Seeing Mironenko making a statement in advance, Vitruk was a little anxious. When he opened his mouth and was about to express his determination to Heliujin, the other party raised his hand to stop him: "Two division commanders, don't worry, I will assign combat missions to you now."
Heliujin called the two division commanders to the wall, raised his hand and pulled open the curtain blocking the map, picked up an explanation stick, pointed to the area where the battle was being fought and said to them: "The current fierce battle is underway in the Red Army City and the Bektovka areas. Your mission is to provide air support to the offensive forces on the ground, use rockets to destroy the enemy's fortifications, and assist our army in quickly breaking through the enemy's defense."
"Comrade Commander," Vitruk, after he finished speaking, he asked first: "I want to ask, what kind of fortifications does the enemy have in this area?"
Heliujin drew a line on the map with an explanation stick: "Before the enemy attacked Stalingrad, our army had built a large number of reinforced concrete fortifications in this area, but because the troops retreated too quickly and could not organize effective enemies, these fortifications were occupied by the enemy before they could be used."
When the two division commanders learned that the reinforced concrete fortifications were attacking, they couldn't help but frown. Mironenko said carefully: "Comrade Commander, we are all attack aircraft. If we want to destroy these strong fortifications, the role we can play cannot be compared with that of bombers."
"I know." Heliujin had obviously guessed what his subordinates would say, so he comforted them and said, "You don't need to destroy all fortifications, you just need to attack those fortifications that hinder our army's attack and reduce resistance to the ground attacking forces."
After the two division commanders clarified their tasks, they raised their hands to salute Heliujin, turned around and walked out of the command center.
In forty minutes, hundreds of attack aircraft took off from more than a dozen field airports and flew towards the Red Army City and the Buetovka area.
While Tanahishen was commanding the tank army to launch a fierce attack on the 29th Division of the German Army, Tolbuhin called Major General Vasilenko, the commander of the 15th Division of the Guards: "Comrade General, the German troops were restrained by Colonel Tanahishen's tank army. I now order your division to launch an attack on the Red Army City immediately. According to the situation we have, there are only Romanian troops in the city, regardless of poor equipment and low morale. How much time do you need to seize the city?"
After hearing Tolbuhin's order, Vasilenko thought for a moment, and then replied: "Report to Comrade Commander, my division can occupy the Red Army City before noon tomorrow."
Tolbuhin was not satisfied with Vasilenko's answer: "No, comrade General, your speed is too slow. If we cannot take down the Red Army City as soon as possible and establish a solid support point, once the German army counterattacks, we will face a collapse again."
Since Tolbuhin had already said this, Vasilenko could only re-examine the current situation. His eyes were staring at the Red Army City on the map, and his mind was quickly calculating the ability of his troops to attack. He gritted his teeth and said, "We can complete the task of capturing the city after 8 o'clock tomorrow morning."
"No." Tolbuhin was still dissatisfied with the incident Vasilenko mentioned: "I have limited time to you, and I must take down the Red Army City before it gets dark today. Do you understand?"
Vasilenko raised his hand and looked at his watch. Seeing that it was less than two hours left before dark, even if there were no enemies in the Red Army city, if his troops were allowed to enter and occupy the entire city, it would be difficult for him to occupy the entire city before dark. However, since Tolbuxin had issued such an order, he could only grit his teeth and answer: "I understand, Comrade Commander, our division will eliminate the enemies in the Red Army city before dark and complete the occupation of the city."
When the political commissar Yegorov saw Vasilenko's face full of sorrow, he asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, what tasks the commander has assigned you to make you so embarrassed."
Vasilenko replied with a wry smile: "The commander ordered our division to occupy the Red Army City before it was dark today. Now it is only two hours away from darkness, and this is an unfinished task."
Yegorov looked outside the tent and saw that the sky was getting dark outside. It was obviously impossible to capture the entire city before it was dark. However, he was not discouraged. After repeated thinking, a smile appeared on his face: "Comrade Commander, don't be discouraged. I think we still have the opportunity to complete the task assigned to us by the commander."
