She changed Europe

Page 162

The adjutant saluted Heinz again: "I will inform them, sir."

Without high-performance radar, it is very difficult to snipe a lone hot air balloon on a vast battlefield. After all, the human eye has limited detection capabilities, even if every pilot has exceptional eyesight.

Therefore, the International Volunteer Force air force responsible for covering the assault operation devised a two-pronged plan. First, they deployed fighter jets equipped with additional external fuel tanks to patrol near Russian military camps. Second, they sent fighter jets to patrol along the International Volunteer Force's assault route to catch any stragglers.

To support the air force's operations, a two-person observation team from Task Force 141 was also deployed near the Russian military logistics base. They were tasked with reporting the movements of Russian reconnaissance balloons and providing intelligence support to the air forces.

On the second day of the operation, D2, the Russian military launched dozens of hot air balloons early in the morning. After climbing to high altitudes, they dispersed. The ground observation team immediately notified the International Volunteer Forces Air Force Command via radio. A large-scale aerial hunting operation, primarily aimed at targeting Russian hot air balloons, had begun.

The Russian military was clearly aware that the hot air balloons would be targeted by snipers, so they equipped them with some small-caliber artillery for self-defense.

They gripped their weapons, eager to teach these Germans a lesson.

And so, an asymmetrical aerial battle broke out.

Heinz Barr and his wingman Hermann Graf are leading a squadron of aircraft patrolling 15 kilometers from the Russian military camp, searching for the hot air balloons reported by the ground observation team.

His fleet consisted of four pairs of aircraft, lined up in a row at three-kilometer intervals, blocking the Russians' likely flight path.

"Hey," Hermann's voice came through the radio, "I see something down there, probably a Russian hot air balloon."

“I saw them too,” Heinz said, sticking his head out of the cockpit and looking down. “Three, no, four.”

"Should we call the guys over?"

“No, the ground reports indicate there are more than just these few hot air balloons. We’ll take these four. The rest of you stay in the air on alert.” Heinz then switched the radio to public mode: “We’ve spotted four Russian reconnaissance hot air balloons. We’ll go down and take them out. You all stay in the air on alert.”

After speaking, Heinz returned to his seat. According to regulations, pilots cannot unfasten their seatbelts at will, but he chose the most dangerous method in order to get a better view.

After fastening his seatbelt again, Heinz flapped his wings, a habit he had to use to remind his companions who might have missed communication due to the complex environment.

Heinz then gently swung the control stick, causing his fighter jet to roll nearly 130 degrees. He then pulled the control stick back, and the fighter jet entered a dive.

The movement made his blood rush from his head to his feet, which made his vision somewhat blurred.

Since becoming a pilot, Heinz has become accustomed to this mild blackout phenomenon, and he now even finds the slight dizziness caused by the blood rushing back to a pleasant sensation—it makes him feel the fact that he is flying even more clearly.

After all, as the first group of ordinary people who conquered the sky without being born as magic users, this area was once a battlefield that only god-like magic users could set foot in.

Heinz knew his wingman would follow his movements. Hermann was a skilled pilot and a year older than Heinz. Heinz became the officer simply because he was a little luckier and joined the air force a little earlier than Hermann. That was all.

Visibility had been fully restored, and Heinz's fighter was diving toward the enemy reconnaissance squadron.

Sunlight streamed into Heinz's cockpit from behind, indicating that he was in the most favorable backlighting position.

Heinz boldly pointed the nose of his aircraft at the direction the Russians were advancing, which would greatly increase his attack window. The downside was that once the Russians spotted him, they would try to evade him and would also be met with a counterattack from above, leaving him with very little room to maneuver. If the Russians had good eyesight, this attack was very likely to fail.

But it doesn't matter. The Russians are not very mobile. If they don't succeed the first time, they can try again. It's still as easy for them as hunting turkeys.

The Russians remained oblivious to the Grim Reaper hurtling down against the light.

Heinz could already clearly see the silly backs of their heads inside the pod.

The target he chose was a large pod towed by two large hot air balloons, big enough to hold a cannon. Unfortunately, this behemoth was slow, cumbersome, and extremely fragile, as weak and powerless as a lamb to the slaughter in front of the aircraft's machine guns.

