In most cases, after a war breaks out, its course will gradually deviate from the commander's expectations. Especially when commanding a large number of troops, due to poor information or the accumulation of various accidental factors, the war situation may take a turn for the worse!
Just like the SS59 regiment's battle on July 4th, they made the mistake of aggressively advancing and the armored troops suffered heavy losses. They deliberately concealed their losses out of honor, causing the top brass of the German army to shout that they had won the battle!
Human factors are important, but weather factors can completely change the situation of the battle!
The weather this summer was very abnormal. The continuous rainfall in early June seemed to have wiped out all the rain for the next month. Regarding the weather issue, Yang Mingzhi actually made a mistake. He did not consider the weather changes and their impact on the weather.
Interference from the war situation.
The time entered the early morning of July 5th. It was originally a breezy environment, but the wind gradually increased!
A cold wave came from the Arctic Ocean, the wind gradually increased to level 3, and the temperature dropped a lot. The wind rustled the woods, and the bonfires continued to burn, and the flames were also moving crazily. Many soldiers because of the cooler temperature,
One after another instinctively curled up, and some simply woke up.
The Soviet troops stationed on the left bank of the Dnieper River got up at four in the morning. It was the lowest temperature in the whole day. Due to the wind, the temperature dropped to ten degrees.
Lao Maozi's skin is rough and fleshy, and they are naturally cold-resistant. Such low temperatures can make people shiver a little at most.
The situation on the German side is worse, because many people are too tired and fall asleep. They used to roll up their sleeves to cool down during the march. Now some soldiers pay the price for their own comfort. Some German soldiers feel uncomfortable after waking up.
It was so good that many people simply left the camp and took the toilet paper for convenience.
Just having diarrhea is fine, but some people feel uncomfortable in their lungs and have a sore throat, which are symptoms of a cold.
A small illness can be tolerated and passed away. The German army was not affected by this small resistance. The cool breeze even helped the German army blow away a key trouble - fog.
The sun gradually rose, but the temperature did not rise rapidly due to the sun's appearance. There was not much mist transpiring from the forests and rivers, and even if there was any, it was blown away.
The visibility of the earth and sky is really great!
At five o'clock in the morning, the German troops got up one after another. They tidied up their affairs and ate quickly.
Hendrickson issued a combat order to all officers and soldiers, that is, the battle would begin at 6:30 in the morning, and within an hour and a half, all officers and soldiers must be adjusted to their best condition.
After he had all the regimental commanders under his command finished, he made detailed arrangements.
"Captain of the artillery regiment!"
"arrive!"
"All the field artillery of our army hits your headquarters. Immediately adjust your units and prepare for forest shooting by the enemy rebels."
"As commanded."
"First Captain! Second Captain!"
"Arrived!" they both said in unison.
"You two will serve as a reserve team for the time being and be ready for combat at any time."
"As commanded."
"Third Captain!"
"arrive!"
"As the first round of attack troops, your unit will take the lead in attacking after the artillery preparations are completed."
"As you command!"
The reason why Hendryson decided to let the 3rd Infantry Regiment under his command take on the assisting task was because the regiment's organization was relatively sound among the infantry regiments in the division. Since the beginning of May, the 634th had been working hard for almost two months.
In previous battles, the First Regiment and the Second Regiment have undertaken the main combat tasks, and the human cost paid cannot be underestimated. The strength of each infantry battalion of these two regiments has been reduced to 400 people. Moreover, the front line is tight, and the 634th Division has lost some
The artillery organization and artillery battalions of each regiment were seriously affected.
The German army has a habit of using artillery in a concentrated manner. Before departure, Hendryson temporarily reorganized the troops. The first and second regiments were organized into four infantry battalions, and some logistics troops were inserted in, barely reaching 2,000.
people.
The third regiment is different. They usually serve as a reserve force and do not participate in many battles. Naturally, they have not won many honors. Its strength is as high as 2,700. Due to its large number, its combat effectiveness also convinced Hendryson.
of.
Today's 634th Division has forcibly added a group of logistics troops composed of Ukrainians. There are a large number of Ukrainians in the logistics group. They have no real establishment and are collectively called volunteers. They wear German uniforms but speak Ukrainian. For these
Hendrickson is still very relieved. They served the German army because of their hatred of Stalin, and they are indeed good allies.
There were signs of large-scale activities on the German side. Several Soviet scouts noticed this and quickly went back to report the news.
Miroshniko believes that the German army is finally going to attack!
He suddenly pulled out the gun from his waist and said firmly: "What is going to come will come, comrades, prepare to fight!"
The correspondent quickly reported this situation to the headquarters. Yang Mingzhi, who had woken up long ago, received the latest telegram. He was not surprised at all. His eyes were steely and he ordered the correspondent: "Immediately telegraph the 17th Guerrilla Brigade and ask them to resolutely repel it once
The German army is attacking. Telegraph the parachute brigade and continue to remain silent. Whether or when to provide support is entirely up to the headquarters."
The 17th Guerrilla Brigade, the 2nd Regiment of the Independent Regiment, and the 4th Regiment of the Independent Regiment immediately entered a state of first-level combat readiness. All soldiers were in place, especially the 17th Guerrilla Brigade, which was responsible for the main defense tasks. They and the temporarily incorporated paratrooper Rechev
The battalion deployed a zigzag-shaped defense line with a length of two kilometers and a depth of two kilometers around the roads and railways entering and exiting Loev.
Miroshniko was full of confidence. He said to Rechev: "This time, the German army will die less. We have an absolute advantage in fighting guerrilla warfare."
"Yes, there is no fog today! I have been here for more than ten days, and today is the first time there is no morning fog."
"Haha, it seems that the weather is also helping us. If there is morning fog, we may not be able to see the enemy until they have reached their positions."
It is true that without the fog, the Soviet army can detect the enemy farther away. Without the fog, the German army can still exert its advantages.
Besides, even if there is no fog, the visibility in the air is limited, and it is difficult for the scout to see the detailed target five kilometers away!
The German army deployed its artillery further back, with a total of seventy artillery pieces, each with a maximum range of more than nine kilometers.
In the last hour and a half of preparation, the German artillery completed the final adjustments.
Six-thirty past six o'clock arrived, and Hendrickson kept staring at his arms. Seeing that the time was up, he gave the order to fire.
Suddenly, there were roars one after another in the east, and then, a shrill roar came from the sky.
What is that? I can't understand it anymore.
Miroshniko looked at the sky in horror and shouted: "Everyone lie down!"
It didn't matter whether he shouted or not. The shells fell like hailstones. They fell into the forest and exploded when they hit the ground. No matter whether there were big trees blocking the surroundings or soldiers in ambush, they were all reduced to pieces by the shock waves and fragments.
fragments.
The first wave of German shelling caused a large number of Soviet casualties.