-up.
When the news was passed back to the flagship "Eisenhower", the entire combat command center erupted in thunderous cheers.
Admiral Harris's tense face finally showed a hint of smile. He slammed the table hard and spoke loudly.
"Well done! Beautifully done!"
"I knew our 'Screaming Eagle' was the best!"
The haze in his heart was swept away, and confidence and pride returned to his face.
In his view, Yugoslavia's most lethal weapon had been destroyed and its will to resist broken.
Now, it's time to fight back.
"Pass on my orders!" Harris' tone was once again filled with unquestionable authority. "Order the second wave of landing troops to immediately board assault boats and continue to attack the beach!"
"I want our Star-Spangled Banner to be firmly planted on the soil of Yugoslavia before sunrise today!"
This time, no one raised any objections. The glorious victory of the airborne troops rekindled everyone's confidence.
On the sea, dozens of assault boats gathered again, carrying thousands of Marines, and rushed towards the beach that had just experienced a bloody battle.
There was a hint of tension on the soldiers' faces, but more of a desire for revenge.
This time, the landing went exceptionally smoothly. Without the devastating barrage of rockets, there was no organized resistance.
The assault boat successfully reached the beach, and the soldiers quickly jumped off the boat, carefully searching forward and began to build temporary fortifications between the ruins and craters.
They cleared a relatively safe area to prepare for the landing of subsequent troops and heavy equipment.
Admiral Harris stood on the bridge, watching the beachhead gradually take shape through a telescope, his heart filled with satisfaction.
His previous failures and humiliations seemed to be compensated by this "textbook" raid behind enemy lines and the successful second landing.
"See, Hansen," he said, turning to the admiring first mate, his tone full of pride, "this is war. Sometimes you need a little adventure."
"The Yugoslavs have used up all their three weapons. Their trump card has been destroyed by us, and their morale has collapsed."
"Next, it's our turn to counterattack!"