artillery arc

Chapter 638: The Mission of the New Tank
Wang Zhong: "Your Majesty, please wait a moment."

Then he put the receiver on his shoulder and looked at Pavlov: "What did you say?"

"Last night, a brigade of new medium tanks was delivered, a total of 42. The tank crews also came, but there were no logistics troops, not even a tank trailer or repair vehicle," Pavlov replied.

Wang Zhong: "Can we match them?"

Pavlov shrugged. "Of course. Many tank brigades have been wiped out, but the maintenance battalions are still there. They are all in the area we occupy behind the enemy lines. Brigades equipped with new tanks enter the enemy's rear through the breakthrough and encounter maintenance troops along the way."

Wang Zhong complained in his heart, Pavlov, you, a man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually told a hell joke. It is enough for Vasily to be the only one in the headquarters to do this.

Pavlov stared at Wang Zhong for a few seconds and asked, "Do I need to go dig out the manure?"

Holy shit, you have super powers too? Your super powers are to see what the coach is thinking, right?
Pavlov sighed. "I just understand your way of thinking better, Alexey Konstantinovich Davarich."

When the Ants say their names and patronymics together, it shows respect and seriousness.

Wang Zhong: “I know.”

Olga: "You know what? Do you like the reinforcements I sent you?"

Although Wang Zhong held the microphone between his shoulder and neck, Olga apparently still heard part of the conversation.

Wang Zhong put the receiver to his ear again: "Of course, I like it very much, Your Majesty. These troops may become the last straw that breaks the camel's back for the enemy. Of course, it is also possible that the reliability of the new tanks is too low and most of them cannot reach the front line.

"That's the case with Plosson's new medium tanks that we encountered. Most of the new tanks are in the repair shops."

Vasily added: "Some are in their own minefields."

Wang Zhong: "Some of them are in their own minefields."

Olga laughed.

Wang Zhong: "Your Majesty, I have a lot of things to do here, so..."

"Okay, I know. I'm just calling to tell you the good news! Then keep up the good work and wait for your victory!" Olga's voice sounded a little lonely, "Then I'm hanging up."

Wang Zhong: "Well, goodbye, Your Majesty."

"When will you call me sister?"

Wang Zhong: "Even before you succeeded to the throne, I never called you sister."

"Okay. Bye~" Olga hung up the phone.

Wang Zhong handed the receiver back to Pavlov and asked, "Where is my new tank?"

Pavlov's eyes widened. "You want to charge forward again? No, no, I don't agree this time. I've seen the specifications of the new tank. There are weaknesses on the sides and the back. I won't allow you to go to the front line yourself!"

After all, the new tank is a 30-ton medium tank. It is impossible for it to have good all-round defense like the Rokossov Type 40. It is still very afraid of anti-tank guns of the PAK level from the sides and rear.

Wang Zhong waved his hands and said soothingly, "Relax, I'm not going to charge forward myself, I just want to see the new tank."

"Just take a look?" Pavlov asked suspiciously.

"Just take a look." Wang Zhong nodded.

At this time, the communications staff came in to report: "General, we received a secret message from the cavalry unit. Marshal Prosen Goron escaped, but we caught a middle-aged soldier disguised as Marshal Goron. He might be his adjutant."

As someone who had watched Let the Bullets Fly, Wang Zhong immediately realized what to do at this time: "Okay! We have captured Marshal Goron! Immediately send a message to the entire army, and at the same time have the psychological warfare troops continuously broadcast in clear text on the public channel, with the transmitter at full power!"

----

At 7 on July 5, Plossen's new headquarters for Army Group South.

Marshal Goron entered the headquarters, which was still very simply furnished, took off his hat and held it in his hand, and waited for a few seconds but no one came to take it.

He looked back in confusion, but when he didn't see the loyal old orderly, he asked, "Where's Hans?"

"I don't know. Maybe we didn't get out." The military police officer following the marshal answered, "In fact, we were the few headquarters personnel who escaped from the chaos."

Marshal Goron was shocked and could only hang his hat on the coat rack by the door. Then he looked at the few staff officers in the room: "How can such a small number of staff officers maintain the operation of the entire army group! Where is the nearest army group headquarters to us?"

"The Second Army Headquarters is only 30 kilometers away from us. Should we ask them to move over?"

"No, we are outnumbered. Let's move over there." Marshal Goron looked at the simple headquarters again and sighed.

At this time, the commander of the communications battalion came in and saluted the marshal: "Report, Marshal, you have to come and listen to this."

The marshal asked in confusion: "What is it?"

"The Ants are broadcasting on all frequencies, saying they've caught you!"

The marshal said angrily: "Am I not here?"

But he immediately realized it.

"That damn Rokossov! How cunning! He's planning to take my scepter and uniform and claim he's captured me! Immediately use all our radios and shout at them!"

The communications battalion commander looked helpless: "Most of our communications equipment has not yet been transported to the new headquarters. With the equipment we have now, reception is OK, but shouting... it's too difficult."

