Chapter 512 Dawn on the 21st, Rain

Major General Schneider opened his eyes and was stunned for five minutes before he remembered who he was, where he was, and what he was doing.

He stood up, and at this time he heard two guards outside the house gossiping in a low voice: "Did you know? Ante Rokosov would melt the medals and ranks of our generals who he captured or killed into a metal plate with their names and ranks written on it, and put it on his own display cabinet!"

Major General Schneider frowned, always feeling that this statement was a bit familiar.

Suddenly he slapped his thigh and remembered that this was not what he said when he was hysterical yesterday? How come it was taken as true after a night?

He opened the door and was about to scold the two guards for deserting their duty while on duty, but suddenly remembered that he was not wearing military pants.

Major General Schneider was the type who liked to take off everything except his vest and shorts before going to bed in winter.

So he closed the door awkwardly, leaving the two frightened privates outside.

A moment later, the fully armed Major General Schneider opened the door and asked the two soldiers seriously: "Where did you hear the rumors about Rokossov?"

"The whole guard company said so, it seems that it came from the communication company!" One of the guards replied.

Major General Schneider: "Communication company, damn it, they don't work properly, just gossip here! Call the commander of the communication company to me!"

The two guards looked at each other, and then the corporal with the battle wound badge pursed his lips, and the private immediately turned around and ran to find the commander of the communication company.

Major General Schneider stood there, shivering in the cold wind: "Why is it so cold at this time? Damn..."

He looked up at the sky, and then raindrops fell on his face.

Very fine raindrops, with the breath of wind blowing from the inland sea.

Major General Schneider's mood suddenly fell to the bottom.

All the memories of last year's muddy mess came flooding back to him: "Damn Rokossov, he's relying on this again!"

————

Wang Zhong stood on the steps in front of the commander's office, looking up at the sky with drizzling rain.

Pavlov put his hands behind his back and looked at the sky: "It's just the right time. The enemy's logistical capacity will be reduced by at least 50%. Even if they restore the supply line and deploy anti-aircraft guns to cover key nodes, the supplies sent to the front line will be greatly reduced."

Popov: "And we have railways, and allied supplies are continuously delivered from the Bahara-Baras transport line."

Wang Zhong nodded: "Yes, from a strategic level, the necessary puzzle pieces for victory have been put together. Now it depends on whether we can stop the Prosen people tactically."

Pavlov: "But the freezing time of the lower reaches of the Valdai River is approaching. Maybe the Prosen army will take the opportunity to attack our railway line on the opposite bank."

Wang Zhong: "At that time, we will see who is better at winter warfare. I can't wait to see our cavalry cross the ice and attack the Prosen people's logistics lines."

After he finished speaking, Pavlov and Popov both laughed. Yakov looked at the three suspiciously and wrote in his battlefield diary: "It rained early this morning. The three giants of the front laughed together like villains. They were facing a powerful enemy, but they were acting like winners."

————

At the Western Front Headquarters, General Gorky stretched out his hand and looked at the raindrops falling on his hand.

"It's finally here." He sighed.

His new chief of staff (the old chief of staff was promoted to the commander of the front) frowned: "It feels a bit unfair to defeat the enemy with the climate."

"You are wrong! If you say so, defeating the enemy with the terrain is also unfair. Only face-to-face fighting, like the gladiators in the arena, is fair and honorable. But the art of war originally includes the art of using climate and terrain." General Gorky rubbed his rain-soaked hands on his coat, put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.

After a short pause, he added: "Rokosov is a master in this area. He foresaw this moment last year."

At this time, two staff officers came over with a thick stack of documents and saluted the chief of staff: "The plan for the winter offensive is ready."

Chief of Staff: "Okay, I'll take a look at it right away..."

"Give it to me." General Gorky took the battle plan directly, opened the first outline and glanced at it, and immediately closed it and returned it to the chief of staff, "Very good, execute it according to this."

"Don't you want to take a closer look?" The chief of staff was shocked.

General Gorky: "Because the value of the offensive plan lies in the fact that we launched the offensive. As long as the Prosen Army in front of us feels the pressure - they will definitely feel the pressure, we have much more troops than them, and we have stored ammunition for so long.

"The key to the plan is to fire 400,000 shells on the first day, 400,000 rounds, understand?"

The two staff officers who made the specific plan looked at each other and replied: "Report to the general, more than 400,000 rounds. We will follow your tactical thinking and launch an indiscriminate attack on the entire front, then deploy reserve forces in places where breakthroughs are achieved, and adopt a policy of encircling but not attacking the support points that are difficult to break through.

"In order to ensure the implementation of the plan, we have concentrated 2,000 cannons on the entire front line, with 20 cannons per kilometer.