Heinz pulled the trigger, and the machine gun shuddered slightly from the gunfire. Whenever this happened, Heinz felt a kind of pleasure, as if he were in an OX.

The Russian hot air balloon instantly turned into a fireball; their fragile defenses meant they couldn't stay in that airspace for long.

PS1: Even mortals can fight in the sky!

Chapter 592 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 89 The Artilleryman's Accuracy in Bombing His Own People (Seeking Votes)

As the aerial hunt unfolded, it also effectively confirmed the failure of the Russian reconnaissance plan.

At noon on D2, the Russian military command still had not received accurate intelligence and could not determine in which direction the international volunteer forces were attacking.

However, based on scattered intelligence, the army commander, Grand Prince Nikolayevich, judged that the international volunteer forces did not advance eastward along the coastline of the Sea of ​​Marmara.

At 2 PM on D2, Grand Duke Nikolayevich ordered his reserve of magical warriors to move westward to stop the international volunteer forces attacking the Russian army's rear.

When the communications officer entered the map room, Jeanne was briefing the Prussian general in the Prussian observation group who had arrived from the rear on the situation at the front.

"Report!" The communications officer interrupted Jeanne without hesitation. "The air force reports that a Russian reserve magic warrior unit has been spotted. The entire unit consists of about sixty magic armors, and they are moving westward."

As he spoke, the communications officer handed Jeanne the telegram.

Jeanne took it and glanced at it, then drew a line on the map.

"Is this the direction the Russian magicians are heading?" Moltke asked.

“Yes, Russian magicians are moving along this road, accompanied only by cavalry and a small number of trucks and supplies.” Jeanne paused, then asked, “What do you think of the current situation…?”

Moltke shook his head slightly: "Don't ask for my opinion. I'm just here to make a show of it. Before we set off, Her Majesty the Queen gave me a roundabout instruction not to interfere with your frontline command, so I'll just sit here and watch. You fight your battle and don't worry about me."

Jeanne appeared somewhat embarrassed. She looked down on most Prussian generals, but not Moltke. She had read Moltke's military writings and considered them part of her own war strategy. After a moment's hesitation, she said to the old general, "Regardless of Her Majesty Chloris's instructions, I personally admire you greatly, so please be sure to offer your guidance. Moreover, although we are currently operating under the banner of an international volunteer force, everyone knows that the attack is being waged by the armies of both our countries. The Prussian army constitutes a significant portion of the international volunteer force; you certainly don't want this army to suffer defeat on the battlefield, do you?"

Moltke was silent for a moment before sighing: "Of course I don't want this army to lose on the battlefield, but if you ask for my opinion, I would say that your entire battle plan is nonsense, and war should not be fought like this. However, this plan was devised by Her Majesty the Empress, who created miracles. She defeated me and my generals with a group of Austrians whose military skills were far inferior to our Prussian army, so I cannot guarantee that my opinion on her battle plan is correct. Perhaps I am the one who should be rejected."

After saying that, Moltke looked down at the map, then tapped the map table and continued to Jeanne: "Putting all that aside, in view of the current situation, my opinion is that if your vanguard can really advance that fast, then this Russian magic warrior unit will miss the attack cluster and establish a defensive line behind the attack cluster."

Jeanne looked at the old general with some surprise: "How did you determine the identity of the Russian magicians...?"

"I know the speed of the Russian magic warriors' advance better than anyone. If this Russian army is the same one from the later stages of the Crimean War, you could ask Lady Selena, who is recuperating in Switzerland. She is the former Duke of York of Britain, and she fought against the Russians in Crimea."

“No, no need.” Jeanne shook her head and gestured for him to continue.

"The Russian magic warriors are no match for the offensive, but they will cut off our supply lines to the front. This is much better news than the offensive being forcibly terminated, because this is just a magic warrior unit with few accompanying troops. It may be very strong throughout the morning, but its combat effectiveness will quickly diminish in the afternoon because their magic armor needs to be readjusted."

