The deputy shooter had just chosen the shooting target when a shell fired by a tank flew over and hit directly beside him. After a loud "boom", the deputy shooter carrying the rocket launcher instantly turned into a sky full of blood.
fog.
Captain Vasily, who was staying at the command post, saw this scene, his eyes suddenly turned red. He grabbed the phone next to him and gave an order to Paulkovsky: "First company commander, it seems that our anti-tank platoon has become a German
The main target of human attack. I now order you to immediately send out soldiers carrying anti-tank grenades or Molotov cocktails to blow up the enemy's tanks."
In fact, even if Vasily did not issue such an order, after Paulkovsky discovered that the soldiers of the anti-tank platoon had become targets of enemy tanks and armored vehicles, he was preparing to ask the soldiers to carry anti-tank grenades and blow up the enemy at close range.
tanks or armored vehicles. At this moment, receiving Vasily's order, he quickly and loudly agreed: "Understood, comrade battalion commander, I will immediately send people to blow up the enemy's tanks."
"Also," Vasily warned before hanging up the phone: "If possible, take back all the rocket launchers. They must not fall into the hands of the Germans."
The battle at the barricade factory entered a fever pitch, but because Belkin felt that the troops in his hands were enough to crush the German attack, he did not report it to the division headquarters. As a result, Sokov and others did not know that the situation in the barricade factory had changed.
Extremely critical.
On the contrary, Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko, the commander of the 122nd Guards Regiment stationed in Workers' New Village, called Sokov and nervously reported: "Comrade Division Commander, there are a large number of troops in the northwest of Workers' New Village.
The enemy is gathering. It seems that they are preparing to attack the Workers' New Village."
"What, the enemy is gathering in the northwest of Workers' New Village?" Sokov glanced at the map and noticed that the enemy was gathering. He might be preparing to seize Workers' New Village, so he quickly asked: "The location where the enemies are gathering is how far away from you?
How far away? How many troops do they have?"
Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko was silent for a moment, and then replied: "According to the observation post's report, the enemy's gathering place is about two kilometers away from Workers' New Village, and the number of troops is about one battalion."
"Are they all infantry?" Sokov asked. "Are there tanks, assault guns or armored vehicles?"
"No." Papuchenko replied simply: "They are all infantry."
"Comrade Commander," Ivanov heard this and couldn't help but interrupt and asked: "What do you think the enemy's purpose is in gathering outside the Workers' New Village?"
"What is the purpose?" Sokov covered the microphone with his hand, looked up at Ivanov in front of him, and said: "Comrade Deputy Division Commander, isn't the enemy's purpose obvious? They just want to seize the Workers' New Village and gain an offensive
The starting point for the attack on the Red October Factory."
"But the Workers' New Village has long been turned into ruins due to enemy shelling and bombing." After listening to Sokov's explanation, Ivanov asked puzzledly: "Even if they capture this ruins, what can they do?
effect?"
"Although Workers' New Village has been turned into ruins, as long as the Germans occupy it, they can enter the factory area of the Red October Factory through the underground sewers." Sokov said with a serious expression: "If the enemy is allowed to enter,
factory area, then the situation in the city will become extremely serious."
Ivanov asked tentatively: "What bad consequences will that have?"
Although Sokov in his heart dismissed such low-level questions raised by Ivanov, he patiently explained: "Once the enemy captures the Red October Factory, then the Barricade Factory and the Dzerzhinsky Factory
It becomes even more impossible to hold on. Once these three important factories are lost, the fall of the city will be inevitable."
"Then what should we do?" Now the counterattack of the Stalingrad Front has entered the countdown. No one wants to have problems at this time. Ivanov quickly asked: "We need to send troops to reinforce the 122nd Guards.
Group?"
"That's not necessary." Sokov waved his hand and said: "The 122nd Guards Regiment has just been supplemented by a full battalion, with a total strength of nearly 3,000 people. It is not a big problem to defend a new workers' village."
"But, Comrade Division Commander, if something unexpected happens, the entire right wing of Mamayev Ridge will be exposed to the enemy." Ivanov reminded Sokov: "I think we can't just sit back and watch, we should find a way
Support the 122nd Regiment."
