Chapter 171 The Battle of Poland (34)

As Wilhelm stepped out of the car, the surrounding crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. He warmly shook hands with everyone, exchanging greetings and inquiries. The excitement was palpable, with some individuals even tearing up.

Approaching a tall figure, Wilhelm shook hands, and the man exclaimed loudly, "Report, Your Highness! I want to go to the front lines!"

"Oh?" Wilhelm paused, intrigued. "Isn't it good here? Why do you want to go to the front lines?" He was aware that these ground service jobs weren't the most popular among the youth – essentially considered as laborers and clerks. However, someone had to do these tasks. If everyone went to the front lines, who would handle logistics? It was essential work and, unless enemies approached within artillery range or air superiority was lost, relatively safe.

The tall man scratched his head. "Your Highness, everything is fine here. But there are no enemies here. I want to see what the enemy looks like before the war ends. If I return home without having seen the enemy, how do I answer my neighbors when they ask how many enemies I've killed?"

Seeing many around nodding in agreement, Wilhelm was about to ask Anna to fetch a microphone when he noticed she already had one, waiting behind him.

"... " He discreetly gave her a thumbs up and took the microphone, starting an improvised speech. "It seems many of you feel that contributions in the rear are not as valued as those on the front lines. While soldiers bravely face the enemy in the front, we shouldn't undermine the contributions of those in the rear.

Think about it, the soldiers on the front lines use guns to kill enemies. Where do their guns come from? Clearly, they are transported from the arsenal by the transportation department. The materials for making guns at the arsenal come from the metallurgical plant, and the ore in the metallurgical plant comes from the mining field.

Even if one link is missing, soldiers on the front lines won't even get firewood, let alone guns, and will face the enemy empty-handed.

Take this airport, for example. Pilots can proudly drop bombs on the enemy, but without diligent ground crew like you, even the most advanced aircraft is just a pile of junk.

Remember, there's no hierarchy in work; it's just different roles. As long as each of us does our duty and is willing to contribute, the empire will undoubtedly win this war and restore its former prosperity!

I assure you; this time, we will not lose! I will lead you to forge a millennial empire!"

The crowd erupted in a tsunami of cheers. Wilhelm patted the tall man's shoulder. "Work hard, and I guarantee your chest will have as many medals as those pilots. You'll return home with honor."

The sound of aircraft engines echoed from the sky as a squadron of bombers returned. Wilhelm dispersed the crowd, instructing them to return to their posts, and he himself got back into the car.

"Your Highness, please wipe your hands." Anna handed him a handkerchief. Wilhelm had shaken hands with many people, and his hands were stained with oil.

While wiping his hands, Wilhelm instructed, "Inform Goebbels when we get back, let him publish articles praising these logistics personnel."

"Yes." Anna nodded.

Back at the private plane, Wilhelm waved to General List. "This is in your hands, General List. We'll meet again at the victory celebration in a short while." Poland should surrender in a week at most.

Back in Berlin, Ribbentrop had been waiting. "Your Highness, England and France have imposed an embargo on all oil-producing countries. Even the oil from Ming is to be stopped for a while. The Ming ambassador just conveyed his apologies through me."

Wilhelm chuckled dismissively. "Tell the Ming ambassador it's a minor issue, and it won't affect the friendship between our two countries."

These tactics from England and France were old tricks. In the original timeline, they had initiated a blockade in the oil supply domain right from the beginning of the war, causing the German military's plans to be somewhat restrained. Due to Germany's oil reserves dropping from 2.4 million tons to 1.6 million tons, the German military hesitated to launch large-scale air battles and bombings against England, France, and other countries. Their fuel stocks were barely enough for an offensive on the Western Front.

However, the situation was entirely different now. Over the years, Germany had received over ten million tons of oil from Ming alone. Coupled with the oil purchased from the Soviet Union, the Middle East, the United States, and other oil-producing countries, Germany's oil reserves now reached 15 million tons, enough for extravagant use for at least two years. (In fact, each European country had its own oil fields.)

Wilhelm also had the secret ace of Libya that hadn't been revealed yet. Although they hadn't started extracting oil, a fully functional city had been built on the surface. All the necessary mining tools were in place, and three oil pipelines had been laid, connecting to the port. With a command, a continuous flow of oil could be mined, processed on-site, and transported to the port within a month.

Of course, he had to deal with the thorn in the Mediterranean, Malta, first to safely transport the oil across the sea. According to his plan, these issues weren't major obstacles.

Combined with oil fields of various sizes across European countries, Germany didn't need to worry about oil this time.

In Warsaw, just when the Polish people thought the German forces were preparing to flatten the city, the bombing suddenly stopped the next morning.

Special forces entered the severely damaged city.

Each team's backbone consisted of a "Grizzly" assault gun, camouflaged for urban warfare, equipped with a StuH 43/1 150mm howitzer, and a "Leopard" self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.

While the Grizzly had a 320 horsepower engine like the Wolf tank, its speed was only around 15 kilometers per hour. Weighing 36 tons, it was 10 tons heavier than the Jackal tank. However, these additional tons were dedicated to extra armor, with even the vulnerable top and bottom armor reaching a thickness of 30 millimeters.

Almost dragging on the ground, with a simple mine plow at the front, improved defenses against Molotov cocktails on the engine cover and ventilation openings, the Grizzly turned into an actual turtle shell in urban combat.

Designed specifically for infantry support, the Grizzly lacked prominence in regular battles. Yet, in urban warfare, it was the enemy's nightmare. The thick armor allowed the Grizzly to use its 150mm howitzer for close-range shots, devastating with a single round.

"Rat-tat-tat!"

Machine gun bullets struck the incredibly thick armor of the Grizzly, splashing sparks but having negligible impact. Not just 7.7mm machine gun bullets, even heavy machine guns, autocannons, and medium-caliber cannons were like tickling to it.

"Squeak!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!" As the assault gun continued turning its cumbersome body to aim at the direction of the incoming bullets, the "Leopard" self-propelled anti-aircraft gun behind it roared first.

This "Leopard" self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, also modified from the Jackal tank chassis, didn't have a large cannon on its turret's front. Instead, it boasted four menacing-looking 20mm anti-aircraft guns.

Originally designed for dealing with airborne threats, this weapon's turret rotation speed was exceptionally fast, resulting in shorter response times against threats from various directions. With comprehensive armor protection, it could genuinely be called an artifact in urban warfare.

Now, the four 20mm guns roared together, instantly turning the opposite windows where bullets were being shot into pieces. Bullet holes the size of bowls covered the surrounding walls. Unless someone was virtually indestructible, those inside the room could be considered dead beyond death.

Following the advancing tank were infantry soldiers dressed in urban camouflage combat suits, armed mainly with MP40 and MP44 for powerful firepower. They also carried additional weapons like G43, shotguns, flamethrowers, grenade launchers, and more.