In October 914 in Suhayaveli, the Ante Army’s elite First “Red Banner” Mechanized Infantry Division headquarters.
Upon entering the division headquarters, Wang Zhong looked around and said, “Compared to our previous headquarters, this place is much more shabby.”
“Be content, Suhayaveli isn’t like the modernized towns we were stationed in before,” Pavlov said. “Once the bunker is finished, we’ll have to move there to avoid enemy bombardments targeting civilian houses like you do. This wooden house can’t withstand artillery shells.”
Wang Zhong looked up at the roof of the wooden house and said, “Suddenly, I don’t feel so comfortable living in this house anymore. Let’s move as soon as the bunker is ready.”
Pavlov: “Don’t worry, we’ve already hung camouflage nets over the roof, so we can temporarily deceive high-altitude aerial reconnaissance. Low-altitude reconnaissance is blocked by Divine Arrow and Brother Peter, so we’re relatively safe.”
Popov: “We didn’t choose the best house in the village either. We left Boye’s brick house empty, not knowing when the Ploson Air Force will bomb it.”
Wang Zhong shrugged and walked over to the map to look at the latest situation.
“The enemy has actually broken through our defense line,” he exclaimed, “That was breached too easily, wasn’t it?”
Pavlov: “But after breaking through, they quickly stopped and didn’t even get past our infantry. General Mud is really powerful.”
Wang Zhong: “It’s more remarkable that our infantry could outrun tanks in the mud.”
“What are you talking about? We’ve been walking through this mud since we were kids; we’re used to it,” Popov said. “And our donkey carts have been adapted for the mud too, except for the toll it takes on the donkeys, everything else is fine.”
Wang Zhong: “Toll on the donkeys?”
“Yeah, if you walk through the mud too much, the donkeys get sick. The Prussians are the ones suffering,” Popov said with a bit of schadenfreude.
Looking at the map, Wang Zhong said with a smile, “When winter comes, we’ll just sit on the riverbank, watching the enemy’s corpses float by day and night; they’ll destroy themselves.”
The others laughed heartily, and the air was filled with a sense of joy.
Suddenly, Popov put on a stern face: “Even so, the enemy inflicted significant casualties this time, our troops lost twenty-five percent of our combatants. Although many were injured and could eventually return to the ranks, we still lost twenty-five percent.”
Wang Zhong: “Yes. We are the elite of the army, but the enemy’s fighting spirit and combat skills are still stronger than ours on average.
“Reflecting on our past battles, in the battle at Peniye, the enemy almost overwhelmed us. Most of the damage inflicted on the enemy was done by my personally commanded Tank No. 422.
“Without my personally commanded tank, we would have been devoured on the first day at Peniye.”
As someone who also participated in the battle at Peniye, Pavlov added, “Then your tank got taken out. At that time, we all thought we were going to die for our country, but to our surprise, a call from Sufang worked, and a KV rolled in. We were able to hold the enemy back thanks to that KV tank.”
Wang Zhong: “And in Loktov, the support from fortifications was indispensable to keep our positions and achieve a high exchange ratio, as well as the backing from the local Guardian Army, laborers, and the armored support we received.”
After he finished, Pavlov added, “In the end, we had lost half the city, but we managed to reclaim it thanks to Major General Kiriyenko’s cavalry.”
Wang Zhong nodded: “And in Orachi and Shostka, it was our carefully constructed positions that played the main role.”
He stood up and began pacing in the wooden hut, saying, “Upon examining our battles thus far, we find that our troops only manage a favorable exchange ratio against the enemy with the support of fortifications.
“Even our T34s and KVs, which have the advantage with AP rounds, need the support of fortifications. In open fields, battling against enemy armored units, we would quickly be defeated by their tactical and technical superiority.
“Looking back at all our battles, the only time we were on an equal footing with the enemy, with no disadvantage, was with our artillery.”
Wang Zhong faced his comrades, raising his right fist: “Artillery! Our artillery can stand toe-to-toe with the enemy! And artillery fire can ignore the enemy veterans’ tactics.
“Veterans do avoid shelling well, but with enough firepower, they can still be blasted to death or to pieces.
“I used to think our armor was the most reliable thing to count on. They are indeed reliable, but when it comes to efficiency in killing the enemy, they still fall short of artillery.”
Pavlov, gazing at Wang Zhong, remarked, “Don’t you love your little tank anymore?”
Wang Zhong: “I only love my Liu Xia.”
Popov: “What about the princess?”
Wang Zhong: “I treat her like a sister. Wait a second, why is there a princess here?”
Popov spread his hands: “After coming off the front lines, we need some gossip to distract us, otherwise, we’ll keep thinking about our fallen comrades. Right now, everyone’s favorite topic is the story about you, the princess, and Captain Ludmila Vasilyevna.”
Wang Zhong: “Can’t they focus on something else, like discussing the story between Vasily and his father?”
“Oh, my general,” Popov shook his head repeatedly, “no one would be interested in that story, it lacks elements that capture people’s attention. If Vasily’s father had a mistress, and then Vasily seduced this mistress, that would be suitable gossip for everyone after a drink.”
