69novels Chapter 269 Jining Under Steel Tracks!
Chapter 269 Jining Under Steel Tracks!
At the northern edge of the Xuzhou plains, the smoke of battle has not yet dissipated, and the acrid smell of steel and flesh still lingers in the air.
"Beep beep beep—!"
The loud and high-pitched bugle call of the National Defense Army's counter-offensive tore through the sky.
The roar of hundreds of Panzer II and Panzer III engines merged into a deafening low-frequency roar, and the wide tracks brutally plowed through the blood-splattered grassland, turning into a steel torrent that sped northward along the highway.
On both flanks of the tank formation, armored vehicles and heavy trucks, fully loaded with German-equipped soldiers, formed an endless line, closely following behind.
"Quickly! Surrender and you'll be spared!"
"Dump the gun on the side of the road and stand on the right!"
The Chen family army soldiers on the truck, holding submachine guns, shouted hoarsely at the retreating Fengtian army soldiers all over the mountains and fields.
On the plain, discarded Mosin-Nagant rifles, broadswords, military caps, and even silver dollars were scattered everywhere. Countless Fengtian soldiers, terrified, knelt by the roadside, their faces pale as they watched the gray steel behemoths roaring past.
At this moment, inside the forward command post in Xuzhou.
Chen Zijun stood calmly by the window, the faint roar of engines and the rumble of footsteps coming from outside.
He held the white enamel cup, and with a slight thought, a pale blue illusory light screen that only he could see instantly appeared before his eyes.
[Unlimited Pay-to-Win System Panel]
Current funds: £6,543,876
[Daily Increase in Funds]: £1.5 per second (continuously soaring)
[Current troop strength]: Five fully-equipped German-trained infantry divisions of the Wehrmacht, the 2nd Independent Heavy Artillery Brigade, the 1st Destroyer Group, the submarine fleet, the 2nd Armored Division, the 1st Motorized Infantry Division, etc.
"The fuel and ammunition consumption during the pursuit is negligible compared to the fluctuations in the system's funds."
Chen Zijun looked at the rapidly changing numbers on the system panel, a cold and indifferent smile appearing on his lips.
As long as we can win this battle and completely crush the 150,000-strong main force of the Fengtian clique in southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu, this small amount is not worth mentioning at all.
"Young Marshal!"
Shen Li strode into the command post, his face covered in swirling dust and brimming with barely concealed excitement, and gave a sharp military salute:
"Battle report from the front! The 2nd Armored Division, acting as the vanguard, has broken through the last two temporary defensive lines of the Fengtian clique north of Xuzhou and is now pursuing them head-on towards Jining!"
"The brothers charged too fast; the Fengtian Army, running on two legs, couldn't keep up with our treadle train. The mountains and fields are full of prisoners; the regiments simply don't have time to count them!"
Chen Zijun turned around, gently placed the white enamel cup on the podium, and tapped his finger lightly on the mahogany board:
"Let the Xuzhou garrison division collect the prisoners. The armored division, the 1st National Defense Army Division, and the 12th Reorganized Division of the Central Army should not stop. Tell Uncle Zang that Zhang Shizong couldn't have gone far. Since he's back in Jining, let's take Jining for ourselves!"
"Yes, young marshal!"
Shen Li responded loudly, his expression sharp.
At this moment, the Jining Military Governor's Office had already fallen into utter chaos.
"General! General, slow down!"
The chief of staff stumbled after Zhang Shizong, crying out:
"The southern garrison has been completely routed! The southern barbarians' armored chariots are faster than warhorses, and they've already crossed the Wen River! Jining City can't be held, Commander, we need to get on the train and retreat to Jinan immediately!"
Zhang Shizong's face was covered in dust, and his once crisp, starched general's uniform was now stained with mud and dried blood. His military cap had also fallen off somewhere.
After getting up, he ran desperately towards the back gate of the camp, escorted by several bodyguards, roaring furiously as he did so:
"Jinan? I've lost Xuzhou and 150,000 troops. If I were to slink back to Jinan like this, Commander Zhang would skin me alive! And Young Marshal Zhang Jialiang would never let me off the hook either!"
"Has the telegram been sent to Jinan? Tell the reserve troops to come and provide support as soon as possible!"
The chief of staff, wiping away tears, said, "It's been sent! But a telegram came back from Jinan saying that the special train carrying the Marshal outside the Great Wall had an accident, and Fengtian is in complete chaos. The Young Marshal is preparing to take over, and nobody cares about us!"
"What?! The commander-in-chief is in trouble?!"
Zhang Shizong suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide as copper bells, feeling a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
"boom!"
As dusk fell, a muffled explosion suddenly rang out from the south of Jining City, causing the leaves of the trees in the administrative office courtyard to flutter down.
"General! The barbarian tanks have reached the city gate!"
A Fengtian Army officer, covered in blood, stumbled into the backyard, shouting mournfully:
"The garrison on the city wall has completely collapsed! The brothers are all grabbing clothes from the civilians and running out of the city; there's no way to stop them!"
"Bastards! You're all spineless cowards!"
Zhang Shizong cursed loudly, but his trembling and weak knees betrayed his extreme fear.
He clenched his fists tightly, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.
"Go! To the train station! Get all those dozens of boxes of gold bars and pounds sterling from the headquarters onto the special train! Quickly!"
At this time, the military compound was filled with the remnants of the Fengtian Army who had lost all morale.
Some soldiers and junior officers were so enraged that they were engaged in fierce gun battles with the guards in front of the tents and warehouses, fighting each other to seize the silver dollars and treasures left behind before the retreat.
"Bang! Bang!"
The crisp sound of gunfire and screams echoed throughout the camp. The once invincible Fengtian Military Governor's Office had now been completely reduced to a barbaric slaughterhouse under the pressure of Chen's army's steel treads.
Meanwhile, outside the south gate of Jining City.
The dark, armored torrent of Chen's army, roaring deafeningly, had already reached the city's defensive trenches.
"Quickly! Close the city gates! Pull up the drawbridge!"
On the city gate tower, several Fengtian Army officers screamed like pigs being slaughtered.
Several soldiers frantically turned the winch, trying to close the heavy city gate.
However, before the city gates could close, two Panzer III tanks, speeding side by side, had already rushed up to the front.
"Target directly in front of the city gate, high-explosive shell, load!"
Inside the lead tank, the commander stared intently at the city gate through the periscope, shouting wildly.
"Loading complete!"
"put!"
"Boom! Boom!"
With two earth-shattering explosions, the robust muzzle of the Panzer III tank spewed blinding flames as two high-explosive shells, trailing scorching tails, precisely struck the old wooden and iron gate of Jining City.
"Boom—!"
The violent blast wave instantly turned the city gate into a shower of flying wood chips and twisted iron pieces. The two layers of brick and stone parapets on the city gate tower were also blasted into collapse, and rocks rained down, completely burying half of the city gate opening.
"Tanker move to the side to make way for armored vehicles and infantry!"
The tank commander shouted orders in a very loud voice, and the driver pulled hard on the control lever. The huge tank swung in a graceful arc, its tracks crushing the bricks and stones on the ground and clearing the central passage.
"charge--!"