Chapter 1329: 1246 work was taken away

The Qin Country air force, which was somewhat lucky, did not wait for the field airport near Xiajian to be repaired. Their planes took off from the airport near Dongqing, because the range of the TA-183 fighters was simply too short, so the participants were basically all P-40 fighter jets.

These propeller fighters were naturally no match for the Datang Empire Air Force, but shooting down these planes did not have a significant impact on the main force of the Qin Country air force.

Compared to the chaotic army, the air force was only contemplating how to deploy their main fighter, the 183 model, onto the battlefield.

On the front battlefield, Liu Guozhu’s tank rolled over a collapsed fence and then encountered Qin Country soldiers who had just been captured by the vanguard troops in the village.

The reconnaissance unit equipped with wheeled assault guns tore through the panic-stricken Qin Country troops. These terrifying armored reconnaissance cars were far more formidable in combat than anyone imagined.

Whether it was the light reconnaissance model equipped with 30mm cannons or the assault reconnaissance model equipped with 105mm guns, they were nightmares for the Qin Army infantry.

Shooting people with a 30mm cannon in direct fire is truly brutal. One can feel the devastation experienced by the Qin Army troops at that time from the bloodstains scattered throughout the village.

To Liu Guozhu, these “reconnaissance units” were somewhat annoying… They had already completed the main force’s workload, making the main force appear foolish and idle following behind.

“We’ve reached this point, why can’t the Qin Country people organize a decent defense?” the tank driver, who had his head poking out, boredly complained through the communication device.

They genuinely hoped for some real lines of defense to stop the reckless reconnaissance units, allowing their 64-type tanks to showcase their prowess.

Regrettably, their opponents still had no idea what was happening. All troops seemed to be in a stupor, standing idly and waiting for death.

“Just received news that a part of the Qin Army has started setting up a defense line on the spot.” Liu Guozhu informed his subordinates.

Having advanced almost 150 kilometers, his tank troops needed to halt and check the status of the vehicles. Whether the tracks were okay or if there were discrepancies in the onboard equipment due to jolting needed examination.

Of course, tanks aren’t that fragile, but even though it felt like sightseeing, this was ultimately a battlefield. It’s better to check the equipment status more during the advance than to regret it after encountering the enemy and dying.

“Inform the battalion headquarters that our Company 1 should halt and check the tank status!” Once Liu Guozhu’s orders were given, the tanks, which had rushed over 100 kilometers along the highway, began to stop one by one.

Some members popped out to smoke, while others tore open candy or chocolate wrappers to restore their strength.

Liu Guozhu pressed the side of his headset, confirming various messages through the channel: “This is Company 1! Yes, are there signs of enemy activity near me?”

“The reconnaissance unit hasn’t detected anything! The air force’s feedback hasn’t arrived yet; it will probably take about 20 more minutes.” Inside the headset, the battalion headquarters’ communications soldier answered his question.

The Tang army’s reconnaissance and strikes were impenetrable, and the Qin Army had no awareness that they had almost lost this battle.

While Liu Guozhu was confirming this intelligence, two Hind Mi-24 armed helicopters roared over the entire armored company’s heads.

The enormous air currents swirled the dried leaves on the ground, and the engine’s roar made everyone involuntarily cover their ears and look up at them.

This strange armed helicopter, large enough to carry personnel, had a kind of ugly beauty. Its bubble-type cockpit made it look like a demon flying in the sky.

However, the Great Tang Empire’s army liked to call it the Hind, and everyone had a good impression of it. Because this armed helicopter, which could carry soldiers with formidable firepower and a strong sense of oppression, was an extremely effective strike tool in their hands.

After the two armed helicopters crossed the long line of tanks on the ground, they hovered not far away. Seconds later, not knowing what they discovered, they suddenly began to attack further away.

The enormous noise made everyone squint and cover their ears, as the rocket pods hanging from the short wings on the sides of the Hind armed helicopters continuously spouted flames, launching rockets one after another into the distance.

“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!” The terrifying sound of the rockets’ whistling continued for over ten seconds before completely stopping, and then the two helicopters surged forward one after the other.

At that time, the tank crew members in Liu Guozhu’s unit, still inspecting the tanks, caught the whiff of burning. They continued working busily, their expressions filled with envy and frustration.

The envy came from the free and aerial assaults, which were impressively cool, far surpassing the hardships endured by those driving tanks.

The frustration was because they watched yet another portion of their credit being taken away, and they hadn’t encountered a real battle yet, partially thanks to these damn armed helicopters’ “credit.”

The gunner leaned near Liu Guozhu, watching the Hind in the distance strafing ground targets with its belly-mounted rotating cannon and lighting a cigarette: “I bet they blew them up again.”

“No need to guess; if they hit us, we’d be blown up too,” Liu Guozhu said without doubt, that if those two armed helicopters launched so many rockets at his tank company and followed up with relentless strafing, his tank company couldn’t hold up either.

Unfortunately, they were allies. Otherwise, those two helicopters could vaporize them in an instant. Modern warfare… was no longer a form Liu Guozhu was familiar with.

Those two armed helicopters directly acquired battlefield intelligence from the reconnaissance unit, then stormed onto the battlefield, using rocket artillery for remote suppression and relying on their thick armor for close-range attacks.

Their reaction speed was faster, and having greater maneuverability at the attack’s origin point usually allowed them to reach the battlefield faster than tanks.

In fact, their dominance wouldn’t last long, as with the advance of the battlefield. Once the construction speed of the field airport couldn’t keep up, these armed helicopters wouldn’t be able to dash to the front and snatch the tank troops’ work.

However, how many Qin Army soldiers would be left for the tank troops to handle by that time was unknown. Hopefully, some lucky ones could hold out until then.

Soon, after exhausting their ammunition, those two armed helicopters twisted their massive bodies and flew back over Liu Guozhu’s tank company.

They are returning…