Arc of Gunfire

Church, Popov walked out of the church and said to the people gathered around the church: "The main force of the division is now ready to break out! They will attract the enemy's attention. We will break out from different directions with the choir, and fight with them on Shepe Tovka Rendezvous!

"Those who are willing to go with the main force of the division should go to the division headquarters, and they should be able to catch up. But in the current situation, even the main force of the division may not be able to get out.

"Separately the enemy may ignore us because we are militiamen and laborers!"

Someone in the crowd shouted: "What about the fighting camp?"

Popov: "When they come into close contact with the Prosen infantry, they are in danger. With the level of training and organization of the Skitarii, it is basically impossible to retreat from the enemy in an organized manner.

"I experienced the same thing in Loktov. Once the Skitarii come into contact with the Prosens in the city, there are only two results. The first is to maintain the will to fight until the last moment. The second is to lose the will to fight and run away in a swarm. Then he was killed by the Prosens.

"Only a handful of people can escape."

Popov paused and continued: "If the battle situation is so bad that the Skitarii are needed to fight the enemy face to face, it means that the regular army is almost finished. This is the situation now. So we can only hope that the Skitarii will fight The will can be maintained until we break through the encirclement and delay the enemy as long as possible.

"This is war. If anyone is dissatisfied with this, you can lay down your weapons and go home - you are not wearing military uniforms anyway. As for what the Proscenians will do after they occupy this place, I can only say good luck to you.

"If you don't want to place your fate on the mercy of your enemies, just come with me!"

Popov pulled out his pistol: "Let's go!"

Su Fang silently recited "Saint Andrew bless us" and then led the choir to follow Popov's footsteps.

————

At 0230 hours on August 6, Shepetovka.

Prince Myshkin coughed violently.

The orderly came up and patted him on the back, and brought him a cup of hot coffee.

The Duke stopped coughing, took a sip of coffee, and then breathed a long sigh of relief.

Then he looked at Lieutenant General Skduzheski, commander of the 10th Tank Corps: "Lieutenant General... Your Excellency, how are your troops preparing for the attack?"

Duke Myshkin is polite to everyone, and even uses honorific titles to his subordinates, so everyone is used to it.

Skoduzheski: "I received the order at 2020 yesterday to start preparations for attack, and we can set off at any time now."

"Very good." Duke Myshkin coughed again, but this time he didn't cough as much as before, "We have received a request for reinforcements from the 151st Infantry Division in Aolachi, and now we can basically determine that the enemy's second The main force of the armored group has moved south. "

Skoduzheski said happily: "Then we will attack from the front!"

"No, no, the enemy must have made defensive preparations on the front. Although it seems very tempting to break through the front enemy line and cut off the supply line of the Second Armored Group, but no, we cannot do this.

"To be precise, it can't be done. Our tank army's offensive capabilities... I have already fully experienced it, and I don't want to experience it again."

Skoduzheski frowned: "What do you mean?"

Duke Myshkin came to the map: "There are only a few enemy defensive positions between us and Orach. Obviously, the enemy is more worried about being cut off from their supply lines than us when we go to rescue Rokossov's 151st Division.

"You see, the three roads converged into an inverted shape in Orachi. The enemy only had defenses on the vertical one. Although there were troops between us and Orachi, the attention of these troops It’s all on Orachi.

"If your tank army sets off now and gallops along the road, it will surprise the enemy."

Skduzheski frowned: "Do you mean I won't launch an attack formation?"

"Yes, this way you can be sudden. You can even turn on the tank's headlights, rush to the enemy, fire flares, and then massacre the enemy."

"Is this possible?" Skoduzheski frowned, "It would be fine if we were equipped with T34. The enemy would not be able to penetrate our armor in a panic, but we are all BT series tanks!"

Duke Myshkin smiled: "BT is better, T34 may not be so sudden. This is a night race, I will allocate a regiment of infantry to you and let them sit on the tank.

"This way you will look more like troops on the move, and the enemies in Black Brundong will not be able to see the outline of the tank clearly."

Skduzheski: "But the enemy knows that their troops will not come from this direction..."

Duke Myshkin interrupted him: "Their commander may know, but how do the top soldiers below know so much? Even the Plosen Army cannot have even the grassroots officers know the overall situation clearly.

"And the enemy has been rushing south for the past two days and is very tired. Trust me, Skoduzheski! In five minutes, I will order the artillery to open fire. The bombardment will last for two hours. At this time, you must seize the time to rush over. , artillery fire will only cover enemy positions on both sides of the road.

"When you rush over, the infantry units will begin to attack."

Skoduzheski nodded: "Okay, I believe you. Then I'll set off."

Duke Myshkin: "Remember, no matter your training or equipment, you can't defeat Prosen's armored forces. This is just a rescue operation. Try to get the remaining people of the 151st Division out as much as possible, and wait for them to pass. , and return to Shepetovka.

