On the afternoon of December 9th, at Ekaterinburg Fortress, Suvorov Military Academy, Classroom No. 1 on the first tier.
The architecture in Ante was mostly very broad, seemingly deliberate to reflect the vastness of the nation’s territory.
This tiered classroom was no exception.
Remarkably, the room had managed to accommodate all the students from three grades of the tank command specialty and nearly two hundred frontline commanders who had come to be retrained, prepared for more senior command positions.
Besides those occupying seats in the room, there was also an indeterminate number of people hanging on the windows.
Normally, having windows open in the dead of winter was a very foolish thing, but the crowd jamming the windows actually made the classroom warmer.
Wang Zhong was on the podium, explaining to everyone the defensive operation he conducted at Orachi.
“On the second day of the Orachi battle, we gave up some of the positions we had fought for repeatedly on the first day. These positions were carefully designed and not conducive to withstanding fire from our own artillery positions.
“After luring the enemy into these positions, we used fire to ambush and inflict heavy casualties, which actually yielded better results than simply holding the ground.
“But we were able to carry out such defensive operations because we had constructed a defensive position with considerable depth.”
Wang Zhong showed everyone the defensive positions he had constructed around Orachi.
“Look, these were our ambush positions on the first day, and these were the positions on the second day—although our lines had fallen back, we preserved our forces and inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy.
“Unfortunately, there is only so much space around Orachi to arrange more in-depth defense positions. Additionally, our troop and firepower did not allow for further resistance…”
Just then, Vasily suddenly squeezed past the crowd at the door and entered the room, “General, there’s trouble!”
He came to Wang Zhong’s ear and whispered, “The First Assault Army Group was ambushed east of Shostka, losing over a hundred tanks.”
Wang Zhong immediately widened his eyes, “How many tanks?”
Vasily, “Over a hundred, all brand new T34s.”
In an instant, Wang Zhong thought of his comrades who had died tragically inside the tanks.
His lips twitching slightly, he put down the teaching pointer and said to the packed classroom of students, “Excuse me. I need to compose myself.”
After saying this, he turned to face the blackboard that had the battle lines drawn on it and punched it.
Although he had been through such events countless times before and might face countless more in the future, he still could not get used to it.
Having barely composed himself, Wang Zhong turned to ask Vasily, “How could we suffer such a loss? Did the enemy deploy new anti-tank guns?”
By this time, he still thought it was the work of PAK40 anti-tank guns.
Vasily’s expression was grave, “The soldiers who ran back claimed that they saw Prussian tanks equipped with large-caliber, long-barreled guns.”
Wang Zhong was shocked and hurriedly asked, “Did they make out the model? Was it the Panzer IV we’ve already seen, or a newer model with a more rectangular build?”
Theoretically, it should not be possible to mistake the turrets of Tiger tanks and Panzer IVs, but it was normal to not see clearly in the chaos of the battlefield, especially in an ambush.
Vasily shook his head, “They didn’t see clearly, only that there were long-barreled guns. Some who returned said it was a Panzer III with a long-barrel gun, some claimed it was a Panzer IV.”
Wang Zhong was stunned. He immediately thought to seek help from the Air Force, to dispatch planes for reconnaissance, and then to maintain contact with the ground.
But then he remembered that the Air Force was not under his command, so even with radio communication, he would not be able to get the pilot’s view.
In the end, they could only rely on aerial photographic reconnaissance.
Wang Zhong, “Prepare the car, I’m going to Air Force Headquarters.”
Vasily, “It’s no use going there now, the Air Force in the combat zone is under the command of the Western Front Army. You need to go directly to the Western Front Army Headquarters.”
Wang Zhong, “Where is the Western Front Army Headquarters now?”
Vasily, “That’s military secret, I don’t know.”
Wang Zhong cursed under his breath and ordered, “Prepare the car, I’m going to the High Command to find out what exactly happened! I’ve already told them where the enemy might set up defensive lines, so why did they still blunder into it, still getting ambushed!
