Arc of Fire

Chapter 63

The result of this "operation" was that the group joyfully transported the cannons back to the base.

Normally, the artillerymen of the Ant Army would use mules and horses to tow these cannons, but there were no mules or horses in the entire factory, so they had to borrow three trucks used for transporting parts and supplies to haul all three cannons back to the base.

The gunners, finally equipped with cannons, were overjoyed, standing in the truck bed with high spirits, as if they could drive out all the invaders from their homeland with just these few cannons.

After driving into the base and stopping, Wang Zhong jumped out of the jeep and shouted to the third company, who were getting off the trucks: "Hurry up and unload the cannons, we still need to return the trucks to the factory!"

"You guys, push the cannons under those trees over there, and cut some branches to cover them! Don't let enemy planes spot them!"

The Prossenian forces' planes had been conducting air raids on Loktov these past few days, but they were mainly focused on the supply depot area, paying little attention to this empty base.

However, today, with over a thousand people at this base, it was enough to attract the notice of Prossenian pilots.

Wang Zhong's orders were quickly carried out; the trucks drove out of the base, and the gunners manually pushed the cannons into the shade of the trees, then grabbed machetes to climb up and cut branches.

These kids looked more like they were playing around while climbing the trees; their laughter could be heard across the entire drill ground, distracting the infantry who were training with the veterans.

Wang Zhong had to scold them: "Stop messing around! How old are you all? And you veterans, keep them in line!"

The veteran from the former Amur Regiment, now a squad leader, immediately became serious, starting to reprimand the rookies while giving them a kick in the rear.

Soon, the work was done, and Dimitri came over to salute Wang Zhong: "General, sir, where are the shells?"

Wang Zhong turned to look for Pavlov: "Where are the shells?"

"I'll go write the requisition now, don't worry."

Wang Zhong: "While you're at it, request some military vehicles, mules and horses will do too."

At the start of Operation Barbarossa on Earth, the level of mechanization on both sides wasn't as high as most people imagined; a large number of Soviet artillery units relied entirely on mules and horses for transport, and logistics, aside from trains, also heavily depended on mules and horses.

The German forces not only relied on mules and horses for a significant part of their logistics, but many of their troops, aside from tank crews and armored grenadiers, also moved on foot or with mules and horses.

The only army in the entire Second World War that was almost completely free of mules and horses, fully mechanized, was the American army, with an overwhelming number of ten-wheeled trucks and Willis jeeps, making them a force entirely on wheels.

The Ant Army wasn't the American army; the number of GAZ trucks was quite limited, and given the current state of collapse after being beaten, Wang Zhong didn't hold much hope that Pavlov would find enough GAZ trucks.

Being able to manage with mules and horses to drag things along would be fine.

Regarding Wang Zhong's request, Pavlov looked troubled: "General, you just have to move your lips, but I'm the one who has to run my legs off. Running is one thing, but I also have to prepare a pile of documents. At least get me a full staff for the brigade headquarters!"

Wang Zhong raised an eyebrow and pointed at the cadets in front of him: "They're all military academy cadets. Can't you pick a few to be staff officers?"

"No, they mainly learned how to be warrant officers; they only know how to handle paperwork a platoon leader might encounter." Pavlov shook his head, "I need civilians with at least a level-nine clerk status, level-ten would work too. Or cadets who have completed the staff officer course-even if they haven't finished, at least they must have studied it."

Wang Zhong: "Is that so? Maybe we can find a few who are physically weaker and start training them from scratch?"

"I'm already exhausted just running around everywhere, and now you want me to teach students? Especially ones with only a basic foundation?" Pavlov countered.

Wang Zhong felt that might indeed be the case.

However, Pavlov added: "But, we could consider finding a few who are good at cartography to be responsible for updating maps daily. That way, I won't have to do it myself."

"If it's just copying the markings from the supply depot headquarters' map as they are, even a beginner can do it."

Wang Zhong clapped his hands: "Then let's do that. Vasily, who among you is good at drawing maps?"

Vasily pointed at the third company from the Artillery School: "They have to learn surveying, since they might lead artillery observation teams in the future. We only know how to report coordinates using a map."

