Long live Joachim

Chapter 195: Parachute Volcanic Island When the Allied forces suddenly launched a landing attack, there were only 872 American and British troops stationed on Kerwu Island, including 84 non combatants and 220 anti-aircraft gunners lacking close combat capabilities. The actual land forces were not as strong as an ordinary infantry battalion, and the more complete formations were mainly a US infantry company and a Canadian infantry company. The former was stationed in an open area and was bombed by the Allied naval and air forces at the beginning of the battle, with the main fighting force resisting the attack becoming Canadians. In the last major war, Britain was on the brink of invasion. As one of the Commonwealth countries, Canada was duty bound to send troops to participate in the war. Over 200000 Canadian troops were sent to Europe, and more than 30000 Canadian soldiers were killed or captured on the battlefields of France and Ireland. Nearly 10000 people were permanently disabled due to injuries. For Canada, which has a total population of over 7 million, such losses are already quite heavy. However, when another war disaster struck, thousands of Canadian adult men resolutely bid farewell to their families, walked into conscription stations with enthusiasm, received rigorous military training, and then lined up to board the ship, heading towards the battlefield full of hardships and deadly threats The outline of Corvo Island finally appeared in front of the line of sight, as Irish Air Force Private Steve Queff leaned against the trembling cabin wall and took a few deep breaths. This airborne operation was additionally equipped with inflatable life jackets. Even if one unfortunately falls into the water during the parachute descent, as long as they remain calm in the face of danger and strictly follow the procedures, the possibility of drowning should be very low. However, there are various threats on the battlefield besides accidental drowning. My partner Ten, who joined the airborne troops with me at the beginning, has gone three or four. After this battle, how many people will stay in a foreign land forever? Soon, the red light next to the cabin door lit up, and the sergeant in charge stood up and said, "Boys, get ready and parachute in five minutes As soon as the words fell, the paratroopers began to conduct a final inspection of the equipment they carried with them, confirming that all the buckles with different purposes were in the correct positions. Later, some people closed their eyes and waited, some were muttering words, and some were staring intently outside the machine window. At this moment, Korwu was like an active volcanic island, with thick smoke mixed with flames spewing out from the foot of the volcano rather than the crater. On the east and south sides of the island, there are more than ten warships docked at the coast, and multiple warships are cruising in the nearby areas. After a moment, the red light next to the cabin door flashed twice and went out, while the green light below lit up. The last thirty seconds! "The sergeant in charge shouted out the command loudly. The paratroopers immediately stood up from their positions, hooked the drawstring hooks onto the parachute rope, and then everyone without exception kissed their clover armbands - it was not only a symbol of victory and glory, but also a spiritual sustenance of luck. Half a minute passed by in a flash, and the sergeant in charge forcefully opened the cabin door. A strong airflow instantly rushed in, and the dull and warm atmosphere in the cabin was instantly swept away by the fresh air that cleared the eyes and awakened the mind. The sergeant in charge glanced outside the cabin door and immediately shouted, "Let's go These 12 paratroopers are like a ripe bunch of grapes, swaying their stems slightly before falling one after another. Clear weather, low clouds, northeast wind, wind speeds of two to three levels, this is a suitable weather for paratroopers. Before the paratroopers board and depart, the command center will provide them with important information such as the weather conditions of the target location and the enemy's deployment. However, this intelligence may not always match the actual situation. Weather changes, enemy adjustments to deployment, or other accidental factors may bring variables to the airborne operation. The wind direction and speed in the target area are difficult to intuitively feel on an airplane. After jumping out of the cabin, experienced paratroopers can make judgments based on the relative displacement of the reference object below. The wind direction is stable, the wind speed is low, and more importantly, there is no terrifying anti-aircraft fire on the island, which makes Steve feel a lot at ease. During the descent, this young but experienced paratrooper did not close his eyes as he did during his first parachute jump. Instead, he observed the situation below while estimating his landing location. Compared to the R-type rapid parachute favored by the German army, the T-type parachute selected by the Irish Airborne Forces has better operability. Paratroopers can change the direction of landing by dragging four connecting belts - elite members of the Royal Guard can even accurately land in areas large or small on rooftops. The bowl shaped volcanic peak of Corvus Island is located in the northwest corner, with an area of about three square kilometers. The combat goal of the Irish paratroopers is to seize the high ground, attack enemy defenses from the rear, and cooperate with landing forces to quickly capture the entire island. The planned landing location for the company where Steve is located is at the southern end of the volcano. Due to the steep and difficult inner slope of the volcano, the best landing location is the outer edge of the volcano. Therefore, Steve carefully adjusted the direction and gradually landed on the slope that he had seen many times in the photo. Without soldiers, trenches, or any ground buildings, this barren slope seems to be a landing site prepared for Irish paratroopers. Dozens of paratroopers fell to the ground without obstruction. Just as they were about to tighten their feet and receive the buffering force of the ground, a series of bullets swept in, and the whistling sound made the paratroopers sweat profusely on their backs! Following the direction of the bullets flying, Steve suddenly discovered that the small hill spewing flames was actually an inconspicuous one. Clever camouflage enabled it to successfully avoid the shelling and bombing ahead. The Irish paratroopers were suspended in the air, like pieces of meat hanging from hooks. They were at the mercy of others, and only by landing as soon as possible could