“What about the reconnaissance troops? This is utterly ridiculous!”
Having said that, Wang Zhong turned to the students and said, “Class dismissed! Digest the content from today’s lecture on your own.”
With that, he walked toward the classroom door, and the students blocking the entrance parted like the receding tide to make way.
No sooner had Wang Zhong left the classroom than he saw the young Duke Valkov with a group of dandies outside the door, who, upon seeing him, laughed and said, “General Rokossovsky, are you off to kiss General Tukhachev’s boots now?”
Wang Zhong, “Just now, the vanguard of the First Assault Army Group was ambushed by the enemy, their entire force was wiped out, losing over 100 T34 tanks.”
The young Duke Valkov’s expression immediately froze.
Wang Zhong ignored him, turned, and walked away, but after taking just one step, the young duke shouted, “Are you pleased with that! But it’s just a successful ambush by the enemy, not really a block against the Western Front Army!”
Wang Zhong spun around, a slap landing on the young duke’s face, sending him crashing into the wall.
It had to be said that, in terms of physique, the young duke was considered ‘light as a feather’ in Ante.
Wang Zhong, “More than a hundred tanks destroyed, hundreds of soldiers dead—anyone who would be happy upon hearing such news must be a Prussian spy! Like you, whose first reaction was to think that I would be glad about this news! This proves one thing, you never cared about the several hundred people who died this time.
“If someone like you were to command troops in the future, it would surely lead to massive casualties. In my opinion, you are not qualified as a military man, so as the Principal of the Suvorov Military Academy, I hereby discharge you from military service! Get out, fool!”
After speaking, Wang Zhong turned to the Judge who had been standing by and said, “Young Duke Valkov has made treasonous statements, slandering me. This should be enough reason to arrest him, right?”
The Judge smiled, “Of course. He just insulted you, the greatest hero defending Ye Fort, by suggesting that you’d be pleased to hear news of the enemy’s victory. This is a heinous rumor, and he must be arrested for investigation!”
The young Duke Valkov howled immediately, “No! No! That’s not what I meant! Damn it, I misspoke!”
As he spoke, he began to slap himself on the face.
The Judge rushed up, restrained his hands, and handcuffed him, “We all heard it, and there are so many classmates here who can testify! You indeed slandered General Rokossovsky! If there’s anything you’d like to say, do it in the Tribunal’s underground cell!”
“No! No! I was wrong, I… my father is still fighting on the front line, you can’t just arrest me like this! At least wait for my father to come back from the front line!”
Two Judges dragged away the young Duke.
Wang Zhong suddenly noticed that the young Duke’s military trousers seemed a bit damp—given the weather, everyone’s trousers were several layers thick; for moisture to penetrate to the outside, there must have been a serious leakage inside.
But Wang Zhong couldn’t quite feel happy about it.
What he was thinking about now was how to press the Western Front Army to halt and rest, instead of wasting their force on the enemy’s defensive line in vain.
————
An hour later, Wang Zhong’s modest motorcade arrived at the main entrance of the Summer Palace.
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Because Wang Zhong hadn’t informed the High Command of his visit in advance, no one was there to greet him.
Wang Zhong went straight inside.
The guards at the Summer Palace basically recognized Wang Zhong’s face, so they just went through the motions, glanced at his credentials, and let him through.
Wang Zhong headed directly for the High Command’s map room, and before he could even push the door, Belinsky came out.
Belinsky, “They told me you were here, so I hurried out.”
Wang Zhong, “What you need isn’t to stop me, but to stop the Western Front Army!”
Belinsky, “Then they’ll just throw the blame of failing to thoroughly defeat the Prussians on your head. No, I must stop you, I can’t let you ruin the chance to eradicate the influence of the quick-victory faction in the army.
“After the dismal defeat of the quick-victory faction led by Tukhachev, we’ll be able to uproot them entirely. A significant number of them belong to the Aristocratic faction.”
