In October, India is at the end of the rainy season, and the ground is soft and potholed after several months. Rainwater flowing down from the Jodhanagpur plateau brings trace elements such as phosphorus and potassium that nourish the farmland of Jharkhand and make the roads muddy. But this is difficult to do, after a major overhaul, the 25C "Tanuki" tank deliberately enhanced its tropical combat capability. As the second generation of Wehrmacht equipment, the Type 25 was modeled after the German No. 3 tank, and was finalized in 1925 as a light tank. It has been gradually replaced by Type 31 and Type 36, but it is still irreplaceable in areas with low traffic rates, such as rainforests and the tropics.

In order to make the most of it, the designers improved it long before the war and equipped the Southwestern Army. But that improvement still did not satisfy the army, so early last year it underwent another major operation. This improvement is game-changing! The new turret, which resembles the appearance of the Type 36, uses a 300-horsepower diesel engine, medium-load wheels, and widened tracks, allowing it to swim across rivers at a depth of 1.2 meters without preparation, and the maximum speed on the road is increased to 53 kilometers per hour, and off-road is 35 kilometers.

The biggest change is the appearance! The improved "Tanuki" weighs 22 tons, and the shadow of No. 3 is no longer visible at all, but more like the M24 Xiafei tank. In order to meet the army's bottomless firepower needs, the designers also expanded the gun mount, and the original 40 mm gun was replaced with an L25/70 mm low-pressure gun. The biggest innovation is the addition of a 25mm parallel cannon next to the main gun! Both guns use the same sight and look like a copy of the famous BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle! For the purpose of anti-armor, the 25 mm cannon can fire high-speed tungsten alloy armor-piercing shells, and the 70 mm low-pressure gun is also equipped with hollow charge armor-piercing shells, which can penetrate 110 mm/vertical homogeneous steel plate within 600 meters. Originally, it was also planned to use a new armor-piercing projectile with a caliber of three times the depth of armor, but the equipment was abandoned due to secrecy and other reasons. The 7.62 mm machine gun on the top of the turret was also replaced with a 12.7 mm fanged heavy machine gun, and the 7.62 mm heading machine gun in front of the hull was retained. After this overhaul. Whether it is speed, power or firepower, it is several times higher than the earlier model, and the "Tanuki" has also jumped from a light tank to a battlefield all-rounder.

The military was very satisfied with this improvement, and not only decided to take back all the old Type 25 tanks and change them in this way, but also placed another order for 1,000 new vehicles.

When Li Zongren pointed to the steel city on the horizon and shouted the words "kill in," twenty-five new "tanuki" quickly rushed out of the forest and ran over the empty 10-kilogram iron oil drums that had been discarded all over the ground. Lined up in a column and killed the steel city on the horizon. They were followed by dozens of T2 armored vehicles armed with 7.62 mm machine guns, each packed with elite mountain infantry. They bent slightly, carrying their loaded assault rifles, and stared coldly ahead.

"Enemy attack!" After the breakthrough of the armored cluster for three kilometers. A terrible cry rang out from the sentry bunker beside the road. Second Lieutenant Kadinic from the Albanian GC International spotted the rapidly approaching armored cluster and immediately attacked with rifles and grenades, and the sound of explosions and fires provided early warning time for the troops behind. But the light of the fire also revealed his position, and several 12.7mm heavy machine guns were quickly aimed at him. "Da-da-da-da." Without the slightest mercy, machine-gun bullets easily penetrated the sandbags of the post. At the same time as the sandbag collapsed, he and several soldiers of the international column were also broken by bullets.

The death of Cardinic bought time for the defense, waiting for the "tanuki" to cross the outpost. The DP light machine gun distinctively roared from several directions at once. "A row, cover! Four points, high-explosive shells! The "tanuki" who took the lead was Nei, an old battalion commander with several years of armor experience. When the flame of the machine gun is lit. He immediately ordered a shift to stop, suppress the fixed sentinel point, and protect his comrades from continuing to break through. "Boom, boom." Within two minutes, the four parked "tanuki" locked onto their targets. The 70-mm low-pressure guns fired volleys of fire, destroying machine gun points one by one. To ensure that no enemy remains. Heavy machine guns on the roof of the car also fired at the concealment posts.

