Arc of Gunfire

As soon as Emperor Reinhard finished speaking, Chief of Staff William Celtic said: "The staff has formulated multiple plans, corresponding to the three main attack directions of north, center and south. Our assessment shows that if we go north to capture the Saint Fort Andrew's plan was the safest.

"The supply route of this plan is the shortest. Although the swamps and forests of Livonia and the guerrillas distributed in them seriously interfere with the logistics of our army, supply in other directions also has problems with the guerrillas."

Reinhard suddenly became angry and pounded the table: "I was going to kill all the Ant people, but you stopped me, and now you tell me that the guerrilla problem is serious?"

Wilhelm Kelt glanced at Army Commander Walter von Bryan and said: "We need to hire civilian workers to ensure logistics. Our army's logistics department employs nine million employees, including railway workers, car drivers and maintenance workers. Etc., etc.

"We originally thought that relying on these people would be enough to supply the logistics for an army of several million people, but the actual situation deviated greatly from our predictions. Ant's infrastructure is too poor, and these nine million employees alone cannot guarantee it. Supply for the 153 divisions on the Eastern Front. We must hire Ants."

Reinhardt: "Then the supply lines became a mess because of the hiring of Ants!"

William Kelt: "It's better than no supply lines. In fact, this is the case in the non-Plosin traditional territories we occupied, the Carolingians, Melania, and the Republic of the Netherlands. There are resistance groups everywhere."

At this time, Heinz, the chief protocol officer of the Imperial Household Ministry who had been silent next to him, gently pushed up his glasses and said: "We are already trying our best to clean up these resistance organizations. In the past month, we captured hundreds of people who were airdropped. of united kingdom spies.

"There must be more lurking, the United Kingdom plays various poems in different languages ​​every night, which are code words for resistance groups everywhere.

"And the reason why the enemy was able to achieve space success is because some people boasted that not even a fly could get in!"

Grand Duke Meyer took out a handkerchief and gently wiped his sweat, and then defended: "The aircraft used by the enemy for airdrops are all made of wood. Our radar cannot see this kind of aircraft, so it is impossible to prevent it. This kind of wooden aircraft can fly from a high altitude." Invasion, difficult to see directly from ground observation posts.

"This kind of plane flies very fast..."

Heinz smiled slightly: "You always have a reason, Your Excellency the Grand Duke."

Grand Duke: "What is a reason? This is an objective fact. We now control almost the entire Europa. With such a vast airspace, it is difficult to defend against an aircraft that cannot be seen by radar."

"We are used to the unreliability of the Air Force," Army Commander General Walter said.

Grand Duke Meyer frowned: "I cannot agree with what you say. Blitzkrieg would not be possible without the cooperation of the Air Force. General Moltke agrees with my point of view!"

General Moltke was feeling melancholy at this time. After all, he had been relieved of his front-line command position. Although he still had the title of Director of Armored Forces, it was basically impossible to obtain the marshal's scepter without achieving results on the front line.

General Mao Qi couldn't help but feel melancholy when he thought that his promotion had ended here.

Less than two months ago, he observed Yebao with a telescope and ordered the bombardment of Yebao.

Thinking of this made me even more melancholy, and even wanted to drink some wine.

It's a pity that His Majesty Emperor Reinhard doesn't like to see people drinking before military meetings.

Now suddenly hit by a ball thrown by Grand Duke Meyer, General Moltke could only look at the people around him in confusion: "Sorry, I was distracted just now. What are you asking me?"

Grand Duke Meyer repeated his question: "Do you agree that the Blitzkrieg cannot be fought without air support?"

The cooperation of the two emerging services, the air force and the armored force, created the glory of the blitzkrieg. This is how the propaganda of the Prosin Empire was promoted.

General Moltke had no intention of destroying the results of the propaganda, and this propaganda was beneficial to maintaining his status. After all, he was an armored soldier wearing a dark black uniform and the director of the armored force.

So General Moltke replied: "Yes, the Air Force's close air support has given us a lot of help."

Grand Duke Meyer immediately showed a happy expression.

But General Moltke added: "But in the Battle of Yebao that just passed, the Air Force basically did not play its role. Although this is because our army did not replace the antifreeze lubricants on the aircraft in time, we have to admit that sometimes the Air Force does not have enough What's the use?"

Grand Duke Meyer quickly promised: "It will be properly lubricated next year, so it can be deployed even in winter."

"I hope so." General Moltke said.

Grand Duke Meyer planned to forcefully change the topic back to its original direction, so he said: "During the spring offensive, I guarantee that the Air Force can attack with all its strength."

"You said the same before the war started." Commander Walter said.

Grand Duke Meyer argued: "When the war started, we did go all out to attack, but Ant was too broad, which directly caused the infantry on the ground to see that our close air support effect was once again reduced."

He paused and emphasized again: "We really came out in full force!"

Field Marshal von Bryan said: "The whole force can only have this effect, and the air force cannot do more than that."

Grand Duke Meyer: "You!"

"Enough!" Emperor Reinhard snapped.

As an emerging high-tech branch, the Air Force has always been favored by Reinhardt. At this time, of course he must side with the Air Force.

Marshal von Bryan lowered his head to express his submission, making Reinhardt's tense expression relax a little.

