Arc of Gunfire

Plossen Army Group South Headquarters, 0900 hours on July 16.

"Hello? Hello?" Mendel took the receiver away and looked at it carefully to make sure that he had not pinched the receiver.

He put down the receiver and looked at the staff officers around him: "The commander of the 25th Army may have been killed in action. Contact the Army Headquarters immediately to understand the situation and ensure that the Army responds correctly to Ant's attack."

The chief of staff of the Army Group immediately replied: "The 25th Army has six land Stuka squadrons. They will prepare counterfire for the Ants and completely destroy the Ants' offensive troops.

"According to past experience, the attack of Ant troops prepared by counter-fire will be stalled for at least five hours. At the same time, the intensity of the attack and the amount of technical equipment invested will be greatly reduced!"

Mendel: "When was the last time we fought back? In the North in June?"

"No, the enemy from the north forcibly broke through the swamp, neither preparing for artillery fire nor giving us time to prepare for counter-artillery fire. Our troops stationed in the breakthrough area were not even equipped with 'smoke breathers'."

The Prosen people call the rocket launcher "Smoke Brewer". The so-called "Land Stuka" is just a nickname. The official name is "500mm Smoke Brewer Carrier".

Marshal Mendel: "So using land-based Stuka counterfire preparations was a tactic a few months ago? That won't be effective. All smokers will fire after engaging the enemy on the front line."

Chief of Staff: "That's too dangerous. Our Land Stuka places special emphasis on accuracy and its range is not far. Maybe the Land Stuka will be too late to withdraw! This kind of counterattack should be handed over to the towed smokers equipped by each unit. Responsible."

After the various caliber smokers carried by the 251 series half-tracks proved their worth, the Prossens began to equip the infantry units with smokers that could be towed by barrel carts or even donkey carts - in fact, a series of smokers that could be fired The iron tubes of the rocket are welded together.

These smoke-breathers have now become the most effective sudden attack firepower of the Prosin infantry unit. They are more powerful and cover faster than mortars. The disadvantages are long reloading time and limited ammunition.

Marshal Mendel: "I order the land Stuka troops to wait until the defense line and the Ants engage in fire before firing! Since the advantage of our smoke-breathers over the enemy is accuracy, we must use this advantage!"

Chief of Staff: "All land Stukas are independently organized. If they were lost in our hands, it would be difficult to explain to His Majesty the Emperor!"

"We have lost our defense line, and it will be even harder to explain to His Majesty the Emperor!" Marshal Mendel said loudly, "Let them wait!"

"Yes." The chief of staff winked at his staff officers, who then picked up the phone and began to implement the marshal's order.

After a while, the chief of staff worriedly reported to the marshal: "We were suddenly attacked, and the Land Stuka troops are now in chaos. It should be the underground resistance organization that sent the information about the Land Stuka troops' location to Ant. "

Marshal Mendel shook his head: "In the past three years, the 'intelligence advantage' of the Ant people has caused us a lot of hardships. Fortunately, we will also have an intelligence advantage soon."

A young staff officer looked very happy: "Really? Rabelais has a new intelligence channel? Why can't it provide us with intelligence now?"

Marshal Mendel looked at the young staff officer and explained: "No, it's not Rabelaisian's new intelligence channel, it's that we are about to fight within our own country. Our resistance organization should also provide intelligence.

"It took the Anters three years to push us back. Now it's up to us how long we can hold on."

The entire headquarters was quiet and solemn.

Marshal Mendel broke the silence: "Be happy, the Ant people have a large territory, so the war lasted for three years. Our territory is not as big as the Ant, and the resistance may only last for one year."

Chief of Staff: "Is this something to be happy about?"

"Yeah, long-term pain is worse than short-term pain." Marshal Mendel shrugged, "Now tell me, do you have any other feasible suggestions? We have a group army commander who burps, and all the troops are caught off guard. "

"We can put the 504th Heavy Armor Battalion and the newly formed Grossen Armored Division into combat. The Grossen Armored Division has 98 Panthers and 48 King Tigers in full combat readiness, as well as 44 Panzer IVs. and 110 Panzer IV tank destroyers.”

Marshal Mendel: "I requested that the Grossen Plossen Armored Division be split into a series of battle groups composed of 20 tanks or armored vehicles. How is it being implemented now?"

"The split has not completely begun." The chief of staff was sweating. "The main headquarters and the director of armored forces are opposed to this split."

Mendel scolded: "This Moltke! The large armored division with 400 tanks he envisioned makes no sense at all, because our support system cannot support such a large unit!"

After a roar, Marshal Mendel let out a long sigh: "Let the Grossen Division set out in batches. Each batch should be controlled between 20 and 40 tanks. I believe this is the most flexible and effective unit. Deploy them. Fight side by side with the local infantry defenders on the only way for the Ant people to lead to Melania!"

