Arc of Gunfire

On November 4, the reconnaissance company of the headquarters of the 1st Guards Mechanized Infantry Division.

Company Commander Koshkin rode the bay-red horse he brought from home and led the small reconnaissance team all the way up the hill.

On the plain close to Yebao, although the terrain is still plain, there are more hills, unlike the grassland of Kozalia, which only has earthen patches.

Some of these hills can be several hundred meters higher than the flat ground, but the slope is relatively gentle, so even tanks can drive up them.

Koshkin rushed to the top of the mountain, raised his telescope and looked to the west.

At this time, his men suddenly rushed down the mountain, pointed their submachine guns at the bushes, and shouted: "Who is it! Come out!"

After shouting twice, several men wearing military hats stood up tremblingly in the bushes.

"Which part?" The scout tried hard to control the restless horse, keeping his submachine gun pointed at these people.

The leading sergeant straightened his hat and said loudly: "We are from the 180th Provisional Infantry Division. Our division has been defeated. They are all running backwards. We can't find the division headquarters or the battalion commander, so we can only Keep walking east hoping to encounter troops.”

Scout: "Your ID!"

"Look at my pocket." The sergeant showed the pocket of his autumn military uniform. "It was knocked off by shrapnel. They should have ID."

As soon as he finished speaking, a corporal took out his ID: "I have it."

Then two privates: "Me too."

"I don't know where I threw my ID."

"My shirt was snatched away by Prosen soldiers during the fight! My ID and my fiancée's photo were all taken away, damn it!"

The sergeant made a "quiet" gesture and said to the scout with a serious face: "We have not betrayed, we are willing to continue to fight with the Japanese! Please don't shoot our families! We just haven't found the officers and don't know what to do." Dry!"

At this time Koshkin also rode down the hillside: "How do I know you are not the enemy's spies?"

"My family is in Ermsk! I am a genuine Ant person! There are five people in my family!" the sergeant said loudly, "You can check it out!"

The corporal who just said he had documents whispered: "If you tell your family members, the inquisitor will go find them!"

The sergeant glared at the corporal: "Isn't it the same thing if you showed your ID to others? No, whether we can survive and whether our families can survive depends on whether we can find a kind-hearted commander!"

"Okay!" Koshkin said, "You are lucky this time! Because we are Rokossov's troops, the general will give you fair treatment!"

————

"As for the issue of deserters and defeated troops," Wang Zhong looked at the other people in the bunker, "I think we can hold a meeting. Everyone will identify the person who led the escape. We will shoot the person who led the escape. The remaining people will form a punishment camp and execute the final execution. A dangerous mission to prove their determination to fight the enemy."

Popov shook his head: "No, no, we are the Guards. We cannot use the name Punishment Camp. It will make people think that we have also added labor reform prisoners and death row prisoners."

Wang Zhong thought for a while: "Then call it the assault battalion. Let them receive training in using new anti-tank grenades. During the battle, they will be responsible for blowing up enemy tanks."

Pavlov: "With only anti-tank grenades, if they mutiny on the battlefield, it won't cause much damage. I support this. Yesterday, we captured 700 broken soldiers. Such troops need to be utilized."

Wang Zhong raised his eyebrows slightly: "700? That much?"

"Yes, the troops that have been in contact with the enemy recently are all inexperienced, and even the officers are inexperienced. Once the officers are killed, the troops will retreat." Pavlov shook his head, "We have recently added some The overall situation of injured veterans is not bad, but there are very few troops that can be supplemented by veterans.”

Wang Zhong: "The wounded soldiers have begun to return to the army..."

"Yes, it has been four months since the war started, General." Pavlov looked at Wang Zhong, "It has been four months."

Then the headquarters became quiet.

After a while, Popov stood up: "I'm going to organize a punishment camp - an assault camp, and let the inquisitors shoot the culprits according to the soldiers' identification."

After Popov left, Pavlov asked Wang Zhong: "The enemy is advancing faster. Maybe we will be penetrated before General Dong comes."

Wang Zhong looked at the enemy's charging arrow on the map. If he only looked at the map, the arrow was only three times the distance of a circle plan from the place name Ekaterina Fort.

At this time, the communications staff officer came in and saluted: "An urgent message from the Western Front Headquarters."

Pavlov took the telegram, looked at it, raised his head and said to Wang Zhong: "Markikov has been occupied. The enemy is less than 100 kilometers away from Yebao."

Wang Zhong came to the battle line map and looked at it for a few seconds before asking: "Where's the weather forecast?"

Pavlov: "It won't snow in the next week, and the probability of snow in the next two weeks is only 40%. But now the temperature is close to zero, and it's going to freeze."

Wang Zhong frowned, it was at least two weeks before General Dong arrived.

The enemy has advanced to within 100 kilometers of Yebao.

The real tough battle is coming.

Wang Zhong: "Continue to conduct investigations."

At this time, another staff officer came in with a telegram: "Report, telegram from the Western Front Headquarters."

