The Prussian Army was stuck in the mud while the Guard 1st “Red Flag” Mechanized Infantry Division carried out routine training.
Suhayaveli was itself part of the new fortification zone around Ye Fort, recently rushing to construct anti-tank stakes and anti-tank gun positions, with little attention paid to building bunkers.
Once the Guard 1st Mechanized Infantry Division arrived, an engineering troop was immediately dispatched from above to construct bunkers and trenches, and the building of fortifications was no longer assigned to the combat troops.
Therefore, Wang Zhong ordered intensified training.
Most of the division’s new recruits hadn’t gone through complete infantry training, just hasty instruction on throwing grenades and firearm operations—not yet proficient, some even experienced weapon jams on the battlefield due to careless cleaning and oiling.
Now that they didn’t have to dig fortifications, it was a good time for thorough training.
Wang Zhong also took this opportunity to learn from the gunner Alexander Yefimovich of tank number 422 how to be a T34 tank gunner.
Who knows if it might come in handy in the future?
And so, Wang Zhong spent his days learning to be a gunner and his nights writing materials to sum up the experiences accumulated since the beginning of the war. His days were full and passed quickly.
The only thing that didn’t go Wang Zhong’s way during this time was that the Naval Infantry that had retreated with his division were called back to Ye Fort.
Ye Fort also had a large river running through the city, flowing southward to join the Valdai Hills River, eventually leading into the Inland Sea.
Since there was a navigable river, there was an inland river fleet, and so the Naval Infantry that retreated with Wang Zhong joined the headquarters of the Ye Fort inland river fleet, becoming a force defending the riverbanks.
Wang Zhong was reluctant to part with the elite Naval Infantry, but they belonged to the Navy and were under naval command.
He had thought about using his connections with the Grand Patriarch, but the Grand Patriarch had said to him, “If you were the commander of the Front Army, the Naval Infantry within the war zone would also be under your command, even the Air Force!”
Since Belinsky had put it that way, Wang Zhong had no choice but to let the matter go.
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On October 24, ten days before the Ante National Day, Wang Zhong, as usual, went to check the latest situation on the front line at the division headquarters before going to the training field for tank operation practice.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw Popov. Now it had become a routine that Popov worked the night shift, and Wang Zhong and Pavlov worked during the day at what had become the division headquarters.
Wang Zhong, “Good morning, Bishop, how’s the front line?”
Popov, “Yesterday, the enemy’s second armored group broke through our defense line on the southern front and advanced about ten kilometers before stopping. I feel that the enemy isn’t aiming to advance, but to prevent us from establishing a particularly solid defense line.”
Wang Zhong nodded in understanding, likening it to the Paradox Interactive game “Hearts of Iron.” In Hearts of Iron, the longer units stay in one place, the higher their “entrenchment level” becomes.
The enemy’s southern group’s actions seemed to be preventing the Ante Army from accumulating entrenchment levels.
Wang Zhong stared at the map, “You might be right. The enemy’s second armored group’s slow push has indeed gained some ground, advancing nearly 100 kilometers in eight days.”
Popov, “Our troops have been continuously forced to retreat, losing engineering equipment, concrete, and many other resources. The new defense lines certainly aren’t as well constructed as the old ones.
“In fact, since we retreated from the Duva River, the defense lines in our rear should be relatively the most complete. But the enemy broke through it at once, making it seem like our successful defense on the Duva River was a miracle.
“I suspect the enemy might know there’s a gap before the freezing currents arrive and plans to use that time for a desperate assault.”
Wang Zhong nodded, “It seems the danger is not yet completely over. Personally, I think the enemy’s losses will be greater if they manage to break into Ye Fort.”
Popov, “I don’t know much about military matters, you say their losses will be greater, because once General Winter comes, the troops that break into Ye Fort will be completely annihilated?”
“Yes,” answered Wang Zhong, “but you can’t rule out that once the enemy breaks into Ye Fort, some people will start thinking of surrendering. It’s better not to let the enemy into Ye Fort; we’ll block them here.”
Wang Zhong said this and moved towards the window of the division headquarters that faced in the direction of Ye Fort. Although the location of the headquarters was low, he could barely make out the chimneys at the edge of Ye Fort.
“It’s interesting,” he said, “those chimneys are 20 kilometers away, yet I can see them clearly.”
Popov came up to the window, “Those are just factories on the edge; we are 30 kilometers from the center of Ye Fort. However, if the enemy captures this place and advances another ten kilometers, their artillery could reach Ye Fort.
“North of us is Ye Fort’s satellite city, Karanskaya, which has a very high ancient castle on a hillside. If you climb the tower of the castle, you can see Ye Fort’s iconic iron bridge.”
Wang Zhong, “Honestly, I would also like to defend a city; cities are great fortresses. Unfortunately, the real Imperial Guard is stationed there right now.”
The troops led by Wang Zhong, although also called the 1st Division, were specified as the 1st Mechanized Infantry Division. The true Guard 1st Infantry Division, comprising the 1st to 5th Guard Infantry Regiments, was the actual royal Imperial Guard.
