However, the officers and soldiers of the Viking Division were the elite of the German army after all. After the initial chaotic period, they still launched a counterattack.
Due to the hasty deployment of the ambush, the Belinsky Regiment only planted 30 electrically detonated anti-tank mines and 200 infantry mines, making it impossible to completely wipe out the Viking Division's armored regiment.
The German regiment commander's barrel truck was at the back of the team. When the Soviet mines detonated, he saw that the situation was not good and immediately ordered the driver to turn around. Seeing the regiment leader's barrel truck turning around, several armored vehicles behind him also turned around.
Then he escaped from the death zone.
After escaping seven or eight kilometers, he heard the explosions gradually subsided. The regiment leader ordered the car to stop, and then ordered his adjutant to go to the armored vehicle equipped with communication equipment at the back to contact the ambushed troops and see his commander.
How many others survived.
The adjutant came over quickly and reported to him: "Mr. Colonel, the commanders of the three battalions are still alive, but the commander of the second battalion was injured in the explosion and cannot continue to command the battle."
The regimental commander thought for a moment, and then ordered the adjutant: "Order the deputy commander of the second battalion to take over the command of the battalion commander and continue to advance in the direction of Qijilin. The remaining first and third battalions should launch a counterattack on the hillside and must annihilate us all.
Russians nearby.”
Just when the adjutant was about to leave, the regiment leader stopped the adjutant again and said: "Don't forget to send a telegram to the division commander to report to him that we encountered an ambush and ask him to ask the troops behind to speed up their march and come here.
Support us."
General Herbert Giller, commander of the Viking Division, quickly received the report from the armored regiment. After he put down the phone, he frowned and asked his chief of staff: "Chief of Staff, the 10th Panzer Grenadier Regiment and the 5th Armored Regiment
How far is the light infantry battalion from the armored regiment?"
The chief of staff glanced at the map and then replied: "Your Excellency, division commander, the departure time of the follow-up troops is two hours later than the armored regiment. It should be still twenty kilometers away from them at this moment."
"What, there are still twenty kilometers?" Although for the mechanized troops, the distance of twenty kilometers is half an hour's drive, but for Herbert Giller, it is still difficult to accept. After all, in
On the battlefield, every minute is precious. It is unknown whether the ambushed troops can sustain for another half hour in the face of the powerful Soviet offensive.
He looked at the map on the wall, then picked up the armored regiment's telegram and read it, and finally made a decisive decision: "Order the 5th Armored Light Infantry Battalion to break away from the existing marching column and speed up. It must be within a quarter of an hour."
Inside, rush to the fighting area."
"Understood, Your Excellency, Division Commander." The Chief of Staff replied respectfully, "I will pass on your order immediately."
As the order was conveyed, the remaining tanks of the 2nd Battalion of the German Armored Regiment continued to advance in the direction of Chigilin through the thick smoke on the road. The infantry of the 1st and 2nd Battalions, under the cover of tank fire, advanced towards
The defenders on the hillside launched a charge.
German soldiers wearing gray-green military uniforms used all available bunkers, such as ravines, tree trunks and even dead bodies, to keep rolling while running, rolling into the Soviet shooting dead zone, finding a suitable shooting position, and heading towards the hillside.
Soviet troops opened fire.
Under the German tank fire and the precise shooting of the infantry, the machine gunners in the trenches died one after another, and the dense machine gun firepower on the position became sparse.
Seeing that the firepower on the hillside position was suppressed, the officer issued a command to the soldiers lying on the ground, asking them to get up from the ground, quickly spread out their formation while running, and speed up towards the hillside position.
"Colonel Belinsky," Gritsenko from a distance saw that the enemy was getting closer and closer to the position on the hillside, but the firepower in the trenches was weakened by the enemy's artillery fire, so he quickly connected to the regiment command post
On the phone, he asked viciously: "Why haven't your regiment's mortars fired yet? Do you plan to keep the mortar shells to lay eggs?"
Belinsky, who was scolded by Major General Gritsenko, gave the order to fire to the mortar company hidden on the reverse slope. As the order was given, rounds of artillery shells screamed across the sky and hit the ground.
