artillery arc

Chapter 548 Homeland (Update 28/81)

Proshen, commander of the 30th Infantry Corps, looked at the second mushroom cloud.

"What did the Ants throw in?" he murmured to himself.

It's nothing, just 500 kilograms of TNT.

The communications officer came in and reported nervously: "The 200th Infantry Division reports that we can no longer contact the 580th Regiment."

The commander immediately came to the city defense map and found the mark of the 580th Regiment. "Didn't they set up a support point here? Why can't we get in touch all of a sudden?"

The communications officer pointed to the mushroom cloud outside and said, "That's the support point."

The commander turned his head and looked outside, muttering, "Was this blown up with explosives? How much explosives would it take to produce such an effect?"

The army chief of staff smiled bitterly and said, "The Anti-Personnel mines of the Ants also have two kilograms of explosives. The instruction manual we seized said that the killing radius was 20 meters. We think they wrote less."

The commander looked at the communications staff, then looked outside.

"Report to the army headquarters." This was all the army commander could say.

----

Admiral Frederick frowned and looked at the chief of staff: "What? Ant's use of new weapons has led to an unfavorable situation? Didn't the 30th Army report before that it would launch an assault on the enemy's Achilles' heel - the river tunnel? Can a new weapon change the situation? No, this is absolutely impossible!
"The situation of modern warfare will not be fundamentally reversed because of one or two new weapons!"

The chief of staff picked up the phone receiver and said, "But the 30th Army reported seeing a huge mushroom cloud."

"Sufficient explosives may also produce such an effect. We have seen it in the last battle on the plains of Flanders. The enemy dug under our position and detonated a large amount of explosives, blowing the entire position away."

Chief of Staff: "The entire position?"

"Yes, the entire position, including the permanent fortifications made of reinforced concrete, flew into the sky, and a huge mushroom cloud rose above the position." Admiral Frederick waved his hand, "Don't be scared by the mushroom cloud! Continue the attack, their previous strategy was correct, as long as we take down the river tunnel, the resistance of the Ant army here will end, and we can still fight across the river!"

The chief of staff passed the receiver forward and said, "You can talk to the commander of the 30th Army yourself."

Frederick took the receiver and said loudly: "Listen, don't be scared by the mushroom cloud. It may be that the enemy has placed enough explosives underground through the sewers and then detonated them! Hold your formation steady. We will have new reinforcements coming soon, and we will definitely be able to take over the entire city. Your idea of ​​attacking the enemy and then rescuing them is very good! Keep it up!"

The voice of the commander of the 30th Army on the other end of the phone sounded relatively calm: "Report from the front, Rokossov is personally driving a new tank, destroying our support points one by one, and each destruction will create a huge mushroom cloud!
"I have seen two mushroom clouds. After the mushroom clouds appear, I will lose contact with a support point. First, the remnants of the assault group occupied the post office building, and then the 580th Regiment occupied it... Oh my God."

Frederick: What's wrong?

"The third mushroom cloud! Quick, contact all support points! Confirm who is in trouble!"

The latter sentence was obviously not directed at Admiral Frederick.

Admiral: "Calm down. Even if there is a new weapon, it is just a pack launcher. It can be destroyed. You have PAK40 anti-tank guns, Type assault guns, and some long-barreled Type tanks. Calm down!"

"Okay, I understand, Admiral." The 30th Army commander took a few deep breaths. "I'll go check the situation and report back to you in an hour."

The call was disconnected.

Admiral Frederick put down the receiver and looked at the chief of staff: "The 30th Army is definitely in trouble. If Rokossov goes to the front in person, it can be predicted that the enemy's morale will be greatly boosted. According to yesterday's report, the city is now in a mess. The side with higher morale has a greater advantage."

The chief of staff also nodded: "Yes, unless we are given a large-scale reinforcement, this city...may not be taken. Otherwise, we should request a retreat from Army Group B."

