Chapter 121
July 30th, 1130 hours, in the northern bushes of Olachi.
The T34 with tactical number 427 was slowly reversing from the lowest level of the tank emplacement to the middle platform, so the turret became visible above ground.
"Good!" The tank's first platoon leader waved the flag in his hand, "Stop, don't reverse any further!"
The gunner and tank commander of Vehicle 427 stuck his head out from the open hatch, looked around and said, "Not bad at all. Except for the grass in front slightly blocking the view, this emplacement is perfect!"
Wang Zhong put down his binoculars, glanced at the tank commander and said, "Cut the crap, target practice!"
He was standing next to the emplacement of Vehicle 427, and had just been using binoculars to observe the officers of the anti-tank gun battalion setting up markers.
These specially placed markers were for the anti-tank guns to quickly determine target range. They were usually disguised as regular objects, so when enemy tanks passed nearby, the distance could be roughly gauged.
Wang Zhong gestured to the staff officer beside him, who then raised his hand and fired a signal flare.
The person setting up the marker in the distance immediately left it, mounted his horse, and moved away.
Wang Zhong said to the crew of Vehicle 427, "Set range to 700, aim at the ground, armor-piercing shell, hurry up."
The commander of 427 immediately got back into the tank, and the elevation gear of the tank gun began adjusting-the barrel slowly lowering.
In the next moment, the tank fired.
The blast from the muzzle made the camouflage net covering the tank emplacement ripple like water, and the grass originally blocking the front of the emplacement was instantly blown flat.
But compared to firing on open ground, the smoke from this shot was already greatly reduced.
As expected of a tank emplacement developed post-war-it's truly advanced.
Wang Zhong was too focused on the firing noise. By the time he turned his attention to the armor-piercing round, the shell had already landed and bounced like a ping-pong ball, flying further away.
The impact point seemed quite off from the marker.
Wang Zhong: "Vehicle 427, your sight is way off, adjust it quickly! We'll do another test shot in twenty minutes."
Many T34s assigned to the 151st Temporary Infantry Division had inaccurate sights. Previously in Agsukov, there wasn't enough space for live-fire drills, so no one noticed. Now that they were testing one by one, problems were surfacing.
Wang Zhong: "Next, Vehicle 428!"
"Okay!" The commander of Vehicle 428 raised his right hand, "I've already adjusted it. It'll definitely land close to the set range!"
"Then fire."
One minute later, the armor-piercing shell hit the marker and shattered it.
Wang Zhong: "Who the hell told you to destroy the marker! The artillery will have to set up another one!"
"I swear I wasn't aiming at the marker!" The commander of 428 stuck his head out, "The shell drifted! The deviation is definitely bigger than what the factory manual says!"
Wang Zhong furrowed his brow. He didn't know if Ant's manufacturing in this timeline was trash, or if Earth's T34s were just this crudely made.
After careful testing over the past few days, Wang Zhong realized that during the armored clash against the Prossenians in Loktov with the parade unit's T34s, only a few shells from the first volley hit. Maybe it really wasn't the tankers' fault.
It could be that Wang Zhong's personal vehicle was a fancy parade-type, so the craftsmanship and quality control were tighter, which is why it hit where it aimed.
Wang Zhong continued supervising the tank unit's testing of main guns and sights, and Yegorov arrived.
"Doesn't look too good," he called out from afar.
Wang Zhong: "Good thing we did a test fire in advance. After this round of adjustments, our accuracy should improve. How's your side?"
"The trenches are almost done. I reassigned some young men to help the laborer camp build the road."
Hearing that, Wang Zhong turned his head and looked behind the position where the road construction was in full swing. A large number of civilian laborers were chanting as they dragged stone rollers dismantled from millstones to compact the road.
This road was for the anti-tank guns-mules pulling the cannons and ammo trucks could move faster on it and retreat from the position more quickly.
Of course, tanks could also use the road. Though T34s had excellent mobility, going over rough ground too often could cause breakdowns.
Yegorov: "We've been here for a week, built so many fortifications, and we're still building. The troops are getting worn out."
Wang Zhong: "Hmm... I also feel the fortifications are mostly done. Leave the rest to the laborer camp. They don't need to go to the front lines and can keep working until the enemy arrives."
Yegorov: "My suggestion is not just to give them a break, but also to arrange some activities-like a ball with the nurses from the division's medical station."
Wang Zhong: "A ball?"
"Not the kind of noble-style ball you're thinking of. For us civilians, all we need is a bonfire, a bayan, and a balalaika, and we're ready to party."
Wang Zhong raised an eyebrow: "So the dance at this ball isn't a waltz, but a Cossack war dance, right?"
"Exactly!" Saying that, Yegorov squatted down and began performing the famous "Cossack Leg-Breaking Dance," also known as the "Knee-Destroying Dance."
The idle soldiers nearby were completely drawn in, and someone even started cheering.
Yegorov danced for about thirty seconds, then stood up and struck a pose, saying, "This is the dance. Got it?"
Before Wang Zhong could reply, a soldier shouted, "Commander, give us one!"
"Yeah, General, give us one!"
Normally, Wang Zhong wasn't one to put on airs-and he couldn't even if he wanted to-so the soldiers were quite familiar with him and joked around freely.
Of course, part of that was thanks to Vasily, the dung-carrying king, who preferred cracking jokes even while hauling dung, and ended up destroying Wang Zhong's authority in the process.
