Arc of Gunfire

Chapter 251 Prelude to Counterattack (Update 15/33)

General Mao Qi, the initiator of everything here, was cursing: "Why don't we just stop blowing up the Summer Palace now!"

"Report to the general, there are no more artillery shells." The grenadier division commander looked helpless, "This is our last inventory."

Mao Qi cursed Proscen, and then changed the subject: "Can I enter Ye Castle within tomorrow?"

Grenadier Division Commander: "No, General. You have seen it yourself. From the front of us to Yebao, there is a fortified area, which is densely populated by Ant people."

"But I saw that they were just militiamen! The equipment was very crude!" General Moltke said.

Grenadier Division Commander: "General, in my personal feeling, what the militiamen lack is just combat literacy and equipment, but they have a very tenacious will to fight.

"Of course, if it is a normal situation, we can beat ten of these militiamen one by one. But this is not a normal situation, general. We only have sufficient ammunition for small arms. All artillery, even 20mm machine gun shells, are insufficient.

"And the troops are very hungry and are looting - I mean, taking food. There's no way we can get into the Leaf Castle unless we get supplies."

Mao Qi sighed: "Okay, send a report to the base camp, saying that we only need to invest one more division of reserves to attack Ye Fort!"

After saying that, he turned around and once again faced the winter scenery of Yebao outside the window. He paused for a while before picking up the telescope: "Let me take one last look at this city. One last look."

————

At the headquarters of Army Group Center in Plossen, Field Marshal von Pogg and his officers were studying the map.

At this time, the door of the headquarters was opened, and a staff officer came in with a corporal and a radio.

The marshal looked at the two of them curiously: "What's wrong?"

Staff Officer: "I think you should hear this."

As he said this, he made a gesture, and the corporal placed the radio on the table, connected it to the power supply directly connected to the generator car, and then pressed the switch.

Amid the static, a voice read something in Ant.

Field Marshal von Pogg: "Let's translate it."

The staff officer who brought the people in translated: "This morning, His Majesty the Tsar died of illness in grief because he missed His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who died for his country too much."

The staff's translation made the old Junker noble general present frown slightly, because even though he was the emperor of the enemy, he should not use words so casually.

But no one brought it up.

The staff member continued to translate: "In view of the current special circumstances, the Crown Princess Olga Nikolayevna Antonovna will inherit the throne, and the ceremony will be simple."

Prosen's generals looked at each other.

Marshal von Pogg took off his monocle: "Could this mean... he was killed? Contact the Second Armored Group quickly to confirm whether they shelled Ye Fort!"

————

Wang Zhong was trying to plan a counterattack at this time, so he found the gunner Alexander: "How is the situation of the armored battalion?"

Alexander pointed at the tanks parked in the woods: "See for yourself, there are only eight tanks that can be dispatched, and the rest are being repaired. Although the enemy is in a miserable situation, counterattack with eight tanks is still a bit shabby, right?"

Wang Zhong: "You can see that I want to fight back?"

"Otherwise why do you ask how many more tanks are there?"

Wang Zhong looked around and happened to see Eugene roasting his leggings, so he went over and asked, "How is the situation of the infantry?"

"Defense is difficult enough. We have a soldier who likes to collect the armbands of killed Prossens from different units. He has collected 9 different armbands. We are sitting here now because the enemy's artillery is not powerful. Yes." Eugene spread his hands.

And Captain Andre, who was sent as a military staff officer to the miner Eugene, said: "We are all like this. If we change to another army, we would have collapsed long ago. That group of Prossens have moved forward for only one obsession, and they are so fanatical. very."

Wang Zhong: "Now you can't spare any troops to cooperate with the tanks for counterattack, right?"

Eugene pointed at the 3rd Battalion of the 31st Regiment in the distance who had just switched defenses: "Go and ask them. They have only withstood two charges, so they should still have some strength left."

Wang Zhong shook his head: "No, you guys stay safe here. I'd better go back to the headquarters to see if I can get some troops from above."

As he spoke, he whistled, and Bucephalas came flying towards him.

Wang Zhong jumped on the horse and started running at full speed.

To be honest, it was horribly cold to run at full speed on horseback in this weather.

Even if his whole body was wrapped tightly, his face would still be exposed. Now Wang Zhong felt that his face was moving forward against the blade, constantly being baptized.

If you continue like this, you will definitely experience vicissitudes of life.

When he arrived at the division headquarters, Wang Zhong felt that the atmosphere was a little strange.

He handed the reins to the groom and got into the division headquarters bunker. He saw that everyone in the division headquarters was very serious, surrounding a radio, and something was being broadcast on the radio.

Wang Zhong joked: "What, Ant is going to be disbanded? Nicholas V will no longer be the Tsar based on principled considerations?"

Pavlov: "Pretty much."

Wang Zhong: "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you... huh? Pretty much?"

Vasily: "Your Majesty passed away because he missed the prince too much."

Wang Zhong frowned: "This... was killed by shelling or bombing?"

Or……

Then the phone rang.