Frederick shook his head. "The B Army Group Command cannot make the decision. His Majesty the Emperor will not agree. We have to find a way to break through the city! The 30th Army's approach has shown us a way. We need to gather another elite force and rush towards the tunnel entrance!"

The chief of staff asked: "But where are the troops?"

Frederick: "How many troops does the 41st Panzer Corps have left?"

Chief of Staff: "They report that they still have one-third of their tanks ready for combat. Are they going to be deployed to the city?"

Frederick: "There are only infantry on the beach, right? Infantry and anti-tank guns? Then they have no way to launch an attack. Even if the tanks are withdrawn, the remaining troops can surround them on the narrow beach.

“Of course, in order to prevent the Moravians from getting into trouble, we have to bombard the other side to prevent the enemy from sending reinforcements.

"Pull out all the remaining tanks of the 41st Army, add them to the infantry units to form an assault group, and then launch another assault on the tunnel entrance!"

----

Beachhead No. 1.

When the sound of tank engines came from the enemy position, all the soldiers on the beach woke up.

"The enemy is about to attack!"

"But why is there no artillery preparation?"

"Don't worry about being prepared or not, just get into position!"

The position that had been dead silent just now suddenly became active, and everyone was rushing to their own positions.

However, the enemy's attack did not come, and the sound of tank engines was getting farther and farther away, obviously the enemy tanks withdrew from their positions.

After a brief hesitation, someone began to cheer: "The enemy tanks have withdrawn!"

The officers were shouting: "Don't underestimate the enemy! It may be an illusion! Stay alert!"

Nellie ignored the noise around her and silently put the checked bullets into her pocket.

Her Mosin-Nagant rifle was still the original one, without a scope and without a bayonet.

Thick liquid kept flowing out of her eye patch. It was obvious that her eyes were completely infected and festered. She probably couldn't use it anymore.

A young nurse ran over and said to Nellie, "They said the enemy tanks have withdrawn!"

"The battle is not over yet." Nellie said as she took out a cigarette and put it in her mouth, then struck a match and lit it.

The nurse asked in confusion, "Aren't maids generally not allowed to smoke?"

"Just quit smoking. I managed to survive on the battlefield, so it's easy to quit smoking." Nellie said contemptuously, "Without cigarettes, I might not have the courage to bury you, Tatiana."

The young nurse in front of her was already the eighth nurse to share the same bunker with Nellie. Tatyana hesitated for a moment and held out her hand tremblingly: "I'll have one too. Can this thing really relieve anxiety?"

"Sure." Nellie handed the lit cigarette to Tatyana.

The young nurse took a sip and then started coughing violently.

During the coughing, a photo fell out.

Nellie bent down to pick up the photo and looked at the young man in it: "Lover?"

"No, my neighbor's brother, Alyosha...Alexei."

Nellie: "It's the same name as the general."

"Really? Then he must be able to overcome war and hardship like the general." Tatyana smiled, "He is only seventeen years old, not yet of conscription age. Although our hometown is in Abavahan, but... he should have been evacuated."

Nellie looked at the nurse and asked softly, "Are you worried about your hometown?"

"Of course, Mom, Dad, Grandpa and Grandma are all there. I thought we were so far away that the Prosens would not be able to get through!

"But now, they say the Plossans have invaded the city. My home is in the western suburbs of the city. I don't know if our house is still there."

As she spoke, the nurse covered her face and started crying, a cigarette still in her hand.

"There was a big birch tree on the street where we grew up. On my birthday, Alexei made a swing on the branch. I sat on it and he pushed me from behind. I could fly very high..."

----

Wang Zhong suddenly noticed that the little guide named Little Griff was turning his head and staring at something.

He also turned his head and saw a birch tree. The branches and leaves on the tree had been burned, and the trunk was burned to only ugly branches, which looked like rotten coral.

On the thickest branches, there were two thick ropes, which miraculously were not burned, but the ends of the ropes were cut off by bullets or shrapnel.

