artillery arc

Chapter 591 "I cut off Rokossov's aorta" (Update 37/81)

January 916, 1, in the village of Zaykin on the Sukhayaveli River.

General Bock, commander of the 10th Army of Plossen, got off the barrel car, climbed onto the platform of the train station, stood in front of the sign of Zaykin Station, turned around and looked at the military reporters.

"General, can you please put your hands on your hips?" asked the reporter holding the camera.

Admiral Pok: "My posture is not important, what is important is the place name on the sign behind! I cut off Rokossov's artery! It is enough to clear this sign!"

The military reporters hurriedly took their cameras and started taking pictures, and the light from the flashes continued to illuminate the surrounding snow.

When the pictures were almost all taken, Admiral Polk left the station sign and said to his adjutant, "Blow up the water towers and repair shops supporting the railway and the station, and lay mines. Once everything is done, retreat."

Adjutant: "Retreat?"

"Yes, if we run to this place upstream to cross the river, the logistics will not be able to supply us. If we really want to leave troops to defend, we can only leave the suicide squad behind."

Admiral Pok sighed: "Let us prepare to resist Rokossov's attack, we are prepared. Let us cut off Rokossov's aorta, we cut it off - but the supply could not keep up and we were beaten back. No matter who it is, there is no way to find fault."

The adjutant glanced at the reporters and said, "Even if this is true, you shouldn't say it in front of the reporters, right?"

Admiral Poker: "They are all journalists who know the current situation and know how to write the report. After all, they don't want to offend the Imperial Household Ministry, right?"

The reporters nodded repeatedly: "Yes, we will report it truthfully."

Admiral Poke patted his adjutant on the shoulder and said, "Look, these reporters are all loyal subjects of the Empire!"

----

Ante Abavakhan Front Command.

Vasily: "We prepared one table of food, and now two tables of guests have arrived. What should we do?"

Wang Zhong: "Look at what you said. Didn't Admiral Polk just dispatch a few elite troops to launch a surprise attack on us from upstream? His logistical situation certainly cannot support a long-term defense in Zaykin. Let Kashuh find a way to solve it."

Pavlov: "When we made the supply plan, we took this situation into consideration, so our front's supply has two other routes in addition to the railway to Yebao."

The chief of staff picked up the map stick, walked to the front of the map of the situation on the southern front, and gestured on the map: "The first one is the land passage from the railway hub on the east bank of the Valdai River to our front.

“This road has limited traffic capacity due to poor infrastructure, but it is passable and can support 30 percent of our consumption.

"The second route starts from Mount Raoul, bypassing the enemy's occupied area and heading north to directly connect with our main force that is attacking Borsk. This route is more difficult to travel, so it can only bear 20% of our consumption.

"Total, we still have half of our supplies. Add to that the supplies we stockpiled before the offensive began. Even if Zaykin is occupied by the enemy for a week or two, our offensive will not stop."

Wang Zhong: "They won't occupy it for two weeks. They should get it back in a few days. If you include the time to repair the equipment and tracks they damaged, it will take a week at most."

At this time, Emilia brought Major Wooster, the captain of the United States Navy pilots, into the room and went straight to Wang Zhong: "General Rokossov, when can we let the United States pilots launch an attack on the Proshen White Sea Fleet?"

Wang Zhong: "We have actually occupied the airport. From the airport we can cover waters 200 kilometers from the shore, but the problem is that the enemy forces around the airport have not been cleared, so we dare not let the United States' elite navy move there."

After Emilia finished translating, Major Wooster spoke a lot in an emotional tone.

Emilia: "They said they don't care about that. They just want to attack Plossom's navy as soon as possible. And they don't understand your leisurely attitude. The enemy is already retreating from the sea. Aren't you worried that the victory you have achieved will slip away?"

Wang Zhong: "Indeed, I hope to annihilate as many of Proson's manpower as possible, especially their veterans. If Proson's veterans are defeated, their advantage in the quality of their troops will be gone, and they will be overwhelmed by our numbers.

"But you can't eat hot buns in a hurry. There are a lot of permanent fortifications built by Prince Myshkin around Borsk. Although we have the blueprints of these fortifications and know their locations, it will take time to destroy them."

Popov: "There is another practical reason. We are not ready to continue to receive hundreds of thousands of prisoners. The Sixth Army has so many prisoners, which has caused headaches for the rear. After all, our agricultural production did not recover very well last year. We relied on the wheat, corn and soybeans shipped to us by the United States."

Emilia frowned: "You let the enemy escape without being prepared to receive prisoners of war?"

Wang Zhong: "No, no, he was just making up the excuse. The real reason is that we can't advance that fast. In about two days, we can clear the enemy forces around the airport. Then you guys from the United States can move to the other side and do what you are most familiar with: bomb the warships!"

