Gasoline

The combat strategies of both sides were clear:

The German forces intended to retreat into the city, using the buildings as cover to hold back the British tank onslaught... just as they had previously defeated the British tank units in the city and even captured a dozen tanks.

The British, on the other hand, had seen through the Germans' plan, so they adopted a "step-by-step, solid advance" tactic.

In simple terms, the British knew that charging into the city to hunt down the Germans was not the right approach... It wouldn't work, and it wasn't necessary.

It wouldn't work because tanks are ill-suited for urban warfare. As previously mentioned, urban combat restricts a tank's combat effectiveness while making it easier for enemy infantry to approach and destroy the tanks. The enemy could even drop anti-tank grenades from rooftops to destroy tanks passing below.

It wasn't necessary because the British weren't in a hurry to eliminate the Germans defending Tengerthin.

This doesn't mean that Tengerthin wasn't important to the British; rather, they believed they had already secured victory, so there was no need to rush.

Thus, the British proceeded to demolish the city building by building, using artillery fire, explosives, and tanks to level everything in their path.

This way, they wouldn't need to enter the city and engage in urban combat with the Germans.

In fact, by then, Tengerthin was already a ruin, with no "alleys" left to fight in, so there was no longer any "urban combat" to speak of.

This allowed Qin Chuan and his comrades to escape the British assault safely, despite the rain of bullets behind them... The British were more interested in demolishing the city than chasing them down.

Of course, this "safety" was only temporary. As the British front line advanced, the space available for the Germans to survive grew smaller and smaller, until they would inevitably be wiped out.

"Colonel!" The adjutant, his face blackened with smoke, stumbled through the rubble to stand before Colonel Klein, saying, "We can't stop their advance. We should break out!"

"Break out?" Colonel Klein smiled bitterly. "Lucas, where would we break out to?"

The adjutant was taken aback, then understood: "We'd be caught and destroyed by the British, wouldn't we?"

"Of course!" Colonel Klein replied. "Even though the British tanks are slow, remember, this is the desert. We have nowhere to hide. As soon as we attempt a breakout, their planes will bombard us from above, and then their tanks and troops will catch up and surround us, crushing us like a hammer smashing an egg."

"But, Colonel..." The adjutant protested, "Staying here won't keep us from being destroyed, will it? Our artillery has been mostly wiped out by British bombers, and their tanks are closing in step by step!"

Colonel Klein remained silent, unable to find a way out of the predicament.

Now... it seemed they could only hope for a miracle.

Qin Chuan was equally troubled by this issue.

He couldn't accept defeat.

It wasn't that Qin Chuan possessed extraordinary courage and determination; he simply didn't want to die... On the battlefield, defeat often means death.

So, to survive, Qin Chuan had to win this battle.

In this regard, he was like Alfredo, both fearing death. But while Alfredo passively awaited his fate, Qin Chuan actively sought ways to stay alive.

But what could possibly stop those steel behemoths outside the city?

Anti-tank guns, anti-tank grenades, explosives... none of it seemed effective.

Just as Qin Chuan was racking his brain, an aerial bomb came whistling down from the sky, striking a truck loaded with gasoline. The truck instantly turned into a blazing fireball, and some fuel drums were blown high into the air, landing far away and exploding again... The German soldiers scattered in panic, ducking to avoid the splattering gasoline and flames.

Seeing this, Qin Chuan had a sudden flash of inspiration: Why not use gasoline to stop those tanks?!

With that thought, he crouched low, clutching his rifle as he ran to Captain Bazel, who was directing some German soldiers in fighting the fire. "Captain, may I make a suggestion?"

"Your suggestion better be as useful as when you blew up that building and broke through the enemy's line, Sergeant!" Bazel shouted, turning to a group of German soldiers. "Hey, you lot... Get over there and put out that fire, or it'll reach our ammo dump!"

"Yes, Captain!" Qin Chuan followed beside Bazel, saying, "I'm not sure, but I think it's worth trying..."

"Try what?" Bazel asked absentmindedly.

"We could try using gasoline barrels to destroy the British tanks!" Qin Chuan replied.

Bazel stopped in his tracks, turning to look at Qin Chuan in disbelief. "Sergeant, are you saying you have a way to destroy the British tanks? With gasoline?"

"I think so, Captain!" Qin Chuan nodded.

"How?" Bazel asked. "You don't mean to roll the gasoline up to the British, do you? That'll just burn us alive!"

"Of course not, Captain!" Qin Chuan replied. "You know, the British are tearing down the buildings one by one!"

"Yes, but what's the problem with that?"

"So..." Qin Chuan said, "Why don't we pile the gasoline in the buildings and wait for the British to come?"

Bazel was momentarily stunned, then slowly nodded in realization. "You're right, Sergeant... We can pile the gasoline in the buildings and wait for them, and all we need to do is ignite the gasoline at the right moment!"

"Exactly, Captain!" Qin Chuan responded. "You know, we have plenty of gasoline... The underground storage has enough to set the entire city of Tengerthin ablaze!"

Qin Chuan was referring to the underground storage the Germans had captured from the British, filled with fuel meant for British tanks and vehicles.

"And another thing!" Qin Chuan added. "The British tanks use gasoline engines, so they're highly flammable..."

"Yes, Sergeant, that's a brilliant idea!" Bazel said. "I mean, I must report this to the Colonel immediately..."

"No, Captain!" Qin Chuan interjected. "We have to act now because we don't know where the Colonel is. By the time we find him and get a decision, it might be too late!"

The British bombing had forced the headquarters to relocate somewhere in Tengerthin, making it difficult even for an officer like Bazel to find the Colonel.

Bazel thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right, Sergeant. Let's do it!"