artillery arc

Chapter 27 Saying Goodbye to the Bell Tower
Major Schlieffen, commander of the Schlieffen Battle Group, observed the dust clouds on the hillside for a while, then sneered: "The enemy's scouts don't even carry walkie-talkies. The Ant Empire is more decadent than we thought."

The voice of the commander of his tank company came from the earphones: "They are an inferior nation, but they occupy fertile black land!"

"We're here to kill the insects!"

"Yeah hahahaha!"

Shrifen said coldly: "Don't chat on the radio when the enemy is in front of you."

"Sorry, Major."

"sorry."

Schlieffen asked, "What was the inspection result of that truck?"

Although the major did not issue an order to inspect the truck, he believed that his subordinates would definitely ask someone to inspect the truck after the marching column stopped.

Sure enough, a message came back over the radio: "Major, it's our truck. Before dawn today, a group of mechanized infantry overtook us, possibly from that unit. But I didn't find the bodies of our soldiers in the truck. .”

Shilifen scolded angrily: "Why didn't a convoy stop and check their documents when they were passing by? We are the spearhead of the attack. According to the order of battle, other troops are behind us!"

There was radio silence.

Shilifen: "Who was on duty last night? The enemy will not confine you at the moment, but if you are not dead after the battle, you can wait to be punished!"

After saying this, Schlieffen temporarily turned off the transmitting function of the radio and used the car phone to order the driver: "Get off the road and go up the mountain!"

His Panzer III tank with tactical number 141 left the road and drove up the hill where the Ant Army sentries were hidden.

The battle group staff officer's voice came from the earpiece: "Major, do you want the infantry to go up and search first?"

Shrifen: "That's not necessary. The Ant people have no talent for fighting. They only fight according to textbooks. Think about how badly they fought in the Winter War!
"The Anters will set up sniper positions on the top of the mountain because that's what their textbooks teach! If we are not attacked now, there will be no one on the top of the mountain. I will prove it!"

After speaking, Schlieffen straightened his body, which allowed half of his upper body to escape the cover of the tank hatch. The tank hatch of the Panzer III tank was specially designed to open forward. When opened, it could be used as a hatch for the commander who leaned out. Defense shield.

Car No. 141 drove all the way to a place just one step away from the top of the mountain.

At this time, Schlieffen could already see beyond the top of the mountain and behind it, so he shouted: "Stop!"

The tank stopped suddenly and shook violently.

Schlieffen raised his binoculars. He lost one eye in the Carolingian Battle, but still stubbornly used binoculars, as if he had never become a cyclops.

"The Anters have fortified the city, and there are some strong-looking buildings."

At this time, the command half-track vehicle on which the chief of staff was riding also drove up the mountain. The chief of staff jumped out of the car and stood next to the No. 141 tank and raised his telescope.

"Considering the Ant army pretending to be our army that passed by in the early morning, this place must be..."

"Major!" A second lieutenant officer interrupted the staff officer, "Look here, there are track marks on the ground. An Ant Army tank once parked here!"

Shrifen looked at the ensign: "You did a good job, ensign, can you see where the tracks went?"

"To the village down the hillside, Major!"

The chief of staff frowned: "There are tanks, infantry, and solid masonry buildings like this. We should wait for the heavy artillery to come up. They actually abandoned this highland like this. We set up an artillery observation post here, and the heavy artillery can kill them all." Blast to ashes!!"

Schlieffen: "The heavy artillery is stuck in a traffic jam on the road. When they come up, the day lilies are cold. The tanks of the Ants are very backward and have been almost wiped out by the air force. A small number of tanks will have no impact.

"Let the troops deploy, how many smoke grenades does the mortar battery have?"

The logistics staff officer replied: "Not too much, sir. We have been advancing and there is no systematic supply yet."

"Then don't fight yet."

Shrifen once again observed the village at the foot of the mountain and said, "If the enemy has magic arrows, they will be on the bell tower."

After speaking, Stephen put down the telescope, raised his thumb as a reference, and visually measured the distance.

"Two kilometers. The enemy's magic arrows are not accurate at this distance. Let Hoffman's crew come. The shooting position is right here!"

Soon a Panzer III tank with tactical number 170 drove up the hill and parked not far from Schlieffen's No. 141. Schlifen pressed the microphone on his throat with his hand and said: "Hoffman, the target is the bell tower. The enemy's Arrow team must be inside. The 50mm grenade No. may not be able to penetrate the stone wall. I have to make sure the shells are accurate." Sent into the belfry window.”

Armor-piercing bullets can naturally penetrate stone walls, but the damage effect is not expected to be very good.

However, to hit the window accurately at a distance of two kilometers requires not only superb shooting skills, but also the blessing of luck.

In fact, being able to hit the clock tower at this distance is considered a pass.

But Schlieffen has confidence in his ace gunner.

Shriven: "I won a dozen cans!"

The tank soldier's laughter came over the radio: "Major, who wants your cans now? Look around, there is endless beef and women everywhere!"

“It’s just that the bread is really not that interesting!”

Schlieffen: "Then I'll give you a Reichsmark. If you don't hit me, I'll be put in solitary confinement!"

Hoffman whistled: "Just watch!"

Car No. 170 turned the turret and began to take aim.

Shrifen glanced at his men, then looked back down the mountain. He was satisfied to see that his troops had completed the battle and were waiting to launch an attack.

At this time, the cannon went off.

----

"Has the artillery been fired?" Brother Ye Tsemenko was shocked. At this time, the sound of howling shells came from above, and everyone subconsciously raised their heads.

The next moment, an explosion came from behind.

Brother Yetsemenko immediately rushed to the other window, just in time to see the smoke break through the bell tower window.

Then he saw the two men guarding the bell tower rushing out of the bell tower door and running into the street in panic.

The next moment, the big clock hit the floor on the first floor of the bell tower. The tall clock jumped up, and its dull ringing tortured everyone's ears.

Yetsemenko cursed: "Sukabu!"

He looked at the others.

One of the munitionsmen said: "If we were like that clock in the bell tower right now..."

Lyudmila: "We can fight back! The one who fires the artillery must be the best among them! Killing him will save us from killing many people!"

"No!" Yezemenko scolded everyone who started to move after hearing Lyudmila's words. "They are hiding in reverse now, which will only expose us! When they rush to the open space and have nowhere to hide, , fire again!"

After stopping everyone, Ye Tsemenko muttered: "It's actually true... Is he really a genius?"

----

Shrifen frowned, observing the village's reaction.

The chief of staff said: "It looks like there are no divine arrows placed in the tower. Maybe the enemy has abandoned the village."

Shrifen: "Even if that's the case, we have to enter the village in combat formation. The 2nd Armored Company and the infantry begin to advance!"

The Second Company is mainly equipped with Panzer IV tanks used to support infantry. Their short-barreled 75mm howitzers are not suitable for anti-armor, but they can effectively kill infantry.

The chief of staff glanced at the staff officer who was already on standby and nodded slightly.

So the staff officer blew the whistle signaling the start of the attack.

The No. 4 tank of the Second Company spewed thick smoke from its exhaust pipe, and its tracks crushed the black soil and climbed over the hills.

(End of this chapter)