"what do you mean……"

"Immediately rush supplies to the forward assault groups so they can continue their attack until we break through their supply lines. Meanwhile, prepare in the rear to use wave attacks to wear down the Russian mage warriors once they appear, until they run out of spare parts and other supplies and have to retreat. This won't waste much time. Of course, to prevent these Russian mage warriors from receiving support from nearby Russian forces, you must disperse all Russian forces near the designated engagement area. A single mage warrior unit of this composition cannot affect the entire offensive front; that's a legion's job."

As he spoke, Mao Qi drew a circle on the map.

"This is the area where we are scheduled to clash with the enemy's magic-wielding forces."

Moltke then crossed out the squares representing Russian infantry units.

"These Russian military units must be eliminated today, even if it means fighting at night!"

In the village of Velikoy, northeast of Chollu, night had just fallen on D2 when the artillery fire of the international volunteer forces began to roar.

After a short but exceptionally fierce barrage of artillery fire, the international volunteer infantry, who had already reached the vicinity of the village, launched an assault.

The battle cries had barely begun when a flare shot into the sky, followed by a fierce barrage of fire erupting from the buildings outside the village, which had already been reduced to rubble, felling the attacking international volunteer soldiers like wheat being harvested.

Immediately afterwards, the enormous black creature smashed through the village's low walls, spitting fire as it charged toward the attacking troops.

"Stop!" The lieutenant of the international volunteer force leading the attack noticed the situation and hurriedly shouted to the soldiers lying on the ground beside him who were returning fire. Then he took out a white handkerchief from his pocket, took the rifle of the soldier next to him, tied it to the bayonet, and raised it.

Just then, those black monsters drove up to the front of the attacking skirmish line. Under the light of the flares, the people inside obviously realized that something was wrong.

The intense gunfire quickly subsided, the lid on the steel behemoth's head opened, revealing a hand holding a white cloth, followed by a head wearing an armored soldier's felt hat: "Damn it, which unit are you from?"

"The 30th Infantry Regiment is ordered to clear out the Russian troops here!" the lieutenant shouted. "And where the hell did you guys come from?"

"We took this place at dawn this morning! Where did these Russian troops come from?! We were ravaged by your artillery fire, you bastards!"

Several tens of minutes later, the commanders of the two units met.

“Erwin Johansen Eugen, commander of the armored repair squadron of the combat engineer battalion,” the middle-aged man in armored uniform said to the infantry commander in front of him.

The latter looked surprised: "I...I remember you! You are..."

PS1: I'll continue playing tomorrow during my annual leave 0v0

Chapter 593 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 90 Moltke's Advice (Seeking Votes)

“Yes, I used to be an instructor at the Berlin Infantry Officers School, but unfortunately I don’t remember your face. Let’s get down to business. The artillery assigned to you is quite capable; their shells are accurate and powerful.” Erwin’s words were laced with sarcasm. “Of course, I think the problem mainly lies in the communication between the higher command. I’ve participated in previous battles, and I’ve seen this kind of thing many times, especially artillery shells landing on their own men—it’s almost a common occurrence on the battlefield.”

"I'm sorry," the infantry regimental commander said sincerely, "but what are your troops doing here?"

“Our vanguard routed the Russian forces here early this morning, and then command ordered our armored repair team to stop here and tow back the broken-down tanks. So we did that, and we were repairing the tanks that the armored repair vehicles towed back until you started shelling.”

After listening, the infantry regimental commander said to Erwin, "I'm afraid you must lead your troops to begin the move, Lieutenant Colonel Eugene."

“It’s Eugen, damn it.” Erwin cursed as he corrected the infantry commander’s pronunciation. “Why did we have to leave? I agree with the Combat Engineers Command’s assessment. This is a good location. It’s surrounded by fields, and the soil is firm enough for armored repair vehicles to operate. The key is that the vegetables grown around here taste pretty good.”

“Uh.” The infantry regimental commander hesitated for a moment before saying, “The 2nd Division Command of the International Volunteer Forces has received intelligence that a Russian magic-wielding unit has departed from their main base and is heading this way. Command anticipates that this area will become a combat zone, so we must clear out the Russian infantry units in this area before Dawn and the others arrive tomorrow.”

