Arc of Gunfire

The night of August 7, Shepetovka.

151st Provisional Infantry Division Headquarters.

Pavlov cleared his throat continuously and frowned.

Wang Zhong: "Your throat still feels uncomfortable?"

"Yeah, I couldn't do it without shouting when I was retreating, and then I became mute. I'm fine now, but speaking normally doesn't have much impact." Pavlov raised his voice as he spoke, "But if I want to shout, I'll do this -"

When the voice is raised to a certain level, the words become muffled, leaving only the sound of air passing through the throat.

Wang Zhong: "It looks like a singer who overuses his voice. Maybe you can ask Vasily, the music professor's son, maybe there is something he can do."

At this time, the communications staff officer at the radio station stood up and came over with a telegram: "The telegram that has just been decoded is an order for us."

Wang Zhong took the telegram and found that there was only one very brief one, so he read it out: "'Your troops will immediately move to Shostka, repair and build fortifications in Shostka.' Where is Shostka?"

Pavlov came to the map and quickly found the place name on the edge of the map: "Here, an important railway junction on the Duva River. The only way to take the train from Shepetovka to the capital."

Wang Zhong also stood up, came to the map, and carefully looked at the place pointed by Pavlov.

"This is very suitable for defense. There are mountains, woods, and a river! Get the geographical information. I want to check the high and low water periods of the Dua River."

The staff officer immediately began to look through the geographical information: "The wet season... is the pulp turning period in spring and autumn."

Wang Zhong: "It's the end of September, isn't it going to get cold soon?"

"But the mud itself during the mud-turning period will greatly slow down the pace of the attacking troops, which is beneficial to the defenders." Pavlov replied.

At this time, Wang Zhong suddenly noticed something.

But the national border of the Kingdom of Zalia just passes between Shepetovka and Shostka, even closer to Shepetovka.

Wang Zhong: "We...are leaving Kesalia?"

Pavlov just noticed this, he opened his mouth, but no words came out.

At this time, other people in the room were also looking here, most of them were Khazalia.

Wang Zhong: "Now that the order has been issued, let's make preparations. How many people have we gathered now?"

Pavlov: "Including the slightly injured, there are 5,100 combatants and 4,500 support personnel. Except for your six small tanks, all the technical equipment has been basically lost."

Wang Zhong: "Arrange the trains and start transporting them to Shostka. Do you have the trains?"

"Yes, there were troops taking trains into Shepetovka all day today, and the free trains were used to transport local civilians and the wounded in the hospital. It should be easy to get trains to evacuate us."

"Very good, you arrange this matter. It is best that our advance team sets off to Shostka tonight and arranges the station. Is Popov back? Let him be responsible for this matter. We must win the support of the local church , let the church organize workers to start digging anti-tank trenches and pouring anti-tank piers before we arrive.”

As soon as Wang Zhong finished speaking, Popov opened the door and came in: "I heard someone calling me?"

"You're back, what about the prayer hand?"

"No." Popov shook his head, "The church decided to promote your practice of using magic arrows for air defense, so the prayers became more delicious. Everyone on the front line was holding on to them and planning to poach us. I protested. Hold it."

Wang Zhong: "Okay, very good. But I have something to ask of you. We have just received an order to transfer us to Shostka. I need you to lead the leading team and go to the front station. First, establish contact with the local church and recruit laborers. . Our logistics personnel have suffered a lot and need to be replenished.”

Popov nodded: "Okay, leave it to me...Shostka? Isn't this outside of Khazalia?"

Popov's shout made the beeping sound on the radio stop for a moment.

Wang Zhong patted him on the shoulder: "Are you also from Khazalia?"

"Of course! Can't you tell by looking at my eating habits? I owe my life to the sour cream from my hometown!"

Wang Zhong: "Then you should eat more now. Nelly!"

The maid opened the door and came in, looking at Wang Zhong doubtfully.

"Prepare sour cream and let Popov eat enough." Wang Zhong said.

At this time, someone on the staff raised his hand: "I want it too."

"And I!"

"I!"

Wang Zhong changed his words and said: "Nellie, prepare a midnight snack and prepare more local Khazalia delicacies."

Nelly nodded and left.

At this moment, Wang Zhong suddenly thought that he had been in this world for so long and didn’t even know what “hometown delicacies” were, so he would take this opportunity to learn more about it.

Learn about the food in your hometown.

"Hometown".

————

St. Catherine's Castle, summer palace, operations department of the high command.

As soon as Nicholas V entered the door, he asked: "Have you made a new plan? How many troops can be rescued?"

Marshal Semyon Konstantinovich stood up, picked up the long pole placed next to the map, and drew signs on the map: "We are now increasing our troops to Shepetovka. When the relief operation begins, we will The attack was launched under the command of Prince Myshkin of Shepetovka, with the goal of threatening the supply lines of the enemy's 2nd Armored Group..."

