Dead in Their Tracks

Dead in Their Tracks is the penultimate mission in the Chinese campaign of Command & Conquer: Generals. The mission was to eliminate a GLA stronghold in Bishkek that was supplied only by train.

Background
After the battle at Balyckhy, the GLA were on the run. Using aerial surveillance, the Chinese High Command witnessed the enemy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan using railways to deploy their troops. Deciding this was too great a threat to ignore, the Chinese High Command ordered Black Lotus to eliminate the railway bridge leading to the city. However, the large numbers of the GLA in the city, combined with the hostility of many citizens in the area itself, forced the PLA presence to keep itself small. It was essentially a commando operation.

Key units

 * Black Lotus
 * Hacker
 * Gatling tank

Infiltration
Ordering his hackers to start gathering funds immediately, the PLA Commander ordered up more troops from the barracks, along with vehicles from the war factory. Due to the nature of the operation, however, the vehicles in question were reduced to the most basic tier: Troop Crawlers, Battlemasters, Gatling and Dragon Tanks.

Occupation of the Eastern Train Station
Moving across the river using a nearby bridge, the commander discovered an Arms Dealer in the hills, and swiflty eliminated both it and the Stinger Site nearby, including Demo Traps discovered by Black Lotus.

Afterwords, PLA forces captured two GLA Supply Stashes in the area up north, using them to gather resources for their own means and enslaving the workers. However, that part of the city was also one of the drop off points for GLA infantry, forcing the commander to garrison buildings near the train station to prevent the terrorists from leaving the station and flanking their base from its undefended side.

Battles in the city
"The Chinese are trying to clear the city!... Hold them back! Kill all who oppose the GLA!"

- Rebel, saying that Chinese forces are on the verge of winning.

Meanwhile, other forces moved through the industrial area of the city. While there was no opposition there, they encountered multiple GLA patrols at the city center. Rather than engage them directly, the force tried to divert via the soccer stadium. However Angry Mobs came out from Spartak Stadium, a soccer stadium and began rampaging against the Chinese forces. Using a combination of Gatling Tanks, Dragon Tanks, and Tank Hunters, the mobs were quickly eliminated but had to resort to destroying the stadium to prevent more Angry Mob outbreaks. Unfortunately this attracted the multiple GLA patrols, which broke out into an urban fight.

While the Battlemasters engaged the GLA armor, Chinese forces moved farther up and encountered garrisoned GLA forces along with fixed emplacements of defenses and armor, leading to a pitched battle outside the central train station. Many Dragon tanks were destroyed by the RPG troopers as they burned out the garrisoned buildings and Stinger Sites.

Destruction of the target
By now the GLA had raised the alarm and sent all of their forces to kill the Chinese army. In the confusion, Black Lotus managed to cross the bridge after two Stinger Sites were destroyed and planted the explosives needed to destroy the train bridge. The explosives detonated as a GLA train was en route to the central train station. Once the train was at the middle of the mined bridge, Black Lotus triggered the explosion, destroying the bridge and sent the train plunging into the river below.

Aftermath
The crushing defeat of a major GLA stronghold coupled with the capture of Bishkek signaled that China was on the verge of crushing the GLA's Asian cell.

Tips

 * Capture the Arms Dealer near the train depot number one. Use Black Lotus to sniff out Demo Traps first.
 * Put Hackers on safe positions.
 * Prevent the Nuclear Reactor from being destroyed.
 * Garrison several buildings with infantry on the areas where the Angry Mobs will attack, in 2 directions.
 * Build a force of Gatling Tanks (to eliminate infantry) and Battlemasters (to destroy structures).
 * Garrison the civilian structures near the first train station to repulse the reinforcements.
 * Capture the 2 Supply Stashes but steal $1000 from them first.
 * Destroy the stadium first before attacking the main depot.