As the minutes passed, the 1st Marine Regiment of the US Army deployed in the forward position was not ordered to suspend the attack because it was dark, and the artillery cover attack was still going on, and the fire from the muzzle illuminated the earth in the dark night. The soldiers were armed with guns, hidden in improvised bunkers, giggling and talking, and from time to time there were bursts of strange laughter, as if they had become accustomed to the deafening sound of shelling.

The rebels who were hiding in the mountains and forests continued to weaken over time until they finally stopped shelling.

It may be that the supply of shells is not available, so it cannot be fired.

On the west side of the road, the U.S. military set up rows of military tents, and the troops who had no chance to participate in the war were concentrated here.

Stay in this damn suburb and get tangled up with the rebels......

In addition, the Afghan soldiers are weak in combat effectiveness and lack high-tech weapons, and there are basically no troops capable of fighting, and they are basically defeated in a fight.

Not only the soldiers were puzzled, but also the officers in the middle and lower ranks could not understand it, and for a time Major General Benjamin scolded him for being incomplete, and it became a joke in the barracks.

Of course.

This is all quietly spread in the dark, their military camp is relatively open, and there are only a handful of people who dare to openly use their top bosses as a laughing stock.

"Hey, what do you think of our Major General Benjamin?" If you ask the soldiers this question, they get a variety of answers.

"Coward!"

"Shit, he's got a bunch of shit in his head...... Idiot who doesn't understand anything......"

"God, he should have traveled to World War II to become a general, and the offensive and defensive battles at that time were more suitable for him, well, I think he should also like it very much."

……

There is no doubt that Benjamin's first command caused dissatisfaction among many soldiers and junior officers. Or that his tactical intentions are not understood by everyone.

"Your Excellency, General!"

At this time, the combat staff officer returned from inspecting the camp and saw Benjamin lying on the table studying the map. He shouted hesitantly, he had heard many remarks in the camp, very bad for Benjamin, and he was hesitating whether he should take these unpleasant remarks. Tell your Excellency the General.

The combat staff officer looked at Benjamin, who was concentrating on studying the map, his mouth opened slightly, and he was about to open his mouth and close it again, standing in front of the table in a tangled manner.

"What's the situation, let's talk about it." Benjamin looked up politely. asked, and then refocused on the map, as the commander-in-chief of Operation Lightning Storm, he had too many things to do, even if he had a lot of time to rest.

"Uh...... It's okay, I'm ...... Remind you that it's getting late and it's time for you to rest! The combat staff officer replied to him.

Suddenly.

Benjamin bowed his head and was silent for a moment. Raised his head again and stared at the combat staff officer in front of him. It seems to want to find something unusual in him, "Okay. Benjamin was sure that the operational staff had something to hide from him, and all the senior officers knew that in the early hours of the morning they were going to carry out a night attack on the rebels in the woods. At this point in time, everyone is stepping up preparations for the war. Who can rest in peace?

Strictly speaking, his first confrontation with the rebels. It has not yet been completely launched, and the battle in the early morning is the most decisive battle.

The lies of the combat staff officers did not stand up to scrutiny at all, Benjamin did not ask questions, everyone has their own privacy, and he believes that when the other party wants to, he will not be able to tell it.

U.S. artillery still fired intermittently at the mountains and forests, and bursts of flickering fire swept through the night sky, like fireworks. The rest of the soldiers rested in place, ready for the battle to come.

In the dark.

Time passed slowly, it was a long night for both the US military and Tarani, and both sides knew that the mutual shelling was only the beginning, and the real battle could not be fought at any moment. Tarani did not dare to rush out of the woods, losing the cover of the terrain, it was difficult for them to confront the American troops, so they could only stay in the woods and wait slowly for the American army to attack, and then go to counterattack the American army.

The complex mountains and forests are a natural barrier for Tarani against the US military, and he cannot abandon it with a hot head.

1:55 a.m.

The night sky was hazy, and the woods were quiet, and under the reflection of the bright moonlight, the figures hiding in the woods could be faintly discerned.

"All of them, ready to fight!" All the U.S. troops in the 1st Marine Regiment are ready to go, and they have not fought a night battle for a long time, and this is also a test of their ability to fight at night.

"Let's go."

The American soldiers answered, divided into platoon-level squads, and ran in the direction of the woods, their speed was not inferior to the agile cheetahs, at first glance, this marine regiment of nearly 3,000 American troops, in the night like a torrent, frantically poured into the woods.

Tanks and tanks waited quietly, they could not attack at the first time, otherwise the "rumbling" noise of the tanks would expose the movements of the American troops.