Wang Zhong nodded and turned to Dimitri: "Recruit two volunteers to come to the headquarters to draw maps. Anyway, three cannons don't need so many of you."

"Yes, sir!"

As soon as Dimitri left, the sound of engines came from the gate. Wang Zhong had just turned his head when he saw one GAZ truck after another driving into the base.

Wang Zhong muttered: "What's going on? Has the supply depot commander finally lost it? Before, they were so stingy with the supplies they gave us..."

Then he saw Popov sitting in the lead truck; the Bishop's task was supposed to be picking up the supply train for the Rokosov Battle Group that was due to arrive at the train station today.

It seemed the trucks were loaded with supplies for the battle group, but where did the trucks come from?

Popov's vehicle drove right up to Wang Zhong before stopping.

The Bishop opened the door and jumped out, blinking at the puzzled Brigadier General: "Do you have a question to ask, Alexei Konstantinovich?"

Wang Zhong: "Yes, where did these trucks come from? Borrowed from the supply depot headquarters? Can I keep the trucks?"

"Relax, these trucks are for us." Popov turned to shout at the convoy, "Hurry up and unload! Stack the weapons over there, move the ammo into the warehouse. And those of you tinkering with the cannons, come help too-cannons?"

Only then did Popov notice that what was covered by branches under the trees were cannons, and he hurriedly asked: "Where did these cannons come from? You didn't rob them from a brother unit, did you? I won't support anything that violates military discipline!"

Wang Zhong: "Relax, these were assembled by the mechanics at the repair shop using scrapped cannons. Absolutely no violation of discipline!"

Popov raised an eyebrow: "If it were before, I wouldn't have believed you. Now, I'll tentatively trust the White Horse General of Upper Peniye."

"How come even you are calling me by that nickname!"

Popov shrugged: "Everyone at the train station is talking about it, and they know we're the troops of the White Horse General. Don't let everyone down in the next battle."

With that, he turned to the soldiers: "Hurry up and unload! Move quickly, or an enemy air raid might come! It'd be a shame if the ammo we worked so hard to get blows up!"

In fact, the soldiers were already unloading, and Popov's urging just made everyone move a bit faster.

The Bishop turned back and pulled out a thick stack of registration forms from his briefcase, handing them to Pavlov: "Here's the supply list."

Pavlov sighed and turned to his driver: "Go get the accountant!"

Wang Zhong asked: "Were all these GAZ trucks sent along with the military train?"

"Yes, the trucks are loaded with supplies and were directly attached to the military train. Looks like the Crown Prince gave a stern order to the empire's logistics department." Popov stood with his hands on his hips, watching everyone bustle about, "They issued us three thousand Tokarevs alone; we can't even use that many. Plus a whole bunch of heavy machine guns and anti-tank rifles."

Wang Zhong: "Is that so? Can we trade the weapons we can't use with the supply depot for other things?"

"There doesn't seem to be such a system." Popov seemed unsure and looked at Pavlov.

Pavlov handed the supply list to the accountant who had just arrived: "Go verify the quantities according to the list."

After passing the worried expression on his face to the accountant, Pavlov replied to the two with a relaxed look: "Indeed, there's no such system. But I think the supply depot headquarters won't mind taking back the Tokarevs. My suggestion is to trade with neighboring units for things we need."

Just as he finished speaking, one of the cadets unloading the trucks shouted: "Look, it's capes! Guards' capes!"

The cadet who shouted picked up a cape, draped it over his shoulders, and started showing off while standing in the truck bed.

Others crowded over, all wanting to try on the capes.

Popov shouted: "Don't touch them! Wait for the quartermaster to distribute them! Anyone who takes one now will be put in confinement!"

The kid who first grabbed the cape could only reluctantly put it back.

Wang Zhong heard someone say: "Alyosha, you should wait until you've been issued a cape before going to offer flowers!"

Wang Zhong's nickname was also Alyosha, so his first reaction was to think they were calling him, but he quickly realized they weren't.

