Pilot Paul gripped the control column tightly, feeling worried about the sudden reconnaissance operation.
Could it be that the attacking troops were defeated again? What is Loyev's current situation? Could it be that they were really destroyed by the bombing?
Thanks to the bad weather, the Koch Air Group was excluded. As the sky cleared, the wet dirt runway dried a little, barely allowing the reconnaissance aircraft to take off. Of course, the heavier bombers still had their wheels stuck in
soil.
Koch had expected that the army would give him flight orders and even airdrop supplies to the frontline troops. When he received the order from the headquarters, he was not surprised at all. He first swore an oath to complete the mission, and then the entire aviation base sounded alarms.
Pilots and ground crew gathered urgently.
Finally, four light White Stork reconnaissance aircraft, driven by four outstanding pilots, with Guard as the leader, will launch a surprise search mission to the Dnieper River area south of Gomel.
"God forbid, this damn plane better fly!"
Paul thought silently in his mind, and he took the lead in breaking off the control stick, and the propellers stirred up strong winds, driving the aircraft forward. The strong wind also blew away a lot of mud, and in the eyes of those watching the farewell, the aircraft was simply running wildly on the mud.
"Asshole! Fly for me quickly! Fly quickly!"
Finally, a "White Stork" took off with a stumble, and Paul breathed a sigh of relief. He guessed that the people on the ground were also nervous just now.
The four "White Storks" made a large circle and began to turn south, first along the tributary Sori River, and then arriving at the banks of the Dnieper River.
They flew high into the sky, and their light and tiny bodies became four black spots in the sky filled with white clouds. The weather on July 11th was actually cloudy, with a large number of clouds floating in the sky, making the sun appear and disappear. This kind of weather
The situation was not a good time for high-altitude reconnaissance. Koch had no choice, and Paul had to carry out the order.
The German army equipped the White Stork reconnaissance aircraft with the best airborne radios, so that the four aircraft could not only communicate with each other in plain language, but also communicate with the base.
It didn't take long for them to fly over the heads of the officers and soldiers of the 722nd Division's field defense line.
Paul glanced down and said: "Attention all wingmen, we have flown into the dangerous area. You must be careful of the enemy's anti-aircraft weapons. Now, according to the plan, each wingman will act separately."
Suddenly, the diamond formation disperses. The four reconnaissance aircraft have their own reconnaissance areas. They will do their best to expand the search area and take pictures of suspicious targets with their high-altitude cameras.
The most dangerous unit in the mission was naturally assigned to Paul. Regardless of whether he accepted it or not, he had to fly an unarmed reconnaissance plane all the way south along the river. His biggest task was to fly over Loev to find out.
"Isn't that city in ruins? Why do the people of the 634th Division claim that it looks like an active volcano?" With many questions and curiosity, Paul defeated his fear.
From taking off to arriving at the target, less than half an hour passed. Before he arrived in the city, he had already seen that the forest on the left bank of the river suddenly looked different.
A messy battlefield, a bird's eye view from a high altitude is a different situation. The forest fell in pieces, the ground was bombed into gray and black, and there were a lot of craters dotted around, as if the ground had acne. It was really disgusting.
Paul looked at the horrific scene outside the porthole and said, "My God, a tragic war really happened here!"
He slowed down without hesitation, took out his camera, opened the porthole a little and started taking pictures...
The senior German rear personnel have a serious lack of understanding of the frontline battle situation. The SS59 regiment has only a handful of troops supporting the 805th Division that have not lost contact. Information from the 634th Division has so far only received news of the collapse of two of its regiments.
.In this way, the high-altitude reconnaissance carried out by Paul has great strategic significance.
He saw that Loev had become a completely dark thing. He didn't know how to describe it. Perhaps "the entire city ruins were splashed with ink" was the most appropriate description. He was very confused. He had come here to investigate in previous battles.
, Loev was already in ruins at that time, but the main color of the city was gray, which was the original color of the buildings.
"Russians, what weapons did you use to turn the ruins of the city into pure black? The city was almost razed to the ground."
If someone murmurs at a high altitude, it would be better to lower the altitude or even conduct reconnaissance at a very low altitude.
The flying height was lowered to only a hundred meters by this bold and skilled guy. Now, with his naked eyes, Paul could see clearly the clues of Loyev - "black ruins" is the most appropriate way to describe the city today.
He pulled the plane up again, hovered over the ruins, and took nearly twenty photos in succession.
Until a sudden whistling sound and a slight vibration of the machine made him stop taking pictures.
He yelled into the walkie-talkie in surprise: "It's really bad! I was attacked by enemy anti-aircraft weapons. The location is above Loyev City. All wingmen should be careful not to get close to this area!"
At the same time, three other reconnaissance aircraft were conducting reconnaissance in different areas, especially two aircraft further east.
The noise of the White Stork reconnaissance plane was very low, and it flew high enough that people on the ground could hardly detect its existence. However, the open ground was full of craters and traces of human activities. After the pilot heard Paul's advice, he still asked
The leader reported: "White Stork No. 3 report. I found traces of the battlefield five kilometers east of the Sori River. I immediately launched an investigation. If necessary, I will land directly."
"What? White Stork No. 3, is it safe to land? If it's not necessary, I don't need your landing reconnaissance."
"I think it's necessary. I haven't found any obvious traces of the enemy. What exactly happened here will be investigated after I land."
Today's reconnaissance operation itself is an adventure. If you want to obtain more valuable intelligence, you can only take more risks. Paul approved the request of "White Stork No. 3", but he himself was attacked by the Soviet army.
Shoot from the air and immediately fly to the southwest.
It must be said that Paul's decision to suddenly fly southwest to avoid the bullet was very correct. He set some new routes for himself, that is, turning a big turn in the air, and finally found the position of the 805th Division.
The White Stork reconnaissance aircraft is simply the most maneuverable light reconnaissance aircraft of the German army. He made up his mind. When he encountered the officers and soldiers of the 805th Division, he immediately flew at low altitude and showed the soldiers the Iron Cross painting on the wings in a high-profile manner! Finally, he made an assault landing.
In the grassland, it is best to ask the commander to write a large letter unexpectedly and send it back as a postman.
He thought very well about the next operation. He thought that this operation would not be attacked by the Soviet army's powerful anti-aircraft firepower like the previous ones. He did not even see the large crowd on the ground.
, or tents for large gatherings.
Perhaps a large number of Soviet soldiers were hiding in the woods, or perhaps their main force had already left the battlefield on the left bank of the river.
Paul takes a huge arc route. His eyesight is very good. He can see unusual suspicious objects on the ground without a telescope, and he is very sensitive to moving objects. This guy has a pair of eagle eyes. This is a benefit.
Thanks to his good eyesight and battlefield insight, he suddenly saw a clear convoy on the ground, driving on the grass where the woods met.