Re: Blood and Iron

Heinrich sat in the back of a halftrack. The armored vehicle which he sat in was in the rear of the formation, along with the other command vehicles. It was a specialized halftrack that made use of an armored compartment and advanced radio equipment.

Its singular purpose was to convey orders to the rest of the Battalion Tactical Group, and maintain operational control over the battlefield. He was also more than capable of coordinating with other battalions, as well as aerial assets, which were in the area.

The engines of 40 armored vehicles within the battalion growled in tandem as Tanks, and halftracks drove across the winding mountain pass which led to the strongest point in the Italians defenses at Trient.

All the while, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank guns were mixed in the column providing protection for the many armored vehicles from whatever threats may potentially present themselves.

The SPAAGs themselves came in two different configurations, one with a quad mounted 2cm flak gun mounted to the chassis, and another with a single 37mm flak gun which was able to create a large explosive blast and fire at higher altitudes.

Heinrich himself sat in his seat, while listening to his headset, which was attached to the radio within his halftrack. From the sound of it, his forces were closing in on the enemy’s position. And the 1st Air Wing, which was attached to the 8th Army was flying overhead.

The light bomber variants of the He-51 were about to make contact with the enemy fortifications. And the men on top of the SPAAG’s mounted weapons were quick to cheer as they saw the German planes fly towards the fortifications embedded within the mountainside.

A group of He-51s, which were painted with the typical camouflage pattern were being led by a plane whose pilot was now infamous for his massive kill count. By now the Red Baron had scored a solid 100 kills in the sky, while he had also shot down 3 of the British tanks from above the Belgian front lines.

Among the people of the German Reich, the name Manfred von Richthofen was renowned far and wide. While his infamous moniker was used with dread among those pilots within the Allied Flying Corps.

The Red Baron led the charge from the sky, while Heinrich led the vanguard from the ground below. And for the Allied soldiers who waited in the fortifications, to hear the screaming howl of engines and the sight of endless tanks prowling through the mountain pass, it was truly like the gates of hell had opened before them.

Especially after the German light bombers dropped their payloads on the heads of the allied soldiers. Who hid beneath their bunkers, hoping to wait out the storm of fire. But was this remotely possible?

Because the moment the Italian soldiers and their allies hid beneath the complexes, the Germans had built for their own defense in preparation for this war, the self propelled artillery of the 75mm and 105mm variants began to open fire on them.

In addition to this, the towed howitzers and mortars of the 150 and 211mm varieties. The explosives blast rocked the cliff side where the steel reinforced concrete fortifications were battered time and again. With each passing second, a barrage was fired upon the allies, or a bomb dropped from above.