After the two enemy planes entered the sky above the defense area of the 41st Guards Division, they could not see the target on the ground because of the smoke below. However, the German pilots were unwilling to leave just now, so they kept circling in the air, hoping to
After the smoke dissipates, continue looking for the target.
Sokov saw the enemy planes hovering overhead but never took any action, and he was full of questions: "Strange, why do the German planes always circle in the air instead of attacking?"
Yakov looked up at the enemy planes in the sky and said with a smile: "Misha, the reason is actually very simple. The smoke on the German position was blown to us by the wind, and the enemy planes in the air couldn't see the target clearly. So the pilot
We can only keep wandering in the air, waiting for the smoke to dissipate, and then attack the ground."
"Yasha, how did you get in touch with the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion?" Sokov said with a frown: "I absolutely cannot tolerate enemy planes flying over our heads and letting the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion shoot them down."
"This is easy to handle." Yakov said: "Call Colonel Sidorin and ask him to notify the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion to eliminate the enemy planes in the sky."
Although the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion is only three hundred meters away from the observation post, Sokov will not send anyone to directly notify the other party to fire on the enemy aircraft. After all, this is a leapfrog command, which will make the commanders below feel despised, thus
It affected their enthusiasm, so Sokov decided to complete the matter according to the procedure.
"Colonel Sidorin?" After the call was connected, Sokov said into the phone: "I am Sokov."
"Yes, it's me, Comrade Commander." Sidorin knew that Sokov would not call him for no reason, and there must be an important task assigned to him, so he quickly asked: "What instructions do you have?"
"
"Did you see the two enemy planes flying over the defense zone?"
Sidorin, who was answering the phone, stuck his head out of the window and looked into the air. Sure enough, he saw two enemy planes circling in the sky. He quickly replied: "Yes, Comrade Commander."
"Now that you have seen it, why haven't you given the order to the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion to shoot down the enemy planes?" Sokov said with some dissatisfaction: "Are you just going to let the enemy planes fly around above our heads?
?"
Sidorin heard the dissatisfaction in Sokov's tone and realized that his work was not up to standard. He quickly admitted his mistake: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, it's all my fault. I didn't think well. I'll give it to you right away."
The anti-aircraft machine gun battalion ordered them to shoot down enemy planes in the sky."
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov was still very satisfied with Sidorin's attitude. He said earnestly: "Even if the German pilots cannot find the target because of the smoke on the ground. But if they are not eliminated, we will wait until our army's
When the ground attack started, we were bombed and strafed by them. Although the casualties caused by the two enemy planes were limited, they would have an adverse impact on the morale of our army."
After receiving the order, the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion immediately opened fire at the enemy planes in the air. The enemy planes that were circling in the air never dreamed that they would be attacked by anti-aircraft fire from the ground. One of them was hit immediately and was dragged behind.
The long plume of thick smoke flew diagonally into the distance for a distance. Before the pilot could parachute, it crashed into the ground and exploded. Fortunately, it landed in an open space with no one around. The mud, rocks and metal fragments splashed in the explosion did not reach anyone.
create a threat.
Seeing that an enemy plane was shot down, cheers erupted from the air defense position, and then they launched concentrated fire at another enemy plane, preparing to shoot it down as well.
But the pilot of another enemy plane was very cunning. When he saw that his companion's plane was shot and crashed, he quickly raised the altitude and quickly escaped from the area blocked by anti-aircraft machine gun fire. Although more than twenty anti-aircraft machine gun bullets hit the plane
The plane's body was hit with a row of bullet holes, but because it did not hit the aircraft's vital points, it was still unable to shoot it down.
In the end, the commanders and fighters of the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion on the ground could only watch helplessly as the enemy aircraft increased in altitude and flew unsteadily into the distance.
Seeing an enemy plane escaping, Sidorin felt extremely embarrassed. He did not expect that the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion only shot down one enemy plane. He quickly called Sokov and proactively admitted his mistake: "I'm sorry, Commander.
Comrade Communist Party member, I failed to complete my mission and allowed an enemy plane to escape."
