The German troops took their time when they arrived, but when they withdrew they were very quick.
The order they received was to withdraw the entire army to Mozyr, which is a city located to the west of Lechica. Lechica was the place where they set out for the expedition. The city was occupied by the Soviet army. Naturally, it was impossible for the German army to choose the original route for their retreat.
return.
They no longer need to drag their way forward in the mud. The whole army only needs to continue heading west, find the railway line and go north, then they can directly enter the city of Mozyr and join the defenders. Going west will soon leave the swamp area, and the German army will move along the
They will advance along the edge of the swamp, so their march will be very rapid.
However, some heavy equipment had to be abandoned.
That is the assault gun that has made great achievements.
They are too heavy, and when moving forward in the mud, you have to press the throttle to the bottom, and the fuel is consumed quickly without fuel replenishment.
The situation of the twelve half-track armored vehicles was also very bad. Their fuel consumption was much smaller than that of the assault guns. However, whether they could complete the nearly 100-kilometer return trip with only the remaining fuel, the answer was no.
When choosing between an assault gun and an armored vehicle, the Germans chose an armored vehicle. So, they abandoned the assault gun overnight because they retreated too quickly. The crew members who left their vehicles just collected fuel and poured it into the tank of the armored vehicle.
As for the fate of the assault guns abandoned at the position, the two German commanders had no time to worry about it.
The German troops lined up in four horizontal lines. Their pace was quite orderly and their military appearance was pretty good. At first glance, the troops still maintained strong combat effectiveness. However, the grassroots soldiers were very upset about this battle. They knew that Mozyr still had
The main forces of the 700th Division and the 734th Division are holding on. After the troops withdraw, their strength will be further enhanced.
They were eager to return to Mozyri, not only because they wanted to get away from this damn muddy battlefield, but also because the army rations were too short. If they could not return within two days, the entire army would begin to starve.
On the other side of the battlefield, several scouts hurriedly sneaked into Fyodorov's headquarters somewhere in the woods.
"Brigadier, the Germans did not pursue us. They suddenly ran away!"
"Ran?!"
"Yes. They abandoned their positions. I sent people to investigate the German positions. It's incredible. The Germans just buried the bodies hastily and then walked westward."
"Are they going west?" Fyodorov quickly picked up the oil lamp and looked at the map. "What are they going west for? To retreat? Or do they have other intentions?"
As he said that, the scout smiled and said, "Brigade commander, the Germans ran away and they left some good things behind."
"what is that?"
"Assault guns! Those are the assault guns we saw! Those are the assault guns that killed and injured more than a hundred of our brothers."
Fyodorov withdrew to the woods to reorganize his troops. After an inventory, he found that the troops had lost more than 400 people. That is, more than 400 brothers had not returned.
He believed that all the brothers who did not come back were killed in the battle, and he even believed that the biggest reason for the failure of the night attack was those damn assault guns.
"The German army abandoned all its assault guns. I think these heavy weapons can be used by our army."
Fyodorov nodded: "We should report this matter to the commander. Moreover, the German army has retreated, and the reason for its westward movement is unknown. Our army should pursue or hold on to the spot, or something else. We must obey the commander's order.
"He let out a long sigh of relief; "After capturing eight assault guns and defeating the German army, the commander should be impressed by our army."
At this moment, Yang Mingzhi and his large troops were not far from the 21st Guerrilla Brigade, so a large-scale fierce battle took place at two o'clock in the morning. The flames of the battle reflected the western horizon red, and the continuous sound of gunfire awakened everyone.
All resting soldiers.
Yang Mingzhi was not very optimistic about the revolting Fedorov. What results could their night attack achieve? If they could severely damage the enemy, it would be the best performance.
Obviously, the excessive sound of gunfire exceeded Yang Mingzhi's imagination. He never believed that the guerrilla brigade could create such powerful firepower. Only the German army could.
"No, the guerrilla brigade may suffer heavy losses." Seeing the firelight in the distance reflecting the red sky, Yang Mingzhi suddenly regretted that he should not have let them fight alone.
However, the battle started suddenly and ended relatively quickly. After only half an hour, the movement on the battlefield became much weaker. By three o'clock in the morning, there were only sporadic sounds.
Yang Mingzhi also received a telegram from Fyodorov at three o'clock in the morning. The contents of the telegram were exciting but also a bit suspicious.
The German army actually left to the west. They didn't even want assault guns, and they even threw away some supplies?!
