Chapter 225: No Time to Dig In

Chapter 225: No Time to Dig In

The soldiers who had withdrawn at the end of the last attack reached the next defensive ground carrying machine guns, rifles, RPGs, and whatever ammunition they had managed to bring with them. Tank crews stopped behind the infantry and turned their guns toward the open ground the Astragoths would have to cross. No one had time to build proper barriers. Some soldiers were still clearing broken stone from the machine-gun firing lanes when observers reported another attack already moving toward them.

The tanks were the first weapons ready. One fired as soon as an armored Astragoth came into view and killed it with a direct hit. The crew began loading another shell while riflemen farther ahead spread around the unfinished firing points. Machine-gun crews were still placing their weapons on stable ground and checking whether anything blocked the barrels.

A second armored Astragoth approached before one machine-gun crew had received enough ammunition for a prolonged fight. The gunner opened fire anyway because the creature was already closing on the position. Riflemen around him targeted the ordinary Astragoths moving beside it while the machine gun concentrated on the larger body.

The armored Astragoth reached the unfinished barrier after taking several bursts. Its tail struck the broken stone in front of the soldiers and scattered part of the cover. A second strike opened a gap wide enough for ordinary Astragoths to enter.

The gunner stopped firing into the opening once goblins and Astragoths were fighting in the same space. The nearby RPG team also held its shot because the armored creature was too close to friendly soldiers. The goblins fired into damaged scales along its side until it fell, but several ordinary Astragoths had already crossed through the gap.

The officer responsible for the firing point saw another attack approaching before the soldiers had finished clearing the first one. He looked at the damaged barrier, then at the machine gun behind it.

"Move the machine gun now. This cover is already broken, and we will not repair it before the next attack reaches us. Set it farther back where the crew can fire again."

The crew tried to lift the weapon, but two ordinary Astragoths reached them before they could carry it away. The crewmen dropped the gun and used their rifles. By the time the attackers were killed, more Astragoths were close enough that several men would have to carry the weapon while the rest defended them.

The crew leader looked at the approaching creatures and made the decision. "Leave the gun. Take the ammunition and your rifles. If four of us are carrying that weapon when they reach us, the others will not have enough fire to cover the move."

The crew withdrew with the nearby soldiers. They carried the machine-gun ammunition that could be moved quickly but left the weapon in the damaged firing point. The officer did not send anyone back for it because the next attack was already close.

The goblins reached another usable stretch of ground and began setting up again. Machine-gun crews looked for places where the weapons could sit level and fire across open ground. Ammunition carriers brought machine-gun ammunition directly to the crews. Riflemen spread around the heavier weapons, and tanks stopped behind them where their guns had clear targets and enough room to move again.

Several soldiers started dragging broken stone toward one machine gun. The officer supervising the position saw that the crew had only a small amount of ammunition beside the weapon and stopped them.

"Leave the stones for now. Bring more machine-gun ammunition here first and clear the debris in front of the barrel. Cover will help, but this gun has to keep firing when the next attack starts."

The soldiers changed tasks. They brought additional ammunition forward and removed the stones blocking the firing lane. The next Astragoth attack reached effective range before anyone returned to improve the cover.

The machine gun opened fire immediately. The crew had little protection, but the weapon was ready and enough ammunition had reached them to continue firing. Riflemen used scattered wreckage and broken stone for cover while they targeted ordinary Astragoths spreading around the armored creature at the front.

An RPG team killed the first armored Astragoth. Another appeared soon after, but the nearest tank was already firing at Astragoths attacking another firing point.

When the second armored creature moved close enough to threaten the machine-gun crew, the gunner shifted his fire onto it.

He kept his bursts on an area where earlier rounds had already damaged the scales. While he was occupied with the armored creature, the riflemen beside him increased their fire against the ordinary Astragoths moving around it. The tank finished its previous target, turned its gun, and killed the armored creature with one shell.

The machine gun immediately returned to the ordinary attackers. By the time the attack ended, the crew had used much of the ammunition beside the weapon. The next delivery had not yet arrived, and another Astragoth attack was already visible.

The crew leader checked the remaining ammunition and leaned toward the gunner. "Use shorter bursts until more ammunition reaches us. Do not fire just because something is moving in the distance. Wait until you have a clear target, then put the rounds into it."

The gunner changed his firing pattern. He stopped sweeping across empty ground and fired only when an Astragoth entered his sights. Riflemen maintained steady fire between those bursts.

Two ammunition carriers arrived before the crew ran out. They placed fresh machine-gun ammunition beside the weapon, then left immediately because other crews were requesting supplies at the same time.

The goblins still had ammunition in storage and in the vehicles farther back. The difficulty was moving enough of it to every weapon after each withdrawal. A machine gun could have plenty of ammunition beside it before the soldiers moved, then arrive at the next firing point with only what the crew and nearby soldiers could carry. The rest had to be brought forward again while the next attack was already approaching.

RPG teams faced the same delay. One team began another fight with only two rockets available because the rest of its ammunition had not reached the position. The gunner used the first rocket against an armored Astragoth protecting several ordinary attackers and kept the second while tanks and machine guns handled the other targets.

He fired the remaining rocket only when another armored Astragoth came close enough to threaten the soldiers directly. The hit killed it, but the team had no rockets left afterward. When another armored creature appeared, a tank had to stop firing at ordinary Astragoths and turn its main gun toward the heavier target.

Artillery support also decreased. Several guns had to be relocated because the fighting had moved too close to their previous firing areas. The crews were moving the artillery pieces, shells, towing vehicles, and supporting equipment while the infantry continued fighting. The guns that remained ready still fired at Astragoths farther from the goblins, but fewer artillery pieces were available at the same time.

