Arc of Gunfire

Chapter 554 Rokossov fled (Update 30/81)

On November 13, Wang Zhong heard artillery fire outside as soon as he entered the headquarters.

If it could reach the headquarters underground, it must be heavy artillery.

Pavlov was drinking coffee. When he heard the artillery fire, he went straight to the phone, touched the receiver, and got ready.

The phone rang.

As a result, Pavlov picked up the receiver before the first ring.

"Headquarters. Where are they hitting? What is the density of the bombardment? Okay, I know."

After putting down the receiver, Pavlov looked at Wang Zhong: "Look at the location of the bombardment, it's going to hit the tunnel entrance again."

Wang Zhong: "The first time was so dangerous because we over-emphasized breaking up the whole into parts, and there was no vortex. Now there is a row of vortices at every intersection in the city. What can they use to attack?"

Pavlov spread his hands.

Wang Zhong continued: "After the vortex was put into use, our casualties in urban warfare were greatly reduced. This shows that although tanks are much more vulnerable in urban warfare than in the wilderness, we cannot do without tanks."

Pavlov: "After all, heavy armor is much more resistant than infantry. Weaker than in the wilderness, that's relatively speaking. As long as there are infantry accompanying us and preventing the enemy's individual anti-tank weapons from hitting the tanks, the role of heavy armor in urban warfare cannot be ignored."

Wang Zhong: "You summarized it very well. You will write the post-war experience summary this time."

Pavlov stopped and looked at Wang Zhong with a frown.

Emilia entered the headquarters: "Is there another sound of artillery fire? Are we shelling?"

Wang Zhong: "No, in order to save ammunition for counterattack, there is no plan to shell the enemy these days. The enemy is shelling."

Emilia was shocked: "Why? They should run now, right?"

Wang Zhong knew the ending of Steelgrad in another time and space, but now he had to pretend not to know: "Maybe the emperor of Prosen was unwilling to fail? After all, when they were closest, they were only 800 meters away from victory."

Popov: "Then they were beaten back by the charge led by Rokosov himself."

Emilia looked at Wang Zhong: "I was on the other side. When I had nothing to do, I would go to the hospital to help take care of the wounded. They said that you held the sword given by His Majesty the Tsar in one hand and the scepter of St. Andrew in the other hand, and you personally went into battle and split every enemy you met. Some people swore that a halo appeared on your head."

Wang Zhong looked up and saw only fluorescent tubes.

Pavlov laughed: "Haha, this means you will be bald in the future!"

Wang Zhong was shocked: "Fuck, you are so humorous!"

Pavlov: "Is this humor? This is not true, right? I am just making fun of myself."

"Self-mockery is also a high-level humor." Wang Zhong said.

Emilia changed the subject: "By the way, is this really okay? Almost everyone knows that we will counterattack on the 20th, and the enemy should run away, right?"

Wang Zhong: "But listen, they are attacking again."

As soon as he finished speaking, the shelling stopped.

Pavlov: "It seems that the shells have been used up. I don't know what they want. We are well fed and well clothed, while the enemy has been hungry for several days. Such soldiers can still attack... I can only say that the quality of Prosen's soldiers is indeed high."

Wang Zhong: "As their losses increase, their quality will decrease. General Gorky of the Western Front did a good job. He attacked on all fronts, found the places where the enemy's less elite troops were stationed, and invested a large number of troops to break through.

"His tactics are not fully effective now because there are still many elite troops in Prosen, and most of them are veterans.

"Next year, when we attack again with the same method, the Prosen people's defense line will become like a sieve, leaking everywhere. Because at that time, about half of their troops will have a large number of new recruits.

"In another year, we can annihilate their troops in large numbers just like they surrounded and annihilated us in the first year."

Wang Zhong's words filled the entire headquarters with a joyful atmosphere.

Suddenly he had an auditory hallucination and heard Yakov say: "I can't wait to see that day! "

He was shocked and turned his head to see that it was Mikhail, the temporary orderly who had just been replaced.

Mikhail said, "I can't wait to see that day."

The tone is so similar to Yakov.

Wang Zhong nodded: "Yes, we can't wait to see that day."

Emilia: "Eat your meal one bite at a time."

Wang Zhong: "Yes, eat the Sixth Army first. However, I'm a little afraid that they will run away. Pavlov, how about we lure the enemy in a little deeper? Anyway, all our troops on the west bank have obtained enough supplies, so let's give this place to the enemy."

Pavlov: "Yes, but this bunker... You can't blow it up with your new tank. It's underground. When the time comes, the enemy will hold on here and suffer great losses."

Wang Zhong thought about it and gave up: "Forget it. We can give them some other sweets. Which target do you think is suitable?"

Pavlov looked at it and suddenly pointed to a building not far from the tunnel entrance: "This, the auditorium! There is a statue of Suvorov at the entrance of the auditorium, it is very famous.

Wang Zhong touched his chin: "No, the statue of Suvorov is not important enough, so let's get a red flag, a little torn, so that it looks like the flag that has been with me for more than a year, and hang it on the roof of the auditorium. Then put some documents and desks inside the auditorium."

