Arc of Fire

Chapter 102: The Longest Day_3

He also stood up, enduring the sour pain in his shoulders, and moved to the window, cutting into a bird’s-eye view to observe the distance.

Then he realized that there was no need for Brother Peter.

The enemy’s armored units had arrayed in an inverted V formation on the open field, moving mightily towards the city, with a large number of infantry following behind each tank.

The Prussians didn’t even deploy Smoke Bombs!

In this way, the enemy’s advantage in direct fire could be fully utilized!

Did the enemy know that there weren’t many Divine Arrows left on this side?

Wang Zhong: “Quick, notify artillery Position A, fire for interdiction!”

Yegorov: “I’ll fire the signal flare.”

This was a backup communication plan prepared under Yegorov’s insistence, specifically in case the phone lines were disrupted.

However, this type of communication couldn’t specify precise coordinates for bombardment, so the B4 would bombard a predetermined area based on previously set data.

That was the area the enemy was about to cross.

As Yegorov left to fire the signal flare, Wang Zhong checked the various combat positions.

Yegorov had explained his defensive concept in detail: to fully utilize the experience gained in Peniye, engage the enemy in rugged terrain, use automatic firepower and hand grenades to eliminate the infantry accompanying the tanks, then get close to throw Incendiary Bombs.

Of course, it was necessary to make full use of outer defenses to weaken the enemy before engaging in close combat.

Of the three anti-tank guns that the 31st Guards Regiment currently had, the 76 mm was placed at the outer defenses’ strongest and most concealed position, with a platoon of infantry for cover.

This platoon also had captured Smoke Bombs to cover the artillery as they retreated to the next position.

For the maneuverability of the 76 mm, Yegorov had prepared mules in the house next door and had assigned someone to look after them so the mules could haul the big guns if needed to move.

As for the 45 mm guns, they could be dragged by the infantry. Yegorov had cleared a retreat path in advance.

However, the 45 mm guns weren’t very effective in penetrating the front of enemy tanks, so Yegorov’s original intent was to have them distract attention, covering for the 76 mm.

Simply put, the 45 mm were used as a shield for the 76 mm, and the gunners assigned to the 45 mm were cannon fodder for the 76 mm.

Knowing this, Wang Zhong looked at the tense young faces operating the 45 mm and silently revisited each of their names.

This was the only thing he could do as a brigade commander at this stage:

Order his soldiers to die, and then remember their names.

Suddenly, Wang Zhong noticed a name: Aleksei Balfionovich.

It was the guy who sneaked away from the battlefield for a romantic date; he was actually tasked with operating the 45 mm gun! It looked like he was the Gunner!

Although the 45 mm gun was becoming obsolete, ten people were assigned to operate it.

Gunner, loader, aimer, breach operator, ammunition handler, and five Coachmen responsible for managing the mules, who were also reserves, ready to step in if an operator was killed.

However, the mules assigned to this gun crew had already been blown up.

The ammunition cart was still intact, and the ammunition handler was squatting next to it, clutching an Armor-Piercing Shell.

Wang Zhong looked carefully at each face.

The young men weren’t scared but rather excited; evidently, the recent shelling and the dead mules around them hadn’t daunted them.

Their shiny, dust-free boots were stained with the blood of the mules.

At that moment, the signal flare was launched.

Only one signal flare, which meant that Position A artillery was to start firing at the predetermined area.

The sound of the guns immediately came from the city, and the whoosh of the heavy artillery overhead made the back of Wang Zhong’s head tingle.

He immediately shifted his gaze towards the enemy and saw that the shells had landed just in front of the enemy’s columns.

This round of four shells all hit in front of the enemy’s formation, causing no casualties.

After all, the artillery was firing at coordinates preset.

If the phone lines hadn’t been cut, the enemy would have had a hard time!

From Wang Zhong’s position, one could already hear the clatter of the enemy tanks’ gearboxes.

At that moment, the second wave of shells flew overhead.

This time, all the shells landed precisely in the middle of the enemy’s advance columns!

