After the German bombardment of the factory area stopped, the infantry launched an attack on the Soviet position, which was still emitting thick smoke under the cover of tanks. Among them, the troops attacking the Red October Tractor Factory had one tank battalion and two infantry battalions.
The 39th Guard Division of Guriyev, who was under the leadership of the 112th, 117th, 120th Guard Infantry Regiments and the 87th Guard Artillery Regiments, had more than 10,000 people. They were originally affiliated with the First Guard Army of Moskarenko. Because the defense forces in the factory area needed to be strengthened, they were assigned to Cui Kov's command.
The German commander was very cunning. While sending people to attack head-on, he sent troops to bypass the family area guarded by the Soviet army and detoured to the side of the factory area with weak defense. Since the Soviet army placed the defense center outside the factory and the front door, no one noticed that there was about a company of German troops, who rushed towards the wall of the factory area under the cover of three tanks.
When the German tanks were driving at full speed and broke into the factory area, they were discovered by more than a dozen workers carrying supplies nearby. Seeing the sudden appearance of German tanks, some workers stood there in a daze, staring at the closer and closer tanks; some workers took off their rifles on their backs and shot in vain at the tanks that were sailing over; and one or two smart workers immediately jumped into the nearby traffic trench and ran towards the factory building without looking back. They were preparing to report the news that the enemy broke into the factory area to their superiors.
The soldiers who rushed in behind the tank saw workers holding weapons appearing in front of them, immediately fired without hesitation. The dense bullets instantly knocked down all the workers in front of the tank. After destroying the workers who appeared in their sight, the Germans did not continue to rush into the factory, but quickly occupied the positions beside the wall to prevent the Soviet army from launching, and were ready to hold on until the large army arrived.
When the factory director Peter was shocked when he learned that the German army rushed in from the fence on the north side of the factory area, he quickly picked up the phone, dialed a number, and shouted to the microphone: "Hey, I am the factory director Peter, please pick up the fighter battalion for me immediately!"
The phone was quickly connected, and the factory manager reported his name and said to the battalion commander of the fighter battalion: "Major Ballsack, the Germans used tanks to collapse the fence on the north side of the factory. About a company of German troops rushed in from the gap. I now order you to lead people to rush over immediately and eliminate those enemies who rushed in from the gap in the wall."
"I understand, Comrade Director. I will take people there immediately." The militia annihilation battalion led by Ballshaq was planned to support the defenders on the front of the factory. At this moment, I learned that the German army had crashed into the fence from the north of the factory and broke in, so I decided to temporarily change the direction of the operation, drive the enemy out of the factory first, and then reinforce the Guard Division.
According to Ballshaq's idea, there were more than 400 fighter battalions under his command, and it would be no big problem to destroy a company of German troops. Unexpectedly, after they launched the attack, the militiamen in a row in a dense formation charged, were killed and injured in the German tank fire and machine guns.
It seemed that his troops were easily repelled by the German army. Ballshaq couldn't help but feel angry. He waved his pistol and tried to stop the soldiers who had escaped from the front. But he couldn't stop them at all. The panicked soldiers ran back like a tide.
Ballshaq withdrew his temporary command post, called the factory director Peter, and said with a sad face: "Comrade Director, the enemy's defense is too tight. Our first attack has been repelled."
As for such a result, it seemed that Peter had expected. As soon as Ballshack finished speaking, he continued to say to the microphone: "Major Ballshack, attack must continue to attack and drive the enemy out. If the enemy has a firm foothold in the factory area, they will regard it as the starting point of the attack. At that time, the guard division, which is stuck in the family area and the front of the factory, will face the situation of being attacked from both sides."
"I understand, Comrade Director." Ballshaq replied with a bitter face, "I will organize the attack again as soon as possible." After putting down the phone, he called a company commander and ordered the other party, "Captain, organize the soldiers of your company immediately, and we are ready to attack again."
