artillery arc

Chapter 727 But you know, XXXXX is not that fragile
At this time, the chaplain wearing swamp shoes caught up with the slow-moving tank, patted the tank's auxiliary fuel tank and shouted to Tredoc: "Don't do that, attack! How can we attack if everyone is afraid of death? Even if the enemy is weak, only those who are afraid of death can defeat him!"

Tredoc glanced at the priest and found that his shoulder was injured and wrapped in a dirty bandage. It was obvious that this was a priest who led the charge.

So he said, "All right, priest. Let me sing a song I wrote while fighting near Abavahan!"

It seemed that the priest had just noticed the Abavahan Defense Medal and the War Wound Medal on Tredoc's body.

Priest: "How can you survive a purgatory like that without a gold star?"

"Because I fought for only one day before I was injured and carried away. At that time, we were still evacuating the wounded." Tredoc said, while adjusting the strings. "Not long after I was sent down, the wounded were no longer evacuated, because the stretcher-bearing team took up weapons, and every wounded would fight to the last moment, no matter how serious the injury was."

So saying, Tredoc plucked the strings of his harp and sang:
"Ante infantry passed through the village,
"The company of a hundred men retreated to the banks of the Valdaicio.

"The old elm leans against the fence~"

The tanks sped up, more infantry climbed onto the tanks, and the large group of troops drove out of the occupied Plosson Army base and moved through the dense woods towards the next target.

Treddock continued to pluck the strings:
“The order to defend the village was issued in the early morning.

"Oh, yo yo~ The white cloak of the guard~"

The accompanying infantry of the 25th Brigade are all guards, all with their iconic capes, and most of them hold thread cutters. But now their capes are protective green - but the song is about the Battle of Abavahan, so of course they are white capes.

Hearing Tredoc's singing, many people pulled their cloaks.

Tredoc sang loudly: "Oh, yo oh yeah, the white cloaks of the guards and the wild winds of the grassland seem to have turned pale~"

One soldier whispered to the old squad leader beside him: "So has the battle been fought?"

"You don't understand. This is a metaphor. Do you understand? The battle makes the prairie wind pale."

Tredoc began strumming to the sound of a tank engine, and entered the second verse of the song:

"Madam, please let me put the machine gun on the roof~"

The young soldier looked at the old squad leader: "Hasn't the fight started yet?"

The old squad leader: "Listen to the music! So much nonsense!"

Tredoc: "Here's bread for you, and a can of canned food~
"Young mistress, how pretty!
"Two slanted flax braids make you look even more beautiful~
"Oh~ Yo oh yo, the white guards' cloak and the wild wind on the grassland seem to have turned pale~"

At this time, even the tank loader stuck his head out of the side hatch and listened to Tredoc's singing.

The platoon leader sitting next to him urged: "Why don't you sing about the hostess and the young man! I'm so anxious!"

Tredoc smiled and continued singing: "I am a young boilerman from Charon~"

"Oh, it's the marshal's fiefdom!" someone said.

Tredoc: "I have seen more than one war, and I have the proud cloak to prove it."

The guards all laughed, and even the tracks of the tanks seemed to move more briskly.

Tredoc: "I am not afraid of death. I am stubborn and young~"

The priest finally smiled when he heard this, but the smile froze the next moment.

Tredoc: "It's a pity that I don't have a wife and don't understand these things."

The little soldier asked quietly: "Why?"

"He sacrificed himself." said the old squad leader.

The priest was about to speak but was stopped by the company commander, who shook his head and silently followed the tank in which Tredoc was sitting.

Tredoc: "Oh, oh, oh, the white guards' cloaks and the prairie winds all seem to have turned pale.
"The battle of unequal strength began at dawn.

“That young man fell beside the blown-up tank.

"He exhaled heavily and pushed the submachine gun towards where I was hiding.

"He opened his eyes wide, welcoming his own death.

"Oh yeah, white guard cloak, the blood flowing from the warriors has dyed you red~"

As if in response to Tredoc's piano playing, the sound of machine gun fire came from the front. The next moment, the tank at the front opened fire. From the tank that Tredoc and his companions were riding in, they could see the dust rising from the muzzle of the tank in front.

Just as Tredoc was about to put down his guitar and pick up his rifle, Platoon Leader Ivan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Keep playing! Your music can increase our combat effectiveness!"

"Really?" Tredoc asked in confusion.

The platoon leader smiled and said, "Of course. Do we need a gun from you? No, we definitely do, but you're the only one who can play the guitar and sing such a good song!"

Tredoc nodded doubtfully and continued playing his guitar.

