After the troops launched the offensive, Sokov could no longer sit still. After explaining a few things to Samyko about the affairs in the headquarters, he took Samoilov and his guards to the 182nd Division.
Khokhlov was startled when he saw Sokov suddenly appearing at his division headquarters. He asked in a panic: "Comrade Commander, why did you come to me?"
"Let me come over to see how you fight?" Sokov came to the table and looked down at the map on the table. Seeing that it was filled with dense arrows, he asked casually: "The progress of the troops.
how?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Golyachkin's 546th Regiment has rushed into the fortress through the gap opened by artillery fire." Khokhlov replied: "Although they encountered some resistance, their advancement speed is still very ideal.
He pointed to the location of a bastion on the map, "They are attacking this bastion. I believe there will be good news soon."
After hearing this, Sokov nodded noncommittally. For him, it was a victory for the troops to rush into the fortress along the blasted gap. As long as the troops entered the fortress area, they could use the existing equipment to increase their firepower.
Suppress the German army to speed up the capture of the fortress.
"Has the divisional artillery regiment entered the fortress?" Sokov asked.
"Not yet." Hearing Sokov's question, Khokhlov replied with some embarrassment: "Although the artillery fire opened a gap in the city wall, there was a large amount of masonry and rubble piled up in the gap, and it was impossible to move the artillery.
Go in."
"This is not possible, Comrade Colonel." Sokov shook his head and said, "You know, after entering the fortress, what you will face is the solid German fortress fortification. Although our rockets can destroy the enemy at long distances,
But after all, it has to enter a range of 100 meters for this kind of attack to be effective. As for artillery, it can easily destroy the German firepower point from four to five hundred meters away. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand," Khokhlov agreed very much with Sokov's statement. Although the rocket launcher could hit German tanks and can also deal with bunkers, its disadvantage was that the range was too short and only a mere
More than a hundred meters. If encountering a crossfire network composed of enemy machine guns, the shooter will not be able to enter the effective range. The situation with artillery is different. Let alone one or two hundred meters, even one or two thousand meters, as long as it can be seen
When reaching the target, there is also a chance to hit the target directly.
Khokhlov said repeatedly: "I will arrange manpower and find a way to transport the artillery to the city."
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov knew how difficult it was to move the artillery into the city from the gap full of bricks and rubble, so he did not simply give an order, but took the initiative to make suggestions for the other party.
: "The 76.2mm cannon can be completely dismantled and then carried back into the fortress for reassembly by the soldiers."
"Dismantle the artillery and carry it back to the fortress, and then reassemble it?" Khokhlov did not blindly believe Sokov's statement, but said cautiously: "Comrade Commander, please allow me to give the artillery
The regimental commander called and asked if he could dismantle the artillery piece and carry it inside."
If another commander had heard that Khokhlov dared to question his order like this, he would have been furious. But Sokov waved his hand and said tolerantly: "Let's fight. By the way, what caliber can the artillery fire?"
The artillery broke up the back and entered the city."
Khokhlov quickly got through the call of the artillery regiment and asked directly: "Comrade Major, when can your artillery regiment enter the fortress?"
"Comrade division commander," the artillery regiment commander replied: "Although the artillery preparations before the attack destroyed the fortress wall in seven or eight places, the gaps were full of masonry and rubble. Before the clearing was completed, I think our regiment will be able to
Enter the fortress."
"No, Comrade Major, you must enter the fortress as soon as possible." Khoklov said firmly: "The infantry attacking the fortress need you to help them destroy those strong firepower points with artillery fire."
"But……"
"Comrade Major, let me tell you, the gap in the road cannot be cleared in a short time." Before the artillery regiment commander could finish speaking, Khokhlov interrupted him: "What you can do is to clear the road."
The artillery was dismantled and then carried into the city for assembly."
After Khokhlov finished speaking, there was silence on the other end of the phone.
Just when Khokhlov thought the phone line had been blown down by artillery fire, he suddenly heard cheers coming from the receiver: "Great, Comrade Division Commander, your idea is really great, why didn't I think of that?"
