Cannon Fire Arc

Chapter 936: Chapter 1 Attack Plan

“Absolutely impossible!” Pavlov slammed the table, “We cannot conquer Plowsonia before January 7th next year! It’s impossible!”

Wang Zhong: “Priority should be to replenish the troops participating in the attack with returning soldiers…”

“All units are eagerly waiting for the wounded veterans to return now!” Pavlov interrupted Wang Zhong, “In September, when you launched the assault on Melania Capital, you already used the tactic of pooling returning veterans into the assault units. Do you know how severe the shortage of grassroots backbones is in the troops now?”

Wang Zhong clicked his tongue, it seemed the situation in the troops was even worse than he had imagined.

But he immediately thought of the Melianians: “What about our recruitment in Melania?”

“We did recruit a lot of people, but they barely have any military aptitude, I don’t even know how they managed to take over the capital.”

Vasily added: “Perhaps those with military aptitude have already perished.”

Everyone in the Headquarters turned their heads to look at Vasily.

Vasily: “I served as the interim Chief of Staff for Melania Capital for a time, remember? I couldn’t be more aware of the level of guerrilla fighters and resistance warriors back then.

“I think, Marshal, you should give up on trying to use Melanias to capture Plowsonia.”

Wang Zhong began to pace back and forth in the room.

Pavlov: “Does it have to be Christmas? Didn’t we agree with the Federation on March? A month’s fierce attack can definitely take it.”

Wang Zhong: “But by March, the enemy will be more prepared. Currently, there are many untrained children and old people among the enemy.”

“And women,” Vasily added, “Children and old people cannot account for a large number of women aged 20 to 40.”

“Thanks for the addition. Now the enemy is much weaker than we imagined, and Kashuk’s infiltration succeeded because of this. If we attack early, we might achieve miraculous results.”

After Wang Zhong finished speaking, he looked at Pavlov.

The Chief of Staff touched his bald head: “You might be right, but no manpower means no manpower. Think about it, we’ve already come down to the point where we need to wait for wounded soldiers to recover; Prosen has no manpower left, and we’re the same.”

Wang Zhong turned and walked to the Prosenia map hanging in the office.

This was not a city defense map, but a map with the capital center of Prosenia as the origin, with a radius of 100 kilometers.

The area east of the Oder River controlled by the Ante Army was in the northeastern corner of the map.

Wang Zhong: “These mere sixty kilometers, could they have transformed into an insurmountable barrier before us?”

Pavlov: “By March, we can cross it, no need to rush.”

Wang Zhong pondered for a few seconds and sighed: “A frontal attack won’t work; we’ll have to resort to strategy.”

Pavlov: “I’m telling you, our troops on the Southern Front are equally exhausted, having them feign an attack down this route is also unfeasible.”

Wang Zhong: “I know.”

“Really?” Pavlov asked.

Wang Zhong thought for a moment and said: “Before, I knew, but I had no actual concept. Now, thanks to your vividly detailed explanation, I have an actual concept. I will think of a… a method that doesn’t require so much manpower, something like a strategic maneuver.”

Pavlov: “Even if you once again personally direct artillery targets from a plane and fine-tune the troops, it can’t be done, give up. Remember, although thanks to your fine-tuning during that assault, our losses were much smaller, there were still losses. Before your ultimate assault, the irreversible losses of each unit reached fifteen percent!”

Irreversible losses included those who were killed in action and those severely injured, unable to return to the battlefield. With such a number reaching fifteen percent, the troops had likely been reduced by nearly half.

Ante, being a country where priests and officers like charging forward, meant that most of the grassroots officers were probably gone.

Wang Zhong pursed his lips, looking at the map, and fell into deep thought.

————

Kosolek and Andreas looked at one another.

Kosolek: “The camouflage uniform of the Asgard Knights looks quite nice.”

Andreas: “Hope the camouflage can truly increase our survival rate. What do you think of the distributed Awakening Agent?”

Kosolek looked around to ensure there were no Constitutional Guards or spies from the Imperial Ministry, then lowered his voice: “Seeing the others who used this thing, I think they’re like people I’ve seen in opium dens.

“I advise against touching this stuff, pretend you’ve taken it before battle; anyway, those who’ve used it probably can’t distinguish our minds anymore, and as long as we shout loud enough, we can bluff our way through.”

Andreas nodded and asked, “Did your family write to you?”

“No, but maybe it’s because their area has been occupied by the Allied Forces, the progress on the Western Front is top secret. How about you?” Kosolek countered.

Andreas: “They said the Ante Army is camped across the river at the foot of the mountain near my home, and the mountain division is stabilizing the line. I think we’re really unlucky to be incorporated into the Armed Knight Order at such a time.”

Kosolek: “Don’t be disheartened, we’ve gotten through so many times; we’ll definitely make it back home.”

Andreas nodded, as if reciting a spell to alleviate all oppression and tension, uttered: “Go home. By the way, have you killed Ante civilians?”

When Andreas joined the war, the Antean counterattack was about to happen; he genuinely had no civilian deaths on him.

Kosolek: “Veterans like us have killed, haven’t we? They’re all inferior races, aren’t they? Besides, back then no one could predict they would turn the tables. Think about what we did on their land… You might find, when you get home, your family has already been slaughtered by Anteans.”

Andreas took out a cigarette and trembled as he clamped it in his mouth: “Hope God protects my family.”

————

The Plathen Emperor looked a bit more haggard than a few days ago.

