Arc of Gunfire

Chapter 276 Western Front Attack (Update 25/33)

December 5, 120 kilometers west of Yekaterinburg, 0400 hours.

The artillery group that had been maintaining concealment suddenly began to roar, and the sound of the artillery was like rolling spring thunder, shaking the world covered in silver.

The large amount of snow and icicles piled on the trees collapsed one after another in the sound of the artillery.

The long-planned counterattack of the Western Front began.

————

At the Western Front Command, General Tukhachev stared at his watch. When the minute hand pointed to 12, he turned his head and nodded to the Chief of Staff of the Front.

The chief of staff gave an order into the receiver: "The attacking troops are going to move out."

Tukhachev rubbed his hands excitedly and looked at the map hanging on the wall: "Rokosov said that we can only reach this line at most, and then we will stagnate. A forced attack may suffer heavy losses. We must break through this line and completely defeat the enemy!"

After the chief of staff of the front issued all the orders, he also came to the map: "Now many people think that Rokosov can bring victory, we just want to overturn this impression. Rokosov can win because the enemy has reached the end of its strength!"

Tukhachev nodded: "Yes, we must overturn this impression. Even the United States believes him and thinks that the war will last for several years."

After that, Tukhachev and everyone in the headquarters fell silent.

Perhaps a part of their hearts also told them that the war could not end so easily, but they refused to believe it - or could not believe it.

The silence lasted for a minute, and Tukhachev broke it himself: "I heard that he won the respect of most students in the military academy after only one class. Only a few nobles who were not well-educated disagreed with him. "If he continues to be the principal, the impact will be difficult to estimate. We must have a war hero of the same level." Tukhachev did not say "this hero is me." He just kept this posture and looked at the map. At this moment in the Western Front, all the generals and their troops who had close relations with Rokossov were transferred to the city with better infrastructure east of Yeburg for rest and recuperation. The "Rokossov faction" had been completely driven out of the Western Front. Even the pilots in the Air Force who praised Rokossov were all transferred to the fighter regiments around the capital. In short, as long as the Western Front can win, all this must have nothing to do with Lieutenant General Rokossov, the "Star of Victory".

If victory could be achieved.

But the specially marked line on the map was like a dark cloud pressing on Tukhachev's heart, making him breathless.

If the enemy did not collapse like an avalanche, it would indeed be possible to stop the Western Front on this line.

But how could the enemy not collapse like an avalanche? The enemy in Kalanskaya did not even have the will to resist! The enemy must have reached the end of its strength, it must be like this - no, it must be like this!

I don't know how long it took, suddenly the communications staff entered the headquarters: "Report, the First Assault Army broke through the enemy's defense line."

Tukhachev slapped his thigh hard: "Good! Let the First Assault Army capture prisoners, preferably some generals!"

————

Wang Zhong was awakened by the ringing of the phone. He raised his head from the gentle place and reached out of the quilt to pick up the receiver: "Hello?"

The voice of Vasily was on the other side of the phone: "The Western Front broke through the enemy's frontal defense line."

Wang Zhong: "What's so strange about this, it's not too late to call me after they recapture Shostka. ”

Vassily: “Shostka? Do you mean they will notify you after they cross the line you drew?”

Wang Zhong: “Is there anything unclear in my statement?”

“No, sorry to disturb your rest. See you in Prosinia.”

“See you in Prosinia.” Wang Zhong hung up the phone and buried his face in the gentle land again.

Liu Xia: “You should get up. It’s not good to stay in bed. If I let you stay in bed, it would be my dereliction of duty.”

After saying that, she pulled Wang Zhong’s quilt off.

But there was a fireplace in the room and the walls themselves were well insulated, but this little cold was not enough to wake Wang Zhong up.

Then Nellie came in at this time.

Wang Zhong shivered when she opened the door.

Lyudmila winked at Nellie, so the little maid opened the north-facing window directly, and the cold wind of minus 40 degrees rushed into the room.

Wang Zhong jumped out of the bed with cold: “Oh my god, do you want to kill me?”

Nellie: “A little bit. "

Wang Zhong sighed, turned his head to look at Lyudmila, and found that she had already put on her clothes and was going back to bed to accompany him.

Lyudmila: "Nelly, close it, it would be bad if you really get sick from the cold."

Nelly closed the window and went to the fireplace to turn over the charcoal to make the charcoal fire burn.

Lyudmila brought the military uniforms and handed them to Wang Zhong one by one.

A moment later, General Rokossov was dressed.

Someone knocked on the door.

Lyudmila responded: "Come in!"

Vassily opened the door and poked his head in first, making sure that everyone was dressed well, and then came in to salute Wang Zhong: "General, good morning!"

Wang Zhong: "How was the battle last night?"

