Sokov knew that the train station south of the city was the key to tonight's battle. Similarly, Hott, who was far away in Kharkov, also understood this truth. He learned from General Kissina, the commander of the 57th Armored Corps who stayed in the city.
When I heard the news that the Chengnan Railway Station had been lost, I suddenly became angry.
Holt shouted into the phone receiver: "General Kissina, immediately order your troops to stop retreating and organize forces to take back the train station. If the station is lost, your people will not be able to leave Belgorod by train.
, do you think your soldiers can escape from the pursuing Russians by marching on foot?"
"No." General Kissina replied simply: "If my troops leave the city on foot, they will be bombed and shelled by the Russians when they march into the open area. I'm afraid not many people will be alive by then.
Arriving in Kharkiv.”
Holt was very satisfied with General Kissina's answer: "General, it's good that you can understand this. Then what your troops will do next is to immediately counterattack the south railway station. By the way, you still have
Are there any tanks that can be used?"
"Colonel Crisoli's 6th Armored Division still has more than thirty tanks. I can use these tanks to cover the infantry to retake the train station."
"Very well, General Kissena." Holt raised his voice and said, "Take action immediately, you don't have much time left."
A few minutes later, Colonel Crisoli's 6th Armored Division, covering two battalions of infantry, launched an attack on the train station.
Koida, who had just arrived at the train station, saw a swarm of enemies rushing toward the train station along the street from the other side of the city on the clock tower of the station. He quickly picked up the phone and called the troops at the station.
Issue combat orders.
The commanders and fighters who received Koida's order waited until the enemy was still four to five hundred meters away from the station, then decisively launched new rockets to attack the enemy's offensive formation.
The rockets trailing long flame tails soared into the air from the defensive position in the station, drew arcs in the air, then landed on the German ranks and exploded, forming a wide sea of fire that swept away the German troops attacking in a fan shape.
Tanks and infantry were surrounded.
Although the rockets could not penetrate the armor of the German tanks, the fireballs generated by the explosions enveloped the tank bodies. Some tanks stopped and burned in the distance after traveling a short distance. The tank soldiers in the vehicles got out in a panic.
He fled towards the original starting position in embarrassment.
The worst thing was that the infantrymen following the tanks were either cut down by flying shrapnel, blown away by the blast of air, or were blown into flaming figures, scurrying around like headless flies.
The German attack came to an abrupt end after a round of Soviet rocket attacks. The tanks that were not destroyed hurriedly reversed, eager to get out of this dangerous area. The soldiers who were not affected by the explosion began to reverse when they saw the tanks.
He would continue to rush forward regardless of life and death, and quickly turned around and ran back.
Seeing the enemy fleeing, Koida gave the troops orders to launch a counterattack immediately.
As the order was given, the Soviet tanks hidden in the station rumbled out of their hiding places, chasing after the Germans and firing artillery and machine guns, leaving the enemy bloody and bloody.
Although tanks of this era have a relatively low chance of hitting the target when firing while moving. But it also depends on the occasion. If it is a tank battle in the wild, and if you want to hit a fast-moving opponent's tank while moving, then basically
There is no possibility. But now we are bombarding fleeing enemies on the street. Even if we fire the artillery while marching, we can still hit a dead mouse and fall into the German infantry formation and explode. The explosion will cover a large area.
Fortunately, Koida knew that this was only the enemy's first attack, and a new attack would be launched in the future. Therefore, the attacking troops chased for a while, and then retreated back to the station to fortify themselves, preparing for the next round of German attacks.
The battle here at the train station was going smoothly, but the 254th Infantry Division attacking the state museum was not going well. The division commander, Colonel Shechtman, reported to Sokov over the phone: "Comrade Commander, the enemy has built a strong base based on the museum.
The two attacks we launched were repelled by them."
Sokov later stayed in Russia for more than ten years, and naturally knew that the country's museums were all stone buildings, and their sturdiness was no worse than the Reichstag in Berlin. Therefore, after learning that the 254th Division's attack was frustrated, he did not force
Let the other side continue to attack at all costs, but said to Shechtman: "Comrade Colonel, order your troops to temporarily stop the attack, take a short rest in place, wait for our artillery to arrive, and then launch a new attack on the state museum.
attack."
