artillery arc

Chapter 580 "Ending Everything with Honor" (Update 34/81)

November 12, Eagle's Nest.

The Plossen Supreme Command continued to hold countermeasures meetings.

"So what do you think of Ant's new tank?" The emperor looked at everyone present one by one. "The front line said it was immune to all our main anti-tank guns. In the end, it was only with the 105mm anti-aircraft guns that it was barely blocked. But the entire army has less than 105 1000mm anti-aircraft guns."

The President of the Imperial Academy of Sciences said: "We are studying..."

"Don't even mention something that takes a year or two to research. I want something that can be brought to the front line right now for emergency response!" The emperor interrupted the old scientist.

The dean and several doctors attending the meeting looked at each other in bewilderment. At this time, General Moltke, the director of armored forces, raised his hand and said, "Your Majesty, we do have a product that can be used immediately for emergency purposes. It uses the chassis of the Panzer IV tank and is equipped with a 52-caliber 105mm anti-tank gun. Two prototypes have already been manufactured."

"Oh?" The emperor became excited. "Where are they now?"

General Moltke: "Both vehicles participated in the Barbarossa Campaign. One was destroyed and the other was shipped back to the Krupp Arsenal and probably placed in the exhibition hall."

Emperor: "Produce it immediately! Ant's new tanks are probably not in mass production yet. We should produce them first and send them to the front. This time we can catch them off guard!
"Also, the Type 88 tank that was beaten back to being redesigned can no longer be equipped with a Type 105 gun. Don't we have a ready-made Type gun? Use it!"

"Uh..." Moltke hesitated for a moment, then said, "For the new plan for the Type VI tank, if the 88mm gun is lengthened, it should also have better armor-piercing ability. In addition, the Type 70 tank currently being tested, with a 75-times-long mm gun, should also have better armor-piercing ability..."

"Since we already have a 105mm anti-tank gun, we can improve it based on the 105mm!" The emperor interrupted the director of armored forces.

General Moltke gave in: "You are right. Now we can start producing the Max as long as we slightly improve the production line. During the previous battlefield test, we found many defects in it, so Krupp improved the design but did not continue to manufacture new prototypes. I think we can just build a new prototype."

Emperor: "Let's do this. We must seize the initiative this time. Also, how effective are the new magnetic anti-tank grenades?"

Marshal Celtic and Marshal Brian both looked embarrassed.

Emperor: "Just say whatever you want to say."

Marshal Brian: "The new grenade is too heavy, and if you want it to stick to a tank, you can't throw it. Soldiers need to rush to the front of the tank with such a heavy object, stick it on, pull the string and run away... It's too demanding for the soldiers.

"Front-line soldiers prefer to use simple and reliable Molotov cocktails rather than this."

The emperor and the designer who created this thing both froze in expression.

Designer: "You actually said this thing is not as good as a simple Molotov cocktail? This is an advanced weapon that uses a shaped charge warhead! We tried to use a rifled gun to fire a shaped charge armor-piercing projectile before, and found that the results were very unsatisfactory.

“Because the bullet fired by a rifled gun will rotate, when it hits the armor, it will produce all kinds of strange relative states due to this rotation, so the armor-piercing effect of the shaped charge warhead is also extremely random.

"That's why we designed the magnetic suction head. This way, when the warhead explodes, it will be in a relatively stable state relative to the armor, and can stably penetrate the armor of the designed thickness!"

Marshal Brian: "I don't understand the design, but the front line said that this thing is not easy to use. They also said that the Ants never used it after they captured it. They would rather throw incendiary bombs."

The designer blushed: "This...this is them..."

Emperor: "The feedback from the front line is that it is not working well, so you should find a way to improve the design. I have not heard of any country in the world using shaped charge warheads. This is a good opportunity to show the strength of our Proson technology! Seize it well."

The designer who was so arrogant just now immediately nodded rapidly.

Emperor: “There are only eight new heavy tanks and assault guns confirmed on the front line, which can only play a local tactical role. There are reports that the effect of shooting at the tracks and turret rings is good, so we are not completely helpless.

"The question now is how we are going to defend Shepetovka."

Marshal Brian: "Shepetovka has a lot of permanent fortifications built by the Ants when they were occupying it. Unless the Ants can mass-produce that kind of new assault gun, it is basically impossible to capture Shepetovka.

"I actually don't quite understand Rokossov's motive for choosing this place as a target."