After Emilia finished translating, Major Wooster shook his head repeatedly, and then said a lot to Emilia in a serious tone.

"He said," Emilia looked at Wang Zhong, "they have recently witnessed many heroic deeds of the Ante soldiers and civilians, and they are very moved. He will not accept that they are not allowed to attack because of safety issues. War is about taking risks and bloodshed and sacrifice."

As soon as Emilia finished speaking, Wooster spoke again, not giving Wang Zhong any time to speak.

Miss Witch had no choice but to translate: "At Midway, our torpedo fleet was disconnected from the escort fighters and dive bombers. According to the manual, they should have launched a coordinated attack with the dive bomber fighters." In that situation, they would not be blamed even if they returned. But they chose to continue the attack, and then they were all shot down by the Fuso Empire planes. No one successfully launched a torpedo.

"But I think if they are given another chance, they will still choose to attack. The commander of the torpedo fleet is Major Lynch, who is my friend. He is an extremely smart man and is well aware of the dangers ahead, but he will never back down."

Wang Zhong thought for a moment and said, "Give me one day. I will have my armored forces destroy the scattered troops near the airport today, and have the engineering troops repair the runway. Is that ok?"

Major Wooster stood at attention, saluted Wang Zhong, and said in broken Ant language: "No problem."

----

Thirty kilometers northwest of Borsk is the Borsk Field Airport.

Uncle Kamala got off the stalled bulldozer and kicked the engine: "Asshole! You have to stall at this time!"

The commander of the engineering battalion came running over on horseback from a distance and asked from a distance, "Uncle! What's going on?"

"It's broken! I spent three hours every day maintaining it for nothing! Three hours!" Uncle Kamala took out a toolbox from the storage box behind the bulldozer, "Don't worry, Captain, I can fix it right away! This old buddy is like my old horse, although it's old, it can still be used!"

The battalion commander glanced at his watch anxiously: "It's almost too late. The plane will land in a few hours. These are friendly forces from the United States. They want to bomb Plossen's warships!"

Uncle Kamala: "Don't worry! I will make up for all the time wasted repairing the machine later! I have been driving a bulldozer for many years! I have been driving since I graduated from the tenth grade and joined my current unit! I have been driving it until now!
"The Prosens listened to the traitors and wanted to recruit me. I have been hiding in the sewers for more than half a year. I finally waited for you to come back! Watch! The runway will be ready by tomorrow morning!"

The battalion commander had more to say, but the parish priest came over on horseback: "Don't worry, Battalionnaire Davarish. Uncle Kamala won't let anyone down, even if they do!"

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of submachine gun fire was heard in the distance. The battalion commander turned his head and saw flashes of gunfire in the distant night.

"Let's go and take a look!" The battalion commander waved his whip, and the horse jumped out, galloping wildly in the night and quickly disappeared.

Uncle Kamala cursed and continued to repair the engine, ignoring the gunshots that were getting closer.

Ten minutes later, the gunfire subsided, and Uncle Kamala completed the initial inspection: "Damn, why doesn't it look like there's a big problem? You old man, you don't want to move, right?"

The uncle changed to the largest wrench, swung the wrench and hit the engine. The sound made it so loud that people even mistakenly thought that the engine had exploded.

After knocking, the uncle climbed into the driver's seat and tried to start the car.

Yet the engine did not move.

He jumped out of the cab again and swung the wrench - suddenly, he stopped, put down the wrench, picked up the part he had just taken out and forgot to put back, put it into the engine, and tightened it hard.

However, the uncle climbed into the cab for the third time and started the engine.

The engine rumbled to life.

"Sukabulie!" The uncle slapped his head hard and drove the bulldozer into the night.

----

Early morning of January 1, Borsk Military Airport (under Ante's control).

An SBD Dauntless dive bomber of the United States Naval Aviation landed smoothly, decelerated after taxiing for a distance, and slid towards the parking area on the side.

As soon as the plane came to a complete stop, the ground crew who had arrived earlier immediately surrounded the plane, placed the gangway next to the cockpit, and helped the pilot open the canopy.

The pilot said a lot of things, and the translator beside him said hurriedly: "The runway is a bit uneven, and he is worried that the bomb will be shaken off when he takes off with it."

Ground staff: "What? Is this possible?"

The pilot continued to talk incoherently.

Translation: "At Midway, the captain of their wing shook off the bomb. In the end, the captain took the lead in diving just to attract the enemy's anti-aircraft fire. Therefore, it is necessary to make the runway flat!"

The ground crew leader said, "Okay, I'll go talk to the engineering battalion commander."

At this time, the second and third dive bombers were landing, and torpedo planes and fighters belonging to the same carrier-based aircraft wing were circling in the sky.

The wind from the Pacific Ocean blew over the snowfield.

(End of this chapter)