Arc of Gunfire

April 13, Yekaterinburg, map room of the headquarters.

Wang Zhong put down the report of the Third Front of Khazaria and looked at Marshal Gorky: "It was too smooth to be true. Moravia just switched sides."

Marshal Gorky: "You should ask the church's external relations department. They have been contacting the king of Moravia since last year."

Wang Zhong: "The church contacted? Doesn't Moravia know the church's attitude towards the royal family and nobles?"

Marshal Gorky: "They may not know, but they know your attitude towards the Tsar."

Wang Zhong glanced at Gorky and decided for a second not to tell him that he had built a villa in the place chosen by Olga.

That is most likely where the future Tsar will spend the rest of his life.

Of course, she may occasionally make guest appearances in some movies and play herself in them, just like a map head on Earth.

Wang Zhong was thinking, and the ceremonial officer outside the door shouted: "His Majesty the Tsar is here!"

All the generals stood up, held their heads high and looked forward.

Olga entered the room and nodded to everyone: "Hello gentlemen, is there any news worth noting while I was sleeping?"

Marshal Gorky: "Moravia announced yesterday morning that it did not agree with the invasion and occupation of other countries by the Proson Empire, and stated that it would stand on the side of justice."

"Humph." Olga sneered, "When they were being domineering before, why didn't they say anything bad about the Proson Empire? The Moravians have done a lot of bad things in our country, haven't they?"

Marshal Gorky: "Indeed, but now we need to save troops, but the Salia Third Front actually has only 300,000 people, known as the Seven 100,000, we need the more than 300,000 Moravians. "

Olga pouted: "I know, I know, but just because we need their help, they get such a big benefit, I don't accept it."

Wang Zhong: "Don't worry, the secular faction is now trying to expand its influence in Moravia, and we can publicly try the Moravian emperor after the war is over."

"Okay." Olga immediately became happy, "Anyway, they surrender now because the church still wants me as the Tsar. When I am no longer the Tsar, they will have no way to complain!"

The generals showed expressions of "What the hell did I hear?"

Olga pushed the topic forward without any concern: "What about other directions? Kashukh's absence means that his front army has taken action?"

Marshal Gorky: "His front army has been in action, but the chief of staff called yesterday and seemed to have encountered some problems, so he flew back."

Wang Zhong: "It seems that Prosen's 502 Heavy Armored Battalion has caused him a lot of trouble again."

Olga: "Can't we find a way to destroy this battalion?"

Wang Zhong: "The enemy's use of the heavy armored battalion has changed compared to before. They no longer gather the entire heavy armored battalion together to attack us-of course, this is also related to the terrain of the northern front. The northern front cannot deploy so many heavy tanks."

In fact, it can still be deployed, but it will be very awkward to fight.

This is the case on Earth. Karl Jus, known as the "Tiger King", recorded the actions taken by his heavy armored battalion in a place called **Man's Nose in his memoir "Tigers in the Mud". At that time, too many tigers were dispatched and their own people were directly blocked.

Later, the 502nd Battalion often divided its troops into small groups, with two vehicles in a group, to serve as firefighters everywhere.

In the swampy and forested terrain in the north, this method of dividing the troops into small groups achieved quite good results.

In this time and space, it is estimated that the 502nd Heavy Armored Battalion is doing the same thing.

Wang Zhong explained all this to Olga.

Olga: "I see, that means if we want to annihilate the 502nd Battalion, the best way is to surround the entire Northern Group Army Group, right?"

"Yes." Wang Zhong and Marshal Gorky nodded together.

Olga: "When will the Berisk Front start the attack?"

Wang Zhong: "They are still making swamp shoes and cutting trees. There is almost inexhaustible wood nearby, but people have to be drawn to cut wood. So we adjusted the order of attack according to the situation. Kirinenko's Western Front will take action first, but it is just a feint."

Marshal Gorky: "In order to prevent the enemy from seeing that this is a feint through our casualties, we set the time in the last week of April. When Belyakov's Berisk Front starts to act in May, the enemy will have no time to distinguish whether the Western Front is feinting or not."

Olga asked curiously: "How will the enemy know our casualties?"

"Judgment through corpses and captured documents." Marshal Gorky explained, "Like the attack I launched last year, after being repelled by the enemy, a large number of corpses were left, including the corpses of middle and lower-level officers.

"The enemy will only roughly estimate how many corpses there are in total, but will definitely analyze the captured documents carefully. So in the end they came to the conclusion that I paid nearly 10 million casualties in the attack. "

Wang Zhong looked at Marshal Gorky: "Ten million casualties?"

