At the end of February, as the temperature began to rise, the snow started to melt, but only the surface layer thawed, while the deeper ground, frozen solid, remained as hard as ever. This formed a barrier that prevented the melting snow from penetrating deep into the soil.
And so, the muddy season began.
Even in a large city like Ye Fort, where roads were paved with asphalt, the shadow of mud could be seen; after an outing, trouser legs would be dotted with splashes of mud.
In such miserable conditions, even tanks had to shake themselves off three times, and cars simply couldn't drive off the asphalt roads.
Thereby, the battlefield went completely silent, all major military operations, from north to south, ground to a halt.
Both sides were hustling to stockpile ammunition and replenish their troops, preparing to make a big push in the summer.
