Cannon Fire Arc

Prussian Army, Second Armored Group, Advance Command Headquarters.

Calling it an Advance Command Headquarters means that the command unit was still in motion, not deployed yet. In such a state, although the command vehicle could receive telegrams, it absolutely could not send any out—the reason was simple: too much shaking. A single jolt could add an extra character to the message, and another shake would add yet another.

When a telegram was sent, the message was transmitted instantly upon pressing down.

Of course, even while in motion, the headquarters could still communicate with all divisions via radio.

The high-power radios carried on the communication vehicles could, if necessary, broadcast at full strength. The messages could potentially be heard as far as Plowsonia.

Thanks to the radio, General Von Maqi was still able to keep abreast of the conditions of his subordinate troops, and occasionally, he could even listen to the battle situations reported by pilots in the air.

At one o'clock in the afternoon on November 8, the communication staff suddenly stood up and said, "General, the 22nd Armored Division is reporting."

Von Maqi was studying a map at the time and asked without looking up, "What's the matter?"

"They've encountered enemy fortifications again; the defending commander may be General Rokossovsky."

Von Maqi lifted his head, "Really? Wasn't he already transferred to the rear at Kharon, in charge of organizing the Kharon Defence Line? That's what Rabowell said! The newly established Krat Bureau provided us with a lot of intel about the Ante!"

The communication staff looked toward the adjutant.

Just as the adjutant was about to speak, the general shook his head: "A piece of intelligence being inaccurate occasionally is normal. It's just a minor issue."

He suddenly stopped, his eyebrows knitting together, "No, it's not a minor issue. If the enemy hasn't retreated to break off... If they've placed the 'Imperial Iron Wall' here, that means they're prepared for a dogged fight with us."

General Von Maqi thought for a few seconds and said, "Continue the attack according to the original plan. But assign our reserves, which were originally standby, to the 22nd."

The adjutant asked, "Move the reserve troops now?"

"If we cannot break into Ye Fort, what's the point of keeping the reserve troops idle? The enemy's defensive line is already near the outer rings of Ye Fort; we are down to the last little bit of distance.

"It's time for a sprint and we must bring all our strength to bear! Go all out!"

General Von Maqi pounded the table with his fist.

The adjutant asked, "So... shall we order the 22nd Division to launch an immediate attack?"

General Von Maqi thought for a moment, then shook his head: "No, no, 'to do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools'—that's an Eastern proverb. Does the 22nd Division currently have artillery?"

"Not yet. It's still on the way. But the nearby 35th Armored Grenadier has Bison Assault Guns assigned."

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General Von Maqi rose in the constantly swaying command vehicle: "Bisons, huh? The 15 cm heavy infantry gun possesses a certain breaking power, but that's about it. According to the combat experience summary of the Asgard Knights, this Empire Iron Wall likes to construct robust and ingenious fortifications."

The general paused for a moment: "During Argesukov's period of rest, I visited his tank shelters built in Orachi, very ingenious but also overly complicated, basically impractical in field conditions. I've simplified his design, which will assuredly perform excellently in defensive battles."

The adjutant frowned, "Defensive battles? Our army has always been on the offensive..."

"Just in case," General Von Maqi interrupted the adjutant, "just like Giles, who went to recuperate, saved Shostka and requested the Imperial Military Science Academy to survey it, I've also embraced the wisdom of the enemy. This Empire Iron Wall—in terms of defense and annoying the opponent—certainly has genuine substance."

The adjutant couldn't help but suppress a laugh, "Annoying the opponent?"

"Yes, annoying the opponent. Hereafter, when we take over a place he has defended, we must be cautious and thoroughly sweep for mines. Otherwise, just blow it up," General Von Maqi shook his head, "How can there be such a shameless soldier who plants trick mines in his own headquarters?"

————

Wang Zhong sneezed three times in a row, his snot even spraying onto Nelly's hands.

Nelly looked disgusted as she wiped her hands with a handkerchief, distancing herself from Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong said, "Someone from Prosen must be cursing me! It's probably one of the trick mines we planted in Shostka that got triggered again."

Indeed, the trick mines Wang Zhong had planted in Shostka were not limited to just one in the command post.

Pavlov inquired, "Are you alright? Catching a cold would be troublesome, especially since the temperature will drop sharply soon—catching a cold at such a time can be bothersome."

Wang Zhong replied, "What's the fuss? Just cover yourself with a quilt and sleep it off in bed."

His attention returned to the detailed map of the defensive area on the table: "We already know we're facing the enemy's Second Armored Group. According to the information brought back by the soldiers from the assault battalion before they disbanded, it's very likely we'll be up against the 22nd Armored Division.

"This division's artillery hasn't caught up yet. The previous breakthroughs of our defenses were mainly because our forces didn't have enough time to construct comprehensive fortifications.

"But we not only have complete fortifications, but also a large number of 57 mm anti-tank guns."

The mobile ZIS30 57 mm guns have the advantage of firing and then quickly repositioning, ideal for mobile enemy engagement.

Whereas the static 57 mm guns benefit from the support of a large squad, achieving a very high rate of fire—up to one shot every three seconds.

That's faster than some bolt-action rifles.

