With five minutes left in the bombardment, three red flares rose into the sky, signaling an attack.
The commanders and soldiers who had been waiting in the trenches for a long time pushed their bicycles out of the trenches. After a simple formation in front of the position, they began to charge on their bicycles. For a time, thousands of bicycles poured into the German army like a tide.
defense zone.
The division commander Fomenko set up his observation post on a wooden platform built by two big trees. From here, he could see most of the battlefield clearly. With him watching the battle, in addition to the political commissar Colonel Manokhin, there were several division commanders.
The department's staff officers and communications troops so that his orders can be conveyed to each regiment in a timely manner.
In the telescope, Manoxin saw the tanks that had rushed to the front in every attack in the past, but were left far behind by the bicycle team. He couldn't help but said to Fomenko with emotion: "Comrade division commander, our
The infantry rushed in very quickly. It is estimated that they will be able to rush to the enemy's position as soon as the bombardment is over."
The starting point of the attack was three or four kilometers away from the German defense area. If we followed the previous walking speed, it would take more than half an hour. During such a long period of time, the German troops who held their positions had long since woken up from the shelling and were ready to fight.
Prepare, and the Soviet commanders and soldiers were somewhat tired after walking for such a long time. Facing the German troops who were waiting for work and waiting in full formation, they would definitely pay huge casualties.
But today, almost all of the commanders and fighters participating in the first wave of attacks were on bicycles. Even if the road conditions were not ideal, they could shorten the attack time to about ten minutes, leaving no time for the Germans to prepare for defense.
"You are right. With bicycles, our commanders and fighters can greatly shorten the time to attack the German positions." Fomenko said with the same emotion: "Look at those Maxim heavy machine guns. In the past, each machine gun team would
To rush forward behind the infantry at the fastest speed, it would take at least an hour to complete such a long-distance impact. But now, our soldiers are actively using their brains to tie two bicycles and a flatbed together.
, not only can it carry heavy machine guns and more ammunition, but its movement speed is also greatly enhanced."
"Comrade division commander, tell me why the commander came up with such a tactic?" Manoxin said with great interest: "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I just couldn't believe that such a method could be adopted to attack the enemy.
The enemy attacks."
After hearing this, Fomenko laughed twice, and then said to Manoxin: "Comrade political commissar, this may be the reason why he can be the commander, while we can only be division commanders and political commissars."
Fomenko's words reminded Manokhin, he frowned and thought for a moment, and then said: "As far as I know, before the big counterattack under Moscow City began, Comrade Commander was just a small corporal. You see
, now less than two years have passed, and he is already a general, commanding nearly 100,000 troops."
"Comrade Commander's promotion path can be said to be a miracle." Fomenko continued: "If it were someone else of his age who could obtain the rank of lieutenant, he would have been promoted very quickly, but compared with
Comparing commanders and comrades, they are nothing."
"By the way, is he married?"
"It's over." Fomenko replied briefly: "It is said that I met a female health worker named Asia when we were defending the town of Khimki. She was quite beautiful. They were there during the Battle of Stalingrad.
married."
"Comrade division commander, do you know where the commander's wife is now?" Manoxin continued to ask curiously: "Is it in the field hospital of the headquarters or in the military hospital below?"
Hearing his political commissar ask this question, Fomenko had a surprised expression on his face: "Comrade political commissar, don't you know that after the last incident, the commander has transferred his wife back to the rear?"
"What happened?" Fomenko's words ignited Manokhin's burning fire of gossip.
"Comrade Political Commissar, I heard this from others, and I don't know whether it is true or not." Fomenko said: "During the Battle of Kursk, the commander arranged for his wife Asya to be admitted to the field hospital of the 182nd Division.
, served as an assistant military doctor. However, the field hospital was attacked by a detachment of the 19th German Armored Division one day, and Asiya and several female medical staff were captured..."
"Ah, captured by the enemy?" Manoxin asked in surprise: "What happened next?"
"Comrade Commander immediately mobilized troops to prepare for an attack on the 19th German Armored Division." Fomenko continued: "The German division commander was immediately frightened when he knew that among the medical staff captured, there was actually the commander's wife.
