Tiger recon teams and deep-penetration drones showed that the Americans had built a heavy defensive system along the North Platte River and the main Platte River in Nebraska. Unfortunately, the SAF First Front had yet to reach the southern Nebraska border. Instead they inched upward through northern Kansas, clearing away American delaying battalions.
Marshal Liang attempted to be philosophical concerning the South Americans. It was good China had allies. For one thing, it added millions more troops to their side. And if the SAF armies lacked aggression, they still made reasonably good garrison troops. Frankly, China needed bodies, great masses of them, to conquer the United States. The South Americans had helped flesh out the invasion force. That was to China’s benefit and it certainly aided Third Front.
However, the lack of SAF fighting power also meant the primary advances would have to come from the two Chinese Fronts. The two outer drives would have to be like a bull’s horns. Those horns would have to encircle the American front and crush everything in the center. Therefore, the South Americans didn’t need to drive the rest of the way to the Canadian border. They simply needed to hold what they had and keep the Americans from escaping their coming doom. It meant the SAF armies were adequate for victory.
There was one problem with the fact of SAF inadequacy. The Chinese horns needed to pierce the American defenses, and the deeper they did so the better. Because of Chairman Hong’s desire to capture the Behemoth Tank Plant, and thereby force the storming of Denver, Liang lacked the necessary power to smash decisively through the hardened American defenses in his region of responsibility.
“We need all of Army Group A,” Liang said. With his right-hand middle finger, he tapped Greater Denver on the map. The tip of his finger happened to touch the “N” in Denver. “Instead of attacking the city, we could use those two armies in the north to help in the main assault.”
“The American line has stiffened considerably,” Ping said. “They have received reinforcements from somewhere.”
That was another thing troubling Liang. He said, “I have read reports of massive reinforcements.”
“I have read those reports, too,” Ping said. “I would discount the part of the assistance being massive, but I do agree the Americans have received considerable aid. You and I knew this would occur. The truth: the weather halt hurt us.”
Liang grunted agreement. Ping and he had talked about this for months before the initial invasion. The conclusion had been obvious even then. China must shatter the main American Army fast, never allowing it time to regroup and regrow.
Chairman Hong believed his armies would now race to the Canadian border, along the way snatching the crucial oil fields in Montana and North Dakota. Yes, Liang believed those things would happen. First, though, they needed to encircle the Americans in Nebraska in one gigantic trap. A gargantuan battle of annihilation, with one to two million American soldiers caught and devoured. That would win them this campaign and give China the war. For that to occur, they needed to smash through the defensive lines quickly, before more American levies could join the veteran formations.
“This winter might be our last chance to finish this,” Liang said. “The Americans must be mobilizing millions of new troops.”
“Perhaps,” Ping said. “But with German Dominion aid—”
“No!” Liang said. “We cannot count on anyone else to save us. We must mass and punch through these defensive lines now. I need all of Army Group A. I need them to add weight to our northern assaults. Later, I will need them to help encircle the Americans so we may devour the enemy.”
General Ping was silent for a time. He took off his glasses, cleaning a lens with a rag from his pocket. When he put the glasses back on, he said, “The storm-assault into Denver is proving costly in soldiers.”
“We must seal off the Americans there and keep them from receiving aid,” Liang said. “We must destroy I-70. There are many places to break the route.” As he stood, he leaned against the computer map, using his middle finger to tap various locations along I-70.”
“Our Air Force—”
“We will save our Air Force for less costly missions,” Liang said. “I have talked with Marshal Wu and he agreed I should use a portion of our Dong-Fong 15s to break the route.”
“Ballistic missiles?” asked Ping. “The Americans might believe we’re launching nuclear weapons and retaliate before they realize ours carry conventional warheads.”