Sokov knew that whether he could shoot down an enemy plane with an anti-aircraft machine gun was partly a matter of luck, so he did not blame Sidorin. Instead, he said kindly: "Colonel Sidorin, it is already very impressive to be able to shoot down an enemy plane."
What a remarkable achievement. Please express your gratitude to the commanders and fighters of the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion for achieving such results."
But he felt that the Germans had suffered a loss and would definitely not give up. He quickly reminded the other party: "Also, tell the comrades in the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion that they have just shot down an enemy plane, and the Germans will definitely retaliate. Let them
Do not relax your vigilance and be prepared for air defense operations at any time."
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Sidorin replied, "I will convey your wishes to them."
Sokov's worries soon became a reality.
In less than half an hour, eight enemy planes appeared in the sky. They were in a formation of four and headed towards the position of the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion.
Seeing the enemy planes getting closer and closer, Koshkin's expression suddenly became nervous. He shouted to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, it's not safe here, why don't you move quickly?"
"Transfer to where?" Sokov said angrily: "There are so many enemy planes in the sky, so a big group of us will go out and serve as targets for the Germans?"
Koshkin, who was scolded, did not dare to refute, so he could only turn to Yakov for help, hoping that he could put in a good word for him. Seeing this, Yakov quickly came out to smooth things over: "Misha, don't get angry.
Lieutenant Koshkin also has good intentions. After all, the smoke has dissipated at this moment, and the enemy aircraft in the air can clearly see the target on the ground. It is possible that our observation post will be discovered again. I think, if possible, we should move it?
"
"Yasha, it is precisely because there are a large number of enemy planes in the sky that we cannot move." Sokov said firmly: "Once we leave the observation post, we will be exposed to the sight of enemy pilots.
You will become a lamb to be slaughtered and be bombed and strafed by them."
Although Sokov said these words once before, he repeated them again in order to dispel Yakov's idea of continuing to persuade him.
Seeing that Yakov seemed to want to say something else, Shtemenko guessed that he was worried about his and Sokov's safety, so he quickly came out to smooth things over: "Colonel Yakov, I think it's good to stay here. Don't look at it.
Enemy planes are hovering in the sky, but whether they can find our location is still a question. But if we are exposed immediately as soon as we leave here, I think it is safer to stay."
This group of enemy planes did not come for the observation post at all. They pounced directly on the air defense position a few hundred meters away. The planes swooped down one after another and dropped aerial bombs on the ground, causing smoke and flames to rise into the sky.
At this moment, the anti-aircraft machine guns on the ground roared. An enemy plane dived down and was rolled over by the intensive crossfire from the front. It roared and hit the ground, exploded with a "boom", and then began to burn blazingly.
.Seeing the anti-aircraft firepower on the ground was so terrifying, the enemy planes following behind were so frightened that they quickly turned to avoid it.
But the speed of the aircraft was not comparable to that of bullets. Two more enemy planes were hit during the climb. Thick smoke came out from under one of its wings, and it turned around and flew in the direction it came from, while the other
Because the entire tail of the enemy plane was shattered, it fell from the sky in a free fall and crashed to the ground a moment later. The pilot did not even have a chance to parachute, so he perished with the plane.
Seeing that the anti-aircraft machine gun battalion shot down two enemy planes and wounded one in just a few minutes, Sokov nodded with satisfaction and said with a smile: "It seems that the combat effectiveness of the air defense battalion of the 41st Guards Division is
Not bad, plus the enemy plane just now, we have shot down three and damaged one."
But Yakov was obviously not as optimistic as Sokov. He looked in the direction of the air defense position, his brows knitted into two knots: "Misha, don't you feel that the firepower on the air defense position is getting weaker and weaker?"
As soon as he finished speaking, an aerial bomb dropped from the sky and exploded more than fifty meters away from the observation post. The blast of air lifted a soldier hiding nearby from the ground and threw him high into the air.
Then it fell heavily again. When Sokov saw the soldier lying there motionless after landing, he guessed that he might have encountered misfortune.
Seeing this situation, Sokov secretly said something bad. Because the 3rd Airborne Division and the first part of the 4th Division, which were preparing to participate in the attack, were hiding in a location not far from here. If enemy planes bombed them,
I'm afraid it will cause huge casualties to the troops.
