Chapter 88 Attack and Defense 2, The Arrival of Hope
As time continues to pass, the offensive and defensive battle on the ground in Ophelia No. 7 world is still going on in full swing.
After receiving direct fire support from heavy armored units and a large number of rebels as servants, the rebel Astartes relied on the help of orbital bombardment to advance towards the defenders of the City of Divine Grace.
The defense line was forced to shrink under heavy pressure, and a large number of small and medium-sized fortifications were destroyed under direct fire from heavy artillery.
The war once extended to the edge of the City of Divine Grace, and the empire's soldiers had no way to retreat.
It wasn't until the Imperial Fist squad threatened the enemy's rear from the flanks that the defense forces pushed the enemy's offensive out of the city again in a desperate battle.
In this several-hour battle, the defenders relied on the permanent fortifications around the Holy City and used these fortifications and the dense underground passages and corridors to inflict heavy losses on the enemy.
At least five regiment-level units were seriously injured, and three complete Astral Legions were completely destroyed, losing the value of reconstruction;
At least 40 Leman Russ tanks and three times that number of Chimera tanks were destroyed during the advance.
Even the Alphas, who were the core force in the battle, paid the price of half a company's casualties and at least one relic-level flying blade heavy tank being completely destroyed.
But Hornthorne did not feel relaxed. Because shortly after the battle, the enemy, who felt the sluggishness of the war, once again opened a new battlefield on the other side of the Holy City under the pressure of time.
There was no choice. With the two Astartes companies, the Imperial Fists and the Ultramarines, being pinned down, in order to withstand the tyrannical combat power of the enemy Astartes, the Battle Sisters stepped onto the front lines of the war without hesitation. But they are different from the Astartes after all.
The one-word difference between a paramilitary organization and a military organization represents a comprehensive gap in daily training subjects, tactical literacy, assembly tendencies, and the goals from the beginning of the establishment.
This difference makes these Battle Sisters who are accustomed to battlefield environments such as special operations and security pursuits. Their proud light equipment and small team combat mode pale in comparison to the Astartes Chapter on the Empire's side. Not to mention the Alphas who have not been "baptized by the Holy Code" and have completely retained the legion combat model since the Great Crusade era.
In a sense, these ghosts left over from the Legions of the Great Crusade era have a more complete war organization than the Imperial Astartes when they can unite.
This is destined to be an unfair battle, but war itself is never fair.
The proud battle nuns discovered their unprecedented desire for heavy equipment during this close battle with a powerful enemy.
It was also during this battle that they belatedly discovered their own more fatal flaws:
That is, the simple company-level tactical reserves of these Emperor's Daughters, who usually pride themselves on being capable, are so pale and clumsy in front of the truly professional Alphas.
This difference was not obvious in past wars, because most of their mission backgrounds were squad-level special operations;
Even if they occasionally have the opportunity to participate in large-scale battles, the enemies they face and the tasks they are assigned are mostly attacks by mortal rebels and fixed garrison tasks.
And when they are actually put on the battlefield and dance with these war machines built by the emperor himself;
Their shallow tactical literacy and poor tactical reserves were fully understood by the Alphas in the first few rounds of tentative attacks.
This is not to say that the Battle Sisters are too weak.
But in front of these Astartes who react with millisecond-level nerves, their tactical foundations are not at the same level at all;
When faced with the original Mark series power armor, the degraded feedback power armor shows a huge gap in both strength and agility.
The Alphas tacitly began to cut into the Battle Sisters' positions. Under their brutal penetration and precise shooting, the Battle Sisters could not keep up with the enemy's pace.
In the eyes of the Battle Sisters, these Alphas can always move forward safely under the cover of the firepower of their comrades. When the Battle Sisters pointed their weapons at the Alphas who were responsible for covering, the enemies who were originally advancing began to shoot unscrupulously. p>
This does not include the difference in heavy weapons.
When the Battle Sisters aim their most powerful individual melt weapons at the enemy, the enemy's Terminators and Contemptors use their stance shields to block them all;
After watching a high-ranking nun being evaporated together with the rosary beads on her body under the concentrated fire of the plasma weapon.
These battle nuns from the Bloody Rose finally decided to change the status quo on the battlefield.
"We can't go on like this!" The commanders realized the gap between them and decisively launched a suicidal defense.
They no longer try to rely on barriers to defend themselves against damage, but instead set up their positions in layers, leaving no room for them to retreat.
When the enemy arrived at the position they were responsible for, they chose to use all means to delay their progress, and then created opportunities for the sisters in the rear to launch a covering fire strike.
"In the name of the Emperor, fire at me!" This sentence is no longer a slogan, but actually happened in this tragic battle.
When the sisters on the frontline shouted the name of the emperor loudly and rushed towards the enemy with their broken bodies in their arms;
The battle nuns at the rear felt their will and fired bullets filled with hatred and fury at the enemy.
"The Emperor's daughter never sheds tears! Don't you want to see our weakness!"
"The Emperor's daughter can only bleed! Saint Mina and Aspira bear witness to our sacrifice!"
The hot flames on the battlefield bear witness to their purity and inviolability;
The enemy's retreat after paying a heavy price once again forged their will and loyalty.
After the battle reached a fever pitch from the beginning and lasted for a full three hours, it finally ended with the Alphas unwilling to continue losing money and voluntarily withdrawing from the battlefield.
However, the three companies of the Bloody Rose Order, who were the victors in the battle, were buried under the enemy's retaliatory orbital bombing before they even had time to celebrate.
The sisters of Brave Heart immediately took over the defense area here, filling the gap in the position exposed by the death of Bloody Rose. In the next few hours, they once again fought against the regrouped Alphas.
……
Twelve days have passed since the world of Ophelia No. 7 sent out a signal for help. Support forces began to arrive from the entire Storm Star Territory and even the southern territory of the empire.
They were annoyed by the fortified city that could not be conquered for a long time, and the loss of strategic surprise made them feel even more stressed.
However, the Warmaster's orders could not be violated. After trying various methods, they fell into a brief internal chaos due to anxiety and rage.
It was also when the enemy was engaged in a debate about whether to bombard the main city with the fleet's heavy artillery. Deep in the increasingly active wave of the subspace, the fleet from the empire and more forces in the shadows were quietly approaching. p>