"Comrade Major," the company commander frightened his legs when he heard Ballshaq's order. He kept saying: "Many of the recruits in our company have never fought a war. Let them attack, wouldn't they let them die?"
"Even if we die, we must rush forward." Ballshaq glared at the company commander and said, "If we don't attack, the enemy will gain a foothold in the factory. Once their main force arrives, we will not be able to defend or defend the factory. Comrade Captain, do you understand?"
Half an hour later, the fighter battalion launched a second attack. This time, Ballshaq learned from the lessons of the last time and did not allow the entire battalion to attack at the same time. Instead, it only sent one company to rush towards the fortifications occupied by the enemy in a sparse formation. In order to ensure that the attack could be won, Ballshaq also arranged two heavy machine guns to provide fire support to the offensive soldiers.
These soldiers in casual clothes or work clothes bravely rushed to the enemy's position with bayonets. Although they were very brave, they fell in groups in front of the enemy's dense firepower. At just three hundred meters, before rushing to the enemy's position, more than 100 people in the company fell into the rain of bullets. Most of the soldiers died on the spot, and a few wounded soldiers who did not die immediately fell on the cold mud and screamed.
Seeing that the attacking troops were destroyed in just a few minutes, Ballshaq couldn't help but feel like he was shattered, but in order to drive the enemy out of the factory as soon as possible, he gritted his teeth and ordered another company to prepare for attack. However, before he could issue an offensive order, the deputy battalion commander grabbed him and reminded him loudly: "Comrade Major, we can't fight like this anymore. The enemy's firepower is very strong and the cooperation of tanks, even if they send more people up, they will die in vain."
Ballshaq shouted at the deputy battalion commander in despair: "No! We must take down the opposite position! Don't you understand that once the enemy has firmly established its foothold in the factory, their large troops will rush in continuously. At that time, the guard divisions that are stuck in the family area and the front of the factory will face the danger of being attacked from both sides. Therefore, even if the fighter battalion is all sacrificed, they will still take it down! Do you understand?"
After saying this, Ballshaq saw that the deputy battalion commander was silent, and added again: "Transfer my order, the Second Company is ready for attack. We will launch another attack in half an hour. If you miss the opportunity to fight, don't blame me for implementing battlefield discipline on the spot."
The deputy battalion commander saw that more than half of the casualties of the fighter battalion were killed or killed less than an hour ago, and Ballshaq was determined to fill the entire battalion. He felt that this battle could not be fought like this, so he went outside to find a phone call, called Peter, and reported to him, hoping that he would come forward to stop Ballshaq's impulsive behavior.
When Peter heard that it was the deputy battalion commander who called him and thought that the fighter battalion had driven the enemy out of the factory, he couldn't help but ask excitedly: "Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander, have you driven the enemy out of the factory?"
The deputy battalion commander did not expect that Peter would ask this question as soon as he spoke. After hesitating for a while, he replied: "No, Comrade Director, we have not driven the enemy out yet."
When Peter's expression became serious when he learned that the enemy had not been driven out of the factory, he asked in a stern tone: "Since the enemy has not been driven out of the factory, what are you doing when you call?"
"Comrade Director," said the deputy battalion commander anxiously: "The enemy occupied the position beside the wall, and there were three tanks to cooperate. We launched two consecutive charges, both of which ended in failure. At present, the number of casualties in the entire battalion has exceeded half."
"Comrade Deputy Battalion Commander," Peter interrupted impatiently before the other party finished speaking: "Call me, what do you want to say?"
"Please stop Major Ballshaq," said the deputy battalion commander, in order not to destroy the entire enemy's army, "According to his fighting style, if there are two more attacks at most, the enemy's fighting style will no longer exist. Please call him immediately to stop his wrong fighting style..."
Unexpectedly, before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Peter: "I said to Deputy Battalion Commander, the order I gave you is to drive the enemy out of the factory. I don't want to hear your casualties. I just need not have a German in the factory. Do you understand?" After saying this, he might still feel unsatisfied and emphasized, "If you are a coward who is afraid of death, I can let other comrades take over your position..."
