Three days later, Yegorov and Eugene's troops had completely occupied Bogdanovka.
Wang Zhong finally saw the captured No. 4 Tank Destroyer at the Headquarters.
"The Prosens have adopted a new type of armor-piercing shell," explained the engineer responsible for analysis, holding a Prosen "New Armor-Piercing Bullet" while briefing Wang Zhong, "We had similar ideas that could effectively enhance armor penetration without changing the caliber or shell length, and it's also less likely to be deflected by the armor's curvature."
Wang Zhong followed up: "But the after-effect upon penetration is significantly reduced, right?"
In fact, Wang Zhong had used this type of shell in War Thunder, noticing that its killing effect was obviously inferior to standard armor-piercing shells.
The engineer confird: "Exactly, after all, there's much less explosive charge, and the damage mainly relies on the fragnts produced after penetration. Before analyzing the captured Tank Destroyer, we reviewed the ambush scene where 110 T34Ws were destroyed and found that only fifteen percent were burnt down, and a considerable number of tanks could be repaired."
No sooner had the engineer finished than Vasily intervened: "No, no, our precious repair capabilities are all focused on repairing Rokossovsky Type I and T54s, there's simply no manpower left for T34Ws."
For other countries, it might be more cost-effective to repair tanks damaged on the battlefield, but for Ante, lacking repair capabilities, abandoning the T34W repairs was the only option.
Creating new T34Ws definitely consus more labor and resources compared to repairing them, but there was no alternative under the circumstances.
In fact, if there were enough battlefield repair vehicles and related equipnt, so factory workers could indeed be trained as field repair troops.
The problem is that Ante doesn't have as many battlefield repair vehicles.
Currently, Ante's field repair troops are using equipnt from the Federation.
Wang Zhong took the Prosen "New Armor-Piercing Bullet" from the engineer: "The Prosens probably also realized our lack of repair capabilities, and would not attempt repairs on the unburned T34Ws, hence they developed this kind of shell focusing on penetration efficiency."
"That's a possibility," agreed the engineer.
Wang Zhong handed the shell to Vasily.
"Oh," weighed Vasily, "this shell is even lighter than the Prosen armor-piercing shells I've seen before."
Wang Zhong noted, "Yes, it will allow the loader to operate faster and reduce fatigue. Although they are the enemy, one must admire that they've developed a practical weapon."
While touching the 70-caliber long gun of the No. 4 Tank Destroyer, he spoke, "Compared to other stuff they've tinkered with, this is much more reliable. Fortunately, the Prosens didn't focus their main production on such practical products."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pavlov erged from the headquarters, squinting at the captured Tank Destroyer: "Is this what destroyed our 110 T34s?"
Wang Zhong replied, "You're behind on the news. According to Judge's interrogation of the prisoners, they probably destroyed nearly 250 of our T34Ws."
Pavlov remarked, "If the Prosens start mass-producing this thing, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Wang Zhong reassured, "Don't worry, the Prosens will focus all their production on their new tanks with double row load-bearing wheels. They've always done so. Wait a second, how did you co out? Is the headquarters moving?"
Wang Zhong's Chief of Staff did not seem to care about the newly captured contraption.
Pavlov announced, "I ca out to inform you. If you want to go to Loktov, you can set off now."
"Really?"
Pavlov affird, "Yes, and Yegorov left a friend of Vasily there to et you."
Vasily remarked, "Must be Filippov. Among my acquaintances related to Loktov, there aren't many left."
Wang Zhong declared, "Let's go!"
"Hold on!" Pavlov called out, "Wait a minute! Didn't you say you wanted to film? Your old acquaintance, Journalist Mike, and his partner with a cara are here. Of course, there's also the Propaganda Officer from the propaganda departnt. This isn't just a nostalgia trip for you; you have a mission!"
————
As the Jeep drove into Loktov, Wang Zhong suddenly shouted, "Stop!"
Grigori hit the brakes, and the car screeched to a halt.
Wang Zhong got out of the car and approached a two-man turret T34 amidst ruins.
The partner of Journalist Mike, photographer Robert Capa, walked around Wang Zhong with his cara, saying, "Say sothing! At least make it look like you have sothing to say, so we can figure out what to put later."
