Cannon Fire Arc

While Wang Zhong devised his own modest offensive plan, the greater trend of the war was changing quietly.

At 1 am on the 22nd, within the territory of the Prosen Empire, at Eagle's Nest.

"It's already the early hours of the 22nd," the Plathen Emperor Reinhard looked to Chief of General Staff William Kyle, "why hasn't the Moravian Cavalry arrived on the scene yet? Weren't they supposed to arrive on the 19th?"

Chief of General Staff William Kyle looked towards Duke Meyer.

The Duke began to sweat.

Chief of General Staff Kyle said, "Ever since we began to encircle the enemy clusters by the sea, the enemy has intensified the bombing of our transport system, and the severe bombing has greatly disrupted transportation.

"Moreover, the arbitrary massacre of civilians by the internal troops has heightened the antagonism of our laborers, resulting in a greatly reduced recovery speed of the railway system."

Kyle's implication was clear, it was the Air Force and the internal troops to blame, both of which belonged to Your Imperial Majesty, so we couldn't be held responsible.

Duke Meyer hurriedly explained, "The enemy has deployed heavy bombers, an all-metal heavy bomber like we've never encountered before. Our 109s now find it difficult to bring down these armored flying fortresses, and we also have to worry about the enemy's defensive firepower.

"Their planes have stronger firepower compared to our heavy bombers modified from seaplanes!

"For this reason, I've tasked the technical department to develop 109s equipped with 30mm cannons and 20mm cannons. In addition, the 190 fighter planes from the Focke-Wulf Company are about to enter service, and by then we should be able to effectively counter the threat of the heavy bombers..."

The Emperor walked up to Duke Meyer, stood with his hands behind his back looking at him, "What you've just said means we simply can't deal with the enemy's new bombers, is that right?"

"Temporarily," Duke Meyer answered.

The Emperor was clearly very disappointed with the reply, shook his head repeatedly, "A new kind of weapon changes the entire situation of the war, no, I don't believe in that. You have more to say."

After thinking for a moment, Duke Meyer said, "The Ant Air Force has also... changed their combat methods. Previously, they tended to use planes like the IL-2 for low-altitude, close support to attack our combat troops."

Chief of General Staff Kyle, "Such attacks are not very threatening. Only the most elite Ant Pilots could achieve sufficient attack efficiency, and most Ant pilots are novices with less than two hundred flying hours.

"The IL-2 can't hit accurately and can only compensate for a low hit rate with a large number. However, the effectiveness is still limited."

Duke Meyer, "But recently, we have noticed a significant decrease in the appearances of the IL-2. It seems that the Ante has gradually given up on this aircraft, which was highly favored by their late emperor, and many strike aircraft groups have re-equipped with new planes supported by the Federation, and the number of their own Pe-2 has noticeably increased."

Emperor Reinhard, "You're saying the enemy has abandoned the IL-2, which we have assessed as ineffective, and instead started producing the Pe-2, which we consider a significant threat?"

Duke Meyer, "Yes, the Pe-2s are raiding our front-line traffic hubs, assembly points, transfer stations, etc. Then the new four-engine heavy bombers attack important targets such as our rear train scheduling yards, locomotive repair factories, etc.

"Now the pressure on the Eastern Front's air defense has greatly increased, and we are planning to move fighter squadrons from the Western Front to the Eastern Front to serve as air defense for important locations—"

At that moment, the air raid alarm suddenly sounded.

Everyone looked up at the ceiling.

After a few seconds, Emperor Reinhard turned and demanded, "What's happening? Why sound the air raid siren?"

The Emperor's guard shook his head, "We don't know; please allow me to make a call to find out."

"Ask quickly!"

However, before the guard could make the call, the Court Chamberlain entered, "Your Majesty, the radar has detected a large number of blips, possibly enemy aircraft formations."

The Emperor turned to Duke Meyer, "Verify the situation quickly!"

The Duke, "Night fighters are deployed near the coastline to protect our ports. The enemy's night raids have always targeted ports and the ships within that can be used to cross the sea."

Marshal Kyle, "It may just be a radar malfunction, although I doubt that a radar protecting Eagle's Nest would malfunction."

The Emperor glared at Duke Meyer for a few seconds, then turned to the window and yanked open the curtains.

Outside, the lights of Baden city were visible, the illumination of the entire city lighting up the night sky as though it were daytime.

Despite the air raid siren having been sounded, the city showed no intention of enforcing a blackout because up to now, the heartland of the empire had never been bombed before.

Neither the empire's grassroots officials nor the ordinary people had any awareness of air raids.

The shrill siren continued to sound, but the city remained in a state of revelry.

At that moment, a large group of attendants rushed into the map room where the Emperor and others were, turning off all the lights.

The Emperor asked, "What's happened?"

The attendant said, "The air observation post has heard the roar of enemy aircraft formations in the sky, the enemy air raid is coming!"

By then, Duke Meyer, who had run off to use the phone at some point, also put down the receiver and looked at the Emperor, "Several radar stations have spotted blips. They've used our cognitive inertia against us—the coastal radar mistook the blips for chaff released by Mosquito planes, but in reality, it's an actual aircraft formation."
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The Emperor stared at Meyer for several long seconds, furious, "All these years, Prosen has spent so much money, and all it has done is to raise a group of wastes like you, unable to force the United Kingdom to surrender through attack, unable to defend the homeland!"

"Today, when the United Kingdom's planes drop their bombs, do you know how long it will take to restore the people's confidence? Do you know?"

The Duke fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "I think propaganda can handle this problem."

"This is not about whether or not it can be handled," the Emperor stepped forward, adjusting the Iron Cross on the Duke's collar, which was the highest level of Iron Cross awarded to only one person in the entire empire.

"I am very disappointed," the Emperor said.

Outside the window, the city lights began to disappear one by one; evidently, Baden city was now cutting off the main switches in each district to enforce the blackout.

The Emperor said, "Do you know why the enemy would penetrate deep into our territory to bomb Baden city first? Hmm? Think about it!"

Outside, the beams of the searchlights tore through the night sky, as if transforming the skies of Baden city into a stage.

The spotlights were searching for the "actors" about to perform.

Having adjusted the Iron Cross, the Emperor pulled lightly so the ribbon of the decoration gently chafed against the Duke's corpulent neck, "Because this is a demonstration against me! They know I'm here and are intentionally performing it for me to see!"

Outside, the anti-aircraft guns began to fire, bursting into small black flowers in the sky.

The Emperor said, "You have disappointed me time after time, remember, I can do without you, but not without the Air Force."

As a rising military branch, the Air Force had indeed attracted some Junker nobility who enjoyed flying, but generally speaking, the Air Force was an area devoid of the Junker aristocracy's power, and it was also the Emperor's spearhead against the Junkers.

If the spearhead did not perform well, it naturally would shake the prestige of the Emperor.

Of course, the glorious victories in conquering Europa had kept the Emperor's prestige sky-high within the army and among the Prosen civilians, and it would not be devastated by such an incident, but a levee a thousand miles long could collapse due to an ant hole.

The Emperor stared at the Duke, the corners of his mouth twitching.

At that moment, flares lit up in the night sky outside the window, as if two supernovae had suddenly appeared in the starry heavens.

These were the target markers dropped by the pathfinder planes of the United Kingdom's night bomber group.

The next moment, successive flashes lit up the darkness.

The flashes outside the window repeatedly outlined the Emperor's silhouette.

The Emperor, with bloodshot eyes, stared intently at the Duke.