Arc of Gunfire

"Okay, the chat ends here." Wang Zhong put down the telescope, "Although the remaining time today is not enough to conduct a detailed reconnaissance of the scheduled battle area, it is not too much to walk around Aolaqi to inspect the surrounding situation. Big question."

Yegorov: "Indeed. I'll accompany you around."

"Then I'm going to... fight all kinds of troubles." Pavlov said, grabbing Popov. "You are not a military commander, so you can come too."

Popov looked at the sky: "Okay, I'll come. But I'm mainly responsible for communicating with the church!"

Lieutenant Colonel Eugene looked at the few people he was already very familiar with and asked: "I...should I go as a military officer? I am a military officer, right? Why don't you replace me with a real lieutenant colonel? I really can't do it." …”

Wang Zhong: "You are a dignified mine manager, why are you so submissive?"

"If you give me a mine to manage, I can do it. Otherwise, if you send me a man who knows military affairs, and I pretend, and he gives advice, I can do it."

Wang Zhong: "Pavlov?"

The chief of staff scratched his head: "I have just enough staff here."

Wang Zhong: "You can find a staff officer who can do his job concurrently, and then send him to the 5th Beshensk Regiment."

Pavlov looked at Wang Zhong with a look like a resentful woman: "Do you think I look better now? Do you insist that I have panda eyes?"

Wang Zhong: "I believe in your ability."

"Okay, okay, one staff officer, no more!"

Wang Zhong smiled and turned around to greet Grigory: "Grisha, bring the car over here!"

"I suggest riding a horse!" Yegorov said. "If you look to the east, you see a plain. It's okay to drive. But if you look to the northeast, it's difficult to drive. It's easier to ride a horse, and you can also walk in the forest."

Wang Zhong: "Okay, Grisha, bring the horse!"

————

Wang Zhong led the people around Aolaqi for half a circle, and he knew why the old man he met before mentioned that there were horses and cows for sale in the market here.

There is a huge breeding pasture next to it, with many horses and cows.

Yegorov also joked: "When we are digging fortifications here, we have enough milk every day."

Wang Zhong: "These cowsheds and the like are not good for defense, right? Moreover, they will also block the firepower points set up in solid buildings..."

Yegorov: "It is true. If the enemy attacks from this direction, it will be difficult for us to defend because there are too many artificial shields. If we want to defend, we can only dig tank bunkers here according to your method, use the tanks as support points, and cooperate with trenches. But we only have 30 tanks.”

Wang Zhong: "There are 25 vehicles. Five of them are broken down on the road. I requisitioned them from the tractor factory and the masters are repairing them."

In the past, Wang Zhong always thought that the T34 was as durable as the AK47 and would not break down no matter how hard it ran. Now he finally understands that the T34 is durable compared to Santoku's tanks.

Tanks will break down when running on the road, and the T34 is no exception. So later on, the tanks were transported by heavy trucks when they were mobile, and they only came down and walked on their own when they reached the battlefield.

In short, Wang Zhong did the right thing when he went to the tractor factory to recruit master workers.

Yegorov: "It's not like the enemy can repair it if they come now. Let's dig a bunker here first. It's okay if we don't use it. It's better than if the enemy comes from here and we are not prepared at all."

Wang Zhong nodded, took out his notebook and wrote this down.

"Let's go on."

————

Other directions in Orachi are quite suitable for defense, especially the iron factory in the north of the town, which mainly produces various iron pots and shovels. The factory building looks quite solid and can become a strong support point for the defense line.

Moreover, the water tower in the factory is the second best artillery observation post around Aorachi - the best is on Hill 153.

After completing the investigation around the city, Wang Zhong returned to the way he came and saw the B4 heavy artillery entering the city.

Wang Zhong counted the number and sighed: "I originally thought that the heavy artillery would lose its chain, but I didn't expect that they entered the city safely, but five T34s broke down."

Yegorov: "Indeed, I also thought that such delicate things would be doomed, but I didn't expect them to survive. If this thing were not placed at the end of the queue, it would definitely affect the speed of the entire division."

Wang Zhong nodded. After all, the B4 in this world is not easy to tow because it has its own power - the powered version is too heavy.

Then the four-door B4 ran nearly 100 kilometers under its own power and drove to Orachi.

While Wang Zhong was thinking, an old lady stopped him: "General, I heard the roar of many tractors. They said they were tanks and artillery. Are the Proscenians going to attack here?"

"Yes. Madam, please run away with your child."

Auntie: "Oh, General, you are a good person, but you are still worried about us. Don't worry, my daughter-in-law ran away to St. Yekaterinburg with her grandchildren!"

Wang Zhong: "Then why don't you leave?"

