artillery arc

Chapter 59 The First Lesson of War

As soon as Wang Zhong and others crossed the overpass to the platform on the other side, they saw the switchman coming out of the hut again and starting to adjust the track.

He cut to a bird's-eye view, and sure enough he saw a train coming from the northeast.

There is no emergency repair vehicle on the locomotive, and the weapons of the anti-aircraft carriage are replaced by 25mm anti-aircraft guns.

Behind the anti-aircraft carriage was the black tank car as usual, but the church's sun mark was painted on the roof of the first tank car.

There were obviously fewer people in the car with the sun mark than in the back, and Wang Zhong adjusted his angle and saw through the open door of the stuffy tank car that there was a desk inside.

It seems that the distinguished guests we are welcoming this time are in this carriage. The people in the stuffy tank car behind should be the reinforcements sent to Bogdanovka.

As a brigade-level unit, the Rokossov Battle Group has begun to have military bishops, who are mainly responsible for managing a large number of priests in the army, and will also be responsible for hosting relatively large masses.

Of course, what Wang Zhong values ​​the most is the role of the bishop in communicating with the church. He has already thought about it. When the bishop arrives, he will cry to him every day until the number of Holy Arrows is full.

When Wang Zhong switched back to the original perspective, he could already hear the train whistle.

The train slid slowly into the platform.

A stocky officer wearing a church military uniform and a Guards rain-proof cloak stood in the open door of the church carriage, akimbo and staring at Wang Zhong and others.

Seeing this man, Wang Zhong wanted to go up to him and say, "Are you my fucking bishop?"

Before the train stopped, the bishop jumped out of the car and walked toward Wang Zhong and others with long strides.

Wang Zhong originally wanted to walk towards this person, but other carriages began to be unloaded, and a group of young people in khaki military uniforms and boat-shaped hats began to get out of the car, which directly attracted his attention.

At this moment, the bishop had already come to Wang Zhong: "Long time no see, Alexei Konstantinovich."

Wang Zhong originally turned his head to look at the new recruits getting out of the car. When he heard the name, his attention immediately turned back, and he was covered in cold sweat. What do you mean, we have met before?

The other person didn't introduce himself, so he must be someone he knows. Wang Zhong had only seen the other party's name in the transfer order, and could not even remember that the other party's name was Nikolai Nikanovich Popov from a bird's eye view.

Fortunately, looking at the titles, the relationship was not close. Wang Zhong had never been so grateful to the Slavs for their complicated address rules.

So he also called Popov by his first name plus his patronymic: "Long time no see, Nikolai Nikanovich."

Popov looked at Wang Zhong carefully: "You seem to have changed as a person, Alexey Konstantinovich, and you feel very different from when you graduated."

Wang Zhong smiled and said: "You are joking, I am still the same person, maybe I just have a little more battlefield atmosphere."

"I thought you meant the smell of hell," Popov said.

It seems that the Tribunal has already reported the sentence "Then I can show you the way back from hell."

Popov added: "Before I came, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince came to me specifically and asked me to take care of his good brother. I promised His Highness, so I will use these eyes to see clearly whether your commanding ability is real. Just like what the telegram said."

Damn it, Wang Zhong thought, what kind of rainbow fart did Duke Woström blow on him?

Fortunately, I have mastered cheating and have a lot of experience in war games, otherwise I would have been deceived by you!

Wang Zhong: "You won't be disappointed. By the way, I see that you have already put on the cape of the Guards, so the equipment assigned to the 31st Guards Infantry Regiment of the Third Regiment is also on this train?"

He almost gave the wrong number.

Popov loosened his hold on Wang Zhong's hand, shook his head and said: "No, this is a souvenir from when I served in the Guards Infantry Regiment. Your supplies are on the next train. On this train, I first brought three Guard flag and additional troops of the 11th Regiment.”

While Popov said this, several blue-hatted inquisitors got out of the car, followed by three priests, one carrying a rolled-up flag, one holding a double-headed eagle, and one holding a box. .

Wang Zhong was about to take the flag, but was stopped by Popov: "The flag must be given to you in a flag-giving ceremony. These three are all special priests of the Patriarch of St. Catherine Castle."

Wang Zhong frowned: "Are you still going to do this kind of formalistic thing?"

"Believe me, this is very helpful for the morale of the troops." Popov said.

Yegorov said: "But what we lack most is morale. We lack everything except morale."

The blue hat behind Popov immediately looked at Yegorov with sharp eyes.

Sergeant Major Gregory responded with the same sharp gaze.

At this moment, a young man wearing a khaki military uniform ran up to Wang Zhong, stood at attention and saluted: "Brigadier General, the 535th Cadet Team has assembled."

Wang Zhong frowned: "Student team? Where's the student team?"

"Bokaki Infantry School and Artillery School, Brigadier General." The young man who reported raised his head high.

Only then did Wang Zhong notice that his epaulettes had no logo, only a circle of piping. This was the epaulette of a military academy cadet.

"What nonsense!" He immediately turned to Popov, "These people have been trained for some time and are all officers. How can we treat them as supplementary soldiers and add them to the front-line troops?"

Yegorov also agreed: "According to regulations, the Guards should replenish veterans who have returned from injury. What's the point of giving us new recruits eggs?"

