Cannon Fire Arc

Several minutes later, having received complete instructions, Major Romanov of the 21st Heavy Tank Battalion saluted Wang Zhong, "General, I salute you for the last time!"

Wang Zhong replied, "Not the last time, return alive!"

The Major smiled, "That depends if the Prosens are willing. They've equipped new anti-tank guns, and the armor of the KV isn't as reliable as last year."

Wang Zhong could only say, "Coordinate fully with the infantry, make the most of the rough terrain; the enemy's anti-tank guns won't easily reach you."

"Understood," the Major saluted Wang Zhong again, "I'm leaving."

Wang Zhong solemnly returned the salute and then watched as the Major departed.

Pavlov remarked, "The KV, last year a single KV could block the enemy for a whole day and night. Now, in the face of the rapidly improving enemy anti-tank firepower, it's simply a target. So when can we see the heavy tanks you proposed?"

Wang Zhong shook his head, "How would I know? I'm just the one who proposes requirements. How and when they will be realized, that's up to the designers below."

After all, Wang Zhong's external help had nothing to do with military production, and although he studied science, he had no ability to manually create various military equipment.

If the luck was bad, the design requirements that Wang Zhong proposed in August might not materialize for two years, and the deployment in battle would still not compare to Earth's IS-2 and T-3485.

Wang Zhong waved his hand, "I'm off to do reconnaissance. I leave the headquarters to you, old friend."

Pavlov responded, "Don't worry. If it's just about continually sending troops to the front line, I can handle that better than you."

——
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When Wang Zhong arrived at the Air Force Reconnaissance Group's location, the pilots were all startled and stood up abruptly, "General! What brings you here?"

Wang Zhong explained, "I've come to borrow a plane to take off; you'd know by seeing Amelia behind me."

The pilots looked at each other, and finally, the group leader asked, "Isn't it said that the enemy is attacking? And you're leaving the headquarters at this time?"

Wang Zhong explained, "My Chief of Staff and I have a clear division of labor, during enemy attacks, he is responsible for continuously sending reinforcements to the front line. He handles that better than I do; I have no need to interfere. So, I'm here for reconnaissance to find the enemy's weaknesses and change the whole situation."

"Oh, I see," the pilots nodded in understanding.

Amelia asked, "Which reconnaissance plane is ready?"

"They are all ready, but as you see, the airport is busy dispatching bombers to support the front lines, and they don't have time to refuel our reconnaissance planes or load ammunition for the planes' machine guns and cannons."

Wang Zhong commanded, "Just say it's my order, refuel and load ammunition into the best-conditioned aircraft. Also, I want the Fourth Attack Aircraft Group to dispatch a P47 squadron for escort, each aircraft carrying two 1000-pound bombs."

"You are the Front Army Commander, your orders stand."

Just then, a Jeep with the Air Force insignia drove up swiftly to Wang Zhong, skidding to a stop. The Air Force Commander, like being thrown from the vehicle, got off and stood at attention saluting Wang Zhong, "General! Headquarters called to say you were coming, so I quickly made it here from the Air Force Command bunker!"

Wang Zhong corrected, "Call me Commander Dawasili, as for General— we both are generals, it gets confusing to others."

"Yes, Commander Davarish! What instructions do you have?"

Wang Zhong: "Refuel the reconnaissance plane and load it with ammunition. Also, choose the Fourth Attack Aircraft Regiment for escort this time. I'll find a way to signal the target to them so they can have a blast!"

Air Force Commander: "We can attach a smoke grenade to it, won't add much weight. When dropped, it will create colored smoke, perfect for indicating targets to the air squad."

Wang Zhong: "Will it not affect the dive bombers' targeting?"

"It won't, it's not that thick of smoke, more like a colorful streamer. It's what we've been using to prevent the Prosens from targeting, their ground troops use this to signal to the Stuka," the Air Force Commander excitedly said, but his excitement visibly cooled off immediately.

He sighed and continued, "We've already issued some of these to the frontline troops, but they've barely used them or failed to communicate well with the bombers!"

Wang Zhong knew without thinking that they had given the smoke grenades to inexperienced temporary Infantry Divisions.

Wang Zhong: "Next time, try assigning it to the Naval Infantry, they are educated, proactive, and know how to use advanced equipment."

Air Force Commander: "Okay, I'll give it a try. Also, the planes will be ready in half an hour! During this time, please head to the Air Force Headquarters, so any news from the Front Army can reach you immediately."

Wang Zhong: "No need, I have my walkie-talkie with me. If real trouble arises, Chief of Staff Pavlov will call me. I'd rather stay with the warriors. I mean, with the pilots."

"We are also your warriors," proudly stated the leader of the reconnaissance plane team, "You are already our role model. You brought back so much intelligence after just one reconnaissance, and even captured clear photos of the targets. Our Military Bishop has even started a campaign to learn from you."

The leader looked towards the man dressed as a priest.

The Bishop immediately said, "General, look at this! We've created a points table, anyone who captures a valuable target will have their photo displayed here and the whole crew will earn points! Once you accumulate enough points, you can apply for medals!"

Wang Zhong listened with interest, then suddenly interrupted, "It can't just be medals as rewards. Vodka and cigarettes should be given too. We've already gotten through last year, which was the hardest, so surely we have enough vodka and cigarettes!"

The priest hesitated: "We are pilots, our treatment is much better than the infantry, we are already supplied with cigarettes and vodka."

Wang Zhong laughed: "Well, it sounds like you guys have it even better than me!"

