Chapter 130
However, even after Wang Zhong waited until 1630, the enemy attack still didn't come.
He stood beside the bunker of his Vehicle 422, constantly using the phone to call various observation posts, confirming enemy activity within their scope while the line was connected.
Although it wasn't his actual vision and wouldn't highlight the enemy, in this kind of vast plain around Olachi, even without forced highlighting, most enemies could still be seen from an overhead vantage point.
While waiting, Wang Zhong got hungry and started looking for food, only to find that he had to eat the Ante Empire's military rations along with everyone else.
It was truly disgusting.
So disgusting that Wang Zhong wanted to execute everyone in the Empire's logistics department responsible for food.
But since their ambush position was a bit far from Olachi, it really wasn't easy to bring the girls from the field cooking team to the front line.
Especially when this kind of frontline could be attacked by the enemy at any moment.
As Wang Zhong ate the unpalatable military rations, he thought to himself that maybe he should add a sausage to his personal gear box besides grenades and a submachine gun.
The sausages from the church's meat processing plant were thicker than an adult man's arm, and the ingredients strictly followed a 25% beef, 70% pork, and 5% egg-dairy formula-highlighting quantity, value, and satiety.
Just as Wang Zhong was fantasizing about how the sausage's flavor would enhance the wooden-like bread in his hand, an artillery shell landed.
Wang Zhong instinctively tried to lie down, then realized that the shell wasn't hitting his location.
He and the others looked toward Ambush Position One, watching the fire and smoke kicked up by heavy artillery.
Switching to the overhead view, Wang Zhong found that compared to the unreliable air force bombing, the army's own artillery was far more accurate.
Except that the position below was already empty, it was practically perfect.
At this moment, others in the position were also looking in the direction of Position One, all wearing joyful expressions.
Maybe everyone realized that the more ammunition the enemy wasted on an empty position, the less would fall on their own heads later.
----
Major General Wilhelm Dietrich was on his command vehicle giving orders to all tank officers of platoon level and above: "The enemy is heavily defending this patch of woods. Our plan is to take advantage of the artillery suppression on the woods, spread out our formation as much as possible, and engage the enemy in a shootout on open ground. The enemy's tank accuracy is worse than ours.
"If we don't gain the upper hand during the shootout, then release smoke, feign weakness, and retreat. Lure the enemy into the range of the 88mm guns and PAK38 anti-tank guns.
"According to intelligence from the Southern Front, this General Rokosov really likes charging forward for decisive tank battles. He's indeed achieved excellent results through several proactive attacks.
"We aim to lure him out with acceptable losses. This is a battle plan tailored to his personality!"
As he spoke, Dietrich turned to the platoon leader of the division's guard tank platoon: "Also, we have another decoy. I'll use my command vehicle and the backup radio vehicle as bait to lure Rokosov in.
"Of course, based on previous battle reports, Rokosov might choose to shell the fake command post. If that happens, the guard tank platoon must quickly retreat from the bombardment area."
Wilhelm Dietrich paused, looking satisfied at the already marked map of his plan: "In short, the key objective is to lure Brigadier General Rokosov into attacking.
"He's one of the most outstanding commanders of the Ant Army at present-or rather, one of the most outstanding who hasn't yet been killed or captured by us. So killing or capturing him would be highly significant!"
As soon as Dietrich finished speaking, a lieutenant platoon leader said: "Another tactic of pretending to fail in order to lure the enemy in!"
"Because the enemy might use T34 tanks, which we can't really deal with! Our brother units shared experience-say, you can jam the turret ring or break the tracks. It's not that the advice is wrong, it's just that the 88 gun is more cost-effective."
Another platoon leader asked: "Then what if the enemy doesn't come out?"
"Then summon the Stukas! When the enemy shoots back at us, they'll expose their position. The air force has promised, based on prior coordination, that when we attack, they'll send out a squad of bomb-laden Stukas. We'll use Type 4 tanks to shoot colored smoke shells to mark targets for the Stukas."
The 50mm gun on the Type 3 tank doesn't support smoke shells-it only has a single-shot smoke tube onboard for launching smoke.
The short 75mm howitzer on the Type 4 tank, however, can fire smoke shells hundreds to over a thousand meters away.
Whenever the Type 4 tank encounters a sturdy building that its high-explosive shells can't destroy, it fires a smoke shell to mark the target and waits for the Stukas.
Major General Wilhelm Dietrich: "Alright, everyone understands the combat mission now, right? Once you're back with your units, make sure every soldier knows the plan. Then let's move out. The artillery prep should end in about an hour and a half."
The platoon leaders all stood up and filed out of the armored command vehicle.
"Hold on a second!" Wilhelm Dietrich stopped the last platoon leader, "You're the company leader of Battalion 3's Company 5 assigned to the reserves, right? I want to switch with you. I have to go to the front line and see for myself how this White Horse General arranges his formation!"
The Chief of Staff was shocked: "Don't do that! This White Horse General likes to shell command posts and other key targets. If you go to the front and enter the observation range of his artillery post, you'll definitely draw fire!"