"Quick, quick, fast...... Speed up and kill those bastards! The leader of the regiment shouted loudly, their goal was to destroy the rebels in the woods and completely eliminate the opponent.

The U.S. military moved more quickly.

Although the sky was dark, it could not affect them in the slightest, and the night combat equipment had been turned on, and for the American soldiers, there was no difference between day and night.

"Boom."

A group of fast-moving US soldiers suddenly encountered an accident and was blown up, and two US soldiers at the center of the explosion were killed and one seriously injured on the spot.

Mine!

The experienced American soldier immediately thought that an unknown number of mines might have been planted by the rebels in the woods, which immediately caused a burst of curses.

"Medic!" The seriously injured American soldier was blown off an arm, and his face was covered with blood, which was beyond their processing capacity, and his companion hurriedly called out to the medical staff.

"Hey, hey, here is the third battalion, the second company and the third platoon, we have encountered rebel mines and need the help of minesweepers." Stepping on a mine, the American army did not dare to go any further, and unceremoniously asked for support from minesweepers.

"Boom."

Several loud bangs sounded one after another, breaking the silence of the night, the movement of the American troops was blocked, and Tarani and others were also awakened, and immediately organized the army to counterattack.

"Tutu Tu Tu ...... Suddenly, ......" gunfire suddenly rang out, and somewhere, the US soldiers had already encountered the "rebels" and were exchanging fierce fire. Although the American soldiers had the best equipment for night warfare, they were unfamiliar with the terrain and greatly affected their performance, so they did not have a clear advantage in the battle with the rebels.

Moreover, it is not known how many mines are buried in the woods, and the US military is greatly constrained, and it is easy not to pursue them, lest they do not know when they will step on the mines and be blown up.

Rear.

Tanks and armored fighting vehicles drove into the woods, and after the first explosion was heard, they did not need to suppress it, and immediately drove into the woods with a 'boom' to support the infantry in the battle.

"Huh? Mine! ”

The information and intelligence on the battlefield in front was sent to Major General Benjamin for the first time, and when he learned that the rebels had planted an unknown number of mines in the forest, he immediately felt a headache, he had participated in many wars, and naturally knew the lethality of landmines to American soldiers.

If you want to reduce unnecessary casualties, the best way to deal with it is to withdraw the US soldiers and send minesweepers to clear the minefield first.

But.

Benjamin could not withdraw his troops at this time, he wanted to capture this upper forest, break the rebels' attempt to flank the American army, and the high mountain and forest terrain overlooking the city of Asadabad had a high military strategic value. If he abandons this place and directly attacks Asadabad, even if he occupies it, he will face a hidden crisis, and if the other side places dozens of howitzers in this forest and shells the American camp in the city, it will be a disaster.

It is safe to say that whoever occupies this highland forest will also take control of Asadabad and, more importantly, the province of Kurnaha.

This was also noticed by Benjamin early on, so he preferred to give up the capture of Asadabad and eliminate the rebels in this wood.

No troops can be withdrawn.

It is necessary to take advantage of the fact that the rebels do not realize the importance of this place and occupy this high ground as soon as possible.

The rebels hiding in the woods are all second-rate, and the well-equipped rebels are still stationed in the city, so Benjamin concluded that the other party did not realize the importance of this mountain forest and sent troops here, which should be a mistake.

Benjamin was determined to capture the forest at any cost. As the commander of Operation Lightning Storm, he knows better than anyone else that the Karzai rebels are not as vulnerable as they think, and they pose a great threat to the U.S. military's control of the war in Afghanistan.

This is also the root cause of the "Lightning Storm" battle plan.

"Minesweeper support."

Benjamin did not retreat because the rebels had planted mines in the woods.

As time passed, one after another, American soldiers withdrew from the battlefield due to injuries caused by mines, and were sent to the rear by medical guards for medical treatment.

See here.

Benjamin's heart was also dripping blood and convulsions, since he came to the rear of the battlefield, he saw with his own eyes hundreds of excellent American soldiers, covered in blood and carried off the battlefield, life and death unknown. It is conceivable that after this war, he will be named the worst commander of the U.S. military in the 21st century. The battle he commanded may also be the heaviest casualty battle the US military has encountered in more than a decade.

Of course, Benjamin did not count the battles that were attacked by the Taliban last Christmas.

"Whew."

He believed that after this battle, the arrogance of the American soldiers would be somewhat reduced, and they would realize that the era of relying on high-tech weapons to run amok on the battlefield was over, because the opponent would gradually master the same high-tech weapons as them. (To be continued......)

!