they find a way to eliminate the immediate crisis. The primary consideration for the German army's choice of R-type parachutes was to reduce the paratroopers' hovering time, which not only reduced the risk but also suppressed the enemy's reaction time. During the final landing distance, Steve was mentally prepared to be surrounded by bullets at any time. Fortunately, the enemy only had one or two machine guns, and the position was slightly farther away, making it difficult to aim. Most paratroopers landed safely on the ground. The moment to land finally arrived, and Steve fell backwards, absorbing most of the cushioning with his hips and backpack. At this moment, a strong wind blew from the west, and the newly opened parachute dragged Steve for several meters on the bumpy and uneven ground, making his buttocks ache. It was so easy to break free from the constraints of the parachute bag that Steve turned around and crawled, observing his surroundings while taking out his rifle from the crash bag. Damn it, it seems like a Vickers 20 is firing at us! "Someone shouted. The Allied camp referred to the British Vickers light tank as the Vickers 20, as this tank was first publicly unveiled in 1920. In front of the main tanks of Germany and Ireland, these six ton tanks equipped only with machine guns were like toys, but they ultimately belonged to armored combat vehicles and had an advantage over troops lacking heavy weapon support. Damn it, how did this guy get up here? "Steve muttered to himself. After a moment of thought, the size of that hill was about the same as the rotating turret of the Vickers 20, and it was really possible that it was an enemy tank covered in camouflage. The standard configuration of the Irish Airborne Force includes steel core bullets and anti tank grenades, which are theoretically sufficient to deal with general armored targets, but the actual combat situation is vastly different. A light tank that is protected by infantry or placed in special cover is very difficult to deal with. However, once paratroopers encounter enemy tanks on the battlefield, the most rational choice is to actively retreat or defend for reinforcements. The enemy's machine guns creaked, and the flying bullets pressed the Irish paratroopers firmly onto this slope. Then, a loud bang was heard, and a small caliber shell burst through the air, causing a huge cloud of smoke and dust in the center of the slope. That's not the Vickers 20, it's a tank turret installed on concrete fortifications, a 'masterpiece' left by the German army. They didn't actually blow it up before surrendering! "Another voice shouted. Just as the person was speaking, the enemy machine gun fired several more bullets, but these bullets did not fly over the paratroopers' scalp like before, but rather flew up with a whoosh. Steve looked up and saw a spectacular scene of white umbrella flowers everywhere. At least twenty or thirty paratroopers were drifting towards this direction, and machine gun bullets with tracer bullets were flying diagonally upwards at an angle of about 30 degrees from the ground - turret machine guns were limited by pitch angle and could not be used as anti-aircraft machine guns, let alone who could have predicted that Allied forces would carry out airborne operations on such a volcanic island? Lieutenant Angus! Has anyone seen Lieutenant Angus? "The sergeant in front hurriedly shouted. The lieutenant is here! "Someone immediately replied," He's been shot, and we're stopping his bleeding Given the current situation, this is definitely very bad news. After a moment, the voice just shouted, "Sergeant Teng, Lieutenant Angus authorizes you to command the battle The sergeant in front took over the battle without hesitation and loudly asked, "Where are our mortars? Where are our mortars Someone immediately responded to him, 'The mortar crew is all in place, but there are no mortars. We have to find a way to avoid the enemy's machine guns and find the weapon bag! Can we call for naval gun support?' The acting commander immediately rejected the suggestion: "No! This place is too far from the coast, and the naval guns may send us up into the sky together! We need to push forward and see if we can solve this big problem with submachine guns and grenades. The third platoon will shoot in place to distract the enemy's attention; the fourth platoon, 1st and 2nd squads, will flank from the south; the fourth platoon, 3rd and 4th squads, will flank from the north. Whoever approaches the target first will launch the attack! Execute immediately Despite the possibility of being hit by incoming bullets upon standing up, the paratroopers bravely took action. One team advanced southwards in a low-lying area, while the other quickly advanced northwards towards the top of the volcano. The remaining paratroopers searched for shooting positions on the slope, trying to suppress enemy fire with rifles and light machine guns. However, ordinary bullets and steel core bullets were unable to cause damage to distant fortifications. As time passed, more and more paratroopers landed on and around the slope, but due to the enemy's firepower, each unit was unable to deploy and achieve the predetermined combat objectives, and the situation was not optimistic. A few minutes later, a small group of paratroopers circling from the north gradually approached the enemy's fortifications. As they were about to launch an attack, two grenades were suddenly thrown out of a bunker next to the tank turret. There were only two loud roars, and several paratroopers immediately collapsed in a pool of blood. Paratrooper Steve was in a formation circling south when he saw a cloud of smoke rising from afar. He thought it was another group of companions who had succeeded, but the strange sound of machine guns rang out again, and everyone involuntarily quickened their pace. Although the paratroopers flanking from the north were unable to complete their mission, they at least diverted the enemy's attention, allowing the group of paratroopers flanking from the south to easily maneuver to the rear of the enemy's defensive fortifications. Not long after, two Ju-30 tactical bombers whizzed past from the air, intimidated by the destructive power of aerial bombs. The enemy's firepower temporarily stopped shooting. Steve and his companions took advantage of the situation and first concentrated on throwing grenades at the enemy's cover, then rushed into the cover, using pistols and submachine guns to clear the enemy soldiers inside. The intense battle lasted for about two minutes, and the sound of gunshots and explosions stopped completely. Then someone waved a new good stick that sprayed green flames to tell their companions outside that the enemy here had been eliminated.