Arc of Gunfire

North Africa, Mamluk territory.

Admiral Erwin Jonas Eugen Roemmel squatted by the Nile River, raised his camera, and pointed the lens specially customized for him by Zeiss at the boat on the river.

There was no one on the boat. They probably jumped off the boat and ran away when they saw the tanks of the Prosen Army. The boat slowly floated downstream driven by the half-full sail.

Erwin kept using his thumb to pull the lever of the film winder, like a skilled gunman pulling the bolt of a gun, and all the scenery of the Nile was recorded on the film.

Behind him, a communications soldier ran over with a telegram, but was stopped by the adjutant.

The adjutant whispered: "If there is no particularly important situation, you are not allowed to disturb the general's photography."

"Let him come over," Admiral Irvine said. "Just reading a telegram won't interrupt my photography."

The signalman immediately ran to Erwin and reported loudly: "The downstream reconnaissance force received an urgent call and discovered that the United Kingdom's shallow water heavy artillery ship and seven river defense ships were cooperating with the armored forces heading south."

While using the lens of his camera to search for traces of waterfowl, Erwin said, "It's coming faster than expected. Have our mines arrived?"

Adjutant: "Not yet. We currently lack the resources to block the river. General, the advance is too fast and all the troops are drained. We cannot defeat the Royal Navy fleet."

"Everyone knows that we can't defeat us. The enemy also knows it, so we can take a gamble." Erwin continued to record the beautiful scenery with his camera, "Use the enemy's carelessness to win by surprise. So where are the mines? Hmm? What does the Navy say?"

The adjutant shrugged: "The Navy has just killed one of its latest battleships."

Erwin was shocked: "What? Isn't the flagship of the United Kingdom's fleet stationed in Alexandria a dilapidated old ship? Isn't it said that the ship can't even reach a speed of 27 knots? How can it defeat our latest high-speed battleship?"

Adjutant: "It's not in the Mediterranean... Anyway, we don't have mines to block the river at the moment. And the supply is almost at the bottom."

Erwin cursed and looked at everything in front of him. He reluctantly covered the lens of the camera and carefully put the machine into a special protective case.

Erwin: "We can't block the channel without mines, and we don't have enough ammunition. It's not a good idea to shoot at the enemy's naval guns and artillery."

He thought for a few seconds and sighed: "It would be a pity to retreat. We can only make a fuss about the enemy's rigid tactics."

The adjutant asked doubtfully: "What should we do?"

"Disguise. Both sides of the Nile River are floodplains. Look at so many trees, water and plants." Erwin stamped the floor again, "And this ground. It would be a pity not to use such a ground that is suitable for digging."

Adjutant: "Are you planning to..."

Erwin turned his head and looked north, as if his gaze had been heading north, reaching the northernmost point of the entire battlefield.

"I have been studying the tactics of Ant's Rokossov. Most of our generals sneered at his tactics, thinking they were just trivial tricks used by children in fights. But I am different."

Erwin paused and continued: "So what about small skills? Winning the war is the art of war. So we imitated Rokossov and used a motorcycle to drag these branches and run on the desert to create a The illusion that the tank army is retreating.

"And our large army is ambushed on the flood plains of the Nile."

At this time, the Chief of Staff of the African Army also rushed over. He just heard the last sentence and exclaimed: "Then how to face the enemy's shallow water heavy gunboat? The ship's defense is very poor by the standards of warships, but it can resist our 88 The millimeter cannon is enough, and our 150-meter cannon may not be able to damage it!"

Erwin tapped his head with his index finger: "Use your brain. We can use 88 and 150 guns to kill the escorting inland gunboats, and then use the boat to rush to the shallow water heavy gunboat to board the ship."

Chief of Staff and Adjutant: "Huh?"

Erwin continued: "I have studied the drawings of the enemy's shallow-water heavy gunships stolen by the Intelligence Department. Most of their secondary guns are unarmored. Using heavy machine guns and machine guns to sweep them over can kill a large number of enemy personnel. Of course, there are also tank guns and 150 howitzers.

"The main gun of a shallow-water heavy gunship can only fire one salvo in 30 seconds. As long as we pay attention to the formation, there is nothing to fear. After seizing the battleship, we can turn around at Lake Lipol upstream, drive back, and attack Alexander. Take We'll have supplies once we get off Alexandria!"

The adjutant and the chief of staff looked at each other.

Chief of Staff: "This is too unrealistic, General, it's too risky!"

Erwin looked at the Chief of Staff: "Do you think there has been any combat operation so far that we have not taken risks?"

The chief of staff thought for a moment and replied: "When we first left Libya——"

Erwin waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, I'm talking about since His Majesty the Emperor began to conquer. During the Melania battle, we actually only had a small number of No. 3 and No. 4. In order to advance smoothly, Branden was activated. Fort troops.

