artillery arc

Chapter 403 It's time to see who is better at fighting a bad battle
No matter how much you curse, you still have to deal with the current situation.

Wang Zhong thought for a moment and said to Pavlov, "How about postponing the original attack plan for a day or so? Use this day to scout the enemy's situation and confirm the coordinates of important targets."

Pavlov nodded. "I think so too. Our artillery supply plan has only completed 60% of the planned transportation volume so far. Giving us one more day to reserve artillery shells will be beneficial for the subsequent defensive battle."

Wang Zhong looked at Popov.

Popov frowned. "We have always been one step ahead of the enemy. If we suddenly postpone the attack now, will we lose the initiative? Our original battle plan was to launch the attack tomorrow (the 20th). If we postpone it for another day..."

Wang Zhong: "The enemy has not yet withdrawn its forces. I estimate that they will take action today, and the cavalry unit will have a report tonight. I don't think the enemy can achieve its tactical intention today."

Pavlov: "After retreating, the enemy should also need to replenish ammunition and fuel, and repair vehicles."

Wang Zhong repeated: "And repair the car."

Popov looked at the two of them. "Well, I've already expressed my concerns. Vasily, remember that I don't agree to postpone this decision."

Vasily: "Ah? Isn't it the people from the General Staff who are responsible for recording it?"

A staff officer behind Pavlov was shocked: "Did we remember what we just did?"

Pavlov: "Write it down and write it down in the summary of this battle later."

Wang Zhong: "So now it's two against one, and the attack is postponed until the morning of the 21st?"

Pavlov looked up at the sky. "July 7st is almost the summer solstice. The daylight hours are long, and there is enough sunlight to launch an attack at noon."

In this era, no one has the ability to fight at night, so military operations must take daylight hours into consideration.

Wang Zhong: "Then we will launch the attack at noon on the 21st."

He turned to Kosikov and said, "Your corps should be fully prepared for the attack on the morning of the 21st, and then gather the battalion and company commanders. I will tell them the complete battle plan."

Kosikov asked in surprise: "Can't this be passed down layer by layer?"

"Here, I will issue the order personally," said Wang Zhong.

Kosikov smiled. "That's great. Everyone wants to see you in person. On the way here, we met many vehicles carrying prisoners. In Yarvik, we saw prisoners and captured equipment being brought back every day. When people see these, they will say, 'It must be Rokossov. He has won another victory!'"

Wang Zhong said seriously: "Don't say these useless things, do your job well. I have given you one day to organize the attack!"

Kosikov saluted: "Don't worry."

He put down his hand and was about to leave when Pavlov stopped him and said, "Wait a minute, although more than half of the heavy tank brigade has been grounded, the number of tanks left still exceeds the optimal number determined by General Rokossov, so we still have to divide them.

"I think we should organize the remaining tanks into two regiments based on the original plan. One regiment will remain in your organization, and the other regiment will be directly under the army headquarters. What do you think?"

Kosikov looked back at Barlev, who nodded and said, "I'll arrange it. We'll divide it up as soon as they arrive tomorrow."

Kosikov: "My staff said yes. The chief of staff is in a brigade behind and should arrive today. And I asked the heavy tank brigade to stop and repair their vehicles?"

Pavlov: "Yes, we will also send the army group's maintenance force to help rescue the heavy tanks."

Kosikov saluted again and turned to leave. Popov said, "The soldiers must be hungry after marching all night. Let's have dinner first."

Popov turned to the messenger next to him and said, "Tell the cooking team to cook some potato dumplings so that the soldiers can eat them while they are hot."

Wang Zhong frowned when he heard about potato dumplings. He had been eating nothing but these past two days, which was simply a blasphemy against dumplings. The most terrifying thing was that he was gradually getting used to eating these with sour cream.

When I have the chance in the future, I will find a chef from Seris to correct my distorted taste buds.

When Wang Zhong was thinking this, Kosikov finally led his staff away.

Pavlov: "Now it all depends on what the situation is like in Prosen. I hope they are in as difficult a situation as we expected."

----

"Potatoes and cucumbers again!" Admiral Poke looked at his breakfast and said in dissatisfaction, "Is there nothing else? Did Grand Duke Meyer eat them all?"

The orderly held the plate in both hands and said stiffly: "Our food reserves are running low, because the focus of logistics is mainly on fuel and ammunition. In addition, the harassment of the enemy cavalry..."

"That's enough. I understand." Admiral Polk put down his fork, picked up the potato with his hands and took a bite. While chewing, he asked the chief of staff, "How is the operation of withdrawing the armored forces going?"

The chief of staff replied: "The 14th will arrive at the supply position today, and the other armored and panzergrenadier divisions will begin to move today. We expect to complete the replenishment of all troops by the 21st... However, the 190th Division has been eaten up, and there is no point in relieving the siege."

Admiral Bock: "No, you don't understand. Rokossov will not be satisfied with just eating up one of our infantry divisions and crippling an armored division. He will definitely do something. If I follow my previous idea and let the armored forces wait on the grassland for the enemy cavalry's horses to starve, then Rokossov may have ideas about our armored forces."

The admiral stuffed all the potatoes into his mouth and gestured with his free hand: "Encircle and annihilate, understand? So we have to withdraw. On the one hand, this can ease our supply situation, and on the other hand, it can prevent us from being defeated one by one by Rokossov."

He clenched his right fist and showed it to the staff officer: "Make a fist, and Rokossov won't be able to use any strength!"

The Chief of Staff nodded: "I understand."

At this time, the communications staff entered Admiral Polk's tent and saluted, "General! A call from the headquarters."

"Bring it here." The admiral gestured.

The communications officer stepped forward and thrust the telegram into the admiral's hands.

The Admiral took his coffee, drank it while looking at the telegram, and then spat it out.

The orderly immediately stepped forward to help him clean up, but the admiral waved his hand and scolded him, "Don't come over! I'm reading a telegram!"

Then he repeatedly confirmed the text on the telegram and looked up at the communications staff: "Is this translated correctly?"

"No, I'm sure not."

Chief of Staff: “What’s wrong?”

The Admiral handed him the telegram and said, "Urge us to renew the attack, saying that we have been dragging on here too long."

The chief of staff took the telegram and glanced at it, and was shocked: "The wording is very harsh, but it is signed by the Celtic Chief of Staff."

The admiral stood up and said, "This should be what the emperor meant."

He came to the map, took a look, and sighed, "Call back and tell the headquarters that our supplies are seriously lagging behind and we need time to reorganize. We will resume the attack on the 22nd. The 22nd!"

He picked up the map stick and tapped Yeisk on the map hard.

(End of this chapter)