Pavlov's conditioned reflex wanted to answer, but he immediately stopped and looked at Wang Zhong and made a "please" gesture.

Wang Zhong picked up the receiver: "I'm Rokossov, please speak."

"Alyosha!" Olga was on the other end of the phone, "Did you listen to the radio?"

Wang Zhong: "I'm listening. What's going on?"

From there came Olga's voice asking someone else: "This phone call won't leak the secret, will it?"

Then a voice answered: "No, we are all along the line."

Olga: "That's right, my father went crazy and shouted that we couldn't fight and had to surrender. At that time, the Summer Palace had just been shelled, and many people came to rescue him. He was shouting like this, and everyone listened. arrive."

Then Olga vaguely heard someone add: "At least 2,000 people heard it, and 5,000 people may have heard it. It is basically impossible to keep it secret."

Olga: "So the current strategy is to announce the sad death first, and I will give a speech later to stabilize the morale of the army. The most important thing now is, will the counterattack you promised come?"

Wang Zhong: "Give me the troops and I can counterattack now. The enemy has even used up their artillery shells. Now we launch a counterattack and can annihilate all the enemies in Kalanskaya. When the temperature drops to minus 40 degrees, the enemy will The situation will be even worse.”

Olga looked relieved: "Can you fight back? Great! After we repel the enemy from the gate of the leaf castle and accumulate a certain number of prisoners, we will boost morale by distributing photos of these prisoners in large quantities. After that, we can officially announce the cause of my father’s death.”

Wang Zhong: "Don't the nobles object?"

"That's the problem. Ye Castle is now under martial law, and surrenderers are being searched everywhere. Please, we must drive the enemy away from the gate of Ye Castle! I will ask General Turgenev to tell you the details."

————

Headquarters of Army Group Center.

Marshal von Pogg was high-spirited: "Everyone! Victory is in sight! Although it is a little more difficult than the Carolingians, it is only a little more difficult.

"This difficulty mainly comes from distance, bad weather and cold. The Ant people have nothing to fear.

"Now we just need to put in and put in the final reserves to end the war!"

"We can transfer three more divisions from Walter Mendel's Ninth Army to the Second Armored Group, and the positions are just right." said the Chief of Staff of the Army Group.

Marshal von Pogg nodded: "Even if Mendel doesn't want to, we have to draw these three divisions. When can these three divisions go on the offensive?"

"The day after tomorrow in the afternoon." said the chief of staff.

Von Pogg nodded: "Very good, the last blow. The outcome of the war depends on who puts in the last battalion of reserves. We put in three divisions. Ant, who is currently in chaos, will definitely not be able to resist!"

————

General Turgenev: "We have two armies here that have been reorganized from broken troops. In terms of armor strength, there is the newly formed First Assault Army.

"Of course, in principle, we cannot let one major general command so many troops, so we decided to appoint you as the acting commander of the First Assault Group Army."

Wang Zhong is a major general, generally commanding a division, or serving as a staff officer or deputy in the army, but he can also command the army by adding an agent.

By the way, due to the serious losses of senior officers, the newly formed group army does not have a corps-level organization, and the following are divisions.

It would be okay for Wang Zhong, who was about to be promoted to lieutenant general, to command under the title of acting agent.

However, there's a problem.

Wang Zhong: "Without my staff team, it would be difficult for me to command a division."

"You don't want to command the First Assault Army?"

Wang Zhong: "I mean, with so many troops, it's enough to give me a tank division and an infantry division. Use our artillery. We guarantee to break through the enemy's defense line and cut off Kalanskaya's entrenched territory. Enemy supply lines.

"The remaining troops can be handed over to Kirinenko. His staff team is large enough and can be commanded."

Turgenev was silent for a second: "You are much better than I thought, so I will do as you say. Originally we were planning to return the replenished cavalry army to him. The tank division you want will be sent to you. , as for the infantry division, use your Guards First Red Flag Mechanized Infantry Division."

Wang Zhong: "We have already suffered a lot of losses in the mincing, and our division only has two infantry regiments."

Turgenev: "Your division's reinforcements will arrive this evening. Remember to pick them up at the train station. I wish you a smooth counterattack tomorrow. By the way, I suggest you have an extra meal today, some beef stew with potatoes, so that you can entertain the old man in the evening." friend."

Wang Zhong frowned slightly: "Old friend?"

It's been hung up over there.

Wang Zhong put down the phone and looked at everyone in the bunker.

Vasily: "Should we salute you now? Your Highness."

Wang Zhong: "No, stop making trouble. We will be replenished tonight, and a tank division is coming. The tank division is probably the kind of division that has nothing but tanks. Counterattack tomorrow."

After speaking, Wang Zhong frowned: "Why is the wind so strong? What's the matter with the wind?"

Vasily: "No, isn't it normal for strong winds to blow at this time? After all, it's the 16th."

As soon as he finished speaking, a snowflake the size of a goose feather floated into the bunker, spinning to the ground under the gaze of everyone.

Wang Zhong turned around and ran out of the bunker, looking up at the heavy snowflakes flying in the sky.

General Winter is here.