Unlike the thick snow in the mountains of eastern Oregon, around Portland, although there is heavy snow, there is not much snow. Compared to the severe cold in the mountains, the temperature in Portland even seems a bit "pleasant".
However, this pleasant weather is not what the people here are looking forward to. They hope that the temperature will be lower and the snow will be heavier, so that they can block the Ming army's attack.
But they should be lucky. If the weather is really that cold, it may cause some trouble for the Ming army's attack. After all, the frozen Willamette River and Columbia River are more conducive to the Ming army's attack.
On January 11th, the 27th year of Shengde, the smoke that filled the outside of Portland was blown away by the cold wind. On the western perimeter of Portland, half of the heads of some American soldiers would emerge from the trenches from time to time.
Looking at the open area ahead, there are many tree stumps scattered in the snow. Many huge tree stumps are at least one meter in diameter. Because of the rapid construction of the city, many tree stumps left after felling trees outside the city have no time to be cleared, and the surrounding areas of the city are covered with
The tree stumps made Portland known as "Tree Stump City".
Now, the tree stumps have become the fortifications of the defenders - they nailed barbed wire to the tree stumps. Although the barbed wire stretched based on the tree stumps is only more than one foot high, it is enough to block the Ming army's infantry attack. In the past half month,
, relying on barbed wire and trenches, they repelled the Ming army's attacks time and time again.
"It's a pity that we have too few machine guns!"
Neil, lying in the trench, stared at the corpses left between the barbed wire fences, and said to himself.
"machine gun."
Lieutenant Kent complained from the side.
"Before the war, they said that machine guns were only effective against Indians. Among civilized countries, they were of no use at all, because cannons would destroy everything. But God can testify that now we have neither enough cannons nor enough weapons.
machine gun."
The theory that machine guns are useless... This view was immediately slapped in the face after the war broke out. Almost all troops were asking for machine guns because they found that the role of machine guns on the battlefield cannot be replaced by any weapon, especially in trench defense.
Not only machine guns, but also cannons. The US military on the front line also needs cannons.
"Haha, if we are given ten more machine guns, I swear to God we can hold this place until the last Mingguo guy is killed."
"That is impossible……"
When Lieutenant Kent finished speaking, Neil saw a green signal flare flying from Mingguo's position, and the signal flare dragged a smoke dragon into the sky.
"Get ready, the Mingguo guys are going to attack!"
When Major Neal gave the order, they did not notice that the woods in the distance were filled with a choking blue-gray smoke screen, and more than thirty white cubes were moving slowly in the woods.
It was noon, and the sun was high in the sky shining on the snow on the ground. Those seemingly harmless blocks gathered into a cluster on the snow.
tank!
The 10th Tank Regiment attacks!
The engines of the 68 tanks made a deafening roar, and they slowly approached the front. Behind the tanks were the accompanying infantry of an infantry regiment. They followed the tanks cautiously, moving slowly.
Amid the roar of tank engines, the American officers and soldiers in the trenches could even feel the earth trembling.
"Who are those guys?"
Looking at the "monsters" slowly approaching, someone in the trench shouted in horror.
But their shouts were immediately suppressed by the whistling sound above their heads, and the whistling sound of artillery shells drowned out other sounds on the ground.
Shelling!
During the fierce shelling, the US military's position was immediately shrouded in artillery fire, and the dust from the explosion rose into the sky. This time the shelling was more violent than ever before.
In the fierce artillery fire, many anti-gunnery bunkers were blown down. Major Neil, who was dizzy by the explosion, did not hide in the bunkers. As an old officer who participated in the Civil War, he was used to being under artillery fire.
However, such fierce artillery fire finally broke his habit and forced him to hide in the bunker.
The fierce artillery fire came and went quickly. When the artillery fire stopped, under Neil's order, and when the soldiers rushed out of the bunker and walked to the edge of the trench to look at the enemies outside, someone suddenly screamed in terror.
.
"Tank! Tank!"
A monster appeared on the battlefield that Kent pointed at, screaming in terror.
"Tank? What is a tank!"
Neil grabbed the frightened officer and shouted loudly.
"Tank? What is a tank?"
Neil, like many officers, was a temporarily mobilized officer. In order to resist the invasion, Portland, which has a population of 100,000, mobilized a total of 30,000 people. However, although there were many soldiers, there was a serious shortage of officers, except for the militia captain.
, people like Neil are "excellent officers" with rich combat experience.
However, Neil, who was still in the age of muzzleloaders... didn't even know what a tank was.
"Tanks, tanks are things we can't hit with guns..."
As his adviser, Kent said with some excitement.
"We're done, we're done..."
He looked at the tanks getting closer and closer, his tone full of despair.
Facing the overcoming tanks, the officers and soldiers in the trenches just fired at the tanks with their rifles regardless of the cost. Whether it was an M1890 rifle or an old lever rifle, their bullets only scratched some paint on the tank.
It cannot stop the tank's advance.
"Cannons can't hit... cannons, cannons..."
With this in mind, Neil quickly picked up the phone and shouted to the other end of the phone.
"I am Major Neal of the 1st Division of the Oregon National Guard. We encountered tanks! I need cannons now. I need you to use cannons to blast them hard and blow them to pieces..."
At this moment, he felt that the earth was shaking more violently, and everything was trembling, even the rats in the trenches were frightened, and everything was scattered in all directions.
Suddenly, he felt that the trench he was leaning against seemed to be collapsing. The hard frozen soil suddenly collapsed. His eyes looked outside again. At this moment, his whole body was stunned.
"monster!"
People's screams and shouts of terror came from the trenches. They were obviously frightened. The tanks did not rush through the trenches, but kept squeezing back and forth on the parapets in front of the trenches, using their tracks to move the parapets.
The frozen soil was pushed into the trench, and many people who were so frightened that they lay on the edge of the trench and dared not move were buried alive underneath.
The scene in front of him made Neil's lips tremble. He muttered a few incoherent words.
"Damn it, he, they are going to bury us all alive here..."
(End of chapter)
This chapter has been completed!