"For each cannon, we have prepared five bases of ammunition. This has been stockpiled for four months. "

General Gorky nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, that's it. Rokossov is good at precise breakthroughs and encirclements. His style of play is actually very similar to that of the Plossians opposite, full of beauty. I am different from him. This fighting method is the real fighting method of Ant.

"And the time I choose to attack is also different from Rokosov. He will not attack during the mud season. I specifically choose the mud season so that I can catch the Proscenians off guard."

General Gorky clasped his hands behind his back and looked at the heavier rain: "The most important victory this winter must be Rokossov's. This is the huge victory he told me last year. And my offensive on the central front , will help him win.

"Future war history researchers will remember my contribution, do you understand?"

The chief of staff was a little confused: "Aren't you a general of the Rokossov faction?"

"I am, of course I am." Gorky nodded repeatedly, "But we are also members of the Rokossov faction, so we have to rank ourselves, right? He has the chief of staff, the bishop, and the division commanders below who have been fighting with him. Plus Kasukh and Kirinenko will join him soon... But history will remember that my offense is also very important."

General Gorky held his head high: "Although my tactics were born from Rokossov's chats, they are indeed my tactics! There will be a place in the military academy's books in the future!"

After a pause, he said in a voice that only he could hear: "I might be able to get the rank of marshal before Rokossov - if the attack goes well."

The chief of staff didn't know whether he heard this or not. Anyway, he was going to pretend not to hear it. At this time, one of the two staff officers timidly asked: "Then...when is the attack time scheduled?"

General Gorky thought for a while and replied: "In four days, it will probably take that long to issue the combat plan and mobilize all the troops. The shelling will start at 5 o'clock in the morning on the 25th."

"yes!"

————

Wang Zhong's side.

A motorcycle drove all the way to the trio in the heavy rain.

A bandaged priest got out of the car and saluted Wang Zhong with his left hand: "Commander Davarisi!"

Wang Zhong: "You are the Bishop Ilichdavarishi who stayed on the unknown highland for a day, right?"

"Yes." The priest was deeply moved. "Do you know my name?"

Wang Zhong stared at Ilyich for a few seconds: "Your eyebrows are so thick."

"Ah?" The priest was shocked by this sudden topic, "This... should I shave it?"

Wang Zhong: "No, no need. He looks honest with thick eyebrows. I saw all the battle yesterday."

Ilyich was greatly moved: "Sure enough! I can feel you watching us from the sky!"

Wang Zhong: "Well...it's better not to say such things in heaven. I haven't been killed yet."

"I'm sorry!" Ilyich saluted immediately.

Wang Zhong: "Don't worry, I'm just joking. You go and eat. My chef Siris cooks delicious food. I specially asked him to cook a big meal today."

"Thank you very much!" Ilyich replied loudly.

Wang Zhong: "Okay, stop saluting and go eat."

Ilyich turned to leave, suddenly remembered something, and turned back: "General, today at the most dangerous time, a KV tank saved the situation. But the tank was destroyed by the enemy, and I handed over the position to the 393rd Marine Infantry Brigade. At that time, some things were recovered from the wreckage. As a chaplain with the army, I have the responsibility to apply for honor for them. "

After saying that, Ilyich returned to the motorcycle, took out a backpack from the side of the motorcycle, carried the backpack to Wang Zhong, and took out the contents one by one.

The military ranks burned black, the photo half burned, the cap badge completely blackened...

Wang Zhong picked up the military rank. He was sure that he had seen this military rank on the shoulders of Major Romanov, the leader of the 21st Heavy Breakthrough Tank Regiment.

"Is the tank's tactical number 2101?" he asked.

"Yes." Ilyich was surprised, "Do you know this major?"

Wang Zhong: "I know, I just saw him yesterday before he went to the battlefield. Are there any survivors in their crew?"

Ilyich: "No more. Major Romanov was the last survivor. He left the tank and continued to fight until the bullet penetrated his head. Because he was outside the vehicle, so many of these things remained. The inside of the car was so burned that even the hood badge melted."

Wang Zhong held his military rank in one hand and a half-drawn photo in the other. The girl in the photo was not sure whether it was Romanov’s daughter or his girlfriend—probably his daughter.

The rain was pouring heavily, and the wind carried heavy raindrops that stuck to Wang Zhong's face.

Pavlov raised his head: "Damn it, why did it rain so hard all of a sudden?"

Wang Zhong: "Because Ant's mother is crying."

Yakov silently wrote this sentence down in his notebook.

Wang Zhong put away the relics and said to Ilyich: "Leave them to me. I will personally deliver them to the family members."

Ilyich saluted silently, got on the motorcycle, turned the accelerator and left.