Chapter 218: Breaking the Counterattack

Chapter 218: Breaking the Counterattack

The next northern attack reached the goblin positions before the wounded from the previous fight had all been moved to the rear.

One Astragoth group advanced toward the center while two more moved toward the left. The tanks opened fire while the enemy was still far enough.

Conventional artillery targeted the groups behind them and forced some Astragoths to change direction, but none of the three groups stopped advancing.

The center of the northern front stayed inside its current position. The officer there did not send anyone forward because another group was already following the first. Both machine guns waited until the leading Astragoths came into range, then opened fire together. Several creatures fell, but the rest continued toward the center.

The center officer contacted the northern commander. "The first group is still coming. The machine guns are hitting them, but the second group is getting close behind them. If the first group reaches us before we thin it out, we may end up fighting both groups at the same time."

"Keep the machine guns on the first group," the commander replied. "As soon as those Astragoths get close to your soldiers, shift the tank onto the second group. I want the tank slowing the next attack while your men finish the one already in front."

"That should keep the two groups apart. I’ll hold the RPG teams back until someone gets through."

The tank fired one more shell at the leading Astragoths, then changed targets. The machine guns continued firing at the first group. Several creatures still reached the front and forced the goblin soldiers into close fighting.

Most of the Astragoths reached the left side of the center position. The officer moved one RPG team toward that side while keeping another behind the middle. One Astragoth killed several soldiers before concentrated fire brought it down. The remaining creatures were killed soon after, but the center had already taken more casualties.

Before the soldiers could fully reorganize, the second group entered machine-gun range. Both crews turned their attention forward again while the tank began firing at another enemy group farther behind.

The northern left was under heavier pressure. One Astragoth group advanced directly toward the front, while another approached the outside position. The two machine guns fired at separate targets. The gun at the front covered the direct approach, while the outer gun fired on the group moving toward the left side.

The left officer kept his replacement soldiers behind the main position while both sides still had enough men. Once the Astragoths came closer, he contacted the commander.

"Both groups are committed now. I still have replacements behind me, but I don’t want to send all of them to one side before I am certain on what the losses will be."

"Keep part of them behind the middle," the commander said. "If the outside starts losing men, send soldiers there. If the front takes more casualties, use them there instead. Another fresh group is coming north, but it will not arrive before these Astragoths reach you."

"I’ll keep the reserve together until one side actually needs it. That gives me enough men to respond to either attack."

The outside Astragoths reached the machine-gun position first. Several were killed before reaching the weapon, but the survivors closed with the soldiers protecting the crew. The goblins stopped them, though men around the outside position were killed during the fight.

The left officer sent part of the replacement group to the outside. Moments later, the Astragoths attacking from the front reached the main position. The remaining replacements stayed behind the front until casualties appeared there as well.

RPG teams moved closer and fired at creatures that had passed the machine guns. The soldiers concentrated their fire on those already inside the position. The front and outside positions remained under goblin control, but the left formation lost more men before the two attacking groups were destroyed.

East came under another attack while the fighting in the north continued. Two Astragoth groups advanced toward the eastern center, while another moved toward the right from farther east.

The right-side machine gun opened fire first. A tank behind the formation fired at the same group while the Astragoths were still well ahead of the soldiers. Once the creatures came closer, the tank shifted to a group farther back and left the nearest attackers to the machine gun and soldiers.

Several Astragoths reached the right position. One struck the soldiers around the machine gun before nearby goblins killed it. Another reached the edge of the firing position and was hit by an RPG.

The right officer checked the men around the gun before contacting the eastern commander.

"I lost more soldiers around the machine gun. The weapon still works, but I don’t have enough men here to help the center. If I move anyone away, the outside becomes too weak."

"Keep everyone on the right," the eastern commander replied. "The center is already handling its own attack. I have fresh soldiers coming to you now. Use them to rebuild the group around the gun."

"That will be enough. I can hold the position until they arrive."

The eastern center stopped most of its attackers before they reached the soldiers, but several Astragoths still entered the position. The goblins killed them with small-arms fire and RPGs. The center held, although the officer there had already used part of the soldiers kept behind the line and could not send anyone toward the right.

Reports from north and east continued reaching Noah while both directions were still fighting. The field commander reviewed the latest messages. North had taken the heavier losses. The center and left both needed more soldiers. East could still hold, but the right was using ammunition quickly and had already committed most of its available replacements.

"Send the next fresh group north," Noah said. "The group after that goes east. Keep the remaining soldiers behind the front until one of the commanders reports losses that need to be filled."

"I’ll keep ammunition moving to both directions," the field commander said. "North is asking for machine-gun belts and RPG rounds. East needs the same, especially on the right."

"Send what they need. There is no point keeping ammunition in the rear while those positions are fighting."

The orders went out while the battle continued.

Farther north, the Astragoth movement began to change. Earlier groups had approached with open ground between them, but several groups heading toward the center were now using the same route. Another group joined them from farther back. As they moved forward, the distance between the groups became smaller.

The northern observers watched until several groups were inside the same artillery target area. The artillery officer sent the report to field command.

"Several groups behind the center of the northern front have moved close together. They are still behind the Astragoths already fighting, and our nearest soldiers are well in front of them. We can hit the area without putting our own men at risk."

The field commander checked the reported position before speaking to Noah.

"The target is clear. There are enough Astragoths together for the rockets to be worth using."

Noah looked at the marked position. "Fire on that concentration. Keep the conventional artillery on the groups closer to the front. I don’t want both weapons firing at the same target."

