Arc of Gunfire

By this time the weather had completely cleared up.

Major General Karl looked up at the sky, then jumped onto the tank belonging to the division headquarters. Standing on the tank, he said to Major General Schultz: "Please come back, too. The 16th Panzergrenadier Division is our backbone. You have to follow Let’s move forward together.”

Major General Schultz pointed to the communications soldier sitting in the barrel truck. The radio was being held in the arms of the communications soldier.

Schultz: "I just give the order and my division will follow you."

Major General Karl nodded: "Okay, then we will meet in Yeisk."

Schulz: "I think it's better not to be so optimistic. That Rokossov... makes me feel very bad, very bad. He must be planning something, waiting to show us a good look. Better be careful, Karl Major General!"

Major General Karl held the turret of the command tank No. 3, looked ahead and thought for a moment, then nodded: "Maybe you are right, there is really something wrong here."

As he spoke, he picked up the radio's earphones with one hand and put it to his ear, and picked up the radio with the other hand and brought it to his mouth: "Attention all units, check the stock of smoke bombs, check the stock of smoke bombs, we may need these things to escape the enemy's ambush. ”

A moment later, reports from various units came through the earphones: "General, because our supplies have not been completed, the smoke grenades have not been replenished.

"When replenishing, priority is given to fuel and armor-piercing bombs, followed by high-explosive bombs and smoke bombs—the same ones we had before."

Major General Karl put down the wireless phone, pursed his lips and thought for a moment, then picked up the phone again and ordered: "Count the smoke grenades in all tanks, divide the existing smoke grenades equally among the vehicles, and ensure that every No. 4 tank has smoke grenades."

The Panzer III tank has a limited gun caliber of 50, and the effect of smoke bombs is not very good. The smoke deployment mainly relies on the 75mm gun No. 4.

After the order was given, Major General Karl turned to look at Schultz: "If we encounter an ambush, we will immediately set up smoke and disengage."

Schultz's expression was solemn: "We don't even have enough smoke bombs in stock. If you can't completely block the enemy's field of vision, you will suffer heavy losses! We don't know the caliber of the enemy's new assault gun yet, but that thing often penetrates Reimburse the entire crew!

"Seide Division has already experienced it. The tank crew has been severely attrited! If it is directly fired by the new assault gun, more than just the tank will be lost!"

Major General Karl: "Will Division Commander Schultz give up the attack because the enemy is equipped with this kind of weapon?"

Schultz was silent for a few seconds and shook his head: "No."

He took a step back and saluted Major General Karl: "We will follow you forward and wish you good luck."

Major General Karl responded: "Wish us good luck."

After speaking, he got into the turret of the command tank and loudly ordered: "troops attack!"

Originally, the entire grassland was filled with the buzzing sound of the engine idling. With Major General Karl's order, the buzzing sound suddenly increased, and then the clicking sound of the gearbox gears was added.

The whole grassland suddenly became restless.

A frightened field mouse emerged from the ground at Schultz's feet, shrieked and disappeared into the grass.

The command tank began to move forward, black smoke spewed from the engine exhaust pipe, and the pungent smell produced by incomplete combustion irritated Schulz.

He wanted to take out a handkerchief, but immediately gave up the idea, and just stood in the smelly air and watched Commander Karl's command tank go away.

He waited until he couldn't see the details of commanding the tank clearly, and then stretched out his hand to the side.

The adjutant immediately thrust the radio's headset and microphone into his hand.

"I'm Schulz." It was against radio communication rules to communicate like this, but Schulz didn't want to worry about it. "Start moving forward."

————

Wang Zhongzheng, as always, measured the ground with his feet in the headquarters.

Pavlov joked: "If this battle lasts ten years, you will have to leave a series of footprints on the ground."

Popov responded: "Yes, it's just like the shoe prints in the library of Fort St. Andrew. Back then, St. Andrew sat in the same position reading for ten years, and the shoe prints were rubbed out."

Wang Zhong couldn't help complaining: "How many pairs of shoes will be worn out to make shoe marks? Isn't that unreasonable?"

After saying this, he realized that it was not a good idea to tell a group of religious believers.

Unexpectedly, Popov said: "Oh, this is a classic topic in seminary. When I was in seminary, my point of view was that the shoe print was deliberately made by the library to show the relationship between St. Andrew and myself."

Wang Zhong was shocked: "Is this okay?"

"St. Andrew taught us that we must be skeptical and seek truth from facts." Popov spread his hands, "We are just following his teachings."

At this time, a listener on the radio shouted: "Hear Prossen's communication! 'I am Schulz, start moving forward'!"

Wang Zhong was overjoyed: "Did you hear that right?"

"Yes!"

Pavlov picked up the enemy situation report on the table, flipped it through and said, "Schultz may be the commander of the enemy's 16th Panzergrenadier Division."

The enemy situation report is updated every day. It contains various intelligence compiled by the front army headquarters and the general headquarters. Of course, it also includes the enemy's organization and the names of the chief officers of each organization.

Wang Zhong: "The Prosins will not let the Panzergrenadier division launch an attack alone on the open ground. There must be an armored division taking the lead. In other words, our prey is coming! Call Yegorov and ask him Get ready to entertain your enemies!"

Pavlov immediately picked up the phone: "Get me back to the ambush battle group headquarters. What happened? Continue repairs!"

After hanging up the phone, he cursed: "It's the field mouse again! Signal soldier!"

"arrive!"

