Codegease: Air and Land Warfare 1946

Vienna at night is now without water or electricity; the entire city is shrouded in endless darkness and ruins, much like Berlin a few days ago.

The music capital? Yes, this really is Vienna!

There were no piano keys to pluck, no violin melodies to play, and no concerts in the Golden Hall! Collapsed buildings, chaotic roads—all the instruments were silenced by the devastation.

……

The musical staff in Vienna now has only one keynote: "gloomy and lifeless"! Do you understand?

……

As night fell, only the sounds of engines could be heard on the streets—the jeeps and military trucks belonging to American soldiers.

The convoy slowly drove past a burning fire. The refugees who had gathered around it for warmth stared blankly back at the green convoys reflecting the firelight.

The soldiers sat in the vehicles, looking around warily. This didn't look like a patrol at all. Moreover, the convoy was very strange; only the lead jeep had its headlights on, while the others had their lights off.

……

At the rear of the convoy was an unusual note—completely different from the sound of rubber tires rolling down the street; it was filled with the smell of steel and had no flexibility whatsoever.

The sound grew closer and closer, and everyone could no longer sit still. They quickly stood up and turned around, trying to identify what the monster was by the light of the fire.

……

Yes, they remembered! That was the sound of tank tracks rolling over the ground!

In the dim light of the fire, the American M4 Sherman tank finally came into view.

"My God, what happened..."

Patrolling with tanks? That's definitely impossible. There's only one reason why these steel monsters would appear here.

"Another war is brewing? No, I have to go tell my darling right away..."

……

The tank slowly drove away, taking with it a truckload of infantry, and followed a truck into a street.

"This engine hood is burning hot, you son of a bitch." The two soldiers in the car started chatting.

"It's okay, Charlie. Once your butt's cooked, we can change the menu tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, damn crap, damn luncheon meat, ugh, it's all fucking damn..."

As for what this "troublesome matter" was, everything was fine until nightfall when these soldiers stationed in Vienna received an order from Mark Clark, the commander-in-chief of the U.S. forces in Austria.

"All U.S. troops stationed in Austria shall immediately raise their combat readiness level and deploy vigilant forces along the U.S.-Soviet border"—this is the core meaning of the order.

Why did the general do this? Because of a telegram from Germany, from General Eisenhower.

……

Germany is in trouble, and the culprit is likely the Soviet army. Austria, which is also divided among four countries, cannot afford to be complacent. The Soviet-occupied area of ​​Vienna is not only larger than the combined areas of the United States, Britain and France, but also has more troops stationed there than all of them combined. Not to mention, the area outside Vienna, like the area outside Berlin, is Soviet territory.

……

……

"Alright! We're here! Keep your voices down!"

The M4 tank stopped following the convoy's pace, and Charlie and his men began making preparations under the cover of night.

Charlie's task was to unload some things from the truck bed, including roadblocks, sandbags, and ammunition supplies—the roadblocks were to block passing vehicles, while the sandbags and supplies were to guard against potential Russians crossing the border—armed crossings, you know.

……

However, at that moment, you all heard some noise from across the street, and something seemed wrong!

An even louder engine roared from the other side.

By the dim light from the other side, they could vaguely see several things that looked like Soviet ZIS trucks come to a stop, and then groups of soldiers jumped off the trucks.

However, the engine noise didn't stop. While busy with his work, Charlie quietly observed the situation on the other side.

Before the soldiers had even set up roadblocks, unloaded the ammunition boxes from the trucks, or built any sandbag bunkers, the Soviet response speed indicated that they were already on their way before the American troops arrived.

……

Then, the thing that was still humming its engine finally appeared, and with the help of the Soviet soldiers' flashlights, the slender gun barrel and the sloping hull of the T-34/85 tank were completely outlined.

……

"All Soviet troops stationed in Austria shall immediately raise their combat readiness level and deploy outposts along the US-Soviet border." This was the order given to the soldiers by Ivan Konev, the commander-in-chief of the Soviet troops stationed in Austria, at almost the same moment.

He did this based on two things: a telegram from Zhukov, the commander-in-chief of the Soviet forces in Germany, saying that the border was no longer safe; and a message from the Supreme Soviet Command, saying that based on the situation of the Soviet forces in Germany, the Soviet forces in Austria should also be careful.

Yes, two similar telegrams, two similar orders, and the atmosphere in the music capital, along with the burning city of Berlin, was becoming increasingly tense.

What is the truth...?

……

The soldiers on both sides completed their tasks while remaining wary of each other.

Now, Charlie sat in a sandbag bunker by the roadside, holding his M1 Garand rifle, gazing in the direction of the Soviet army.

On their side, dozens of gun barrels were pointed at the heads hidden in the darkness on the other side.

Similarly, the other side must have dozens or even hundreds of Mosin-Nagant rifles and PPSh submachine guns, ready to take down these Yankees.

This scene has been playing out on the streets of Vienna, at every intersection where the US and the Soviet Union meet, for the past twenty minutes.