"How is that possible? That's just nonsense. I fought badly, but not this badly." Marshal Gorky said indignantly.

In fact, Marshal Gorky's bad fighting was relative to Wang Zhong. There were army generals in the United States and the United Kingdom who fought worse than him.

Wang Zhong: "In short, in another week, the Western Front will launch an attack - or pretend to launch an attack."

Kirinenko: "I have prepared a huge amount of ammunition. In the first three days, the enemy will definitely think that we are really attacking. On the fourth day, they will see our engineering troops and build a pontoon bridge against their artillery fire, and then I racked my brains to dismantle the pontoon bridge.

"When our artillery shells and wooden pontoons are almost used up, the Salia Front has already set off."

Marshal Gorky: "The five intense attacks were the grand picture of our entire summer campaign. We adopted Marshal Rokossov's proposal and named it 'Operation Bagration.'"

Olga: "Five times? Kashukh's attack, the southern attack on Moravia, the Belisk Front's attack, and the Salia Front's attack. Aren't these only four times? There was also one in Where? Or did I miscalculate?"

Wang Zhong: "A feint attack counts as one."

Kirinenko quickly added: "No, we will launch a real attack after the encirclement is completed. After all, we cannot give the enemy time to prepare for a breakout."

Olga: "That makes sense, but what next? What will happen after these five attacks are over?"

Wang Zhong: "We still have an autumn operational plan, but the content of the plan has not been decided yet. After all, after the summer offensive, we expect that the front will undergo very drastic changes. We don't know what kind of situation we will face in the autumn, so we don't know what kind of situation we will face in the autumn." There is no way to formulate a battle plan.

“Of course, we still have several ideas. The first one is to completely liberate Melania and Livonia. If this is completed, we will look at Prosonia from the Oder River.

"The second is to increase troops on the southern front, launch an attack, sweep across the Buda Basin, and capture Vilna—Schönbrunn Palace, Emperor Plossen's villa, is there, and we can display his collection of art."

After Wang Zhong finished speaking, he picked up the water cup and drank.

Olga: "Then what? Is it over? Just two directions?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, there is another plan to attack the waist of the Prosen Empire. There are indeed a large number of factories here, but it is also a densely populated area with a large number of reinforced concrete buildings, which is not suitable for advancement.

"This is still enemy territory. We may encounter resistance from local soldiers and civilians who share the same hatred. We are worried that our troops will suffer heavy casualties here."

Marshal Gorky added: "Just like what the enemy encountered in Abavahan, we may fall into the same situation."

Olga: "That's strange. According to common sense, the most urbanized place in a country should be the capital, right? You don't hit the waist full of large and medium-sized cities, but you hit Prosonia, which is a super city? Isn't that right? What's wrong?"

Wang Zhong: "The key is that there is nothing in Proson's waist that will cause a fatal blow to them. But if we capture Proson's capital, it will be like a catastrophe for them."

Olga: "Then won't the enemy evacuate Prosonia first and move back to their old capital before moving the capital?"

Wang Zhong: "If this city is not called Prosenia, then they can indeed do this. But this city was built with huge sums of money to prove that Prosenia will become a thousand-year empire in the future, and it is impossible for the Prosenians to abandon it. This city is impossible, His Majesty the Tsar.”

Marshal Gorky: "The name of this city is also called Prosennia, which means 'the Promised Land of the Prosen Nation' in the Prosen language."

Wang Zhong thought to himself that I really didn’t know this. It turns out that XXXnia means the Promised Land.

Then America should be called Anglo-Saxonia, and it could also be called the Scalp Hunting Ground.

Wang Zhong: "In short, if we liberate the Promised Land of the Plosen people, the Plosen people's faith will collapse and they will lose their will to resist. Maybe they will be like the King of Moravia yesterday."

Olga nodded repeatedly: "I understand, I understand, I'm starting to look forward to the future."

————

On April 22, the headquarters of Army Group Center in Plossen.

"Hello? Hello? Please be louder!"

The headquarters was filled with the voices of staff officers roaring into the microphone.

Marshal von Pogg, commander of the Army Group, held a coffee cup: "Okay, now we are also under attack. The most powerful Kozalia First Front has not moved, indicating that other directions are feints. A fatal attack The attack will be carried out by Rokosov's direct descendants.

"It's been like this before."

As soon as he finished speaking, as if responding to him, the phone on the table rang.

Marshal Pogg picked up the receiver: "I am von Pogg."