"That can't be; you have a Ceres chef! It's all over the place lately," the speaking pilot winked, glancing around before continuing, "that chef, with a block of tofu or an eggplant, can cook something that smells so good the whole street can smell it!"

Wang Zhong thought exactly, the braised tofu and eggplant were indeed cooked on high heat, making the smell quite potent.

Suddenly, an idea struck him: "Well then, whoever accumulates enough points, I'll have my Ceres chef cook a meal for you, I'll join you, and have my orderly serve the drinks!"

The noisy pilots immediately quieted down, looking at Wang Zhong.

The leader of the flight regiments, speaking for everyone, asked, "Really?"

Without waiting for Wang Zhong's reply, a pilot shouted, "Can we dance with your orderly?"

Wang Zhong: "That's not possible!"

That orderly is mine! I might not be running a harem, but dancing is off-limits!

But then Wang Zhong quickly added, "However, you can dance with the nurses from the field hospital!"

The pilots cheered, but someone still wasn't satisfied: "What about the girls from the laundry team?"

Wang Zhong: "Dance with them as well!"

"Ura!" the pilots cheered in unison.

At that moment, a ground service Major ran over and saluted, "Report, General! The aircraft is ready! Fully fueled and armed, here's the checklist. Please have the sortie pilots sign it!"

Amelia took the checklist, "I need to see it myself. But please, General, come with us."

"Alright!" Wang Zhong decisively nodded and before leaving, he turned to the Military Bishop, "This competition is going well! We should promote it! Moreover, I think we can have the Fourth and Fifth Attack Aircraft Regiments compete to see who can destroy more trains. We can even include the fighters!"

"Yes!" The Military Bishop saluted Wang Zhong, as if he had been given an extremely important task.

————

Thirty minutes later, Wang Zhong was flying over the West Bank of the Valdai Hills River.

To avoid the small caliber anti-aircraft guns of the Prosens, Amelia flew at an altitude of 3000 meters.

The P47 fighters were ready to dive down from 5000 meters to drop bombs.

Additionally, from the conversation over the radio, there should be a squadron of Yaks nearby engaged with the enemy; they probably hadn't noticed Wang Zhong's aircraft and the P47s in the air.

In Wang Zhong's earphones, he could hear frantic shouts from the pilots: "Sergey! Bank right! Bank right! The enemy is behind you!"

"Where did he go? I've lost the target!"

"Misha, don't follow! Let him go if he's climbing!"

"I can't return, Ivan, I can't return."

Although Wang Zhong was continuously scouting the ground, hearing these conversations was distressing.

The Air Force fighter units were still flying a modified version of the Yak-1. Once the new engines he negotiated from the Federation arrived later this year, they could upgrade and give the pilots the "low-altitude perpetual motion machine" known as Yak-3.

He silently wished these pilots good luck, and meanwhile, he marked the position of the enemy's riverbank observation post on the aviation map and casually took a photo.

At that moment, Amelia spoke through the internal communication, "Last time your scouting was frighteningly accurate, so you're really one of my kind, aren't you?"

Wang Zhong replied, "No, I was just going by intuition, feeling that something was off there."

"I also rely on intuition, knowing there are enemies three kilometers away," Amelia responded with a laugh, "You don't have to play dumb with me. Maybe, I'm the only one in this world who can truly understand you."

Wang Zhong just smiled.

Suddenly, Amelia exclaimed, "Wait! I sense something! I need to deviate from our current flight path!"

Wang Zhong asked, "What's wrong? Did you sense a high-value enemy target?"

"No, I sensed a target of great value to you."

She didn't wait for Wang Zhong's permission and banked right, flying towards the East Bank of the Valdai Hills River.

Wang Zhong looked puzzled, and over the radio, the Fourth Assault Aviation Regiment asked, "What's going on? You're deviating, General!"

Wang Zhong responded, "Follow me, and don't lose track. Amelia mentioned a target of great value to me."

"Look down!"

The aircraft tilted, allowing Wang Zhong to easily view the ground through the cockpit glass.

Looking down, he saw a blonde girl with arms wide open, as if embracing the sky.

Even without switching to an overhead view, Wang Zhong knew whom he saw.

Ludmila, the love of my life.

————

Ludmila didn't pay much attention when she saw the bomber, but suddenly, she felt something.

She looked up, staring at the aircraft growing bigger.

Then she started running.

Due to enemy bombings reducing transport capacity, non-essential personnel like her were asked to walk the last fifty kilometers.

Of course, as the wife of the Front Army Commander, Ludmila could have received special treatment, but she chose to walk the last stretch with the young nurses.

Now, she ran onto a roadside mound, opened her arms wide, and shouted to the sky, "Hey! I'm here!"

The plane swept over her head, its engine stirring her long hair wildly in the wind.

The moment lasted less than a second before the sound of the engine swiftly faded away.

But Ludmila stood on the mound, laughing heartily.

Nelly, puzzled, climbed up the mound, "Who's on the plane?"

"There's..."

Just then, the aircraft circled back, dancing through the air like a fairy.

Ludmila covered her mouth but still laughed out loud.

————

Wang Zhong, watching the ground, whispered softly, "Alright, let's not delay the reconnaissance mission."

Amelia complained, "Damn, I can't believe I'm helping one man court another woman."

Wang Zhong thanked her, "Thank you for your fairy dance. I really appreciate it."

Speaking, he used the bird's-eye view to look at Ludmila on the ground and murmured to himself:

—This is the most romantic thing I can do for you on this cold, cruel battlefield.