"yes!"

————

In fact, Fritz, commander of the 25th Army, saved his life.

When he woke up in the medical center, he stared at the ceiling for a long time, until a nearby cannonball exploded, causing the wooden ceiling of the medical center to shake violently and falling a lot of dust.

Dust fell into his eyes, causing Fritz to close them. He wanted to rub his eyes with his hand, but his right hand didn't move at all.

He had to open his eyes again and saw through his tears that his right hand was already covered with bandages.

At this time, the military doctor discovered that Fritz was awake and came over: "Your Excellency, Commander, if you wake up, get up and command the troops! The enemy's artillery preparations have ended, and they will definitely attack!"

Franz then got up and asked the doctor: "How is my hand?"

"It's saved. The shrapnel is stuck between the tendons and nerves. If it's just a little bit off, you'll be permanently disabled. Now you can recover after a year of training."

"That's good." Franz changed the question, "Where are my staff officers and adjutants? They should be in the division headquarters bunker with me."

"Then they are probably gone. All the survivors in the bunker should have been sent to me, but you see, you are the only officer, and you are an officer with red epaulettes."

Franz: "How bad is it?"

"I'm a doctor, not a military strategist! I only received 40 hours of military training. The instructor said that as long as I pick up the pistol and don't hurt any of my own people, I will be victorious. I can't answer these military questions." The doctor raised his hands. After waiting for Franz to respond, he went to take care of other patients.

Franz could only get up and stumbled out of the tent. Then he saw a huge fireball rising from the Proson position to the east of the medical center.

"Oh my God, it's the Urban assault gun." Franz muttered, "Quick! Organize your troops to advance to the place where Urban bombed. According to past experience, the place bombed by Urban will become a breakthrough! "

However, I don’t know if no one noticed Franz’s red collar badge—or mistook its background for blood—but Franz shouted for a long time and no one responded to him.

So he turned around and entered the medical clinic. Under the dumbfounded gaze of the doctor, he picked up the phone and said, "I'm Franz. I'm on the 54th Division's position. Please call back if you hear me from the Army Headquarters!"

An angry roar came from the other end of the phone: "The commander of the army group cannot occupy my channel! Bring the wounded back from the front line quickly! Also, I don't have enough plasma, so I can ask the wounded to donate it!"

“Organize a donation as soon as possible!”

Franz put down the phone and looked at the doctor: "Is this reasonable? I can't find a way to contact my army headquarters!"

Medic: "Maybe you can get a motorcycle and drive back, provided the Ants don't use cavalry and light armor to penetrate the rear this time like they did in their previous attacks."

Franz: "While I'm back at the headquarters, how much will our troops lose because of the loss of command?"

"Then you may be able to find a nearby division or army command post. My responsibility is only to save your life, and I have already done it. It is your mission to save the entire army group."

Franz shook his head and rushed out of the wooden medical center. He glanced at the wounded squatting outside the medical center waiting for treatment, and shouted at the top of his lungs: "I am Franz, the commander of the group army. I need someone to escort me to the nearest hospital." Who can continue to fight at the command post?”

Soon several wounded soldiers stood up.

Franz asked the lieutenant among them: "Why are you lying in the pile of wounded soldiers? Didn't you see you injured?"

"I was knocked unconscious, General, and my head is still ringing. I don't know what you were going to do, but count me in."

Franz: "Okay, you all get your weapons. Our target is the nearest division headquarters, regiment headquarters too!"

————

Henry looked at the rising mushroom cloud, turned back and said to his troops: "The enemy has gone up to the sky with their bunkers! The rest is up to us! Break through the enemy's defense line in one go! Our hometown is waiting for us!"

As he spoke, the tank roared to life, and billowing black smoke spewed out of the exhaust vent.

Since the year before last, Ant's tank has been billowing with black smoke when it is started. It should be because the refinery was in a hurry to complete the refining KPI and did not fully extract the impurities in the oil.

Vehicles burning gasoline imported from the United States are much less likely to spew black smoke.

Tanks puffing out billowing black smoke headed due west.

Podolkov, who was leaning his head on the turret, said to Henry: "Are you excited? We'll be home in thirty kilometers!"

"I'm not excited. We stopped thirty kilometers away from our hometown for half a year! At first, I dreamed about returning to my hometown every day, but now I'm used to it."

As he spoke, Henry took out an apple, cut off a piece with a dagger and put it into his mouth, while continuing: "On the morning when the Proscenians broke into my hometown, my breakfast was two apples."

Podolkov looked at the apple in Henry's hand: "A specialty from home?"

"No, An's specialty apples. I just eat apples every morning to remember that day."