Russian names overlapped a lot; there were tons of "Alexei"s, and Wang Zhong even suspected that Russians who weren't very familiar with each other used both the first name and patronymic to avoid confusion.

Clearly, this "Alyosha" was addressing a certain soldier named "Alexei."

Using his overhead perspective, Wang Zhong quickly spotted this "Alyosha": Alexei Barfionovich.

So Wang Zhong called out loudly: "Alexei Barfionovich! Who are you planning to give flowers to?"

The cadets who had gone to fetch the cannons and those who had gone to the train station to pick up supplies all stopped, looking at Wang Zhong in surprise.

Alexei Barfionovich said with delight: "You remembered my name?"

Wang Zhong nodded: "Don't be so surprised every time. I said I'd remember all of your names. As long as I'm alive, none of you will become 'nameless' heroes. Alexei, who are you giving flowers to?"

A quick-witted kid answered first: "It's Natalia from the field laundry team, General, sir!"

Wang Zhong: "Then I wish you success. In front of the western wall of the base, there's a lawn where baby's breath flowers are in full bloom, very beautiful."

Actually, it was Lyudmila who discovered this; the girl told Wang Zhong about it right away and even wove a flower crown for him.

Alexei Barfionovich looked delighted: "Really, General, sir?"

"Really. You can go pick some during the rest time after dinner tonight, then offer them to the girl you like as the sun sets." Wang Zhong suggested.

Popov chimed in: "No wonder you're the romantic of Saint Yekaterinburg, you've got it all figured out."

Wang Zhong shrugged; in reality, his romantic experience was zero, but he had read two hundred romance manga!

Not two hundred volumes, but two hundred series!

Popov: "Alright! Stop messing around! Get back to carrying out orders!"

Once the soldiers returned to moving the shells in an orderly manner, Popov turned to Wang Zhong: "Actually, there's another piece of good news."

Wang Zhong: "Oh?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince plans to send over those parade specialists from the capital. Those units are under the management of the Palace Etiquette Department, so the Crown Prince can directly mobilize them."

Pavlov frowned upon hearing this: "You mean the ceremonial units equipped with T35s? What value do those things have besides being royal parade vehicles? The thickest armor on them is only 30 millimeters! The thinnest is just 10 millimeters!"

Wang Zhong: "You know a lot about them?"

Pavlov's face darkened: "I saw those things during the Winter War; they're absolutely terrible. Whoever ordered them onto the battlefield should be shot."

Popov: "But you can't deny they look very imposing and majestic, perfect for parades."

Wang Zhong thought about it and agreed.

Damn it, before they equip me with T34s, are they going to make me use all of the Soviet Union's weirdest gear?

Just as he finished speaking, the air raid siren went off.

Wang Zhong shouted: "Stop moving things, get away from the trucks, stay clear of the ammo, find cover!"

If it's just an air raid siren, the enemy planes are still a while away, giving enough time to find cover.

Wang Zhong, Pavlov, and Popov quickly ducked into a nearby shelter, looking up at the sky.

Explosions and anti-aircraft gunfire could be heard from the supply depot area.

Pavlov breathed a sigh of relief: "They're bombing the supply depot again."

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of engines rapidly approached from the supply depot direction, and then two Stukas that had dropped their bombs appeared.

They spotted the GAZ truck convoy parked in the base that hadn't yet been hidden, so they casually strafed them.

A GAZ truck in the middle of the convoy immediately exploded and caught fire, and several other trucks also burst into flames.

The sound of the enemy engines gradually faded into the distance.

Using his overhead perspective, Wang Zhong confirmed the enemy planes were gone before emerging from the shelter, looking at the burning trucks: "Damn it, more work for the repair shop workers. Is anyone injured? If anyone's dead, speak up!"

Wang Zhong's quip immediately triggered laughter among the young soldiers.

The tense atmosphere brought by the enemy air raid was thus lightened.

"Stop laughing!" Popov snapped, "Get the fire extinguishers! If you're artillery cadets, you should've learned how to put out fires! Hurry up and extinguish the flames! Don't let the other vehicles catch fire!"

(End of Chapter)