As expected, the battle wouldn't even last an hour.
Two hours was generous.
After that, the entire force could comfortably dine in Košice.
According to the wheels of history, the Czech army had no chance.
Even the Soviet army failed to stop the Nazis.
Let alone a small, backward nation.
But today, a group of strange "guests" arrived.
Guests.
General Kroll of the Czech Second Army-the man responsible for defending Košice-was hosting an American observation group.
Normally, he wouldn't spare them a glance.
Nothing mattered more than war.
But the news they brought made refusal impossible.
If it was real-
He would shatter the myth of the "invincible" Nazi army today.
That would be glory.
True glory.
At the thought, nearly two hundred pounds of fat on his body trembled.
He didn't dare be careless.
He treated the Americans like ancestors, even deploying his best-equipped guard regiment for protection.
Among the observers was a familiar face.
Howard Stark.
The middle-aged man with the mustache.
Alongside him were heads of U.S. military procurement, several officers, and even a senator.
The group was using high-precision binoculars to observe the battlefield.
These binoculars were one-point-five times more powerful than standard issue.
They saw farther.
Clearer.
A new Stark Industries product.
One of Ryden's small creations.
Through the lenses, the situation was obvious.
The Czech army was being crushed.
It wasn't a battle.
It was a massacre.
Nazi fire was precise.
Any Czech soldier who dared peek out of a trench was immediately picked off.
In individual quality, the gap was overwhelming.
Each Nazi soldier had been trained with massive amounts of ammunition.
They weren't snipers.
They didn't need to be.
They could outshoot soldiers from any other nation.
The Nazis swept across Europe not just because of Blitzkrieg tactics.
But because of soldier quality.
"Oh, General, your soldiers are in terrible shape!"
Howard was being Howard.
Blunt.
Reckless.
"They don't even have uniforms! Look-oh my god-your rifles are exploding!"
"Unbelievable!"
"I strongly suggest you buy Stark Industries products. They'll definitely take your army to the next level!"
No wonder he'd eventually raise a rascal like Tony.
Before becoming Iron Man, Tony Stark had been a playboy.
It wasn't until Captain America knocked some sense into him during the Avengers that he finally developed team spirit.
General Kroll's lips twitched.
If he had money, he'd buy planes and cannons.
Did Howard think he didn't know that?
Idiot.
Senator Rick glanced at his watch, expressionless.
"Howard, if you brought me here just to watch the Nazis dominate, I'll reconsider persuading the Senate to pass the procurement bill."
The surrounding officers looked grim.
From a military perspective, winning against such an offensive was unrealistic.
Calling it a 'win' would be self-deception.
The real question was how badly they would lose.
As soldiers, they understood one thing clearly.
An enemy with this level of military quality was bad news for America.
"Oh! No, no, no-don't rush, Senator!"
Howard waved dismissively.
"I've already made arrangements."
"I've put half my net worth on the line for this demonstration!"
"Hehe. Next-watch closely."
He turned to Kroll.
"General, give the order."
"It's time to show those Nazis your power."
Howard's tone was casual.
To the Americans, a Second Army commander from a backward nation meant nothing.
Even the lowest-ranking lieutenant colonel in the observation group didn't respect him.
Compared to an American division commander?
Kroll wasn't worth mentioning.
Kroll clenched his jaw.
If not for fear of offending them, he would've put two bullets in Howard just to teach him how to speak to a commander.
He turned away and gave orders to his messenger.
Soon, flags relayed the signal.
Under the officers' commands, squads of soldiers emerged.
They wore lightweight police-style body armor designed by Ryden and produced by Stark Industries.
Special cylindrical pouches hung from their waists.
Their steel helmets were crude but lined with soft gauze to reduce impact.
Compared to the rest of the Second Army-
Soldiers in civilian clothes holding worn-out rifles-
This group immediately stood out.
They moved according to the pre-battle plan.
Each man lowered his head and hid in the trenches.
Cover was everything.
The average firing distance of Nazi soldiers was five hundred meters.
The effective range of the AK-47 was three hundred.
Beyond that, accuracy dropped sharply.
So they waited.
They had to let the enemy get close.
Just like the Chinese resistance forces-
Wait until the devils entered range.
Then fire.
The Nazi scouts noticed nothing.
The Czech movement stayed within the trenches, invisible from ground level.
The scouts only marveled at how smooth the advance was.
Even Schmidt, positioned in the rear, sneered.
Nothing could stop his march.
All enemies would be crushed beneath his boots.
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