At this time, the soldiers of Melania's People's Army marching next to the tank shouted in envy: "You guys actually took the first step!"

Henry: "Yes! Let's go home first!"

After passing the queue of infantrymen, Podolkov asked: "How do you confirm that you have returned to your hometown? Can you tell just by smelling the breath in the air?"

"Of course it's impossible. I think it should be based on the street signs. Seeing street signs and signboards in Melania's language means——"

Suddenly, the sound of "Woo-Woo" came from behind the Prossen position, and a long trail flew over the head of the "Revenge of the Heroic Brother" tank and landed on the group marching behind the tank.

The sound of explosions and rising smoke suddenly obscured the troops marching behind.

Podolskov: "The Prosins have also learned the lesson and started preparing for counter-fire and sudden fire attacks against us."

As he spoke, he picked up the wireless phone: "Attention all units, the enemy's rocket launcher is in front of the ballistic launch site, speed up and rush over immediately!"

Henry clearly felt the tank's engine increase its output.

Soon, the Revenge of the Heroic Brother rushed through a row of hedges and happened to see several barrel trucks dragging multiple rocket launchers preparing to retreat.

Podolkov fired an anti-aircraft machine gun and fired, killing two barrel truck drivers in a row.

The barrel truck dragging the rocket launcher overturned in a ditch on the roadside. The gunner sitting on the barrel truck rushed down, stumbling and trying to escape.

Henry fired too, having become accustomed to operating the thread-cutting machine from years of war.

The "Flying Scale" caught up with the fleeing Prossen artillerymen and smashed their upper bodies to pieces from behind.

The remaining Plosans all surrendered and knelt on the ground with their weapons raised high.

Henry shouted in Plosin: "Go backwards! We don't have time to capture you! Go backwards yourself!"

The tank just caught up with the fleeing Prossens, flattened the crude rocket launcher, and then drove it onto the overturned barrel truck.

After a jolt, the tank drove over the wreckage of the barrel truck, ignoring the fire caused by the leaking fuel.

Podolkov asked: "What did you just say?"

"I asked them to go east by themselves, saying that we had no time to capture them. In their propaganda, the Proscenians either said that we Melania people were stupid enough to use sabers to chop tanks, or that we were inferior people who had no war at all. "Unexpectedly, Officer Prossen just shouted, 'Go back, we don't have time to capture you,' and Melania walked back obediently."

Podolkov: "But haven't you been resisting?"

"Yeah." Henry looked proud, "The resistance never stops."

————

Melania's capital, Visvavalsi.

Hellman suddenly grabbed the radio and listened intently to the broadcast in Ant language.

"What's wrong?" Heilmann's child asked.

Hellman: "Marshal Rokossov of Ante has commanded his troops to launch an attack, saying that he will penetrate Vislavalsi directly!"

The child was overjoyed: "Are you going to be liberated?"

Hellman shook his head: "No, from a situational point of view, if they really want to break through the defense of the Prussian Southern Army Group, they should outflank them to the north, which will gain the most benefits. I think this may be their plan to bully the enemy, that Marshal Rokossov likes to do this the most.”

Child: “Aren’t they coming to free us?”

"I don't know. Maybe the United Kingdom has some kind of agreement with them." Heilman smiled bitterly, "It's not the first time that we have been used as bargaining chips by them."

At this time there was a knock on the door downstairs.

Hellman shut up and changed the channel on the radio, so the melodious sound played by the puppet government radio station rang in the room.

Soon a powerful young man climbed up the stairs, took off his felt hat, and sat in front of Hellman: "Captain, our radio station received a coded message. The exile government in the United Kingdom wants us to launch an uprising."

"Now?" Heilman looked surprised. "Wouldn't the uprising now cause chaos for the Ant people? If they want to outflank them to the north, they must definitely do it to the north."

The young man asked in confusion: "What happened to the Ant people?"

Hellman: "They have launched an attack on the southern front, and they are likely to launch an unprecedented outflank. When they do it, the Prossens' military exploits three years ago will pale in comparison.

"The United Kingdom certainly doesn't want this. They want both Prossen and Ant to suffer."

The young man still looked puzzled: "What does this have to do with our uprising?"

"If we revolt, the Antes must rescue us. If the uprising fails, the United Kingdom will have an excuse to say that the Ants do not really want to liberate us. The government-in-exile in the United Kingdom will thus gain legitimacy, regardless of whether the Antes are in Mera No matter what kind of government Niya supports, the government-in-exile will be able to resist it.”

The young man cursed: "Damn it, these United Kingdom bitches! But if the Anters don't come to rescue us, then they are almost as bad!"

Hellman shook his head: "In short, we can't revolt now. When the Ants destroy Prosen's Central Army Group and Northern Army Group, and the front turns to us, it will not be too late to revolt and respond."

