0904 April 6th, 2020 CE

0732 Sun 6th, 196 AE

Advanced Landing Ground 4

The advance of the army had overtaken the range of the Air Force again. It was very problematic for them to keep up. Advanced Landing Ground 4, was the closest airfield to the current frontline. It was the base of Fighter Group 4 which consisted of more than 100 Ea-192s. Advanced Landing Grounds were quickly constructed and temporary airfields that were used to support advancing ground forces that got out of range. After clearing out a suitable area, a special material was placed down to serve as a runway. It took two to three days to construct one that could only support fighter aircraft. It took longer for them to be able to make them suitable for bombers.

The place was quiet. There hadn’t been much activity in recent days. The human air force in the area had already been obliterated during the start of the invasion. The Air Force had easily cleared the skies and the Army had captured all the airfields in the area.

A fighter section which consisted of 4 Ea-192s prepared to conduct a routine patrol. Propellers started and they drove onto the runway. One by one, they went down the runway and got off the ground.

Ground crews ran around. Some were at their aircraft doing maintenance and checks. It was all normal until a fiery, orange explosion rocked the middle of the runway. A strange noise could be heard as something flew over.

Advanced Landing Ground 4’s headquarters was a hastily constructed building at the end of the airfield. There were many rooms in it each with a different purpose. Bursting into one of these rooms, an adjutant shouted an urgent report.

“Lieutenant Colonel! The runway’s been cratered! There are human aircraft in the sky!”

As if on cue, the sound of the airfield’s anti-aircraft thauguns firing started.

Lieutenant Colonel Thuridan Binan, commander of Fighter Group 4, quickly got out of his office. He walked through the hallway and flung open the door to the detection room. He shouted to the men inside.

“What the hell! How did they get past the detection equipment?!”

The operators in the detection room who have been intensely staring at the screens as if searching for something replied without looking up.

“Our MWEs are not detecting anything significant. Only minor blips.”

“Switch to the MUDs then!”

“Nothing at all.”

“There are clearly human aircraft over us. We are getting bombed!”

A small moment of silence passed.

“There might be some... problems with the equipment?”

“Damn your faulty equipment!”

Binan quickly walked out with his adjutant following.

“Get the combat air patrols back to engage the enemy aircraft. Find out if the runway is still usable. If it is, get all Ea-192s off the ground.”

Many smaller explosions rocked the base as the enemy targeted the aircraft that were sitting on the ground. Black puffs filled the sky as the 88 anti-aircraft thauguns tried to hit whatever aircraft was trying to assault them. They had expected an attack to include many dive bombers or bombers. So far, the skies seemed unexpectedly empty.

Cluster bombs dropped by multiple F-35s fell on the lined up Ea-192s on the ground. Lines of explosions caused by the bomblets rocked the base. The ground seemingly shook from the power of it. Aircrew and ground crew were thrown to the ground as their aircraft were seemingly squashed by explosions. Chaos descended on the base as the elves sought shelter from the bombs. Their original order of trying to get the planes off the ground was completely forgotten when they saw that approaching their aircraft most likely meant death.

Another F-35 flew towards the airfield. Opening its bomb bay, it released a single bomb far away from its target. The GBU-31 JDAM flew towards the headquarters of the airfield. The 2,000 lb warhead hit and a massive explosion obliterated a large part of the building.

The combat air patrol that lifted off earlier flew back towards the airbase at maximum speed. They had just been alerted to what happened and weren't far away.

The six F-35s turned around after destroying a large portion of the enemy airbase. They got into formation once again.

>>

From one of the F-35’s open bomb bay, two AIM-120 AMRAAM detached from the bottom and blasted forward. From another F-35, two more came out.

>>

>>

One of the four Ea-192s in the combat air patrol seemingly crumpled as it exploded like a firework in the air. The three remaining broke formation in surprise.

“Enemy aircraft!”

“No visual!”>>>

Another Ea-192 seemingly imploded.

The two remaining that tried to flee were blown out of the sky a few seconds later.

A few minutes later

Another combat air patrol that was further away finally got back to the airbase. Surprise filled their eyes as they surveyed the destruction. It seemed like a massive air attack. The runway had been cratered in multiple places. Burning planes could be seen everywhere on the ground. Black smoke rose from the airbase and choked the skies. The magibattery storage building and headquarters were largely destroyed.

High Command Office

Field Marshal Gael’s face slowly darkened as his adjutant read the report.

“We have lost contact with Advance Landing Grounds 4, Advanced Landing Grounds 7, and Captured Airbase 3.”

“It’s a human attack. Alert all other airbases. Increase combat air patrols. Make sure that not a fly can pass through.”

Jungles

Fortresses from the Heavy Tank Company of the 3rd Battalion tried to cover the retreat of the rest of their battalion. They even hoped that maybe their heavier armor and bigger gun could actually do something.

“Their armor is deflecting our 88s! We are doing literally nothing to them!”

