Cannon Fire Arc-Chapter 745 - 2 Rokossovsky Faction’s Gathering

Chapter 745: Chapter 2 Rokossovsky Faction’s Gathering

Wang Zhong: “Your Majesty, please don’t do this in formal settings, at this time you should use military titles, military titles.”

“Alright.” Olga stepped back, adjusted her disheveled clothes, and assumed a formal posture, “Marshal Rokossov, is the sanctification ceremony proceeding smoothly?”

“Very smoothly, Your Majesty.”

Olga: “From now on, you should set an example, leading our forces to even more victories!”

Wang Zhong slightly furrowed his brow, thinking that His Majesty the Tsar was not very good at making such ceremonial remarks, wondering if she had ever properly learned from her teachers when she was young.

Olga: “Don’t make that face, this kind of ceremonial speech is just to be dealt with briefly. After all, I won’t be the Tsar much longer, but I will be your dry sister for a very long time.”

...

As she said this, the state ladies following her all turned pale.

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Belinsky joked, “Your Majesty is quite the jester.”

Olga: “Isn’t that so? After all, even for a major event like my dry brother’s sanctification, you didn’t include me. Rest assured, Grand Patriarch, I have already thought about how to proceed in the future.”

Wang Zhong noticed that Cardinal Ravkid looked very serious.

Could it be that the head of the Tribunal was worried that Olga might take the opportunity to defect to the Federation while going to Balas?

Wang Zhong hastily added, “In Balas, Your Majesty will always be with me, of course, if the Tribunal is worried, they can also dispatch an escort to accompany us.”

Cardinal Ravkid: “We will certainly dispatch an escort, not just that, but we’ve already established a comprehensive intelligence network in Balas. Not even a fly could slip past us.”

Olga: “Cardinal Ravkid always thinks so thoroughly.”

Wang Zhong chimed in: “Yes, ensuring the stability of the rear, the Tribunal’s contribution is indispensable.”

Ravkid adjusted his glasses but did not respond.

Belinsky: “Gentlemen, since Marshal Rokossov returned from the front, you two haven’t had much time to gather together. The ceremony is completely over now, you can manage your own time.”

Wang Zhong immediately said to Olga: “Your Majesty, my wife is hosting a tea party at the manor this afternoon, if you’re available—”

“I am available.” Olga glanced at Ludmila and smiled, “I must attend my sister-in-law’s tea party. Let’s go then.”

————

As the pressure at the front lines diminished, Wang Zhong no longer despised court social events as much he used to.

And the tea party arranged by Ludmila wasn’t just a simple courtly social event, as it was attended by noble ladies from Yeburg and the “Rokossovsky Faction” officers currently in Yeburg.

Most of the officers from the “Rokossovsky Faction” came from common backgrounds, including sons of cobblers and tinsmiths, which wasn’t typical for courtly gatherings.

It was less of a tea party for the old nobility officers who now hardly dared to attend, fearing isolation. This would result in losing the support of “their own people” and they could not blend into the new factions, something the calculative nobles would not risk.

It was said that General Tugenev was now placing officers from the Aristocratic faction in embassies in Allied Nations and Neutral Countries, letting them serve as military attachés, or simply find excuses to go abroad.

While this move seemed to aid these aristocratic officers in defecting, objectively, it was clearing out Ante’s military ranks, uniting them.

Thus, the Church’s Tribunal also tacitly approved of this, considering that the most outrageous of those noble officers had been purged almost completely after the victorious defense of Yeburg during the first winter.

Once the tea party began, the officers all gathered in the lounge next to the tea room.

Wang Zhong looked at General Gorky: “Do you really have to wear the general’s epaulettes?”

“Actually, I was hoping to achieve a breakthrough on the central front and to recapture some of our territory before accepting the promotion. Now look, I’ve been the Commander of the Western Front Army for over a year, and the front has moved just a bit. The new territories we occupy look like they’ve been gnawed at by dogs.”

General Gorky shook his head: “Giving me a marshal’s rank under these circumstances, what will the soldiers think, what will the officers think? Tugenev is putting me on the spot.”

Kiriyenko: “There are forests and mountains in between, and overall troop density is higher, it’s not your fault, comrade General. General Tugenev also said that the terrain in Kazarlia determines that our counter-offensive would definitely start from here.”

General Ivan Stepanovich added: “Now the enemy has formed a salient. If we find an opportunity, we can cut off this salient and surround it. However, after careful scouting, it seems challenging to cut off this salient considering the enemy defenses facing my Front Army.”

After the liberation of She City, General Ivan Stepanovich’s Shepetovka Front Army was reorganized as the Second Kazarlian Front Army, currently responsible for defending the north of She City and the boundary with the enemy’s Central Army Group.

Wang Zhong: “My plan is to first liberate all of Kazarlia, then proceed through Melania to the Baltic Sea, cutting off the enemy’s Central and Northern Army Groups altogether.