Shtemenko also realized this. He said to Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, your offensive troops are hidden not far away. If enemy planes carry out air strikes there, it will definitely cause extreme damage to the troops."
Huge casualties. Once you suffer huge losses, you will have to postpone the attack."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov picked up the phone and connected to the army headquarters. He said to Smirnov who answered the phone: "Please contact General Goryunov and request the dispatch of the air force to the sky above Safran.
Our troops provide air support."
Smirnov was stunned for a moment, and then asked: "Comrade Commander, what happened? You know, our attack has not started yet, and it is obviously unrealistic to obtain air support."
Sokov quickly told Smirnov what happened here, and finally said: "An anti-aircraft machine gun battalion of the 41st Guards Division was defending tenaciously. Although it successfully shot down three aircraft and wounded one,
The aircraft, but its own losses are not small. If this air defense position is destroyed by the enemy, then thousands of our commanders and fighters hidden nearby may also be attacked by enemy aircraft. Once the troops suffer heavy casualties, the attack will have to be postponed."
Smirnov knew very well that if the attack time was delayed, it would mean that the attack plan designated by the front army headquarters would be disrupted, and it would definitely attract blame from his superiors. In order to avoid this situation, he quickly assured Sokov:
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I will immediately contact General Goryunov and request him to send the air force to provide you with air support."
The remaining five enemy planes in the air risked being shot down and dived down towards the air defense position, dropping bombs and strafing the anti-aircraft machine guns on the ground. The enemy planes that dived down one after another dropped aerial bombs and soared with the explosion.
The smoke raised quickly pulled the aircraft upwards, preparing to circle in the air before launching another attack on the air defense positions on the ground.
Sokov stood at the door of the observation post, looking solemnly at the enemy planes in the sky, listening to the increasingly sparse gunshots, feeling particularly heavy, and watching helplessly as his air defense troops were bombed and strafed by enemy planes.
, consumed little by little, but unable to do anything.
At this moment, four silver fighter planes appeared in the sky. The fighters, which were originally in a four-plane formation, immediately divided into two two-plane formations after arriving over the defense zone and pounced on the enemy planes wreaking havoc in the sky.
The anti-aircraft machine guns on the ground stopped firing. Sokov didn't know whether they were all killed, or whether the anti-aircraft machine guns were all blown up by enemy planes, or the ammunition was used up. He stared closely at the fighters on both sides in the air, watching.
Watch them flying up and down in different spaces and chasing each other.
The German bombers were no match for the Soviet fighters, and they were all shot down in less than five minutes. The air superiority over the battlefield returned to the Soviet side.
"Lieutenant Koshkin," Sokov called Koshkin in front of him and ordered him: "Immediately take people to the air defense positions to see what the situation is like there, and come back and report to me as soon as possible. Do you understand?
"
"Understood." Koshkin replied loudly, turned around and left the observation post, called two soldiers and led them towards the air defense position.
Remembering the ringing of the phone in the observation post, Sokov picked up the phone: "I'm Sokov!"
"Comrade Commander!" Smirnov's voice came from the receiver: "According to your order, I got in touch with General Goryunov. He said that his main air force will not be deployed until the ground attack begins.
Only then can we enter the battle. I was worried that it would delay your affairs, so I contacted General Ryazanov and asked him to send fighter planes to rush over for support."
"Comrade Chief of Staff," After listening to Smirnov's words, Sokov understood why the fighter formation came so quickly. It turned out to be General Ryazanov's men. The airport where they were stationed was less than fifty kilometers away from here.
Can rush to the battlefield in a very short time: "Please express my gratitude to General Ryazanov. It is precisely because his men arrived on the battlefield in time that we can minimize losses."
"Okay, Comrade Commander, I will convey your message to General Ryazanov. If you need anything else, please call me and I will do my best to assist you."
As soon as he put down the phone, the scream of artillery shells piercing the air came from the air. Soon, Sokov saw those artillery shells falling again on the German position where the smoke had just cleared. Seeing the enemy's position, he quickly
The ground was shrouded in gunpowder smoke again, and Sokov knew clearly that this was the second round of shelling by the front artillery. When this round of shelling was over, the ground troops would officially launch an attack on the enemy's position.
This chapter has been completed!