Vassily: "The northern line is still the same. General Gorky has not been able to launch a siege, and the central line has just started a counterattack. The Prosen people on the southern line are still besieging our coastal fortress. The fortress is still holding on, firmly blocking the enemy's way to the vast southern steppe. "

Wang Zhong: "It's a stalemate across the board. It's acceptable. Is there anything I need to do militarily today?"

Vasily shrugged: "Except for giving lectures in schools and continuing to compile your teaching materials, there seems to be nothing else."

At this time, Ms. Ellie opened the door and came in, as if she had blocked the time for Vasily to complete his report.

Wang Zhong: "Do I have anything non-military to do today?"

Ms. Ellie: "You have 50 documents to review."

Wang Zhong was shocked: "Why are there so many?"

Ms. Ellie: "Because you are the only person in charge of our department, and we have to report to you every detail. I suggest you leave unimportant decisions to the people below. In fact, the first document you want to review today is It’s about the selection of heads of various departments under the committee. Once the people for these positions are decided, the number of documents you review every day will be greatly reduced.”

Wang Zhong couldn't help but hold his forehead. He once again had the urge to put Pavlov in charge.

Lyudmila: "It's a pity that I can't look at it for you."

Wang Zhong: "Just wait until the time comes to show your favor to me."

Lyudmila chuckled.

Vasily: "Tell Sergeant Major Grigory to get some more venison and hedgehog meat?"

Wang Zhong: "You are the only one with so many things! Do I look like such a weakling? Get out!"

"Okay." Vasily slipped away without any hesitation.

————

Wang Zhong spent the entire morning handling committee matters at No. 10 Heping Road.

It should be said that Ms. Ellie has helped him a lot. All documents have summaries at the beginning and are sorted according to time urgency. There are even some professional opinions added to the documents in the form of attachments. .

Wang Zhong personally feels that Ms. Ellie is already as good as Bernard (the secretary in the British drama "The Prime Minister").

In the afternoon, just like yesterday, he went to the Suvorov Military Academy to be his principal.

As soon as I arrived at the school, I saw a large group of officers who had come back from the front line to the school to gather together and discuss something.

Wang Zhong turned around and found that some students were also inside, including the young Duke Alexey Petrovich Valkov, who was focused on by the Inquisition, and Maslow Boyev, whom Wang Zhong was particularly optimistic about.

So Wang Zhong stopped the car, got out of the car and walked towards the group of people.

As soon as he got close to him, he heard the voice of the young Duke Valkov: "The Western Front army is overwhelming! It started attacking at eight o'clock this morning. It has only been six hours now and it has advanced dozens of kilometers, even surpassing the Plosen people's attack at the beginning of the war. Advance speed!

"The enemy has indeed reached the end of his strength! Rokossov is so afraid of the enemy because he was frightened by the enemy!"

Masloboev's voice was tit for tat: "Let's wait until the Western Front breaks through the defense line mentioned by the general. Don't pay a lot of casualties and losses in vain without making any progress!"

Little Duke Valkov: "Humph! You were just fooled by his specious theory!"

Boyev: "But he won the war. Did your father win the war?"

Little Duke Valkov stuttered, and then immediately said: "Although my father didn't, Duke Myshkin was no worse than him! If Duke Myshkin hadn't helped, Rokossov would have died in Ola Strange!"

Wang Zhong: "I know Duke Myshikin, and he would not brag about his achievements in public like this. Besides, this achievement belongs to Duke Myshikin, not to you, little Duke Valkov, or your father."

Everyone turned to look at Wang Zhong, and then they parted a path just like Moses parted the sea, so that Wang Zhong could go straight to the innermost part of the crowd.

Wang Zhong looked at the young Duke Valkov: "I still think that it is impossible for the Prosins to give up the Shostka line of defense, and they will invest the most elite troops in defense.

"After we have advanced more than two hundred kilometers, the organizational structure must have been very chaotic, and a considerable part of the tanks will be in a state of malfunction.

"The correct approach is to advance to this fortification zone and stop the advance, allowing the troops to rest and wait until next summer before seeking to launch an offensive."

Wang Zhong stopped and looked around.

Little Duke Valkov: "What if you don't stop?"

Wang Zhong: "The offensive force will suffer a major defeat and may even lose some of the results of the counterattack. The quick-victory faction represented by Tukhachev will be responsible for this disastrous defeat."

Maslow Boyev said: "Now that the offensive has just been launched, wouldn't it be bad to say that it failed miserably?"

Wang Zhong: "Knowing that they would fail, they still insisted on launching an attack to satisfy their own interests and for 'political considerations'. That's why they said that the Quick Victory Sect was guilty of heinous crimes."

Wang Zhong raised his hand and pointed at the young Duke Valkov: "They must hold me responsible for the soldiers of our army who were killed by them!"