"But……"

"Nothing." Hellman interrupted the young man.

"How can those guys who live a comfortable life abroad know the hardship and cruelty of our struggle? They are all in the safety of the United Kingdom, and they even hide as far away as the United States!

"But I am with you! Every time you bleed and sacrifice, I bear the same risk! I know how cruel the enemy is. So listen to me and wait for the opportunity!"

The young man nodded: "Okay, I will forward your opinions to the committee. But I heard that someone will be parachuted in later today."

"Oh? High-level officials of the exiled government from the capital of the United Kingdom?" Hellman frowned, "I feel like they will bring a bloody storm."

"Isn't that true?" the young man said. At this time, Hellman's wife, who had just opened the door for him, came up with a fruit plate.

Hellman: "Eat some fruit. This is a good thing that circulates in the black market. It came from a Plossian named Schindler. He is different from other Plossians and is more flexible in doing things."

The young man looked worried: "Could this... be a spy from the Imperial Household Ministry?"

"If so, we would have been wiped out long ago." Heilmann replied, "This Schindler is helping us rescue our captured comrades and find hidden traitors. He is absolutely trustworthy."

The young man nodded and picked up an apple from the fruit plate: "One apple is enough for me."

After saying that, he took the apple and walked down the stairs, and Heilmann's wife immediately followed.

Heilman's children said, "Are we going to revolt?"

Heilmann asked, "Do you want an uprising?"

"Of course, I was only nine years old when the Proscenians first came, and you said I was not as tall as a rifle. Now that I am fifteen, I am much taller than a rifle, and I can also shoot a Sten submachine gun!"

The support provided by the United Kingdom to Melania's resistance organization includes a large number of Sten submachine guns dropped from the air.

This gun has many disadvantages. Resistance fighters generally prefer the Prossen MP40 submachine gun, but the MP40 is really not that easy to get, and Sten can be had as much as you want.

Hellman: "Don't be too busy beating Stern now. Go and do some reconnaissance tomorrow to see the reaction of the Prossen people. If the Ants really launch a large-scale attack from the southern front, the Prossen people will definitely mobilize. .

"Remember, when you see Prossen armored vehicles, you must not only remember the model, but also the markings on them. This can help us identify the unit it belongs to and who the commander is!"

Child: "I remember! How many times have I conducted investigations? Tomorrow I will go to the streets and search all the Prossen people!"

Hellman smiled, picked up the radio, and adjusted the channel to the Ant broadcast again.

————

Henry kept his eyes looking forward.

Podolkov: "Your eyes are popping out of your sockets! Don't worry, the thirty-kilometer journey will be over in no time!"

Only then did Henry look back.

The infantryman beside him suddenly said: "I can hardly remember how to write the street signs in Melania language, after all, I have been speaking in Ant language for so many years."

Podolkov: "That's not possible. We'll still be counting on you to translate the road signs and figure out the way!"

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten my mother tongue," Henry said.

At this time, eight squadrons of P47 attack aircraft roared in the sky and flew over from the direction of the enemy. It seemed that they had just completed their bombing attack.

Podolkov picked up the microphone: "Pilot! I'm the tank with the red flag on the ground! How about the front?"

Henry couldn't hear the pilot's answer clearly. He could only watch Podolkov cover an earphone with one hand and follow the fleet with his eyes.

"Okay, we understand. Thank you for informing me." After putting down the microphone, Podolkov said to Henry: "The pilots bombed the enemy's anti-aircraft artillery position in front, and there was also a headquarters, probably a division or corps commander. Ministry! Get your boys ready!"

Henry immediately shouted: "There is a headquarters in front and an anti-aircraft artillery position. Get ready! Let's rush in with the tanks!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a shell hit the Hero's Brother's Revenge.

As a result, the shell caused a string of sparks on the turret and hit the beech behind the tank.

Then the sound of artillery came, and Podolkov shouted: "We were hit by 88mm artillery, it was an enemy anti-aircraft gun! Prepare to fight against the anti-tank weapons group! Henry, get your soldiers off!"

Henry: "We will help you find the enemy! It's easier to see the enemy with more pairs of eyes!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he caught the flash of light and shouted: "Ahead, there is a flash of light in the farmhouse! The cannon should be hidden in the farmhouse!"

While he was speaking, the 88-gun shell hit the Hero Brother's Revenge again. Apparently it came towards the turret seat ring and hit the hull.

Podolskov: "Target barn! Load HE! Fire!"

The Hero's Brother Revenge roared, and the muzzle blast tore Henry's hair.

The next moment, there was a big explosion of ammunition in the barn, the entire top of the wood was lifted off, and an orange-red fireball rose into the sky.