His Majesty the Emperor's voice came from the other side: "Marshal von Pogg, I heard that the Western Front in front of you launched an attack?"

"Yes, the troops below are all going crazy. Everyone claims to have seen the pontoon bridge." Von Pogg sneered, "The Anters can't have so many pontoon bridges. When they attacked last year, they erected the pontoon bridges and tied the ropes. I think this is a feint, my lord."

"No, your place may be Rokossov's main attack direction."

"But Your Majesty, it is impossible for so many pontoon bridges to appear out of thin air. There must be supporting transportation forces. Our aerial reconnaissance shows that the enemy's transportation strength has not increased significantly. It is impossible for them to send so many pontoon bridges up without anyone noticing. ”

His Majesty the Emperor: "That was when facing the normal Ant General. Rokosov is different! You must use the attitude of facing the enemy's frontal attack to deal with the attack! Rokosov's main force has not moved yet!"

Marshal Boge was full of energy: It was because the First Front of Kosalia did not make any movement that I suspected that I was just making a feint, okay? How come it was the other way around on your side?

"Because Rokosov's troops did not launch an attack, we must regard all attacks as Rokosov's real main attack direction." Is there a causal relationship between this long and difficult sentence?

Marshal Boge cursed indistinctly, which was the local dialect of his hometown.

Emperor: "What did you say?"

Marshal Boge: "Your Majesty, your opinion is great!"

Emperor: "Well, I know Rokosov best. Last year, I was the only one who predicted that he would attack in September! Only me! Stop him!"

The emperor hung up the phone and obviously threw the microphone hard.

Marshal Boge put the microphone on the landline and looked around the studio while holding it.

The chief of staff asked: "What's the matter? Your Majesty... made another request?"

Marshal Boge did not answer immediately, but walked to the other side of the map room and stroked the edge of the window that had just been blocked.

At that time, Marshal Borg's headquarters could maintain daytime office needs with natural light.

As a result, Rokossov came up with the "Urban" assault gun, which led to the Proshen Command to issue the most severe instructions, requiring command posts at all levels to reinforce the bunkers and block the windows. The bunkers of the army group headquarters were the first to bear the brunt and became "demonstration units."

Now Marshal Borg's headquarters has become a "catacomb" where you can't see your hand in front of you without turning on the lights.

Marshal Borg is very skeptical that the part of the bunker that was filled up with only that layer of bricks can block the shooting of the Urban cannon.

It feels like it can't block it.

Chief of Staff: "So, your majesty..."

"He thinks that we may be the main attack direction here." Marshal Borg summarized concisely.

Chief of Staff: "From the exclamations and alarmist reports of the front-line troops, this is indeed possible."

"Humph," Marshal Bog sneered, "Then let's wait and see."

————

May 1, Berisk Front.

The chaplain of the Sharp Knife Battalion wore "swamp shoes" and walked to the front of the line with difficulty.

"Davarish!" He said loudly, "Today is the holiday for all workers! We celebrate the holiday with labor! We use the enemy's artillery fire as fireworks to celebrate!"

After that, he pulled out his pistol, turned around and was the first to move towards the swamp.

"Baba Yaga" followed him, reminding the soldiers as he walked: "Pay attention to the center of gravity, and don't expect anything from the grip of the swamp. When you feel that the grip has become stable, it means you are about to sink and need to clean your swamp shoes!"

The biggest problem with using swamp shoes is that they "slip". If you force yourself to walk without stable grip, it is easy to fall.

People like Baba Yaga who have lived in the swamp for many years have learned to "slide and walk", or to be more precise, to slide and walk like water cockroaches.

The advance team set out like this. Except for the front row of fighters, the others in the advance team were carrying wooden sticks and throwing them in rows in the swamp to open up a path for attack.

The engineer officer in charge of paving the road shouted: "Arrange them more densely! In this way, when a piece of wood wants to roll around, it will be clamped by the wood on both sides."

The officer looked down at the notes in his hand - those were the "key points excerpts" he had recorded when he listened to Baba Yaga's explanation.

Officer: "Also, thin sticks and thick sticks should be arranged alternately, and the cut surface should look serrated, so that heavy combat equipment can cross the swamp safely!"

Uncle Baba Yaga nodded repeatedly, thinking that the officer had learned well, but he was a little rote.

But to be honest, Baba Yaga had never tried to let a tank rush through the swamp. It is said that the tanks used this time were "medium tanks", that is, there were heavier tanks, but they were too heavy to pass through the swamp.