It looked like a swing, except the wooden board the rope was tied to was missing.

Wang Zhong asked Little Griff: "Did you make this swing?"

Little Griff shook his head: "No, Alyosha did it for Tatyana. We can only avoid them and play secretly."

Wang Zhong put his hand on Little Griff's shoulder: "The people you are familiar with are gone, and the streets you are familiar with are gone, but you are still here. Drive away the enemies, and you can start over again."

"Yes, General. Yes. The enemy's stronghold is ahead! General, do you hear that? The sound of machine guns is getting more intense!"

Wang Zhong: "I heard it, enter the battle room, soldier Griff!"

"Yes!" Little Griff got into the hatch and closed the hatch cover.

Wang Zhong also shrank his head and lay behind the hatch.

Prototype vehicle No. 422 turned the corner. This was the road that Little Griff pointed out. As long as it turned the corner, it would just be able to hit the enemy's support point.

Wang Zhong once again directly reported the distance: "440 meters, aim! Fire!"

A mushroom cloud rose into the sky and the shock wave swept across the street.

On the broken branches of the birch tree, two swing ropes flew high up, like two ponytails dancing wildly in the air.

----

November 915, 11, Eagle's Nest, the heart of the Prosom Empire.

"Didn't they say that we could capture Abavahan in three days?" The emperor slammed the table, "Three days, three days! Now, where is Abavahan?"

Celtic Chief of Staff: "The Sixth Army reports that they will launch another assault tomorrow morning to try to cut off the enemy's connection with the east coast and cut off the logistics of all Ante troops on the west coast."

Emperor: “He said that before.”

The Chief of the General Staff was silent. At this time, the Army Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Walter von Bryan, said: "Perhaps we should give him the three corps he requested. Now that two corps have been moved to the Eastern Front, it is just right to supplement Frederick."

Emperor: "But the Central Army Group is also crying out, if we don't give them troops they will lose!"

Chief of the General Staff Marshal Celt: "The Ants adopted a very reckless offensive tactic, launching a flood-like attack across the board, and then found our gap. The situation of the Central Army Group is indeed a bit dangerous now. According to reports from the front line, they have four new armies launched an attack."

Marshal Bryan: "If we continue to increase our troops, it will become a tactic of adding fuel to the fire. I personally think that we should give the Central Army Group a hard time and hand over the troops to the Sixth Army."

Marshal Celtic: "I'm afraid that's not possible, because the Moravian troops of the two armies have put a huge pressure on logistics. We no longer have enough transportation capacity to send the two armies to such a far place."

The emperor looked back and forth between the army commander and the chief of staff: "Are you two teaming up to mess with me?"

"of course not."

"Absolutely not."

The emperor thought for a few seconds: "One army will go to the center, and one army will be sent to the Sixth Army. Then, let Grand Duke Meyer and the Air Force think of a solution!"

Grand Duke Meyer: "We have just received intelligence that Rokossov will personally take the red Pe-3 reconnaissance plane to scout the front line. As long as we can shoot down this reconnaissance plane and kill Rokossov, Abavakhan's victory will be within our grasp."

"Then do it." The emperor waved his hand.

At this time, someone knocked on the door and came in. It was General Moltke, the Director General of Armored Forces, and Dr. von Klauen of the Imperial Military Academy.

The emperor's brows relaxed immediately when he saw Dr. Crown: "I guess you brought me good news!"

"Yes, we are ready to use the latest radar anti-ship missiles in the Aegean Sea. After the continuous failure of our remote-controlled bomb Fritz X, this new weapon will surely help us regain control of the sea and restore the supply of the African Corps!"

The emperor slammed the table and said, "Very good, very good! After the trial in the Aegean Sea, we will immediately deploy them on the West Wall to make it impossible for the enemy to land! This way, we can transfer the troops on the West Wall to the East Front!"

(End of this chapter)