Cannon Fire Arc

Chapter 77: Chapter 7: Heavy Hammer_2

Popov: “The house next to the headquarters is ready. I’ll take you.”

————

Two minutes later, Wang Zhong frowned as he looked at the Tribunal squad lined up before him.

“Didn’t you say it was the communications company?” he asked Popov, “Why is it a supervisory team?”

Popov: “You’ve misunderstood, Aleksei Konstantinovich. They are the local Tribunal counter-espionage unit, responsible for using radio direction-finding vehicles to detect spy radios.”

“They all know how to use telegraphs and decipher codes. The best part is, they are judges themselves, so when they’re deciphering, there’s no need for a secret Judge armed with a gun to watch over them. Captain, introduce yourself to the Brigadier General.”

The leading captain stepped forward: “We have obtained the radio and codebook, and we’ve already started decoding today’s combat communiques before you arrived!”

Wang Zhong: “What about the counter-espionage work?”

Captain: “All local suspects of espionage have been executed by firing squad, so there’s no longer a need for radio location.”

Such efficiency indeed, should one say this is worthy of the blue-capped Tribunal?

Popov added from the side: “They were free anyway, so I pulled them in. It saves time compared to waiting for reinforcements from the communications company.”

At that moment, Pavlov came out from the headquarters and frowned upon seeing the group with blue caps: “You actually brought over the Tribunal’s electronic reconnaissance squad! Do you know how many reports I have to write for this!”

Wang Zhong replied seriously: “I know you can handle it, Pavlov. You’re a professional military officer full of honor, an excellent clerk!”

“Don’t butter me up. Look at the bags under my eyes. You’re well-rested, just look at me!”

Pavlov’s dark circles were indeed very noticeable, clearly showing that the chief of staff was worn out.

Wang Zhong decided to quickly get away, unwilling to listen to Pavlov’s grumbling: “Your Excellency the Bishop! Isn’t it time to receive the ceremonial troops that are being sent to us today?”

As mentioned yesterday, the Crown Prince intended to cram the palace ceremonial troops—who were experts at parades—onto Wang Zhong, possibly the multi-turret heavy tanks T35 which might be flashy but of questionable utility.

Wang Zhong’s current idea was to use them regardless of their effectiveness.

If the T35’s armor was thin, then just dig a ditch and bury part of it to use as a fixed gun position. After all, the tank guns—a 76mm and a 45mm on the tank—were not just for show.

The tank also had machine guns!

If used properly, they could eliminate the Prosen devils.

Popov checked his watch and nodded: “Right, if the military train isn’t late, it should have arrived.”

However, military trains were often delayed due to enemy air raids.

Wang Zhong indeed had nothing else to do at the moment, as all his current tasks were logistical in nature, and his advantage couldn’t be used.

He was also clueless about handling the Ante Army’s administrative paperwork; the original Wang Zhong wasn’t skilled at this, with a score of zero in related subjects, graduating only because of his good relationship with the Crown Prince.

Wang Zhong, a Chinese, was doing well just to communicate with his inherited language skills; writing documents would be riddled with grammatical errors. Previously when Ludmila asked him to write a letter home, he had scribbled a page which Ludmila pointed out had seventeen mistakes.

Since then, Wang Zhong resolutely decided to stick to his “illiterate” persona.

In short, Wang Zhong, who could not and did not want to deal with clerical tasks, decided to leave and wait for the ceremonial troops.

“I’m going to the station to wait, carry on with your duties! Grigori! Bring the car over!”

As Wang Zhong called out, he started walking towards the car.

Popov: “I’ll come along.”

Pavlov: “Why would you? Help me with the paperwork! As the bishop, you have to stamp a part of the documents anyway!”

Popov: “The Crown Prince specifically instructed me to ensure that the goods are received by the Rocossov combat group. I am carrying out his orders.”

Wang Zhong: “No, I can receive them personally; you go help Pavlov with the paperwork.”

Popov looked at Wang Zhong with a resentful face.

It seemed he disliked clerical work as well.

As the two exchanged glares, the Gunner Dmitri ran over with a trainee: “Your Excellency General! Please have a look at the ammunition the depot provided us!”