When Vasilenko heard Yegorov say this, he showed a surprised expression on his face. He asked in surprise: "Comrade Political Commissar, no matter how fast we attack, it is probably impossible to seize the city before dark."
"Comrade Commander," Yegorov replied with a smile: "The commander just asked us to occupy the Red Army City before dark, and did not let us control the entire city. I think this task can still be accomplished."
"How to complete it?" Vasilenko asked at Yegorov with a blank look on his face.
Yegorov asked back, "Did you forget the tradition of the Russian army?"
A word woke up the dreamer. Vasilenko yelled, slapped the table with his hand, and said excitedly: "Comrade Political Commissar, you are right, why did I forget such an important thing? According to the tradition of the Russian army, as long as the red flag is raised above the city's municipal center building, it will be considered as occupying the city."
"That's right." Yegorov nodded and said, "When we attack the city, we can send an army to rush directly to the municipal building in the city. After occupying it, we can plant a flag on the roof, which means that we have occupied the city. I believe the commander can't find anything."
After making up his mind, Vasilenko called the commander of the 44th Guards Regiment and said straight to the point: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, my division will soon launch an attack on the Red Army City. I have an important task for you to complete now."
The regiment commander hurriedly said, "Comrade Commander, please give orders."
"The commander ordered us to occupy the Red Army City before dark." In order to make the other party realize the seriousness of the problem, Vasilenko did not hide anything, but said the truth: "You should know that this is simply impossible. Therefore, after discussing with the political commissar, I decided to send a force to directly penetrate the center of the city when the main force attacked the city, seize the municipal building from the enemy, and insert the red flag on the roof. I plan to hand over this glorious task to your regiment to complete. Do you have any problems?"
"Comrade Commander," the regiment commander hesitated for a moment after hearing Vasilenko's orders, "I want to ask, how should my troops break through the enemy's defense?"
"It's simple. I'll call the 43rd Guard Artillery Regiment later and ask them to support you with artillery fire and break a gap in the enemy's defense." In order to make the other side confident, Vasilenko also added: "Don't worry, according to our intelligence, the city is full of Romanian troops. Not only are they poorly equipped, but the soldiers' morale is low and their combat awareness is not strong. You only need a charge to rush into the city."
"Comrade Commander," after hearing Vasilenko's assurance to him, the regiment commander replied, "I will send Major Serdukov's third battalion to carry out this task. I believe they will be able to complete this task successfully before dark."
"Remember, let Major Serdukov bring a radio station so that the news of the red flag being inserted into the municipal building can be sent back in the shortest time." Vasilenko also emphasized: "When they attack, I will order the artillery to provide them with the necessary artillery support to ensure that they can rush into the city smoothly."
Vasilenko was also a man who kept his word. After the attack on the Red Army City began, he asked a battalion of the 43rd Guard Artillery Regiment to provide artillery cover for the assault mission of the Serdukov Battalion, and blasted a gap from the defense line of the Romanian army. Seeing that the enemy's defense line was blown open, the commanders and fighters of the Serdukov Battalion jumped up from their hiding place and rushed towards the enemy's defense line with weapons.
Seeing the Soviet army rushing over, the surviving Romanian soldiers were shooting desperately, trying to block them from their own defense. Although the soldiers charging forward kept getting shot and falling, the remaining people did not slow down at all. They jumped over the bodies of the wounded and comrades on the ground and rushed forward without hesitation.
Seeing that the Soviet army was so brave, there was no courage to fight, the Romanian soldiers jumped out of the trenches and fled to the city. Major Serdukov, who led the charge, saw that the enemy had fled. In addition to ordering a few soldiers to occupy the enemy's abandoned position, he led his men to chase him.
The Romanian soldiers who were running away in front tried to hide in the barricades, but when they saw the Soviet commanders and fighters following closely behind, they passed over the fortifications and continued to flee to the city. The soldiers hiding in the fortifications were worried about hurting their own people by chance and did not dare to shoot casually. They could only watch the Soviet commanders and fighters rushed into the fortifications for their soldiers.
Although there were sporadic battles in the process of the Serdukov camp advancing into the city, they did not slow down their progress. They followed the Romanian soldiers and rushed towards the city center.