Woolen cloth."
"What am I paying attention to?" Khokhlov was confused by the artillery regiment commander.
"Don't you mean to dismantle the artillery and carry it into the city and reassemble it?" the artillery regiment commander said excitedly on the phone: "This is completely feasible, so that our artillery will not be disabled due to road congestion.
Entering the city."
"Then take action immediately," Khokhlov urged: "Time is running out, and the troops in the city need your artillery support. If you enter the city a minute earlier, our infantry will pay less and we will liberate the fortress.
The time can be greatly advanced.”
"Understood, comrade division commander." The artillery regiment commander replied resoundingly: "I will immediately arrange manpower and start dismantling the artillery."
Khokhlov put down the microphone in his hand, looked at Sokov sitting in front of him, and said in an admiring tone: "Comrade Commander, you are so right. The artillery regiment commander told me that he can arrange for manpower to dismantle it."
After the artillery was fired, it was reassembled in the fortress to destroy the German's strong fire points."
It is easy to say that it is easy to say, but it is not easy to do. The artillery regiment of the 182nd Division started by disassembling the artillery, then reassembled the artillery after entering the fortress, and fired the first shot at the enemy's fire point.
time, it took more than an hour and a half.
Although Sokov was dissatisfied with the speed of the artillery regiment, under the current circumstances, it was not easy to be too harsh on the other party. According to his inner thoughts, as long as the artillery regiment could help the infantry successfully remove the firepower points in the bastion
, that would be considered a great achievement.
The ensuing battle fully demonstrated that there is still some truth in sharpening the sword before chopping firewood. As the artillery regiment entered the fortress, the 182nd Division's attack speed greatly accelerated. Once it encountered any point of German firepower, it was shooting wildly.
, just make a call to the artillery regiment, and in a few minutes, that firepower point will be destroyed by the artillery's direct fire.
Seeing that the 182nd Division's attack here went smoothly, Sokov felt very happy. He picked up the phone on the table and contacted Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, how is the progress of the remaining troops?"
"The progress is going very smoothly," Sameko replied: "The 84th Division had originally captured one of the bastions, but was quickly knocked out by a German countercharge."
"What, the troops of the 84th Division were driven out of the bastion by the enemy?"
"Yes." Samyko explained to Sokov: "According to General Fomenko's report, the Germans put in reserves and gained an advantage in strength and firepower."
"The Germans put in their reserves?" After listening to Samek's words, Sokov asked with some confusion: "How did they transport the reserves into the bastion?"
In response to Sokov's question, Samyko answered confidently: "Comrade Commander, I think the Germans may all be your disciples and have adopted all your tunnel tactics."
"My tunnel tactics?" Sokov frowned: "Comrade Chief of Staff, are you saying that there are underground passages connecting the enemy's bastions to the bastions?"
"Yes, it must be like this." Samek said: "All our troops are outside the bastion, and no one has found any German reinforcements. Since they did not fall from the sky, they can only fall from the sky.
It came out of the ground."
Sokov learned that the German army had adopted new tactics for defense, which made him worry a lot. If the enemy really mobilized troops through underground passages, then attacking a certain bastion might become a war of attrition. Faced with this,
With enemies constantly coming out, the attacking troops will inevitably pay a heavier price.
Thinking of this, Sokov could no longer sit still. He said to Samyko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I will rush to the 84th Division Headquarters now to discuss with General Fomenko how to deal with the enemy."
Hearing that Sokov was going to the 84th Division, Khokhlov was worried about his safety and prepared to send someone to escort him, but Sokov refused: "No, comrade colonel. I have a guard platoon beside me. If there are more
Sending people to accompany me may attract the attention of the Germans, and they will only need a few artillery shells to finish me off."
The 84th Division headquarters was not far from here. Sokov, along with Samoilov and the guard platoon, arrived at the entrance of Fomenko's command post in more than ten minutes on foot.
When Sokov saw two soldiers standing guard at the entrance to the shelter half-buried underground, he ordered the guard platoon to stand by and walked over with only Samoylov: "Comrade soldier, is your division commander inside?"