……

……

He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the Sherman tank that was crouching behind the road.

I don't know where the Russian T-34 is now, but it's definitely aiming at the Sherman's chassis, right?

The howitzer was not very effective against the T-34's armor, while the T-34's 85mm main gun could easily turn this M4 into scrap metal. This was really a huge disadvantage for the guy sitting in the Ronson lighter.

But the Russians definitely won't fire, right? After all, the consequences of them firing are obvious.

Of course, this was just Charlie's wishful thinking.

He just wanted the night to end quickly; he just wanted it all to end...

Vienna can no longer eke out a living in its somber mood, and Europe can no longer be shrouded in the shadow of destruction...

This is also the wish of the whole world.

Section 78, Chapter Forty-Eight: Torture (Part 1)

Outside the city, the Soviet artillery positions were still tirelessly firing shells, while the soldiers, unlike the cold, lifeless gun mounts, had begun to take turns resting, and the trenches on the outskirts of the city were filled with Red Army soldiers.

……

Sitting in a corner of the trench, with their arms tightly wrapped around their chests and their heads resting on sand, each soldier either carried their gun on their body or wrapped it in their arms for safety.

……

You might ask: With all that deafening gunfire and the constant threat of the enemy, how could you possibly fall asleep?

Let me tell you straight: if you can't even sleep in this kind of environment on the battlefield, it just means you're a very green recruit—because you're afraid of death, afraid of artillery fire, afraid of anything that can disturb your eardrums.

……

So, if you don't have anything else to do, go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a big feast.

Besides, your comrades still have to work overtime.

……

……

……

Back at the entrance of the regimental headquarters on the outskirts of the city.

“Lieutenant?” Anton stood quietly about ten steps from the door when he heard Sheva calling him softly.

"how?"

"Here." Upon closer inspection, Sheva handed over a piece of black bread, while holding his water bottle in his other hand. However, the lieutenant could smell the aroma of alcohol wafting out of it.

"Put the vodka away first, and just bear with it a little longer." Anton took the bread and smiled calmly. "The person we're waiting for hasn't arrived yet."

Unlike Lemilia, Anton's company was a guard company specifically responsible for the security of the command post. Their task was to stand guard and keep watch around the regimental headquarters.

"Ah... Comrade Vasilyev, you don't seem to have any alcohol addiction at all?" another soldier asked. "Are the slogans written by the propaganda officers more intoxicating than alcohol?"

"Of course not. I just try to control my drinking. You may not know what happened in front of me back then."

The lieutenant frowned, put the bread in his mouth and stopped talking, chewing as he looked up at the night sky.

"Ha, you're reluctant to say it again, Lieutenant?" Sheva chewed on his bread with relish. "Should I say it for you?"

"You do it."

“Ah, is that so?” Sheva wiped his mouth and gestured. “If I remember correctly, it was in Donbas. There were two comrades in the company who got drunk and started fighting. One of them went on a drunken rampage and blinded the other. The latter probably committed suicide because he couldn’t continue fighting and couldn’t fulfill his wish to avenge his mother.”

"So you've been checking our water bottles every now and then, is that right, Lieutenant?"

Anton said nothing, nor did he want to say anything; he simply took a deep breath.

……

……

……

"Comrade! They're here."

"Salute!" He quickly stood up and ordered the two people beside him to salute the new guest.

By the light of the small oil lamp hanging nearby, Anton could clearly see the leader's attire: a peaked cap with a blue brim and red band on his head, and blue trousers and high-top boots on his lower body—the VIP they were waiting for, the comrade from the Soviet NKVD, had finally arrived.

Without saying much, the man in the blue hat went straight to the command post.

"Alright, you can unscrew the cap now." The lieutenant signaled that drinking was permitted, while eavesdropping on the conversation between the regimental commander and the NKVD.

……

"Comrade, what about the prisoners your soldiers captured?"

"He's being held in the basement of that dilapidated building next door."

"Good, did you find anything useful on him?"

"No, he had nothing on him except an English booklet, which was probably an operation manual and had nothing to do with intelligence or orders."

"Alright, have your soldiers lead the way for me."

"Understood, Anton!"

"exist!"

"Take the comrades from the Ministry of Internal Affairs to that place."

"Understood! This way, comrade!"

"Wait a minute, Lieutenant." The man in the blue hat had just stepped out when he suddenly stopped and pointed at Sheva beside him.

"You're the company commander of the guard company, right? Can't you just leave the task of leading the way to your soldiers?"

Sheva's face darkened. He had just been drinking; if he got caught...

“He has a sore throat and can’t speak, comrade.” Anton said casually. “You must have some questions you want to ask along the way, right? If the person leading the way is mute, don’t you think it’s a waste of time walking?”

"Tsk, very thoughtful indeed." The man in the blue hat nodded. "Then, quickly nod and clear the way!"

……

……

Where did you find this tongue?

“Makhsdorf was caught by one of our company’s comrades.”

"What's the company commander's name?"