Working as a police officer in Mexico
Chapter 858 - 460: Statement As Follows!_2

Buzz buzz buzz～

A roaring sound filled the air, resembling an engine, making the ground and glass tremble uncontrollably.

Surviving residents on the street looked up to see countless planes densely packed flying overhead...

Whoosh whoosh whoosh～

Dozens of air-to-ground missiles rained down in a concentrated assault not far away.

Immediately after, distant explosions triggered fireballs at the naval base.

This is San Diego, often called the "cradle of naval aviation."

Located close to the Pacific Ocean, many warships are anchored here.

The sudden attack caught the San Diego Navy Base completely off guard.

Being a Sunday, many personnel within the Navy were on leave, leaving the warships docked at the pier vulnerable, like sitting ducks.

As the bombardment commenced, the Baja California State airbase, located 10 kilometers south of Tijuana, deployed a joint strike group of 22 F15s and F14s.

Covering a brief 19 kilometers... just a few minutes of throttle...

Colonel Manfred von Richthofen—or rather, Admiral now, as he had recently been promoted from Commander of the 3rd Detachment to Deputy Commander of the Air Force—personally led the charge for Operation "Decapitate the Warships."

"Fire all missiles and return immediately!" he shouted through the channel.

The F14s flew at low altitude, their turbulence slicing the surface of the ocean into two.

Pressing the system button, Manfred launched a "Maverick" air-to-ground missile from its bay, its anger finding a U.S. military cruiser, striking it directly on the side hull.

In an instant, the vessel began noticeably capsizing.

"Woo woo woo～"

A piercing alarm sounded across the naval port, with orders barked through loudspeakers by base officers.

The U.S. Military wasn't entirely incompetent; the main problem was the abruptness of the attack.

Who could have anticipated...

Mexico would take the initiative?

But after enduring a few hammer blows, the Yanks managed to recover somewhat.

San Diego Navy Base, of course, had air defense systems in place. Patriot missile vehicles were rapidly deployed from storage facilities.

Targeting Mexican aircraft above, the systems began locking on.

"Beep beep beep..."

The radar screen was awash with densely packed red dots.

"Begin tracking..."

"Lock successful!"

"Fire!!!"

A missile operator pressed the launch button, and four missiles streaked skyward from the Beehive launcher.

"Alarm! Alarm!"

Warning sounds rang within the locked fighters, causing the oxygen-masked pilots' eyes to contract and faces to turn pale.

"Deploy countermeasures!!"

Manfred von Richthofen's furious roar echoed across the channel.

Thud thud thud thud...

The F14s unleashed swarms of chaff countermeasures, like a chaotic burst of exhaust.

Countermeasures varied depending on the missile systems being faced.

But once locked on, avoidance became exceedingly challenging.

Three parts destiny, seven parts effort.

Bang bang bang!

Missiles misinterpreted the deployed chaff, detonating prematurely.

But two missiles remained locked on, persistently pursuing...

"Locking! Locking!"

"I've been locked!" screamed a pilot in despair over the channel, flooring the throttle.

"Eject!!"

He grabbed the ejection lever beneath his seat, yanked it down, and with a bang, the cockpit canopy blasted off, propelling him into the sky.

For a brief moment, the air seemed to solidify.

Patriot missiles, traveling at speeds nearing Mach 6, far outpaced the F14.

Boom!!

A missile struck the rear of the F14, transforming the aircraft into a fireball. Shrapnel burst outward, impaling the ejecting pilot until he resembled a beehive.

The parachute failed to deploy, spinning like a propeller before crashing heavily into the Pacific Ocean.

"Retreat, retreat!" Deputy Commander Manfred von Richthofen ordered an immediate withdrawal after observing the Patriots in action.

The U.S. had deployed over 30 Patriot missile systems at San Diego Navy Base...

With four missiles per launcher, hundreds streaked toward the skies.

Who wouldn't be terrified watching that?

The entire San Diego sky was littered with the sparkling debris of chaff countermeasures...

A claustrophobic nightmare.

The San Diego garrison consisted of the National Guard's 40th Division with two brigades, the United States Marine Corps' 1st Division with the 1st Marine Regiment, 5th Marine Regiment, and 7th Marine Regiment—totaling over 20,000 personnel. Add cadets, Navy staff, and dependents, and the figure exceeded 60,000.

Marine First Division is widely known as the infamous "Changjin Lake Escape Division." If they hadn't retreated fast enough back then, they'd all have been slaughtered on Christmas.

Not long after the artillery barrage began, Mexico's Fourth Army deployed the 335th and 336th Divisions in a pincers assault.

The battlefield extended directly into U.S. territory.

The Fourth Army's Guard Division, led by Herman Hot, advanced north from Mexicali, sealing off San Diego's eastern flank by demolishing bridges and various facilities!

San Diego.

Fourth Army Command Center.

Rommel stared at the map sand table, brows furrowed, as staff bustled around him.

He still felt the operation was too rushed. The Yanks had nearly 50,000 combat personnel stationed in San Diego alone (including cadets). Reinforcements could rapidly inflate their numbers to a million!

Against them, his two divisions barely numbered 30,000 combined—an overwhelming pressure, but this was a hit-and-run campaign.

It wasn't about occupation but destruction...

The intention was to reduce San Diego to rubble!

To strike a heavy blow against this military city close to the Mexican border, and show the Yanks just how much it hurt!

"Commander, the 335th and 336th Divisions have crossed the Tecate River and entered San Diego City," reported Deputy Commander Vasili, rushing in with a stack of documents.

That "river" was really nothing but a smelly ditch, barely knee-deep.

"Engaging in urban combat, they've secured control over the African-American and Mexican-American communities near the border zone."