Cannon Fire Arc-Chapter 771 - 28: Propaganda Campaign

Chapter 771 -28: Propaganda Campaign

Wang Zhong entered the Headquarters on the second day and immediately asked, “About that 504 from yesterday—I mean, was the tank destroyer battalion intercepted?”

He almost blurted out the enemy’s code number, but this information could normally be obtained only through interrogation of prisoners or capturing enemy maps and documents.

Pavlov replied, “Oh? You already know the enemy’s code number? That was fast. I just got my hands on the report!”

Wang Zhong said, “Heard about it en route. So, did we manage to stop them?”

“They have been annihilated. They bypassed our blockade position, but while passing through a village, they were ambushed by another guerrilla group. Most of the new tank destroyers were burned by incendiary bottles, and only a few that didn’t enter the village in time were captured by the guerrilla fighters.”

Pavlov paused, then added, “However, it’s a pity that the Sturmgeschütz III assault gun battalion that was following them got away.”

...

It appears that the village lane wasn’t long enough, and half of the enemy’s single-file formation was consumed, leaving the tail end, the ‘Baldy’ battalion, to slip away.

Wang Zhong said, “Good that they were destroyed. Immediately dispatch Long-type retrieval trailers to transport the captured vehicles back for a comprehensive assessment of their capabilities.”

Pavlov replied, “I’ve already organized a team for the recovery. However, Bogdanovka has not yet been taken. There are still sporadic enemy soldiers near the ambush site, so large trailers aren’t suitable to go there.

“That’s why I had Yegorov reassign some troops to Nolinca to guard these vehicles. We’ll tow them back in a few days once the surrounding Prosens’ scattered soldiers are mostly cleared.”

Wang Zhong said, “As long as you have managed it.”

After a brief pause, he asked, “How many tank operators from the tanks ambushed by this 504th battalion survived?”

“Non-recoverable losses amount to 271,” Popov immediately replied, “Half survived.”

The so-called non-recoverable losses refer to the total number of personnel killed or disabled by injuries and unable to return to the front lines.

The loss of 110 T34Ws, each with a crew of 5, totals 550 people; indeed, exactly half were left.

The precision of it was like a cruel joke.

Wang Zhong: “The enemy’s tanks were presumably equipped with 75mm cannons. It’s surprising that half survived.”

Previously, those in tanks destroyed by Prosen’s 75mm and 88mm guns would count themselves lucky to have one survivor.

Pavlov remarked, “The boys at the front also found it strange. We’ll need our technical specialists to investigate and find out what happened.”

Wang Zhong concurred, “Alright. Change of subject, so what’s been the movement today concerning the Prosens’ armored troops?”

“Yesterday, there wasn’t much movement from Prosen’s armored divisions,” Pavlov took out another report and tossed it in front of Wang Zhong, “No units reported encountering organized Prosen armored troops throughout the whole day.”

Wang Zhong pretended to go through the report; he knew Pavlov’s summary would be accurate: “So, have we exhausted the Prosens’ armored divisions?”

Pavlov speculated, “It’s possible. Or perhaps their counterattacks over the last few days have worn out their tanks’ engine hours.”

Wang Zhong inquired, “So, what’s our reported count of enemy losses?”

“One thousand five hundred,” replied Pavlov promptly, “My designated survey team is counting the wreckage, and certainly, it’s not that many.”

Wang Zhong commented, “We need to correct the bad habit of falsely reporting combat results within the troops, to ensure that the Front Army Headquarters’ tally of battle results is closer to the actual situation.”

Vasily interjected, “So that suggests the scale of exaggeration will be determined by the Front Army’s propaganda department, right?”

Wang Zhong clarified, “By the Church’s Ministry of Propaganda. Besides, what exaggeration? On the battlefield, tallying combat results is already incredibly difficult, and some margin of error is acceptable. Especially for the Air Force’s combat results, how can you be certain that the Air Force didn’t destroy that many tanks behind enemy lines?

“If so many wrecks aren’t found behind enemy lines, it’s partly because of the enemy’s strong repair capabilities, and on the other hand, the enemy would definitely demolish all irreparable wrecks!”

On Earth, this was precisely the case; confirming the Air Force’s ground attack results was highly challenging, mainly because at the time, there were no reliable positioning methods on aircraft, and pilots had to rely on recognizing landmarks to “estimate” their location.

Estimation was a nicer term, but it really was just an experienced guess.

With the positional issues unsolvable, even if they wanted to send dedicated reconnaissance aircraft to confirm results, it wasn’t feasible.

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Thus, World War II’s aerial attack results were basically whatever the pilots claimed.

The Americans, with their substantial resources later in the war, started equipping aircraft for ground attacks with cameras, even earmarking specific planes within a squadron to photographically confirm results, which marginally curtailed inflated claims.

There was a rather dramatic incident towards the end of the war when the American fighter squadrons were competing on the results of ground attacks. What seemed to be settled got completely overturned when several pilots who had made emergency landings and were captured by Sturmtigers were later rescued by ground forces.

Those pilots had stashed their camera’s film reels in tree holes immediately after landing, and forcefully retrieved them after their rescue, which resulted in the reversal of ground attack results.

