Arc of Gunfire

Jules 914, early morning on July 23rd.

Senior officers of the 151st Provisional Infantry Division gathered at the entrance of the division to watch the first wave of leading teams set off.

The main tasks of this force are to requisition houses in Olga, prepare residences for subsequent arriving troops, and communicate with local churches and municipal authorities.

Wang Zhong told Popov, who was leading the team: "We must have a good relationship with the church! We only have more than 10,000 non-combatants, which is definitely not enough. My defense plan requires a lot of labor, so the church must organize enough labor!" "

Wang Zhong has understood that the Ant Empire needs to rely on the church to mobilize the lower levels. The church has penetrated into every corner of the empire through affordable food stores and various service societies.

In comparison, the imperial nobles really stretch their hips.

Popov: "You plan to practice your kind of tank bunker? That really requires a lot of labor."

After all, the tank bunker Wang Zhong wants to dig can fit the entire tank inside, and the amount of soil work is unusually large.

Wang Zhong: "It's up to you. We have to rely on such a few tanks to stop an enemy armored group. This is the only way."

Popov gave a thumbs up: "Okay, leave it to me."

After speaking, he gestured to the driver: "Let's go!"

So the leading team, a total of five jeeps and trucks, set off.

On the last truck was a large pile of wooden signs, which were used to guide the way on the road.

Wang Zhong watched them go away, and when he turned around, he saw the troops preparing to set off.

When a large force enters, it is not like a small force like the vanguard that can be completed with just five vehicles. The large force must decide on the order of march, distribute marching maps, arrange dedicated personnel to command at intersections and other places where the road is easy to get sidetracked, and form a team to help stragglers along the way. Squad blah blah blah.

Moreover, this time the armored troops had to drive through on tracks, and a vehicle might break down in the middle, which would require a mobile emergency repair team sitting in a truck.

In short, it is really a technical job to ensure that a large unit like the 151st Division, which is considered a strengthened division by Ant Army standards, marches 100 kilometers to an unfamiliar city.

This job is a great test of the abilities of Chief of Staff Pavlov and his division.

Instead, Wang Zhong, the division commander, could serve as a hands-off storekeeper. When the troops set out, his task would be to ride around in Busivaras in the troops' marching queue to boost their morale.

Thinking of Buscephalas, Wang Zhong decided to go to the stables to see this beloved horse.

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The 151st Provisional Infantry Division does not have the term "mechanization" in its characterization, so it has relatively free logistics, with trucks and mules and horses.

But if machinery is added and it becomes a mechanized infantry division, then according to the current rigid dogma of the Ant Empire, the entire division can only be supplied by trucks - who calls you a mechanized infantry division!

For the Ant Empire, whose industry is generally relatively weak, this will be a disaster: there will simply not be enough trucks.

There are currently about 4,000 mules and horses in the 151st Division, and almost the same number of horse-drawn carriages. There are also 3,000 coachmen driving the horses, in addition to hundreds of support staff responsible for taking care of the horses, such as veterinarians, blacksmiths who shoe horses, etc.

The stables were bustling with horses. Fortunately, the Duke raised his own horses so the stables were very large. Otherwise, these horses would have to sleep in the open air at night.

Seeing Wang Zhong come in, Bucephalas was very excited. It might have smelled the scent of departure, and kept pumping its hooves and hitting the horse stall with all its strength.

Wang Zhong stroked the horse's neck and said softly: "Okay, I'll let you run as long as you can today. You have to walk a hundred kilometers! Two days!"

Another problem with the march was that there was a camp in the middle, which was a lot of trouble. When he thought of this, Wang Zhong felt a little sympathetic to Pavlov, and he didn't know if he had enough additional staff officers and clerks.

Anyway, Wang Zhong himself is determined to be the hands-off shopkeeper - oh no, it's called "leaving professional things to professionals".

At this time, Busifaras calmed down under Wang Zhong's touch, then he picked up Wang Zhong's big cap and threw it aside, and began to nibble on Wang Zhong's hair.

What the hell is wrong with this horse?

I didn't wash my hair for a long time because of the battle, so maybe there's a smell that horses like. Now my head is washed by Lyudmila, and it only smells of perfume! After washing, Lyudmila even helped me apply hair wax!

Do horses like fragrances and pomades?

As soon as Wang Zhong thought this, Busifaras shook his head, spat on the ground twice, and then distanced himself from Wang Zhong's hair.

Haha, you’ve got some essence and hair wax! Deserve it!

