Arc of Gunfire

Prosen Army, Ninth Army Headquarters.

Three generals with red collars and one colonel without red collars were playing cards.

Yes, despite the gunfire outside, they were playing cards.

At this time, the communications staff came in, stood at attention and saluted: "Lieutenant General Siegfried Giles of the Asgard First Army asked about the progress of our attack."

The one in the middle among the three generals raised his head and adjusted his monocle: "Don't he know that the attack was not commanded by me? We should ask our 'Lightning Hero' about the status of the attack. Promotional photo Is this how he is promoted?”

The young brigadier general next to him said: "It's the 'Blitz Hero', Your Excellency General."

"Oh yes, Blitz Hero. I just asked my infantry troops to accompany the tank attack."

Communications Staff Officer: "Then this is how we reply?"

"No," Lieutenant General Walter Mendel stood up and looked at the map. "Replying directly like this seems too slight to His Majesty the Emperor's favorite. So what is the progress of the various ministries now?"

The staff officers responsible for updating the map turned to look at the lieutenant general: "At least there is no progress on the map."

Walter Mendel came to the map, observed it carefully, and snorted: "It's exactly the same as in the morning! So we finally hit a nail? What about the promised enemy that will collapse like an avalanche?"

"When I went to the Army Group headquarters, Field Marshal von Pogg was writing his diary and reading it to me, saying: 'The enemy is collapsing at an alarming rate and the war will be over in three months.'"

Mendel turned his head, pointed at the map and said to the others: "Because three months are over and everyone is trying to grab credit, so I even lost the right to command my own army group."

After venting, Mendel turned to the communications staff: "Tell Lieutenant General Giles that we are making no progress. No--progress!"

After the communications staff officer took the order and left, the eldest general among the generals playing cards - Mendel's chief of staff said: "The headquarters estimates that we have eliminated 40% of the enemy's total strength. According to this estimate, as long as we continue After killing about one million people, Ant will have no more soldiers left to fight.

"And now at Fort St. Andrew in the north, there are at least 700,000 people contained there. In other words, as long as we eliminate another 300,000 people, the enemy's defense line will collapse."

Mendel looked at the map: "The headquarters also estimates that there are at most one million people on our front, and the troops invested in the entire Typhoon operation are 1.8 million, and the battle strength is 180 to 100. The advantage is ours. But on the first day of the attack, the enemy's defense line did not move at all. "

Old Chief of Staff: "It shows that the enemy's fortifications are very good. But as the heavy artillery and aviation attacks continue, the fortifications will gradually be consumed, the enemy will suffer casualties, and we will be able to capture it."

Mendel stared at the map for a while and said, "I hope so. I hope so."

————

The headquarters of the First Army of the Asgardian Knights of the Prosen Army.

Siegfried Gilais put down the telegram and sighed.

At this time, the chief of staff reported to him: "The third wave of attacks has been organized. Do you want to set off?"

Giles looked at his watch: "It's almost seven o'clock, why is the formation so slow?"

"Because you asked the division headquarters to move their positions." said the chief of staff. "No one can move and organize an attack at the same time. I think it is good to be able to complete it now, attack?"

Gil-Ais Map: "If we start now, it may get dark in the middle of the battle. Even if we attack the city on the east coast, we will have to fight at night. No, we can't fight the enemy at night in terrain they are familiar with. That's it for today. Let the artillery fire, let's end the day with artillery fire."

"Yes." The chief of staff turned and left.

Feliz stood next to Giles: "The entire southern line is unimpressed. Although there is progress on the northern line, it is not as rapid as it was at the beginning."

"The enemy is getting stronger." Giles said in a low voice, "Let the engineering troops start soil work."

Feliz: "Is it soil work? Do we have to dig tunnels and detonate explosives like we did in the trench warfare era?"

Giles: "Just in case, we are making secondary preparations. Tomorrow we will change the attack method. The enemy has advantages in armor and fortifications. Judging from today's situation, the exchange ratio with the enemy's anti-tank guns is too bad. ”

Feliz: "Would you like to see the tank that came back after being shot?"

Giles nodded: "Go and have a look. We won't be attacking tonight anyway, so it's okay to leave the headquarters."

————

First Army Field Armor Maintenance Factory.

When Giles appeared, the technicians and tank crews present were surprised and quickly saluted.

"Don't be nervous," Giles waved his hand, "I have just commanded this army, and you are not familiar with me yet. As time goes by, you will understand that I am a child of civilians just like you. I just happened to know each other in the military school. It’s just His Majesty the Emperor.”

He turned the topic to the tanks being repaired: "How is the condition of the tanks? Are there any tanks where the caliber of the enemy's armor-piercing projectiles can be clearly seen?"

"Yes, there is a car with a bullet in the turret here." The director of the maintenance shop said immediately, "It is the car numbered 331. You see, the front of the turret was hit, and then the projectile went out from the back of the turret. The three in the turret Everyone was dead, but the driver and the electromechanical crew came back with the tank."

