Defending city by city, using city fortifications and fortresses to gradually consume the opponent's effective strength. This combat plan was very effective when used on the Paraguay battlefield more than ten years ago, but when Mitre moved this defense model to the battle with the Han Dynasty,
In war, it is inevitable to suffer major setbacks.
On the morning of March 16, after a day of repairs, Luo Linshan commanded the troops of the First Division, and under the cover of more than 50 artillery pieces, took the lead in launching an attack on the Corinste position.
Corinste was a key defense position for the Santa Fe defenders. Facing the onslaught of the National Defense Forces at all costs, Delgado mobilized troops for reinforcements and ordered the artillery units on the tower to fully support the defenders and concentrate their firepower on the attacking Han.
force.
"Click, click, click", several old-fashioned Gatling machine guns sprayed bullets rapidly, shooting more than a dozen rapidly charging Wehrmacht soldiers to the ground.
"Ready mortar, cover forward with shield!"
A mid-level officer who led the attack hid behind a steel shield and issued orders to the mortar crews in the rear.
"One group, two groups, and three groups take turns to cover the advance and shoot out the machine guns in front of me!"
"Yes, sir!"
After receiving the order, the three mortar groups lowered their bodies and crawled behind the soldiers holding shields. Then, under the cover of the shields, they approached the Argentinian machine gun position step by step.
"Da da da..." Noticing the actions of the National Defense Forces, a row of bullets was fired in the direction of the mortar team.
"Bang bang bang..." The bullet made a dull sound when it hit the shield. However, after the shooting, the bullet did not penetrate the shield, but only left shallow craters on it.
Early Gatling guns had limited penetration capabilities. Facing ordinary iron shields, Gatling guns could still pose a certain degree of threat. However, the shields equipped by the Wehrmacht offensive troops were forged from the latest special steel.
The impact resistance is much higher than that of ordinary shields. Therefore, when the Gatling gun used by the Argentinians to defend their positions faces the new shield, it cannot cause effective damage to the soldiers behind the shield.
After dodging a round of Gatling gun fire, the stopped mortar team slowly moved forward again, gradually shortening the distance to the opponent's position.
"Idiot, aim at the right front and shoot, don't let them get close to the position!"
The Argentine officer who was taking command before the battle kicked the machine gunner beside him and said angrily.
"Sir, the enemy's shields are too strong and our machine guns cannot penetrate their shields."
The gunner sat half-sitting on the ground and answered carefully.
"If the machine gun can't penetrate, use cannon. Go! Report to General Delgado and ask for artillery support!"
"As you command, sir!"
The gunner stood up, did not bother to pick up the military cap that fell on the ground, and quickly ran to the rear.
"You, you, you, the three of you take his place and block the right front of the position for me, so that the enemy can't take another step forward!"
The Argentine officer casually pointed out three soldiers and was about to further direct the troops' defense when a mortar shell landed in an arc outside the Gatling gun position.
"Boom", the muddy water caused by the explosion of the shell splashed on the Argentine officer, but it did not cause fatal injuries to him.
The first artillery shell was a test firing before the official launch. After observing the landing position of the artillery shell from behind the shield, the three mortar teams conducted another round of firing under the command of their respective artillery team leaders, "咻咻咻
"The unique sound of mortar launches, accompanied by the sound of shells contacting the air, reached the ears of the Argentine officer. He looked up at the three shells shooting down diagonally. The Argentine officer had no time to dodge, so he followed an acceleration shot beside him.
The Tling guns were scrapped together.
The cost of producing manganese steel is relatively high. After the Argentine War broke out, the National Defense Forces only purchased a total of 70 tempered shields. However, only 70 tempered shields played an important role in the capture of the Corinste position.
Relying on the strong defensive performance of the steel shield, the assault force successfully captured the Gatling machine gun position. Then at 11 noon, the First Division troops followed the gap left by the capture of the machine gun position and broke through the two lines of defense that Argentina hastily set up.
, and then pursued along the defeated route of the Argentine troops all the way to the river bank behind the Corinste position.
During the battle on the morning of the 16th, the Corinste position was completely lost. Except for the more than 600 Argentine troops who were guarding the position who fled back to the city, most of the remaining 2,000 soldiers were prisoners.
With the Corinste position lost, the only obstacle left in front of Santa Fe was the Paraná River.
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, taking advantage of the morale accumulated from the victory in the morning, six gunboats of the Inland River Fleet entered the Santa Fe section of the Paraná River, and then used the 155mm heavy artillery mounted on the gunboats to bombard the city of Santa Fe along the river.
The position of Corinste changed hands, and the river fleet of the National Defense Forces entered the Santa Fe section of the Paraná River. Two unfortunate news came one after another. Delgado panicked and ordered the city's defenders to come out of the city to block the attack, and tried to regain control of the National Defense Forces.
Regain control of the Corinste position and the Santa Fe section of the river.
However, the water power of Santa Fe City was far from being a match for the inland fleet. As soon as more than seven or eight old and dilapidated gunboats left the port of Santa Fe, they all sank into the water under the fierce bombardment of the inland fleet.
The water force in Santa Fe was completely wiped out, and the fate of the Argentine forces that attacked to compete for the Corinste position was not much better.
Delgar personally led nearly half of the military forces in the city to attack the Corinste position. As a result, under the tenacious counterattack of the First Division, after two hours of fierce fighting, only more than 4,000 Argentine troops, or about 1,700 soldiers, returned to the city.
It was again consumed on the Corinsteian position.
All counterattacks on water and land failed, which meant that Delgar lost the last chance to defend the city of Santa Fe. At 6 o'clock that night, as soon as he understood that the situation in Santa Fe City was irreversible, Argentine President Mitre immediately gave Delgar a warning.
Gal sent a telegram ordering him to lead the remaining troops to quickly withdraw from the city of Santa Fe. By the time Mitre issued this order, it was already too late. Counting from the time when Del Gal failed to compete for the Corinste position, the National Defense Forces surrounded Santa Fe.
The city launched a full-scale attack, and the battle lasted until five o'clock in the afternoon. The water gate of Santa Fe City was breached. The inland river fleet carried a group of soldiers from the water gate into the city of Santa Fe. By six o'clock, all three gates of Santa Fe City were lost, and Delgar
and the remaining soldiers could only huddle in the small fortress in the city and deal with the National Defense Forces.
After reading the telegram translated by the communications officer, Delgar sat in despair on his chair, his right hand touching the pistol at his waist and trembling.
"Guzman, order the troops to surrender. The Han troops have surrounded this place. It is impossible for us to break out."
"General, hold on for a little longer. In a few minutes we will be able to open a gap and cover the general's breakout!"
Guzman couldn't bear to look at the other party's desperate expression and comforted him.
"Forget it, holding on to the defense will only increase casualties. I don't want other soldiers to die because of my mistake. Guzman, I give you an order for the last time in the name of your commander, give up resistance and surrender to the Han army.
!”
"Yes, General!"
Gritting his teeth, Guzman turned around and walked out of the fortress. Just when he arrived outside the fortress and formally handed over his weapons and surrendered, he heard a gunshot from inside the fortress.
A tear flowed from Guzman's eyes, and he understood that Delgar made his own choice and completed the last part of his life in a military manner.
