artillery arc

Chapter 611: Revenge for the Heroic Brother
August 5, Ant capital, St. Catherine Castle.

Wang Zhong reviewed the 1st Guards Heavy Breakthrough Tank Regiment, which had just been replenished with Rokossov Type 1 heavy tanks.

When the car reached the middle, he suddenly saw words on the turret of a tank and shouted, "Wait! Stop!"

The commander of the 1st Guards Heavy Breakthrough Tank Regiment, who was accompanying the review, immediately turned green in the face: "General, this is a troublemaker in our unit. He has been trying to write slogans on the tanks. We have painted them over many times, and even said that we would not paint slogans today until after the review... but he still painted them over secretly!"

Wang Zhong: "Don't talk yet, let me see what's written."

He jumped out of the car and walked towards the tank with the slogan.

The tank crew, led by the commander, climbed out of the tank and stood in a row in front of the tank.

Wang Zhong glanced at them and wanted to go around them to look at the slogan, but the driver stepped to the side and blocked Wang Zhong's way: "General, we know we are wrong, we will paint over the slogan now!"

Wang Zhong patted the conductor on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. I just want to see what the slogan says. Maybe I will encourage you to do this."

The commander was stunned: "Encouragement?"

Wang Zhong looked at the driver's figure again and asked, "You don't look like a soldier with your figure. When did you join the army?"

"My brother was in the army last June. I was the best tractor driver in the village, so the parish priest tried to have me drafted later and let me take on a few apprentices who could drive tractors. So I joined the army last June after the spring ploughing was completely finished. I went to the Belov Quick Tank School."

Tractor drivers can usually repair tractors and are considered high-tech talents in Ant, so they are usually not recruited as soldiers. They either become repairmen or learn to drive tanks.

Wang Zhong: "Your brother has been serving in the army? Which unit?"

The tank commander's expression darkened slightly. "He has already died, so I named this tank Revenge. The military chaplain said that we are not fighting just for personal revenge, but mainly to liberate the occupied land and other ethnic groups oppressed by Prosen."

Wang Zhong: "What the priest said is right, but it is too dogmatic."

As he said this, the chaplain of the 1st Guards Heavy Tank Regiment was right behind him, pinching his coat in embarrassment.

Wang Zhong continued, "And there is nothing wrong with revenge. Isn't this contradictory? I also want to avenge my good brother and father. Is this wrong?"

The chaplain of the 1st Guards was even more embarrassed, and looked as if he wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

"What's your brother's name and which unit is he in? I can help you ask if there are any relics or anything." Wang Zhong continued.

Tank Commander: "In the 51st Tank Corps, the battle report says he is missing."

Wang Zhong was stunned. "The 51st Tank Army? The 51st Tank Army that attacked deep into the enemy's territory through the landing site last year? The commander of the army was Korodov?"

"Yes, General. They fought under you to the bitter end in last year's winter campaign. My brother had received a Gold Star before that, and after this battle, he was awarded a medal posthumously."

Wang Zhong recalled and said, "Your brother's name is Alexi Podolskov, right?"

The conductor was stunned.

Wang Zhong: "I personally reviewed and signed the death notices for all heroes who were awarded medals posthumously. The heroes of the 51st Tank Army, because of the special nature of their battles, had their final moments dictated by local guerrillas.

“I was particularly impressed.”

Wang Zhong patted the shoulder of the "other" Podolskov vigorously.

Then he walked around the stunned commander, walked towards the tank, and found the line of red letters on the side of the turret: REVENGE.

Wang Zhong: "Not specific enough! It would be better to change it to Hero Brother's Revenge! Bring the paint and brushes, and change it now!"

Paint and brushes were quickly brought, and the word "Revenge" on the turret was painted over and replaced with "Revenge for the Heroic Brother".

The other crews nearby looked at the completion of the new slogan on the tank, with envy written all over their faces.

Wang Zhong stared at the new slogan for a few seconds, nodded with satisfaction, and patted Podolskov's shoulder vigorously: "Don't let your brother be ashamed. Moreover, I will give you another task, a more difficult task than not letting your brother be ashamed! That is to live to the moment of victory in the war!"

Podolskov: "This... is difficult. Compared with the enemy, our biggest advantage is that we are not afraid of sacrifice."

Wang Zhong: "Yes, this is what we relied on to stop the enemy. That's why I said this mission is very difficult. You have to not let your brother down and stay alive. This is the highest level of difficulty! Do you have the confidence to take on this challenge?"

Podolskov's expression gradually changed from surprise to determination: "Yes, General! I want to challenge you!"

Wang Zhong gave him a thumbs up, then looked at the others: "It's the same for you! You must ruthlessly destroy the enemy while protecting yourself!

"Before, there was no way. The T34 and KV tanks were really powerless against the enemy's new generation of anti-tank weapons, such as the PAK40 anti-tank gun and the long-barreled Panzer IV. They could only make up for the enemy's advantages in tactics and weapons with heroic sacrifice.

"Now I have built the Rokossov-1 heavy tank and handed it to you. I forbid you to die in vain before you have killed enough enemies!