As the row stopped, the tanuki that followed behind accelerated through the passage they had separated. "Spread out a fan-shaped assault queue, protect armored vehicles, rush through the enemy's line of interception at full speed." When the enemy intercepts them during the night march and does not know the specific situation of the enemy's defenses, the officer's personal experience becomes the key to victory or defeat. The old battalion commander at this time showed the qualities of an excellent armored corps, decisively ordered the tank battalion to deploy, move forward at full speed, and forcibly break through the enemy's defensive line with steel.

Under his order, the tank battalion quickly changed from a rapid column to a fan-shaped assault formation, and the armored vehicles carrying the mountain infantry also accelerated from behind, following the "tanuki" to the unknown line of defense. At the same time, the motorcycle also began to accelerate, quickly spreading towards the wings, quickly passing over the tank armor cluster. This is a typical mechanized assault queue, although the motorcycles should have been replaced by light tanks, the "Tanuki" should have been replaced by the Type 31 "Golden Leopard" or the Type 36 "Siberian Tiger", and the T2 should have been changed to a half-track vehicle or a full-tracked infantry fighting vehicle, but even if these conditions are not available in the South Asian subcontinent, where supplies are difficult, the armored regiment still uses a bunch of patchwork light equipment to play the momentum of a tiger descending the mountain.

The low-pressure gun is a gun designed to deal with infantry, light targets and non-fortified bunkers, and is paired with a parallel 25 mm cannon to quickly and effectively suppress all enemy targets that emit fire. Shells continued to shoot into the chaotic defensive formation of the international column as if they had eyes.

"Tanks! It's a tank! Comrade division commander Chinese tanks! "Inside the headquarters of the steel plant, Sani Roman was still using the phone to contact the Damoder River to inquire about the situation, and a panicked staff officer slammed the door in." Damn it! Damn it! How did Chinese tanks appear here? Where did they come from! When Sani Romana lifted the telescope, he froze. It took half a day to curse and order all the fighters to enter the position.

The 76-mm anti-aircraft guns deployed on the roof of the steel city were flattened, the previously captured British 75-mm howitzers were dragged out, and even the workers of the steel mills were mobilized. "Get into position, hurry, hurry! Get ready for cluster grenades! Bring the Molotov cocktail! "Captain Eric, who is in his forties, is from Italy, is a Jew, and even more staunch GC internationalist. Having fought in the Spanish Civil War, he was well aware of the power of tanks. When you see a dark shadow rushing towards the horizon, you immediately shout for everyone to get ready for the cluster grenades and the "Motorov cocktail" that became famous in Spain and Finland.

"Get off! Hide behind armored vehicles! Be careful to conserve bullets. Don't let the enemy get close to the vehicle! In order to avoid being hit by stray bullets, when there was still some distance from the outer defense line of the steel city, Captain Shi Chenfei, who led the team, beckoned everyone to get out of the car. Although the 16th Brigade is a mountain brigade, it has also been trained in the tactics of cooperating with infantry tanks, so the soldiers can quickly find their positions after getting off the vehicle. "Be careful, it's a motorcycle!" The advance of the armored regiment was unusual, and before Captain Eric could deploy his defensive line, the motorcycles on both flanks had already rushed over.

"Shoot, shoot!" Sergeant Paul of GC International Mexico gritted his teeth. Hold on to the trigger of the Maxim water-cooled heavy machine gun. In the rain of bullets, several sprinting motorcycles were hit and fell. But it didn't take long for the two "Tanuki" who spotted him at the same time to stop quickly and twist the muzzle of the gun. "Be careful!" Captain Eric flew to Paul's feet as the shell exploded around them. Fortunately, machine guns and bunkers blocked most of the fragments. So neither of them was injured. By the time they got up again from the smoke, the first Tanuki had already crossed the barrier.

"Give me the grenade!" Seeing this, a soldier of the international column immediately snatched the cluster grenade from his stunned partner, and rushed to the "tanuki" like crazy with it. As he rushed left and right to try to get closer to the tanuki, a rapid and nervous cry came from behind him. "Pete, watch the left!" The soldier, Pete, subconsciously looked to the left, and saw two T2 armored vehicles following the "Tanuki". It has already spewed out long tongues of fire. "Snort." The bullet hit him in the chest instantly, and also detonated a cluster grenade.

