Cannon Fire Arc

Karl only then realized that there was a patch of red on his shoulder, and it didn't seem to be the driver's blood.

The moment he realized he was injured, severe pain spread through his brain.

Karl screamed embarrassingly.

This was the memorable first time Lieutenant Karl had participated in a battle.

He cleared his mind, raised his right hand, and held the microphone with his left: "Fire!"

The moment the order was given, Tank 217 opened fire. The enemy's leading vehicle in the approaching column was hit and stopped at 1800 meters, with the second tank crashing into it unsuspectingly.

The Assault Gun Battalion also opened fire, and Lieutenant Karl could see flames rising from the rear of the enemy column.

It seemed that the assault guns were not using the newly issued sub-caliber armor-piercing bullets, but were still loaded with the old ammunition that had an ample charge.

"Keep firing! Don't give them a chance to breathe! They dared to march in enemy territory without sending out scouts, they must pay the price with their lives!"

————

"How many losses?" General Andrei widened his eyes.

"All two hundred tanks were completely lost," said the corps commander of the 20th Tank Army, head lowered, "including the T54s and Rokossovsky Type provided to us for armored confrontation."

General Andrei slumped into his chair: "It's all over. Losing so many modern tanks, His Majesty the Tsar will question me."

The Front Army Chief of Staff suggested, "Although the tank forces were heavily damaged, we can use infantry to encircle. The combat zone is all forest and swamp, tanks might not be effective."

General Andrei: "Nonsense! Didn't the enemy's Stravits group correctly utilize the combination of tanks and infantry to cause us significant casualties?"

The Chief of Staff remained silent.

General Andrei: "Still, we can try, relying on pure infantry and anti-tank guns to complete the encirclement."

————

Northern Army Group Commander Marshal von Lerv sternly looked at the map: "According to the report from Battalion 502, the enemy's breakthrough at the 290th Division's position has been temporarily contained, we have regained control of the highway, but we are still in danger.

"The enemy could use infantry to bypass the forest and swamp at any time. We need to concentrate our superior forces and push back."

The Army Group Chief of Staff: "Our reserves consist only of the Asgard Knight Order's Armored Division, plus the heavily armored battalions 502 and 503; Battalion 502 has 28 heavy tanks ready for battle, Battalion 503 is slightly better with 33 tanks ready.

"With these units—I'm not sure if we can launch a successful counterattack."

Marshal von Lerv: "If we also strengthen with two Infantry Divisions, there shouldn't be a problem, I remember we have two Divisions recuperating in Navajo?"

"Yes. But their resupply situation is awful, in August and September all resupplies were forcibly sent to the Southern Army Group, these two Divisions have recuperated for two months, essentially without receiving any fresh troops aside from the recovered veterans." The Chief of Staff spoke bitterly.

After all, the good-for-nothings in the Southern Army Group got reinforcements from the four Armored Divisions drawn from the Western Front and priority in getting new troops, yet they still collapsed spectacularly, nearly exposing the territories acquired by the Southern Army Group at the start of the war in 914.

Marshal von Lerv: "How many men do these two divisions still have altogether?"

"Sixteen thousand," the Chief of Staff replied, "Originally, according to the replenishment plan, these two divisions should both have returned to ten thousand men strength."

Marshal von Lerv: "A shortfall of 4,000 men is not fatal. Let these two divisions advance to the front line, join the counterattacking combat group, by the 10th, we must thoroughly defeat the enemy's offensive!"

————

"This is a victory!" The Plathen Emperor held the telegram from the Northern Army Group, "Our heavy tanks, with just two against over 20 enemy tanks, achieved an exchange ratio of 22:1! This does not even include the gains from ambushing enemy forces at the defense position!"

The Emperor triumphantly raised the telegram in hand as if boasting to the Marshals and Generals in the room: "Look, using the same equipment, the Northern Army Group achieved a magnificent victory! This shows that it's not an equipment issue, it's the competence of the personnel! Other Army Group commanders, in the future, stop blaming defeat on the enemy's new weapons!

"This also proves that our Tiger King tanks are exceptional! They can completely outclass the Antean counterparts."

Celtic Marshal interjected: "We have only thwarted the enemy's quick advancement of armored forces, it's hardly a brilliant victory yet, right?"

"No, this is a brilliant victory!" The Emperor slapped the telegram in his hand, "The heroic Prosen Armored Troops launched an attack with just two Tiger King tanks against an independent Antean tank brigade and a heavy breakthrough tank group!"

The attending Minister of Propaganda said: "We can finesse the facts a bit without lying, making the public believe we won under the circumstances of 2 against 69."

(The independent Antean tank brigade had 48 tanks, and the heavy breakthrough tank group 21 tanks.)

The Emperor pondered and nodded: "Very well, proceed as such! We're not deceiving the public, we're just omitting to tell them that half of the enemy's tank forces had broken down on poor terrains after a long march."

Celtic Marshal looked towards General Moochi and others, who were the Emperor's newly trusted military officers.

The General averted his gaze.

The Emperor was still crafting his speech: "We must tell the public there will be many successful defensive operations like this, our forces will firmly hold the Anteans, preventing them from entering Prosen territory!