On the way to the charge, the German troops threw away figures one after another, and the shrapnel flying everywhere made a sharp whistle, knocking down more soldiers near the explosion point.
Although many soldiers fell under the guns of Soviet commanders and artillery fire, the remaining soldiers still charged forward. They tried to take advantage of the weakening firepower of the Soviet position to quickly occupy the position and annihilate the defenders inside.
.
But when they approached the mountainside position, the tanks at the foot of the mountain stopped shelling for fear of accidentally injuring their own people. Shortly after the German tank guns stopped firing, the firepower in the trenches began to increase again. The flames spewed by machine guns, assault rifles and submachine guns were like
The heavy rain was as dense as a rainstorm, and the bloody smell on the battlefield was so thick that it was about to drip out. Mixed with the diffuse gunpowder smoke, it formed a nauseating mist, irritating the eyes and throat with burning pain.
The ground under the feet of the German officers and soldiers has been soaked with blood and turned into sticky mud. The feet on it are as soft as stepping on a thick carpet. They are scattered everywhere, and the fragmented corpses that have just been exploded by landmines are piled up in layers.
Broken guns, with human internal organs floating on them, looked like a scene from hell on earth.
The German officers and soldiers charged in this hell, lying down and shooting from time to time among the dead. The area 20 to 30 meters in front of the position became a no-man's land, and few people could cross it. The soldiers were suppressed to the ground by the rain of bullets.
They started to prepare to fight back, but the oncoming bullets hit them right in front of them. The splashed sand and mud hurt their faces, and their helmets made a clanging sound, forcing them to lie down again.
…………
Just as the commanders and fighters of the 384th Division were engaged in a fierce battle with the reinforcing German troops, good news came to the troops attacking Ratsewe and Kinki Town. After reading the telegram sent by the regiment commander, Colonel Rusov, Fomenko suddenly beamed.
He hurriedly came to Sokov and handed over the telegram he had just received: "Comrade Commander, good news, Colonel Rusov's 254th Regiment has successfully captured the town of Ratsewe, and the town of Kinki
The battle is coming to an end."
Sokov took the telegram and quickly browsed its contents. In addition to what Fomenko said, there was even more exciting news. There was actually a wood processing factory in the town of Ratseve, which stocked a large amount of round wood.
Wood. Seeing this, Sokov couldn't help but get excited. With these logs, it meant that the troops of the 7th Guards Army had the materials to build a pontoon bridge. As long as the pontoon bridge was built, their troops could
A steady stream of people crossed the river from the left bank.
Sokov handed the telegram back to Fomenko and only said to him: "Call back to Colonel Rusov and order them to effectively protect the wood processing plant and not let any problems occur with that batch of logs."
"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." Seeing Sokov being so cautious, Fomenko said to himself that even if the Germans set fire to it, they wouldn't be able to burn the logs for a while, so he said carelessly: "We
There will definitely be no problems with this batch of logs.”
Sokov felt that it was necessary to share such important good news with Shumilov as soon as possible. After the operator finished sending the telegram, he immediately ordered him: "Comrade operator, immediately help me get through to the headquarters of the 7th Guards Army.
I want to speak to General Shumilov."
After hearing Sokov's instructions, the radio operator did not dare to neglect, and quickly started calling the headquarters of the 7th Guards Army as quickly as possible, so as not to delay Sokov's official business.
After being connected to Shumilov's command post, before Sokov could speak, the other party had already said: "General Sokov, I would like to congratulate you. Congratulations to your troops for successfully liberating the long-term liberation of the Germans."
The town of Ratsewe for two years.”
"General Shumilov," hearing Shumilov say this, Sokov realized that the battle that took place in the town of Ratseve might have been seen by the opponent's observation post, otherwise he would not have been able to do it before he had
After notifying him, he knew about this. He laughed twice, and then said: "You are right, my troops did liberate Ratsewe Town. Although the fighting in Jingji Town is now
It’s not over yet, but the balance of victory has tipped to our side. I’m contacting you because I have another good thing to tell you.”
"Other good things?" Shumilov was stunned. Apart from the victory in liberating the towns of Ratseve and Jinki, what other good news is related to him? "General Sokov, I don't know what you are talking about.
What good thing do you mean?"
