Chapter 261: Chapter 156: [Italy... Surrendered! They’ve Surrendered!!!] (6k Two-in-One)
At this moment.
Inside the livestream room of the streamer Xu Jie, who has been starting from the European battlefield.
He is currently broadcasting the situation in Kursk.
Kursk, as the protruding part of the frontline.
Beneath the calm surface, there is an undercurrent of both sides gathering strength for a decisive battle.
Even without various channels of information, just being here, one can feel the increasingly tense atmosphere.
Xu Jie is on a hillside not far from the camp.
Leaning against a birch tree, the new green leaves of the birch grove behind him rustled in the wind. Xu Jie gazed at the beautiful sunset on the plains and chatted with the livestream room:
"I wonder how many people will die this time."
"I bet the grass on this plain will be flourishing next year."
The viewers in the livestream room agreed, and seeing comments asking him to talk about the situation here, Xu Jie sat up a bit straighter and then brought up the ’real-time map’ from the Polestar Official Website in the livestream room:
"The situation in Kursk, huh?"
"A decisive battle is being prepared."
"Starting in May, the Soviet Union has been gradually deploying troops from various places here."
"It’s been almost two months now."
"The entire line of defense is ready, just waiting for orders from above to start a war with the Empire."
"But to be honest."
"Starting a war now feels tough for the Empire."
Seeing some viewers in the livestream room were confused, Xu Jie explained:
"The main issue is the defense line."
"After this period of troop deployment, the Soviet Union’s defense line is basically completed, with various fortifications in place."
"Fighting now will certainly double the difficulty."
"I checked some information about the Empire in the player forum."
"It is said that in May, Manstein wanted to attack."
"But the Empire’s logistics are now well-known."
"In the past year or so, the Empire lost thousands of tanks and hasn’t replenished them yet."
"Unlike the Soviet Union, which has the United States of America providing later stage support."
"Thanks to that ’Lend-Lease Act,’ the United States of America has supplied many aircraft and tanks."
"The current situation is that the Soviet Union has more people and better logistics. Even if the Empire’s combat power is strong, it feels like it could be worn down by the Soviet Union."
It is widely known on Blue Star that war ultimately turns into a war of attrition.
Those who couldn’t afford the attrition have perished, which is somewhat fortunate.
Fighting an attrition war like the Empire and the Soviet Union is terrifying to watch, with so many dead, a major campaign means millions of deaths.
It clearly tells the netizens of Blue Star how brutal war is.
Plus, recent edited videos and a lot of revealed dark secrets, looking at those high officials and statesmen from various countries, and then looking at the young men on the front lines shouting slogans for the motherland and dying.
A sobering breeze blew into many players’ minds.
Xu Jie got up, chatting with the livestream room, and walked towards the military camp below:
"The sunset in Kursk is truly beautiful...."
By the time he reached the camp, the sun had already set.
A tank crew that had just finished training, several soldiers sat on the tank looking at the sky, seemingly imagining something spectacular. Seeing this, Xu Jie turned the livestream’s perspective towards them.
Click!
A photo was frozen in the livestream room.
(Because it’s a material, let’s not differentiate between camps)
Even if you can’t see their faces against the light, from the young soldier’s slightly raised chin, you can still feel their smiles at this moment.
Comments flooded the livestream room, and Xu Jie smiled at this sight:
"It’s really nice, isn’t it."
"I should find an ’Earth Photo Studio’ to develop the photo using World War II photo development equipment."
"Only the original flavor is more perfect."
The ’Earth’ IP series products released by Polestar Company include not only food and drinks but also cameras and photo development equipment. However, individuals usually don’t buy them; most ’Earth Photo Studios’ in major cities are set up by Polestar Company.
Thanks to the sheer number of players, while it doesn’t make much money, it generally doesn’t lose money.
After taking this photo.
Xu Jie, who originally planned to sleep and skip the plot, took more photos in the sunset to share in the livestream room under the viewers’ urging before the sunset faded completely.
Unexpectedly.
This was the last peace.
...
The next day, July 5th.
At dawn, when the sky was not fully brightened yet.
Boom——!
Explosions from artillery fire erupted over the Soviet Union’s positions, jolting Xu Jie awake, and he immediately got up, grabbed his things, and rushed out.
In the Soviet Union’s camp at this time, although somewhat chaotic, they had practiced many times. Xu Jie dashed into the regiment command, and the regimental radio conveyed messages from above:
"The Empire’s ’Tiger’ cluster is advancing towards your position."
"Rely on fortifications, hold the defense, and wait for support."
"Repeat."
"The Empire...."
The repetition on the radio turned everyone’s face in the command post ugly.
It’s nothing else.
A ’Tiger’ cluster?
Where did they come from? There was no such information in their previous intelligence.
Where did the Empire transfer them from?
The power of the Tiger Tank had already been demonstrated in the [Battle of Kharkiv], sometimes even outnumbered tanks couldn’t take down the opponent, and thick armor would deflect shells.
In fact.
The reason the Empire delayed attacking for two months was because the Tiger Tanks had not been deployed yet.
That’s why they didn’t allow Manstein to attack.