"It's time for the Prosen to bleed and sacrifice! Hurrah!"

The entire parade ground was filled with deafening shouts of “Ura!”, one wave higher than the other.

----

When Wang Zhong returned home from the parade ground, he found the royal carriage parked at the door. He hurriedly asked the old butler who came to greet him, "Where is His Majesty?" The old butler Mikhail said, "He is in the tea room, drinking tea with his wife."

Wang Zhong: "Got it. I need to change my clothes as soon as possible."

"It's ready and can be changed right away."

A moment later, Wang Zhong, who had changed out of his combat uniform, appeared in the tea room. Lyudmila and Olga were already inside, and they were actually playing chess.

Wang Zhong: "You guys are actually playing chess?"

"We sometimes have this kind of mental entertainment," Olga said. "How about the new tank?"

"Excellent! After the review, we will load them onto trucks and send them to Borsk."

Olga: "Now our heavy troops are gathered near Borsk. What if the enemy does not attack here?"

Wang Zhong: "The enemy has already concentrated a considerable amount of forces. Aerial reconnaissance shows that they should have stockpiled a lot of artillery shells. It is basically certain that this is their main attack direction."

Before the start of the Kuznetsov War in Earth's history, both sides had basically revealed their cards. Aerial reconnaissance on both sides confirmed that the other side had assembled heavy troops, so it was a head-on clash without any deception.

Now we are basically replicating the situation on Earth.

However, the difficulty in hiding a large number of troops on the Ant grassland is also an important reason why both sides play their cards openly. Even if the tanks are camouflaged with camouflage nets, clues can still be seen when they are parked on the grassland.

This is also the reason why Wang Zhong’s deception operation in Yeisk was so successful last year, because it was normal for the tank troops assembled on the grassland to be discovered, so the enemy did not think much about it.

Of course, the most crucial point is that, apart from Wang Zhong’s front army, there is no salient that is particularly easy to be surrounded by a pincer attack.

Olga: "I don't quite understand. They have suffered so much at your hands, why would they attack you?"

"Because I haven't stopped their attack in the summer." Wang Zhong spread his hands. "The Prosen people are very rigid. Last year and the year before, they broke through my defense in the summer. At least in their opinion, so naturally they want to try again this year."

Olga: "When you put it that way I feel so sorry for the Prosen people."

Just as Wang Zhong was about to respond, the old butler appeared and said, "Here comes Mr. Gorky."

Wang Zhong: "Let him in, come here."

"I'm here." General Gorky entered the room, glanced at Olga, and quickly saluted, "Your Majesty. I didn't know you were here."

Olga: "You are lying. Mikhail will tell you that I often went to the Rokossovs' house when I was little, and I am very familiar with Grandpa Mikhail."

General Gorky was a little embarrassed: "This..."

Mikhail: "I certainly didn't tell General Gorky. I thought you invited him here."

Olga: "Oh, I see. So what are you Rokosovites planning? Let me hear it too!"

Wang Zhong: "What you said is correct. I think General Gorky is here to inform me of his preparations for the attack."

"Yes. Actually, I came here to report to the headquarters, and I came to your place by chance."

Nellie appeared, carrying a tray of iced Cokes.

She walked up to General Gorky and stopped.

"Oh, thank you." When General Gorky picked up the Coke, he stared at Nellie's right eye for a few seconds, then looked up and asked Wang Zhong, "Are you hurt?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, last year she stood guard on the beach for more than a month on my behalf. Her right eye got infected and she can't live with it anymore."

General Gorky: "How pitiful, she is such a beautiful girl."

Wang Zhong: "She is very beautiful now, isn't she?"

"Oh, yes, it is." Gorky took a sip of Coke and immediately looked at the cup in shock. "So cold? I thought it was just like other cold drinks, just a little bit cool."

Nellie: "The United States sent us an ice machine, which seems to be used on aircraft carriers. It can also produce ice cream. Now we feed our children ice cream every day."

Gorky whistled and drank the iced cola with satisfaction. After putting down the cup, he asked, "I heard that the pilots in your front have mastered a new way to make ice cream?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, the pilots of the United States taught me. Put milk and honey in the auxiliary fuel tank, fly high in the sky and make a few circles, and then you will get a bucket of ice cream when you come down. These guys in the United States have the same colorful ways of making ice cream as our people have of making wine."

Gorky laughed and said, "I think we should promote this. It will allow the troops to eat ice cream without increasing the logistical burden. This is a good thing!"

He drank another cup of Coke, wiped his mouth contentedly, and then said business: "Alexei Konstantinovich, I plan to launch an attack on June 20th, which will just interrupt the enemy's counterattack rhythm. What do you think?"

Wang Zhong: "Of course you can, but can Urban be able to supplement your front army by then?"

"Don't worry, I already have an Urban Battalion. I plan to use this battalion on the Shostka front to put sufficient pressure on the enemy and attract their attention! But in fact, the second echelon will be deployed to other breakthroughs!"

(End of this chapter)