Cannon Fire Arc

Chapter 925: Chapter 32: The Iron Tower Still Stands_2

“As long as we block the Lend-Lease Act, with Ante’s weak industrial strength, there’s certainly no way to continue advancing, while we will make great progress. Rocossov said to rendezvous with us in Alsace, but we will meet him at the Oder River!”

Leonard: “Very well, if everything unfolds as you predict, you will be the finest general in this war! I mean, excluding naval commanders!”

Marshal Margo beamed with joy: “Just wait and see, I will definitely complete the mission!”

————

United Kingdom’s 1st Paratrooper Division Headquarters.

Division Commander Major General Sean paused with the teacup in mid-air, looking puzzled at the staff officer from High Command delivering orders: “You said we are to airdrop 300 kilometers behind enemy lines?”

Staff Officer: “292 kilometers, and why do you use the metric system like the Prosens? We should use ‘Miles’.”

Major General Sean: “I like the metric system; it’s convenient for calculation in the decimal system. I thought such a plan would only start after we took Anwerp. This is nonsense. The person who made this plan has no military sense. Which politician did this?”

“It’s Marshal Margo.”

Major General Sean: “Ah, I see, so he’s preparing to run for Prime Minister after retirement? That must be the case, right?”

Staff Officer: “The operation plan has been approved, Major General, you must go, or are you ready to defy the order to the end?”

Major General Sean shook his head: “Even setting aside the issue of being too far from our frontline, do you know what the terrain of the Low Countries is like? It’s all swamps, and there’s no place for gliders to land, while parachutes can’t carry heavy weapons.

“It’s virtually impossible for us to seize such a bridge behind enemy lines and hold it until reinforcements arrive.”

Staff Officer: “The 30th Army can reach there in just seven days, facing only exhausted Prosen remnants along the way. The war will end by Christmas.”

Major General Sean: “I disagree with this plan, and I’m going to call Eck to have the Allies Supreme Commander stop this crazy plan.”

“He has already approved the operation plan,” said the staff officer. “There’s nothing you can do now to change the situation.”

Major General Sean stared at the staff officer for a few seconds, scratched his head, and could only sigh helplessly: “Alright.”

At this moment, the Melania Airborne Brigade Commander who came along with the staff officer said: “If you ask me, this is suicide. I suggest we all write a statement saying, ‘We do not agree with this crazy plan, but the duty of a soldier compels us to act. If the battle fails, please hold Marshal Margo accountable for this plan.’

Major General Sean thought for a moment and nodded: “Okay, let’s make a statement, so future evaluations of us won’t think we’re idiots who don’t even know military basics.”

As he spoke, he really took out a paper bill, leaned on the table, and began writing quickly, asking as he wrote: “Where do you think this statement should be published?”

The staff officer delivering the message advised: “It’s useless; the department responsible for news censorship won’t let this statement be published.”

Major General Sean: “Then let it be archived, or put it in my letters, so my children can publish it as ‘Major General Sean’s Military Letters’ in the future, to clear my name.”

Staff Officer: “You… please go ahead, but please sign for the order.”

Major General Sean straightened up, took the order, and signed the staff officer’s notebook that was spread open.

————

September 25, Melania Capital, Melania Front Army Headquarters.

Pavlov glanced at his watch: “No shelling today, it seems the enemy finally can’t hold out anymore.”

Wang Zhong: “Our troops have arrived, and the supplies are flowing smoothly. Continuing their attack would just be a waste of troops for them. What I’m concerned about now is how long we’ll have to wait before we can advance towards the Oder River.”

Pavlov: “At least three months, considering the losses of core forces; I recommend waiting six months, so most of the injured officers and sergeants can return to duty.”

Vasily: “Have we really fallen to the point of waiting for injured sergeants to recover and return to duty?”

Pavlov picked up a document from the table: “Look at this, yesterday I approved the promotion of 60,000 privates to sergeants, none of whom have trained a single day at a sergeant school. Without waiting for the injured sergeants to return, our offensive will be a complete mess.”

Wang Zhong: “What level can we recover to in three months?”

Pavlov: “You’re planning to launch an attack in January next year?”

Wang Zhong: “Yes, from the information we obtained from the captured prisoners, the enemy is exhausted of manpower and has started conscripting children. But modern weapons are such that even in the hands of children, they can threaten adults.

“We can’t give the enemy’s scouts enough training time. The sooner we attack, the lower the casualties.”

Pavlov: “Three months— we’ll have to adopt the approach of not letting recovered veterans return to their original units, concentrating them into units designated for the attack while slightly slowing the reinforcement of other units’ core forces.

“Additionally, we can conscript in Melania, incorporate guerrilla forces from all over, conduct military training for three months, and then supplement them into the Melania People’s Army. We can expand the size of the People’s Army several-fold.”

Wang Zhong: “Alright. In any case, I want to attack in January, so figure out a way to assemble the troops.”

At this moment, the phone rang, and Wang Zhong saw it was the red one, so he picked it up: “This is Melania People’s Army Headquarters.”

Olga: “I’m looking for Marshal Rocossov.”

“That’s me.”

Olga immediately put on an official tone, then switched to a casual chatty tone: “Hey, I just received a copy of a United Kingdom newspaper, and I sent an airplane to deliver you a copy. The United Kingdom and the Federation Forces have already occupied the Carolingian capital, with General Dago having returned home.”

Wang Zhong: “Isn’t that good news?”

Olga: “There’s one more thing. The Judge got the enemy’s liaison officer drunk and extracted intelligence, saying they’re about to launch a grand operation to end the war before Christmas! I guess it’s their Christmas, which would be December 25th!”

Wang Zhong looked at the calendar on the wall: “Don’t worry, they can’t do it.”

“How do you know?”

Because I read the script.

Wang Zhong: “Because I have common sense. They have only just liberated most of Carolingian, and they’re still dozens to a hundred kilometers from the Prosen border. This distance is filled with fortified bunkers, the fortifications of the Maginot Line, which are very difficult to attack.

“They can only go through the Ardennes Forest or head north to occupy the Low Countries. However, the Low Countries are filled with numerous bridges and swamps, making it difficult for mechanized units to maneuver. Defenders have the advantage in such terrain.”

Olga: “Oh, I see. That puts my mind at ease. Oh, by the way, President Lao Luo sent me an invitation; they’re hosting a conference in the Mamluk capital.”

Wang Zhong thought, isn’t the Cairo Conference supposed to have nothing to do with the Russians? The next time Olga attends such a meeting, it should be the Potsdam Conference.

Could it be that I somehow gained an invite to the conference for Ante?

It doesn’t seem entirely surprising, considering I rescued the Melania Capital Uprising, which has garnered significant global acclaim.

Olga: “I feel they’re not inviting me; it’s you they want, so why don’t you come along! After all, there’s no war for you to fight right now, and you can leave the work to General Pavlov.”

Wang Zhong glanced at Pavlov.

Pavlov: “As long as you don’t drive a small tank to the front lines, I’ve got no objections.”

Vasily: “Why does the Chief of Staff seem like a little wife?”

Pavlov rolled his eyes.

Wang Zhong then said to Olga on the phone: “Alright, when do we go?”

“President Lao Luo said the exact date hasn’t been decided yet; we might have to wait until… their side’s campaigns have also subsided. I’m just giving you a heads-up.”

Wang Zhong: “When the date is set, send a plane to pick me up. I’m free until January next year.”

“Great!” Olga said happily.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!