If something goes wrong, not only will someone be sent to comfort them, but they will also be sent back."
Manoxin saw what happened next in the battle report: the 19th Armored Division was annihilated, all the officers and soldiers of the division were either killed or captured, and even their division commander was taken prisoner.
"Do you know where the commander's wife is now?"
"When we attacked Belgorod and Kharkov, didn't Colonel Yakov come with a group of hovercrafts?" Fomenko explained to Manokhin: "The commander and Colonel Yakov are
Good friend, for the sake of Asiya's safety, we sent her to the Arms and Equipment Department in Moscow, where she continued to serve as an assistant military doctor."
While the two were chatting, a staff officer who was observing the battlefield situation suddenly put down the telescope in his hand, turned his head and reported to Fomenko: "Comrade Division Commander, our troops have approached the enemy's defensive position."
Hearing what the staff officer said, the two people quickly stopped talking and raised their binoculars to look into the distance.
I don’t know when the bombardment stopped, and the entire German defense area was still filled with gunpowder smoke. The commanders and soldiers charging on bicycles were less than a hundred meters away from the German position. I don’t know who took the lead. After jumping off the bicycle,
He threw the car to the ground and rushed towards the enemy's position with his weapon in hand.
"Charge forward, comrade division commander, our soldiers have charged forward." Manoxin looked through the telescope and saw groups of commanders and combatants rushing into the smoke with weapons in hand. He couldn't help shouting excitedly: "They
Rushed into the enemy's position."
Compared with Manokhin, Fomenko behaved extremely calmly. Watching the commanders and fighters rushing into the smoke with weapons in hand, he kept thinking in his mind: The enemy deployed an infantry regiment in the Svetlovodsk district.
and a tank battalion. I wonder how many casualties the shelling that lasted for an hour caused them?
After Manoxin yelled for a while, seeing that Fomenko didn't respond, he put down the telescope again and asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, why don't you speak? What are you thinking about?"
Fomenko also put down his telescope and said with a wry smile: "Although our commanders and fighters rushed into the enemy's position, it is still unknown how much damage the shelling just caused to the enemy. If the enemy's losses are not large, our troops
Once you enter the enemy's position, a fierce battle will begin."
After saying this, he turned around and ordered a staff officer: "Get in touch with the division chief of staff immediately and ask him to report the results of the attacking troops in a timely manner."
The staff officer agreed, picked up the phone next to him, and contacted the division headquarters.
While the staff officer was on the phone, Manoxin couldn't help but ask: "Comrade division commander, do you think the shelling just now can wipe out one-third of the enemy?"
"It's hard to say." As a commander with rich combat experience, Fomenko shook his head gently after hearing Manoxin's question and replied: "Based on past experience, our army will
The artillery preparations could only destroy some German fortifications at best, and the damage to their effective forces was very limited."
"What's the reason for that?"
"The reason is very simple." Fomenko said: "Comrade Commander once said at a meeting that the enemy is very cunning. Every time our army carries out artillery bombardment on their defense area, they will promptly move to the second-line position, only to suffer
Several observation posts were left on the shelling positions to monitor our army's movements.
When our army's artillery preparations are over and the infantry launches an attack, their troops will pass through the communication trenches and return to the front from the second-line position to intercept our army with fire."
"Our shelling today was carried out very suddenly." Manoxin said cautiously: "I think most of the enemies are still sleeping. Our shelling will definitely achieve huge results."
"I hope so." After Fomenko said this, he asked loudly to the staff: "Comrade staff, is there any latest battle report from the division headquarters?"
"Not yet, comrade division commander." The staff officer quickly stood up and replied: "The chief of staff said that he has not received any battle reports from the front yet."
After hearing this, Fomenko sighed softly, raised his telescope again and looked towards the smoke-filled location in the distance, trying to see clearly through the smoke how the commanders and fighters inside were fighting the enemy. Then the thick smoke obscured everything
, he couldn't see anything clearly except the billowing smoke.
From the moment the troops launched their attack, those who were eager to know the results were not only Fomenko, but also Sokov who was far away in the city of Kremenchug. After learning that the 84th Division had launched an attack on the enemy, he stared at his watch.