Wang Zhong bent down to pick up the big cap, patted the dust on it and put it back on. At this moment, the air raid siren sounded.

"The air raid on Agsukov is finally here..." Wang Zhong muttered, leaving the stable in three steps and looking up at the sky.

Cut to an overhead perspective, and you can clearly see about thirty bombers and almost the same number of escort fighters.

Looking at the flight direction of the fleet, Wang Zhong speculated that the bombers' targets were train stations, locomotive repair stations, and locomotive dispatching stations. They obviously hoped to break the resistance of Ant's army by attacking logistics and transportation.

Unfortunately, in a country as vast as Ante, it is almost impossible to completely cut off railway transportation by relying on the air force alone.

In such a vast space, Proson's attack aircraft finally found a train. After recording the results of the attack, he looked at the fuel meter: Oh!

While Wang Zhong was looking at the sky and thinking deeply, a messenger rushed over on horseback and shouted to Wang Zhong from a distance: "General Rokossov, the chief of staff asked me to inform you that we can set off immediately."

At this time, the sound of enemy bombs falling to the ground was heard in the distance.

Wang Zhong: "Let's set off now? No swearing-in meeting or something?"

The messenger looked stunned: "What swearing-in meeting?"

Well, there is no such tradition here.

He thought that there was real "divine power" here, so before setting out to kill the heretics, there should be a gorgeously dressed archbishop who would come to say Mass or something, right?

Then the nun sister recited the Emperor's sayings while using flames to purify all heresy.

Wang Zhong put away his thoughts and said to the messenger: "I'll be there right away."

The orderly soldier saluted, turned his horse's head and left - because of the special nature of his profession, the orderly soldier could ignore some of the red tape of the army, such as the need to dismount first to salute a superior who is not riding a horse.

After watching the messenger leave, Wang Zhong looked back at his old buddy and suddenly thought: "Can I saddle you up this time?"

Bucephalas immediately shook his head, clearly expressing his refusal. Apparently he also knew that Wang Zhong didn't know how to saddle a horse, so he could do it by force.

Wang Zhong: "Okay, okay, Gregory! Come and saddle him up!"

Hearing Gregory's name, Buscephalus calmed down.

Gregory stepped forward: "General, the saddle is actually very easy to put on. I can teach you."

Wang Zhong: "Okay, teach me quickly."

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At 1210 hours on July 23, 1914, Wang Zhong rode Busifaras and drove out of the temporary garrison of the 151st Division with his own troops.

Old Rokosov stood at the door of the manor with several maids to see them off - most of the maids had been evacuated. Duke Rokosov still had a manor east of the distant Raoul Mountain, and the maids had all been sent there. Went to engage in agricultural labor.

When Wang Zhong passed by the old Duke, he saluted him.

The old man returned the favor happily, and then made a "victory gesture", which was the masterpiece of the war prime minister of the United Kingdom of the World.

Wang Zhong also smiled and made the same "victory gesture".

Later, he walked far away, and when he looked back, he could still see the old Duke standing at the door, looking in his direction.

Finally, Wang Zhong rode around the corner on Busivaras, and neither the iron gate of the manor nor the old father at the door could be seen anymore.

But someone in front called him: "Alyosha!"

Wang Zhong turned his head and saw the crown prince standing on an extremely luxurious imported sports car. He made a trumpet with his hands in front of his mouth and shouted: "Alyosha! Have a good trip!"

To be honest, although the crown prince is a dandy, he is really good to his brothers. So Wang Zhong also shouted: "Take care! Your Highness!"

He thought for a while and felt that this was not obvious enough, so he said it clearly: "Go back to St. Yekaterinburg as soon as possible!"

Crown Prince: "Why are you asking me to return to Yekaterinburg while you are fighting hard! No, I was appointed by my father to supervise the army!"

Wang Zhong: "Your Highness!"

This place will soon be surrounded - Wang Zhong cannot say such words that can easily shake the morale of the army, at least not in such a public place.

When he hesitated, the crown prince shouted: "This is for you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Crown Prince threw something towards Wang Zhong, which reflected golden light in the sun.

Wang Zhong barely caught the thing, only to realize that it was a ring with a seal that had been used once before. The red color of the ink pad still remained in the gap on the front of the ring.

Wang Zhong: “I can’t hold this!”

"Take care of Olga!" the crown prince replied with such an erroneous sentence.

Wang Zhong was thinking about the meaning of this sentence, but found that the crown prince stopped waving. He stood in the back seat of the limousine, looking lonely and determined.

The summer sun streamed down from above his head.