As soon as he started firing, he heard the sound of gunfire and the roar of tank guns in front of him.

All the Guards soldiers who had been walking on both sides of the tanks just now started running and rushed forward.

Tredoc looked at Platoon Leader Ivan: "Should I continue playing?"

"Of course, bullets, when we are blocked by the enemy and cannot move forward, it won't be too late for you to stop and get your gun!"

----

Not long after machine gunner Hans rushed into the machine gun position, the battalion commander entered the position.

"Damn it," the battalion commander muttered, "I was talking to the commander of the first battalion, and suddenly the line was disconnected. Something must have happened during the launch!"

Deputy Gunner: "Someone just heard artillery fire from the First Battalion (Sergeant Wolfgang's battalion) position. Could it be that the enemy has broken through the swamp?"

Battalion Commander: "An infantry breakthrough is possible, but artillery? How are tanks and assault guns going to get through the swamp?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of machine gun fire was heard outside.

Hans: "It sounds like the direction of Fort 153."

The Plossons built a series of forts along the swampy road leading to the village of Kitok, the headquarters of the 500th Division, and named them after the height of the small hills on which the forts stood.

Of course, because the 500th Division received very little engineering materials, the so-called fortress had basically no concrete, but was entirely brick and stone structure with a wooden roof.

The Prosen people simply did not believe that there was a need for such strong positions and strongholds behind the swamp. They believed that these strongholds were sufficient as long as they could resist the infiltration forces of the Ants.

Now it looked as if the Plossons had made a huge mistake.

Beads of sweat the size of beans fell from the battalion commander's forehead.

Deputy Gunner: "Battalion Commander? Isn't this where you are in command?"

"But here we have the most experienced NCOs and machine guns," the battalion commander said, glancing at Hans.

Hans' scalp tingled. He was indeed the oldest NCO in the battalion, but this old simplicity was the result of long service. He had always been in second- and third-line troops!

He was about to explain this when he heard the sound of a guitar from outside.

No, there were also noises from engines and tank gearboxes, but none of them were as catchy as the guitars.

Hans looked outside the bunker nervously, and at that moment the guitarist began to strum the strings.

A large number of birds flew out of the woods, as if startled by the strumming of the strings.

The next moment, an Ant man wearing a green cloak jumped out from the bushes, firing continuously with the silent submachine gun in his hand, and the bullets hit Hans around him with a crackling sound.

The hell was that none of the bullets hit Hans, but hit the assistant gunner and the battalion commander.

Hans immediately picked up the machine gun and shouted, "Enemy! Enemy attack! Someone come hold the bullet belt!" He began to fire while shouting. The 500th Division's heavy machine guns used the Maxim, which had been eliminated by the first batch of troops for a long time. The good news was that this thing did not require frequent replacement of barrels like MG34 and 42, and was more suitable for untrained troops like the 500th Division.

The bad news is that this thing has a worrying rate of fire and does not have the suppression capabilities of the MG series.

It is also very bulky and difficult to change positions as quickly as the MG series.

Hans fired for a few seconds and saw a pot-head tank driving out of the woods with its gun aimed towards this side.

Just at this moment, the new recruit who came to carry the ammunition belt rushed in.

Hans pushed the new recruit aside and said, "Go!"

The next moment, the shock wave hit him from behind, lifting him up and slamming him against the wall of the machine gun bunker.

Hans fainted all of a sudden. After an unknown amount of time, he regained consciousness. Before he opened his eyes, he heard the sound of a guitar and someone singing something in Ant language.

He opened his eyes and saw that the Ants had entered the machine gun bunker and were shooting the Proson soldiers lying on the ground one by one with their pistols.

Hans tried to struggle and raised his hand to touch the pistol, but found that his right hand was missing.

Following the line of sight, only half of his right arm was left, and everything below the forearm had disappeared.

At this time, the Ant man discovered him, walked up to him and raised his pistol.

The guitarist who seemed to be playing the devil's music entered the chorus at this time, and the fierce strumming made the melody manic.

Gunshots were fired.

----

Platoon Leader Ivan fired the last bullet from his pistol, and the gun entered the empty chamber state.

"Did he just want to surrender?" asked the corporal following the platoon leader.

"He didn't raise his hands, so it doesn't count as surrender," said the platoon leader as he loaded bullets.

The corporal looked at the dead Prosen man and said, "It seems he has no hands anymore?"

Platoon Leader: "Then he should find new hands first, and then try to surrender. Don't talk to me about international law. I have been fighting since the Great Retreat, and I have never seen the Plossans enforce international law on our wounded and prisoners."

