Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

Page 138

"I understand, comrade." The general nodded. "Tell the infantry corps to immediately continue their retreat to the nearest transportation line, whether by land or sea."

"But General, do we really not need to take a few more steps forward?"

"We're going to break the encirclement? That's not very realistic, comrade. Behind us are Szczecin and the Oder River, which are factors that restrict our ability to spread out our relief forces for an offensive. Besides, the clouds in the sky are still very thick and there are occasional strong winds. The front of the encirclement is at least 25 kilometers from the west bank of the Oder River. Firstly, our air force cannot go all out, and secondly, our artillery does not have enough effective range to strike at such a distance."

“That’s true, we can’t get Polish ground troops to help us right now.” The officer shook his head helplessly. “Then, General, how do we withdraw our remaining troops? We still have at least one corps of soldiers; we can’t afford to…”

“I’ve already planned it out.” Kuznetsov spread out a map and pointed to the black line drawn on Greifswald and Yarmen. “We’ll split it into two groups, the one closer to the east, going along the north shore of the Szczecinda.

“I think the bridges between Usedom and Chinowicz are still usable.” He gestured to the right. “Well, once we get past those two towns, the Archevaser Lagoon will be a safe haven, and then we can cross the Pias Canal via the Svinoujshiche ferry crossing.”

“Those in the west are much more troublesome.” The general gestured to the left of the black line. “These troops only have one route: retreat to Stralsund with all their might, cross the only bridge connecting it to Rügen Island, and then retreat to Poland via the port on the east side of the island.”

“That’s a difficult thing.” He stood up again with a sigh. “The eastern route is close to the coast and there are no shallows. Even if the retreating troops cannot get air support due to the weather, the Baltic Fleet can get close and provide fire support. But the western route… although the waterway between Rügen Island and Stralsund is wide enough, the water depth is a bit worrying.”

"I don't know if the comrades in the navy know this, but I dare say that at most only destroyers can get in there. Worse still, there are no warships that can even dock at the bridge to provide close-range artillery support and anti-aircraft fire for the troops crossing the bridge."

“That’s right, that’s the worst part. Once the bridge is destroyed, the lack of ferries will completely paralyze the work of getting people to the island… and there are also the German soldiers we’ve imprisoned. We can only take some of the more important people, execute some of the more extreme ones, and leave the rest behind.”

"And then you send them the message, 'Either stay here and wait to die, or run west to find the British'... But that's all we can do, isn't it, General?"

"What else? Making the most of what we have is much more practical than hoping that the Deutschland lying in the Pias Canal will float up on its own. I even told the naval comrades that we would rather not throw all the ammunition that was just delivered into the sea, so that the comrades on land can get on the ship."

Kuznetsov patted the officer on the shoulder and gave him a friendly smile.

"Perhaps you could help me wish for better weather a few more times, huh? You know, Marshal Rokossowski, who is currently stationed in Poland, has the entire Fourth Air Army on standby. If the preheating sound of the propeller engines can warm up a mild winter, our comrades can rest easy."

……

So, now that the generals have charted the course, how do they win?

It all depends on how the soldiers advance.

"Oh my god! I almost died!"

It was those two female snipers again, Ekaterina and Ilya. A clump of bushes provided them with good cover.

"My God, the enemy came way too fast..."

Through the scope of the sniper rifle, the dire situation of the battlefield came into view—in the distance, steel automatons and black tanks moved in a small line, while the trenches on the side were already empty, and the fire waves and billowing smoke from the explosion strolled leisurely on this flat ground.

"Ah, damn it... if only we had two anti-tank guns! Mosin-Nagant bullets wouldn't be able to do anything to them..."

“If we had brought anti-tank guns, we would have been spotted already, you idiot,” Ilya replied coldly. “God, is it really impossible to break through this encirclement after all…”

"It's alright, it's alright. Look, we're already so close to Yarmen, and the enemy hasn't spotted us yet. If we wait until nightfall, we can sneak into the city and meet up with our comrades over there, right?"