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander," Sidorin knew that the 122nd Regiment was Ivanov's old subordinate, and it was inevitable that he would be concerned about the safety of this regiment, so he asked politely: "How do you think we should support them?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko," Sokov let go of his hand covering the microphone and said to Papuchenko: "Don't you still have a dozen new rockets in your regiment? Aim at the enemy's gathering position and shoot
Fight them all out without leaving any pieces left."
"Comrade Commander," Papuchenko asked cautiously after hearing Sokov's order: "If we use up all the new rockets today, then there will be no new rockets in the next counterattack."
Are the bombs ready for use?"
Seeing Papuchenko being so dull, Sokov said with some displeasure: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, what's wrong with you? The enemy is about to attack you. The first task of your regiment is to crush the enemy's attack, and
But you are telling me that if all the new rockets are used up, there will be no more to use in the attack. Don’t you know that once the workers’ new village is lost, the Red October Factory will become in danger?”
"Understood, comrade division commander." Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko waited for Sokov to finish speaking and quickly expressed his position: "I immediately organized the soldiers to fire rockets at the enemy's gathering position."
"That's right, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." Hearing that Papuchenko understood his intention, Sokov smiled and nodded, and said with satisfaction: "As long as the enemy can be destroyed, the new rockets will be used up.
Don’t worry. When the counterattack begins, I will supplement it for you as appropriate.”
With Sokov's guarantee, Papuchenko suddenly felt more confident. He expressed his stance to Sokov: "Comrade division commander, please rest assured, I will definitely eliminate these German bandits outside the Workers' New Village.
They must not be allowed to enter our defense zone even half a step."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it is very good that you have such confidence." Sokov said happily: "I believe you will be able to repel the enemy's attack. I am waiting for your good news."
As soon as Sokov put down the phone, he asked Sidorin, who was sitting opposite and talking on the phone: "Chief of Staff, is there any movement from the enemy in front of Mamaev Hill?"
"No." Sidorin shook his head and replied: "Maybe the Germans have just completed their defense change and are still consolidating their defense lines. They don't have the energy to attack us for the time being."
"Since the enemy on the front has no reaction, then we don't need to worry about him." Sokov refocused his attention on the map: "We should consider it. After the Stalingrad Front launches an attack from the south of the city tomorrow, we should
When and where should we choose to launch a counterattack against the enemy?"
"Needless to say," Ivanov said confidently: "We were launching a counterattack against the enemies in front of Mamayev Heights. As long as we defeated them, we would have a chance to join forces with the oncoming friendly forces."
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander, your idea is too optimistic." As soon as Ivanov finished speaking, Sidorin retorted: "Even if our Stalingrad Front launches an attack from the south of the city tomorrow, I'm afraid it won't be the same."
They will be able to come over and join us in two days. Therefore, when choosing the time and direction to counterattack, we must be cautious, cautious and cautious again."
"Comrade Chief of Staff, I am much more optimistic than you on this matter." Ivanov pointed to the map and said to Sidorin: "In the direction of our front counterattack, the Germans are deploying Romanian troops.
, I believe it won’t take much time to break through the defense lines of these slave country armies.”
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander, you underestimate the enemy too much." Sidorin, who had witnessed a bayonet fight between a Marine Corps battalion and the Romanian army, said with a solemn expression: "The Romanian army once fought with Captain Shamrih on the northern hill of Mamayev Hill.
The Marine Corps battalion under his command fought with bayonets. During the battle, the Romanian army performed extremely tenaciously and caused considerable losses to our army. Therefore, we cannot take the Romanian army lightly just because they are the servants of the Germans, otherwise we will
You’ll suffer a big loss.”
After Ivanov led his troops to Mamayev Hill, although he heard Sidorin mention this matter several times, he never took it to heart. According to his idea, even if the Romanian army has combat effectiveness, it is not as good as his own.
Compared with the army, it was far insufficient, and I couldn't help but feel a little underestimating the enemy. At this moment, when I heard Sidorin emphasize again, I had to face up to this army that I looked down upon again.
While Sidorin and Ivanov were bickering, Sokov kept staring at the department store on the map, thinking that Paulus later moved his headquarters here, and in the basement of the mall, he became
Prisoners of the Soviet Army. If you can know when Paulus's headquarters will be stationed in the department store, you can send a unit to carry out a sneak attack and implement decapitation tactics. As long as you kill the German commander, then the remaining troops will definitely
Because they lost unified command and fell into chaos, the next battle would be easier to fight.
