artillery arc

Chapter 619 Looking Homeward
Less than an hour after Wang Zhong finished speaking, the confidential secretary came in with a decoded telegram: "Urgent telegram from the headquarters."

He took it directly from the confidential secretary and saw a line of words on it: "Agreed, I wish the offensive goes well, Turgenev."

"No wonder the telegram was sent so quickly, it's so short." Wang Zhong said as he handed the telegram to Pavlov.

Pavlov: "In this way, we can legitimately pass down the battle decision to each unit."

Wang Zhong: “What’s the plan?”

"It was originally a ready-made plan, and I have already revised it." Pavlov spread his hands. "The plan I made was originally based on the premise that the enemy would not suffer heavy losses in the offensive operations, and the estimate of the number of enemies was also based on previous intelligence. Now that a lot of the enemy has been withdrawn, it should be easier."

Vasily: "The only thing we are worried about now is whether the enemy's 11th Army in the Primorsky Fortress will make any moves after we launch a pincer attack and cut off the enemy's southern army group. Earlier this year, this army escaped from Borsk unscathed."

Wang Zhong: "General Shiplin, the commander of this army, is very powerful. He even escaped from the outskirts of Abavahan with his assembled troops. We will leave the strongest army to deal with them, the First Mobile Army."

Pavlov: "Indeed, the old troops are more reliable, and Yegorov is also very reliable. That's settled. So when is the time for the attack?"

Wang Zhong looked at the calendar on the wall and said, "How about June 6th? That should be enough time for you to convey the new combat plan and campaign resolution to each battalion, right?"

"It's more than enough. Even if the field mice dig up all the telephone lines, it will be enough." Pavlov said confidently, "I will send a messenger on a motorcycle to deliver the message!"

----

The headquarters of the 63rd Army of the st Khazaria Front.

The army group commander, Lieutenant General Eugene, was discussing with his staff how to further strengthen the army group's fortifications when a messenger in a leather jacket rushed into the room: "Report!"

Lieutenant General Eugene raised his head and asked, "Who is it?"

Leather-clad messenger: "The communications regiment of the front headquarters has been ordered to convey the new combat plan to you!"

After saying this, the messenger opened his briefcase and took out a brown paper envelope. The handle of the briefcase was handcuffed to the messenger's belt.

"New plan!"

Lieutenant General Eugene picked up the envelope, quickly opened it, took out the documents inside, read the outline, and handed it to the Chief of Staff.

It’s not that Lieutenant General Eugene doesn’t care about the details of the plan, but he learned the knowledge in this area in a crash course, and his knowledge is not as solid as the chief of staff’s. So it would be more efficient for him to simply not teach the chief of staff how to do it and wait until he has fully understood it before telling him.

This is the experience he summed up in the two years of war.

The Chief of Staff of the 63rd Army, Andrei, flipped through the battle plan and was shocked: "Attack? It seems that our three fronts' attack on the enemy's Central Army Group is very effective. The front headquarters must have obtained the information that the enemy has transferred a large number of troops to the Central Army Group.

"The attack time is June 6? Then the attack plan must be distributed to each unit as soon as possible. I suggest convening a meeting of military chiefs immediately!"

After Andrei finished speaking, he noticed that Lieutenant General Eugene was looking outside through the window of the headquarters bunker, looking thoughtful.

"General?" he asked.

Lieutenant General Eugene: "My hometown, the mine where I work, is just a few dozen kilometers ahead of us. It is a small town born for the mine. Half of the people in the town work directly related to the mine, and the remaining half are engaged in indirectly related work such as transportation. The people who have the least connection with the mine are the cooks in the cafeteria.

"In our small town, there are 20 public canteens, most of which were built when the mine was built and are managed by the church. There are book corners in the canteens, and on the bookshelves are various secular works and secular newspapers."

The staff officers in the headquarters looked at each other, but no one interrupted the commander's monologue.

After all, the commander was a veteran who had fought with "that" Rokossov all the way, and like Yegorov, he would call Rokossov "division commander" when referring to him.

Lieutenant General Eugene continued to recall: "I often went to the No. 10 canteen, not because it was closest to the mine office building, but because the pickles there were the best, with a flavor that other canteens didn't have!"

Finally, one of the staff officers couldn't help but say, "How can pickles be divided into good and bad? Don't they all taste the same?"

Lieutenant General Eugene shook his head: "You think so because the pickles you eat are mass-produced in factories. Pickles pickled by individuals are different! Just like handmade sausages, although they are not as filling as the doctor's sausages produced in factories, they also have a unique flavor!"

After Lieutenant General Eugene finished speaking, he was silent for a long time before turning around and looking at everyone.