"My eyes are almost blind. I'm a cripple, so I'd better stay here." The old lady made gestures on her eyes, "Look, I can't even see your military rank clearly now. I can only tell you by your military rank." The color determines whether you are a general!"

The collar badge of the Ant Empire general is orange, which is different from the collar badges of all other ranks. It is indeed easy to recognize - it is said that he learned this from Prosen.

Wang Zhong didn't know how to respond to this half-blind aunt. He could only say: "Auntie, I still have a job. If you have any difficulties, tell the priests of the church and they will help you."

Half-blind lady: "I just want to ask, is my son in your army? His name is..."

The aunt reported a name, but Wang Zhong had no impression at all.

He collected the names of all the recruits just like he did in Loktov, but the Ant names were long and repetitive, making them difficult to remember.

It is already difficult to remember a thousand people. Now there are nearly 10,000 combatants. Wang Zhong really has no way to figure out so many names in such a short time.

So Wang Zhong could only say: "I will pay attention. Then I will leave first."

"Okay!" The aunt stepped back to the roadside and drew a triangle on her body. "Bless you, kind general."

————

Pavlov placed the division headquarters, as well as the residences of senior officers, staff officers and clerks, all in the big house of the local Mr. Boyer.

The local Boyer was a count, and the house was commensurate with the count's title. Pavlov directly changed the reception room into a map room, and the restaurant next to it became the office of the telegraph room.

Moreover, he did not close the door between the map room and the telegraph room, so that the beeping sound of the telegraph could be clearly heard in the map room.

Wang Zhong quite likes this. With this beeping sound, it feels like a headquarters.

The staff officer who arrived in advance with Popov yesterday had already drawn a detailed topographic map around Orachi, which was placed on the big table in the map room, and hung on the wall was a situation map of the entire southern line.

Wang Zhong took out his notebook and began to draw on the terrain map: "I feel that the location of the artillery can be set up in these places. The woods are not very dense and will not affect the shooting of the artillery, but they are enough to shield the reconnaissance from the air. The effect will be better if you use a camouflage net.”

Yegorov: "You can dig artillery bunkers to further enhance concealment. Place some fake artillery positions nearby."

Wang Zhong continued: "If the Divine Arrow Company specializes in air defense, it can be dismantled and placed in these four directions, and Brother Peter's sound array can be placed here."

"I have no objection," Pavlov said. "After all, I have never actually surveyed the terrain."

Yegorov: "The reserves are placed around the artillery position, so that we have one battalion on Hill 153 and one battalion near the artillery position. Two battalions of reserves should be enough."

Wang Zhong: "In addition to the need to dig fortifications in these places, bunkers that can accommodate two tank platoons also need to be dug near the pasture in the east of the town. Let's start tonight!"

Popov scratched his head: "Some local people have night blindness. If construction is done at night, lighting is needed. We don't have that many torches for the time being."

As he said that, everyone looked out the window, and night had completely fallen.

Yegorov: "It's not too late to wait until dawn to start construction. After all, the nights are very short now."

Wang Zhong: "Telephone lines need to be connected between the artillery position and the headquarters. It is best to install a radio."

After all, car No. 422 has a radio. If Wang Zhong is in the car, if the artillery group has a radio, he can call for precision strikes.

As a result, Pavlov directly expressed embarrassment: "Radio is really a scarce thing. Why don't you let Vasily go there with the captured Prosen walkie-talkie?"

"Okay." Wang Zhong replied.

In fact, there is another way, which is to keep a platoon leader tank.

But tanks with radios were too precious, and Wang Zhong was reluctant to part with them.

"Tomorrow morning, I will lead a team to investigate the northwest, northeast and due north of Aorachi. It is expected to be about 20 kilometers away." Wang Zhong patted the northern edge of the Aorachi diagram on the table with his hand, "Let's draw this map The staff will follow me, and it’s best to draw a map of the planned battle area.”

Pavlov: "Captain Andrei! You take your adjutant and go out with the general tomorrow."

"yes!"

Wang Zhong looked at Captain Andre and found that his boots were not riding boots, so he asked, "Can you ride a horse?"

"I learned it at the club," the captain replied.

Wang Zhong: "Club? Are you not a noble?"

"No, but don't worry, my riding skills are fine. I have been learning at the club for three years."

Wang Zhong: "Okay. I'll ask Gregory to pick a horse with a gentler temperament for you to ride."

Yegorov said: "General, do you really want to go 20 kilometers to meet the enemy?"

Wang Zhong: "Really, don't worry. Just as you didn't expect me to do this, the enemy certainly won't expect it either. Taking them by surprise and attacking them unprepared is the way to win."

At this time, Vasily couldn't help but turn around: "General, won't you 'bury' fake landmines this time?"

Wang Zhong: "We really have enough detonators this time."