Seeing that the municipal building was approaching the city center, the fortifications outside the building might have received an order from the commander in the building. In order not to allow the Soviet army to occupy the building, regardless of whether the person running in front of it was his own people, they fired without hesitation. The dense bullets immediately knocked down the Romanian soldiers who were rushing like a tide.
The Romanian soldiers who were suddenly intercepted by their own firepower were suddenly in chaos. Some continued to run forward stubbornly until they were knocked down by bullets fired by their own people; some cleverly looked for a suitable hiding place to hide, hoping to wait until the machine guns in the fortification stopped firing before escaping; some were directly against buildings on both sides of the street, holding their hands high to surrender to the Soviet army.
After Serdukov rushed up, he saw the fierce firepower in front of him, and quickly ordered the soldiers to drive the surrendered soldiers into the alley next to them to clear the shooting range for the troops. Seeing that his soldiers were hidden, Serdukov shouted loudly at the back: "Mortar, where is the mortar team?"
A captain ran to Serdukov and squatted and reported loudly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, because our infantry rushed too fast, the mortar team fell behind."
Serdukov pointed his hand at the captain and ordered him: "Take a few people to pick them up and let them come as soon as possible."
"Yes!" After the captain agreed loudly, he pointed at the nearby soldiers with his hand and said loudly: "You guys come with me!" After that, he hugged and ran towards the back with his waist close to the buildings on the street.
After the captain ran far away, Serdukov ordered the machine guns to be set up and fired at the German barricades to cover the soldiers who were suppressed by fire and could find a better place to hide.
Before the mortar could arrive, the roar of the plane engine came from the air. Hearing this sound, Serdukov's heart couldn't help but raise his throat. He knew that if the German plane came from the air, his troops might have suffered huge losses.
He raised his head carefully, looked in the direction where the sound came, and saw two four-plane formations appearing in the air. "Comrade Battalion Commander, it is our plane, our plane." A soldier next to him had good eyesight and soon saw clearly that the Soviet attack plane appeared in the air, and couldn't help but scream excitedly.
Serdukov looked up at the air. The plane's flight altitude was not high, and the red star sign on the fuselage was clearly visible. "It's indeed our plane," Serdukov smiled on his face. He thought to himself: "I would have helped us eliminate the enemies outside the municipal building." As soon as he thought so, he saw the formation of planes in the air dispersed, circled in the air, and dived towards the municipal building.
The diving plane dropped not bombs, but rockets. The targets of the rockets attacked were not only the sandbags outside the building, but some rockets even hit the windows of the building. After a series of earth-shaking explosions, thick smoke came out of the windows on many floors.
"Comrades!" Seeing the barricades outside the building were destroyed by a striking machine, and thick smoke also came out of the building. Sherdokov jumped up from the ground, held up his pistol, and shouted: "Roar!"
Seeing that the battalion commanders were taking the lead in charging, the commanders and soldiers hidden everywhere also stood up, shouting "Ula", and rushed towards the municipal building like a tide.
According to Serdukov's idea, the remaining enemies in the building will definitely resist stubbornly. Unexpectedly, as soon as he led his men to the front of the building, a white flag was stretched out from a window on the second floor. The person hiding in the window waved the white flag desperately while shouting loudly in Russian: "Don't fight, we surrender, we surrender!"
Seeing that the enemy surrendered so easily, the commanders and soldiers of the Serdukov battalion showed contemptuous expressions on their faces. A soldier standing beside Serdukov said, "It's useless. They surrendered before we rushed into the building."
When Serdukov saw the enemy surrender voluntarily, he thought it was a conspiracy at first, but when he thought about it, he understood what was going on. After all, the Romanian army with low morale and unstable fighting will be fought. If it were the German army, it would probably take a tragic battle before his troops could occupy the building.
Since the enemy has surrendered, the rest of the thing to do is to put the red flag on the roof, proclaiming that the city has been occupied by the troops of the 15th Guards Division. Serdukov called a sergeant and told him: "Comrade Sergeant, take two soldiers and a red flag, and immediately rush to the roof and put the red flag on it."
Chapter completed!