Cannon Fire Arc-Chapter 800 - 38 Christmas Offensive_2

Chapter 800: Chapter 38 Christmas Offensive_2

Wang Zhong: “It’s still better to limit it to one cup a day. I’m sticking to one cup a day now.”

Marshal Gorky, looking utterly unwilling: “It’s just a bit of sweet water, is it really necessary? I think I should eat less sausage at every meal.”

Wang Zhong naturally steered the conversation from small talk to the current state of the war: “Any major moves from the Western Front Army this winter?”

“No. We suffered greater losses than you did in the summer campaign. Some divisions have been reduced to 5,000 men. I discussed with the Chief of Staff that if we continue suffering such losses, it would be hard to sustain, so we’ve decided to take the next half a year to train the troops, at least to make them last longer in battle.

“As for the frontline, we plan to launch a series of division-level offensives aimed at equalizing the front, so we can reduce the number of troops that stay in direct contact with the enemy on the front line.

“I expect other Front Army Commanders share similar thoughts. Sure, the enemy’s losses were huge this year, but we’ve thinned out too.

...

“Also, it would be good to take a little break on the international front, right?”

Wang Zhong had been pacing in the map room, but he stopped when he heard this: “You’re well-informed, Comrade Marshal Gorky.”

“It was Journalist Mike who told me. I thought you had him tell me.” Marshal Gorky took out a cigarette, “They want to hold a meeting in the capital of Mamluk, but because the journey is too far, they didn’t invite us. Is that right? Now, we have the most gains against Prosen, while the Allied Forces have been driven off Sardinian shores twice! Once in the south and once in Ankrella.”

Wang Zhong: “But the Allies have substantial victories in the Pacific, so they should be returning to Borneo next year.”

Marshal Gorky: “They wouldn’t be thinking of monopolizing the Empire of Fusang’s homeland, would they? If so, we should just take over the whole of Prosen, no, the whole of Europa!”

Wang Zhong: “If we continue to annihilate Prosen forces on a large scale, the Allied Forces’ landings will always succeed. Even an Erwin Rommel genius can’t stop the Allies when they’re outmatched.

“There’s an old saying in Ceres, ‘you can’t make bricks without straw’.”

Marshal Gorky suddenly showed a look of sudden realization.

Seeing his expression, Wang Zhong thought damn, what did you realize? Could you let me in on it?

Marshal Gorky: “So that’s why you postponed the attack! Militarily, it’s to amass strength for next summer’s offensive, but at the same time, it’s to give the Empire of Prosen a breather and not give the Allies a chance to exploit a gap! Brilliant!”

Wang Zhong: “That’s right, you’ve finally figured it out!”

Vasily: “Aren’t they our allies? Is it appropriate to scheme against them like this?”

Popov: “Don’t worry, there are no liaison officers from the Allied Forces in this room right now.”

Wang Zhong: “Vasily, remember, there are no eternal enemies, no eternal friends, only eternal interests. Besides, it wasn’t us who schemed first.

“Last winter, during the most dangerous time of the Battle of Abawahan, the Allies had two methods to help us. One was to land in the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the other was to send troops directly from Balas to the north, where they could join the battle right after disembarking.

“But they didn’t. They just wanted the two continental giants to bleed each other dry, preferably both sides losing heavily.

“However, we won the Battle of Abawahan, transitioning to a strategic offensive, freeing so much territory in one year, and they became anxious and landed in Sardinia.

“Leaving the Federation aside, the United Kingdom is really crafty, that Prime Minister Leonard has lots of schemes.”

Actually, Wang Zhong had a fairly good impression of this chubby Leonard in this timeline, but since he stood from the perspective of the United Kingdom, he had to be a bad guy filled with schemes.

As Wang Zhong finished speaking, a clamor arose from outside. Just as he looked up, he saw the commanders of the Front Army walking in one after another.

Marshal Gorky said, “Look at this, so many marshals and generals gathered in one room, just missing a Tsar and we could recreate the scene at Ante Army Headquarters on the eve of Austerlitz.”

Wang Zhong’s sensitive chord was plucked, and he immediately said, “Then I should give a call to my sister, so she would be considered present.”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Marshal Gorky was the first to stop laughing, his gaze fixed on Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong continued, “But let’s forget it, the future Ante does not need a Tsar, and Olga probably prefers to live as an ordinary girl, as my sister, right?”

Vasily added, “Moreover, we defeated them at Austerlitz. If not for General Bagration’s efforts, our entire army might have been annihilated.”

Wang Zhong responded, “Exactly. Although the Secular faction opposes such superstitious notions, the battlefield is sometimes this strange. Since everyone is here, let’s immediately begin our discussion on the deployment for the winter campaign!”

At this point, General Andrei from the Saint Andrew Regional Army said, “Our army tried to recapture Navar during the summer but failed and suffered heavy casualties.

“The enemy’s 502nd Heavy Armored Battalion’s new heavy tanks wiped out a large number of our armored troops. Even at Marino Foka, two enemy heavy tanks annihilated one of our tank brigades and one tank destroyer brigade in an attack, and even the previously ‘invincible’ Whirlwind was defeated.

“Our tankers were completely frightened by the enemy’s tank troops. Unless we can get enough of the new Rokossovsky Type tanks and T54s, we have no confidence to launch a new offensive.”

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

Wang Zhong reassured, “Don’t worry, we have already revised the combat manual for the Armored Troops. The task of engaging the Pulosian armored units in combat falls to the newly equipped tanks and anti-tank weapons of the independent armored brigades, while the main armored forces’ task is to bully the enemy’s infantry units.

“The new combat manual will be distributed throughout the army on a large scale this winter, and more than 20 armored brigades have been organized according to the new manual!”

In reality, there were only 18, and nearly half of them were still not fully staffed, but Wang Zhong said this to boost the commanders’ morale.

General Andrei asked, “Can we ensure that each army has enough independent armored brigades to deal with the enemy’s armored forces before launching the winter offensive? I’ve heard that over a third of the existing armored brigades are still understrength?”

Wang Zhong fixed his eyes on General Andrei. Last year he was still a Vice Admiral and had dealings with the general, who would only pull his troops back behind the Suhayaweili River and set up defenses along it.

Now, Wang Zhong himself was a marshal, and he was still a general, but he also became one of the “giants” commanding one of the five great regional armies of Ante.

Wang Zhong felt just like watching the clown Baki become one of the Four Emperors in One Piece before his transmigration; it was simply ridiculous.

However, what General Andrei said was true; it was indeed impossible to fully staff all the independent armored brigades during the winter, at least not before January of next year.

Wang Zhong replied, “You’re right, General Andrei, so we will not be conducting large-scale offensive operations this winter. Please look at this map; we will carry out a series of brief offensives in winter, aiming to straighten the front line and secure better positions for a future offensive.”

General Ivan Stepanovich from the Kazarlia Second Front Army asked, “Wouldn’t this give the Empire of Pulosian a chance to breathe?”

Wang Zhong replied, “Of course, but our lack of manpower and equipment limits us.”

Marshal Gorky said, “Ivan, the brilliance of this decision will be explained to you at dinner tonight. You will be amazed by the audacious wisdom behind it!”

Wang Zhong was sweating bullets; hold your tongue, Marshal Gorky.

To avoid being seen as embarrassed by others, Wang Zhong continued: “Due to the scale of the winter campaign, we will not name operations after famous generals as before. The name I’ve given to the winter operation is: Christmas Offensive.”