With a loud and deafening sound, the rapidly falling Federation armored ship landed safely in a taxiing landing - the so-called "safety" only means that the flying ship did not crash during the emergency landing. In essence, its dilapidated hull, with its heavily deformed main structure, was not much different from a crash.

In the night sky, the victorious Norman fleet followed the Federation fleet. The defeated Federation fleet seemed to have little power to fight back, but fortunately, the federal border defense line had a relatively complete air defense system, and the air defense positions in various places turned on the defense mode in time. High-powered searchlights shoot strong beams of light into the night sky, and in this cloudless clear weather, the flying warships of both sides have nothing to hide. The anti-aircraft guns on the ground raised their muzzles and fired fiercely at the flying warships whose navigation lights did not flicker according to the agreed beat, and the tracer shells used to correct the shooting of Zhuyuan weaved an imposing net of fire in the night sky......

Under the interference of the Union ground anti-aircraft fire, the Norman fleet significantly slowed down the pursuit of the Federation fleet, but they did not seem to intend to let go of the Federation battleship that made an emergency landing on the ground, and the shells from the air fell around it one after another. The armored ship's hull was already mutilated, and if it took another blow or two, would the survivors still have a chance to survive?

"There must still be people trapped on the ship. The 1st Company followed me, the 2nd and 3rd Companies were ready to respond, and the 4th Company held its ground! ”

In the battalion bunker of the 1st Combat Battalion of the Baseton Student Regiment, Major Salgert made the decision to rescue the trapped crew at the first time, and personally led the team. The forced landing position of the Federation armored ship was on the edge of the defense zone of the 139th Reserve Division, next to the defense zone of the Basston Student Corps.

Over the years, the construction and development of the Federal Aviation Force has always given priority to the Federal Army, and over time, the officers and men of the Air Force have developed a psychological sense of superiority over their army colleagues, and this sense of superiority often makes the officers and men of the Army feel embarrassed and even annoyed during joint military meetings and joint exercises of the armed forces.

Major Salgot went up with the 1 company. As battalion lieutenant, Weiss temporarily took over command of the remaining three companies, but in the current situation, he was not at all in the mood to experience what it was like to be a commander in a real war, but was nervously watching the ground forces to rescue the surviving crews.

Due to various concerns, the victorious Norman fleet did not cross the border and intrude into the airspace of the Federation. They stopped not far from the border and, adjusting their formation, searched for valuable targets and attacked them. Viewed from the air, the Federation armored ship that was still burning and smoking after the forced landing was undoubtedly a striking and fixed target, and the anti-aircraft positions with searchlights and anti-aircraft guns also drew a lot of hatred for themselves. The sound of explosions repeatedly hammered the mental defense line of the federal officers and soldiers. People still feel palpitations when they hide in their bunkers, and the shock and shock they experience when they are exposed.

Through the binoculars, Weiss watched anxiously at Major Salgett and the officers and men of the 1st Company he led. These more than 100 people are the elite of the 1st Combat Battalion, and their ground combat power is undoubted, but in the face of the shelling of the Norman fleet, they are extremely vulnerable, and a casual shell may reimburse most of the troops or even wipe out the entire army.

After more than half an hour of anxious waiting, the officers and men who remained at the position finally waited for Major Salgot and the officers and men of the 1st Company, along with more than 60 crew members, about one-tenth of the crew of an Angureh-class armored ship.

Weiss handed the kettle to the stained major: "How's it going?" Only so little survived? ”

The Major took the kettle, raised his head, and drank most of it in one go, and replied, "The situation is very bad!" Although some people were rescued by the 139th Reserve Division, it is estimated that less than 200 survived, and the rest were killed. ”

"Are they part of the Munster garrison? Is there any news from Caesar Leeold? Weiss asked.

Salgot glanced at him curiously: "Caesar Leibold, the eldest son of President Leibold, do you know?" ”

"I had a relationship with him, and his brother Nicolas Lebold was a classmate of ours." Weiss gives a brief explanation.

Salgert nodded: "I asked just now, the fallen battleship is the 'Kash', the third ship of the Anguret class, which belongs to the Munster garrison, and the captain is Colonel Ofateen. If memory serves, Colonel Caesar Lebold is supposed to be the commander of the Angure, and there is no news about the armored ship yet. ”

Weiss let out an "oh". Generally speaking, no news on the battlefield is good news.

