Arc of Gunfire

"Absolutely impossible!" Pavlov slapped the table, "There is no way we can conquer Prosonia before January 7 next year! We can't do it!"

Wang Zhong: "Prioritize the troops participating in the attack to replenish returning soldiers..."

"Now all the troops are looking forward to the return of injured veterans!" Pavlov interrupted Wang Zhong, "When you attacked Melania's capital in September, you had already used it to bring returning veterans into the assault. The army’s tactics are great. Do you know how serious the shortage of backbones in the army is at the grassroots level?”

Wang Zhong was speechless. It seemed that the situation of the troops was worse than he expected.

But he immediately thought of the Melania people: "Where's our military recruitment in Melania?"

"It is true that a lot of people were recruited, but they have no military literacy at all. I don't know how they occupied the capital."

Vasily said: "Perhaps people with military qualities have died."

Everyone in the headquarters turned to look at Vasily.

Vasily: “I served as Melania’s temporary chief of staff in the capital for a period of time, do you remember? I knew only too well the level of guerrillas and resistance fighters who were still alive at that time.

"I think Marshal you should give up using Melania soldiers to capture Prosonia."

Wang Zhong began to pace in the room.

Pavlov: "Does it have to be Christmas? Didn't we agree with the United States on March? We can definitely win with a one-month fierce attack."

Wang Zhong: "But the enemy is more prepared to attack in March. Now there are a large number of children and old people who lack training among the enemies."

"And women." Vasily said, "Children and the elderly cannot cover a large number of women between the ages of 20 and 40."

"Thank you for your addition. The enemy is now much more vulnerable than we thought, and this is why Kashuch's penetration was successful. If we attack in advance, we may have miraculous effects."

After Wang Zhong finished speaking, he looked at Pavlov.

The chief of staff touched his bald head: "What you said may make sense, but no troops means no troops. Think about it, we have reached the point where we need to wait for the wounded soldiers to recover. Proson has no manpower. We And each other.”

Wang Zhong turned around and walked to the map of Prosonia hanging in the office.

This is not a city defense map, but a map of an area with a radius of 100 kilometers with the central point of the capital of Prosonia as the center of the circle.

The area on the east bank of the Oder River controlled by the Ant Army is in the northeast corner of the entire map.

Wang Zhong: "In just sixty kilometers, has it suddenly transformed into a natural chasm in front of us?"

Pavlov: "We can cross it in March, there is no need to rush."

Wang Zhong thought for a few seconds and sighed: "We can't attack by force, we can only outwit them."

Pavlov: "I can tell you that our troops on the southern front are also exhausted, and letting them pretend to attack this road will not work."

Wang Zhong: "I know."

"Really?" Pavlov asked.

Wang Zhong thought for a while and said: "I knew it before, but I didn't have a practical concept. Now thanks to your expressive explanation, I have a practical concept. I will think of a... a method that does not require so many troops, that is The so-called outsmarting.”

Pavlov: "Even if you personally fly to direct the artillery targets and fine-tune the troops as before, you still can't do it. Give up. Remember, although our losses in that assault were much smaller due to your fine-tuning, but There are still losses. Before your decisive attack, the irrecoverable losses of each unit reached 15%! "

In addition to those who were killed in battle, there were also those who were seriously injured and unable to return to the battlefield. This figure reached 15%, and most of the troops had been reduced by nearly half.

Ant is a country where priests and officers like to rush forward, and there are probably not many grassroots officers left.

Wang Zhong pursed his lips, looked at the map, and fell into deep thought.

————

Kosrek and Andreas looked at each other.

Kosrek: "The camouflage uniforms of the Asgard Knights look pretty good."

Andreas: "I hope camouflage can really increase our survival rate. What do you think of the awakening agent for hair?"

Kosrek looked around to make sure there were no military police or secret agents from the Imperial Household Ministry, then he lowered his voice and said, "Looking at the other people who have used this stuff, they look like people I have seen in opium dens.

"I suggest you don't touch this thing and pretend to have used it before entering the battle. Others who have used it probably won't recognize our brains anyway. We can fool it by shouting loud enough."

Andreas nodded and asked again: "Has your family written to you?"

"No, but it's possible that they are occupied by the Allies. The progress of the Allied forces on the Western Front is top secret. What about you?" Koslake asked rhetorically.

Andreas: "It is said that the Ant Army is parked across the river at the foot of my mountain, and the Mountain Division is stabilizing the defense line. I think we are so unlucky that we were incorporated into the Armed Knights at this time. ”

Kosrek: "Don't be discouraged. We have escaped so many times. We will definitely be able to go home."

Andreas nodded and said as if he was chanting a mantra that could relieve all depression and tension: "Go home. By the way, have you ever killed an Ant civilian?"

When Andreas entered the battle, it was almost time for the Ants to counterattack, and he did not lose any civilian lives.

Kosrek: "There are veterans like us who have not killed anyone. We are all inferior races, right? And at that time, no one could have known that they would turn defeat into victory. Think about what we did on their land... maybe you When I returned home, all my relatives had been killed by the Ant people.”

Andreas took out the cigarette and held it in his mouth tremblingly: "I hope God will bless my family."

————

Emperor Prosen looked a little more haggard than a few days ago.

The generals in the map room exchanged a few tacit glances.