"Boom!" At the same time that Pete's body broke in the explosion, the artillery inside the steel city finally opened fire. Boom, boom, boom, shells fell around the armored battalion. Soldiers are constantly being hit by shrapnel and falling. But more mountain infantry, using the cover of tanks and armored vehicles, stormed the town, which was almost entirely made of steel.

"Stop them! Block them! Quick, let Colonel Yav come back, we've been fooled! This is the enemy's main point of attack! "Inside the command post. Sani Romanan had already messed up the rules, and just indiscriminately let the troops who had just gone to reinforce the 20th Division come back. Then he desperately threw troops into the tank cluster head-on, hoping to block the impact with flesh and blood. "Commander Sani, do you want to blow up the steel plant!" Leon Freeman saw that he had forgotten about the steel mill and hurriedly reminded him loudly.

"Wait a little longer! Trust our warriors, they can hold off the enemy! Sani Roman, gritting his teeth, refused to blow up the steel mill so early. After all, the steel mill is the lifeblood of whether they can fight in India for a long time, and no one is willing to blow it up unless it is absolutely necessary. But he still miscalculated, thinking that tonight's sneak attack was all armored troops, so there was still time, but he didn't know that Li Zongren, who was following behind the armored cluster, had already prepared a second meal for him.

Sixteen T2 armored vehicles towing 107-mm rocket launchers approached the steel city, and the artillerymen quickly locked onto Zhuyuan according to the light of the fire and the shadows of the buildings. As soon as the twelve-barreled 107-mm rocket launcher appeared, it became the most sought-after equipment in the army. This new weapon, which is simple to manufacture but has great firepower, is about to become a symbol of the army. If it weren't for the fact that the manufacture of rockets could not keep up, Qin Zhangshu even thought about ordering 10,000 popular equipment to be used in various battalions. "Fire!" With a single command, 192 rockets burst into the void at a rate of 16 rounds per second. The orange-red tail flames became the most terrifying sparks of death in the eyes of the soldiers of the Soviet Seal Division. "Boom! Rumble! Rumble! In the almost indistinguishable continuous explosions, the small steel city was instantly covered by fire, hundreds of fireballs rose into the air in the dark night, and in the violent explosions, buildings were constantly being knocked down.

Those veterans of the Soviet and Indian armies who fought in Afghanistan for several years are no strangers to rocket artillery, and even if they have not seen it, they have heard of its legends. But Captain Eric, the GC international fighters, were so frightened by this instantaneous full fire coverage that seven or eight "tanuki" rushed past their positions and forgot to block them. The international column is brave and good at fighting, which can be seen from the Spanish Civil War, but the opponent they encountered tonight is no longer the old Spanish National Army, nor the German army that has not done its best, but the Chinese Army, which stands at the top of the world in terms of army tactics and equipment! To make matters worse, this is the Great Plains of India, where there are no rugged mountains and no numerous buildings to cover, and the city of Pokaro Steel is only ten square kilometers. It is all a factory area of steel mills, mines and machine shops, and the nearest town is also five kilometres away on the Damoder River.

Before the shock of this wave of firepower could be digested, a second wave of rockets struck again. In the overwhelming explosion of the sea and concussion of the chest, countless soldiers of the international column were killed, their skin and flesh were burned, their limbs were broken, and the factory camp and artillery positions were all subjected to intensive shelling. Captain Eric's teeth were crushed, and he rushed to the Maxim machine gun next to him, but was just about to strafe the infantry behind the T2 armored car. was hit in the thigh by a bullet fired out of nowhere, and the pain was so painful that he could no longer move.

"Commander, it's broken!" Wu Huan pointed to the steel city first and handed the telescope to Li Zongren. In the footage, tank battalions and armored vehicles have rushed into the steel plant area. The firefight erupted next to every building and every machine, densely packed with flashing points of light like fireflies, making people's scalps tingle.