?”
The soldier recognized Sokov, quickly raised his hand in salute, and replied respectfully: "Hello, comrade commander, the division commander is inside, do you need me to call him?"
Sokov waved his hand and said with a smile: "Forget it, I'll just go in and find him."
Before Sokov entered the shelter, he suddenly heard a scream in the air. Then he felt himself being thrown to the ground by someone, and then heard Samoilov's familiar voice: "Comrade Commander
,Danger!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a cannonball landed five or six meters away and exploded. The soil kicked up by the explosion fell on the roof of the shelter like a goddess scattering flowers. The walls made of logs were hit by flying shrapnel.
There was a "snatching" sound. Before the two sentries could figure out what was going on, they were hit by flying shrapnel and both fell to the door.
A lieutenant officer rushed out of the shelter. When he saw Sokov and Samoylov standing at the door, he couldn't help showing a look of astonishment: "Comrade Commander, why are you here?"
"I heard that you were in some trouble, so I came here to see General Fomenko to see if there was any good way to deal with the current crisis." After Sokov said this, he took a look and fell to the ground.
The two soldiers, who were rolling on the ground in pain, said to the lieutenant: "Comrade Lieutenant, two comrades here are injured. Do you want to hire a military doctor for them?"
The lieutenant agreed, got up, walked to the door, and shouted inside: "Healthman, healthman come to the door, someone is injured here."
Following his shout, a female health worker carrying a medical kit ran out and asked the lieutenant nervously: "Comrade Lieutenant, I want to ask where they are injured?"
"They were wounded by German shelling," the lieutenant urged the health worker: "Hurry up and bandage their wounds."
While the health workers were dressing the wounds of the wounded, Sokov took Samoylov into the shelter half buried underground, where he met a frowning Fomenko.
"Comrade General," Sokov walked up to Fomenko and said in a teasing tone: "You are so worried, are you encountering something troublesome?"
"Comrade Commander." Although Fomenko is a general, when the army's attacks were frustrated one after another, he also fell into despair. Seeing Sokov's appearance at this moment, he seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw.
, not wanting to let go at all: "Our troops who entered the bastion were driven out by the enemy. Can you tell us, what should we do next?"
"Comrade General," Sokov said to Fomenko: "If you want to cut off the Germans' troop transportation channels, you must destroy the tunnels."
But after hearing this, Fomenko shook his head repeatedly. He smiled bitterly and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the enemy's tunnel is several meters deep underground. How can we destroy it?"
"Yeah, this is a problem." Sokov also felt the same about Fomenko's concerns. Not to mention that the enemy's tunnel was several meters deep underground, even if it was only half a meter from the ground, Soviet commanders and fighters without clairvoyance eyes
Of course, you can't see it. If you dig indiscriminately, it will not only waste time and manpower, but the commanders and soldiers digging for tunnels may be attacked from other bastions at any time.
"Comrade General," Sokov asked tentatively: "Did your men discover the German underground passages when they occupied the bastion?"
"No, Comrade Commander." Fomenko replied with a wry smile: "My troops entered the bastion, and while the Germans were still fighting fiercely, many German soldiers suddenly emerged from the ground and beat our soldiers.
They were caught off guard, and then they launched a counterattack and beat out all the troops who rushed into the bastion."
After learning that Fomenko's troops rushed into the bastion and were driven out by the Germans before they could gain a firm foothold, Sokov felt quite disappointed. However, as the top commander of the group army, he must come up with a good way to deal with the Germans.
, they destroyed or drove out the fortress.""
Just when Sokov was at a loss what to do, Colonel Manokhin, the division political commissar, came over and said to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, I have an idea, I don't know whether I should say it or not."
"Comrade Political Commissar, if you have anything to say, just say it." Seeing that the situation was so critical and Manohin was still trying to defend himself, Sokov was somewhat anxious and urged: "Even if I am wrong, I will not
It’s your fault.”
This chapter has been completed!