“I’ve discussed this idea with General Gorky several times already.”

General Gorky: “This will be an unprecedented encirclement, we are going to annihilate both the enemy’s Central Army Group and Northern Army Group in one fell swoop. If successful, Prosen will have no more troops left to fight!”

The officers expressed one after another, “That’s fantastic, if we can actually accomplish this, the humiliation of being annihilated in the millions at the start of the war could be completely washed away.”

“We will also be able to annihilate a large number of Prosens, and their theory of racial superiority can go to hell!”

At that moment, Kashuk suddenly said, “This intent is too obvious, the Prosens cannot possibly be unaware of our plan. Besides, Melania has been occupied by Prosen for nearly six years, they’ve fortified it heavily over time.

“Furthermore, after the battlefield is compressed, the density of Prosen troops will increase, and with the highly urbanized combat area, our previous tactic of cavalry penetration might not be usable.

“Will this plan really go smoothly?”

The officers who had just been singing praises stopped.

Wang Zhong: “Actually, there is another direction we can choose—we could attack Moravia.”

Kashuk: “That area is mountainous, our tank units won’t be very useful. I have a feeling that next year’s battle will not be easy.”

Another officer chimed in, “Next year we will be fighting on Prosen soil. The enemy will probably defend their homeland as desperately as we would.”

The generals all fell silent.

Wang Zhong: “Have you noticed that the quality of Prosen troops is declining?”

“Indeed,” General Gorky immediately agreed. “During the summer offensive, we found many inexperienced recruits. However, due to Prosen’s military tradition, these recruits, firstly, participated in scout camps when they were young, and secondly, served in military engineering units for Prosen before being conscripted, so overall their quality is higher than our mobilized soldiers.”

Kiriyenko: “Their replenishment rate is very slow. Each division can only receive one replacement battalion each quarter, and some of the divisions we wiped out had only a third of their full complement.”

Another general added, “Yes, my Army Group destroyed three enemy infantry divisions. According to the documents captured, these divisions had only 70% of their strength before the start of the summer campaign.”

Another person noted, “Our prisoners complain that a large number of troops are being used to form new divisions. Veterans who should have returned to duty after recovery are also being pulled into new divisions, which reduces the overall troop strength and the proportion of experienced soldiers.”

General Gorky summed up, “The enemy’s war potential is being exhausted. The entire Federation’s population and industrial capabilities far surpass that of Prosen and their allies. We will win the final victory.

“That was something Marshal Rocossov predicted two and a half years ago.”

Everyone looked at Wang Zhong.

Kiriyenko raised his glass: “To Marshal Davarish, cheers!”

Together, everyone raised their glasses: “Cheers!”

Wang Zhong: “This is a tea party, is it appropriate to drink alcohol?”

“You had your servants bring up the drinks, still fretting about this?” General Gorky retorted.

Wang Zhong: “That’s true, cheers!”

When Russians say cheers, it’s truly cheers—regardless of what’s in the glass or how much, it’s all downed in one gulp.

The waitstaff were sharp too, quickly coming over to retrieve empty glasses when they saw everyone toasting.

General Gorky asked, “I heard you’ve set up a special school for war orphans?”

Wang Zhong: “Yes, their parents shed their last drop of blood for Mother Ante, I can’t allow these children to lead miserable lives. I want to give them the best education, they will be the pillars of post-war society.”

Kashuk: “I propose a toast to the fallen soldiers.”

Just then, waitstaff arrived carrying trays full of wine.

Everyone picked up a drink, “Cheers!”

After drinking, General Gorky said, “Actually, before considering next year’s offensive, what should be considered first is crossing the Dibo River. I think it was unwise for General Rocossovsky to stop advancing after occupying the East Bank of the Dibo River. We should take advantage of the enemy’s instability, forcibly cross the river, and establish several beachhead positions to hold until the offensive begins.”

Wang Zhong: “Beachhead positions are unable to construct strong defensive fortifications, facing enemy fire would lead to heavy losses. We have other ways to strengthen the crossing of the Dibo River.

“I have concentrated a large number of Federation-supported Dragon trailers, they are working day and night to transport boats from places like the Coastal Fortress to the Dibo River shores.”

General Gorky laughed: “First, you named the assault tanks ‘Ulban,’ now dry-land boats. I thought you wanted to be Caesar, Augustus, but it turns out you want to be Sultan.”

Wang Zhong: “It’s just a coincidence. After the preparations are complete, we will launch a forceful crossing of the Dibo River. This attack will use your strategy, General Gorky, launching a full-frontal assault—for this, we need a large number of ferries, which is why they’re named ‘dry-land boats.’

“After breaking through at the enemy’s weak points, the cavalry and armored troops will quickly penetrate the enemy’s lines and attack their rear, thoroughly disrupting their supply lines.”