Wang Zhong, “And the sacrifices? Just for this, so many people are sacrificed in vain?”
Belinsky looked at Wang Zhong with a hard, steely expression, “Yes, it’s a necessary price.
“You must understand one thing, not only the senior and mid-level officers hope for a quick victory, but a large number of lower-level commanders and soldiers think the same. We need a defeat to sober them up.
“Didn’t I ask you to prepare an article detailing your thoughts?”
Wang Zhong, “I did prepare it, ‘Refuting the Surrenderists and Quick-Victory Faction, Getting Ready for the Arduous and Prolonged Military Struggle Against the Prussians,’ and I even handed it over to you! But it wasn’t published!”
Belinsky, “The timing wasn’t right; had it been published then, it would only have caused resentment. In another ten days or so, when the Western Front Army is decisively defeated at the enemy’s position, it can be published.
“At that time, your article will be viewed as the guiding ideology for the war. I’ve read the article, it’s very well written, and it can bear this responsibility!”
Wang Zhong thought to himself that’s nonsense, I plagiarized it, and with my superficial understanding, probably only captured one-tenth of the original work’s potency.
Knowing Belinsky’s plan, Wang Zhong still felt reluctant, “Can’t these sacrifices be avoided?”
Belinsky, “What if we break through the enemy’s defences?”
Wang Zhong, “That’s…”
Belinsky, “You can’t be one hundred percent certain that there’s no such possibility, can you? That’s why I think, this sacrifice is unavoidable.”
Wang Zhong fell silent.
Belinsky’s attitude was very firm.
Moreover, Wang Zhong also felt that his reasoning made sense, with the entire army harboring thoughts of quick victory; the harsh reality had to awaken everyone.
Belinsky changed the subject, “By the way, the material you taught at the military academy, I’ve looked at the records. Very good. I heard you’re drafting a document to establish an elite combined division modeled after the Guards 1st Motor Rifle, right?”
Wang Zhong, “Yes, my plan is to first form two divisions similar to the Guards 1st Motor Rifle, group them into a Maneuver Army with ample logistical support and sufficient training.
“Then deploy them at critical positions, under my personal command.”
Actually, Wang Zhong’s idea was very “Hearts of Iron”—in that game, it’s about lining up plenty of ordinary divisions with some elite ones.
Hearts of Iron players like to call these elite, wealthy divisions “Gundam divisions,” meaning these divisions would cut through ordinary divisions like the protagonist’s Gundam in the anime “Mobile Suit Gundam” slicing through enemy grunt suits.
Belinsky nodded, “Very good, your idea is excellent.”
Wang Zhong, “It would be nice if I had command of the Air Force, so I could command a couple of separate fighter and ground attack squadrons.”
Belinsky, “Then wouldn’t you become a Commander of the Front Army? An Army Group with only three divisions… No, no, even His Majesty the Tsar would face strong opposition if he tried to create such a force. Instead, you should start by establishing good relations with the Air Force, just like you did in Shostka. They may not be under your command, but they listened to you, didn’t they?”
Wang Zhong thought to himself that’s true, but my system doesn’t recognize them as forces under my command, so I don’t get vision!
Oh well, what Belinsky said made sense, adapting to gain the Air Force’s support first, and if the Maneuver Army I’m building makes a name for itself, then I can command the Army Group later on.
Just as Wang Zhong was about to discuss other matters with Belinsky, the door suddenly opened. Olga herself opened it, and upon seeing Wang Zhong standing outside, her face lit up with a smile, “Alyosha! You’re here, come quickly to give me advice, a big problem has arisen!”
Belinsky stepped forward and tugged at Wang Zhong’s clothes, “Remember what I said.”
Wang Zhong nodded.
Olga stepped forward, grabbed Wang Zhong’s hand, and dragged him into the room, right in front of the large map.
Olga, “The 1st Assault Army Group has just been ambushed, losing over a hundred tanks! What do we do, Alyosha! You’re the expert, give us your opinion!”