Pavlov: "I understand, your red flag is here, it means it is your headquarters! But you are too picky, and you are not willing to give a real red flag."

Wang Zhong: "Of course not. This is a gift from the Shepetovka textile workers. I will return it to them when I fight back to Shepetovka. It's enough to give them a false flag. You Hurry up and dye the red flag, use a gun to make holes, and make it more realistic."

"I'll make arrangements."

Wang Zhong suddenly smiled: "Vasili is here, it's his turn to appear."

Popov: "He is still wrestling with military theory. Don't you know? He is the last in the class."

Wang Zhong: “It’s true, it’s so like me.”

Pavlov: "Then he'd better not have any more military exploits. If he becomes a marshal, don't make everyone in the Suvorov Military Academy proud of being ranked last."

Wang Zhong: "It's not enough to just be the last one, I have to pass. I'm just the last one, I'm not unable to graduate."

He no longer dares to think about the scene in the future where a group of people from the Suvorov Military Academy will scheming to control points.

Hey, wait a minute, this seems to be a way to exercise, too? At that time, every graduate will defeat the master.

It seems... ok.

————

November 15, Abavahan Auditorium.

General Wilhelm von Frederik, commander of the Sixth Army, raised his head and looked at the red flag flying on the roof of the auditorium.

"Is that the flag?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Take it down, I want to take a look."

Soon the flag was delivered to Admiral Frederick. He took the flag, unfolded it, and looked at the bullet holes on it: "It's really a battle-hardened flag."

The chief of staff of the group army laughed and said: "This is the flag that Rokossov has been fighting with for more than a year! Capturing this flag is enough to boost the morale of the entire army!"

Admiral Frederick: "It also makes it impossible for us to retreat."

The chief of staff's smile froze on his face.

The general handed the flag to the adjutant, walked to the Suvorov statue, looked at it for a few seconds, then turned back and said to the photographer: "Just take a photo in front of this statue. Come, bring the flag. You guys also come here..."

The war reporter said: "No, just you are fine. This way the photo can be taken vertically and the whole statue can be taken in. It will look more heroic."

"Are you heroic?" Frederick smiled bitterly, "Okay, let's just follow the opinions of professionals."

The flag was handed to him, and then the "professional" clicked the shutter.

Frederick: "Immediately send the flags and photos back to Prosonia by plane - no, to the Eagle's Nest."

————

Heart of Plowson, Eagle's Nest.

Emperor Prosen picked up the tattered flag and smiled very proudly: "Did you see it, everyone, I said Rokosov was bluffing! He himself fled! But the flag stayed! Some of our soldiers, Scared to death by the rumors, now they can desensitize themselves!”

As he spoke, he handed the flag to the Imperial Propaganda Minister: "Send this flag to the Imperial Military Museum! For public display! Tomorrow all newspapers will publish photos of General Frederick! Oh, by the way, he shouldn't be General General, promote him to General Frederick!"

General Mao Qi, the director of the armored forces, looked embarrassed.

But the Celtic Marshals and Brian Marshals in the room both looked happy.

Probably because Frederick had von in his name, which meant that he was a nobleman and a Junker, part of the old officer corps.

Emperor: "Looking from the map, they are less than 500 meters away from the underground tunnel. As long as we work harder, we can capture the tunnel. So far, the entire blue plan has been a complete success!"

"This winter is extremely cold. Ant will surrender within a few months! Then the empire can turn all its energy to Africa! Our anti-ship missiles have achieved quite good results! The Allies will soon We will lose our armor! We will achieve complete victory!”

Marshal Brian: "Congratulations, Your Majesty."

All other senior officers in the room began to malfunction: "Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"Congratulations!"

The emperor raised his hand and made a downward gesture: "No, no, it's not time to be happy yet. When all the wars are over, it won't be too late for us to celebrate! Now, the Sixth Army must take down that damn tunnel. !”

However, until November 20, the Sixth Army failed to advance further.

————

In the early morning of November 20, before dawn, a T34 drove onto the ice on the east bank of the Valdaichu River.

"Slow down, slow down!" the conductor next to the tank shouted, "Okay, drive slowly, no cracks are seen."

A group of people around T34 were holding flashlights and observing the ice carefully.

"It shouldn't be anything serious." A sergeant ran over and said to the captain's guide, "It was blasted with 152 cannons yesterday, and the ice surface didn't move at all."

"The thickness of the ice is different, you idiot." The captain scolded, "We can only be sure if the tank drives over smoothly. Okay, keep going!"

The T34 moved slowly, and the anti-skid tracks were still slightly slippery. The eight fully armed soldiers on the tank's back as "weights" looked even more nervous than the tank crew.

Finally, the fully loaded tanks arrived on the west bank of the Valdaichu River. There were already eight T34s on the bank, all of which had arrived from different places before.

Captain guide: "Well, it is confirmed that the ice surface is completely frozen. Let's call the front headquarters!"