178: Don't let the enemy get close

Norvich reluctantly picked up his binoculars and carefully observed the mysterious figures in the distance.

As expected, those tanks were covered in a unique layer of armor, leaving only slight scorch marks even after being hit directly, with no signs of damage.

"Damn it, where did these tanks come from?" Battalion Commander Norvich cursed inwardly.

Although he desperately resisted the sudden turn of events, reality relentlessly forced him to accept it all.

"Pass down the order, have all tanks move immediately, find an opportunity, launch a flanking attack, and concentrate fire on the same target," he said resolutely.

"Hmph, you want to compare mobility with me? You clumsy tin cans."

As an experienced commander, Norvich was already intimately familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of heavy tanks.

On the other side, inside a tank at the Malyshev Military Factory, Xu Ning was intently watching every detail on the display screen in front of him.

The screen showed that enemy tanks were accelerating and dispersing, adopting serpentine movements to evade direct attacks.

Their side had missed the target with two consecutive shots; and whenever there was an opportunity, the opponent would immediately stop and counterattack.

After several rounds of engagement, although protected by explosive reactive armor, their side had already suffered multiple hits, and the situation was critical.

The voices coming over the radio became increasingly flustered, with someone anxiously asking about the next course of action.

This tension further affected aiming accuracy, causing more shells to miss their targets.

This was the huge difference between professional soldiers and civilians; once their mindset became unbalanced, the opponent could easily seize their weakness and deliver a fatal blow.

"Mr. Xu, please tell us what we should do next? The enemy is getting closer to us," Xiao Adam took off his headphones, turned to Xu Ning, and asked.

Xu Ning furrowed his brows, his mind racing, trying to find the key to turn the tide.

On this tense battlefield, how could he turn the chips in his hand into a winning advantage?

Various possibilities rapidly swirled in Xu Ning's mind.

What secret weapon was this tank hiding that the enemy had not anticipated?

Just as he was about to give up, a brilliant idea flashed through his mind like lightning.

Without hesitation, he immediately grabbed the intercom and called the Hunter Pigeon squad.

"Xie Xie, act according to my plan.

Immediately have your men fire smoke grenades into the area ahead, the more the better," Xu Ning issued the order.

At this moment, Xie Xie was leading a small but experienced infantry team, performing cover missions on the periphery.

Although this guard team composed of retired soldiers was brave, they were still slightly less seasoned than Xie Xie in tactical application.

If not for his presence commanding, this group of soldiers might have suffered heavy losses early in the engagement.

"Smoke grenades?

Are you sure this is the right strategy?" Xie Xie couldn't understand Xu Ning's idea for a moment.

After all, in his opinion, using smoke grenades against light tanks was simply courting death.

Not only would it fail to effectively hinder the enemy's advance, but it would also expose their own position, making them sitting ducks.

"Don't hesitate, do it immediately," Xu Ning replied urgently.

Although his heart was full of doubt, Xie Xie still quickly issued the order.

With an order given, several grenades carrying smoke warheads were fired in unison, arcing through the air before exploding one after another, instantly forming a thick fog barrier.

Norvich observed all these changes through his binoculars, his face filled with confusion.

"What on earth do they want to do?

Do they really think they can escape this way?" he muttered to himself, "Everyone, get ready for battle."

On the battlefield, a seasoned commander impatiently said to a novice, "Don't act like a layman, let me teach you real tactics."

After a moment's thought, he ordered, "All tanks, attention!

Hide within the smoke screen, fire blindly in the enemy's direction, and change position after each shot."

Following this, he issued instructions to the infantry: "All infantry, break away from tank cover, use the smoke screen to quickly approach the enemy, and destroy their tanks as soon as possible."

The commander confidently declared, "I'd like to see what tricks they can pull this time."

On the other side, Xu Ning and his workers were caught off guard by the change caused by the smoke grenades.

A worker complained, "Who set off the smoke grenades?

It was already hard enough to deal with them, and now we can't see the other side at all, how are we supposed to fight?"

Another chimed in, "Indeed, it's like playing on hell mode like this."

Some even suggested retreating: "Mr. Xu, shouldn't we consider retreating?

The factory is empty anyway."

But this was immediately refuted: "All you know is running?

Can't you show some backbone?"

Xiao Adam turned his head, his eyes filled with anticipation, asking Xu Ning about the next plan.

Although he didn't know the specific reason, he believed that Xu Ning had a brilliant plan.

At this moment, Xu Ning stared intently at the screen and issued the order: "All teams, activate the third button on the right side of the control panel, that's the friend-or-foe identification radar system.

After activating it, use the fire control system to lock onto targets and open fire."

Although Xiao Adam didn't understand this, he still relayed the instructions to the various units.

Almost at the same moment, the gunner Little John exclaimed, "Wow, this thing is amazing!"

Xiao Adam watched in surprise as Little John operated the weapon system, his face beaming with excitement.

With a loud bang, a shell accurately hit an enemy tank obscured by the thick smoke screen.

"How did you do that?" Xiao Adam asked in disbelief.

Little John excitedly explained that after following Mr. Xu's instructions, he activated that mysterious button, and then the world in front of him seemed to open up to a new realm, allowing him to clearly see the targets hidden behind the smoke screen.

"It's like having x-ray vision," Little John replied with a smile, "You should ask Mr. Xu, what amazing technology this is."

"Mr. Xu, I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart," Little John said sincerely.

Xu Ning raised an eyebrow slightly: "Enough with that, the enemy infantry will definitely approach under the cover of the smoke screen.

Quickly activate the machine gun and unleash a fierce barrage."

As soon as he finished speaking, Little John quickly replied, "Yes."

Following this, Xu Ning's gaze turned to Xiao Adam: "Pass down the order, all tank machine guns must open fire, form a crossfire net, and absolutely do not let the enemy approach easily."

"Understood, Mr. Xu," Little John nodded firmly and immediately carried out the order.

As instructions were relayed like flowing water, the battlefield was instantly illuminated by bursts of dazzling gunfire.

The tanks that were originally hidden beneath the thick smoke screen had nowhere left to hide, and were hit by accurate strikes one after another.

Every explosion was like a heavy blow to the hearts of the soldiers attempting to advance.