Marshal: "What about the telephone? Are the telephone lines ready? I will call the headquarters of each army group! Then let them make a call to stabilize the morale of the army! No, the glorious Proson soldiers will not be deceived by such tricks." Military police colonel: "But Rokossov has already arrested a marshal."

Marshal Goron pursed his lips, as if he was unwilling to admit that Rokossov's move could indeed shake the troops under his command.

After holding it in for a long time, he sighed and said, "Give me the phone. I will personally order all army headquarters to start broadcasting the news that I am still alive and still commanding the army group."

Suddenly, he stopped and glanced at the new headquarters again.

"Where's my chief of staff?"

The military police colonel shook his head.

----

In the wilderness, the SDKFZ half-track vehicle with tactical number 4041 was burning quietly, and the Prosen soldiers who retreated from the army group headquarters walked past it in twos and threes.

There were several more such wreckages within sight, all of which were caught up and destroyed by Ant's cavalry in the chaos last night.

No one would take a second look at it, let alone take the time to put out the fire or search for the relics on it - the Prosen people did not dare to stay for fear of the Ant cavalry, and the Ant people were now fighting deep behind enemy lines and had no time to care about it.

So no one knew that this half-track vehicle was carrying the second-in-command of Plossen's Southern Army Group, His Excellency the Chief of Staff of the Army Group.

----

Headquarters of the 335th Infantry Division in Plossen.

The division commander, Major General Hausen, hurriedly asked the radio operator: "What's the situation?"

"Both sides are broadcasting. The Ants said the marshal was captured, and the army headquarters said the marshal is still commanding the troops." The radio operator reported truthfully.

Major General Hausen put his elbow on the radio and looked at the division chief of staff: "What do you think?"

"If the Marshal is fine, why doesn't he come out and speak in person?" replied the division chief of staff.

Major General Hausen touched his lips.

The chief of staff continued, "We suffered heavy losses. Ant's armored forces have riddled our positions. The morale of the troops is low. If anyone hears the news that the marshal has been captured through the radio, the consequences will be disastrous."

Major General Hausen: "We have held our ground for so long. If we give up our position now, all the sacrifices made by our comrades will be in vain! No, we cannot give up our position. Send someone to notify all units immediately. Do not be misled by the enemy's propaganda."

----

Khazaria Front Headquarters, 7 hours, July 5.

Pavlov: "The progress of the various units this morning seems to confirm the intelligence we received yesterday that the enemy no longer has many tanks.

"I think our tank troops can also take this opportunity to stop. They have been fighting the enemy for so many days and need to rest. The tanks also need maintenance.

"The good news is that the roads built by the Prosons are very useful, and the supply situation of the various departments is better than we expected."

Wang Zhong: "If we stop to rest, does that mean that when we start the attack again, we can deploy the newly arrived tanks?"

"Yes. If we resume the offensive on July 7, the new tanks will become the new spearhead."

Popov asked worriedly, "The Prosons have better repair capabilities than us. Will this allow them to repair some of the tanks?"

Wang Zhong: "This time we controlled most of the tank battle battlefields. The enemy only had the ability to repair but could not tow away the broken tanks on the battlefield.

"However, the enemy's battalion equipped with new tanks may be able to recover some tanks, after all, these tanks broke down before they could go into battle."

Pavlov: "The 34st Guards Heavy Tank Brigade and several medium tank brigades that cooperate with them have reported that the enemy's Type 34 tanks are quite capable and have a crushing advantage over our TW tanks. The troops equipped with TW tanks will probably suffer a great loss if they encounter them. Even if they only have ten tanks, we cannot let our guard down."

Wang Zhong: "During the rest period, we should send out as many aerial reconnaissance missions as possible to determine where these new tanks are."

"It's too difficult to identify new tanks from the air. We never found any of these tanks being transported to the front line before." Pavlov shook his head. "It's better to hope that the cavalry will raid a few more repair factories. Maybe we can find some intelligence."

Wang Zhong: "I can investigate it myself!"

"You can only monitor one line, right?"

Wang Zhong had to admit that Pavlov was right. Compared with the current overly vast battlefield, his surveillance range was indeed a bit too small.

He changed his mind: "Then why don't we go looking for the enemy's new tanks? How about we stay in the place where the enemy will definitely use the new tanks to capture it?"

As he said this, he came to the map, picked up the map stick, stared at the map for a few seconds, and could only shake his head: "It's a large plain, there is no rush."

Pavlov shrugged. "Yes."

Wang Zhong: "Then let's deploy our new tanks here as the general reserve."

The tip of the map stick poked the map.

Pavlov: "Yes, this way we can quickly rush to support the enemy wherever they come from - provided that the mobility of the new tanks is really that strong."

"We have to try it to find out," Wang Zhong replied, "so we can deploy the new tanks here!"

(End of this chapter)