"This is especially true in the Northern Campaign, which involved the large-scale use of airborne troops to assault the enemy's coastal fortresses, as well as risky landing operations. Isn't that plan unrealistic?

"In the Carolingian Campaign, wouldn't it be risky to let tank troops pass through the forest? There is also the Battle of the Low Countries, where airborne troops were used to seize Antep in advance. These are all unprecedented and unbridled ideas!

"This is the glory of our Proson, and now we will continue this glory here. When we incorporate the Mamluks into the empire, no one will remember Rokosov anymore, and everyone will praise us, praise me."

The chief of staff still looked aggrieved, but he did not refute.

The adjutant was already excited: "Indeed. In this situation, the enemy will also think that we can only run, and we will definitely catch the enemy off guard! Great, General, you are indeed the best general in the empire!"

Erwin smiled bitterly: "No, if I had mines and could use mines to block the river, I would not do this. But we don't have mines, no! Damn, I told the navy that I want mines a long time ago, why haven't they been delivered yet!

"I also told the air force that I want mines, but the air force vowed to send them with large seaplanes, but in the end they didn't!"

At this time, even the chief of staff showed an expression of empathy: "If the navy and air force were not so incompetent, our logistics would not be so tense. ”

Erwin: “It doesn’t matter. If we take down Alexander, we will have supplies and can even launch a new offensive to completely block the canal and strangle the United Kingdom!”

————

August 4, Saint Ekaterina Castle, the capital of Ant.

Wang Zhong stretched while walking to the dining table and picked up the newspaper that was already on the table.

The moment he saw the front page headline, all his tiredness flew away.

The Proson Empire defeated the United Kingdom’s river defense fleet and approached Alexander?

What the hell?

The world line changed after waking up?

Where did this come from? Is it still Ant?

Wang Zhong quickly looked at the name of the newspaper, and it was indeed Ant’s newspaper.

He ran back to the room with the newspaper and rubbed the front armor of Lyudmila who was combing her hair to make sure it was still his wife.

Lyudmila had a question mark on her face: “What’s wrong? Is there any news in the newspaper?”

Wang Zhong looked at the front page headline again: “I don’t know, there is a very sci-fi news, how did he (referring to Desert Fox) do it? ”

With the poor supply situation of the African Army, can it still approach Alexandria along the Nile?

Wang Zhong: "I have to make a phone call, make a few calls!"

After saying that, he ran away in a hurry.

Lyudmila and Nellie looked at each other, and then shrugged at the same time.

————

While Wang Zhong was looking for people to confirm the situation, on the bank of the Nile, Erwin handed his beloved camera to the adjutant, and then stood by the river, posing as if he was looking at the shallow-water heavy gunboat with the Plossen flag flying on the river.

The adjutant found a position and pressed the shutter.

Erwin: "No, I shouldn't stand like this to shoot, drive a long-tubed No. 4 over here!"

"Yes!"

The radioman immediately started calling, and soon a long-tubed No. 4 drove to the river. The driver jumped out of the car and saluted the general: "General! Salute to you! "

Irvin nodded, waved his hand casually, and then began to climb the tank. Seeing this, the commander hurriedly lent a hand, and the driver also leaned out to help, pulling Irvin onto the car.

The admiral held the turret with his left hand and held the telescope in his right hand, posing to look at the shallow-water heavy gunboat from afar.

Without his order, the adjutant began to find the angle and took pictures.

Irvin: "Wait a minute, there should be some film. Wait until I get into the tank and take another picture."

So Irvin got into the tank, put on the headphones with ease, and let the crossbar of the headphones press on the big cap - this is also the classic style of the commander of the Proson tank.

After "arming" himself, Irvin posed, and the adjutant started shooting again.

Irvin: "Make sure the tank and the shallow-water heavy gunboat are in the shot!"

"Don't worry, General."

While Irvin was busy, the two guards next to him were gossiping:

"Why does the general never stop shooting? "

"I heard that the general actually wants to be a photographer. When he was the battalion commander, he won a photography award. It seems to be the biggest award in Plosson."

"Is this true?"

At this time, the signalman ran over and saluted: "Report, Air Force contact, the seaplane carrying mines can land on the river today!"

Elvin, who was taking pictures, stopped and frowned at the signalman: "They should have arrived two days ago! Then I wouldn't have to take risks!"

The signalman was embarrassed: "It's not that I asked the Air Force not to deliver, General."

Elvin shook his head: "What else?"

"Also, the air force wing carrying secret weapons will complete the transfer today and can join the battle tomorrow. Their secret weapons are very effective against the old warships of the United Kingdom's Aegean Fleet."

Elvin replied in a tone of disinterest: "Well, I see. We can capture Alexander without them."