Arc of Gunfire

Chapter 292 The first review of the Ordnance Review Committee (Update 29/33)

On December 20, the Ordnance Review Committee held its first review at the former Civil War Exhibition Hall, No. 10 Heping Street.

Lieutenant General Rokossov's personal execution at the Suvorov Military Academy two days ago has triggered a series of shocks.

A large number of aristocratic officers who did not directly command the troops were mobilized to the Far East to confront the Fuso Empire, and a large number of officers who performed well were promoted.

These promoted officers must attend a crash course at the Suvorov Military Academy when their troops return to rest, mainly learning from the experiences summed up by frontline generals including Rokossov.

The first batch of training officers had actually reported to the military academy when Lieutenant General Rokosov took office as the director of the Suvorov Military Academy.

These officers who have participated in training, have frontline experience and can directly control the troops now have a new name in Yebao: Rokossov faction.

————

This morning, as soon as Wang Zhong arrived at the door of No. 10 Heping Street, he saw United States reporter Mike and his partner.

So he spoke first: "Mike! Why didn't you come to the execution on the 18th?"

Reporter Mike looked frustrated: "I went to the front line for interviews and just came back today. You guys moved too fast. As soon as I received the news that Tukhachev was escorted back to Yebao, I rushed back, wondering what to do. It will take half a month to finish, I can definitely catch up.

"The result, oh haha!"

After he talked about his partner Robert, he said: "Your photographer skills are very good, but you don't know how to take impactful photos. If you look at this photo, it looks like an oil painting, panoramic. It's not bad, but it lacks impact."

Wang Zhong: "The photo you took of my fiancée was very good and very impactful. Nowadays, the enthusiasm for women to join the army is unprecedentedly high."

Robert was shocked: "Why are female soldiers so enthusiastic about joining the army?"

Wang Zhong: "I want to defend the motherland like her. Ant women are no longer content to send their loved ones to the battlefield this time. They have to go to the battlefield themselves to crush the enemy. I suggest Mr. Mike interview the female soldiers in our army, reports The title is "There Are No Faces of Women in War". I think they will provide you with many stories from another perspective.

"Although it's from a different angle, it's just as moving as the heroic battles on the front lines."

Reporter Mike nodded: "I will, General. But now please express your opinion on the current popular opinions in Yebao. Yebao said that you have actually established your own officer corps. Last night at your manor, The banquet is the gathering of the officer corps.”

Wang Zhong was shocked: "What? I just invited a few old friends to eat some Spam cans and drink some Coke, why did it become an officer's reunion party?"

Last night, Wang Zhong discovered that Kasukh, Kirinenko and other generals who had fought together were all in Yebao, so he invited them and their staff to come over as guests. It was really just a gathering of old guys who had died on the battlefield.

Just like the gathering between Wang Zhong's father and his old comrades before time travel, a group of people got together to sing "Cat's Ear Hole" and "Camel Bell", recalling the hardships and thinking about the sweetness.

I didn’t expect it to look like this to outsiders.

Reporter Mike: "So it's just a gathering of old friends? Is this the official statement?"

Wang Zhong: "This is my opinion. If there are deviations in the report in the future, you will be responsible!"

Reporter Mike asked again: "Your fiancée took the lead in organizing officers' wives to participate in textile production. Is this to prepare for the war?"

Wang Zhong: "She just thinks that it is not in line with the current situation for officers' wives to attend dance parties all day long! In fact, there are many officers' wives who don't like to engage in these social activities when the war situation is bad. She just brings these people together to do something right. Good things about war."

Reporter Mike quickly recorded it in his notebook.

Wang Zhong grabbed the notebook directly and found that it was written in English. With his English that had deteriorated to a reading level, he couldn't understand what this guy had memorized.

Then Robert clicked and took a picture.

Wang Zhong had a bad idea and was plotted by these journalism students.

He could only return the notebook to reporter Mike: "Reports must be based on facts, and don't add fuel and jealousy!"

Reporter Mike smiled bitterly and said: "That way the editor-in-chief would be dissatisfied. In fact, according to the latest domestic instructions, the editor-in-chief said that enough heroic battles on the front line have been written about. These reports have gained recognition under the premise that the United States is currently shouting for revenge. Very good sales, but be prepared for a rainy day.”

Wang Zhong: "And then you found it on my head?"

Reporter Mike: "Palace intrigue has always been a popular theme. The play "Macbeth" is shown once a year and is sold out every time."

Wang Zhong: "What are you implying, my Mike reporter?"

Reporter Mike looked surprised: "Have you seen "Macbeth"?"

Nonsense, I have seen all four of Shakespeare's tragedies (movie adaptations). Besides the four tragedies, I have seen countless versions of "Romeo and Juliet", and I like Leonardo's version the best.

Suddenly, Wang Zhong realized that his behavior was not consistent with his status as a playboy.

After all, in this era you can only go to the theater to watch plays, not movies.

So he changed his mind and said, "I haven't read it, but I still know that Macbeth tells the story of a usurping tyrant."

Reporter Mike smiled and said: "I'm just giving an example, I really don't mean anything else. What equipment are you planning to pass in today's committee?"

Wang Zhong: “No comment.”

After saying that, he walked directly inside.

Reporter Mike was about to follow, but was stopped by Vasily: "The censorship committee already has agencies related to news release. Please contact these agencies."

Wang Zhong silently gave Vasily a thumbs up.

