Cannon Fire Arc-Chapter 801 - 39: Winter Offensive in 916 (8K)
Chapter 801 -39: Winter Offensive in 916 (8K)
November 3rd, Kazarlia First Front Army meets enemy forces, 0730 hrs.
Filippov, hearing the whistling, put down his binoculars.
He had grown accustomed to the sounds of artillery preparation from the battalion headquarters position, but the new military chaplain seemed not yet used to it.
Filippov: “How is it, feeling fresh to hear the cannons firing in the battalion’s bunker?”
“Indeed.” The young priest looked somewhat uncomfortable, continuously fiddling with the Holy Emblem in his left hand, “But I’m more worried about whether I can do this job well, Filippov Davarish. Just last week I was still a company chaplain, this is all moving too fast.”
Filippov: “Three months ago you were a battalion commander, last year a company commander, this is the damn war, you have to adapt, Priest Davarish.”
...
“I’ll try.” The priest continued to toy with the Holy Emblem.
Filippov no longer looked at him, just then the battalion’s artillery also opened fire, the sounds of cannons causing all in the battalion bunker to tremble.
The battalion had been reinforced with a company of SU-76 self-propelled guns, their artillery position was near the battalion bunker.
Amidst the thundering cannons, the phone rang, Filippov answered the receiver: “Battalion headquarters, please speak.”
“Battalion commander, this is First Battalion, the artillery fire is too close to our staging area, what’s going with the gunners? Hit the enemy, please hit the enemy!”
Filippov: “I can only make the battalion’s 76 cannons fire further back, I can’t direct the division and army group artillery, talk to the artillery observer, they can directly contact the senior artillery units, don’t come to me for everything.”
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.
“Alright, Battalion Commander Davarish!”
The call ended there.
Filippov put down the receiver, and the new chaplain asked: “The artillery fire is not accurate?”
“Yes, perhaps the wind today is stronger than anticipated, these things the artillery observer should first relay to the artillery unit.”
Priest: “Maybe it’s also their first time guiding such large-scale artillery fire, lacking experience.”
“Possible.” Filippov sighed.
————
First Battalion Commander Prokofov burst into the artillery observation post, shouting at the observer behind the Artillery Mirror: “What are you doing, army group’s artillery is almost hitting our staging area, quickly correct their impact points!”
The officer in charge of this observation post was a Lieutenant Colonel, holding a higher rank than Major Prokofov, he responded with authority: “Please do not interfere with our work!”
“Please don’t take our lives!” Prokofov retorted, “The artillery preparation still has two hours to go, who knows if shells will fall on our staging area then. The enemy has not begun counter-battery fire, and we’re being bombed by our own!”
Artillery Lieutenant Colonel: “All firing data was measured in advance, and verified by test fires, it cannot—”
Prokofov grabbed the Lieutenant Colonel, pulling him in front of the Artillery Mirror: “Don’t you have eyes? Can’t you see the impact point?”
Just then, the observer responsible for the Artillery Mirror spoke up: “It seems off, but I—I’m afraid it’s my own misperception—”
“What?” the Lieutenant Colonel exclaimed, pushing the Lieutenant observer aside, he himself looked through the lens of the Artillery Mirror, “I’ll see—Bolushkin you fool, how could this be a misperception? Immediately call the army group artillery headquarters.”
The communications officer by the phone picked up the receiver, and a few seconds later reported: “Connected.”
Lieutenant Colonel: “Shooting correction—”
Lieutenant Bolushkin tried handing over his tool to the Lieutenant Colonel but was pushed away.
The Lieutenant Colonel, relying purely on experience and the scales on the Artillery Mirror, reported a series of correction parameters.
Five minutes later, he stepped away from the Artillery Mirror, telling Prokofov: “Take a look, Battalion Commander Davarish, now your soldiers won’t be hit by friendly fire.”
Prokofov leaned towards the Artillery Mirror, observed for a few seconds and said: “Very good, Lieutenant Colonel Davarish, I’m glad your professional skills haven’t grown rusty. I thought our batch of artillery cadets turned infantry had all declined.”
Lieutenant Colonel: “In fact, it has declined quite a bit, the Prosens particularly like to attack artillery observation posts, their tanks target the artillery observation posts as a priority, even over anti-tank guns.”
Prokofov gave up the Artillery Mirror, telling the Lieutenant Colonel: “Good news is, we recently found that the Prosens are starting to have more green soldiers too, last week I personally led a patrol and captured three kids who looked no older than seventeen.”
“After three years, they’re finally mobilizing green soldiers to the battlefield.” The Lieutenant Colonel looked outside the observation post, “I’ve already sent away so many kids.”
Prokofov fell silent, as an infantryman he had sent away even more kids.
————
On the Prosen army position, Sergeant Andreas ducked into a bomb shelter, silently smoking.
Kosolek was sharing his experiences with the new soldiers: “Antean artillery barrages usually last two hours, and after the barrage stops, sometimes they send a sudden short volley, intended to hit those of us who have entered the positions.”
“Short volleys may not always occur, but the enemy’s infantry will definitely start moving from their staging area after the artillery preparation. So we need to get into position, if we’re covered by the short volley, just consider it bad luck.”
One of the new recruits asked: “So, if we’re killed by the short volley, doesn’t that mean the enemy takes our position?”
“No, afterchaft