Wilhelm Dietrich looked at the Chief of Staff: "That's exactly why I need to disguise myself. The White Horse General wouldn't waste precious shells on a reserve tank platoon-especially one in a dispersed formation!"
Tanks are indeed vulnerable to howitzers-if a shell lands very close, the entire crew is done for.
But as long as the distance between the shell's impact and the tank is beyond a certain threshold, the tank can survive the heavy shelling.
So using heavy artillery to bombard a dispersed tank formation is actually very wasteful.
Unless there really are no better targets and you don't care about wasting shells, this wouldn't be done.
The Chief of Staff was convinced: "Alright, I can only wish you a victorious start then."
Wilhelm Dietrich nodded and began changing clothes with the tank platoon leader he had chosen.
----
On Wang Zhong's side, the enemy's deployment maneuvers were crystal clear.
First, he wasn't affected by the artillery prep; second, the most important function of his cheat was to ensure visibility-and most of the time, it was the only function.
He just watched as the enemy's armored units spread out their formation on the open field.
And you know what? With so many tanks spread out like this, his own 30 tanks might really not be enough to take them all on.
Especially if the enemy charged forward carrying infantry for some armored meat grinder-then it'd be even harder to handle.
Wang Zhong felt uneasy-not knowing that the enemy's plan was to engage in long-range shooting and lure them in deeper.
He thought the enemy was about to charge in for a meat grinder assault.
In Wang Zhong's ambush position, aside from his 30 T34s, there were only four anti-tank guns and a few anti-tank mines placed on both flanks.
The enemy had deployed nearly 200 tanks. If they charged from all directions, Wang Zhong would definitely regret not placing all the infantry in front of the ambush-though honestly, there wouldn't be enough space, and they'd just become XP for enemy artillery.
Wang Zhong smiled bitterly as he looked down at the enemy's tank formation, thinking that if he had a KV1 in his unit, it might still be playable.
Unfortunately, he didn't.
He continued scanning the enemy's tank formation.
When highlighting enemy units, Wang Zhong's cheat generally didn't display names for each one.
But there were exceptions-for example, if a division commander entered Wang Zhong's vision, they'd get a special highlight.
Sometimes it came with a name, sometimes not-no idea why. But division commanders definitely got special markers, kind of like the red arrows in Brother Cassock's vlog.
Right now, Wang Zhong saw a red arrow.
On the outermost edge of the enemy tank formation, several Type 4 tanks were widely dispersed, looking like the reserve force of the whole offensive.
A red arrow floated right above the tank commander's head as he peeked out for observation.
Huh? That's the enemy's division commander... personally scouting the front line?
Then afraid I'd charge forward for a decapitation strike, so disguised himself as a regular tank commander?
Oh boy, this can't go unpunished.
Wang Zhong turned and picked up the receiver, nodded to the soldier in charge of the phone, and the soldier started frantically cranking the field generator to charge the phone.
Hearing the operator's voice, Wang Zhong said: "Connect me to the artillery regiment."
The call connected instantly.
While in overhead view, Wang Zhong reported the coordinates of the Type 4 tank with the marked guy, and said: "Three rapid shots, no calibration. Just fire. Make sure to blow him to bits."
The artillery regiment was confused: "Blow who to bits?"
"Don't worry about it, just fire!"
"Adjusting firing parameters. Should open fire in about five minutes."
"Hurry up!"
Hanging up the phone, Wang Zhong continued watching the enemy from above, like an eagle eyeing a rabbit running across the plains.
In fact, adjusting firing parameters only took two minutes.
Wang Zhong could already hear the shells ripping through the air!
The target enemy sensed something was wrong and immediately ducked back into the tank, closing the hatch.
In a flash, the first wave of shells landed!
Twenty-four 152mm heavy artillery shells-though they weren't calibrated, the high circular error probability was compensated by the sheer firepower density!
Wang Zhong watched with satisfaction as smoke engulfed that Type 4 tank.
That was just the first wave-when the second wave hit, the smoke from the first strikes still hadn't dissipated, making the scene from overhead look like the same wall being painted over and over by two masters.
At this point, Wang Zhong realized that his 203mm heavy artillery wasn't under the artillery regiment-it was an independent unit, and this strike didn't include the 203!
Oh well, he thought, let's see if we can kill him first-save some shells if we can.
The third wave landed, and Wang Zhong figured that Type 4 tank must be in pieces by now.
As the smoke began to clear, Wang Zhong saw the charred, twisted wreck of the Type 4.
Other tank crew members rushed out, heading for the tank that had received all the attention.
Soon, they dragged out a barely alive body from the tank.
Wang Zhong was speechless-he survived that? Who can you even complain to?
He picked up the receiver, about to call in the 203mm heavy artillery and a second wave of 152mm strikes-when he saw a three-wheeled motorcycle enter his vision, pick up the division commander, and speed away.
Well then, forcing the enemy to switch commanders mid-battle is still a good thing. Let the replacement show off their offensive skills.
Perhaps the enemy was in the middle of handing over command-their deployed armored line just sat there on the plain, unmoving.
Thanks to the Blood Battle Knight for the extra update. That's all for today's update, see you tonight.
(End of Chapter)