Decades later, this squadron, which had experienced the reversal, became the number one ground-attack fighter squadron and later transitioned to equipping F15E “Strike Eagles.”

And, of course, the current Ante Air Force didn’t have the resources to equip every plane with cameras to confirm battle results, so they were still in a situation where the number of destroyed targets claimed by pilots was taken at face value.

However, for attacks on some key points—such as railway stations and marshalling yards—dedicated reconnaissance planes would confirm the results with photographs. But on such a vast battlefield as Ante’s, there was plenty of room for fabricated claims.

Pavlov: “We estimate the battle results cautiously to have a correct understanding of the enemy’s strength. Exaggerating the battle results above is to boost the morale, and there might also be an intent to exert pressure on the Allied Nations, all of which are not wrong.”

Wang Zhong smiled and said nothing, and just then Nelly came over with coffee in hand. He took the cup and gulped down a big sip.

Nelly: “Today I used milk produced in the newly liberated city, how is it?”

Wang Zhong looked down at the coffee and laughed: “I didn’t taste it. But… uh, I tasted the enthusiasm of the local people!”

———

Marshal Xiplin held the receiver, surrounded by staff members methodically burning documents.

The Plathen Emperor’s voice came through the receiver in a tone of discontent: “Four Armored Divisions! Four! Those two-regiment system Armored Divisions before Barbarossa launched, and you’re telling me they were used up in less than a week?”

“Those four Armored Divisions are all model three and four, with no armor-piercing shells advantage against the enemy’s new tanks.”

“But Prosens Armored Troops are the elite!”

“The enemy has also become elite.” Marshal Xiplin’s tone was very patient, “Anteans who can drive the new tanks are all elite with the title of Guards. These units are composed of veterans and top graduates from training schools, and their quality of troops is already not inferior to ours.”

Xiplin kept some words to himself.

The Armored Divisions transferred from the Western Front had not experienced such fierce tank battles on the Eastern Front.

The two more experienced Armored Divisions had only gone against things like Mamluk and Matilda tanks of the United Kingdom; their intensity of combat simply could not match a single hair on the Eastern Front. The tank operators of the United Kingdom were not as tenacious in combat will as the Antean tank operators.

The tank crews of the United Kingdom generally abandoned combat and their vehicles after one man was lost, whereas Antean tank crews often continued to fight even after losing two men.

In short, these four divisions transferred from the Western Front, although they delayed the Antean offensive, were only delaying it.

Xiplin: “The good news is that the enemy’s Armored Troops also suffered huge losses. It is expected that after taking Ronied, Rocossov’s offensive should be coming to an end. We should still be able to maintain some of the land in Kazarlia.”

The Emperor’s silence was deafening, making Xiplin himself uneasy.

He thought about it and seemed to have nothing to say. So he chose to keep his mouth shut and wait for the Emperor to speak for himself; as long as you don’t talk, you won’t make a mistake.

Finally, the Emperor sighed: “In two years’ time, we’ve given up all the land we gained on the Southern Front. All our planning for Kazarlia’s black soil has turned into a pipe dream.

“This place was supposed to become the breadbasket of the Empire of Prosen! Including important coal and iron mines! Now it’s all gone!”

Xiplin dared not speak for fear that the Emperor’s next words would express “the incompetence of the Junker officer corps.”

But the Emperor did not say that.

“Now, how can we explain this to the people of Prosen? With the wheat from Kazarlia and Moravia in these two years, we have managed to keep bread prices down. What about next year?

“We still have Moravian grain, but if Moravia is lost too, people may have to fill their stomachs with kale! Bread might rise to 500,000 marks a piece! 500,000 marks! This could be a big problem!”

Xiplin was sweating profusely, thinking it would be less worrying if the Emperor just scolded the officer corps as incompetent.

He felt that he could no longer remain silent: “We will try to ensure the farmland in West Kazarlia.”

“Unless you hold the Dibo River, nothing else will be useful.” The Emperor’s voice was despondent, “I will discuss with the Minister of Propaganda how to explain to the people of Prosen. Be mentally prepared.”

Xiplin’s anxious heart settled upon hearing this because from the tone, the Emperor was likely just going to let him retire to private life.

Now, retiring might actually be a good thing, and it would be best if he was never called upon again, until the defeat—there was a moment when Xiplin truly thought so.

But the qualities of a Junker officer made him quickly dismiss the idea.

Xiplin: “In order to explain to the people of Prosen, I am mentally prepared!”

“That’s good.” After a brief silence, the Emperor asked, “Is there anything else you need? I will try my best to satisfy it, although it is already too late.”

Xiplin: “Nothing else, I will do my best to withdraw the troops intact to near the border.”

“Mm.”

The Emperor hung up the phone directly.

Xiplin set the receiver down, and his Deputy Officer immediately asked with concern: “What did His Majesty say?”

“For the sake of propaganda, I may have to retire. That might be better, go find those retired old fellows for tea.”

Deputy Officer: “Do you want to show up at the Valkyrie Club?”

“No.” Xiplin said seriously, “Absolutely not.”