Of course, anti-tank guns need to continuously switch targets so such firing rates are not feasible in actual combat. Yet, the practical rate of fire of Wang Zhong's 57 mm guns is still formidable, capable of rapidly suppressing enemy tank platoons.

Having assessed our situation, Wang Zhong spoke with conviction, "Tank Division 22 won't be able to break through our defense line. If they attempt a strong charge, they will be met with a crushing defeat right in front of us."

————

General Von Maqi: "Tank Division 22 won't be able to break through Rokossovsky's defense lines. Their tank units are down to less than a hundred, and using this few tanks to charge Rokossovsky's 'turtle shell' is nothing but a waste of manpower.

"Do you know what's most important when dealing with a 'turtle shell'? It's to bypass the shell and scoop out the flesh inside. Of course, we cannot completely avoid attacking Rokossovsky; we need to contain him, prevent him from moving around freely."

The general turned and moved to the small window of the command vehicle, opening it to look out at the fields rushing by behind him: "In war, whoever is able to commit the last battalion will emerge victorious.

"We must ensure that Rokossovsky's division does not become that 'last battalion'."

Aide-de-camp: "You mean..."

The general: "Ferociously assault Rokossovsky's division, drain their manpower, and then have our elite forces circuNovelFireent his defense from both sides. No, not just from both sides – the other generals from the same army group as Rokossovsky have also performed quite well, and their troops are very determined.

"We need to make a larger detour. We will..."

The general moved away from the window back to the map, picked up a pencil, and traced a line along the enemy defense revealed by reconnaissance, finally resting on the location named Karanskaya.

"The main attack will take place here. We will breach the enemy's defense at this point."

After listening, the aide-de-camp immediately went to a filing cabinet, took out a folder, pulled an album from inside, and located the aerial reconnaissance photos of Karanskaya according to the album's classification.

"This location won't be easy to capture; it is a satellite town of Ye Fort, filled with reinforced concrete buildings. In addition, there's a fortress built on a hill with a view covering the surroundings. Furthermore, the reverse slope below the fortress can serve as an anti-tank position..."

General Von Maqi dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand: "Do you think that the presence of reinforced concrete means it is a place easy to defend but hard to attack? No, in fact, close combat is a real test of the troops' courage and their will to fight.

"In our previous engagements, the enemy might have been able to face our artillery, to face our tanks, but once they enter close-quarters combat with the elite Prussian troops, they collapse rapidly!

"And now, the forces of the Ante Army we've encountered along the way are increasingly losing their will to fight. Some divisions even start to retreat after just ten percent casualties.

"This is about making the most of our strengths!"

General Von Maqi straightened up, glancing at the Ante national flag hanging inside the command vehicle.

"We will win the war with courage. And Rokossovsky can only watch helplessly from his positions as we break through the defense lines and march straight to Ye Fort!"

————

Wang Zhong: "If the enemy doesn't take us down but turns to attack Karanskaya instead, their supply lines will become very awkward."

He pointed at the highway on the map with a pencil.

"I've scouted this highway in person and I think the nobles who built it must have taken kickbacks. The condition of the road is terrible; even without us laying mines, it can't carry much in the way of supplies. The road was muddy when we reconnoitered; our horses injured their legs after just a brief gallop.

"I asked the old farmers along the way, and they said the road is also hard to travel when frozen. Without a doubt, the forces attacking Karanskaya will have serious supply issues."

Pavlov, staring at the map: "If this road is difficult to travel, the enemy can only attack us. After capturing our current positions, they'll use them as a supply center, right?"

Wang Zhong: "Exactly. They have to attack us."

Popov sighed: "I usually take the train when I leave the capital; I had no idea the transportation around the capital was this poor."

Wang Zhong: "No, it's not just around the capital; the whole of Ante has poor road transportation. We rely mainly on railways and shipping. The waterways of Ekaterinburg Fortress can flow south all the way to the Inland Sea, which is why an industrial belt has formed along the Valdai Hills River.

"This industrial belt and the Kazarlia-Livonia industrial belt, which we've almost completely lost, are connected by the Dnieper River and the northern Neva River, with a 100-kilometer-long canal between the two rivers. The internal transportation within these industrial belts is not bad, but between the belts – aside from the railways – it's just these kinds of dirt roads."

Wang Zhong shrugged at the map.

If you were to mark the industrial belts in black on the map of Ante, leaving the rest white, it would look like a piece of zebra skin.

Pavlov: "But once they get past us, the transportation conditions will improve."

Wang Zhong: "True, I've scouted the area to the east as well; the road standards improve sharply there, with asphalt surfaces. At the same time, there are more concrete buildings and factories scattered across the fields.

"If the enemy breaks through our lines, they can advance quickly; we have to hold them back."

Just then, the telephone rang, and Wang Zhong picked up the handset without hesitation: "This is Rokossovsky."

A calm baritone came through from the other end: "Rokossovsky."

"Your Excellency, Grand Patriarch," Wang Zhong instinctively stood up straight.

"I have a question for you. I heard your troops have already engaged the enemy?"

"Yes, my troops have already engaged the enemy," Wang Zhong replied truthfully.

"Then I want to ask you, can we still hold the National Day military parade on November 10?"

Wang Zhong thought for a moment, then answered confidently, "I, Aleksei Konstantinovich Rokossovsky, assure you that the parade can proceed as scheduled!"