Wang Zhong reminisced, "I rember now, the Prosens committed elite infantry for the attack, using smoke to obscure our firing range and engaging us in close combat. Seeing the dire situation, I ordered the tank battalion to retreat."
As he spoke, Wang Zhong placed his hand on the front armor of the two-man turret T34.
The driver's hatch was gone, probably taken by nearby residents to shield against the wind and rain, clearly revealing the burnt driver's seat inside.
Wang Zhong continued to reminisce, "At that ti, because only the platoon leader's vehicle had a radio, many crew mbers did not receive the retreat order and continued to resist at the outer defensive positions—it's strange, I rember that only a few vehicles managed to flee and organized defense at the central square. What about the other vehicles?"
"Those were towed away by the Prosens," soone nearby said.
Wang Zhong looked over and saw an old lady.
"Who are you? Did you also fight here before?" the old lady asked.
Wang Zhong stepped forward and took her hand, "I am Aleksei Konstantinovich Rokossovsky. I was leading my combat group here to resist the Prosen Army."
The old lady squinted her eyes, "Is that so? Are you Rokossovsky? How co—oh, I rember now, back then you had one star, and now you still have one star, why haven't you been promoted after two years?"
Wang Zhong was stunned, then rembered that when he commanded the combat group here, he was a Brigadier, which is denoted by one star, and now he is a Marshal, indeed still marked by one star—a much bigger star.
Probably the old lady's eyesight was poor and she couldn't tell the difference.
Vasily stepped forward, "He has been promoted! He is now a Marshal! Back then, that one star was for a Brigadier!"
The old lady said, "Why is it still one star? How can you tell the difference?"
"The star of a Marshal is bigger," Wang Zhong personally explained. "Elder, how are the survivors from that ti?"
"Everyone who survived joined the guerrilla groups. I don't know if they are doing well, after all, I am still alive," the old lady said. "Marshal, won't you go and see that tank?"
"I will." Wang Zhong didn't ask "which one," because over the years he had never forgotten that tank, nor the mont when the Guardian Army militian dragged him out from underneath it.
"Let's walk there," Wang Zhong said, confidently striding towards the location in his mory.
By this ti, more residents appeared.
"It's Rokossovsky!"
"Really, it's Marshal Rokossovsky!"
Robert Capa skillfully turned his cara towards the crowd, capturing their expressions.
Journalist Mike followed behind the cara, continuously writing sothing in his notebook.
Soon, Wang Zhong arrived in front of the BT7.
Scenes from that ti unfolded before him.
Because the BT7 turret could not fit many people, he could only stand behind the tank turret operating an anti-aircraft machine gun. At that ti, just one stray bullet and his story would have ended right there.
Putting it in today's context, Pavlov definitely wouldn't have allowed him on the frontlines.
But at that ti, even Pavlov couldn't afford to care so much.
Wang Zhong climbed onto the tank, touching the remaining fra of the anti-aircraft machine gun—the machine gun had long been dismantled by the Prosens.
He pointed towards the distance, "At that ti, I was operating the machine gun, and spotted a Prosen soldier aiming a captured anti-tank rifle at the tank. I turned the gun barrel, but—I rember it jamd or sothing, and I couldn't prevent the Prosens in ti.
"The anti-tank rifle penetrated the weak armor of the BT7, it should—"
He walked around to the front of the tank and found the bullet hole.
"Here. The tank crew all sacrificed. In desperation, I rolled into the tank and then crawled out through the bottom hatch, lying under the tank with only a small handgun.
"My own mory is sowhat beautified, actually that mont was the most ignominious of my entire military career. The Prosens closed in, and I was about to be caught by them.
"Just at that ti—"
Wang Zhong stood on the tank, looking around, suddenly moved to stop because he saw nurous people erging from the streets and alleys, surrounding the tank.
Of course, amongst these people, there wasn't a single familiar face.
But Wang Zhong knew, "They" were here.
So he took a deep breath, stood upright on the remnants of the tank, saluted to the folks of Loktov, and declared loudly, "That Brigadier, whom you saved back then, has returned!
"He has driven away the Pulosen ghosts!
"Next, he will cross the national border to fight on the land of the Pulosen ghosts! He seeks a blood debt!
"These past two years, he has never dared to forget your kindness!"
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