Looking at the Stuka bombers diving down from high altitude, and listening to the ear-piercing screams, Sokov suddenly remembered a key thing. There was a position of the 124th Regiment a few hundred meters away. Since the enemy planes had bombed
Will the position of the 124th Regiment be spared here? Thinking of this, Sokov rushed to the telephone and ordered the communications troops to connect to the regiment command post of the 124th Regiment.
The phone was connected, and someone was speaking. The voice from the microphone was distorted. Sokov could not tell whether the person who answered the phone was Starcha, and quickly asked: "Is it Lieutenant Colonel Starcha?
?”
"Yes, I am Starcha." Sokov did not recognize Starcha's voice, and the other party also did not recognize his voice, and asked impatiently: "Where are you?"
"I am Sokov." The bombing outside continued, and the constant sound of explosions forced Sokov to cover his ears with one hand and shouted into the microphone at the top of his lungs: "German planes are bombing the 122nd Regiment."
I will probably bomb your position soon. You immediately order the soldiers to prepare for air defense..."
The explosion coming from the receiver was so loud that Starcha couldn't hear clearly what Sokov said, so he could only keep asking: "I can't hear what you are talking about, please speak louder..."
…”
Although Sokov was stamping his feet in anxiety, he had no way to make the Germans stop bombing and make the damn explosions disappear. He could only repeat his orders over and over again into the microphone. Fortunately, Starcha was not stupid.
The man, judging from the fragmentary words he barely heard, judged Sokov's intention and quickly replied: "Understood, I will immediately ask the soldiers to prepare for air defense."
The enemy plane bombed the position of the 122nd Regiment for nearly a quarter of an hour. They probably dropped all the bombs and fired all the bullets before turning around and flying back. Seeing the enemy plane leaving, Sokov immediately ordered Papchenko: "
Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, immediately order the soldiers to repair the fortifications, the enemy may launch a ground attack soon."
Papuchenko agreed and picked up the phone to notify the battalion commanders, but found that the phone line was cut off at some point. He quickly called the communications soldier, "Communications soldier, go and notify the battalion commanders immediately and let the soldiers
Seize the time to repair the fortifications, the enemy may counterattack soon."
The communications soldier agreed, turned around and prepared to walk outside. Sokov quickly shouted after him: "Remember, let the battalion commanders count the casualties."
After Sokov's reminder, Papuchenko immediately realized that he had neglected this most critical issue, and quickly repeated Sokov's words to the stopped communications soldiers: "Let the battalion commanders report the casualty figures.
Report it."
After the signal troops left, Papuchenko looked at Sokov and Ivanov and said sincerely: "Two comrades, division commanders, it is too dangerous here. I think you should go back to Mamayev Hill."
.”
"No, as commanders, how can we retreat at this time?" Ivanov obviously disagreed with Papuchenko's proposal. He said firmly: "We want to stay here.
Fight the enemy with the warriors."
"Comrade Deputy Division Commander, I think Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko is right. As division commanders, we should command the troops to fight on Mamayev Hill instead of taking risks here." Sokov knew that if he
If we don't leave with Ivanov, I'm afraid Papuchenko won't be in the mood to direct the battle, so he put a hand on Ivanov's shoulder and said to him: "If we don't leave here, Papuchinko
Lieutenant Colonel Ke will feel uneasy, and then he will not know how to command the troops."
"Comrade division commander is right." Seeing that Sokov actually agreed to his proposal, Pappuchenko quickly followed the trend and said to Ivanov: "If both division commanders stay here, it will put a lot of mental pressure on me.
, faced with the sudden enemy situation, I didn’t know how to command the troops to fight."
As soon as Sokov and Ivanov walked out of the command post, they saw a disgraced Guchakov coming towards them. He came to Sokov, stopped and said: "Comrade division commander, the armored vehicle has been blown up.
, we can only walk back to Mamayev Heights."
Learning that the armored vehicle had been destroyed in the bombing, Sokov instinctively looked towards where the armored vehicle was parked. Sure enough, he saw a pile of burning scrap metal there, which should be the destroyed armored vehicle. He asked tentatively: "The driver
Are you still alive?"
"Still alive, Comrade Division Commander." Guchakov nodded vigorously and replied: "As soon as the bombing started, he and I hid in a nearby trench and watched helplessly as a bomb hit the armored vehicle..."