"Comrade Commander, what do you want the artillery to do?"
"What do the artillerymen do? Of course they bombard the state museum!"
Sokov's words startled Shechtman, and he hurriedly said: "Comrade Commander, there are important cultural relics stored in the state museum. Can you please stop using artillery bombardment? I can order the troops to try to attack again and destroy the contents inside."
Drive out all the enemies."
"Comrade Colonel," Sokov said seriously after Shechtman finished speaking: "To me, no matter how precious the cultural relics are, they are not as precious as the lives of our commanders and soldiers. The state museum was destroyed by artillery fire.
When the war is over, we can rebuild; as for the cultural relics destroyed by the war, they should be the necessary price we pay to defend our great motherland. Also, I managed to replenish your division with troops not long ago. If we are to capture
If all were lost in the battle at the State Museum, then your division may not be able to participate in the next phase of the battle."
After hearing what Sokov said, Colonel Shechtman no longer insisted on his opinion and could only bite the bullet and replied: "I understand, Comrade Commander, I obey your order and will hide when the artillery arrives."
All the enemies in the state museum were killed."
Half an hour later, the heavy artillery regiment of the 1st Artillery Division arrived near the state museum. The leader of the regiment found Shechtman and reported to him: "Comrade Colonel, the heavy artillery regiment of the 1st Artillery Division has been ordered to come. I obey you."
Order, please give instructions!"
Shechtman pointed with his hand towards the state museum a few hundred meters away, gritted his back teeth and said: "Comrade artillery lieutenant colonel, your mission is to aim at the state museum in front of you and fire your artillery to eliminate the enemies hiding inside."
When he saw that the target he wanted to bombard was actually the state museum with a tall and magnificent building, the muscles on the face of the commander of the heavy artillery regiment couldn't help but twitch violently twice, and then he said with some hesitation: "Comrade Colonel, there is our Belgo
The State Museum in Rhodes, if our artillery fire destroys the building, and if after the war someone asks who blew up the State Museum, how should I answer?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel of the Artillery, do you think I have the heart to destroy this building?" Seeing the heavy artillery regiment commander's resistance, Shechtman couldn't help but said angrily: "I am also following orders from my superiors. As for who will be responsible for causing state damage in the future?"
You don’t need to worry about the responsibility for the museum’s collapse.”
Seeing Shechtman's anger, the commander of the heavy artillery regiment did not dare to argue with him anymore. Instead, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Colonel, I wonder where your soldiers closest to the state museum are?"
"It's on the square outside the state museum," Shechtman said. "It's no more than fifty meters away from the gate. Unfortunately, the enemy's firepower was too strong. They rushed several times without success."
"Comrade Colonel, you'd better ask your people to withdraw first." The commander of the heavy artillery regiment said to Shechtman: "Our regiment is equipped with heavy artillery, and we are shooting directly at such a close distance. I'm afraid it will cause damage.
accidental injury."
"Okay, I will immediately order someone to tell them to stand back." Shechtman said, "You go ahead and set up artillery positions."
A quarter of an hour later, as the commanders and fighters hidden in the square withdrew one after another, 12 152mm howitzers aimed at the state museum opened fire simultaneously.
At such a close distance, no matter how strong the building is, it cannot support it when bombarded with 152mm heavy artillery. After the five-minute bombardment, the state museum building in the distance has been riddled with holes and is crumbling.
It seems that if anyone takes a breath, the building will collapse.
Seeing that the solid buildings had been blown into ruins, the commanders and fighters of the 254th Division immediately jumped out of their hiding places, shouted "Ula" with their weapons in hand, rushed into the buildings with billowing black smoke, and eliminated those
Fortunately, he was not killed by the bombing and still tried to resist the enemy.
When Schechtman saw that he had been unable to capture the state museum and completely destroyed the enemy's resistance with just one round of shelling, he couldn't help but secretly praise Sokov's decision. Seeing the surge of his troops,
Entering the ruins of the state museum, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he captured it.