"My subordinates reported to me," Sokov said into the microphone: "When they liberated the town of Ratseve, they discovered a large wood processing factory with a large number of logs stored in it..."
"What, what did you say?" Before Sokov could finish speaking, Shumilov interrupted him, "Your men discovered a wood processing factory that stores a large amount of logs?"
"Yes, General Shumilov, that's the case." Sokov nodded and continued: "I think we need to tell you the good news as soon as possible. After all, if your troops want to build a pontoon bridge on the Dnieper River,
It requires a lot of wood.”
"Yes, yes, General Sokov, that is indeed the case." Shumilov learned that there was a large amount of wood in the town of Ratseve controlled by Sokov, and became excited: "If there is a sufficient amount of
With logs, my engineering troops can build a pontoon bridge across both sides of the Dnieper River in the shortest time, allowing the main force of our army to cross the river in the shortest time."
"General Shumilov, since the town of Ratseve is under our control, you can safely and boldly order the troops to cross the river to receive this batch of logs so that a bridge can be built across the Dnieper River as soon as possible."
After Shumilov put down the phone, he immediately called a staff officer and ordered: "Comrade staff officer, Director Pulyaskin is calling here immediately and telling him that I have something important to tell him."
Pulyaskin happened to be busy not far away. When his staff heard that Shumilov was looking for him, he hurriedly put down his work and rushed to the headquarters.
As soon as Shumilov saw Pulyaskin, he asked bluntly: "Comrade Director of the Engineering Corps, how are you preparing the materials for erecting the pontoon bridge?"
"It's very possible, Comrade Commander." Pulyaskin said with a grimace: "We are too far away from the forest. The engineers have to go dozens of kilometers away to cut down suitable wood to make rafts.
Or bridging materials.”
"Comrade Director of the Engineering Corps, I called you here because I have some good news to tell you." Shumilov waited for Pulyaskin to finish speaking, and then said with a proud face: "The circle of materials for making rafts and bridges."
The wood is all ready-made."
Hearing what Shumilov said, Pulyaskin couldn't help but be stunned. When did the army have the materials to make rafts and build bridges, why didn't he, the director of the engineering corps, know about it?
With this question in mind, he asked Shumilov: "Comrade Commander, are you mistaken? Where do we have logs to make rafts and build bridges?"
"It's true that we don't have it here, but our friendly forces do." Shumilov raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the right bank: "The friendly forces that just captured the town of Ratseve discovered a wood processing factory in the town, which contained a large number of
Unprocessed logs can be used to make rafts or as bridge building materials."
"Is this true, Comrade Commander?"
Seeing Shumilov nodding in affirmation, Pulyaskin said excitedly: "If we really have these logs, then all the problems we face will be solved."
"Comrade Director of the Engineering Corps, since you also know the importance of this matter, don't wait any longer and prepare to cross the river immediately." Shumilov said to Pulyaskin: "The 15th Guards Division has already made preparations.
To prepare for crossing the river, you will cross the river with them to the other side and receive this batch of logs stored in the wood processing factory."
Pulyaskin agreed, turned around and walked towards the door. But when he reached the door, he stopped and turned to ask Shumilov: "Comrade Commander, who should I find to receive me when I reach the other side?"
Where are these logs?" His worry is justified. Even though he holds the rank of major general, he is not the direct superior of the friendly forces in the town. Whether the other party will pay for it is still unknown. If he cannot receive the logs, no
Do you want to delay business?
"I once heard General Sokov say that the commander on the other side of the river who commanded the capture of the towns of Ratsewe and Kinki was Colonel Rusov, commander of the 254th Regiment of the 84th Division. When you get to the other side, you can contact him directly." Shu
Out of caution, Milov added: "I will say hello to General Sokov first and ask him to notify Colonel Rusov in advance so that the logs in the wood processing plant can be handed over to you in a timely manner."
"Okay." After hearing Shumilov's assurance, Pulyaskin showed a smile on his face: "Then I will immediately gather the manpower and prepare to follow the commanders and fighters of the 15th Guards Division to cross the river. I just have to wait for the round to be received.
After that, we will start erecting the bridge from the other side and try to complete the erection of the pontoon bridge on the Dnieper River before dark."