Wang Zhong: “Is it appropriate for you, a bishop, to talk about this?”
“I’m a bishop of the Secular faction,” Popov shrugged, “I still drink and eat meat, and I don’t fast every year.”
Indeed, indeed.
At that moment, Vasily entered: “General, I’ve heard a strange piece of news. Hmm? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Wang Zhong: “It’s nothing, what’s the news?”
Vasily: “The commander of the enemy’s Asgard Knights’ First Army has been replaced. I have evidence. Firstly, I heard the call sign of their headquarters change last night…”
After Vasily explained in detail, he concluded: “Taking all things into account, I believe the enemy’s First Army of Asgard has changed commanders.”
Wang Zhong and Popov exchanged glances and said, “Could it be… that my booby-trap killed someone? No way, the Prussians are meticulous; they should have cleared the mines first. Plus, my booby-trap was so rudimentary, just a hand grenade modification, with time to react before the explosion.”
Pavlov shrugged, “Who knows.”
Vasily said, “Anyway, the enemy has changed commanders.”
Popov looked at the map, “Based on yesterday’s intelligence, the Asgard Knights have also stopped in their tracks and are not moving. Currently, it is General Von Maqi of the Second Armored Group who is crawling forward at a snail’s pace. With his current speed, even reaching the outer defenses of Ye Fort wouldn’t happen until mid-November at the earliest.”
————
The outer defenses of Ye Fort.
Vladimir Bradsky, Vasily’s father, had joined the Labor Corps and had arrived at the outskirts of Ye Fort to begin fortification work.
Along with his corps, there was also a large group of young girls from the Women’s Labor Camp.
One noon during the break, Bradsky asked the girl serving them food, “Miss, how come you’re doing this kind of work meant for men?”
The girl lifted her head, “We’re not old enough to join the army, and the nursing corps wouldn’t take us tenth graders who haven’t graduated. But school’s out, and we have to do something, right?
“So we sent Shu Ya and the others to petition the Grand Patriarch, and it was a bishop who received Shu Ya. After hearing their wishes, he arranged for us to come and build anti-tank obstacles.”
Another girl serving the food laughed, “Some are not happy about it, complaining that the girl from next door has gone off to learn shooting, and she wants to learn shooting, too.”
Bradsky smiled, “It’s better to build anti-tank obstacles. Look, it’s useful in the war, and you don’t have to die for it; that suits you perfectly. It’s not only by killing the enemy that you support the war. War is a complicated affair; there’s all kinds of work to be done.”
“Then why did you become a laborer?” a girl asked.
Bradsky replied, “I’m a professor, a music critic. I could have taken a clerical job in the army, but I’ve never been good with various forms of paperwork. Oshanin, the editor-in-chief, said, ‘You could try writing a tune to lift people’s spirits,’ but what does he know? I’m just a critic; it’s my son who’s the skilled composer.”
“So in the end, I came here to build fortifications. I hope that my son—Vasily—will be able to use the fortifications I make, to have a bit more security for his life.”
After finishing, Bradsky showed a bitter smile to the girl, “It’s the first time I feel that my skills are so useless.”
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“You’re a music professor?” the girl asked.
“Yes.”
“Then your son is a great composer?”
“Do you know ‘The Holy War’?”
“We know it!” several girls nodded together, “We can sing it too!”
Bradsky said, “That was composed by General Rokossovsky, and my son did the arrangement.”
At the mention of General Rokossovsky’s name, the girls all became excited, “The General! Your son is fighting beside the General!”
“I heard that the General’s shout alone can scare the enemy’s tanks into stopping!”
Just as Bradsky was about to reply, distant shouts from the anti-aircraft lookout rang out, “Enemy planes! Enemy planes!”
The working girls all stood up, curiously looking at the sky.
“Enemy planes?”
“Where?”
The young girls were not scared at all, standing there curiously looking at the sky.
Initially, Bradsky didn’t react either, but seeing the girls’ actions, he suddenly realized and shouted, “Girls, don’t just stand there!”
He stood up and ran desperately, shoving each girl to the side, “Get down! Get down quickly!”
At that moment, the sharp screech of the reaper’s call came from the sky.
Bradsky kept running, dragging the young girls who had no experience of war and didn’t know what death was, one by one, and throwing them to the ground, “Get down quickly!”
Just then, a bomb plunged into the muddy ground right in front of Bradsky.
He was stunned at the sight of the bomb, and for a moment, his brain lost the ability to think.
That’s when the Labor Camp’s camp chief rushed over and knocked Bradsky to the ground.
The explosion occurred.
Bradsky closed his eyes, covering his ears.
After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the camp chief on his back get up. Only then did he turn around to look in the direction of the bomb.
The bomb was stuck in the dirt, its tail timer had stopped ticking, but due to some issue, it didn’t explode.
Bradsky stood up and looked around. The other bombs had detonated successfully.
Cries resounded everywhere.
And even more girls could cry no longer.