Pavlov had serious objections to this and had repeatedly told Wang Zhong, "As a commander, you need authority, or else the soldiers won't follow you into battle."
Wang Zhong himself didn't really mind.
At this moment, facing the soldiers egging him on, Wang Zhong smiled and said, "You want me to end up half-paralyzed? Everyone has things they're bad at-dancing is mine."
Actually, the original host might've been pretty good at it. After all, he loved to party, right? But Wang Zhong really couldn't dance. If he were forced to "give a performance," all he could do was show the soldiers "The Call of the Times."
The soldiers whooped and hollered for a while, but seeing Wang Zhong unmoved, someone suddenly suggested, "How about the General gives us a motivational speech? The guys from the 31st Regiment say he's amazing-had them tearing up. We haven't heard one since joining!"
The suggestion was immediately echoed by everyone, and even the staff officer with Wang Zhong looked up with interest.
Wang Zhong: "Speeches are for boosting morale. I can see your morale is already high. When we clash with the Prossenians and suffer heavy losses-then even if you don't want to hear it, I'll give a speech. But not now."
The lively atmosphere instantly cooled.
Wang Zhong looked at everyone and smiled: "Don't worry. Look at the fortifications we've built-I'm confident we'll deal heavy damage to the enemy here!"
"But you can't guarantee we'll all survive, right?" someone asked.
"No, this is war. Even the 'Magician of the Battlefield' can't guarantee no casualties," Wang Zhong replied.
Originally, he thought the soldiers would fall silent at this, but someone casually said, "Then we'll become the colors on the flag!"
The others laughed too.
Someone else said, "Hey, let's not scare ourselves. Maybe we won't even see combat. There are three tank corps in the north, you know! I heard one corps is all T34s-six to seven times our equipment! If they launch the attack, they might crush the enemy's armored cluster before we even get involved!"
Wang Zhong: "That would be for the best."
That was his true thought. If that happened, the war would end quickly, and fewer people would have to die.
But... Wang Zhong knew it would never be that simple.
----
That night, Wang Zhong returned from the front line to division headquarters and immediately checked the updated battle map from 1830 hours. Pointing at two newly appeared armored unit symbols, he asked, "What are these units?"
Pavlov: "Reconnaissance from the air and cavalry discovered them. The unit symbols on the armored vehicles are completely different from everything in the previous second armored cluster."
Wang Zhong: "Different how?"
"Other armored units use random symbols-some are simple shapes, some are animals, some are stylized letters. But both of these divisions use shield emblems."
Wang Zhong immediately sensed trouble: "Shield emblems?"
"Yeah."
Wang Zhong: "Is there a notch in the upper right corner of the shield?"
"Exactly. How did you know?"
"Guesswork. What's on these two division's shields?"
"One has a key. The other looks like some kind of ancient Scandinavian rune."
Wang Zhong clicked his tongue: "That's not good..."
"Also," Pavlov paused, "the Tribunal discovered that the enemy's radio traffic now includes a unit called the 'Asgard Knights.' Asgard is a mythical kingdom from the Prossen Empire's imperial creation myths..."
Wang Zhong: "Asgard Knights, huh. I've got a feeling these units will be tough to handle."
"We don't yet know if this callsign is connected to the two new divisions," Pavlov said.
At that moment, Nelly pushed open the door, bringing in a cart full of food: "I used the kitchen to make meat skewers and walnut paste pies. You can eat while you work."
The staff officers immediately voiced their admiration: "Amazing."
"Nelly, you're an angel!"
Nelly pushed the food cart to the map table and left it there, then turned and stared at Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong blinked: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing, just curious. When Miss Liuda told me, I didn't believe it-that Alyosha had already become a fine soldier and all that. I didn't believe a word."
Wang Zhong: "Do you believe it now?"
Nelly shook her head: "Still don't. I think maybe you're not that bastard anymore."
"Then who am I?" Wang Zhong asked back.
Nelly: "Who knows? Maybe Saint Andrew descended into that bastard's body-I don't know. Liuda sure likes you though."
Wang Zhong: "And you?"
"I'll have to keep observing." Nelly replied.
Wang Zhong shrugged, stood up, squeezed past the staff officers, and filled a plate with walnut paste, scooping it up with a pie.
"Oh," he exclaimed, "Delicious! Sweet but not cloying-fantastic job, Nelly!"
Just as Nelly was about to respond, music suddenly came from outside.
Pavlov immediately started cursing: "What the hell? We're in a critical state of combat readiness!"
Wang Zhong: "The soldiers have mostly finished their work. I approved Yegorov to hold a ball to boost morale, and I even approved tomorrow off."
Pavlov: "That kind of thing isn't just your call. The Bishop needs to approve too. If Popov finds out, he'll blow a gasket!"
Just then, Popov walked in: "Me? No, I also think the troops are too tense-they should relax. A ball is a great idea. Too bad we don't have many female soldiers."
Wang Zhong: "We can invite the girls from the field laundry team and the field cooking team to join in."
Popov: "That's still not enough-why not just invite the local girls too, and really relax before the battle starts?"
Wang Zhong gave a thumbs-up.
At that moment, Nelly suddenly asked, "Are you going to dance too?"
"Huh? Me? No, no, I'll pass. I prefer watching others have fun over dancing."
"Ehh~" Nelly dragged out the sound, saying nothing more.
Extra update ends, see you tonight.
(End of Chapter)