After saying that, the platoon leader put the loaded pistol into the holster, took the empty magazine and started loading bullets.

Sunlight filtered through the hole blasted by the tank's gun and landed on the platoon leader's Gold Star medal.

Outside the bunker, Tredoc was still singing: "Damn it, I still have one last grenade, let them have a taste of my power."

The boilerman played the marshal's famous song with great enthusiasm.

----

Plossen, Army Group North Headquarters.

Marshal von Lehr broke out in a sweat when he heard the phone ringing.

He knew it must be Emperor Proson calling.

Because it was the emperor calling, he had to answer it.

After picking up the receiver, the emperor's voice came from the other side: "What's going on?"

Marshal von Lehr: "The enemy has completely violated military common sense! Their tanks are coming from the swamp. With such a reckless advance, it is impossible for logistics to keep up! Their tanks will soon run out of fuel and ammunition, and will break down on the road and become targets!"

The emperor was delighted: "Then you must have prepared for a counterattack and will capture all the troops that break through!"

Marshal von Lehr swallowed.

Emperor: "What's wrong? Don't you have confidence?"

"Your Majesty, this... We are in the area where the enemy has broken through, and we only have a few divisions with very poor combat effectiveness and combat readiness."

"Don't you have the 502nd Heavy Armored Battalion that has performed so well?"

Marshal von Lehr: "The 502nd Battalion has now been split into multiple two-tank formations on the northern front and is intensively resisting the enemy's St. Andrew Front. Moreover, most of their tanks have been severely damaged and are almost at their limit."

The King Tiger tanks equipped by the 502nd Battalion rarely have problems as long as they are well maintained, but the maintenance time is very long.

Once they are not well maintained, their excessive weight and complex running gear will cause them to run aground in Ant's bad land.

The Emperor was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Let me summarize the situation, Marshal von Lehr. The enemy has broken through your defenses, and you can't do anything about it, right?"

After a brief hesitation, the marshal replied: "Yes, my army group is in danger of being surrounded. I am ready to abandon all current positions and retreat."

Emperor: "Are you going to abandon our bridgehead in St. Andrew, the pearl of the north, from which we threaten Ant?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Do you know that this will put us in a very passive position in the armistice negotiations?"

Marshal von Lehr was shocked: "Have the armistice negotiations already begun?"

"Not yet, but we are going to start after we block the enemy's attack and launch a counterattack! The Ants will come to the negotiation table! If they don't come to the negotiation table, we will go to the United Kingdom to talk! As long as we show that we can compete with Ant, the United Kingdom will be interested in our proposal!"

Marshal von Lehr couldn't help but hold his forehead.

"Your Majesty, if we don't retreat, our entire army group will be surrounded in front of Fort St. Andrew, in the narrow area between the swamp and the sea."

"You are dismissed!" The emperor interrupted the marshal, "I will transfer a commander who can complete the task!"

Although changing generals at the last minute of a battle is a military taboo, Marshal von Lell looked relieved.

That’s good, I don’t have to watch my own troops destroyed.

----

The headquarters conference room in St. Catherine Castle, the capital of Ant.

Wang Zhong smiled as he read the battle report: "Good! Very good, the idea of ​​breaking through the swamp has been realized, and this punch hit the enemy's vital point!"

"Seven inches?" Olga asked curiously, "What does that mean?"

Wang Zhong: "The snake's head is seven inches back. An inch is a unit of length in Seres. If you hit the snake at this position, it will immediately fall into a half-dead state. Our move hit Proson's seven inches. They didn't expect it at all and had no way to resist.

"Now they can only retreat. In order to ensure that the Northern Army Group can successfully withdraw from the encirclement, they need to mobilize troops to delay us. They must draw forces from the Southern Army Group and the Central Army Group."

Olga clapped her hands vigorously: "I understand. Our Western Front is also attacking, so Prosen can only draw forces from the south."

"Yes, and with that, the real drama of our series of offensives will begin. An unprecedented big pocket, a big pocket more terrible than Plossen's glorious victory from June to September 914--"

Olga: "And our troops will enter Prosen's territory for the first time!"

Wang Zhong corrected him: "It is Melania's territory, Your Majesty."

Olga: "But, they have been ruled by the Prosen for five years. They should have become Prosens themselves, right?"

Marshal Gorky: "How could that be? Didn't Moravia defect so easily?"

"After all, Moravia joined the Proson Empire as a kingdom. Melania was occupied," Olga said.

Wang Zhong: "Your Majesty, it is true that the Melania people have been directly ruled and transformed by Proson for five years, but you know that the Melania people are not that fragile."

(End of this chapter)