Giles carefully looked at the bullet holes on the front of the turret: "It doesn't look like a 45mm gun."

"It's not 76 millimeters. We estimate the caliber of the shell to be between 50 and 60 millimeters. Considering their habits, it might be 57 millimeters."

Giles turned to look at Feliz: "Does the Ant Army have an anti-tank gun of this caliber according to the weapon list? Is the penetrating power so strong?"

"No." Feliz said firmly without even checking the equipment list, "It's a new weapon that we don't know about—I mean, a new weapon that the headquarters doesn't know about."

Giles nodded and asked: "Since the holes in the front and rear of the cannonball are so neat, it means that the cannonball itself did not leave many fragments. Why are all the people in the turret dead?"

Maintenance director: "The armor inside the turret deformed and then collapsed, forming shrapnel that killed the people in the turret. You can tell when you come in and see that the entire area around the bullet hole collapsed."

Giles climbed up the turret and looked around the bullet holes with the help of the maintenance director.

"It seems that preventing internal collapse of armor can effectively improve the survivability of tank crews." He said, "This suggestion should be fed back to the Academy of Sciences."

Feliz: "But we definitely won't need it now."

The red-haired Lieutenant General Giles nodded: "Yes. Now we know that the enemy has a very aggressive new anti-tank gun, and it is unwise to continue shooting against this gun. Tomorrow's attack should focus on consuming the enemy's vitality."

Feliz: "How to consume it? The enemy is in a solid fortification."

"I'm thinking. I'm thinking." Giles clasped his hands behind his back and sighed.

————

At 2020 hours, the headquarters bunker of the 1st Guards Division of Shostka.

Wang Zhong put down the telescope: "It's weird, why didn't the enemy attack? They just bombarded us for more than an hour, and then it ended?"

Popov: "The enemy may not want to fight at night."

Wang Zhong: "We originally asked the troops to hurry up and eat, and planned to fight with them again in the afternoon. Now they are fine, and the food in their stomachs has not been fully digested!"

Pavlov said: "Isn't this a good thing? It can save ammunition and food. It's getting dark now. Should the bridgehead change defense? They reported that the loss is not big."

Wang Zhong: "Change. Even if the loss is not big, you have to change so that more troops can be trained. You arrange the defense changes according to the original defense change list. I think... two yaodong operations."

Two Yaodong, military timing method, this can avoid being misunderstood.

Pavlov: "Okay."

Popov smiled and said: "The first day was easier than expected. Maybe we can hold on for 20 days. The remaining question is when will it rain. I hope the Mud General can come earlier this year."

————

At 2100 hours, on the eastern outskirts of Shostka, the reserve of the 1st Guards Division and the position of the 3rd Battalion of the 5th Beshensk Regiment.

The battalion sentry suddenly saw a group of people coming from the east in a neat line in the darkness. He took out his gun and shouted: "Don't move! Which part are they from?"

The person who came immediately stopped moving, and then two people who looked like officers walked towards the guard post.

"Third Battalion, 51st Regiment, 11th Interior Guard Division."

The sentry turned around and shouted: "Platoon commander!"

The platoon leader appeared with two soldiers: "Here we come. We came when we saw people coming. Take a look at your ID and transfer order. We didn't receive an order saying you would come."

The officer of the Internal Security Division took out his ID and said, "We have a special mission. It's normal for you not to know."

After checking the documents, the platoon leader asked: "Where are the orders?"

"We have a special mission and we can't tell you!" the officer scolded, "What status do you have that you dare to interfere in the affairs of the Tribunal?"

The platoon leader was completely unmoved: "Our division commander is General Rokossov, and his gun was given to him by the Patriarch himself!"

Ever since the Major Prosen captured that day refused to be shot by Wang Zhong's pistol, there have been many legends related to that pistol in the First Guards Division.

The officer of the Internal Guard Division was furious: "Are you trying to protect a traitor?"

"There are no traitors in our division! Andre, put up the machine guns! Call the division headquarters and say that a group of very suspicious internal security divisions are here!"

Suddenly, two people rushed out of the shadows and wiped the necks of the two soldiers led by the platoon leader.

At first, the sentry was shocked and shot directly.

After the gunfire, the entire reserve team was alerted.

The "soldiers of the Internal Guard Division" immediately formed a battle formation and rushed to the position.

The whole position was filled with gunfire.

————

Wang Zhong was having dinner when he heard gunshots and raised his head: "Coming from the east?"

He zoomed in and saw that there was a firefight symbol on his unit's symbol to the east.

But because there is no direct communication, I cannot see the specific situation.

Wang Zhong was very calm: "Call up the guards at the airport, the artillery regiment, the anti-aircraft artillery and the Shenjian company, and put them on alert. No one is allowed to approach. Then call Eugene and ask him to find out what happened to the third battalion. Yes, who are you fighting with?"