After Sidorin and Ivanov argued for a while, seeing that Sokov did not come out to smooth things over, they stopped on their own initiative. Sidorin looked at Sokov, who had been leaning over to look at the map, and asked curiously: "Commander
Comrade, what are you looking at?"
"I'm wondering where the German headquarters is." Sokov replied casually: "If we know the exact location of Paulus' headquarters, we can send a force to go over and take them out."
Regarding Sokov's idea, Sidorin immediately poured cold water on him: "Comrade division commander, your idea is unrealistic. Think about it, the German commanders are all afraid of death, and ours
The division-level headquarters is only two to three hundred meters away from the front line, while their regiment-level headquarters is ten kilometers away from the front line, the division-level headquarters is thirty kilometers away from the front line, and the group army headquarters is even further away from the front line. Even if we know
Wherever it is located, it may not be easy to send troops to attack it."
Sokov knew that Paulus's current headquarters was located in Grubinskaya, which was still extremely far away from his own Mamayev Heights. Unless the commandos were airdropped near the enemy's headquarters, they would have to pass through the enemy's headquarters.
It is simply a fantasy to attack Paulus's headquarters with so many defense lines. It seems that he can only consider sending troops to capture Paulus when he is desperate and moves his headquarters to the department store in the south of the city.
question.
At this moment, Chuikov called again. In addition to asking whether the anti-tank platoon to reinforce the Dzerzhinsky factory was setting off, he also told Sokov: "Comrade Sokov, I just received a call from Lyudnik.
Colonel Husband’s phone call, he said that there was a fierce battle in the barricade factory, and the enemy was launching a fierce attack on him. He and Commander Belkin’s troops were fighting tenaciously with the enemy.”
After learning that a fierce battle was taking place in the barricade factory, Sokov immediately called Belgin as soon as he ended the call with Chuikov and asked straight to the point: "My comrade political commissar, there is a fierce battle taking place there, why don't you report it to me immediately?"
Report?"
"Misha," Belkin glanced at the retreating enemy troops outside and replied confidently: "We have just repelled an attack by the German army. I believe that we have the ability to crush all offensives launched by them.
Regarding the enemy's attack, I feel that we are fully capable of handling it, so I did not call you to cause trouble."
"Confused, simply confused." Although Belkin is Sokov's old partner, Sokov is still very dissatisfied with his failure to report in time: "The enemy launched a fierce attack on the barricade factory, you
If you don’t report to me and I don’t understand the enemy’s situation, how can I make overall arrangements?”
"Misha," hearing Sokov's particularly stern tone, Belkin explained to him: "I feel that with the strength of our regiment and Lyudnikov's division, we can completely block any enemy attack."
"My comrade political commissar," Sokov said with some laughter and tears: "Our army launched an attack in the Don River Basin today. The Germans may have thought it was a diversionary action by our army, so they intensified their attack on the city. Therefore, the Germans intensified their attack on the city.
, in addition to the fierce battles taking place at the Barricade Factory and the Dzerzhinsky Factory, the enemy is also gathering troops northwest of the Workers' New Village, preparing to seize the Workers' New Village in one fell swoop, and then obtain the starting point for the attack on the Red October Factory."
After listening to Sokov's words, Belkin realized that as the Soviet counterattack in the Don River Basin began, the German attack on the city not only did not weaken, but intensified. It seemed that they wanted to seize this city in the short term.
city. He quickly said to Sokov: "Misha, I didn't consider this matter well. I apologize to you. Don't worry, I will report to you at any time about the next battle so that you can understand it in time.
The situation on the battlefield."
The German offensive encountered stubborn resistance from the Soviet army. Since Sokov's troops participated in every fierce fighting area, new anti-tank weapons and special tactics caused heavy losses to the German troops who carried out the attack. By nightfall
At that time, they had to give up their attempt to capture the city and retracted their positions, preparing to wait until dawn the next day before relaunching the attack on the factory area.
The reduced regiment commanded by Belkin repelled seven German attacks in one day and successfully defended the barricade factory.
The German troops who had assembled northwest of Workers' New Village were attacked by rockets from Workers' New Village before they could complete their assembly. The troops suffered heavy losses, and the German commander had to give up his intention to attack Workers' New Village.