At this time, more than one person was actually waiting for the emperor himself to be killed by the awakening agent, so that he could surrender to the Allies.

Although after the Thebes Conference, the Allies issued the Thebes Declaration, which did not accept surrender other than unconditional surrender, many people in the Ploson military system still dreamed of making peace with the United Kingdom and retaining part of the army and territory.

Emperor: "We have distributed enough awakening agents for 600,000 people! These are the products of the empire's proud science and technology that cracked Barras's secret medicine! People injected with the awakening agents will become iron warriors!"

The Celtic marshal suddenly asked: "Then you should have become an Iron Warrior, right?"

The emperor raised his head and stared at the marshal fiercely. This look could indeed be called a steel warrior, but it's a pity that looks can't kill.

Finally, the emperor looked at the map on the table again: "We have not failed yet. The enemy has a protrusion at the bend of the Oder River. We only need to cut off the protrusion and eliminate the hundreds of thousands of Ant troops above it. Kosov will be unable to organize an offensive for a long time!

"At this time we turn to the west and push the Allied forces into the sea! We will fight on two fronts like Frederick the Great and use the time difference to win on both sides!"

General Hawke: "What are we going to do to capture this protruding part of the Oder River? The enemy's strength on the other side is three to four times ours, and they also have a steady stream of reserves."

Emperor: "We will put in the most advanced Maus tank, which will crush all enemies!"

Admiral Steiner: "That thing is almost two hundred tons. How is it going to cross the river?"

6◇9◇Book◇Bar

"Of course, diving under the water!" the emperor immediately replied, "Long before the invasion of Ant, we developed snorkel technology that allows tanks to sneak across!"

The nearly 200-ton tank dived across the muddy river bottom, using a snorkel to maintain ventilation.

This is no different from seeking death.

But no one dared point it out.

The room suddenly became quiet.

The emperor continued to look at the map: "Now the enemy's attack on the Western Front has stopped. Our defense near Annwerp was very successful. General Mendel made a very wise decision. He regrouped the scattered troops and boosted their morale.

"We can take a few more prepared troops from Mendel and transfer them to the Eastern Front!"

Field Marshal Celtic: "Our railway system was bombed in turn by the Allies. It would take about two months to mobilize such a large number of troops."

The emperor was silenced for a moment, and after a moment he looked at Air Marshal Grand Duke Meyer with ferocious eyes.

The Grand Duke wiped his sweat: "Our synthetic oil factory's location was exposed for some reason. Now our aviation fuel output is only one-fifth of its original level. We have ordered the ME262 jet aircraft to stop performing combat missions.

"Propeller aircraft with lower fuel consumption have no combat advantage, so..."

Emperor: "The Empire lost its sky, didn't it?"

Grand Duke: "But! The first batch of rocket interceptor aircraft have been equipped with troops! These aircraft use rocket power and have high speed and climbing capabilities! They can give the Allies a head-on attack!"

The emperor nodded dully and continued to look at the map: "As long as we launch an attack, everything will be fine! Admiral Steiner will be responsible for this attack!"

Steiner: "Me?"

Emperor: "Go and cut off Rokosov's salient and destroy his exposed troops!"

Steiner: "This..."

The emperor stood up: "We still have hope of victory! The entire Prosen Empire is with us! We have 20 million people's self-defense troops! The Ant people want to defeat us, but they are wishful thinking!"

Celtic Marshal: "What if... Rokossov charges personally again? Our soldiers, especially veterans, are very afraid of him charging personally. There are also many superstitious theories, such as angels, demons, and think tanks. Curator, Brother Mao or something like that.”

Emperor: "What the hell is a think tank director?"

Marshal: "The wailing on the radio seems to come from the Angsa language, with some distortions. In short, our troops are now in a state of panic. As long as Rokosov personally attacks, as long as the red flag appears, morale will collapse.

"Melania's battle has proven this. Our psychologists believe that the soldiers are just making excuses for their escape, but... But these excuses are said too much and they become reality, His Majesty."

The emperor waved his hand: "What nonsense!"

The door opened, and a well-dressed gentleman entered the room: "It's psychology, Your Majesty. I am an expert in communication psychology. My theories are very appreciated by your propaganda and have been widely used in propaganda practice. I think Now our troops are in an unusual panic about Rokossov.

"If he charges in person once more, we will collapse. The enemy's naming him a living saint seems to be a top-level conspiracy. The soldiers will be fooled by the title of living saint and will spontaneously fear him."

The emperor waved his hand: "Enough! Are you saying that Rokossov's personal charge can make our morale collapse? No, this kind of thing is impossible! Even if it really happens, as long as there is an imperial soldier who does not waver, he can kill Rokossov!"

The psychology doctor pushed his glasses: "This is the scary part, your majesty. In our world, there really is such a thing as a magic arrow."

The emperor stopped.

The doctor: "What if Rokossov really has a mysterious power to help him? It may be quantum physics, or something else we have not yet figured out, or simply a mysterious power."

The emperor raised his head.

Doctor: "If a soldier raised his gun to Rokossov, he fired, but the bullet missed. It may be because of the wind direction, it may be because his hand was shaking, or it may be some other reason... But... what do you think he would think?

"I tell you, Your Majesty, he would think that there is a mysterious force protecting Rokossov, Your Majesty."