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Text Chapter 844 A disastrous defeat

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    |On the morning of March 18, the sun had just risen from the sky and the fog on the La Platte River had just dissipated. Four light cruisers and six destroyers had already sailed to the central channel of the La Platte River.  The La Plate River between Santa Fe and Paran¨¢ is more than ten kilometers wide.  Originally there was a bridge connecting them on the river.  But after Chile rejected Brazil's overtures, Brazilian troops had already blown up the bridge.

    When ten warships of the Chilean Navy appeared in the middle of the river, it immediately aroused tension in the Brazilian army on the other side.  The Chilean army will launch an attack, and this attack is the consensus of the Brazilian army.  Especially after learning that the Chilean Navy warships had arrived, the Brazilian army strengthened its defenses!  However, even so, many Brazilian army officers are still worried.  Although they have an advantage in military strength, the gap in equipment compared with the Chilean army is still too large.  Among other things, the more than 200,000 Brazilian troops defending around Paran¨¢ only have less than 800 artillery pieces, and there are very few artillery pieces with a caliber of more than 5 mm, less than 200 pieces.  Their opponents had twice as many cannons.  Moreover, now Chile has even dispatched its navy. Although the caliber of the artillery of the light cruisers and destroyers is not large, the naval guns used by the navy are always much more powerful than the artillery used by the army!

    "The artillery is ready! As soon as the Chilean warships fire, the artillery will fire back immediately!" the commander of the Brazilian army, Lieutenant General Aymondo, ordered.  He was the supreme commander of the La Platte River Defense Line.  However, now he also feels tremendous pressure!

    ¡°Boom!¡± The Chilean Navy¡¯s light cruiser ¡®San Antonio¡¯ fired the first shot against the Brazilian army.  ¡®Tianshui-class light cruiser has a displacement of tons and has two twin 155mm naval guns, as well as 6 105mm rapid-fire cannons and 8 88mm rapid-fire cannons.  Among light battleships, this kind of firepower is already very powerful!

    ¡°After the light cruiser San Antonio opened fire, three other light cruisers and six destroyers also opened fire.  The firepower of these four warships alone completely enveloped the Brazilian army's defense line.  Dense artillery shells fell, and clouds of fire and smoke were splashed on the Brazilian army's position.  The fortifications built by the Brazilian army were destroyed one by one amid fierce artillery fire!

    "Counterattack! Counterattack!" Lieutenant General Aimondo of the Brazilian Army quickly issued an order to counterattack.  If this continues, the position they have painstakingly constructed will be destroyed by the Chilean Navy warships.

    "Boom! Boom! Boom!" Rows of shells fell on the river, splashing water columns.  However, no shells hit the Chilean warships on the river.  But the Chilean warships scattered like frightened birds.

    However, the Chilean warship then turned its guns and began to suppress the Brazilian army's artillery!  The warships cruised quickly on the river, which made it very difficult for the Brazilian army's artillery to hit the Chilean Navy's warships.  Even if some shells hit the battleship, the armor on the battleship was enough to withstand the bombardment of small-caliber shells.  As long as you don't get hit in any vital parts, you can definitely resist.  However, the Brazilian army's artillery suffered heavy losses under the suppression of the Chilean Navy's warships.  Less than half an hour after the start of the war, the artillery of the Brazilian army was completely suppressed by the Chilean Navy!  The war situation is becoming more and more unfavorable to the Brazilian army!

    At this time, the town of Urquiza, 16 kilometers north of Paran¨¢, and Diamante, 37 kilometers south of Parana, also came under fierce attack.  The main direction of the Chilean army's attack is not Paran¨¢. The use of naval warships to storm Paran¨¢ is just to contain the main force of the Brazilian army. The real places to cross the La Plate River are the towns of Urquiza and Di.  Amante.

    In these two places, the Chilean army assembled thousands of large-caliber artillery pieces and launched a fierce bombardment on the Brazilian army's positions on the other side.  The Brazilian army only deployed a small number of troops in these two places. Under the fierce bombardment of Chilean artillery, the defenders in these two places suffered heavy losses!

    At nine o'clock in the morning, the Chilean army began to cross the river.  Merchant ships brought by the navy and passenger ships and fishing boats raised by the Chilean Army launched an attack on the other side of the river.

    The Brazilian army that survived the fierce shelling asked for help from Paran¨¢, and on the other hand desperately resisted the attack of the Chilean army.  However, without the advantage of artillery fire, their resistance was very weak.  The position on the river bank was almost reduced to rubble by the fierce artillery fire, and the Brazilian soldiers who stayed inside suffered heavy casualties.

    At 9:20, a passenger ship was the first to dock. Chilean soldiers a hundred meters above jumped from the ship and rushed towards the river bank in knee-deep water.

    "Da da da!" A row of heavy machine gun bullets fired over, and a large number of Chilean soldiers were knocked down and fell into the river. Blood seeped out from their bodies, almost dyeing the river red.  But more Chilean soldiers rushed to the river bank!  !