“Impossible!”>>>

No matter how many mana shells they throw at them, the human tanks show no damage other than a couple of scratch marks or burns. On the other hand, the Fortresses were being penetrated in single shots. Their magipanzers were being destroyed left to right.

0946 April 6th, 2020 CE

0753 Sun 6th, 196 AE

Jungles

Colonel Trakkas looked conflicted as his magipanzer went down the road. They had no choice but to take the risk of running out in the open. They had a much better chance of surviving air attacks than being engaged by enemy magipanzers.

Plains outside of the jungles

The 2nd Battalion of the 26th Magipanzer Regiment burst out of the jungle again. This time all seemed quiet. No planes were harassing them. Then one of the magipanzers exploded.

”It’s their weird aircraft again! What do we do sir?!”

“Keep driving and don’t stop!”

“This is stupid!”

“This is the best chance we have!”>>>

Hovering a few miles away and perpendicular to the elves were two Apache squadrons.

>>

An Apache pilot said merrily to everyone else in his squadron. His Apache raked one of the elf tanks which blew up right after. Then in his view, dirt was thrown up violently.

BRRRRRRTTTT

BRRRRRRTTTT

>>

The ground shook as two A-10s pounded the fleeing 2nd Battalion.

Jungles

About 15 minutes later

In his magipanzer, Colonel Aewraek contacted Colonel Trakkas.

<<< “My 3rd Battalion has been nearly decimated by the humans magipanzers. We have to get out as fast as possible. How is your 2nd Battalion?”

“They have suffered heavy casualties but it seems like the human air support ran out of ammo or something.”

“That is probably our best chance of getting out of here.”>>>

Simon Holayra quietly sat on the branch of a tree. He felt much safer in the jungle than on the open ground. He watched as a human magipanzer destroyed a Fortress with ease.

“Seems like they aren’t as inferior as we thought.”

He mockingly used that word that his fellow soldiers had always liked to use when referring to the humans. He looked down on his rifle which was sitting on his lap. It won’t do much against a magipanzer. He was waiting for the chance when a human commander popped out of their hatch. That hasn’t happened so far which was surprising. Usually, a magipanzer commander will need to survey their entire surroundings once in a while.

Outside the jungle

“Which IDIOT thought this was a good idea?! AAHHHHH!”

Corporal Daejor screeched as his Guard barreled down the plains and shook from the constant explosions around him. Charred holes and destroyed magipanzers littered the once lush, green plain. His magipanzer had to do weird maneuvers to go through available openings.

In the skies

<<< “There are so much damned destroyed tanks that I can’t see shit.”

“To all Wolfpack callsigns, we are repositioning further north.”>>>

The Apache squadron turned and moved forward. The explosions around Daejor’s magipanzer stopped.

Jungles

“Hm… these look like Tiger tanks from World War 2.”

“Could their leader be a reincarnation of Hitler?”

Lieutenant Colonel Rogers chuckled at Lieutenant Colonel Parker’s comment.

“Well, you never know. We got transported to this world with magic so anything is possible at this point. I will be able to tell my gramps that we killed Hitler again.”

Bradleys from the mechanized rifle company of the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment moved up the road behind them. On the road at the sides of the Bradley was the Magusian infantry from their 41st Division.

”We will be able to push them out of the jungle in no time. These elves also seem to be avoiding the jungle. I always thought that they were tree huggers or something. Guess they are different from our fictions.”

“They did industrialize so they might have caused them to change. How is the rest of the front?”

“Last I heard from HQ, it's going smoothly.”

Apaches flew overhead as they headed back to their airbase.

In the air further outside the jungles

An hour later

An MQ-1C Gray Eagle flew overhead. It’s networked electronic warfare, remotely-operated (NERO) system activated. As it flew over the elf forces, it started jamming all nearby radio communications.

COL Trakkas tiredly surveyed the passing grass plains around him. He and COL Aewraek had somehow survived because of a lull in the human’s air attacks.

“We have barely made it out. Thank goddess that the human aircraft have run out of ammo again. How much of our force do we even have left.”

“I’m not sure at this point. But we have certainly suffered massive casualties. We have to make haste and get to our defense line.”

“I will inform the Lieutenant General.”>>>

The MQ-1C Gray Eagle over them continued to jam all radio communications in the area

"Lieutenant General? This is Colonel Trakkas of the 26th Magipanzer Regiment”

“How is the retreat, Colonel?”

“We suffered heavy casualties because of the human Air Force. At least 50 - 60% of our force has been destroyed. Their attacks have died down but we fear they will come back. We are making haste towards the defense position.”

“About that Colonel, we have some bad news.”

A sigh came over the magiradio before Lieutenant General Faekas continued.

“All nearby airbases have been destroyed.”

“Impossible!”

“We are pulling the defense line further back in order to have them under air cover. The new position is 25 miles further. It’s close to Advanced Landing Grounds 7.”>>>

A noise disturbed the magiradio conversation.

BRRRRRRTTTT