Capítulo 1680: Chapter 1597: Wasted Time

Forcibly launching planes to attack is not without cost. On this day and the next, the Air Force lost a total of 4 planes and 7 pilots, which made Xiao Yun feel the pain for several days.

However, the bombing by the Air Force was still effective. The Dwarves’ transportation hub was paralyzed for two days, significantly slowing down the assembly of troops.

Moreover, the Dwarf Troops on the frontline encountered a substantial problem they could not avoid: the Tang Army’s Army Aviation!

A large number of Hind Armed Helicopters appeared above them, using rockets and machine guns to suppress the Dwarf ground forces, nearly causing the collapse of the entire 6th and 5th Group Armies.

The troops that had gathered with great difficulty faced a dense barrage of rockets, leading to the loss of entire battalions and companies in the absence of anti-air defenses.

Under such attacks, the unaccustomed Dwarf Troops had to continuously retreat, relinquishing a depth of tens of kilometers, and re-establish a more stable defensive line relying on the hills and forests.

This retreat meant that their plan to break through the Tang Army’s encirclement and restore contact with Eternal Winter Port was completely foiled.

The distance between the 4th Group Army inside Eternal Winter Port and the 6th Group Army outside extended from less than 50 kilometers to 90 kilometers, leaving no hope for a breakout.

Therefore, as the war reached this stage, nearly all the Dwarf high command confirmed one thing: the Battle of Eternal Winter Port was definitely lost to them.

The best scenario is for the Dwarves to retake Eternal Winter Port within a month after losing it; the worst is that it becomes a supply base for the Tang Army, leading to an extended full-scale war with the Ice Cold Empire on home soil.

Everyone knows that counterattacking is the only way forward. If the entire Western Continent’s industrial capabilities are unleashed, combined with the Great Tang Group’s terrifying technological prowess, the Eastern Continent stands no chance.

The Emperor of Tang’s speech revealed his ambitions entirely, aiming for the entire Eastern Continent; no one is innocent!

To stabilize the situation and quickly unify frontline command, Emperor Binghan the First of the Ice Cold Empire decided to personally lead the charge and take command of the “Anti-Tang Allied Forces.”

He made this decision very quickly, but still wasted two days. During these two days, the Tang Army did not remain idle.

On one hand, they reduced the area controlled by the Dwarves’ 4th Group Army in Eternal Winter City, and on the other hand, they stockpiled a round of ammunition and fuel in preparation to counter the Dwarves’ counterattack.

Of course, Emperor Binghan the First’s decision to lead the charge wasn’t a small affair, so his Imperial Guard, numbering in the tens of thousands and carrying supplies and innumerable ministers, left the capital Furnace Fortress in great procession.

This move took three days. During these three days, the Dwarves’ 6th and 5th Group Armies launched no attacks at all, quietly waiting for their “Supreme Commander” to take charge.

However, not all the time was wasted. At least from satellite images, it was clear that the Dwarves’ 10th Army Group, along with the 8th and 9th Group Armies deployed at the southern border, were moving closer to the frontline.

The Elf 2nd Group Army was also moving north, positioned on the flank of the 10th Army Group. Meanwhile, the Air Forces of Suthers and the Poplar Empire were gathering northward.

During the journey, Binghan the First and his staff drafted a battle plan that seemed reasonable enough: to launch a large-scale counterattack within ten days using the 6th and 5th Group Armies as the vanguard.

The purpose of this round of counterattack is not to break through the Tang Army’s defense line, but to wear them down and deplete their reserves to gain a favorable stance for subsequent operations.

Subsequently, the Elf 2nd Group Army and the Ice Cold Empire’s 8th and 9th Group Armies will arrive, and the three armies will coordinate in a larger-scale counterattack.

This attack is the real killer move! The rejuvenated Allied Air Forces will cover the operation, with hundreds of thousands of troops and thousands of planes jointly assaulting the Tang Army’s positions to recapture Eternal Winter Port and then advance directly towards Ben.

Of course, to ensure foolproof success, the Dwarves’ 7th Corps and 10th Group Army will serve as the overall reserve. As far as Binghan the First is concerned, the entire plan is perfect in every aspect.

The Elf faction was also very satisfied with this plan because the Ice Cold Empire did not place the Elves at the forefront to wear down the enemy, showing the Dwarves’ sincerity.

Having Suthers and the Poplar Empire’s Air Force cover the Elf main forces’ attack was indeed fair, so the Elves quickly agreed to this battle plan.

To demonstrate their sincerity, the Elves ordered the 3rd Corps stationed at the border to move north, signaling their determination to help the Dwarves win this war at all costs.

Once the counterattack plan was set, the Dwarf Troops on the frontline began preparations as ordered. Adapting to the actual conditions, the 6th Group Army adjusted its deployment.

Due to their fear of the Tang Army’s Armed Helicopters, the Dwarves strategically placed their Anti-Aircraft Guns in the front-line Troops as much as possible.

Anyway, it was useless for their logistics units to guard against air attacks, as those Anti-Aircraft Guns couldn’t shoot down the Tang Nation Air Force’s attack aircraft. So instead, it’s better to leave those small-caliber Anti-Aircraft Guns with the combat units to deal with those pesky helicopter pests.

Furthermore, the Dwarves gathered as many of their tank units as possible, hiding them near the wooded areas, ready to serve as the vanguard during the counterattack.

After two days of preparation, they finally completed preparations according to plan, while Moss had endured seven more tough days in the encirclement.

Why hadn’t the Tang Army eliminated Moss during these seven days? Because the Tang Army, while conserving ammunition, also altered some attack strategies.

When the intelligence department confirmed that the Dwarves were preparing for an attack, General Feng Kezhi and Hoge had a bold idea.

They withdrew the Troops besieging Moss, replacing them with the resting and idle Air Force paratroopers. Thus, the unit Xiang Ziyu was in was suddenly thrown into urban warfare. Their task was not to attack but to hold the line.

After this maneuver, the Tang 1st Corps besieging Eternal Winter Port rested for two days, rejuvenating and setting a substantial trap for the advancing Dwarves’ 6th Group Army.

At the same time, Feng Kezhi had also made preparations on the other side. The Tang 9th Group Army, refreshed after almost half a month of rest, was poised and ready, awaiting the Dwarves’ 5th Group Army to walk into their trap.