After a day of discussion yesterday, Brian, Celtic and other senior imperial officers have accepted the conclusion that Rokossov intends to attack Shepetovka, or rather, they pretended to accept it.

"Of course, it was to catch us off guard." The emperor raised his lips slightly. "Everyone will become arrogant. He was overwhelmed by his previous series of deceptions and began to become paranoid. He deliberately used unexpected tricks to trick us. This time he will suffer a bloody nose and his legend will be shattered!"

After the emperor finished speaking, he laughed, and everyone followed suit.

After laughing, the emperor continued, "Of course, we have to be careful not to let his feint attack force take Borsk. We also need to pretend to be fooled, so I plan to withdraw the 11th Army from Army Group A to return to Borsk to defend." Marshal Brian's smile froze: "What? Withdraw an army? Then do we still need to attack the mountain pass?"

Emperor: "It is winter now, and many places in the mountains are covered with snow. The enemy's mountain front's supply situation will deteriorate, and they will not launch an attack at this time.

"We only need to build defenses along the ridgeline and wait for a new summer campaign next year. Then we can control the White Sea coast in one fell swoop."

The generals looked at each other.

Emperor: "Moreover, the 11th Army has been fighting since the beginning of the Primorsky Campaign. It is time for them to rest. With them in Borsk as a backup, even if Rokossov really attacks Borsk with his entire army, it is unlikely to completely capture it."

Marshal Celtic: "That's true, but doesn't that mean we have set up defenses in both directions? It's just that we didn't mobilize the headquarters' reserve troops in the Borsk direction."

Emperor: "Isn't this the safest way? Or do you have more good ideas?"

Gil Ess: "I have no objection to this plan. But... the loss in episode 11 is indeed huge, and they have not received enough reinforcements. Rokossov really threw a right hook. Can they really block it?"

The emperor thought for a while and said, "Then let Shipulin command his old troops! He failed to rescue the Sixth Army, so let him redeem himself this time - I mean, if Rokossov throws a right hook."

Gilais still looked worried: "Even if we send an excellent general, we can't make a meal without rice. We still have to give him some new troops, even a division would be fine!"

The emperor did not answer his friend, but Marshal Celtic spoke up: "All the new divisions formed by the empire in the second half of the year have been sent to the front. The remaining divisions are still in training. The High Command has the last division. If it is sent out, Proson will really have no soldiers left to fight."

The marshal did not continue speaking. If he continued, the words between the lines would be filled with the word "total mobilization", which would be a bit too rude to the emperor who insisted on not mobilizing.

The emperor had a gloomy face and said, "We can transfer an armored division from the Western Front to the Eastern Front and hand it over to Shipling. However, we cannot take this risk. Once the Allies land in Carolingia, they can directly threaten our hinterland. No, I cannot take this risk."

Silence fell directly on the conference table.

At this moment, everyone felt very difficult.

The emperor suddenly stood up and sighed: "Two months ago, our army was still advancing triumphantly, as if victory was within our grasp, and the enemy was crumbling and routed.

"At that time, I flew to the front line myself, met General Frederick, met the soldiers who had made great contributions in the battle, and took the oath of allegiance with them.

"That scene of thriving life is still vivid in my mind. In just two months, Nanant has changed so much that it has become the burial place of the empire?"

Marshal Celtic and Marshal Brian looked at each other.

General Moltke, who had always been favored, and Air Force Marshal Archduke Meyer both lowered their heads and remained silent.

The emperor continued, "Ever since this Rokossov showed up and appeared in our battle reports, the Empire has suffered again and again because of him! He is just the last one! As a result, none of you, the outstanding officers of the Wehrmacht, can beat him!

"One by one, you all became his defeated opponents! You can't even beat the last one. The entire Plossen military education system has lost face because of you!"

Gilais said: "Your Majesty, our successive failures are not entirely due to Rokossov. In fact..."

Even Giles didn't dare to say this.

——In fact, the moment the attack on Ant was launched, the failure of the Proson Empire might have been doomed.

The emperor turned his head and looked at Gilais: "I know what you want to say. Don't mention these useless things. Let's think about how to end this decently under the current circumstances."

The generals all keenly noticed that the emperor no longer desired victory.

His goal now has become "ending it all with dignity."

Everyone present felt sad at this moment.

Including the emperor himself.

(End of this chapter)