After rejoining his troops, Wang Zhong decided to retreat to the village of Treenka, 20 kilometers from Yarvik.
Firstly, it was indeed getting late today, and secondly, he did not know how many enemy motorized reconnaissance teams were nearby. With only seven or eight vehicles and a hundred guns, it was quite dangerous to encounter them.
Nor could he guarantee that every encounter would catch the enemy off guard.
Upon arriving in Treenka, Wang Zhong discovered that the defense forces were constructing anti-tank gun positions outside the city.
Pointing at the positions, Wang Zhong said, “Drive over there!”
The driver immediately turned the wheel, and the Willis Jeep swung around more than sixty degrees to pull up beside the gun emplacement.
The major in charge of constructing the positions immediately saluted Wang Zhong: “General!”
Wang Zhong asked, “How could you place the anti-tank gun positions outside the city?”
The major was surprised: “The guns should be positioned with clear fields of fire. That’s what I was trained to do!”
Wang Zhong shook his head repeatedly: “No, no, by placing the positions outside the village, first, they are not well hidden. Look, you can see your gun positions from a great distance! The enemy’s artillery is very good. With such placement, they can start targeting you from two kilometers away!
“Can you hit the enemy at a distance of two kilometers? No, you can’t! Do you have any combat experience?”
The major shook his head: “No, General. I’m a reservist. I was transferred to the capital before, and then you drove the enemy away from around the capital, so I missed the battle.”
“Are you blaming the General?” Vasily asked.
“No,” the major continued to shake his head, “How could I dare blame the General? I have a cousin in Ye Fort who is very kind to me, and the General saved them.”
Wang Zhong said, “With the positions set up like this, your cousin will soon be attending your funeral. Your death is one thing, but it could lead to the death of other soldiers. The old drill manuals are no longer useful. You need to study the new principles of defense I have written. Vasily!”
Vasily took out a small booklet and handed it to the major: “These are the new principles written by the General. Go back and read them carefully. For now, the General is here, and you can get some hands-on teaching.”
After Vasily finished speaking, Wang Zhong pointed to the village behind and said, “Set up the positions on the edge of the village, not outside, and use the low walls, thatch pits, and other assorted things at the edge of the village to camouflage the positions, making them blend in. Do you know the two advantages of doing this?”
The major shook his head: “I don’t know.”
“Try to guess!” said Wang Zhong, who was very much in the state of a teacher giving a lecture.
The major looked at the low wall on the edge of the village and said, “It is more concealed?”
“What else?”
Thinking for a moment, the major said, “It saves time? After all, there’s no need to dig trenches and pile sandbags.”
Wang Zhong explained, “It facilitates movement! If you place the positions outside the village, you can’t escape when enemy tanks charge in, even if you’ve dug communication trenches, because it’s hard to move the big guns through them, right?
“If you set up your line of defense at the edge of the village and connect all the courtyards, you can create perfect evacuation routes and even pull the guns along.”
Wang Zhong gestured as he spoke.
The major had a moment of realization: “I see! Everybody stop! The General said we’re setting up the line of defense inside the village!”
Wang Zhong added, “The fortifications already constructed outside don’t need to be dismantled. Look at this gun position; it’s already quite substantial. Just add a rectangular board and a log and it becomes a decoy gun.
“Though it can only waste the enemy’s ammunition, it’s still useful! It might even attract enemy artillery preparation and greatly reduce our casualties.”
“You are right,” the major nodded repeatedly. “I will set up the positions properly and will read your booklet when I get back.”
“Go ahead.”
After issuing his instructions, Wang Zhong got back into the Jeep and made a gesture: “Drive on, to the headquarters of the defense forces.”
The major eagerly gave directions: “Just drive straight through the village road. It’s in the big house opposite the church!”
Wang Zhong waved his hand in acknowledgment. Stay connected with empire
As the Jeep drove through the village, Wang Zhong noticed that everyone looked worried.
No sooner had the vehicle stopped in front of the headquarters than a woman rushed toward it.
Grigori, quick on his feet, stopped the woman: “What are you doing?”
The woman immediately grabbed Grigori’s hand: “I just want to ask the General if this village can be held. There have been so many routed soldiers passing through here, saying Ante is done for!”
Wang Zhong assured her, “It can be held, but, ma’am, you should still retreat. This area might become a battlefield.”
As expected, it’s a retreat!” the woman began to cry. “All my possessions are here in this village, especially my house. It’s just been built! How can you ask me to leave…”
Wang Zhong said, “My home is in Argesukov, which has been occupied for a year now. My father and brothers all sacrificed themselves there. Ma’am, who in Ante isn’t grieving? That’s why we must fight to drive the Prussians back.”
The woman said, “But we’ve been retreating all along, haven’t we? Aren’t we retreating this time?”
Wang Zhong hesitated for a moment; with the current strength of friend and foe, he really couldn’t guarantee there wouldn’t be a retreat.
The main reason for the First Mobile Group Army to come to the Suhayaveli Front Army was to prevent the Army Group from retreating too quickly, at least until August, to ensure that when the enemy reached Valdai Hills River, it would be the muddy season.
Utilizing the mud to pressure the enemy’s logistics and strike them is a desperate measure at this stage.