Ilya didn't speak. Suddenly, they noticed some dark shadows appearing in the empty trench.

"what is that?"

"No way... the naval infantry comrades are still there..."

Indeed, those comrades wearing black soft caps sprang out like cheetahs hidden in the grass when the dummy and tanks approached, picked up their guns again, and swung their cocktails and anti-tank grenades around, recklessly splashing them onto the metal skin.

"This...this...this...this..." Ekaterina was dumbfounded. She had intended to put on her hood and take a nap, but now she was wide awake.

"Come here." At this moment, Ilya quietly got up, pulled her arm, and seemed to be leading her towards the trench.

"Hey, hey, hey? What are you doing?..."

“Three years ago, on the banks of the Volga River, these comrades saved my life… Now, I will take them with me and return to my motherland alive…”

Chapter 153, Section 216: Panzer's One-Step Comeback

The Black Knights are like a dark cloud; when they arrive, the Tokyo Concession is engulfed in turmoil, but when they disappear, the sky is clear.

When the sky is clear and you're in a good mood, even the traffic lights at intersections will uniformly let you pass.

"Ah, so you're saying we're just going to ignore those terrorists, the Black Knights?"

In the sparse convoy of vehicles, a few American soldiers' military vehicles were also interspersed, following the taillights of the small truck in front of them, stopping and starting intermittently.

“Who knows?” Davis replied to Taylor’s rant as usual, driving along. “Terrorists stormed into the Chinese Federation embassy, ​​and the entire curfew was lifted immediately. And from what I’ve seen on the road, it seems like there are just a few more patrols…”

“Hey, they didn’t even fart, and look at them.” Philip leaned out the window. “Damn, if our military police had all been this easygoing back then, they probably wouldn’t have had to worry about getting a few less meals in solitary confinement.”

"Thanks to them for doing this, otherwise Clark wouldn't have been able to meet with us today." Squeezed in the back row, Garcia unfolded the note. "By the way, what was he doing today? Not only was he dressed in ordinary clothes, but he also brought along this guy who looked like he came from Japan, and he just stood there watching?"

"Hmm, Yamashita, that name is intriguing. Is Clark planning to put him in charge of the contacts in the future? Well, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't say that, sir. If this is bad news, then I feel that the note we received is bad news too."

"Near."

"Clark's point is as follows: First, he successfully became a drug supplier for a military industry department using a set of methods, and it seems that he found a sales channel for the stimulant I gave him. It is said that he went to that department a few days ago to take a look, and it seems that this drug is specifically for a KMF experimental group. I heard that the pilot who tested the KMF was someone who came back from our side."

"Damn, that's awesome. The Black Knights are nowhere near as troublesome as the Soviet Red Army. Those who came back from there must be the cream of the crop? It seems this new KMF is a solid piece of cake, cough, although that's not good news for us."

"So, would it be good news if the pilot were a handsome young woman? Huh?" Garcia laughed. "Damn, Clark didn't give us the photos, otherwise we could have taken a look."

"Let's get back to business."

"The second one, which I also learned from those big shots, is that all signs indicate that the Black Knights have collectively fled from the embassy. Their exact location is unclear, but they are definitely still in Tokyo. There are no reports of them in the suburbs yet."

"Oh...wait a minute?! I remember when those terrorists were confronting each other at the execution ground near the embassy, ​​they pulled out the KMF, right?"

"Don't get excited, boss. Clark confirmed again and again that the Black Knights escaped with all their supplies. When he heard the news, he was so shocked that his tongue could be used as a rope to hang from the ground."

"Holy crap... I think I've got an idea."

"What?"

"Back then, that pretty boy named Caronville asked me about the Tiger II tank. He had a question for me that was something like: 'The Nazis have been defeated, but they must still have some hidden bases. Maybe... they might even pull out the Tiger II or the Panther again.'"

