Arc of Gunfire

After the review, Wang Zhong returned to the expeditionary headquarters and made a few phone calls to transfer the First Mobile Army Support Brigade, which was now under the Reserve Front.

After the transportation was arranged, Wang Zhong came to the map room and saw the map that recorded the combat plan in Barras for the first time.

The whole plan was very simple, which was to advance north and south with the United Kingdom's troops.

Wang Zhong had a bit of PTSD about the "XX advance" plan because it reminded him of some scenes of vigorous vitality and competition.

Fortunately, the layout of the Barras army on the map was like the Changshan snake, which alleviated Wang Zhong's worries.

Colonel Benjamin of the United Kingdom saw Wang Zhong and others coming in, and immediately came forward, stuffed a thick stack of information into Wang Zhong's hand and said: "General, this is the intelligence of the Barras Army obtained by MI6."

"Thank you." Wang Zhong took it and read the overview at the front, and then saw the words "low combat effectiveness", "This... How low is the combat effectiveness of the Barras Army?"

Colonel Benjamin: "Except for the guards trained by retired instructor Proson, other troops are more like the private army of local tribal chiefs. A considerable number of tribal chiefs have been bribed by us and will not support the Kingdom Army in combat."

Wang Zhong: "Then what about the level of these troops trained by retired instructor Proson?"

Colonel Benjamin considered the wording and said: "It already has the prototype of a modern army. It has a crushing advantage over the tribal armed forces in Barras."

It seems that the Barras Army is really not good.

Wang Zhong, who had just learned about the strength of the expeditionary force, was slightly relieved.

Wang Zhong: "Oh...Is that so."

Colonel Benjamin added: "But we can't take it lightly. According to the intelligence we have obtained, Plosson may send some light infantry into Baras. Our spies in Anatolia pointed out that some Plosson soldiers may have disguised themselves and passed through Anatolian territory to enter Baras."

As a neutral country, Anatolia has always maintained diplomatic relations and personnel flow with Plosson at the ambassadorial level, but it does not allow their navy to enter the Aegean Sea through the Anatolian Strait.

Wang Zhong: "You mean, we may encounter Plosson soldiers without heavy equipment, right?"

"Yes. In addition, the Royal Air Force once shot down a Lufthansa passenger plane on the western border of Baras and found personnel and equipment in the wreckage."

It seems that King Baras is not completely without the support of Plosson.

However, air transport in this era can basically only transport infantry and light weapons, and should not encounter Plosson's armored forces.

No matter how elite the light infantry is, it is still light infantry, and it will still suffer against tanks.

Wang Zhong casually flipped through the information he had just received, and then handed it to his adjutant Yakov.

Pavlov must have read it all anyway, so there was no need to worry.

He came to the map with the entire battle plan drawn on it, and Pavlov immediately picked up the map stick and began to explain: "We estimate that the main difficulty of the battle is here."

The map stick poked at the place called Moha.

"This place is defended by the 2nd Division of the Guards of the Kingdom of Barras. This is a master built with reference to the organization of the Proshen Armored Grenadier Division. There are more than 20,000 combat troops, and the weapons also include the No. 1 and No. 2 tanks purchased before the war, as well as Matilda."

Wang Zhong suddenly raised his voice: "And Matilda?"

Colonel Benjamin was a little embarrassed: "Yes, we sold it to King Barras. After the war between Proshen and the United Kingdom, Proshen's source of weapons was cut off, and the equipment of the Kingdom of Barras's army mainly came from us."

Wang Zhong stared at Colonel Benjamin: "Besides Matilda, what else? Is there Churchill?"

The only advantage of Churchill is that it is so hard that it makes people sick. If Barras had Churchill, it would have to adjust the vortex.

Colonel Benjamin shook his head: "No, they only have infantry tanks Matilda 1 and Crusader cruiser tanks."

The United Kingdom calls tanks with heavy armor, slow speed, and large-caliber short-barreled guns infantry tanks, and tanks with fast maneuverability and thin armor cruiser tanks.

The usage of the two types of tanks is the same as their names. Infantry tanks are mainly used to support infantry, and cruiser tanks are used to shuttle guerrillas like cruisers.

In fact, it can be simply understood as heavy tanks and light tanks.

Wang Zhong recalled the specifications of the Matilda 1 tank and said, "That means they have basically no armor advantage over the T34, right?"

Benjamin: "Of course. The United Kingdom troops in the south will use Churchill tanks and Valentine tanks, as well as M4 Sherman, which also have armor advantages over them. This operation will be an armed parade. The only suspense is how long it will take us to rush to the capital."

Wang Zhong pondered for a moment and said to Pavlov: "Our tank troops will dock at the port and then hoist the tanks onto the shore, right?"

Pavlov asked back: "What else?"

Wang Zhong touched his head. Sure enough, there was no such thing as a tank landing ship in this era-at least Ant didn't.

"Then how will the infantry deal with the enemy's tanks?"