"As long as the person is fine." Although he can only walk back to Mamayev Heights, Sokov doesn't care at all. As long as the person is still alive, it shouldn't be difficult to get another one from the enemy. He
He said to Guchakov: "Call the driver, let's go back to Mamayev Heights."
After arriving at the position of the 124th Regiment, Sokov carefully checked the surrounding environment and found that the place did not seem to have been bombed by the enemy. He found Starcha and asked: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel Bely.
Have the tank troops arrived?"
"Not yet, Comrade Division Commander." Starcha shook his head and replied: "The troops on the right wing may have also seen the situation where the 122nd Regiment's position was bombed by enemy planes. They may be worried that if the tanks come over, they will be attacked by the enemy.
The bomber was reduced to scrap, so it stayed where it was."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I want to tell you some bad news." In view of the fact that the Germans' reaction speed far exceeded his imagination, Sokov knew in his heart that it would take a long time to seize the concession station according to the original plan.
It was an impossible task. In order to prepare the commanders and fighters in the division psychologically, he said to Starcia: "We may not be able to attack the base for the time being. What we have to do now is to face the enemy's crazy counterattack.
, can hold their position and prevent them from rushing to Mamayev Heights."
Sokov's words made Starcha realize the seriousness of the problem, but when he thought about the troops of the 122nd Regiment staring at him in front of him, he became relaxed again. He asked Sokov cautiously: "
Comrade Division Commander, do you think the enemy can break through the Papuchenko Regiment's defense line?"
"We can definitely break through." Sokov said unceremoniously: "And it won't take them too long, because the trenches and fortifications on the 122nd Regiment's position are very unfavorable for westward defense. Therefore, I only
I can place the heavy responsibility of defending Mamayev Heights on you."
…………
It took Sokov and the others more than half an hour to return to Mamayev Heights from the Starcha Regiment's position. This time, they did not return to the observation post on the top of the mountain, but returned directly to the headquarters.
Seeing Sokov and Ivanov coming in from outside, Sidorin asked in surprise: "Two comrades, division commanders, didn't you go to the position of the 122nd Regiment? Why did you come back so soon?"
"Enemy planes bombed the position of the 122nd Regiment, causing considerable casualties to the defenders on the position." Sokov guessed from Sidorin's tone that he must not have known that the 122nd Regiment had been bombed.
When something happened, he ordered him: "Call Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko and ask if the casualty figures of the troops have been calculated?"
Sidorin agreed, picked up the phone on the table, and asked Papuchenko about the statistics of troop casualties. He listened for about two minutes, then put down the phone and walked up to Sokov and Ivanov.
He said with a serious expression: "The casualty data have been calculated. The regiment suffered a total of 611 casualties, 396 people were killed, and 82 were seriously injured..."
After listening to the series of casualty figures reported by Sidorin, the muscles on Sokov's face twitched violently a few times, and then said: "Chief of Staff, tell Lieutenant Colonel Papuchenko that if the enemy has not launched an attack on their position,
, immediately send people to send all the seriously injured people to the rear."
While Sidorin was on the phone to the 122nd Regiment, Sokov walked to the walkie-talkie and said to Maxim, who was sitting there supervising the telegraph operators and signal soldiers: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, please contact Colonel Bely immediately.
I have something to ask him."
When Maxim heard what Sokov said, he immediately understood that Colonel Bely must be in his tank again, so he used the walkie-talkie to start calling Bely. Fortunately, the communication was relatively smooth, and he was quickly contacted. Sokov
Put on the earphones and speak into the microphone: "Colonel Bely, this is Sokov, how is the situation there?"
"It's not good, Misha." Bely said unexpectedly: "It's not the observation post in the north. I found a lot of dust rising in the distance. It is estimated that the enemy's main force has moved south."
"What, the enemy's main force has gone south?" Sokov was startled by Bely's words. Although he now had no right to mobilize the troops on the right wing, he still asked with concern: "I don't know about Gurdiev and Goli.
What measures have been taken by Shinet?”
"Colonel Gurdiev has deployed a regiment to the north and is building fortifications. Even if the German army attacks southward from his direction, the troops can withstand it for a while." Bely introduced the situation of the right-wing troops to Sokov: "And Gogo
As for Colonel Rishny, he refused to listen to Gurdiev's persuasion. He only placed a severely reduced infantry battalion in the north, and there were no decent fortifications. If the enemy uses his position as a breakthrough, our retreat route
Most likely it will be truncated."