Erwin raised an eyebrow, and the ugly expression on his face from being inexplicably attacked relaxed, turning into the excited look of a child seeing a novel insect—of course, this was a child who wasn't afraid of insects.

"The Magic Warriors? How many of them are there?"

The infantry regimental commander looked bewildered; clearly, headquarters wouldn't have given him this kind of intelligence.

Realizing this, Erwin turned around and looked at the village ablaze from the recent shelling. He called out to his adjutant, "How many tanks do we have available?"

"Including those left to maintain guard and those that have been repaired, we have sixty-five vehicles available," the adjutant reported very quickly.

Erwin bit his lip, looking at the still dark earth under the light of several large fires in the village.

Suddenly he pointed into the distance and said, “This road through Velikoy forks there. One branch goes east to Kmelbernal, and the other goes north to Saray. If the Russian magicians are coming from the east, they will definitely pass through here. And I’ve already driven my beloved car around the surrounding terrain with a few tank commanders during the day. I think we can ambush them here.”

Then Erwin turned around, pointed at the infantry regimental commander and said, "You, and the artillery attached to your regiment, are now under my command. We are going to ambush the enemy here."

"Report." The communications officer snapped to attention behind Jeanne. "The 5th Infantry Division has forwarded a request from Erwin Johansen Eugen, commander of the armored repair unit of the combat engineer battalion, requesting an ambush on Russian magic warrior units at Velikoy."

Jeanne frowned, at which point Moltke said, "I think there's no problem. Our goal is to wear down this Russian mage force. Whether it's an ambush or a wave attack, it doesn't matter much; we'll just be using lives to pay for it. But, Elwin? That name sounds familiar..."

“I heard he used to be an instructor at the Berlin Infantry School and also taught as a guest lecturer at the Vienna Neustadt Infantry School,” Jeanne immediately introduced, having reviewed the information of all her senior officers overnight before coming to Turkey.

"This kid is a talent," Mao Qi nodded.

"He distinguished himself in the Second Berlin-Prussian War with his bravery, earning several Iron Crosses as an infantry company commander. He once led three men to repel an attack by twenty men, holding out until reinforcements arrived. But I never expected that he would also leave Berlin and come to your Vienna to command some kind of... repair team?" Obviously, Gisela's name was so misleading that the role of these armored husks was not taken seriously until after the war began.

“We think so too,” Jeanne nodded.

Moltke sighed, his expression quite subtle. Even within Prussia, many soldiers were now going to Austria to serve, because the Austrian army was the victorious one and treated its soldiers better.

But it's really nothing. We're all Germans, and unity is never a bad thing for this nation.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Elwin's troops worked through the night and finally laid a series of devices, including landmines and smoke bombs, on both sides of the road. Meanwhile, his tanks were dispersed into the strip of woods around the village, and many foxholes were dug in the fields in front of the woods.

Meanwhile, the village also made corresponding preparations. The fire caused by the accidental attack has been extinguished. One-third of the infantry regiment's forces from last night were deployed in the village, preparing to use the buildings to ambush the Russian magic warriors who rashly entered the village.

The artillery company attached to the infantry regiment was moved to a cornfield behind the village. The officers of the artillery company were ordered to survey the firing parameters of the artillery in advance. In addition, Erwin ordered the setting up of a small artillery firing observation post in a small house at the entrance of the village.

Erwin set up his temporary command post on a small hill next to the village.

"When the enemy moves to within a kilometer of us, we will open fire for interception." Elwin pointed to the terrain map hastily drawn in pencil on the table and asked the young men who had been temporarily selected to serve as squad leaders for several tank units, "What are your shooting scores at moving targets at this distance?"

"I think we can reach 40%, and if the enemy's movement speed is not fast, we should be able to reach 60%." A temporary squad leader said somewhat unconfidently, "Those who remain are mostly crews that don't usually perform so well. The good crews have all switched to other vehicles and continued to advance."

"Have confidence in yourselves, kids." Erwin adopted the air of an instructor from the infantry school. "And I won't expect you to perform beyond your usual level. A 40% hit rate is all you need to do. Our squad of four vehicles is aiming at the same target, understand? We need to make sure that a shell hits the targeted Russian in the first volley of fire, just one shot. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I think it's possible," the temporary squad leader who had just spoken replied, his expression now much better.