Pavlov: "Incendiary bombs and anti-tank guns. According to the technical specifications provided to us by the United Kingdom, anti-tank guns can penetrate Crusader tanks and can also attack the observation windows of Matilda. And incendiary bombs... As long as they can be thrown, the effect will be good."

Wang Zhong: "Equip the troops with light anti-tank guns. If the enemy chooses a good position, anti-tank guns and incendiary bombs alone may not be enough."

Pavlov: "Well, the 45mm anti-tank gun can indeed be put on an assault boat and washed directly onto the beach, and the troops can tow it more easily."

Wang Zhong paced back and forth in front of the map, turned around twice and said, "Look at this, can you directly wash a ship off the beach, and then cut off the bow part with a spray gun or something like that, and then drive the tank directly from the ship?" On the beach?”

Colonel Benjamin showed an expression of disbelief: "Isn't this... too rough?"

Wang Zhong: "I hope my troops will have tank support, but now I don't have time to build any amphibious tanks, nor do I have time to build tank landing ships."

Pavlov: "Wait a minute, the T34 is too heavy and may not be carried by a wooden boat, but if it is the ZIS-3 self-propelled anti-tank gun equipped in large quantities by the First Mobile Group Army, it can be carried by a wooden boat. After washing up on the beach, lift the bow If you cut it, you can drive it to the beach.”

Wang Zhong: "Okay, then let's borrow a company's ZIS-3 from the old army. When will the operation be launched?"

Colonel Benjamin: "D-Day is currently scheduled for the 28th of this month."

"It should be too late." Wang Zhong ordered Pavlov, "We will formulate a transportation plan as quickly as possible, and the troops will be mobilized... the anti-tank battalion of the 225th Division. The 225th Division has not experienced large-scale tank battles. Save the comparison. intact."

Pavlov nodded: "Okay. Now that the troops have been mobilized, how about simply bringing the vortex over? The vortex troops have basically suffered no losses, and they have been resting for half a month now."

Wang Zhong: "Can a wooden boat be put on it? The vortex and T34 are of the same tonnage."

Pavlov: "Although it can't be beached, it can be used to deal with the enemy's fortress later. The vortex is a 100mm cannon. The yield of the high-explosive bomb is enough to destroy most bunkers, and tanks and other things are also eliminated."

Wang Zhong: "Is the transport capacity enough?"

Pavlov: "Enough."

"Good, that's it."

Colonel Benjamin was even more happy: "Can you see the actual combat of the vortex? Great! We intercepted the telegram from Prosen and described the vortex very powerfully. We can finally see it with our own eyes."

Wang Zhong didn't take his words seriously at first, but he was shocked when he heard these words: "Wait a minute! Have you been able to decipher the Enigma code?"

Colonel Benjamin was embarrassed: "Well, this... is their clear telegram..."

Wang Zhong: "According to the Alliance and Mutual Assistance Treaty, I have the right to require allied countries to share intelligence. Yakov, immediately draft a formal application requesting allied countries to release information related to Enigma code deciphering."

Yakov: "Eh? How should I write this application? I don't know the format!"

Wang Zhong wanted to raise his forehead. Damn it, if Vasily had already started acting, Colonel Benjamin would have been fooled.

Fortunately, Pavlov took over the burden: "I drafted it myself. Colonel Benjamin, you have always wanted us to launch an attack to share your pressure, but you have not told us the secret of the Enigma. Isn't it a bit inappropriate? ?”

Colonel Benjamin: “Well, we have indeed broken the Enig code, but it is a complex code and even if it is broken, it will require a lot of decoding work.

"We have gathered a lot of mathematicians to decipher it day and night..."

Wang Zhong: "As far as I know, our Ant is indeed a little behind the United Kingdom in other scientific aspects, but we are not bad at mathematics."

Colonel Benjamin was embarrassed: "Uh, this..."

Wang Zhong: "Let's do this. We will submit a formal application. Please give us the complete method of deciphering the Enigma code, and we will organize mathematicians to decode it ourselves."

Colonel Benjamin: "To be honest, this is not something I can decide. But I don't think the Prime Minister will refuse. It just may require you to launch some substantive offensives."

Wang Zhong: "We will. That's it, Pavlov, remember to write the application."

Colonel Benjamin: "Let's continue talking about D-Day, which is coming soon."

Wang Zhong: "Okay."

Colonel Benjamin: "At four o'clock in the morning on D-day, the task force of the 1st Parachute Division will parachute outside Moha to control the airport and block the enemy's aviation support."

Pavlov's interface: "In one hour, the 393rd Naval Infantry Brigade will land on the beach on the east side of Moha. From here, you can directly flank the junction between the port and the main city."

Wang Zhong: "Then our troops rush directly into the port?"

"Yes, the enemy basically does not have a navy, so we are preparing to drive the gunboat into the port area to provide direct fire support." Pavlov said and tapped the port hard with the map stick.

Wang Zhong: "Okay. Davarisi of the beachhead naval infantry has already inspected it, right?"

"We have inspected it," said Aromeev, commander of the 393rd Brigade.

"Leave it to you." Wang Zhong said.

Aromeyev saluted: "Promise to complete the task."