The strange thing is that Li Zongren didn't have any joy, and inadvertently shook his head slightly: "Leave one armored company to support the infantry, and all the rest go to the northeast to block the retreating enemy!" ”

Wu Huan nodded first. After asking the staff officer to pass the order, he asked about what he shook his head just now: "Commander, what's wrong?" Is it not satisfied with the fight? ”

"No, it's just a feeling." Li Zongren smiled slightly. Finger Steel City asked rhetorically: "Such an important place, if it is placed in the northwest, it will not be able to be won without a few days of fighting back and forth." But now do you know why? ”

Wu Huan thought for a while and said, "There are no armored soldiers, no heavy weapons. After mixing with the Indian soldiers, the strength decreased a lot. ”

"You're only half right! The war that the president taught us to fight was actually a multi-service cooperation. Step Tan fit. Clear-ground fit, pinched together to make it greater than one plus one. But this style of play is currently only available to us, why? Because even if others are good at planes and tanks, they don't have so many tactics as us. The USSR was the same, it had its own way of playing. Heavy firepower, large depth, and large corps can enter the Soviet army in India without these conditions, in fact, they can no longer be regarded as Soviet troops. ”

Wu Huan didn't understand why he said this at first, but slowly reacted: "Commander, you mean, we don't have to fight further south?" ”

"I don't know, but after occupying this place, I'm afraid the British won't let us fight further to the southwest. Moreover, our mission is to sever ties between Japan and India, and now that Iida is surrounded by us, the president's side must also consider the opinions of our allies. ”

Wu Huan nodded first, and taking the steel city and controlling Calkhand is equivalent to encircling Kolkata and Bengal, and getting most of India's resources. If the British let themselves fight any longer, they would fear that India would be annexed by their side. Thinking of this, he understood why Li Zongren shook his head, because the Indian theater of operations could not show his ability at all. But a big win on the horizon diluted the emotion, asking, "So what do we do next?" ”

"Sweep first!" Li Zongren lightly spit out three words.

The battle was still raging, and the armored regiment that broke through the defense divided half of its forces to quickly block the Soviet troops returning from the northwest. The other half remained in the city, stepping up time to clear the remnants of the enemy. Although they have already grasped the tail of victory, those soldiers with firm convictions in the GC International are still very tenacious in their will to fight, if it were not for the mountain infantry who are more skilled and older than them, maybe there will be an accident. Fortunately, the second group of the main infantry on bicycle and foot soon arrived, and finally the balance of victory gradually tilted.

By five o'clock in the morning, two transport-three gunboats and more than a dozen bomb trucks rushed from Lamb to crush the 7th Soviet Indian Division, and seeing that the steel city had been planted with the Chinese flag, Sani Romanan had no choice but to leave behind more than 3,000 corpses and wounded soldiers, and lead the remnants of the 7th Soviet Indian Division and the 20th Indian National Division to break through to Ranchi in the south.

Nagpur is full of joyful atmosphere. The flag of India's independence rejoiced many radical Indian youth, and even when the sky was just shining, the recruitment point set up by the CPI and Chuikov here was packed with young people. Trains loaded with supplies to the northern base areas, captured cannons, and countless weapons and ammunition made Yabyshev, who had just arrived here, unable to close his mouth. In just a few days, the initiative on the Indian battlefield was in the hands of a surprise attack by Chuikov, as long as he could capture Bombay as soon as possible, join Nehru's Indian National Army, the resource-rich, steel-based South Asian subcontinent. It will become a new Soviet base! It doesn't even take long to pull up an army of more than a million. Cooperate with the Japanese army to sweep through the southwestern provinces of China, which are known as the great rear!

From the defeat of hundreds of thousands of remnants to the thriving now, it is really like a dream along the way, no wonder he has never closed his mouth after coming to the headquarters. "Comrade Yabeshev, how is the situation with Eluru?" Political commissar Cherepanov was also very happy and sent the news of the victory to Moscow early, and he could imagine how excited the Kremlin was now. Because Moscow has seized the initiative in the Indian theater. Whether it was sweeping Hyderabad to the east or driving away the British first to the west, it was very calm.

"Eluru's British forces have withdrawn from Hyderabad, and they dare not hide along the coast."

"What about Patna and the Japanese? Is there any news on this? "Chuikov kept his composure, brutal and defeating Central Asian war. It was impossible for him not to be vigilant.

"Patna? Hehe, Comrade Chuikov, you will die of laughter. Remembering the poor performance of the Indian National Army at Patna, Yabyshev mocked: "One of their divisions crossed the river from Patna, but he forgot to protect the bridge and did not bring any pontoon equipment. As a result, the bridge was blown up, and a division was all on the north bank and could not retreat. Seeing that it was surrounded, it almost allowed the enemy to cross the river from Begusherai to surround it. ”

"Oh? Begusera was breached? ”

"No, they say, the enemy has been routed. The pontoon bridge was also blown up. ”

"That's good, that's good." Chuikov was relieved. You know, Begusharai is only 200 kilometers from the steel city, although it is blocked by the Chordanagpur plateau. But a plateau of a few hundred meters is really not a moat.