The review committee was held in the original circular exhibition hall on the first floor. All the exhibits originally displayed here were stored underground, leaving the exhibition hall vacant.

In the center is a long table with five seats behind it. On the front of the long table are a blackboard, a shelf for flipcharts and other equipment often used in scientific lectures.

Wang Zhong was about to sit down at the long table in the middle, but was stopped by someone.

He is the 40th principal of Suvorov Military Academy, yes, the old man who he personally invited back to be the fifth-level clerk.

"Your Excellency, Lieutenant General, when are you going to take my head?" the old man asked. The posture of leaning on a cane while speaking reminded Wang Zhong of SABER's classic sword-leaning appearance in "FATE".

It seems like this is a popular posture in this era?

Wang Zhong: "What are you talking about? I still rely on you to maintain the operation of the committee."

Old man: "I'll also sign your transcript!"

Wang Zhong: "Tukhachev was shot because of his mistakes in the military line. Do you interpret this as my personal revenge? Do you look down on me, or do you look down on His Majesty the Tsar?"

The old man stared at Wang Zhong for a few seconds: "Is it really not a personal feud?"

"No. I also made an agreement with him to shoot Emperor Prosen with the same gun." Wang Zhong patted the pistol on his waist and said, "This is the gun."

The old man stared at Wang Zhong for several seconds and said, "Is it a big lie or a promise? Let me see clearly with these eyes!"

After speaking, the old man turned around and walked towards the door.

Wang Zhong: "Aren't you going to be the review committee member?"

"The current battlefield is a bit unfamiliar to me." The old man turned his head slightly and looked at Wang Zhong sideways. "After all, it is something you have to use personally. I will trust the young man's judgment here."

With that said, the old man left.

Wang Zhong watched him disappear outside the door.

Vasily also watched the old man farewell, and then said: "Why do I feel that he has recognized you?"

Wang Zhong: "Your feeling is correct."

Vasily: "When will my father recognize me?"

Wang Zhong: "Maybe he has already approved it."

After saying that, he went straight to the middle of the long table, pulled out a chair and sat down.

————

There was not much Army equipment among the things reviewed by the first committee. It should be because the front line was defeated so quickly that the Army had no time to evaluate the quality of the equipment.

Many army units were also completely surrounded by the enemy and took prisoners.

Among the many improvements in air force equipment, the Il-2 and Pe-2 bombers are on the list.

There are two modifications to the Il-2. One is to cancel the cannons on the wings, freeing up the payload to mount more rockets. The other is to swap the positions of the cannon and the machine gun, and install the cannon on the body to solve the problem of vibration when firing.

Wang Zhong approved the production of the two variants after asking for the opinions of Air Force representatives and carefully confirming the target data during the test flight.

In fact, Wang Zhong did not want to mass-produce Il-2 like in another time and space, because the close-air support efficiency of the Earth's World War II Air Force was not high.

And the generality is not high. The Western Front is better. Six to eight percent of the losses of Santoku tanks were caused by air raids.

On the Eastern Front, there are only 2%. Yes, the 40,000 Il-2s only hit 2% of the tanks lost by Santoku, and of these 2%, most of them were bombed by Il-2s at railway stations. Those who came out were counted on Il 2 afterwards.

In fact, the anti-tank efficiency of the Air Force in World War II was not very high. For example, when attacking anti-tank rockets, the British statistics were 1 in 36, and the American statistics were 1 in 22. It would be better to use rockets to hit trains, and one train would be hit every time. Gotta stop.

Under the current technical conditions, it is unrealistic to expect the IL-2 to be anti-tank.

Of course, IL 2 is quite good as an anti-soft target. Wang Zhong has seen it with his own eyes.

Moreover, Ant's air force's attack group is currently equipped with Il-2, which cannot be produced without production. If they want to equip other aircraft, they will need to retrain.

Ant also did not have a ready-made single-engine dive bomber. If he really wanted to replace the entire attack group with new aircraft, he would have to design them from scratch.

That would be a lot of trouble.

Wang Zhong took advantage of the convenience of participating in aid negotiations with the United States and asked for P47 by name, but it was still doubtful whether he could actually deliver it.

With these in mind, Wang Zhong approved several projects of the Air Force.

For example, the high-altitude reconnaissance Pei 2, he knew that this thing would be the main source of aerial reconnaissance photos in the future, so he approved it!

Another example is the Lager 3 emergency modification. Wang Zhong thought about how he could improve the pilot's survival rate, so he approved it.

There is also an enhanced armor version of Yak 1, which mainly adds iron plates to key parts of Yak 1 to enhance the protection of the wooden parts. Wang Zhong approved it after carefully confirming the power-to-weight ratio of the aircraft.

When reviewing the Yak 1, the Air Force representative's eyes widened as he watched Wang Zhong carefully inquire about various technical details.

After the designer of the Yak 1 left, the Air Force representative asked cautiously: "Has the general ever flown an airplane?"

Wang Zhong: "I haven't driven it before, but my adjutant Vasily has! He taught me!"

Damn it, I am obviously an expert who has simulated battles (referring to War Thunder air combat historical mode) more than 2,000 times!

Let Vasily take advantage!

After the Air Force stuff was finished, a designer came in with a brand new weapon in his hand.

Wang Zhong narrowed his eyes and stared at the gun.

That doesn't look like an AK, it looks like an M14.

Designer: "I am Tokarev, the firearms designer. What I have in my hands is the reduced-charge version of the Tokarev rifle that I designed based on the production indicators proposed by the general."