"Sorry, I suddenly realized that I was going home soon, and I was a little sentimental. Send down the battle plan immediately and start mobilization! Has the front army increased our artillery firepower?"

Andre looked down at the plan in his hand and said, "No, we are not in the main attack direction. Our mission is to stick to the enemy in the front. Even the tanks only reinforced us by one brigade."

Lieutenant General Eugene sighed, "It seems that I can't go home for a while, but it doesn't matter. I have waited for more than two years, so it won't be a problem to wait another month."

Andre nodded and asked casually, "How are the people in the canteen?" Lieutenant General Eugene: "The young cooks and helpers have joined the army, and the old cook has enlisted to join the cooking team. Before I led the infantry regiment composed of miners to set off, I went to take a look. There was only an old lady in the huge canteen distributing porridge. She was the last employee.

“I think her name was… I forgot what it was. She was just there, stirring the porridge in the pot with a broken spoon and looking at us.

"I asked her: Auntie, where are your children? Let them take you with them when we retreat!
"She looked at me and said: I don't know where they are, so I will wait here for them to come back. No matter how cruel the Plossoms are, they will not do anything to an old woman like me."

Lieutenant General Eugene paused and was silent for a long time before continuing: "I realized almost immediately that the mother's children were either in the Plotin prisoner-of-war camp or somewhere face down, buried in the mud.

"And I and the boys I lead will be like this one day sooner or later."

"But you made it through," Andre said. "I've been your partner since the Orachi blockade. I know how many hardships and obstacles we've gone through."

Lieutenant General Eugene: "Then you know how many good guys are buried face down in the mud."

Andre nodded but did not answer.

Lieutenant General Eugene: "In Orachi, we left in such a hurry and in such a mess that we had no time to bury our comrades."

He paused, and suddenly changed his tone: "Now it's the damn Prosen's turn to have no time to bury their comrades! Sukabulie!"

Andre: “Yeah, it’s finally our turn!”

----

1st Mobile Army Headquarters.

Yegorov was furious: "Why is our mission to defend? We should be the commander's spearhead! No, I have to go to the front headquarters and ask the commander what he means!"

The army chief of staff and the bishop stopped Yegorov together: "Stop! Our mission is also very important! General Shiplin of the Primorsky Fortress is the one who escaped from General Rokossov several times. He asked us to be on guard against him, which shows that he values ​​us!"

Yegorov tried to break free several times but failed. He could only sigh: "I know that this is an important task entrusted to us, but... this is the first time we have taken the initiative to attack without conducting a defensive operation! I am also a Khazarian! My wife and children died here! I want to join the attack!"

After saying this, he tried to break free with even greater force, causing all the staff officers in the headquarters to gather around him, fearing that they would let the beast escape.

Just then, a voice came from the doorway: "That's too ugly, Yegorov!"

Everyone fell silent and looked towards the door.

Yegorov's current wife, Dr. Katya from the field hospital, was standing at the door.

"Uh," Yegorov seemed to have regained his self-control, "Why are you here?"

"I came to report the current medical equipment reserves to the logistics department, and then I heard someone yelling." Doctor Katya sighed, "Everyone here has lost relatives and friends in the war. You are not the only one who has revenge to seek."

Yegorov laughed awkwardly: "You speak like a military bishop."

Katya: "Now is the critical stage of planning the offensive. Don't cause trouble for General Rokossov. Stay here honestly and carry out the task assigned to you. The fact that this task is given to you and the First Mobile Army shows that it is a very important task."

"Yes, yes! It must be very important." Yegorov nodded repeatedly.

Doctor Katya turned her head to look outside, and then turned her head to Yegorov: "However, I don't hate your desire for revenge. When you are done with your work tonight, tell me how you plan to take revenge."

"How are you going to take revenge? Of course, you'll use cannons and... Oh!" Yegorov suddenly realized, "I see! I'll tell you tonight! I'll definitely tell you!"

Doctor Katya flipped her hair and said, "There's still a lot of things to do in the hospital, so I'm leaving now. Stop making trouble! Also, these days are more important, so don't drink!"

Yegorov shook his head repeatedly: "No more drinking! Hehehe!"

Dr. Katya left.

Everyone else in the room was embarrassed.

The military bishop first let go of Yegorov's waist: "It's really shameful that we actually need the help of Doctor Katya to stop the commander from going crazy."

Chief of Staff: "This is very popular among the soldiers."

Yegorov: "Stop talking nonsense! I'm not bad at fighting! Look at my tactics! I learned them from the division commander! What's the name of the enemy general? Show me his information!"

(End of this chapter)