Chapter 1685 - 1602: Sacrificed Comrades
Vankelus walked into his temporary command post with a serious expression; he truly hadn’t expected his troops to be at the frontline, becoming the main force directly confronting the Tang Army.
Although the Tang Country had already declared war on the Poplar Empire, knowing the war would begin was one thing, but truly encountering the enemy on the battlefield was another.
Seeing their general arrive, the officers in the command post stood at attention and saluted. A staff officer approached to report the latest news: "General! News just arrived... the Tang Army has announced the occupation of Eternal Winter Port, the battle in the city has ceased, and the remnants of the Dwarf 4th Corps, over 4,900 men, have surrendered."
"A bunch of cowards, they should have fought to the last." Vankelus scoffed with disdain, slapping a pair of gloves onto the table, giving an evaluation he believed was very fair.
"I heard they ran out of ammunition and food; they’ve persevered long enough..." The staff officer was actually quite satisfied with the Dwarf’s defense of Eternal Winter City, at least they held for over 30 days inside the city, which was already a decent record.
"Look at what’s happened over these few days... if those dwarves had any sense of shame, they should commit suicide in repentance." Vankelus glared at his staff officer with dissatisfaction and spoke coldly.
No wonder he was angry; the situation in the Ice Cold Empire has rapidly deteriorated over the past few days, the entire war zone is collapsing, and their situation is now very unfavorable.
With the Tang Army occupying Eternal Winter Port, they might obtain more supplies, which will increase their combat power and allow them to replenish their forces more quickly.
But what about on the side of the Allied Forces? Including the 4th Corps, three Corps were completely destroyed, leaving only 3 Corps barely holding the line.
The planned offensive was forcibly turned into a strategic defense, and only after two additional Corps arrive at the front can they continue with the next phase of action.
But time waits for no one! By the time all their forces are assembled, the Tang Army will also be prepared, and if the Tang Army manages to replenish their logistical shortcomings, even two more Corps might not fare well against the strong Tang Army.
All these defeats were caused by the dwarves themselves, and Vankelus truly lacks the patience to show a good face after so many failures.
Suddenly, he remembered someone, a general who, during the war between the Ice Cold Empire and the Poplar Empire, had brought tremendous pressure to the Poplar Empire.
So he asked, "Eternal Winter Port is lost... Isn’t General Moss there? What happened to him?"
"General, the Tang Army’s news said General Moss committed suicide for the nation, and dying with him were his Chief of Staff and the 4th Corps’ commander..." the subordinate immediately replied.
Generally speaking, the Tang Army never jokes about such matters; Tang Country’s broadcasts seldom exaggerate victories and are only announced to the world after verification.
Whether Moss is dead and whether Eternal Winter Port has indeed been occupied by the Tang Army will soon be clear to everyone, so deception is unnecessary.
Therefore, when the Tang Army claims they’ve eliminated Moss and occupied Eternal Winter Port, there’s an eighty percent chance they’ve actually done so.
After a brief silence, Vankelus finally nodded, "Seems there are still proud people among the dwarves... how’s the construction of the frontline fortifications?"
"Report General! We’ve constructed numerous trenches, and are coordinating with the dwarves to acquire concrete to reinforce our defense line." The subordinate answered the superior’s question, then added, "However, we’ve encountered some minor difficulties during coordination."
"What’s going on? Speak!" Vankelus glared at the subordinate.
"The dwarves believe we don’t need to build permanent fortifications; they claim we’ll soon switch to strategic offense..." the subordinate explained, head bowed.
"Ha! Get out! Tell those shorties to get as far away as possible!" Vankelus laughed in anger, cursing, "I would be crazy to believe them! About to counterattack? I think it’s my troops about to be bombarded by the Tang Army!"
"No matter what they say! Get me enough concrete! If they don’t provide it, tell them we’ll withdraw!" As he spoke, he approached the map and drew an arc with his hand: "Build along this natural barrier! Build along the riverbank! Spare no effort to build a proper defense line before the Tang Army arrives!"
Vankelus decided that, regardless of the situation, he would prioritize preserving the Elf 2nd Corps. As for plans of counterattack, let the dwarves deal with that themselves.
It’s not that he was familiar with the Tang Army or knew their true combat strength, but as an elf commanding officer, he primarily considered preserving his own troops.
According to his plan, the Elf 2nd Corps would deploy defensive positions along the river in front, utilizing the terrain advantage to block the Tang Army’s advance.
Once the Tang Army’s offensive is stalled, they will naturally seek weaker targets. When that time comes, how the dwarves take a beating is their own business.
At worst, wait for subsequent Elf Troops to arrive, or even wait for Suthers’ army to come, then with a significant advantage in strength, consider offensive operations.
After all, losses are best borne by others, victories are best taken by oneself. Guided by this mindset, using the dwarves’ cement to build defenses, being a turtle, holding the ground to minimize losses is the best strategy.
With his mind made up, Vankelus subsequently issued a series of orders, deploying the troops, positioning anti-aircraft guns for air defense, preparing fortifications for the armored corps, and having the entire army enter covert status.
At the same time, after almost completely annihilating the Dwarf 6th Corps at full speed, the Tang Army 1st Corps’ forward reconnaissance units arrived near the river, and after probing the Elf Race’s defensive determination on the opposite side, the Tang Army showed no intent to force a crossing. Both sides watched each other from across the river, and the battle line surprisingly stabilized for the time being.
On another front, the Tang Country 9th Corps encountered the far-traveling Dwarf 8th Corps near another river. Lacking rest and short on supplies, the Tang Country 9th Corps chose defense after breaking contact instead of launching a strong attack.
Four days later, the Dwarf 9th Corps arrived at their designated position and filled a large gap in the defense line, finally stabilizing the situation.
However, at this time, the Tang Army had occupied vast territories of the Ice Cold Empire and secured a relatively stable rear, with no more threats to their logistical supplies.