I, transformed into a vampire girl, sparked the Industrial Revolution.

Chapter 247 The Horrifying Bombing by the Amerlane Naval Air Force

"They're coming!"

A Holy Army soldier pointed at the planes overhead and roared, "A week ago, these terrifying steel birds appeared on the battlefield, bombarding the Holy Army's northern cluster's lifeline—the kilometer stretch from the Holy City to Naples."

The roadsides were riddled with craters and corpses, and steel birds flew day and night, relentlessly hunting down all goods moving along the highway. The Holy City repeatedly sent transport teams, but the vast majority were intercepted.

And this time, the same outcome occurred. In the eyes of the Holy Army, the enemy's steel birds had exceeded their comprehension. Those roaring things could soar quickly in the sky, like eagles. Whenever those blue birds spotted prey on the ground, they would swoop down, just like eagles catching rabbits. However, these eagles swooped down not to hunt, but to destroy.

"This is Red Five, calling Essex. Enemy convoy spotted on highway at coordinates 2-9. Please grant permission to attack according to combat guidelines. Repeat. Enemy convoy spotted. Please grant permission to attack according to combat guidelines. Over."

The pilot of the Red Five F4U fighter reported via radio to the Essex-class aircraft carrier, which was patrolling in the direction of the sacred sea. The radio immediately relayed his message to the commander in the air combat control room. A colonel received his message and then instructed the radio operator to reply.

"Received, Red Number 5. There is no friendly activity in this area. Attack permitted. Repeat. Attack permitted. After execution, withdraw to coordinate grid 3-1. Your combat airspace will be taken over by friendly aircraft. Over."

"Received, in progress, Red No. 5 complete."

The pilot nodded, and Red No. 5, the lead aircraft, immediately began communicating with its wingman.

"Red No. 4, HVAR (High-Speed ​​Air-Launched Rocket), four rounds, and let's give them a taste of the 'Big 50'. Follow me, that's all."

"Received, Red No. 5, HVAR, and some seasoning as well, all ready."

Two F4U fighter jets turned their fuselages one after the other, leaving beautiful trails in the sky. Then, with a somersault, they dove downwards. In recent days, they had done this maneuver countless times. With just an aircraft carrier, the International Brigades had managed to cut off the supply lines of the Holy Army's Northern Group.

The effect was also obvious: the Holy Army's northern group, lacking ammunition, halted their offensive, and the battle turned into a protracted stalemate. The fighting on the front lines became mainly small-scale battles, with large-scale operations becoming increasingly rare.

The two grenadier regiments of the Kingdom of Burnia proved their fighting prowess, repelling several Holy Army attacks as the main force on the northern front. The Enfield and Martini-Henry rifles they purchased from the Amerlane arms market proved to be worthwhile, and the Maxim machine guns they bought at great expense slaughtered several battalions of Holy Army soldiers. They persisted in fighting until the Holy Army's supply lines were completely cut off by the Amerlane naval air force.

Of course, the support from the Emerald merchant fleet was equally important. It was the government, foreign trade, and private orders that got the arms dealers running, continuously transporting bullets and munitions to Naples. The Roman People's Army, armed with foreign trade and semi-retired rifles of various models, was able to stabilize the front line.

The pilot aimed the aperture of the onboard gyroscope's optical sight at the ground, where the still-shaken Holy Army soldiers were firing their Hammer breech-loading rifles at the F4U fighters in the sky.

Even anti-aircraft guns have a hard time hitting fighter planes, let alone breech-loading rifles. The pilot of Red No. 5 pulled the trigger, and all six M3 aircraft machine guns opened fire at once, immediately suppressing the ground fire. Then, four HVAR rockets whizzed past under the wings.

The six machine guns on both sides of the wings carved two trails of dust on the dirt road, like sharp blades slicing through the earth. The unfortunate Holy Army soldiers who were hit were immediately cut in two. The M3 aircraft machine gun had a higher rate of fire than the M2 Browning currently in service, and the .50 armor-piercing incendiary rounds would not give the target any chance of survival.

Blood danced and limbs flew through the air. Large-caliber bullets snapped everything in their path. The horses and cattle of the transport convoy were not spared either. Just as Alice had done with the Hotchkiss machine guns that she had set up on the banks of the Rhine, the M3 aircraft machine guns were equally ferocious.

Subsequently, four high-speed air-launched rockets roared into the target. These mass-produced rockets were as simple to use as their predecessors. They were 174 cm long and 127 mm in diameter, with a warhead containing 3.4 kg of TNT. The rockets exploded immediately upon impact, destroying the cargo on the wooden wagon.

This was only the firepower of the lead aircraft, Red No. 5. Less than ten seconds later, the wingman, Red No. 4, swooped down in the same manner, aiming at the remaining cargo of the transport team. The pilot aimed the aperture at the carts and livestock and pulled the trigger.

"Red Five calling Essex, strike mission complete. Enemy convoy visually destroyed. Now withdrawing from the combat zone towards coordinates 3-1. Repeat. Target destroyed. Now withdrawing from the combat zone towards coordinates 3-1."

Such attacks were happening every moment. The only road leading to Naples was relentlessly bombed by the Amerlane naval air force, and for a time, it was even called the "Highway of Death" by the Holy Army.

The road was riddled with craters, mangled limbs, animal carcasses, destroyed cargo, and burned wooden carts.

For a time, the Bishop of Lazio in the rear was completely unable to contact the Holy Army at the front, and most of the messenger cavalry sent out were attacked by the naval air force.

"The survivors report that the demon planes are constantly threatening the road, Your Excellency. We can no longer use that road. Of the transport convoys we sent out, only a small fraction survived and reached the front lines..."

"Furthermore, messengers can't take the main roads either, as the demons' air force will attack them as well. I think the only way is to take the back roads, those mountain trails..."

"You don't need to tell me! But road transport was already insufficient to support the soldiers fighting on the front lines, and now it's even worse... Damn demons! They deserve to die! I knew they meant no good! Damn saint! He desecrated the land of the goddess!!"

"Pass down the order: recruit more believers, mobilize more transport teams, and take the back roads! Now, clear the way for messengers to be sent to the front lines!"

"Yes, Lord Bishop!"