Baba Yaga was still full of worries. Although the Prosen people on the opposite side were the second-rate troops of the 25th wave, without heavy tanks, he would always worry about encountering a tough bone that he could not eat.

There are also artillery. The heavy artillery in the division and the army will definitely not be able to pass through the swamp for a while. Can this attack go smoothly?

However, at this time, I don’t know which priest with the army shouted: "Don’t be dull, sing, be cheerful! Let’s sing "Black Skin Girl"."

Immediately, someone played the bayan, and someone else sang:

"One morning when it was just dawn, I looked at my neighbor's house~

"I saw a black-skinned girl picking baskets of grapes~"

Baba Yaga had never heard of this song, so he asked the young soldier around him: "What song is this?"

"You don't know? It's the latest song, about a girl and a guerrilla boy in love. "The soldier responded with a smile.

More people joined the chorus: "I couldn't help blushing, and I was flustered. I wanted to say to her: Please come to the river, let's welcome the dawn together!"

Uncle Baba Yaga frowned: "What! You haven't even talked for a few words, but you're already inviting the girl to welcome the dawn together. Are you still naked?"

The young man next to him: "In the war years, you might die tomorrow, so of course you have to hurry up!"

The song continued: "Hey, hey, hey~ The green maple trees rustled~

"In front of you, I don't know where to put my hands and feet~

"Green maple trees~ lush maple trees~ I want to sing for you~"

Baba Yaga: "The most popular song last year was 'I Still Have One Last Grenade'!"

"It's popular now, uncle!"

At this time, the song entered the interlude, Bayan played an unusually cheerful melody, and the troops advancing in the swamp also accelerated their pace to the music.

Even with such a fuss, there was no response from the Prosen people.

The song enters the second section:

"The dark-skinned girl, the Moldavia girl, she said kindly to the young man:

"We are gathering the team to defend the motherland and fight against wolves! Early this morning, the guerrillas will leave home~

"If you want to join, there is a barracks deep in the jungle~ Hey hey, the green maple trees rustled, and we parted next to a tall maple tree~

"Green maple trees, dense maple trees, I want to sing for you~"

Uncle Baba Yaga smiled: "That's right! There's no need for those lovey-dovey things in front of you! Just hit the jackal!"

"Uncle, you don't understand!"

"Why don't I understand! When I was as young as you, I fought with the Petliura gang! I know that some of you were frightened, and when you came back, you desperately wanted to find a girl to keep the child. !snort!"

Just as he was talking, several Ant men wearing old military uniforms came out.

They were stunned when they saw Ant soldiers all over the swamp.

"Don't move, who is it?" the leading priest shouted.

Uncle Baba Yaga: "Don't get excited. They are the guerrillas who are leading the way for us. Didn't you just sing in the song? There are barracks deep in the jungle!"

When the guerrillas saw the uncle, they came over and held his hand: "Uncle, you said you were going to attack, but we thought we could hold a company to death! Are such a large force going to launch a full-scale attack?"

Uncle Baba Yaga smiled and said: "Yes, I was afraid that you would be caught, so I didn't tell the truth and made you think that it was a small infiltration force. Please lead the way. We will pave the road directly to the Prosen camp. Let the tanks drive right over!"

At this time, the officer came over with a radio and held the guerrilla's hand: "Comrade, you have worked hard these past few years! Please tell me the enemy's strength and number, and I will report back as soon as possible!"

Guerrilla: "The enemy's troops are very weak and poorly trained. Some Plosen soldiers would even exchange bullets with us for daily necessities, and then report to the superiors that they were killed by guerrillas while on patrol.

"Such an army is definitely invincible! We all do big things from time to time!"

After saying that, the guerrillas proudly displayed the Prossen submachine gun on their chests: "Look! We are even better armed than the Prossens. Even in a close encounter in the forest, they can't beat us. After all, all of us have submachine guns." "

Another guerrilla smiled and said: "Without food or clothing, the enemy came forward, without guns or cannons, the enemy made them for us!

"We grew up here, and every inch of land is our own. No matter who wants to seize it, we will fight him to the end! If you don't attack, maybe in a few years, we will liberate ourselves!"

Uncle Baba Yaga: "Okay, I know you are getting better and better recently, so hurry up and lead the way. When we defeat the enemy, you can become ordinary people again and live a peaceful life!"

"How can this be done!" Several guerrillas became serious, "We have to fight back to the Prosen Empire. We agreed to see you in Prosenia!"

Uncle Baba Yaga laughed loudly: "Okay! See you in Prosonia! Stop talking nonsense and lead the way! Let's give the Prosenians a taste of our power!"