Erwin continued, pointing to the rough map, "Each of your squads must survey a retreat route. When you're in the woods, point the tanks in the direction of retreat, with your rear facing the enemy. Because Russian magic armors like to use large-caliber cannons, facing the enemy head-on or from the rear is about the same; the key is not to get hit."

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 594 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 91 "Panzerlied" (Seeking votes)

Because Russian magical armor prefers to use large-caliber cannons, it doesn't matter much whether you face the enemy head-on or from the rear; the key is to avoid being hit. What Elwin didn't say was that these engineering machines, due to considerations of engine power and failure rate, could only have relatively limited armor deployed on armored units. If they didn't maintain mobility, they were practically meat on a chopping block; more steel plates would only make their coffins sturdier.

Elwin paused for a moment: "When choosing your retreat route, try to choose a route that allows you to move at full speed. Don't try to find something to cover your vehicles. The forest we're currently occupying will serve as natural cover. After you've retreated a certain distance, you must stop and wait for the Russian magic armored vehicles to cross the treeline. The moment they cross, fire a volley of shots, then release smoke. You should reach the second treeline before the Russian magic armored vehicles pass through the smoke."

Erwin stopped and looked back and forth at the warriors who had temporarily come under his command.

“It’s all very simple,” he continued. “We just need to fire, fire, then start the tanks and go all out, then stop and fire again. The whole process is not difficult. All that’s left is to pray that the Russians aren’t too accurate. Fortunately, we are facing the Russians. Their 122mm and 107mm magic armor’s attached artillery has a poor hit rate and a slow reload. And if you get hit by their artillery fire, you’ll go to heaven instantly without any pain.”

As soon as Erwin stopped, the entire hill fell silent. Everyone was quiet, their expressions serious and heavy—this was the typical state of all regular troops before they faced the magic armor.

Elwin and his men stared at each other for a moment before Elwin continued, “Think about those infantry brothers. At least you’re still in your tanks, protected by steel and engines. The infantry brothers are hiding in those damned foxholes in the fields in front of you. They have to fight the armor of the magic armor with their bare hands. They might get trampled, slaughtered, and even if they’re lucky enough to survive, they still have to face the enemy infantry. They have nowhere to escape. As for us, as long as we survive, we can drive our tanks all the way back to safety. The Russian magic armor is too cumbersome and can’t handle long-distance high-speed cross-country driving.”

The tactic of lightweighting magic armor and forming mobile forces is something only Her Majesty the Queen would consider using. These were supposed to be the vanguard troops assigned to their armored corps to achieve breakthroughs. Unfortunately, this time Her Majesty kept such troops in the country and did not immediately assign them to the battlefield.

Erwin's words finally eased the expressions of the temporary squad leaders slightly. He emphasized again, "Don't always look so gloomy, at least not in front of the infantry! Cheer up! You are the Empire's most elite troops. The Russians weren't poisoned by the French, and the French were our defeated foe. They had several times our strength, yet they were still driven back in defeat! Alright, you, start it, sing a military song."

Erwin pointed casually, and the squad leader pointed to responded loudly, then began to speak:

"—Whether it's a gale or a blizzard"

"ObdieSonnenslact, or the blazing sun."

……

Those familiar with military music will easily recognize this song as the famous "Panzerlied," also known as the "Armored March." It was composed by German Lieutenant Kurt Wieler in June 1933 and served as the anthem for the armored forces of the German Wehrmacht.

However, its melody was originally adapted from the 18th-century Austrian Imperial military music "Liska Lied". After hearing his own military music, Gisela casually adapted it into "Panzerlied" and gave it to the new unit on which she had high hopes. This made it the first military branch to receive a song written by Her Majesty the Empress, which is the proudest and most proud thing for the entire armored force.

The soldiers sang as they stomped their boots hard on the ground. The other squad leaders exchanged glances and joined in, stomping their feet and singing loudly.

Only the loyal chariot can provide us with an iron grave!