"Hahahahahahahahaha!" The whole vehicle burst into laughter immediately, and the other three soldiers laughed so hard they slapped the vehicle door.

"Ah, let me see, how are the Germans planning to hide a bunch of intact tanks, huh?" Philip started brainstorming. "Are they going to stuff them in cans of luncheon meat, disgusting us and keeping themselves out of sight at the same time, or bury them in some ice cellar under Berlin, waiting for that son of a bitch Hitler to wake up hungry and want a midnight snack before taking them out?"

"Hey! How about we shove it up the ass of those guys in the POW camp, huh?" Taylor laughed heartily, his tone sinister. "When they're kneeling on the ground, yelling at us, 'Oh! Daddy! I'm so sorry! Your old, ugly toenails look like gold coins! So I wanted to pick them up! So! Please don't look at us like that! Please go! I'll make way!' And as soon as we turn around and leave, hey, pull the tank out of your ass again, and turn around and fire a shot at us?!"

"Damn, you're something else! It seems like the Germans will have to rely on water pumps to turn their poop on and off from now on?! Hahahaha!"

“Alright, enough with the fun! Clark has something else to tell us.” Garcia looked at the last line of the note. “He said that in a few days, he’s going to Ashfred College’s ‘Open Day’ with some knights and officers.”

"WTF? What the hell is he doing at that high school? Just to pick up a few girls and make a big splash?"

"Most of the students at that academy come from families with some influence, and they can all hold some position in the government. Clark wants to take this opportunity to curry favor with some people, just like those nobles used to do. I guess he's just going with the flow."

"Well, it seems his sense of smell is much better than ours."

As he spoke, Davis suddenly pulled the car to the side of the road and slammed on the brakes.

"Hey! Boss! What the hell are you doing! I almost got myself killed!"

"What were we driving here for again?" Mom's question suddenly silenced everyone in the car.

"Ah, it seems she went to the hospital to pick up Sergeant Nagayama Chizuru, she was discharged."

"So, did I go too far...?" Davis looked back at the road, the one-way street leading to the hospital entrance was right behind him.

……

They almost scratched several innocent drivers on the street before they drove the car in, and then they saw the young woman in military uniform.

"Hey! Sergeant!" Taylor, in the passenger seat, rolled down the window. "We thought we'd have to carry you upstairs!"

“BAKA! If the injury was that serious, I wouldn’t have transferred from the military hospital to a less-than-ideal general hospital, okay? Cough cough cough cough cough!…” Nagayama slowly stood in front of the car door, but couldn’t help coughing. “There are so many soldiers and civilians with serious and minor injuries at Babel Tower, depending on the severity and their status, cough cough… they need to be treated by hospitals with different capabilities.”

"Alright, Sergeant, we know all this, please hurry..."

Just then, the radio in the car suddenly rang.

"Hey! Calling Sergeant Davis! Can you hear me? Answer me now!"

"What is it, sir! We're at the hospital picking someone up!"

"Don't answer! The soldiers at the road checkpoint just said a suspicious vehicle forced its way through and headed in your direction! Get in the car now and stop it!"

"Ah, good, good!"

Just as Davis put the walkie-talkie back, Nagayama stuck his head into the car door, his eyes seemingly engrossed.

"What did he just say? He wants to stop a fugitive?"

“Ah… yes!”

"Get out and sit in the back of the car." She called Davis away. "You guys don't know the way at all, so we need an experienced driver to take the lead."

"Hey girl, is your injury serious? Don't dislocate your shoulder again if you get excited while driving..."

"How much do you look down on those who are KMF pilots? Cough cough cough! ...Get into the habit of buckling up! Those leather straps next to you! Hold on tight! Today I'll show you how a veteran drives!"

……

Meanwhile, on the other side of the street, two people who had just sat down at a roadside tea restaurant were having a quiet conversation amidst the lively atmosphere.

