Arc of Gunfire

August 20, Plossen Army Group South Headquarters.

Marshal Shipling put his marshal's scepter on the table, put on his monocle, and looked at the four armored division commanders who had just been transferred to his command.

"It looks like the food on the Western Front is pretty good." Marshal Shipling teased, "The Kingdom of Sardinia and the Carolingians are both rich in delicacies, so it's understandable."

The division commander standing on the far right said loudly: "Reporting to the marshal, we have not neglected our training for a moment!"

Marshal Shipling: "You are all experienced veterans. You should know that training and actual combat are different! What you are facing is the Ant Guards Armored Forces. They may lack training, but they are all tempered in actual combat. The veterans, experience and courage are unlike any enemy you have faced before.

"Especially the troops under Rokossov's command. You'd better forget all the nonsense the imperial propaganda said and remember what I said. The Ants are terrible warriors with rich experience and courage. Look down on their Everyone has gone to hell."

The armored division commanders had straight faces and serious expressions.

Marshal Shiplin: "Especially Rokossov's new tanks, because we haven't captured the complete tank yet, and we don't have time to study the wreckage of the tank. We don't know where its weaknesses are, and they The memories of veterans who fought against each other may be biased.

"If you don't handle it carefully, you will be in bad luck."

"Marshal, we have dealt with Carolingian heavy tanks during the Carolingian Battle, and we know how to fight against these things that cannot be won temporarily by relying on armor bombs." A division commander said.

Marshal Shiplin shook his head: "No, you don't understand, Rokossov is different from his troops. Although his troops fought many arduous battles, they have more veterans than other Ant troops, so they Not only are they brave in battle, but they are also as cunning as foxes.

"This is a terrifying enemy that the Empire has never encountered before. In addition, I am very worried that, except for your four divisions that have just been mobilized, the supplementary status of our other troops is very poor.

"Some divisions have only added 24 tanks! Can you believe it? 24 tanks! And aerial reconnaissance shows that Rokosov has gathered thousands of tanks.

"Including hundreds of new tanks that beat us hard before. With these armored forces alone, Rokossov can launch a very powerful offensive."

"Your Excellency, Marshal," said the division commander of the 29th armor, "we still have the Tiber River. Tanks cannot drive across the river from the bottom of the water. The Anters cannot develop the empire's submersible tank at all!"

Marshal Shipling: "Do you think we can hold the beachhead? Do you know how much our infantry division has been replenished? Only 10 battalions have been replenished so far. They said that by September 10, 140 battalions can be replenished, but 140 What can the camp do?

"You guys who came from the Western Front may not know the consumption on the Eastern Front. Yesterday was a relatively calm day on the Southern Front, but our army also suffered more than 5,000 casualties! This was caused by the enemy's artillery, snipers, and night-time sneak reconnaissance troops. Result!

"140 battalions of 70,000 men were all lost in half a month! Do you think our shabby infantry divisions, relying on the fortifications repaired in more than ten days, can stop Rokossov's attack?

"Damn it, why did we replenish the armored division and not the infantry division as well?"

The division commander in 29 outfit asked solemnly: "Are the fortifications not repaired?"

"We just ran across the river without our armor at the beginning of August. There was no time to repair the fortifications. Moreover, our employees in Khazalia were about to recover, so they all started to work hard. The cement and various things used for building fortifications are now gone. It has become very scarce." Shipling also looked helpless.

29th Division Commander: "Why not let the Imperial Household Ministry and the military police arrest people?"

"They are no longer afraid. When the military police arrest them, they will still be laughed at and say, 'Kill me, and then when our troops arrive in your hometown, they will treat your relatives, friends, wife, and children just like us.'"

The commander of the 15th Armored Division, who had been listening in, couldn't bear it anymore: "Then kill them all!"

Shipling: "You can't change the fortifications even if you kill them, and it might make the workers worse. When I was at the Eagle's Nest, I dismissed His Majesty's judgment that 'Rokosov will attack in September', but when I came back After only a few days, I realized that if Rokossov really seizes this opportunity and attacks in September, we will be in great danger.

"Your Majesty believes that Rokossov did this to win by surprise. I want to say that Rokossov rushed to attack just to seize the gap that we were not prepared for. If it weren't for your four new armored divisions as a new force , we will definitely be punctured by Rokosov like a piece of paper.”

Several armored division commanders held their heads high and said: "We will definitely live up to expectations!"

Marshal Shiplin raised his voice: "You must do this! If not, the South will collapse thousands of miles! The flanks of the entire Central Army Group will be exposed! Next year Rokosov will definitely choose a right hook, starting from Melania If we go straight to the Baltic Sea, it will be over by then. Army Group Center and Army Group North will be trapped in a tight encirclement and will have no choice but to retreat from the Baltic Sea.”

The commander of the fifteenth uniform spoke: "We were on the train and saw that the border between Melania and Kozalia was already fortified. I think Rokossov wanted to break through Melania. It's not easy.

"In Melania's guard troops, they have been fighting Melania's National Army all year round. They have rich combat experience, especially experience in urban warfare. Rokosov should be unlikely to eat so many modern cities quickly."

Shiplin: "You have to remember that many of Rokossov's troops were awarded the title of Guards in the Battle of Abavakhan. They know how to fight in urban warfare, and they also have a new assault gun prepared for urban warfare! It's called the Urban Cannon! What a funny name."

As he was speaking, a major general of the Asgard Knights entered the headquarters and saluted Shiplin: "Report, the 504th Independent Tank Destroyer Battalion has arrived! We are all equipped with the latest Panzer IV tank destroyer!"

Shiplin was quite unimpressed: "Destroyer? Why haven't I heard that there is an independent Panzer IV tank destroyer battalion to be sent to the front? I thought these Panzer IV destroyers would be supplemented to those divisions that are in urgent need of tanks! "

Major General Asgard laughed: "You must have thought that this type of destroyer was modified from the chassis of the Panzer IV tank and ignored them, thinking that they are just consumables, but this type of destroyer is equipped with a 70-caliber long-barreled 75mm gun, which has the same firepower as the latest Panther tank!

"It is not just an emergency product, it will severely damage all the Ante armored soldiers who despise it!"

The commander of the 15th installation sneered: "This is not an emergency product. But the 70-caliber long-barreled 75mm gun, why not send it directly to the Panzer IV, the tank with a turret is more trustworthy!"

The commander of the 29th installation said: "The Panzer IV is already very heavy now, the 43-caliber long-barreled gun, and the additional armor welded on it often shatters the first pair of road wheels.

"I can't imagine making another 70-caliber one."

Another armored division commander said: "Removing the turret reduced a lot of weight, and then inserting a 70-caliber gun, have the designers come to their senses? No more wasting tonnage?"

At this time, Shiplin raised his hand to stop the whispering of the division commanders, and said to the commander of the 504th Independent Tank Destroyer Battalion: "You are assigned to the river east of Loktov. There is a shallow beach there, which is likely to be attacked. You should strengthen the 340th Infantry Division defending there and let them help you dig a good annihilation bunker.

"To prove that the tanks you got are not just for the job, just hit Ant's attack troops there!"

"Yes!" The major general of the Asgard Knights saluted and turned to leave.

The chief of staff of the army group came over and whispered: "The use of the No. 4 body as a tank destroyer is either because the production of the turret can't keep up, or the production capacity can't keep up, so we have to shorten the production time and make emergency things to deal with it. "

Shipulin shook his head: "Forget it, we just need to take the ready-made equipment and do our duty. "