After waiting for an eternity for five minutes, he asked Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, does the 84th Division have the latest battle report?"
"No, Comrade Commander." Sameko answered simply: "We have not received any battle reports about them yet."
"You call and ask." Sokov was worried that the other party's division headquarters was very busy, so he quickly ordered Sameko: "Maybe they are compiling the latest battle report and haven't had time to report it yet."
Samyko did not dare to neglect, and quickly picked up the phone on the table, connected to the division headquarters of the 84th Division, and said straight to the point: "I am Samyko, chief of staff of the group army. Please speak to your division commander, General Fomenko."
Telephone."
Another voice soon came from the receiver: "Hello, Comrade General, I am the division chief of staff. I'm sorry, but Comrade Division Commander is not at the division headquarters?"
Hearing that Fomenko was not at the division headquarters, Samyko couldn't help but be startled. The first thing he thought of was that Fomenko wouldn't have gone to the forefront in person like Sokov did? He looked at Sokov who was looking down at the map.
After a glance, Koff continued to ask: "Where did he go?"
"He and Comrade Political Commissar are in the observation post outside." The division chief of staff said respectfully: "Comrade General, if you have anything, you can tell me and I will relay your words to him."
"It's nothing big." Sameko said, "I just want to ask you how is the progress there?"
"Report to Comrade General," the division chief of staff replied: "Our troops have rushed into the German position, but because the smoke from the shelling has not dispersed, we cannot observe the progress of the battle inside. Now I am also waiting for the frontline
Only by reporting can we know how the battle is progressing."
Sameko couldn't get the results he wanted to know, and he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. However, he did not blame the other party, but warned: "Comrade Chief of Staff, once you have the latest battle report, remember to report it as soon as possible.
.”
After Samek put down the phone, he shrugged towards Sokov who was looking at him, spread his hands, and said helplessly: "Comrade Commander, the Chief of Staff of the 84th Division reported that although the troops have successfully rushed in,
We reached the German position, but due to the smoke, we could not observe the progress of the battle or understand the situation."
After listening to Samek's report, Sokov couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but he knew that he was too impatient. It was only a few minutes after the attack started, so there was no chance that the battle report would come back so soon.
He sighed and said: "We have no choice but to wait patiently. We hope that the performance of General Fomenko's men will not disappoint us."
While the two were talking, the phone on the table rang.
Samyko picked up the phone and listened for a moment, then covered the phone with his hand and reported to Sokov: "Comrade Commander, this is a call from General Konev to learn about our plans for the Svetlovodsk District.
Attack situation. Do you need to report to him personally?"
Sokov knew that even if he reported to Konev in person, he might not be able to tell more valuable information, so he said to Samyko: "Chief of Staff, you can just report directly to Comrade Commander of the Front Army."
Sameko released his hand covering the microphone and said respectfully: "Reporting to Comrade Commander of the Front Army, the troops of the 84th Division have successfully rushed into the enemy's defense line. However, due to the smoke on the position, the observation effect is affected.
We don’t know yet what kind of results the troops have achieved... Understand, I will report to you as soon as I have the latest news."
After hanging up the phone, Samyko looked at Sokov and said with a wry smile: "Comrade Commander, it seems that everyone is very concerned about the offensive situation of the 84th Division."
"Yes." Sokov nodded and replied: "The attack of the 84th Division is our first step to expand the landing field on the right bank. If the attack fails, it will have an adverse impact on the subsequent battle."
Samyko recalled that Sokov had made a series of false moves at the landing site on the right bank in order to give the Germans the illusion that they would concentrate their main forces on the south side of the landing site, thus changing the defensive strength of the Svetlovodsk area.
Weak. If the 84th Division's attack fails, the Germans will come back to their senses and deploy troops from other directions to strengthen the Svetlovodsk area. It will not be easy to win there again.
After thinking about this, Samyko increasingly felt that whether the 84th Division's attack went smoothly would have a decisive impact on the situation on the right bank of the Dnieper River. In order to ensure that the attack would be successful, he tentatively asked Sokov: "Commander
Comrade Communist Party members, do you want to order the 188th Division to enter the attack position, so that if the 84th Division's attack fails, they will take over the attack mission?"
