Arc of Fire

Chapter 821: Chapter 43: Lieutenant Karl’s Raid (8.5K)_4

An hour later, Lieutenant Karl returned to his tank squadron on bicycle.

He leaned the bike against a tree next to Tank No. 217 and said to the gunner, “Remember to remind me after the battle to put this bicycle on the tank and take it with us.”

The gunner grumbled, “Damn, it’s weird enough that Captain Vigil from the first company wants to tie a chair to the top of the tank, and now you’re bringing a bicycle!”

Lieutenant Karl replied, “You stopped me from bringing a BMW motorcycle, and I accepted your point. A bicycle won’t exactly ‘explode its fuel tank,’ will it?”

"That certainly won’t happen,” the gunner said, sulking.

Lieutenant Karl announced, “All squad leaders gather. I’ve thoroughly scouted the situation in the village.”

Soon, the seven squad leaders gathered next to Tank No. 217, looking at the village map hand-drawn by Karl with a pencil.

"The enemy is complacent, without any sentry lines established, and there are no tanks on duty. I observed the smokestacks of their tanks, none are on duty!”

According to the Prosen Army’s customary practice, when a tank company is camped in a combat state, there would be two tanks on duty, maintaining their engines in operating condition without being in gear.

In the event of an emergency, these two tanks could be immediately deployed.

This rule was established when tanks could only be started by hand cranking, requiring two to three crew members to work together and crank for a long time to get the tank started.

Now, Prosen tanks all have electric starters, but they often malfunction, so cranking by hand to start the tanks remains a required skill for Prosen Tank Operators.

But for the sake of cost reduction, Antean tanks have no electric starters at all; they are all hand-cranked to start.

(The Anteans’ electric starter technology is probably not as reliable as that of the Prosens, and since the Prosens’ starters often have issues—so the Anteans don’t bother with electric starters.)

Prosen Tank Operators are very familiar with their adversaries’ tanks, some have even operated T34s, so they were all shocked to hear from Karl that the Anteans had no tanks on duty.

"So if we launch a surprise attack, they will have to hand-crank start their tanks, right?”

"That won’t be sorted out in less than a minute, will it?”

Lieutenant Karl said, “There’s something even more ridiculous. I saw their Tank Operators go into houses, eating meals prepared by the locals.”

The tank operators fell silent.

Lieutenant Karl continued, “I plan to immediately attack the enemy while they’re dining. To avoid alarming them, we’ll only use two tanks, so the noise from the engines and gearboxes will be lower, fostering their complacency.

"We will attack from the east. Most of the enemy’s turrets are turned southwest, so by the time they spot us and start turning their turrets—since the engines are not running—they will have to hand-crank, which will be very slow, giving us several minutes’ window.”

The deputy squadron leader said, “Bold plan, let me go with you.”

"No, Koscher will come with me. You stay to command the remaining six vehicles. Once we succeed in the surprise attack, I want you to move to the east side of the highway, aim at the main road, and prepare to snipe at any enemy tanks retreating from the village. You’ll be able to hit their flanks.”

Lieutenant Karl gestured on his hand-drawn village map with his pencil.

The deputy squadron leader acknowledged, “Yes, sir.”

"Did the battalion reinforce our communications company?”

"Not yet, commander,” the deputy squadron leader replied.

"Tell the infantry, once the communications company’s medium wave vehicles arrive, to come and find me.”

Lieutenant Hansen said, “You seem to have anticipated that the surprise attack will be successful.”

"I have this premonition.”

Lieutenant Karl folded the map, “All right, Koscher, start the tank and come with me. The rest of you start your tanks after we open fire.”

"Yes, sir!”

Lieutenant Hansen asked, “What do you need from our infantry? We can scrape together a squad of veteran submachine gunners.”

"No, not for now. I didn’t see any infantry in the village, not a single one,” Lieutenant Karl said.

Lieutenant Hansen inquired, “What’s the deal with the enemy? Disconnected from their infantry, no tanks on duty, all tanks extinguished, are they here to fight a war or here for a holiday?”

Lieutenant Karl replied, “Perhaps they think victory is within grasp and have let their guard down.”

At the same time, in Marinka Village.

The proud commander of the 11th Heavy Breakthrough Tank Regiment said to the farm lady hosting him, “Anna, the war is about to end. We can push through to Plowsonia in one go. Marshal Rocossov has said that the war could be over by this Christmas!

"You haven’t given in to the Pulosen Ghosts for so many years. Now it’s time you found yourself a husband.”

Anna laughed, “But I want to find a hero with the Venus medal, or at least from the Guards.”

"We’re about to be Guards!” the laughing sergeant gunner who was eating bread in the room said, “This time we can round up Donar’s three hundred thousand Sen Army! No one except Marshal Rocossov has fought such a large encirclement battle before! Our General Andrei will become the second to be promoted to Marshal in Ante, and we will become Guards.”

The commander also laughed, “That’s exactly it. When we broke through the enemy’s line, it was like slicing melons and cutting vegetables. I feel like the Prosens are going to crumble as they did in the year 914!”

Anna’s expression dimmed, “The year 914

The commander noticed Anna’s expression and hurriedly asked, “Your husband, did he

"He was one of those who perished in 914. Do you see that star at the doorstep? When the troops were defeated, the local Church couldn’t distribute a single star to us the families of the deceased in time, so I made one myself and hung it on the front door, hoping that the Prosens would come shoot me.”