Nicholas V interrupted Marshal Semyon: "I don't care about your plan. I don't understand it anyway. I just want to know how many people can be saved?"

Marshal Semyon and Chief of the General Staff Tukhachev looked at each other and replied: "Four hundred thousand, it is impossible to save more from this situation."

Nicholas V sat down slumped and looked at the map.

"Is this the best case scenario?" he asked.

Marshal Xie Miao nodded: "Yes."

"What's the worst case scenario? Let me be mentally prepared." His Majesty the Tsar said in a much older voice.

Marshal Semyon looked at Tukhachev again.

He considered it for a moment and said, "The worst case scenario is that no one can evacuate."

"What?" cried the Tsar, "no one can evacuate?"

Chief of General Staff Tukhachev said: "If we retreated immediately when the enemy's offensive began, we could have saved more troops, but now it is too late..."

The Tsar stood up, knocked on the table and shouted: "It's too late, it's too late! That's all you can say! Less than a week ago you were saying that you would soon be able to push the enemy back to the border! I will You cowards should all be shot! You are traitors to Ant!"

At this time, Marshal Xie Miao said: "You were the one who prevented us from retreating. If we had retreated at that time, even if the situation was very bad, we could have rescued 300,000 troops."

Nicholas V sat back in his chair, looking much older.

"Yes, I was the one who refused to retreat. Are you starting to blame me, right? You want me to take full responsibility for this great defeat, right? That's what you think, regardless of who patted my chest before the war started! Who arrogantly forced Gorky Konstantinovich away!

"It's you! It's you!"

After Nicholas V finished venting his anger, he sighed: "Call my son back and let the plane take him back!"

Marshal Xie Miao: "The retreat plan..."

Nicholas V: "Follow your plan, I approve it."

Several generals looked at each other, not hiding their surprise at all.

Tukhachev stood up and picked up the phone on the table: "I am the chief of general staff. The plan has been approved and will be executed immediately. Repeat, execute immediately!"

Nicholas V: "Send the best pilots! Go pick up my son now!"

Marshal Xie Miao said: "If we take the crown prince away now, it might lead to a retreat. After these days of fighting, the morale of the troops has been very shaken."

"I do not care!"

Just as Nicholas V was slamming the table, the communications staff opened the door and came in.

Seeing this scene, he was stunned and stood at the door with the telegram in hand, not daring to come in.

Tukhachev found the communications staff officer and said, "Give me the message. Where did it come from?"

Communications Staff Officer: "Agsukov is here, signed as the Crown Prince."

Nicholas V stood up suddenly, walked over in three steps, grabbed the message, and began to read it.

He knelt on the ground as he read.

All the generals were shocked and rushed over to help His Majesty.

Marshal Xie Miao held a corner of the message: "Is it okay?"

Nicholas V released the message and waved his hand gently.

Marshal Xie Miao looked at the message.

"Dear father, I have decided to fulfill my responsibility of supervising the army and personally lead the troops to attack the enemy. The current situation is very dangerous. Agsukov may be surrounded at any time. As your son, I am really unable to stop the enemy's offensive. , I can only do my little bit to save the millions of troops here. Love you, Ivan Nikolayev Antonov.”

After reading the telegram, the marshal handed the telegram newspaper to Chief of Staff Tukhachev.

After reading it, the chief of staff had a very complicated expression.

At this time, the Tsar suddenly cheered up and shouted: "Send a plane! A plane! Tie Ivan to the plane and let him fly over! Fly over!"

Tukhachev: "Understood, we will send a plane immediately."

————

Agsukov, Headquarters of the South-Western Front.

When the communications staff officer walked in, he couldn't control the smile on his face: "The telegram is here! The retreat plan has been approved!"

The senior officers in the headquarters were stunned. It was the chief of staff of the front army who reacted first: "Show me!"

The communications staff officer immediately handed the message to the chief of staff.

After quickly reading the telegram, the chief of staff was overjoyed: "It's a retreat order! And the headquarters is ready to launch an attack in the direction of Shepetovka to support our breakout. There is also an order here, His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, later The plane to pick you up is coming."

A smile suddenly appeared on Ivan's lips, but it disappeared immediately: "No, what will happen to morale if I leave in this case?"

"It will collapse." The front army bishop said firmly, "The breakout will turn into a large group of people running around like headless flies. But the fields of Salia are so vast, there should be many people who can run out, but they can only run out. ”

Ivan gritted his teeth: "Then I won't leave. The original plan remains unchanged. I will personally lead a troop to break out and let the whole army know this. In addition, prepare a royal flag, which should be larger than that of my best friend Luo That red flag is bigger in Kossov!”