"In tonight's battle, the Munster garrison suffered a great loss at the hands of the Normans, including the 'Cash', they lost at least seven warships, and the fleet was basically disabled, and their opponent was only a fleet-level combat force." "As some feared, winning this war will be much more difficult than the military hierarchy anticipates, which means that our readiness is far from adequate to deal with the Norman army in front of us," Salgot sighed. ”

The fears of the past became a reality, and Weiss's heart was heavy, but not so much that he did not despair.

Outside the bunker, the shelling of the Norman fleet continued. These guys seemed to be celebrating tonight's victory, using the cannonballs as fireworks, and the fatigue and caution of the labor expedition seemed to have nothing to do with them. The rumbling cannon sound that resounded in the sky was like a thunderstorm in summer, which was sharp and fierce, and after replacing it with high-explosive shells, each round of artillery fire caused the ground to shake the mountain.

After some time, the shelling finally stopped, and then everything fell silent, as if the whole world had been destroyed by the fierce artillery fire. When it was getting dark, Weiss stepped out of cover and climbed to a high place. I saw that the fields were filled with white mist, and there was a scorching and sour smell everywhere. A few hundred feet in front of the position, there was a crater large enough to hold two or three trucks, and the explosion that almost burst the eardrums last night must have come from the creator of the crater. Even though those flying battleships were steely, it was enough to choke on a cannonball of this power.

"Hey, Clumber Haitham! Here, I'll give you a task! ”

Following the prestige, Weiss saw Major Salgett standing at the door of the battalion bunker with a blanket and a cup of hot tea in his hand. He walked up to the other party in three steps and two steps: "Major, what do you need me to do?" ”

The major turned his head to look into the depths of the white fog, and said with a melancholy face: "The 'Cash' is about 4,000 feet northeast of us, to the north is the K9 minefield, and to the east is the No. 31 outpost, you take 2 companies over now, the first is to see if there are any survivors on the ship, I estimate that this is extremely unlikely, and the second is to find out if there are any weapons and supplies that can still be used - after last night's battle, it is estimated that we will soon have to fight the Norman army, we have to prepare as much as possible." ”

"Yes!" Weiss replied without hesitation. He summoned the signal troops, assembled the officers and men of the 2nd Company as quickly as possible, conveyed the mission instructions to the whole company, and then put on a steel helmet and led them into the white fog that was still floating in the field.

The closer you are to the target, the denser the craters on the ground, and you can go around it at first, and when you get to the back, it is easier to walk directly through the crater than to take a detour. After walking for about ten minutes, a hazy black shadow appeared in front of me. After approaching, Weiss suddenly had a sense of suffocation in the nightmare, when he had escaped death in the Monamolin Mountains, standing on the snow and looking at the charred wreckage of the "Ranger Del Long", and now standing in this grassless field, seeing the wreckage of the battleship that was equally charred, the same broken and even larger, the shock and confusion in his heart were indescribable.

The company commander of the 2nd Company was Rosen Lotati, a tactical instructor at the Bathton Military Academy, who was the old senior of the cadets, graduated with the first grade in the school that year, and was once regarded as a promising future star. With his qualifications and temperament, he had to "succumb" to a few novices who had not yet graduated, and although he did not express his dissatisfaction in words, all kinds of contempt and disdain were revealed. Seeing Wei Si stunned there, he snorted coldly, waved his hand to signal the cadets and reservists of the first company to continue to advance, and instructed loudly: "1 detachment goes to the bow of the battleship, 2 detachments are in the middle, 3 detachments are in the tail, and 4 detachments are searching around." Don't easily enter the inner cabin, don't move unknown objects, don't touch the bodies of the dead, and report any situation immediately! ”

Instructor Lotati's voice brought Weiss back to reality from his trance-like state. The Federation warship in front of him was like a whale stranded on the beach for many days, its body was highly decomposed, many parts were exposed, and large and small parts and fragments were scattered all over the ground. Apparently, it had suffered a second damage after its forced landing last night - the Norman fleet's artillery fire and out-of-control fire had caused it to look so bleak. Not to mention dragging it back for overhaul, even if it is scrap steel recycling, I don't know if it is valuable......

Weiss stood silently in front of the huge wreckage, watching his companions of the 2nd Company search around like scavengers, only to gain a chat, but also to choke on the shocking and terrifying remains of the victims. Not long after, there was a dull roar of machinery in the sky, which grew from far to near, from light to heavy, and the rolling air dispelled the fog, and the tips of the hair were stirred, and then, a flying battleship in gray paint slowly descended, judging by its silhouette, it should be a first-class cruiser.

Soon, a voice amplified by a megaphone came from overhead: "Guys below, pay attention to avoid, we are the Munster garrison, we are going to land!" ”