Wang Zhong had one foot on the jeep’s running board when he heard this; curious, he looked over and saw that Dmitri’s trainee was holding a crate labeled “76mm ammunition” painted on the outside.

Wang Zhong: “What’s the matter?”

The 76mm gun was his only prized possession; if the T35 proved unreliable, anti-tank efforts would hinge solely on that 76mm gun.

Dmitri flipped open the crate lid, revealing the tightly packed “ammunition”: “These shells!”

He pulled out a “bullet” to show Wang Zhong.

“It’s a pickle can!”

Wang Zhong held his forehead.

In various memoirs, he had read about many anecdotes of supplies being delivered incorrectly, but it was usually the wrong caliber; he hadn’t seen too many cases of the wrong type of goods being sent.

Critically, the crate was even labeled as shells.

Wang Zhong, “Go find the Chief of Staff!”

Pavlov, “Me again? Okay, this does seem like something for me… Show me the supply order!”

Taking this opportunity, Wang Zhong got into the jeep, patted Grigori on the shoulder, “Let’s go!”

————

At the train station, Wang Zhong wrinkled his nose at the smell of blood.

He stopped a stretcher, asking the wounded soldier who seemed to be in not too bad shape, “How’s the front line?”

The soldier opened his eyes, and upon seeing Wang Zhong’s uniform and the stars on his shoulder, immediately tried to salute, but Wang Zhong pressed his hand down, “No need for formalities. How’s the front line?”

“It’s bad, I’m from the Army reserve, and we were already committed yesterday. The enemy is close to completing their encirclement, and by tomorrow, I reckon the evacuation trains for wounded won’t be able to get out.”

Wang Zhong’s brow furrowed deeply.

He looked towards Popov, “It seems we need to hasten our battle preparations. I think we can start building defensive fortifications today.”

Popov, “Have you chosen a location for the defenses?”

“Yes.” Wang Zhong nodded. These past few days he had been studying the overhead maps, and had already memorized the whole terrain of Loktov.

He continued, “Our defensive strong point should be set up at the fertilizer plant to the southwest. The plant’s buildings are sturdy reinforced concrete, and several commanding heights are very suitable as observation points.”

“If we had howitzers, after establishing an observatory there, we’d be able to control the entire southwestern side of the city.”

“The walls of the fertilizer plant are double-layered red brick structures; by creating a few small openings for anti-tank guns, the gun positions can be swiftly moved under the cover of the walls after they are exposed.”

“If we had tanks, there are several belts of woods on either side of the southwest highway where we could lay ambushes for the enemy.”

Popov looked at Wang Zhong, who recited all this like clockwork, “You… when did you learn all of this?”

Wang Zhong, “Before you came, I had already scoped it all out while riding Bucephalus around.”

He meant that he had seen it all clearly while riding around and using an overhead view.

Popov, “But are you sure you want to use T35s for the ambush? That thing can only crawl at 10 kilometers per hour on uneven ground, slower than a person walking.”

Wang Zhong also frowned, “I mean if we had good tanks. Even with BT7s, I would go for an ambush.”

At that moment, a siren sounded in the distance.

The old man from the control room emerged, and he looked much older than just a few days ago, “Hey, General, your train is on another platform, go over the footbridge.”

Wang Zhong waved at the old man, and as he walked, he said to Popov, “The day you arrived, he was still using honorifics. Now… can you feel it?”

Popov nodded, “The people are panic-stricken.”

The two men, accompanied by their guards, crossed over the footbridge to the other side.

At that time, the train had already begun pulling into the station.

Wang Zhong stopped, standing on the bridge, looking over the long line of flat cars with their secured cargo.

He suddenly realized he had been led astray by that bastard Pavlov.

That guy had taken it for granted to mention the “parade star” T35 heavy tank, causing Wang Zhong to forget that the pre-WWII Soviet Army had another darling of the parade ceremonies.

That was the B-4 M1931 203mm howitzer, the “Hammer of Steel.”

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Wang Zhong looked at the eight 203mm B4 heavy howitzers steadily coming to a halt on the train below, his mouth agape.

Dammit, the fight just got rich!

Crown Prince! Although I don’t know who you are, well done!