As the signal soldier ran over, Pavlov tore off a page of note paper, finished writing the order and handed it to the signal soldier: "Remember to burn the paper afterward, and take guards with you when you go to prevent the enemy from sabotaging it."

Wang Zhong gave a thumbs up to the Chief of Staff's watertight order: "When the enemy started to attack, our communication with the front line was interrupted. It may indeed be the enemy's Brandenburg commando."

What the Brandenburg Commandos are best at is wearing Ant uniforms to penetrate and sabotage.

However, these disguised enemies are not protected by international law, so the Ant Army tortured the Brandenburg troops to death, squeezed out as much information as possible and then killed them.

After the messenger left, Pavlov said: "How about we also call?"

Wang Zhong: "Okay, just use code words to tell Yegorov to be careful. Even if he is careless, there is still Brigadier General Eugene."

Pavlov immediately issued a new order and asked the radio to send the agreed code word.

Popov: "Forget it, as long as it hurts the enemy and adds a fake tank, the enemy will definitely frown."

Wang Zhong nodded: "Yes. But I am a little worried. What if the enemy uses smoke bombs to break through our ambush? The terrain of this ambush is not good after all."

A general ambush is, of course, to limit the enemy's firepower while allowing your own firepower to be fully unleashed. The ambush organized by Wang Zhong in Aolaqi was to attack the enemy's marching formation from the side, knock out the tanks at the head and tail, and then block the enemy on the road and beat them wildly.

In this ambush on the grassland, the armored forces and tank destroyers of the two divisions were deployed in the front, and they faced off against the enemy in the offensive formation. The killing efficiency was definitely not as good as the Orachi ambush.

Moreover, Wang Zhong had seen enemy tank troops skillfully use smoke grenades to obscure the destroyer's field of vision in an attempt to engage in close combat.

Regarding the Prosen armored forces, Wang Zhong really did not dare to despise them tactically.

After a brief thought, Wang Zhong ordered: "Organize the tanks that are currently repaired and ready to be transferred to the 40th Tank Army into an independent battle group, and have them rush to the front line immediately."

Pavlov: "Who should I direct?"

Wang Zhong thought for a few seconds and suddenly slapped his thigh: "Didn't I leave Brigadier General Zinov in the tank company directly under the headquarters?"

Brigadier General Zinov lost all his tanks during last winter's counterattack and was dismissed from his post for investigation. Wang Zhong met him at the equipment testing range and felt that this man was quite professional in his profession, so he took the initiative to recruit him.

It took Pavlov a few seconds to recall who Zinov was: "You mean, the general who made the mistake and was saved? Now that he has been demoted to a lieutenant colonel, he is indeed very suitable to command this battle group. Just let him The tank companies directly under the headquarters are also integrated into the battle group."

Wang Zhong: "Very good, let him make meritorious deeds!"

Pavlov: "I will draft the order immediately."

Popov: "We are so far away from the front line. Can we catch up if we send tank troops now?"

Wang Zhong: “It’s good to have more insurance.”

————

Yegorov didn't know how many times he used the telescope to look into the distance, muttering: "Nothing! Nothing!"

Brigadier General Eugene scolded: "We just fed mosquitoes and lice in the field for two days. Some soldiers pooped them everywhere, and the inside of the tank stunk."

Yegorov: "That's great. I'll hit the Prossens even harder, just to vent their anger!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the wireless operator shouted from the train: "Code message received! Code message received! The enemy is coming!"

Yegorov was shocked: "Why use code words? Where is the phone?"

"It was disconnected twenty minutes ago," the adjutant reported. "The line is being checked."

Yegorov: "Damn field mouse. Send the messenger quickly to convey the order, the enemy is coming! Pour all the anger accumulated in the past few days on them! Quickly!"

At Yegorov's urging, the eight messengers got on their horses and galloped towards the surrounding grasslands while shouting orders.

————

Major General Karl's eyelids began to twitch.

During the Carolingian Battle, his eyelids jumped once, and then he encountered a desperate counterattack by the Carolingian armored forces.

The Carolingian heavy tanks cannot be dealt with by the 37-gun of the Panzer III tank at all. Only the high-explosive shells of the Panzer IV tank can stop these heavy armored cavalry.

But it just stopped, and when the people in the heavy tank woke up, they would start moving forward again.

Major General Carr was the commander of the armored regiment at the time, and the entire regiment was beaten to pieces. It was not until the 88mm cannon of the anti-aircraft artillery unit was leveled and started firing that the Carolingian heavy armored cavalry was stopped.

At that time, Major General Carl's regiment lost more than half, especially No. 3 and No. 4. However, the small No. 1 and No. 2 did not attract the enemy's attention, and a considerable part was preserved.

Now, the major general's right eyelid twitched again.

He subconsciously touched his amulet. It was a pendant with a photo of him and his wife and children inside.

As soon as he touched the bulge under the uniform, an exclamation came over the radio: "Enemy!"

Soon enough, at the forefront of Major General Karl's field of vision, the leading Panzer III tank exploded into a rising fireball.

The turret flying into the sky even reflected the sunlight and dazzled Major General Karl's eyes!

The next moment, the enemy's volley came.

In an instant, more than a dozen tanks exploded into a mass.

An armor-piercing round screamed sharply and landed not far in front of Major General Karl's command tank. It bounced up like a football, grazed the turret and flew into the distance.

The major general made a decision immediately: "Release the smoke! Release the smoke quickly!"