These units were stationed to defend Karanskaya, which could see Ye Fort’s central iron bridge from the castle tower.
Wang Zhong, “Karanskaya is, after all, built with so much concrete construction that it would be quite difficult to lose. The enemy might bypass it, in which case our position will become the main focus of the enemy attack. We must not lose here. Not at all! The moment we lose, everything would be undone.”
At that moment, Pavlov came in, “Hey, I saw a train coming into the station on my way here, the winter gear has arrived.”
Ye Fort radiated countless railways all around, including a branch line to Suhayaveli, which not only connected to Ye Fort but also to Shostka—the way they had come previously.
Wang Zhong, “Winter gear?”
He looked down at his own clothes; for someone from the southern land of Ceres like him, this heavy long woollen overcoat already qualified as winter gear.
The weight of the overcoat had surpassed any clothing Wang Zhong had ever worn.
Incidentally, this article of clothing that he replenished in the fall was autumn wear, and Wang Zhong had been wearing it for almost a season. It was just that when he first started wearing it, it felt hot, so he often left the buttons in front unfastened, but now he always made sure to button up properly according to military discipline.
Pavlov frowned, “Don’t be like that, General Rokossov, acting like a southerner. How could this single layer of clothing possibly withstand the winter?”
At this time, several soldiers came in carrying boxes.
Pavlov opened a cardboard box labeled “General” and pulled out a general’s coat, which he handed to Wang Zhong.
The coat was terribly heavy!
And squeezing it, he found it to be incredibly thick. Wang Zhong even thought that with two such coats wet with water, and with dirt between them, they could be used as a makeshift tank—yes, just like the “dirt tank” used for blowing up the tower in the story of the small soldier Zhang Ga.
Wang Zhong unfolded the coat and discovered that its large lapel collar was made of fur from an animal he couldn’t identify.
It seemed the Ante People also liked to wear fur.
Wang Zhong took off the wool coat he was wearing and put on the thicker one. The first sensation was heavy, as if he was wearing full body armor.
His second sensation, though, was warmth—as if the fur coat could generate heat on its own. He quickly started to feel hot soon after putting it on.
“Damn,” Wang Zhong exclaimed, “I’m not afraid of any degree of cold with this thing on!”
Popov also grabbed one for himself, and upon hearing what Wang Zhong said, he looked at Wang Zhong doubtfully, “Really? Then what’s the need for a fireplace?”
…Hmm?
Wasn’t it said that northerners were so hot inside their rooms that they went bare-chested, and only wore coats when stepping outside?
Could it be that the technology of this era hadn’t advanced that far and there wasn’t such an impressive heating method available?
Wang Zhong was still wondering when Pavlov said, “If you were living in the central district of Ye Fort, then you might indeed only need this thick clothing when going outside. But in a place like this, it’s better to dress warmly.
“After all, when the fighting starts, we spend every night in the bunkers, without the luxury of a stove to keep warm.”
Wang Zhong nodded. Just then, Ludmila entered the bunker in a brand-new coat, “Ah, you’ve already changed.”
“Yes, have you also put one on?” Wang Zhong took a look at his fiancée and noticed that the coat could even conceal her figure.
That was quite frightening.
At that moment, Nelly also came in, wearing a similar coat.
Wang Zhong: “They have child-sized versions of these military coats?”
Nelly looked at Wang Zhong with a disdainful gaze.
Just then, the telephone rang abruptly. Pavlov picked up, “Hello? This is headquarters. Hmm? A special train? What kind of special train?
It didn’t say? Alright, I’ll inform the general.”
Pavlov hung up the phone, “The train station reported that the dispatch center said there’s a specially added train coming our way, but it didn’t say what it was carrying.”
Wang Zhong: “At this time, what could be so secretive that they can’t inform us?”
Vasily happened to come in and, hearing the last bit of conversation, suggested, “Secret weapons?”
Wang Zhong: “No, I don’t think that’s quite right. By process of elimination, I speculate that it’s likely to be people coming to visit us. The question is whether it’s the Grand Patriarch or His Majesty the Tsar. Either way, it can’t be wrong to wait at the station.”
—-
Senior officers of the Imperial Guard, decked out in brand-new winter gear, all gathered on the platform, waiting for the special train to arrive.
Pavlov suddenly chuckled, “It kind of reminds me of when we were waiting for Popov in Loktov.”
Wang Zhong: “True, but compared to that time, we’re now well-supplied with troops—well, maybe not elite troops, but at least with strong fighting spirit.”
Ludmila: “That’s why we need to use the artillery to eliminate the technical and tactical disparity with the enemy.”
Wang Zhong: “You still remember that…”
“My fiancé’s tactical writings! Of course, I have to read it!”
Before Wang Zhong could reply, the distant sound of a train whistle was heard.
The special train arrived at the station and came to a slow stop before the platform.
The train was full of the same sealed freight cars used to transport troops, with nothing to suggest that any dignitaries were aboard.
However, when the door of the first carriage opened, Wang Zhong could not help but narrow his eyes.
Imperial Princess Olga stood in the open doorway of the sealed car, giving Wang Zhong a radiant smile.