A few generals in the map room exchanged knowing glances.

At this time, more than one person was waiting for the Emperor to die from those Awakening Agents, so they could surrender to the Allied Forces.

Although after the Thebes Conference, the Allied Forces issued the Thebes declaration, refusing to accept any surrender aside from unconditional surrender, there were many within the Prosen military wishing for a rapprochement with the United Kingdom, hoping to preserve part of the army and territory.

Emperor: “We’ve distributed enough Awakening Agents for six hundred thousand people! These are products of the empire’s proud scientific technology cracking Balas’s secret medicine! Those injected with Awakening Agents will become Steel Warriors!”

The Celtic Marshal abruptly asked: “Then you should have become a Steel Warrior, right?”

The Emperor raised his head and glared fiercely at the Marshal, his gaze could indeed be called that of a Steel Warrior, unfortunately, gazes could not kill.

Eventually, the Emperor looked at the map on the table again: “We haven’t failed yet. The enemy has a salient at the bend of the Oder River; we just need to cut it off and destroy the tens of thousands of Ante troops on it, Rocossov won’t be able to organize an offense for a long time!

“At that time, we will turn to the west, pushing the Allies into the sea! We will, like Frederick the Great, fight on two fronts, using the time difference to achieve victory on both sides!”

General Hawke: “How can we take the salient on the Oder River? The enemy across the river has three to four times our troops, along with an endless supply of reserves.”

Emperor: “We will deploy the most advanced Maus tanks, they will crush all enemies!”

Admiral Steiner: “That thing is nearly two hundred tons, how will it cross the river?”

“Of course, it will submarine across from the riverbed!” the Emperor immediately replied, “Even before invading Ante, we had developed the snorkel technology, allowing tanks to amphibious assault!”

Nearly 200-ton tanks attempting to submarine through the muddy riverbed, using snorkels to maintain air supply.

This was hardly distinguishable from suicidal.

But nobody dared to point this out.

The room became silent.

The Emperor continued to look at the map: “Now the enemy’s attack on the Western Front has stopped; our defenses near Anwerp have been very successful, General Mendel’s decisions have been wise, he regrouped the scattered troops and boosted their morale.

“We can draw a few more restructured units from Mendel, moving them to the Eastern Front!”

The Celtic Marshal: “Our railway system has been repeatedly bombarded by the Allied Forces; moving so many troops would take about two months.”

The Emperor was suddenly struck silent, and after a moment, looked viciously at the Marshal of the Air Force, Duke Mayer.

The Duke wiped his sweat: “Our synthetic oil factory has somehow been exposed, and now our aviation fuel production is only one-fifth of what it was, we have ordered the jets like the ME262 to cease operations.

“The propeller aircraft with lower fuel consumption don’t have combat superiority, so…”

Emperor: “The empire has lost the skies, right?”

The Duke: “But! The first batch of rocket interceptors has already been equipped! These aircraft, powered by rockets, have excellent speed and climb capabilities! They can deliver a direct blow to the Allied Forces!”

The Emperor nodded woodenly and continued looking at the map: “As long as we launch an offensive, everything will improve! This attack will be led by Admiral Steiner!”

Steiner: “Me?”

Emperor: “You will cut off Rocossov’s salient and destroy his exposed troops!”

Steiner: “This…”

The Emperor stood up: “We still have hope for victory! The entire Prosen Empire stands with us! We have 20 million People’s Self-Defense Army! The Anteans fantasize about defeating us, they are delusional!”

The Celtic Marshal: “What if… Rocossov charges personally again? Our soldiers, especially the veterans, are terrified when he charges personally; there are many superstitions about it, angels, demons, intellect librarian, the otherworldly…”

Emperor: “What nonsense is an intellect librarian?”

Marshal: “It’s an eerie sound on the radio, the word seems to be derived from Anglish with some changes. All in all, our forces are in a state of panic, whenever Rocossov personally attacks or the Red Flag appears, morale collapses.

“The Battle of Melania already proved this. Our psychologists believe the soldiers are just looking for excuses to retreat, but… But these excuses, said too often, become reality, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively: “What nonsense!”

The door opened, and a well-dressed gentleman entered the room: “It’s psychology, Your Majesty. I’m an expert in propagation psychology, my theories are highly appreciated by your Minister of Propaganda and widely used in propaganda practices. I believe our troops are exceedingly afraid of Rocossov.

“He may only need to personally charge once more, and we will collapse. The fact that the enemy has dubbed him a Living Saint proves to be the highest level of open strategy, soldiers will be spooked by the title of Living Saint, they will spontaneously fear him.”

The Emperor waved his hand: “Enough! You say Rocossov charging personally can break our morale? No, such a thing will not happen! Even if it did, as long as there is a single undeterred imperial warrior, he can kill Rocossov!”

The psychologist adjusted his glasses: “That is what’s terrifying, Your Majesty. In this world, something like the Divine Arrow actually exists.”

The Emperor stopped.

Psychologist: “If Rocossov truly has some mysterious power assisting him, maybe it’s quantum physics, maybe it’s some other unknown factor, or simply put, a mysterious force.”

The Emperor raised his head.

Psychologist: “If a warrior aims at Rocossov and fires, but the bullet misses. It might be due to wind, or a shake of the hand, or some other reason… But… How do you think he would perceive it?

“I tell you, Your Majesty, he will feel there is some mysterious force protecting Rocossov, Your Majesty.”

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