"I will order the infantry troops to advance along the road to meet you - yes, to meet the troops. That General Rokossov can resist Orachi for so long with so few troops, he is a real defense As a combat expert, I think there will be plenty of room for him to show off in the future.

"We may have another year or even two years of strategic defense. He is crucial to us. Crucial!"

Skduzheski saluted: "Guaranteed to complete the task."

After saying that, he turned and left the headquarters.

Perhaps because he relaxed, Duke Myshkin coughed violently again.

His military bishop said worriedly: "Your health is very important. After all, you have just returned from Liechtenstein to recuperate..."

Mei Shijin waved his hand: "It's sheer nonsense that mountain air is effective for my disease. I stayed there for two years and it didn't get better at all. Of course, the air there is fresher and the scenery is better, which makes me feel a lot happier. But it’s just a happy mood.”

Chief of Staff: "Sometimes just being in a good mood can make your condition better..."

"How can I feel happy in this situation? Since I am going to die anyway, I choose to die on the battlefield." Duke Myshkin coughed a few more times and looked at the clock in the corner, "The time is up, let the artillery start. "

The chief of staff picked up the phone: "I'm the chief of staff. Let's start as planned."

————

The moment No. 422 fired, air waves swept over everyone on the tank.

Nelly pressed her boat-shaped hat with her hand and almost hid behind the turret.

Lyudmila had lost her hat a long time ago. She was half sitting on the turret, her whole body pressed against Wang Zhong.

At the intersection about a hundred meters ahead, the enemy tank burst into flames. The tank crews opened the hatch cover and got out, rolling on the ground to put out the fire.

Wang Zhong operated the anti-aircraft machine gun and ended their suffering.

"Machine gunner! Set up a machine gun at this intersection and block the intersection! Leave the traffic commander behind to guide the large forces!"

After giving the order to the infantry unit next to him, Wang Zhong pressed the microphone without stopping: "Put in high-explosive bombs. We will blow down the house in front and block the enemy's road!"

Lyudmila heard someone shouting from the hatch: "High-explosive bomb, okay!"

The next moment the cannon opened fire, and the muzzle blast tore Lyudmila's silver hair.

The building behind the destroyed tank was hit by bullets. As the support pillars were blown away, half of the building collapsed sideways, blocking most of the road at once.

The Prosens bravely crossed the intersection, only to be shot down by tanks and newly set up machine guns.

The next moment, the enemy uses their favorite smoke.

Wang Zhong: "Facing the smoke breakpoint, the enemy is also a human being and will be afraid!"

The infantry machine gunner immediately followed the instructions and fired short bursts of "big pan chicken" into the smoke. Sure enough, no new enemies rushed over.

Wang Zhong: "Belyakov, turn left, let's continue to open the road!"

The tank turned around.

The other tanks saw this and hurriedly followed suit, so the tank column began to march through the city again.

Wang Zhong: "Turn left at the intersection ahead."

Lyudmila looked at Wang Zhong in surprise: "Are you so familiar with this city?"

Wang Zhong: "I am the commander, and I am familiar with every road in this city."

At this time, the tank passed an apartment building. A woman and several children stood at the door of the apartment and looked at the tank column coldly.

Wang Zhong: "Stop!"

Belyakov immediately braked.

Wang Zhong: "Madam! Let the child get on the bus! You can follow the team!"

The woman raised her head high: "My ancestors are from Prosen!"

Nelly: "Spy! Why didn't the Inquisitor shoot her?"

The little boy who was also on the tank raised his submachine gun: "Let me kill her!"

Wang Zhong: "No, the Prosin people will not let him go, let her reap the consequences. Belyakov, move forward!"

No. 422 opened again.

Tanks passed in front of the woman one after another, followed by trucks, bullock carts, and columns of infantry on foot.

Everyone looked at the family.

The woman held her head high, showing the arrogance of a superior nation looking down on an inferior nation.

No one knows whether her ancestors were Prossen, but she was probably one.

————

After No. 422 finally left the city, Lyudmila breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Wang Zhong: "You don't look worried at all, as if you know whether there are enemies ahead!"

Wang Zhong: "Nonsense, how could I know? I'm just 100% sure of destroying the enemy, that's all. To be honest, if the enemy surrounds us without fighting, I don't know how to break out."

As soon as he finished speaking, the infantry of the 31st Regiment hidden in the woods shouted: "General! Is he a general?"

Wang Zhong: "It's me! How's the situation?"

The next moment a crowd of people stood up in the woods.

Without waiting for Wang Zhong's order, Belyakov stopped advancing.

A major ran to the tank and saluted: "We repelled the enemy's dark attack. There are more than a hundred people left in our battalion, and they are all here."

Wang Zhong: "Thank you for your hard work, I will take the lead, you can follow and retreat!"

The major saluted and turned to leave.

Wang Zhong: "Belyakov, move forward!"