The woman was about to speak as Wang Zhong didn’t reply, when Vasily suddenly said, “Do you know who this general is? He is General Rokossovsky! If he said he will fight back, then he will. Not holding our position firmly now is also due to the circumstances. Last year, under Yeborg City, the General didn’t let them advance a single step!”
Wang Zhong: “Alright, it’s a fact that we can’t guarantee a complete defense now, there’s no need to scare people with my reputation.”
The woman wasn’t listening to the conversation between Wang Zhong and Vasily at this point, she looked over Grigori’s shoulder blocking the way and scrutinized Wang Zhong, exclaiming: “It’s you!”
Wang Zhong: “It’s me.”
The woman quickly wiped away her tears, dabbing at her eyes as she said, “Of course, I believe in you, after all, you captured more than 40 Prussian generals!”
Wang Zhong frowned, what’s going on, I killed 40 generals, and captured 40, right? If this keeps spreading like this, I’m going to be credited with single-handedly wiping out all the Prussian generals.
The woman continued: “Even if you retreat, it would be after hitting the enemy hard, right?”
Wang Zhong: “Right. You can rest assured about that. And we are not in a hurry to leave just yet, we will fight here until the middle of August, even September!”
“That long! Then what am I worried about, aside from the house I can move my other belongings little by little.”
So, auntie, you need time to move your stuff!
Amidst the commotion, the commander of the local garrison came out; he was a Major General. Seeing Wang Zhong, he immediately saluted: “General, Division Commander Sergey of the 401st Provisional Infantry Division, reporting to you!”
Wang Zhong returned the salute: “Why are your artillery units setting up positions outside the city?”
“Huh? Shouldn’t they? I was following the defense manual…”
Wang Zhong interrupted him: “That’s outdated now, Vasily.”
Vasily pulled out a small notebook and handed it to the Division Commander: “This is the General’s hard work, take it for now. Don’t rush to read it, wait until the General walks you through it in practice. Normally, you’d have to achieve military feats and be promoted before getting the chance to study at the Suvorov Military Academy and receive such treatment!”
Wang Zhong: “Vasily, no one will take you for mute if you speak less.”
“Yes.” Vasily closed his mouth.
Wang Zhong: “You can look at this book later. Based on my personal reconnaissance, the enemy’s new tanks could be just over ten kilometers from here.”
“What?” The Division Commander was shocked: “The enemy is approaching that fast?”
Wang Zhong: “They are slower than last year; after all, my positions are a bit more reliable this year, not crumbling like tofu dregs – I mean, butter. Also, our Air Force should have bombed the enemy, causing them some delay. I estimate the enemy will arrive by tomorrow.”
In fact, they couldn’t arrive, but Wang Zhong didn’t know.
Wang Zhong: “Today, you can build fortifications overnight. Also, let me make a phone call, my troops will rush over through the night.”
Wang Zhong’s request to Pavlov to form an advance team was to have them all aboard the train within a day, filling up the allocated carriages.
Therefore, the advance team should also have nearly arrived today, so they could be moved to participate in the defense battle at Trelinka.
The main body of the task force was a battalion of whirlwinds, with a bunch of other miscellaneous supporting troops thrown in.
Tomorrow would be a good test of how effective the whirlwinds are at hunting tigers.
The Division Commander of the 401st gestured invitingly: “You need to make a phone call, this way please!”
Wang Zhong nodded and walked into the command post, with Vasily immediately following.
Grigori made sure the woman had no intention of further rushing at Wang Zhong before backtracking into the command post himself.
————
Late night on July 11th, Yarvik, tavern.
Even with the enemy soon to rush over, Ante’s tavern was still bustling.
Or rather, it was precisely because the enemy was bearing down that everyone needed the tavern more.
Storytellers usually lively in the tavern had now become listeners, listening to several old workers from the train station speak.
“Let me tell you, the troops from General Rokossovsky’s First Mobile Group Army that were unloading today, they’ve got some great equipment! They all use this brand new type of submachine gun; you close your eyes, spray into the sky, and the bullets automatically hit the targets!” an old worker said.
Immediately, an old man next to him chimed in: “Yeah, yeah, they were my pigeons, the fastest few, and just like that, they were shot down!”
Then someone said: “I heard that the Prussians introduced new tanks, no matter how fierce the guns, can they hit tanks?”
“You don’t get it, huh? General Rokossovsky’s troops, they also have a new type of tank! That tank, headless, called something I-flow! The barrel so thick! I went and measured it myself!”
Then the station accountant suddenly spoke: “You all really don’t understand what’s most valuable. Let me tell you, the General’s troops, they have a lot of antennas! That’s the most powerful thing! Don’t believe me, go see the Guards 20th Tank Brigade of the Front Army reserves! Only one out of four of their tanks has an antenna!
“All of General’s troops’ tanks come with antennas! Every single one of them! Even the trucks have someone with an antenna sitting on them!
“This troop is way more powerful than any regular troops! Today, they marched out mighty and strong; I bet they’ll be winning battles soon!”
At this point, the tavern owner raised a glass: “Today, I’m buying everyone a drink, for the upcoming victory!”
Immediately, the entire tavern’s patrons were ignited with enthusiasm, loudly cheering: “For the upcoming victory!”