That change was immediately felt at the firing line. More Astragoths reached tank and machine-gun range without being hit by artillery first. Tank crews changed targets more often, and RPG teams had to engage armored creatures that would previously have been damaged before reaching the soldiers.

During one attack, a tank fired at an armored Astragoth and then turned toward another approaching threat before anyone could confirm the first creature was dead. The wounded Astragoth kept moving. Riflemen saw that it was still alive and concentrated their fire on the opening made by the tank shell until the creature stopped.

The tank could not stay on the first target because another armored Astragoth was already approaching a different firing point. Its crew loaded another shell and engaged the new threat while the infantry finished the damaged creature behind it.

The goblins held through two more attacks. The third left one firing point too damaged to keep using. An armored Astragoth survived long enough to strike the cover in front of a machine gun and break most of it apart. The gunner fired until the creature came too close for the weapon to be used safely.

The crew lifted the machine gun and carried it to open ground farther back while riflemen continued firing at the wounded Astragoth. The creature died after several rounds struck the damaged scales. The officer in charge did not order the soldiers to rebuild the destroyed firing point. Another attack was approaching, and the machine gun had already been placed where it could fire again.

The repeated movement changed how tank crews operated. They stopped waiting for prepared firing positions. A tank halted wherever its gun had a clear target, fired until the infantry in front began moving again, then shifted with them. Drivers kept open space around the vehicles so they could move without waiting for soldiers to clear abandoned equipment.

RPG teams worked the same way. They stayed close to the infantry, moved to a clear firing angle when an armored Astragoth appeared, fired when needed, then followed the soldiers when the defense moved again.

Machine-gun crews still needed more preparation each time the goblins stopped. The weapon had to sit on stable ground. The crew needed an unobstructed firing lane, enough ammunition close at hand, and riflemen around the position before the next attack arrived. Building better protection came after those tasks.

Several hours passed with the same pressure. The goblins stopped one attack, moved to new ground, placed their weapons, and began fighting again before every position was fully prepared. Some machine guns fired from behind wrecked vehicles or broken walls. Others fired from open ground because the crews had a clear line of fire and no time to build protection around the weapon.

Another ammunition delay nearly left one machine-gun crew unable to maintain enough fire. The weapon began the attack with only a limited amount of ammunition beside it because the carriers were also supplying several other positions.

The gunner used controlled bursts while the riflemen around him increased their own fire. An armored Astragoth kept advancing as the crew’s ammunition dropped. The gunner concentrated on scales already damaged by earlier shots and continued firing until the creature fell before reaching the position.

Ordinary Astragoths were still advancing when fresh ammunition arrived. The carriers placed it beside the machine gun and immediately moved toward another firing point. No one used the short pause to improve the cover because the next attackers were already approaching.

Noah continued receiving reports as the fighting moved from one temporary position to another. The goblins still had tanks, machine guns, RPGs, artillery, and ammunition. The problem was not the complete loss of those resources. The problem was that each move forced the soldiers to place the weapons, ammunition, and men again while the Astragoths were already preparing another attack.

Some positions entered combat with machine guns ready but too little ammunition beside them. Others had ammunition on the ground while the crews were still clearing debris from their firing lanes. The same delay appeared often enough that Noah contacted the commander overseeing the fighting.

"I keep seeing the same problem in these reports. The Astragoths reach the new positions while half the work is still unfinished. What are the soldiers trying to complete when they arrive?"

"They are trying to set everything up at the same time," the commander replied. "The machine-gun crews are placing their weapons while other men move ammunition, clear debris, spread out, and start building cover. When the next attack arrives, every task is partly done. That is why some guns are ready without enough ammunition and some ammunition is sitting beside weapons that still cannot fire properly."

Noah looked over the latest reports. "Then separate what is necessary from what can wait. What must be ready before the first Astragoth enters range?"

"The machine guns need clear firing lanes and enough ammunition beside the crews. The tanks need space to fire and move. RPG teams need their rockets with them and a clear place to shoot from. Riflemen need to be positioned around those weapons. We can fight without finished barriers if those things are ready."

"Then that becomes the order," Noah said. "Place the weapons first. Put the ammunition beside them. Position the riflemen around the heavy weapons. Nobody spends time building proper cover until those jobs are finished."

The commander passed the instruction to the officers preparing the next position. When the goblins moved again, machine-gun crews chose firing points as soon as they arrived. Ammunition carriers went directly to the weapons instead of helping move stones or wreckage. Riflemen spread around the machine guns, while RPG teams kept their rockets with them and stayed close enough to respond wherever an armored Astragoth appeared.

Tanks stopped behind the infantry with clear fields of fire and enough open ground to move again. Only after the weapons, ammunition, and soldiers were in place did anyone begin improving the cover.

The change did not slow the Astragoths or give the goblins more time. It simply meant the weapons were ready sooner.

The relocated artillery returned to action before another attack reached the new position. Several shells landed among approaching Astragoths and killed enough of them to break up the advance. Tanks and machine guns engaged the survivors while the artillery crews prepared another firing mission.

The goblins used the brief pause to bring additional ammunition forward, check the machine guns, reload the tanks, and place riflemen between the heavier weapons. Only soldiers who had finished those tasks began moving broken stone into better cover.

Another attack appeared before the work was complete. Armored Astragoths advanced with ordinary creatures spreading around them. The barriers were still unfinished, but the machine guns were loaded with enough ammunition beside the crews, the tanks had clear targets, the RPG teams had rockets ready, and the riflemen were already in position.

A tank fired at the nearest armored Astragoth as soon as it entered range. Machine guns opened on the ordinary creatures moving around it, and the riflemen added their fire from the spaces between the heavier weapons. The goblins were still fighting from temporary ground, but this time the weapons and ammunition were ready before the Astragoths reached them.