After hearing Colonel Bely's concerns, Sokov smiled bitterly and said: "Colonel Bely, I think you should still remember why we were trapped in Orlovka by the enemy in the first place. It was all because of Colonel Gurdiev
We underestimated the enemy and actually handed over an important position to an infantry battalion with only a few dozen people left to defend it. As a result, the enemy easily occupied the position and cut off our connection with the friendly forces. Unexpectedly, Gorishny now
The colonel is making similar mistakes again."
"Yes, Misha." Bely nodded and said: "In order to prevent the enemy from breaking through the Gorishny Division, I specially sent Lieutenant Aritai's tank company to assist the infantry in defense."
"Colonel Bely," Sokov couldn't help but curiously asked after hearing that Bely had dispatched the third tank company commanded by Alitai, "I want to ask, how many tanks are left in the third company?"
"There are seven more." Although the number of tanks in the third tank company was not many, Bely said with confidence: "Misha, although the number of tanks is a little small, they are all T-34 tanks. The enemy
Even if there are two or three times more Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks, they are no match for them."
Sokov did not doubt Bely's statement at all. The German tanks with No. 3 and No. 4 short-barreled guns would only end up being abused when faced with the Soviet T-34. He even thought wishfully:
Maybe Alitai and his company could kill dozens of German tanks with one company.
However, it didn’t take long for Sokov’s good wishes to be shattered by the ruthless reality. Bely soon contacted Sokov again through the radio. He told Sokov in panic: “Misha, something happened.
Lieutenant Alitai’s third tank company was completely destroyed.”
"What, the entire Third Tank Company was wiped out?" Bely's words made Sokov's jaw almost hit the ground. He asked in surprise: "How did they wipe out their entire army? Were they bombarded by heavy artillery or enemy planes?
"Apart from the two possibilities mentioned above, Sokov really couldn't think of any other way for the Germans to kill all three tanks and seven T-34 tanks in such a short period of time.
Unexpectedly, Bely's answer was beyond his expectation: "The seven tanks of the third company were all destroyed by one German tank."
When he learned that seven tanks in a row had not hit a single enemy tank, Sokov found it incredible. He shouted into the microphone: "Colonel Bely, this is impossible, you must be mistaken. Germany
Human tanks No. 3 and No. 4 are no match for our T-34, let alone seven to one, even if the number of enemies is twice as many as ours, our tanks will win in the end."
"This is a fact, Misha." Bely replied with some helplessness: "This information was reported to me by Alitai who escaped from danger. He said that the German tank in their company was completely wiped out, and the caliber of the tank gun was larger than that of the No. 3
The No. 4 tank is thicker and longer. It stopped 800 meters away and fired at our army. The shells of our tank hit it and almost all bounced away, unable to penetrate its frontal armor at all. But our tank only needed
If hit by a shell fired by it, either the turret will be blown off or it will explode directly. According to my estimation, this may be a new type of German tank."
Sokov originally harbored a trace of fantasy in his heart, thinking that Alitai might have deliberately exaggerated the combat effectiveness of enemy tanks in order to shirk responsibility. But Bely casually said that it might be a new type of German tank, but he woke up the man in his dream.
A terrifying name immediately popped into Sokov's mind: Tiger!
Heck, the German tank that wiped out the third tank company was actually a Tiger tank that the Germans had just put into the battlefield. Its frontal armor was 102 mm thick, and the armor on the sides and rear was also 82 mm. The 76 mm gun of the Soviet T-34 tank
At a distance of 800 meters, it is impossible to penetrate the opponent's armor. At the same distance, the 88 mm caliber tank gun equipped with the Tiger tank can easily tear through the front of the T-34, which does not include the rear.
Armor.
Thinking of this, Sokov quickly shouted into the microphone: "Colonel Bely, as far as I know, that is a Tiger tank that has just been put into service by the German army. None of our existing T-34 tanks can be its opponent.
Don't make unnecessary sacrifices."
"Tiger tank?" After Belly repeated the unfamiliar name, he asked tentatively: "Misha, do you know the performance parameters of this new German tank?"