He ordered someone to find the commander of the heavy artillery regiment. After first praising him, he then asked with a smile: "Comrade Artillery Lieutenant Colonel, the state museum is just one of our targets. Our next step is to attack a nearby school.
I hope I can get your help, is that possible?"
"Comrade Colonel," the commander of the heavy artillery regiment said politely, "our regiment is attached to your division for combat. If you need anything, just ask, and I won't say anything."
"Well, our next attack target is a state school seven hundred meters away in the southeast. I hope you can cooperate with us in attacking there."
Since buildings like the Lianzhou Museum are to be destroyed if they are told to be destroyed, what's the big deal about a state school? The commander of the heavy artillery regiment waited for Shechtman to finish speaking, nodded and said: "Comrade Colonel, please
Don't worry, I promise to destroy the state school and eliminate the enemies entrenched inside in the shortest possible time."
Seeing that the seizure of the state museum was a foregone conclusion, Shechtman called Sokov and reported: "Comrade Commander, with the cooperation of the artillery, my troops have rushed into the state museum and started fighting with the remaining enemies inside.
.I believe it won’t be long before they can completely eliminate the enemies inside.”
"Good job." After Sokov asked lightly, he asked: "How is the state museum? Has it been completely bombed into rubble?"
"The outer walls of the building were destroyed by artillery fire, but several Roman columns are still roughly intact, preventing the building from completely collapsing." Shechtman reported to Sokov on the phone: "After the fighting is over, there is no need to
The foundation is re-laid and only repairs are needed.”
While Sokov was on the phone with Shechtman, Runev, who had just walked in from outside, unexpectedly heard Sokov's words and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. He rushed to Sokov's face in surprise.
He asked: "Comrade Commander, what did you just say? You ordered artillery to bombard the state museum?"
"Yes, I did give Colonel Shechtman an order to have the artillery bombard the state museum at close range so that the enemies who were stubbornly resisting inside could be eliminated as quickly as possible."
Hearing what Sokov said, Runev remembered stamping his feet: "Oh my God, Comrade Commander, you are in big trouble for shelling the state museum, do you know?"
"Why?" Sokov asked puzzled.
"The state museum displays cultural relics from the Battle of Poltava." Perhaps because he was worried that Sokov didn't understand the battle, Lunev also specifically told Sokov: "It commemorates the northern war hundreds of years ago.
The decisive battle in which Tsar Peter I of Russia defeated Charles XII of Sweden.”
Sokov knew that there must be precious cultural relics in the state museum, but he did not expect that they were cultural relics related to Tsar Peter I. If he suffered serious losses in the battle, he might be punished after the battle. But then he thought, as long as he could reduce
What does it matter if the troops suffered casualties during the attack, even if they were punished?
Thinking of this, he smiled and said to Luniev: "Comrade Military Commissar, I know that there are precious cultural relics in the state museum, but the Germans used the buildings to resist. Colonel Schechtman's 254th Division launched two consecutive attacks.
The attacks all ended in failure. In order to reduce the casualties of the troops, I gave him the order to bombard the state museum. If the superiors want to blame him in the future, I will bear all the responsibility."
Seeing that Sokov was willing to take the responsibility of destroying the state museum, Lunev was a little embarrassed: "Comrade Commander, I can't say anything else. You issued this order also to eliminate the enemy as soon as possible. I believe that the superior leaders will consider it."
At this point, if we really want to investigate the responsibility, as your military commissar, I will naturally share the responsibility with you."
"And me." Sameko, who had just answered the phone, heard the conversation between the two and took the initiative to say: "As the chief of staff of the group army, I naturally have to advance and retreat together with the commander and the military commissar. If the superiors want
If you are held accountable, I am willing to accept any punishment with you."
However, Lunev considered the issue more comprehensively than the two of them. He took the initiative to propose to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, you and the Chief of Staff continue to direct the battle. I will report this matter to Comrade Beria in advance. If the superior
If we want to hold people accountable, he can also put in a few good words for us."
Sokov did not object to Luniev's proposal, and nodded and said: "Yes, Comrade Military Commissar, you can report the battle that took place here and the results achieved to Comrade Beria."
