Arc of Gunfire

May 15, Saint Ekaterina Castle, the capital of Ant.

Wang Zhong inspected the First Guards Heavy Breakthrough Tank Regiment, which had just been replenished with Rokossov-1 heavy tanks.

When the car drove to the middle, he suddenly saw words on the turret of a tank and hurriedly shouted: "Wait! Stop!"

The commander of the First Guards Heavy Breakthrough Tank Regiment, who accompanied the inspection, immediately turned green: "General, this is a thorn in our army. He has been writing slogans on the tanks. We have painted them off many times. We even took a step back and said that we would not paint slogans today and would do it after the inspection... He still painted them on secretly!"

Wang Zhong: "Don't talk first, let me see what's written."

He jumped out of the car and walked to the tank with the slogan.

The tank crew climbed out of the tank under the leadership of the commander and stood in a row in front of the tank.

Wang Zhong glanced at them and wanted to go around them to see the slogan, but the driver took a step to the side and blocked Wang Zhong's way: "General, we know we are wrong, we will paint over the slogan now!"

Wang Zhong patted the driver on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I don't blame you, I just want to see what the slogan says. Maybe I will encourage you to do this."

The driver was stunned: "Encourage?"

Wang Zhong looked at the driver's figure again and asked: "You don't look like a soldier with this figure. When did you join the army?"

"Last June, my brother has been serving in the army. I am the best tractor driver in the village, so the parish priest tried to recruit me later and let me take a few apprentices who can drive tractors first. So I joined the army last June after the spring plowing was completely finished, and went to the Belov Quick Tank School."

Tractor drivers usually repair tractors. They are high-tech talents in Ant, so they are generally not supplemented to be soldiers. They either become repair soldiers or learn to drive tanks.

Wang Zhong: "Your brother has been serving in the army? Which unit?"

The tank commander's expression sank slightly: "He has died, so I named this tank Revenge. The military chaplain said that we are not fighting for personal revenge, but mainly to liberate the occupied land and other ethnic groups oppressed by Prosen."

Wang Zhong: "The chaplain is right, but too dogmatic."

When he said this, the military chaplain of the First Guards Heavy Tank Regiment was behind him, pinching his coat in embarrassment.

Wang Zhong continued: "And there is no problem with revenge, isn't this contradictory. I also want to avenge my good brother and father, is this wrong?"

The military chaplain of the First Guards Regiment was even more embarrassed, looking like he was looking for a crack in the ground to crawl into.

"What is your brother's name, and which unit is he in? I'll ask if there are any relics for you." Wang Zhong continued.

The tank commander: "In the 51st Tank Army, the battle report said he was missing."

Wang Zhong was stunned: "The 51st Tank Army? The 51st Tank Army that attacked the enemy deep through the landing site last year? The commander was Korodov?"

"Yes, General. In the winter campaign last year, they fought under you until the last moment. My brother had won a gold star before that, and after this battle, he was posthumously awarded a medal."

Wang Zhong recalled and said: "Your brother's name is Alexi Podolskov, right?"

The tank commander was stunned.

Wang Zhong: "All the heroes who were awarded medals posthumously, I personally read and signed the death notice. The heroes of the 51st Tank Army, because of the special nature of their battles, were dictated by local guerrillas at the last moment.

"I was particularly impressed."

Wang Zhong patted the shoulder of the "other" Podolskov.

Then he walked around the stunned tank commander, walked towards the tank, and found the line of red font on the side of the turret: Revenge.

Wang Zhong: "Not specific enough! It's better to change it to "Revenge for the Heroic Brother"! Bring the paint and brush, change it now!"

The paint and brush were quickly brought, and the "Revenge" on the turret was painted over, and "Revenge for the Heroic Brother" was rewritten.

The other crews next to them watched the new slogans on the tanks, their faces full of envy.

Wang Zhong stared at the new slogan for a few seconds, nodded with satisfaction, and patted Podolski's shoulder hard: "Don't let your brother be ashamed. Moreover, I will give you another task, which is more difficult than not letting your brother be ashamed! That is to live to the moment of victory in the war!"

Podoliskov: "This... is difficult, compared with the enemy, our biggest advantage is that we are not afraid of sacrifice."

Wang Zhong: "Yes, we used to be able to stop the enemy, mainly relying on this. That's why I said this task is difficult. You have to not let your brother be ashamed, and you have to survive. This is the highest difficulty! Do you have the confidence to challenge it?"

Podoliskov's expression gradually changed from surprise to firmness: "Yes, General! I want to challenge it! "

Wang Zhong gave him a thumbs up, then looked at the others: "You too! We must ruthlessly destroy the enemy and save ourselves!

"Before, there was no way. T34, KV, these tanks faced the enemy's new generation of anti-tank weapons, such as PAK40 anti-tank guns and long-barreled Type 4. They were indeed a bit powerless. They could only make heroic sacrifices to make up for the enemy's advantages in tactics and weapons.

"Now I have built the Rokossov I heavy tank and handed it to you. I forbid you to die in vain before destroying enough enemies!

