Cannon Fire Arc

Chapter 104: Chapter 24: Bloodbath in Loktov_2

Yegorov explained, “I referred to our experience at Upper Peniye. Once the enemy tanks enter complex terrain, their firing range and observation field are limited, whereas infantry can use their familiarity with the terrain to their advantage, quickly eliminate the tanks’ accompanying infantry, and then use Molotov cocktails to destroy the tanks.”

“This fertilizer plant’s terrain is far more complex than just the Y-shaped road at Upper Peniye. If the enemy dares to enter, we’ll make this fertilizer plant their graveyard!”

————-

The Prosen troops were unaware of Yegorov’s arrangement and did not know that all the anti-tank guns had already left the first line of positions and were standing by in the second line of defense.

They continued to fire at anything that looked like an anti-tank gun.

The fences around the fertilizer plant were thus shot through with many gaps—in fact, these fake gun positions were deliberately arranged so that the Prosen Army would enter the plant through these locations.

As the enemy gradually approached to close combat distance, upon the command of the battalion commander, the infantry that had been hidden behind the tanks spread out to both sides, forming skirmish lines and advancing past the tanks.

They stealthily approached the breaches in the fence just blasted open, then found that there were no anti-tank guns, only sticks, mantlet-shaped decoys, and straw men dressed as gunners.

A sergeant stepped over the sandbags at the fake gun position, only to be cut down by a burst of machine-gun fire.

The machine-gun’s position was very tricky, just out of sight of the tanks outside the wall, which made it impossible for the tanks to fire directly and eliminate it.

The Prosen sergeant leading the troops at the wall habitually threw a smoke bomb.

However, the machine gun did not care about the smoke bomb and kept on with bursts of three shots, continuously blocking the entrance.

In a situation where getting shot didn’t kill you but would leave you crippled, even the brave Prosen soldiers dared not lightly try to cross the kill zone.

The situation at another breach was similar, and the Prussians were thus blocked outside the fence.

At that moment, the Prosen Army’s platoon command tank decided not to wait any longer, took the initiative to act and broke the stalemate; the platoon leader who had been peering out withdrew into the tank turret, and the massive steel beast charged at full power toward a section of wall without any breaches.

It seemed that the platoon leader thought that an intact section of wall surely did not have precisely aimed machine guns blocking it.

The brick wall was directly knocked down, and the steel colossus roared into the yard, only to be greeted by two Molotov cocktails.

The first one was thrown off target and hit the driver’s observation window, with a small amount of burning liquid splashing into the driver’s compartment, which was immediately extinguished by the electrotechnician with a fire extinguisher.

The second hit the tank engine’s air intake and cooling fins very accurately, immediately causing secondary damage as the entire engine caught fire.

The Prussian tank crew reacted quickly, abandoning the tank without waiting for the commander’s order, but as soon as they climbed out of the hatch, they were mowed down by submachine guns.

The tank subsequently blew up.

After the platoon leader “sacrificed himself for the country,” the other tanks immediately stopped.

Then a tank fired a grenade at the wall, blasting a new hole in it.

The tank platoon started firing grenades in rapid succession, quickly leveling a section of the wall.

The accompanying infantry charged in, screaming, only to be swept down by the machine guns placed on the sides.

————-

Wang Zhong watched the battle from a bird’s-eye view and couldn’t help but admire, “Your crossfire setup is excellent.”

“This fertilizer plant has gone through three expansions, each planned separately, leading to incredibly complex terrain. Moreover, most buildings are reinforced concrete, which is why it turned out like this,” Yegorov humbly replied.

Wang Zhong was about to speak when he suddenly noticed a platoon of enemy tanks and accompanying infantry turning to the right, seemingly planning to flank from the north of the chemical plant.

Regardless of the fact that he could not actually see these people from his real vantage point, he immediately asked Yegorov, “The enemy is flanking us from the north! What do we do?”

Yegorov replied, “There’s only a narrow road wide enough for one jump and one carriage over there; if two vehicles meet, they’ll have to have a standoff. I’ve already made arrangements, just watch.”

————-

Vasily’s buddy, the drummer Filippov, immediately retracted upon seeing the Prosen Army tanks and said to his partner, “They’re coming, they’re coming!”

The partner began frantically cranking the generator to charge the detonator.

After about ten turns, the partner touched the switch with his hand, got a shock that made his hair stand on end, and exclaimed, “Done!” then picked up the detonation rod and inserted it into the detonator.

Yes, the detonators produced by the Ante Empire had to be charged on-site because the battery performance was so poor, and whether it was fully charged could only be determined by the pain of being shocked—if it hurt, it was full.

Just… very much in the style of the Ante Empire.

Filippov peeked out again, watching the enemy tank and infantry enter the alley.

He waved vigorously, and his partner twisted the detonator handle hard.

The explosives buried in the road immediately exploded, engulfing the lead tank and accompanying infantry.

“Ura!” someone shouted, and the young soldiers hiding behind the wall hurled their lit Molotov cocktails over the wall.

In an instant, the road turned into a sea of flames.

The tank at the rear tried to reverse and leave this hell, but an agile soldier flipped over the wall, jumped onto the tank, flipped open the hatch and threw in two grenades.

The soldier was immediately mowed down by the Prussians.

More soldiers peeked over the wall, shooting into the alley.

A Prosen squad was thus wiped out in the ambush!

————-

Wang Zhong exclaimed in awe.

Yegorov, unaware that Wang had seen the whole process, comforted him, “Don’t worry, the boys are doing fine; the enemy will be eliminated.”