diskusbooks Chapter 244 Full Deck Attack!
Chapter 244 Full Deck Attack!
"Black 24, check the radio."
"This is number 24. Check the radio. One, two, three, one, two, three."
“I heard you perfectly, number 24,”
The pilot pulled up his oxygen mask. The sun's rays shone on the sea, creating golden ripples. The wind on the deck ruffled people's hats and clothes. The entire deck of the Essex-class was covered with SBD-4 bombers, which were taking off into the blue sky one after another.
The radio channel kept buzzing with sounds; flight control was testing the radio. Meanwhile, the radar operator watched the dots on the screen—all friendly aircraft.
"Black 24! Ready for takeoff!"
Finally, it was the plane's turn. The wheel chocks were removed, the pilot pulled the stick and revved the engine, the propeller roared, the pilot's heart pounded, and he let out a long breath.
He had practiced countless times before this brief moment, but no matter how many times he practiced, no one could predict what the actual battle would be like.
The fleet did not encounter any enemy forces. Fortunately, this was the easiest flight mission. He thought to himself, the pilot remembered what the leader had said. The leader told him that the president of America, the great one who had given them everything they had today, was watching over each and every one of them, right on this huge, incredible warship.
No one can question Amelansi's industrial creations! No one can question the great things Her Excellency created, for it was she who dragged the demons out of the barbaric and chaotic era and bestowed upon them reason!
In this seemingly peaceful society, it wasn't just a handful of people who regarded that blood-and-white figure as their god. The pilot tucked the pendant around her neck into her clothes; the small, round badge featured a relief of a steam hammer surrounded by bat wings, representing her, Alice Delalaye, the creator of all industrial civilization, the god of these people.
"Roger that!"
They firmly believed this would bring them good fortune and guide them to Industrial Elysium after death, where they would forever enjoy ever-evolving industrial products. In Industrial Elysium, these loyal warriors were taken to unprecedented heights by seventy-two aircraft and granted the scientific truths they craved.
The demon race originally had no fixed beliefs. In the eyes of most demons, whoever was stronger was their faith. However, as time passed, most of the demons' beliefs before the establishment of the Republic had long since disappeared with the dead.
If there is no faith, then create your own. This is the way it is for the demons. After Alice led them to reclaim their land and establish their own country, she and the industrial civilization she created became their faith.
The pilot retrieved his lucky charm, gripped the lever tightly, and pushed it. The metal engine and pistons rubbed together, producing an industrial noise, while the sounds from the radio channel, like intertwined sacred chants, surrounded him.
"Full deck attack! Repeat! Full deck attack! All formations, proceed according to the predetermined strike plan! Icon destruction operation commence! Repeat! Icon destruction operation commence!"
The radio crackled with voices as metallic birds soared a thousand meters above the clouds and swirling air currents, at an altitude controlled by the Amerlane Naval Air Force.
The F4U fighters that had taken off earlier swooped down on the Church's military formation thousands of meters ahead of the SBD-4 bomber group. The combat teams from JTAC were scattered among the squads of the Roman Restoration Army. These reconnaissance teams, in coordination with reconnaissance aircraft, sent several strike coordinates to the Allied command on the Essex-class. Bridges, supply depots, transit points, armories, artillery positions, and all the logistical targets heavily defended by the Holy Army's northern group were on their strike list.
"VF-1A1 reporting: We have reached target ATC3, detected enemy targets, and request engagement."
A deafening roar echoed through the sky, and people on the ground looked up. The Roman Restoration Army soldiers were almost exhausted. The Holy Army was less than ten kilometers away from Naples. Deserters and routs were everywhere. In the eyes of the Church, the rebellion in Naples was nearing its end. Some bishops even began to command their own faction's army to forcefully advance towards Naples, attempting to seize the honor of being the first to fall to the city.
"What's that sound? Cannon fire?"
"Shut up, the Holy Army is coming! Open fire!"
Artillery fire raged across the battlefield. The peninsula's forests offered no protection against the steel shells and bullets. A soldier saw masked warriors carrying several strange boxes, and one of them was speaking to one of the boxes.
"There are too many of them!"
In the distance, the Holy Army, marching in sparse lines, was rushing forward. For most of the cultivators and officers in the Holy Army system, the soldiers of the Holy Army at this moment were not much different from before. Unlike Amelanxi, who had used skirmish lines and squad tactics early on, breech-loading rifles and muzzle-loading cannons still dominated the Holy Army. And at this moment, the Holy Army soldiers holding breech-loading rifles were no different from their predecessors.
However, such tactics were still difficult for the Roman People's Army to deal with head-on. The city of Naples could not supply them with weapons and ammunition. The only channel that could transport weapons and ammunition to them was the so-called "Roman Overseas Aid Foundation," which was actually a shell of the Emiliansi secret intelligence agency. Apart from simple repairs, the Roman People's Army did not have the ability to manufacture weapons.
The city of Napoli could only support a limited number of troops. An army of 20,000 to 30,000 exceeded the city's capacity, but it was still a drop in the ocean compared to the Holy Army, which could easily number 100,000.
Churches throughout the peninsula mobilized to fight them.
But they were not alone.
"Target spotted, squadron, follow me!"
The VF-1A1, also the squadron leader of the VF-1 fighter squadron, pushed the stick, and the aircraft immediately entered a dive. The F4U fighter can carry rockets or bombs, and most of the aircraft carry six rockets. The six .50 caliber engines on the wings provide them with fierce ground attack firepower.
The sky was exceptionally clear, providing excellent observation conditions for the pilots and a wide field of vision for those on the ground looking upwards. Some members of the Holy Army looked up and immediately saw the magnificent sight in the sky.
"Soldiers, let our motherland be proud of us!"
The leader's cheers echoed over the radio. He pressed the button with his thumb, pulled the trigger, and the steel birds in the sky immediately unleashed terrifying firepower towards the ground.
M3 aircraft machine guns kicked up blood-red smoke on the ground, large-caliber bullets snapped rifles, armor, and human bodies, tearing the line of soldiers to shreds, and aerial rockets exploded in the infantry artillery positions, ripping apart the entire artillery battalion.
Hell is unfolding at this moment.