Pavlov took it over and looked at it: "The Western Front is preparing to launch a counterattack. Strange, why should this be given to us? We are just a division headquarters."

He looked up at the communications officer: "Are you sure this was sent to us?"

"Yes, there is an identification code in the header of the telegram, and it was indeed sent directly to us."

Pavlov looked at Wang Zhong: "This... really treats you as a prince. Do you want to take a look at it?"

Wang Zhong took the telegram and glanced at it: "Nonsense, there is no word to ask for our opinion. Call back and say that we understand."

After the communications staff officer left, Pavlov said: "The current commander of the Western Front, Marshal Semyon, is a general trusted by the Tsar. Although he is not favored, he is basically consistent with His Majesty. I guess the princess may have spent the night here. They over-interpreted it.”

Wang Zhong frowned: "What's going on with these people? The enemy has rushed 100 kilometers near the capital, and they are still engaging in these palace plots? These insects are hanging together - forget it."

Wang Zhong thought to himself that he had no plans to get rid of the pests now, so it was useless to say this.

Vasily suddenly rushed in, holding a radio: "Everyone, come and listen!"

As he said this, he turned on the radio, but found that there was no sound, so he slapped the back of the radio hard.

Pavlov took the radio, put it on the table, and then hit it with a knife, almost splitting the radio.

Then the sound came out, it was "Eating Sand", no, "The Last Courage".

Don't tell me, after adding the unique static interference noise of the radio, the song has a different flavor.

Vasily: "I only sent it back a week ago! It's on the radio now!"

Pavlov looked at the radio: "It's a pity that I'm tired of hearing it. Every time I go to the toilet, they sing 'I have one last grenade, you beasts will give you a taste of it'."

Wang Zhong smiled: "Isn't this a good thing? If just a song can make the soldiers have the courage to fight to the end, then it would be too simple."

At this time, the song on the radio finished, and the announcer came out and said: "This song was written by General Rokossov based on his feelings during the battle in Upper Penier, where he was in a desperate situation and his troops fought until only a few hundred people were left. , but he destroyed two hundred enemy tanks!"

Wang Zhong: "Shit! Most of the 200 vehicles are due to the KV crew! I only destroyed eight vehicles, that's all!"

He was furious when an air raid siren came from outside.

Wang Zhong hurried to the observation port of the bunker and looked at the sky from a different angle.

From an overhead perspective, he heard the phone call in the bunker, probably from Brother Peter.

After answering the phone, Pavlov reported: "Brother Peter heard two heavy bombers flying towards us escorted by eight 109s."

Wang Zhong switched back to the perspective of the bunker: "What's going on? Only two?"

"Yes."

Wang Zhong had a vague premonition.

He observed again from an overhead perspective and finally found the formation.

Two heavy bombers - Fritz X hanging under the belly!

Wang Zhong: "Diversion of the Divine Arrow Company! Don't fire!"

Pavlov immediately picked up the receiver: "Receive the Divine Arrow Company! Stop the air defense alert and move quickly!"

Wang Zhong's perspective moved back to his unit's position and found the Divine Arrow Company. He watched the villain run out of the bunker covered with camouflage nets, jump on his motorcycle and run away.

Well, the motorcycle captured by the enemy in the Shostka raid is still in use!

After confirming that all the Divine Arrow Company had been transferred, Wang Zhong paid attention to the enemy's formation again.

Strangely, the enemy formations are all flying at high altitudes. The Divine Arrow Company cannot fire at this altitude, and the range is out of reach.

So what exactly is this-

Then Wang Zhong saw Fritz X dropping the bomb.

He was shocked, and his eyes kept chasing the bomb.

Then he saw the bomb plunge into Mr. Boyer's brick house.

Yes, it's the one where Her Royal Highness was almost allowed to live.

The room is vacant now. After all, I have fired a lot of cannons to blow up other people's pots, and I have to prevent others from blowing up my own pot.

There was a loud noise - this loud noise was heard by Wang Zhong's body. After the bunker was weakened, Wang Zhong's naked eyes - his heavenly eyes saw a huge mushroom cloud.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the mushroom cloud, but later he discovered that there was no exaggerated shock wave or light radiation, but that it was caused by too much TNT.

Mr. Boyer's brick house was demolished.

The second Fritz X fell, blowing up the church in the village—it was considered a brick building, but its roof was made of wood.

After the loud noise, the church disappeared.

After dropping the two Fritz Xs, the enemy fleet turned.

It seems that the Fritz X in the belly of the other bomber is not prepared for the Konoe Ichi.

Wang Zhong switched back to the perspective of the bunker and said to Pavlov: "We must find a way to deploy some smoke units. When enemy planes come, use smoke to obscure the high-altitude view."

The Fritz X's hit rate relied on the radio operator on board the aircraft, who sighted the target visually.

Wang Zhong: "Also check the crater to see if we can find any remaining parts of the enemy's bomb."

Pavlov: "Yes."