A Panzer IV was directly flipped over by the blast, and the infantry behind were all knocked down by the shock wave.

Someone’s leg, broken by a shrapnel, flew high into the sky.

The barrage of four 203cal shells, directly halted the advance of four tanks, and the infantry following behind the tanks suffered heavy casualties.

However, the Prussian Army did not stop their advance; instead, they accelerated!

They might have realized that the big guns were targeting this area; the faster they moved through, the safer they would be, and the fewer who would die!

By the time the third round of heavy artillery landed, most of the enemy had already passed through the targeted area, but one unlucky shell veered severely off course and exploded between two tanks, severing the tracks of both tanks instantly.

This isn’t a game; repairing broken tracks takes a long time, so the enemy tank crewmembers immediately abandoned their tanks and ran backwards, waiting to repair their tanks after the battle ended.

The infantry following the tanks joined the queues on the sides.

Although they were the enemy, Wang Zhong had to admit that they were indeed well-trained.

————

At this very moment, in the sky.

The 103rd Air Reconnaissance Squadron’s Do 215 was circling above Loktov.

The observer reported, “Because of the thick smoke on the ground, we can’t see the position of the heavy artillery.”

After a brief thought, the pilot gently pushed the control stick forward, causing the plane to enter a shallow dive.

The copilot immediately exclaimed, “If we dive into low altitude, we’ll be hit by the enemy’s Divine Arrows!”

Captain, “That’s why we need to calculate the coordinates of the enemy artillery positions before we fall, and inform our artillerymen on the ground!”

Copilot, “What?”

“That’s our mission; we must complete it! Self-defense gunner, copilot, and navigator can bail out now!”

Saying this, the captain personally unfastened the copilot’s seat belt: “Go now!”

At that moment, Do 215 plunged into the thick smoke created by burning tires on the ground.

The smoke even seeped through the cracks, making the captain cough vehemently.

The copilot looked solemnly at the captain, “I’ll see you in Valhalla.”

After saying this, he resolutely turned around.

Just then, the plane burst through the thick smoke, with the ground only a stone’s throw away.

Captain, “Observer! Do you see the artillery position that is firing? I see it! Inform the artillery of the coordinates!”

“15th Artillery! The coordinates of the enemy artillery positions are…”

A voice came through the intercom, someone shouting, “Divine Arrow!”

The next moment, the plane was hit, and the captain was struck by shrapnel from the Divine Arrow, his flight jacket soaked in blood.

He still strived to maintain the course of the plane, yelling, “Quick, report the bearings!”

Observer, “Artillery! The coordinates of the enemy artillery position… I repeat…”

————

Suddenly, Vasily shouted, “The enemy’s plane has spotted our artillery positions! They are reporting to the enemy artillery!”

Wang Zhong looked through the rear window and asked, “How could they see through such thick black smoke?”

Then, through the window, he saw a plane dragging black smoke from a fire plummeting toward the ground.

Was that a reconnaissance plane from high altitude that had forcibly come down below the black smoke to confirm the location of the artillery positions?

No, it wasn’t the time for astonishment; he had to immediately inform Position A to move! Wang Zhong grabbed the telephone handset, only to find there was no sound from the other end.

He remembered then—the telephone lines had been destroyed by the artillery fire that had just covered the area!

This was far too delaying! However, the aim of the artillery preparation was to destroy the command communication system, so it seemed quite normal.

Why doesn’t the Ante Army value radios more!

Wang Zhong, “Runner! Runner!”

Before the runner arrived, the sound of shells tearing through the air came from the sky, clearly targeting the city behind the position.

The artilleryman, Dimitri, muttered, “That was quick?”

Explosions were heard coming from inside the city.

Wang Zhong, with a stroke of luck, took an overlook perspective, and then saw the enemy’s shells falling around the artillery unit symbol of Position A.

It was uncertain how many of the four B4 guns at Position A would survive.

It was then that Dimitri shouted, “The 76mm anti-tank guns have opened fire!”