"It's time for the Prosen people to bleed and sacrifice! Ura!"

The whole parade ground resounded with a deafening sound of urrah, one wave after another.

————

When Wang Zhong returned home from the parade ground, he found a royal car parked at the door. He hurriedly asked the old housekeeper who came to greet him: "Where is your Majesty?"

Old butler Mikhail: "Drinking tea with my wife in the tea room."

Wang Zhong: "I know, I want to change clothes as soon as possible."

"It's ready and can be changed soon."

A moment later, Wang Zhong, who had changed out of his combat uniform, appeared in the tea room. Lyudmila and Olga were already inside, and the two actually played chess.

Wang Zhong: "Are you actually playing chess?"

"Occasionally we have this kind of intellectual fun," Olga said. "How about the new tank?"

"It's great. After the review, it will be loaded onto the truck and sent to Bolsk."

Olga: "Now our troops are concentrated near Bolsk. What if the enemy doesn't attack here?"

Wang Zhong: "The enemy has concentrated a considerable amount of troops. Aerial reconnaissance shows that they should have accumulated a lot of artillery shells. It is basically certain that this is their main attack direction."

Before the beginning of the Kurdish War in Earth's history, both sides basically revealed their cards. Aerial reconnaissance on both sides confirmed that the other side had assembled heavy troops, so it was a head-to-head confrontation without any deception.

Now we are basically replicating the situation on Earth.

However, the difficulty of hiding a large number of troops in the Ante grassland is also an important reason for both sides to play their cards clearly. When the tanks are parked on the grassland, even if they are camouflaged with camouflage nets, clues can still be seen.

This is also the reason why Wang Zhong's deception operation in Yeisk last year was so successful. Because the tank troops assembled on the grassland were found to be normal, the enemy did not think much about it.

Of course, the most critical thing is that, except for Wang Zhong's front army, there is no salient that is particularly easy to be surrounded by a pincer offensive.

Olga: "I don't quite understand. They have already taken advantage of you, so why do they still attack you?"

"Because I haven't blocked their offensive in the summer." Wang Zhong spread his hands, "The Prosen people are very rigid. Last year and the year before last, they penetrated my defense in the summer. At least in their eyes, it was an attack. I’ve worn it, so naturally I want to try it again this year.”

Olga: "When you say this, I feel so pitiful for the Prosen people."

Just as Wang Zhong was about to respond, the old housekeeper appeared: "General Gorky is here."

Wang Zhong: "Let him come in, come here."

"I'm already here." General Gorky entered the room, glanced at Olga, and hurriedly saluted, "Your Majesty. I didn't know you were here."

Olga: "Lying, Mikhail will tell you. I have often played at Rokosov's house since I was a child, and I am very familiar with Grandpa Mikhail."

General Gorky was a little embarrassed: "This..."

Mikhail: "I did not inform General Gorky. I thought you invited him here."

Olga: "Hey, that's it. So what are you Rokossov faction planning to plot? Let me hear it too!"

Wang Zhong: "You are right. I think General Gorky should have come to inform me of his preparations for the attack."

"Yes. Actually, I'm here to report to the headquarters, and I'm here just by the way."

Nellie appeared, carrying a plate of ice-cold Coke.

She walked to General Gorky and stopped.

"Oh, thank you." When General Gorky picked up the Coke, he stared at Neli's right eye for a few seconds, then raised his head and asked Wang Zhong, "Are you injured?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, last year she represented me and stayed on the beach for more than a month. Her right eye was directly infected and she can no longer take it."

General Gorky: "How pitiful, she is such a beautiful girl."

Wang Zhong: "She is also very beautiful now, isn't she?"

"Oh, yes, indeed." Gorky took a sip of Coke and immediately looked at the cup in shock, "So ice? I thought it was just like other cold drinks, just a little bit colder."

Nellie: "The United States sent an ice machine, which seems to be used on aircraft carriers. It can also produce ice cream. Now the children eat ice cream every day."

Gorky whistled and drank the iced Coke with satisfaction. After putting down the cup, he asked: "I heard that on your front, the pilots have mastered a brand-new method of making ice cream?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, the US pilots taught me to put milk and honey in the auxiliary fuel tank, fly to a high altitude and spin a few times, and then I will get a bucket of ice cream. These guys from the US have only one way to make ice cream. It’s as colorful as our people’s methods of drinking.”

Gorky laughed loudly: "I think we should promote it so that the troops can eat ice cream without increasing the logistical burden. This is a good thing!"

He drank another glass of Coke, then wiped his mouth with satisfaction, and then got down to business: "Alexey Konstantinovich, I am preparing to launch an attack on June 20th, which will just interrupt the enemy's counterattack. What do you think of the rhythm?”

Wang Zhong: "Yes, yes, but will Urban be able to supplement your front army at that time?"

"Don't worry, I already have an Urban battalion. I plan to use this battalion on the front of Shostka to put sufficient pressure on the enemy and attract their attention! But in fact, the second echelon will invest To other breakthroughs!”