Cherpanov also asked: "And what about the Japanese?" And how is Comrade Kozilov's side playing? Did the Chinese throw in a counterattack? Has the reinforcement arrived? He should have been told to be careful. ”

"The Japanese were temporarily blocked in Sirjair and Imphal." Speaking of Lambh, Yabeshev's face gradually became solemn: "Lamber was strongly blocked. Comrade Kozilov said that there were about four or five regiments of the enemy, and there were a lot of rocket artillery. However, there are not many reinforcements, only one regiment has been added, I don't know if it is or not. ”

"Wait, you said there was only one regiment in six days?" Before he finished speaking, Chuikov's face suddenly changed, and he turned his head to look at Yabyshev and became nervous: "Comrade Yabyshev, remember last time you said that the Chinese Air Force can transport one regiment to India every day?" ”

"Yes, I'm doing it based on 100 transport planes per day. Now six days have passed, and even if you don't add planes, there are six. When Yabyshev said this, he also remembered something, and his face suddenly changed!

Only Cherepanov did not know why, but was still calm in the joy of the great victory, and asked: "What's the matter?" ”

"Six regiments, at least six regiments! If more planes are added, maybe seven or eight regiments will already be reinforced! Why, then, did Lamber add a regiment? There were only two Japanese infantry divisions in Sirgel and Imphal, and the mountains were high and the terrain was so rugged that it was impossible for all reinforcements to be thrown there! Chuikov muttered to himself, and jumped up at the end: "Someone! Immediately sent a telegram asking Nehru how long it had taken for the pontoon bridge at Abesrai to be destroyed! How many enemies have completed the river crossing! Then contact the Japanese and ask how many of them there are. ”

"Commander! Comrade commander, boom, it's bombers, a lot of bombers! ”

Before Chuikov could finish speaking, the gate was slammed open by the guards, and then a buzzing noise came into the air. By the time Chuikov opened the officer and walked to the window, a metallic cloud had appeared in the western sky. Sixty-six Persian Gulf Army's H-7 long-range bombers, transferred from the Karachi airfield built with Chinese assistance, flew 1,300 kilometers and appeared in the sky over Nagpur.

Before the bombers could get closer, more than a dozen elven-like Yaksha dive bombers and lightning fighters emerged from the clouds and swooped down with a scream at the target of the Soviet Seal Division on the ground. "Boom, boom!" A speeding munitions train was unprepared for a bomb, and scattered fireballs set fire on fire throughout Nagpur. "Fleet! It's the fleet! Indian fleet of the Chinese Navy! As soon as the Yaksha dive bomber and lightning fighter appeared, Chuikov's face changed again and again! At the most critical moment, the Chinese Navy was dispatched!

A few minutes later, the unsuspecting Nagpur was thrown into chaos amid a series of deafening explosions, and one hundred and forty tons of bombs were scattered all over the city in an instant. The intensive carpet bombing not only shattered the Indians' dream of independence, but also woke up Cui Kev and others, who had previously dreamed of unifying India and using it as a base to attack southwest China and Central Asia.

The Indian Queen's steel mill, railway station, printing and dyeing factory, and power plant all collapsed and burned in the smoke and dust of the explosion. "Comrade Commander!" The continuous explosions were not over, and an even louder voice exploded in everyone's ears: "Comrade Sani Roman, report that they are attacked by a Chinese tank division rushing out of the Jodhanagpur plateau!" Pocaro Steel City has been lost! "It's like being hit by a bomb, whether it's Chuikov or Yabyshev, all of them are black in front of their eyes and cold all over! Pokaro Steel City, which accounts for 90% of India's steel processing capacity! 100% Copper Mine! 100% coke! 100% phosphorus! All hope for Soviet India is gone! The most infuriating thing is that the enemy even used exactly the same tactics as Chuikov, secretly crossing the border from the allied war zone, and then launching a sneak attack across the entire plateau!

Without the strategic resources of steel, copper, phosphorus and coke, it is impossible to connect with the country, and even if it can continue to fight, how long can it last? The plan of the Japanese army to flank the southwest of China was completely aborted before it could begin.