Arc of Fire

Chapter 614: Chapter 57: The End of the Mighty Crossbow

On November 4, Wang Zhong woke up early to the trembling earth.

He hurriedly got up and headed to Headquarters. “Is it an artillery bombardment?”

"Yes, an artillery bombardment,” Pavlov looked quite relaxed. “The day before yesterday, the enemy withdrew the remaining tank forces of the 41st Armored Troops. They should be reorganized by now, and this should truly be the final attack.”

Wang Zhong nodded. “Has the ammunition for my prototype vehicle been replenished?”

Pavlov spread his hands. “No.”

Wang Zhong: “What are the rear factories doing? Such high-efficiency equipment designed to target enemy support points should be produced in large quantities.”

Popov: “Even if the ammunition was replenished, your vehicle still wouldn’t start. The engine wouldn’t ignite when they tried to check it last night. It’s currently being repaired, and when I just passed by, they were sweating buckets.”

Wang Zhong’s eyes widened. “Has it finally broken down? I was hoping that it would keep running smoothly this time, since it took me from the east side of the city to the west. It seems that it’s still not reliable.”

Even with continuous highway maneuvers, tanks and armored vehicles have a much higher failure rate than ordinary cars. There was just no helping it.

Pavlov seemed very pleased: “Hahaha, now you don’t have your little tank to drive! Other tanks can’t withstand Prosen’s guns. I won’t agree to you going to the frontline.”

Wang Zhong could only shrug. “Fine, I don’t want to become a badge of honor for Prosen tankers either. So, have my siege assault guns been produced? What about the heavy tanks I wanted? And the medium tanks?”

"It might be waiting for the Federation’s machine tools,” replied Popov.

Wang Zhong sighed, then lightly raised his hand. “Yakov, my coffee

He stopped and froze with his hand in the air, then retracted it embarrassingly.

The entire Headquarters went silent. Everyone was looking at Wang Zhong.

Pavlov was the first to break the silence. “Get back to work! Guard, make coffee for the General.”

Wang Zhong stood up. “No, I’ll pour it myself. Is Nelly still at the beachhead?”

Pavlov: “The report from yesterday said she was. Do you want me to pull her back?”

"Can we pull her back now?” asked Wang Zhong.

"Not easily,” Pavlov replied while taking a sip of coffee. “After the enemy ceased attacking the beachhead, they’ve been bombarding the ferry points at the East Bank. Transport is difficult now; we can only do it during intervals of enemy shelling. In a few days, the Valdai Hills River should be freezing, but initially, the ice isn’t thick enough to walk on.”

Wang Zhong fiddled with the coffee pot, poured himself a cup, and took a big gulp.

"That’s bitter. Who made this? It’s like mud,” he complained.

Popov: “Maybe it’s just your mouth that’s bitter.”

Wang Zhong didn’t reply. He drank his coffee in silence, allowing his brain to perk up before continuing the previous topic. “So the enemy is bombarding the East Bank? That means their artillery has also come within our firing range. It’s time for me to do some recon myself.”

Pavlov, surprised: “What now? You just got your tank taken away, and now you want to go out in a plane? Can you not stay put in Headquarters?”

Wang Zhong: “I’m simply trying to be useful! The plan is already set; you just execute it. I’d just be in your way here.”

"Oh my,” Pavlov exaggerated a shocked expression, “the esteemed Front Army Commander has become a burden? Are you the Commander or am I?”

Wang Zhong: “You can be. But today, flying in the red Pe-3 feels a bit risky. The enemy might have made the connection between the red Pe-3 and our precise artillery strikes. So, we should set up an aerial ambush using the red Pe-3, while Amelia takes me for a recon in a regular Pe-3.”

Pavlov raised an eyebrow: “That’s better. I’d feel a bit relieved, but who will fly the red Pe-3 and act as the decoy?”

Wang Zhong: “They won’t necessarily die. Remember, the Pe-3 is fast. If we remove the photo equipment and replace the Observer with a lightweight dummy—it’ll be lighter and fly faster.

"Choose a skilled pilot, and they can make it back safely

Wang Zhong suddenly stopped, snapped his fingers. “Let Amelia fly it. She will definitely make it back alive and might even shoot down some enemy planes. Meanwhile, I’ll be safe in a Pe-3 flown by a regular pilot, as the attention will be on the red Pe-3.”

Pavlov: “It’s too risky. If even one enemy plane isn’t drawn away, you’ll be in danger.”

Wang Zhong patted the bear-like Chief of Staff on the shoulder. “Pe-3 pilots are often dodging enemy planes and they all make it back. Trust me.”

"You have a point,” said Pavlov, looking at Wang Zhong for a few seconds. “Alright, go ahead.”

Wang Zhong snapped his fingers and immediately grabbed the phone—then remembered the enemy was still launching targeted attacks. He lowered the receiver: “Wait, what about the enemy’s assault?”

Pavlov: “You know that more and more Whirlwind Tank Destroyers are being equipped in our army, right? Today, they just delivered a brigade of Whirlwinds, adding up to three battalions, 80 vehicles.”

Wang Zhong: “How many vehicles?”

Pavlov gestured with his hands: “Eighty vehicles. I’ve stationed all these Whirlwinds in sniper positions and specifically adjusted the roadblock arrangements. The enemy will queue up on the main road, right into the Whirlwind’s firing line.”