    ¡°???Machine gun cover!  Mortar, shoot down the enemy's heavy machine gun!  "

    "Boom!" A shell fell, blowing the heavy machine gun that was killing Chilean soldiers into parts.  More and more ships docked, and a large number of Chilean soldiers disembarked from the ships and launched a fierce attack on the Brazilian army's positions.

    At 10 o'clock in the morning, Diamante's Brazilian army position was first broken through. The two divisions defending here retreated towards Paran¨¢ with more than half of their casualties.  The Chilean army took the opportunity to seize the dock and provide protection for subsequent landing troops.

    At half past KO, the Brazilian defenders in the town of Urquiza were also defeated. A large number of Chilean troops successfully landed and threatened Paran¨¢ from the north!

    Lieutenant General Aymondo, the commander of the Brazilian army, immediately sent reinforcements, and others drove the Chilean army that had just crossed the river down the river.  However, when they were rushing along the coast, they were violently bombarded by Chilean Navy warships. For the unprotected infantry, it was almost a massacre.  With heavy losses, the Brazilian army had to withdraw to Paran¨¢ and watched helplessly as the Chilean army crossed the river in the towns of Diamante and Urquiza!

    By the time the king came to heaven, all fifteen divisions of the Chilean army had crossed the La Plate River, and the heavy equipment of each division was also crossing the river overnight.  Although the Brazilian army has a strength advantage, at this time, the balance of victory has begun to tilt toward Chile.

    Lieutenant General Aimondo, the commander of the Brazilian army, ordered to defend Paran¨¢ while seeking help from the country.  After receiving the battle report from Lieutenant General Aymondo, Brazilian Army Minister Patrick immediately ordered another twenty divisions to shrink towards Paran¨¢.  However, this will take a certain amount of time. Whether they can arrive before the Chilean army captures Paran¨¢ is still a big question!

    And Lieutenant General Aimondo, who issued the order to stick to Paran¨¢, completely ruined the lives of more than 200,000 Brazilian troops defending the La Plate River!

    On January 19, the Chilean army launched a fierce attack on Parana from the north and south. Among them, there were ten divisions on the northern line and only five divisions on the southern line.  The town of Urquiza is only sixteen kilometers away from Paran¨¢. That afternoon, the Chilean army broke through the Brazilian army's defense line and advanced the battle line to the outskirts of Paran¨¢.  The ten divisions of the Chilean army possess thousands of large-caliber artillery pieces.  Starting from the afternoon of January 19, these artillery pieces cooperated with the naval warships on the river to launch a fierce bombardment of Paran¨¢.

    On January 20, the five divisions heading south also broke through the Brazilian army's defense line and arrived in Paran¨¢, launching a pincer attack on Paran¨¢ from the north and south.  Under the fierce shelling of the Chilean army, the Brazilian army stationed in Paran¨¢ suffered heavy losses.  At the same time, in order to prevent the Brazilian army from escaping and the Brazilian reinforcements to rescue them, the Chilean army deployed six divisions to intercept the Brazilian reinforcements from three aspects.  The other nine divisions launched a fierce attack on Paran¨¢!

    The Brazilian army only has a slight advantage in the number of troops, but it is seriously at a disadvantage in terms of equipment and firepower.  Especially Chile's powerful artillery fire caused the Brazilian defenders to pay a heavy price!

    On January 21, the Chilean army entered the city and started a street fight with the Brazilian army.  As the casualties increased, the Brazilian army's will to resist became weaker and weaker.

    By January 24, most of the city of Parana was under the control of the Chilean army, and during these three days of fierce fighting, the Brazilian army suffered nearly 100,000 casualties.  Including the troops lost before, the Brazilian army has lost nearly 150,000 people. The remaining 100,000 people are surrounded in a narrow area three kilometers long and less than two kilometers wide.  Not only do they have to face the attack of the Chilean army, but they also have to endure fierce shelling all the time. It can be said that they are surrounded by danger!

    At this time, the will of many Brazilians to resist has collapsed, and a large number of deserters have appeared in various units.  In order to survive, even entire platoons and companies of the Brazilian army surrendered to the Chilean army.

    On the evening of January 24, after the Chilean side promised to guarantee the safety of life and property of the surrendering officers and soldiers, Lieutenant General Aimondo led the remaining nearly 100,000 Brazilian troops to surrender.  This ended the great war between Chile and Brazil in Paran¨¢.  In this battle, Brazil lost 20 divisions and 250,000 men.  Chile's losses were only between 20,000 and 30,000 people, which can be said to be a great victory!

    On January 25, the Chilean army set off from Paran¨¢ and began to attack eastward.  Nearly thirty divisions of Brazilian troops are coming from all directions.  However, after learning that the defenders of Paran¨¢ had surrendered, these Brazilian troops immediately stopped their westward advance and retreated backwards!
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