Pavlov intervened: "Don't make trouble. It's only been less than half a month since the war started. Where are the veterans who have returned from injury? You see, the brigadier general is only slightly injured and has just finished suppurating!"

These words made Wang Zhong's shoulder start to feel phantom pain. He recalled the sore feeling of cleaning the wound with alcohol when changing the dressing yesterday.

At this time, a young man in the academy team stepped forward and shouted: "Report! We have received complete training, and our military skills are much better than ordinary recruits!"

Wang Zhong pushed away the students in front of him and walked up to the student who was reporting: "We are not disdainful of your lack of military skills, but we are saying that you should play a greater role. How long will it take for you to complete your studies?"

"One year, Brigadier-General! But Ant's mother is calling!"

All Wang Zhong's words were blocked by the words "Ante's mother is calling."

He turned to Popov: "Are there really no other troops? Where are the people recruited for general mobilization?"

"Training," Popov replied, "And they were originally reserve forces. They already had their own troops, and now they are heading to the front line in an organized form. I think this is more efficient than breaking them up to replenish the troops damaged in the front line. . The reserve army believes that the first batch of inexperienced adult youths recruited in October this year can complete basic training." Wang Zhong: "Where is the punishment camp?"

Popov: "How is it possible to replenish the penal battalions for the Guards? Alexei Konstantinovitch, you should think more about how to use your amazing command skills to help them survive the war as much as possible .”

Wang Zhong frowned. He always felt that Popov was acting strangely.

However, Popov was right. If he commanded better, he might be able to make most of these young people survive the first battle.

He turned and asked the conductor of the student team: "How many of you are there?"

"1200 people, Your Majesty General." the commander replied.

Yegorov muttered in a low voice: "Not even enough to make up one regiment."

Pavlov glared at him.

Yegorov immediately raised his hands in a gesture of surrender: "Okay, I won't say anything anymore. You are the brigade chief of staff, you are senior."

In fact, as the commander of the Guards Regiment, Yegorov has the rank of colonel, and he is still a bit higher in military rank.

Wang Zhong ignored these two old enemies. He came to the far right of the trainees' queue and ordered: "Everyone, take out a pen and paper and write your names! Full names!"

Although everyone looked confused, they still carried out the order.

Wang Zhong collected the small pieces of paper starting from the far right side of the first row and read the names on them loudly:
"Alexey Nikolayevich Melekhov!
"..."

Wang Zhong recited a few words, and the young man who had just stood up and said "Ante's mother is calling" shouted: "Comrades, there are 1200 of us, do you want to read them all in one go?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, so that I can remember all of your names and match your names with your faces."

His words immediately caused a murmur among the young people.

The "Mother is Calling" student just now shouted again: "This is impossible! Why waste all this time?"

Wang Zhong: "I can do it."

Even if you can't do it, you can rely on plug-ins for the time being, but Wang Zhong swears that he will gradually match everyone's faces and names.

As for the reason——

Wang Zhong: "Most of you will die within the first hour or even half an hour of joining the war. I can't guarantee that I will bring you all home alive, but I can at least remember your names and faces."

As he spoke, he came to the "Mother's Call", took the note in his hand, and read aloud: "Vasily Alexandrovich Leonov!"

"Here!" Vasily responded loudly.

Wang Zhong: "I will remember you, I promise."

Vasily held his head high, as if this was something to be proud of.

Just as Wang Zhong was about to leave, he suddenly spoke again: "Brigadier General, they said that you destroyed 20 enemy tanks in Haupenier. Is it true?"

Wang Zhong corrected him calmly: "It's eight. And almost all of my crew are dead. The only surviving driver has injured his leg and is lying in the hospital now."

These words made all the students excited: "One car against eight!"

"Didn't you say that the Proscenians have an armor advantage?"

"It looks like they're fine!"

Wang Zhong frowned and raised his voice: "The Prosens are very powerful! If you underestimate them, you will suffer a loss! Many of them are veterans who have participated in many wars!"

The young people shut their mouths and looked at Wang Zhong seriously.

"Let's continue."

After that, he started collecting the young man's papers again.

Sergeant Major Gregory got a wooden box from nowhere and followed Wang Zhong so that he could put the pieces of paper in it.

After a while, Wang Zhong read out the last piece of paper, stuffed it into the box, and said to the sergeant major: "Save it well and put it in my dormitory where it can be seen at any time."

The sergeant major nodded.

At this moment, the train transporting young students started to leave the platform slowly, while the train for wounded soldiers on the opposite platform had already left earlier.

Only the seriously injured people who had given up treatment were left on the platform, while station staff were washing away the blood on the platform with water. Blood flowed down the platform, staining the cement platform and the gravel roadbed below red.

Seeing this scene, Wang Zhong had an idea: "Everyone is there! Turn back!"

The 1200 supplementary soldiers turned to the rear, facing the blood-covered platform on the opposite side of the railway.

The blood all over the floor made the most naughty students shut up.

Except for one.

Vasily asked doubtfully: "Why were those wounded placed there?"

Wang Zhong: "Their injuries are too serious and it is not worth the cost of medical treatment. They will be carried to the local church and handed over to the priest after a while."

Silence enveloped all the young faces.

Wang Zhong: "This is the first lesson that war teaches you, classmates."

(End of this chapter)