Wang Zhong laughed heartily: “Good, that puts my mind at ease. I’m off, Grigori, you’re coming with me.”

"Understood, General.”

After Wang Zhong left Headquarters, Pavlov turned to Popov. “Do you think the General was forcing himself to smile just now?”

Popov: “A little bit, I guess. Commanding the prototype vehicle himself these past few days, sending the enemy sky-high, must have eased his mind quite a bit.”

Returning to his own desk, Pavlov took out Yakov’s death notice: “This thing… I’ve always felt the general would prefer to write it himself, and the personal effects too. He’d probably rather deliver them to Yakov’s wife in person.”

Popov: “Let him do it himself. He’s not a fragile man.”

Pavlov nodded, then struck a match and set the death notice he had written on fire, holding it for a few seconds before tossing it into the ashtray.

At this time, a staff officer came over with a phone: “Our observation post has spotted a large concentration of enemy forces, accompanied by armor.”

"Which road?” Pavlov immediately countered.

"May 5th Street.”

Pavlov: “It’s within the plan. The May 5th Factory was going to keep producing T34s anyway, and with Whirlwind, that should be enough to repel the enemy.”

At May 5th Factory, the newly formed crew surrounding a new tank, the temporary tank commander said to the workshop director, “Let us take this tank and drive it away!”

"No!” the director raised his voice, “Because we’re out of materials, this tank is only a semi-finished product, you can’t take it!”

Tank Commander: “Don’t worry, Mr. Davarish, it won’t be long before it’s scrap anyway! We’ll be satisfied just firing one shot at the enemy! Just one shot!”

"No!”

The tank commander stepped forward and thumped his chest: “I was a loader before, and I’m not familiar with the skills of a tank commander. We’re all machine gunners and loaders here, we wouldn’t fare well in a functioning tank! A semi-finished one is perfect! Please!”

At that moment, the sound of an engine and the clattering of a gearbox came from outside.

A worker rushed into the factory gate: “Look! It looks like a tank destroyer is coming!”

The makeshift crew immediately surged to the door, watching the legendary Whirlwind Tank Destroyer driving down the street, lining up in front of the factory.

The tank commander turned back and pleaded with the workshop director again: “Look, we’re not going on a suicide mission. We’ll just assist the Whirlwind! They’ll cannonade the enemy, and we’ll cover! Surely that’s okay?”

The workshop director hesitated and finally just waved his hand: “Go on then, go on!”

The temporary crew hurriedly began loading shells into the tank and fuel into the gas tank.

The workshop director stepped aside, shaking his head repeatedly: “Such fine young men, wave after wave have gone, and here I am, an old man still alive. What is this?”

Brigadier Menyayev, commander of the 5th Independent Tank Destroyer Brigade, had just dismounted when he saw a semi-finished T34 driving up.

"What’s going on here? How did you get a semi-finished product running?” he immediately stopped the tank and demanded.

The tank commander poked his head out: “Brigadier Davarish, we’re here to coordinate with your combat efforts! We can hit the enemy trying to flank you, or even ram into them directly!”

"Nonsense!” the brigadier cursed, “You just stay here. You’re not needed. The Whirlwind can handle it! We just need infantry to help block the enemy infantry.”

"Are you sure you don’t need us?” the semi-finished tank commander asked.

The brigadier thought for a moment, then counter-asked: “Do you have a machine gun?”

"We do, the hull machine gun is still there!”

The brigadier nodded: “Then come here, use the hull machine gun to seal off this area. Yes, right here!”

The semi-finished tank drove to the spot indicated by the brigade commander and stopped, and the tank commander asked, “We still have shells left!”

"The enemy tanks have welded an extra plate of armor on the front, your guns won’t penetrate the enemy’s front from a distance. Watch the Whirlwind!”

At that moment, a Prosen motorcycle drove by, with a reconnoitre soldier shouting: “The enemy is coming! Tanks and infantry in a group!”

The brigadier immediately jumped onto his command vehicle, picked up the radio handset: “All units, prepare! The enemy is at hand! Aim for a disorienting volley on the first round! Once the enemy releases smoke, open fire as quickly as possible, don’t bother aiming, the road is only so wide! Get ready everyone, fire at will!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a Whirlwind fired, the blast from the 100 mm gun blowing up dust from the buildings on both sides of the street.

The Whirlwind followed up with rapid-fire, with shots ringing out on almost every street.

The gun blast seemed to throw a veil over the whole street.

Prosen tanks exploded into magnificent fireworks, with turrets even flying into the air.

The semi-finished tank immediately opened fire, with its sole hull machine gun sweeping over the enemy infantry.

The enemy retaliated, but shells bouncing off the sturdy front of the Whirlwind were ineffective.

The Whirlwind’s own anti-aircraft guns also opened fire, tracer bullets crisscrossing the street into a net, with no infantry daring to show their heads under such dense firepower.

A second salvo from the Whirlwind came, and the Prosen Armored Troops began to release smoke and reverse!

Brigadier Menyayev, holding the handset, shouted: “Continue firing! Don’t let them get away! If these tanks escape, our infantry Davarish will have to go blow them up! Fire! Break through them even through the smoke! Fire! Fire for me!”

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