The rocket artillery fired.

The salvo landed among the gathered Astragoths. Several explosions struck the area before the creatures could spread out again. Many were killed, while the survivors moved away from the impact points.

The observers continued watching after the explosions ended. One group had lost most of its members. Another had broken apart, with survivors moving north and west instead of continuing toward the goblin center. A smaller group on the edge of the strike area was still moving forward, but it had far fewer Astragoths than before.

The northern commander adjusted his orders after receiving the report.

"Keep the tanks on the groups still coming toward us. Use conventional artillery on anything farther back that starts gathering again. The rocket crews stay ready, but they do not fire unless another large group forms."

The center of the northern front still had to fight the Astragoths already inside machine-gun range, but fewer enemies followed behind them. The center officer replaced soldiers lost around the left side and kept both machine guns firing.

On the northern left, the outer machine gun continued firing at scattered Astragoths. The officer no longer saw another large group coming directly behind the attackers already near his position. He used the reduced pressure to move ammunition forward and replace several soldiers around the outside gun.

East reported a similar development soon after.

Several Astragoth groups behind the eastern center began moving through the same approach. The distance between them decreased as they continued forward. The eastern observer waited until several groups were close enough to fit inside one target area before reporting it.

"Several groups are moving together behind the center. They are still far from our soldiers, and there is clear ground between them and the front. If they keep moving this way, they will reach the center close together."

The eastern commander sent the position to field command. The field commander checked it against the goblin positions before looking at Noah.

"The target is safe. None of our soldiers are close to it."

"Fire before those groups get any closer," Noah said. "The center will deal with the Astragoths already in front. The rockets hit the ones behind them."

The second rocket salvo landed behind the eastern fighting. The explosions killed many Astragoths before they reached machine-gun range. The survivors moved apart and no longer approached the center as one large group.

The eastern center continued fighting the Astragoths already near the line. With fewer enemies coming behind them, the commander moved wounded soldiers away from the front and brought ammunition forward.

The right received fresh soldiers around the machine gun, while part of the replacement group remained behind the center. The machine gun had lost several crewmen during the fighting, so replacement soldiers operated it until experienced crewmen could be sent forward.

The eastern commander contacted field command after the right position had been restored.

"The right is covered again. We still need more ammunition, but the groups that were coming behind this attack were hit by the rockets. I don’t see another large group moving toward the right at the moment."

The field commander passed the report to Noah. North had reported the same result. The rocket strikes had reduced the number of fresh Astragoths reaching both fronts.

The remaining enemy groups were spreading out again. Some moved sideways from the rocket impact areas, while others continued toward the goblin positions in smaller groups.

The field commander checked the latest artillery reports. "The remaining groups are separated again. The rocket crews are ready, but there is no target large enough to justify another salvo."

"Keep them ready," Noah said. "Use tanks and conventional artillery on the smaller groups. We use rockets again only if several groups gather close together."

North continued fighting after the rocket strike. The center killed the last Astragoths that had reached the soldiers and turned its machine guns toward the next smaller group. The left cleared the remaining creatures near the outside position and replaced the men lost around the machine gun.

Once the immediate attack weakened, the northern commander contacted field command.

"The center and left are both secure. There are still Astragoths ahead of us, but fewer are coming behind them. I need more soldiers and ammunition before these formations can move again."

"Do not move," the field commander replied. "Rebuild your positions first. Fresh soldiers and ammunition are already on the way."

East reported almost the same condition. The center and right still had scattered Astragoths ahead, but the larger groups behind them had been broken before they could reach the front.

As the fighting slowed, the casualty reports became clearer. North had suffered the most losses. Several groups needed replacement soldiers, and more than one machine-gun crew needed new members. East had also lost many soldiers on the right, and its RPG teams had used much of their ammunition during the close fighting.

The field commander summarized the situation for Noah.

"North can still defend, but it does not have enough fresh soldiers for another advance. East is in better condition, but the right also needs more men and ammunition before it can move."

"Then nobody advances," Noah said. "Use the fresh arrivals to replace losses. We can think about moving again after north and east can hold their positions without using a new group after every attack."

"I’ll send the new soldiers to the damaged positions first. Any extra groups will stay behind the front."

Fresh soldiers moved toward the center of the northern front and the left. The next arrivals went east. Ammunition followed the same routes, with machine-gun belts, RPG rounds, and small-arms ammunition going to the positions that had used the most.

The northern commander restored both machine-gun positions at the center and replaced soldiers lost around the outside of the left. Any remaining fresh soldiers stayed behind the line. East did the same. The right rebuilt the group around the outer machine gun, while the center replaced its own casualties.

The fighting became less intense, but several Astragoth groups remained visible beyond north and east. Conventional artillery continued firing on confirmed targets, and tanks engaged smaller groups that moved closer. The goblin formations stayed in their captured positions while new soldiers filled the losses from the repeated attacks.

After the next replacements reached the front, the field commander updated Noah.

"North is stable again. East is also holding. Both directions can defend their current positions, but neither has enough fresh strength to attack."

Noah checked the latest reports before answering.

"Then we stay here. Keep ammunition moving forward and keep the rocket artillery ready. If the Astragoths gather again, hit them before they reach the front. Until then, nobody moves forward."

The order reached north and east. Both directions continued replacing losses while machine guns, tanks, and artillery covered the ground ahead. The two rocket strikes had stopped the largest Astragoth groups from reaching the front together, but north and east had lost too many soldiers to begin another advance.