Peter said something later, but the deputy battalion commander didn't hear it clearly. He had only one thought in his mind: I'm not a coward, I'm not a coward! He threw down the microphone in his hand, grabbed a rifle from the warrior standing next to him, jumped out of the traffic trench, and rushed towards the German position in the distance alone.
The deputy battalion commander's actions immediately alarmed the commanders and fighters who were on standby in the traffic trench. They looked at their deputy battalion commander, holding a bayonet rifle, rushed towards the enemy's position like crazy, and couldn't help but look at each other.
Ballshaq also saw the abnormal behavior of the deputy battalion commander. After being stunned for a moment, he shouted loudly at the top of his voice: "Hey, Deputy Battalion Commander, where are you going? This madman, where are you going?" However, the deputy battalion commander seemed to have heard nothing, and he still rushed forward with a rifle in his arms.
The officers and soldiers on the German positions were shocked when they saw a soldier rushing towards us with a rifle on the other side. They whispered: "What's going on with this person? Are you crazy? Do you dare to charge at us alone?"
When the German commander saw the soldiers rushing over, he did not give the order to open fire. In his mind, there was only one person on the other side. Even if he was allowed to rush to the position, he could not pose any threat. On the contrary, he could also capture a prisoner. So he shouted to his subordinates, "No one is allowed to shoot, catch the alive!"
The German commander's order soon spread among the infantry, so no one fired, but just watched the Soviet soldier getting closer and closer. But the German commander forgot that in addition to the infantry he commanded, there were three tanks.
A German tank commander saw the Soviet soldiers rushing over, and the position on his side was silent. No one shot, as if no one saw the enemy rushing over, and he was a little unhappy. He thought that if you don't fight, I will destroy him, so he gave the order to fire to his gunman.
The first shell fell seven or eight meters behind the deputy battalion commander and exploded without causing any harm to him. Seeing that the first shell was deviated, the gunner immediately loaded the second shell, and after a little aim, he fired the cannon. The shell fell five or six places in front of the deputy battalion commander and exploded. The flying shrapnel blew up his chest. He paused suddenly, then turned around for half a circle and fell softly on the land blackened by the smoke.
Seeing his deputy battalion commander fall under the enemy's gun, Ballshaq's eyes suddenly turned red. He turned his head and shouted behind him, "Comrades in the Second Company, prepare to attack and must avenge the deputy battalion commander!"
The soldiers of the Second Company had already assembled. They saw the attack launched by their comrades in the first company, and within a few minutes, they were blocked by the enemy's dense firepower. No one could retreat, which made them feel a little afraid of the subsequent attack.
At this moment, seeing his deputy battalion commander rushing towards the enemy's position alone with a rifle, and the scene of heroic sacrifice of everyone's adrenal glands intensified, and they wanted to rush up to avenge the sacrificed deputy battalion commander immediately, and no one was afraid.
The second company commander bent over and ran to Ballshaq and said to him: "Comrade Battalion Commander, the soldiers are very enthusiastic about fighting at this moment. Why not launch an attack now?"
Ballshaq stared at the second company commander for a while, then nodded, reminding him: "Second Company Commander, the enemy's firepower is too strong. When you attack, you must maintain a loose formation and use various obstacles to approach the enemy's position. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Comrade Battalion Commander." The second company commander gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, our company can definitely rush into the enemy's position, destroy them all, and avenge the deputy battalion commander."
The second company commander ran back to the front of his company, stood up straight, raised the submachine gun high above his head, and shouted at the soldiers who were lying on the ground or hiding in the traffic trench: "Brothers, follow me for the sake of the motherland and Stalin!" After that, he waved the submachine gun forward and took the lead in rushing towards the enemy's position.
Seeing that the company commander had taken the lead in charge, the soldiers of the second company climbed out of the ground or jumped out of the traffic trench, shouting "Wula" and following the company commander's back towards the enemy's position in the distance.