"Hey, Shanxia, ​​it's been so long, what have you been thinking about without saying a word..."

“Uh, Mr. Clark, I…”

"The day before yesterday, I saw with my own eyes that you had hidden photos of ZERO or something..."

"Ah, that's not it... Ah, I really did..."

"You actually really hope that Japan can be restored, don't you? Look at that piece of paper, it's a bit yellowed, it's probably been kept since last year."

"Sir...I just..."

"Be honest, kid. If you give up this opportunity, then it's very likely that no one will help you in the future. Even if ZERO is great, there are places he can't reach. You must learn to stand up for yourself and fight for something..."

"Like today... take me to see a few soldiers?"

"You'll understand later. Don't worry, I can guarantee your safety, as long as you don't tell anyone else about this."

Before the words were finished, a surprised sound came from the TV on the restaurant wall.

"Oh?" On the screen, a police KMF and several people dressed as police officers are surrounding a car that has crashed into a shop window on the street. Police cars and military vehicles keep coming, and the crowd begins to scatter.

……

Among the cars that surrounded them, one had the exact same license plate as Davis's car.

"Oh my god..." The five people got out of the car, looked back at the roadblock that had been knocked over, and then looked at the "police" - no, they were wearing the same blue and white suits as them, and their faces were not those of the familiar Russians.

Several of them rushed to the driver's seat, dragged the badly injured driver out, and pinned him to the ground.

“Oh? It seems you are one of those Americans who serve under us, is that right?” A man with a thick Rhine accent spoke as he slowly approached Davis.

"Let me introduce myself, Karlstadt, that's my name, the name I had when I was born in Greater Germany." The old man gave the soldiers a sly smile. "Looks like this time we..."

"Hey! Officer!" Chizuru Nagayama shouted at the KMF driver, "What's going on?!"

"These men are Lieutenant Colonel Caronville of the Armed Security Corps. He ordered the Germans from District 45 who were patrolling the traffic to come here. They were the ones who carried out this interception. They said there was a big problem inside!"

“Hahaha! Yes, yes, yes! Something’s definitely wrong!” Karlstadt shouted to the German man holding down the driver as he walked to the trunk of the car. “Schreiber! Strip this man naked! Let us see his back!”

In no time, a dark shadow tattooed on the driver's back appeared before him—an icon resembling a bird with outstretched wings and a straight, upward-pointing spear were centered together.

"The Black Knights?!"

To Nagayama's astonishment, Karlstadt opened the trunk, which was empty, but he seemed unmoved and touched it from underneath.

"Hahaha, that's right." He didn't expect that the panel under the trunk was so easy for him to spot. He threw the panel away, and what was hidden underneath made Yongshan even more uneasy.

“Submachine gun…” She pulled out one of them—these were the standard weapons of the resistance forces in District 11 who were fighting against the Britannian invasion, and there were at least ten more in the trunk.

"Alright, haha, they can't escape now." Karlstadt laughed with satisfaction, clapping his hands, seemingly waiting for his superiors in the KMF to issue some new announcements.

"Take this bastard back to our base," the pilot said in German, then switched to English. "Sergeant Davis, you stay here, cordon off the area, and maintain traffic."

"it is good!"

Next, an empty police car was cleared out for the Germans, and now they were just waiting for Karlstadt to get in.

"Oh, um, your name seems to be Davis?" But he didn't seem to be in a hurry. "I'm really sorry, but it seems that Germany won by a few more points this time?"

"What exactly are you trying to say, you idiot? Are you pleading for your damn leader?"

"Ha, don't forget, we're not like you Americans, or the Slavs of the East." He switched back to German, apparently his German wasn't quite up to par. "Do you know where it is? In the last few years, the blood we've shed for each other has all seemed red, but each tastes different..."

“I can tell you don’t want to waste your time here, and me, haha.” He laughed smugly, turned and walked toward the police car, “One of the easiest ways to defeat the enemy is to find the enemy of the enemy.”