The army generals are mainly composed of the Junkers Officer Corps. Emperor Reinhard has used the division of the armored force to weaken the influence of the officer corps in the army as much as possible. Recently, he has established Asgar, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Army Commander-in-Chief. Knights of Germany.

But the army itself is so large, with so many officers, and the connections between the Junkers and the nobility are so intricate that a lean camel is bigger than a horse. And Reinhardt clearly felt that the mouths of the Army veterans that had been closed due to a series of brilliant victories were beginning to loosen again.

There are two leaders among the veterans. One is the old Marshal Hindenburg who has retired at home, and the second is von Bryan who is only five years younger than Hindenburg.

Of course, several years of brilliant victories have allowed Reinhardt to establish an extremely stable rule, so even if he encountered a small setback, von Bryan still expressed his obedience to Reinhardt.

Furthermore, after several years of war, veterans also know that technological innovation has changed the shape of war. It is a general trend to add a large number of officers who master new technologies into the army, and it is a foregone conclusion that the power of Juncker officers will be diluted.

Many veteran generals have given up resistance and accepted military innovations calmly.

Just as the nobles of Ante lost power, so too the Junker military nobility gradually lost power.

Many Junker nobles have sold their old manors that have been passed down for so many years and moved into modern reinforced concrete cities. Their children have become accustomed to electricity, radios and running water, and are no longer willing to return to the old manors. .

Reinhard stared at the Army Commander-in-Chief for several seconds and nodded: "The Air Force will go all out to assist you. It will take about four months to reach the Valdaichu River. There is no need to cross the river. Just set up a defense line along the river." , forcing the enemy to use inland sea shipping for reinforcements."

Von Bryan nodded: "Just modify it based on our southern line plan. Our plan was originally only intended to break through the Primorsky-Borsk line, occupy this fortification zone, block the enemy's throat, and prevent The enemy counterattacked from the southern front."

Reinhard: "Your plan is too conservative. Not even Gil-Ace will like it."

Giles was still in charge of the southern part of Army Group Center's defense line, that is, the defense along the Duwa River, so he did not participate in this imperial meeting.

Von Bryan: "We will come up with a new plan before the end of the month. Although the specific offensive plan is not yet clear, we can already start to stock up on ammunition and equipment."

Reinhard looked at his armored force director: "Replenish the troops with new tanks as soon as possible."

General Moltke: "As I said just now, unless we start mobilizing and transition to a wartime production system, our army will not be able to quickly replenish Changguan No. 4. By the time the offensive begins in April, I estimate that there will be 10 armored battalions on the Eastern Front that can Get the long tube number four.”

Reinhardt immediately and keenly did not miss a single word: "'Get'?"

General Moltke: "In order for the change of equipment to go smoothly, the crews who were originally driving Panzer IV tanks must be changed first. Each battalion only has about 25 Panzer IV tanks."

"That's only 250 vehicles!" Reinhardt raised his voice, "It's only 250 vehicles in three months. Has my Prossen Industry declined to this point?"

General Moltke: "There are mainly two reasons. First, the barrel production capacity of the 43-fold 75mm gun is limited. After all, the Imperial Army has just placed a large order for PAK40. Although the barrels of the two guns are different in details, But there will still be mutual squeeze on production capacity. This problem can be solved by moving to a wartime system."

Reinhard waved his hand: "What is the second reason?"

"The new tanks must first arm the Asgard Knights Division and the Air Force Field Division."

Reinhardt was embarrassed.

Von Bryan and other old-school officers looked at each other, and then involuntarily entered a state of watching the show.

Reinhard finally shook his head: "In the spring attack, use the Asgard Knights more! Put them at the most important breakthrough point where the enemy has the strongest strength! Last time they encountered that Rocco Sov, the poor performance was ridiculed by the newspapers of the United States and the United Kingdom! Just let them prove themselves again!"

Von Brian and William Kelt looked at each other again.

Then Chief of the General Staff William Kelt said: "Then we need your assurance, Your Majesty, that these troops will be deployed on the front line according to our plans."

"I promise! Just deploy them as ordinary armored divisions, but put them in the most difficult places to break through!" After Reinhard finished speaking, he turned to General Moltke again, Director of the Armored Forces, "What's the situation with the new tanks? "

General Moltke: "The Panzer 5 tank was only in the pre-research stage before, and no design drawings were produced, so I asked the design team to carefully measure the captured Ant tank. Basically, I planned to improve it on the basis of the T34 and correct its flaws. . The prototype will be tested as soon as the end of this year.”

Reinhardt: "Then we may not need it in this war with Ant. We will destroy Ant's coal and crude oil production areas this year, and they will surrender next spring."

General Moltke: "There is a tank that may be put into the battlefield this year. We had a very difficult time facing the Carolingian B1 heavy tank before, so we proposed a tender for an 88mm carrier vehicle, which has stopped development before. Improvements are made based on the VK3001 solution.

"At present, Henschel and Porsche have built prototypes and are testing them at the combat vehicle proving ground in Belka. If everything goes well, the offensive trial production model will be shipped to the front line in April."

General Moltke: "In Belka? Okay, I'm going to take a look. That's the end of this meeting!"