On the other hand, the situation of the 21st Guerrilla Brigade was not that bad. They forced the German army to retreat suddenly at the cost of more than 400 casualties. They can be considered a great achievement.
Since the German troops had withdrawn, Yang Mingzhi thought for a moment that it would be better not to pursue the enemy. He had his own reasons, that is, the casualties suffered by the Guerrilla Republic in this battle were unprecedented, and it was still unknown how the battle would end. The only
What is certain is that casualties will increase further.
Then, if you can save fewer lives, don't take risks. If you continue to order troops to pursue the Germans and force them into a desperate situation, even if they win, it will be a tragic victory. Besides, Yang Mingzhi does not believe that Fiodoro alone can
With that few men, we can annihilate the German army.
But Fyodorov captured eight assault guns!
In this battle, the Soviet army put the last BT tank into battle. That tank with outstanding achievements was finally turned into scrap metal. Fortunately, Chekov is still alive! He was a legendary tank soldier, although there are some differences between assault guns and tanks.
It's big, so it's okay to use it as a tank.
"Haha! Chekov, you must come back alive. After that, your tank platoon will have eight tanks!"
Yang Mingzhi couldn't help but have a sweet dream. There were eight No. 3 assault guns and the army's warehouse had enough fuel supply. After this battle, the overall strength of the Guerrilla Republic was greatly reduced. The eight No. 3 assault guns would really become the backbone of defense.
As a result, Yang Mingzhi issued a concise order to the commander of the 21st Guerrilla Brigade: "Your troops must not pursue the German troops and let them flee westward. Your troops immediately gathered the wounded, cleaned the battlefield, and checked all assault guns to confirm whether
It’s ready to start. After daybreak, the headquarters will lead the troops to arrive at your location.”
…
It was getting daylight, and after a night's rest, most of the soldiers' spirits had been significantly restored. If they were asked to fight another fierce battle, there would obviously be no problem.
The battlefield in the early morning was about six kilometers west of the riverside settlement. Yang Mingzhi fulfilled his promise and actually led the troops in person. He arrived at the battlefield with great vigor and met the legendary Fyodorov himself.
noodle.
Today's Yang Mingzhi wears a military uniform. His coat is washed overnight and dried by a campfire. Therefore, he is very neatly dressed, as are many of the soldiers under his command. All soldiers who have been awarded medals will be required to do so according to regulations.
The medal hangs on the chest.
"All of you! Stand at attention!"
Fyodorov ordered his men to line up, and he stood at the head of the team, nervously waiting for the general's arrival.
Then, the general with an oriental face came. After saluting and exchanging their respective numbers, the general actually shook hands.
Fyodorov was so shocked that he did not dare to accept Lieutenant General Berekov's handshake for a while.
Yang Mingzhi has a unique oriental face, and it is different from the traditional Mongolian or Yakut people in North Asia. Although Fyodorov is a Belarusian, he traveled to southern Russia and the Caucasus when he was young.
The Bashkirs there also have black hair, and their faces are tall and have deep eyes. They are completely different from Belekov.
Yang Mingzhi just stretched out his right hand with a smile on his face. Of course, behind this smile were thousands of well-equipped troops, and his smile also contained an aura of oppression.
"What? Is it possible that Comrade Fyodorov is afraid of his superior?"
"No...no! I..."
Fyodorov hesitated but still stretched out his right hand. As soon as he shook it with General Berekov, he felt that the bones of his right hand were about to shatter.
Yang Mingzhi not only shook hands with great strength, but also kept shaking his arms. This handshake etiquette is also common in Belarus. The harder it is and the harder it is, the more it shows the depth of friendship.
Fyodorov's palms were in great pain, but the guard in his heart quickly disappeared.
After shaking hands for more than 20 seconds, Yang Mingzhi let go of his palms. He pretended to be satisfied and looked at the soldiers of the 21st Guerrilla Brigade. Look at these people. They were still wearing military uniforms issued by the German army. Various labels symbolizing fascism were already there.
Take it off, this action was not included in the various instructions before the uprising, which made Yang Mingzhi suddenly feel good.
"Comrade Fyodorov, have all your soldiers been assembled?"
"Yes...and no...there are still some people looking after the supplies. You know, those are supplies for two German infantry regiments, and a lot of fuel. They are very large, and there are many horses and carriages. I have to
Send someone to guard it.”
"Thank you so much for your hard work! Our army consumed a lot of ammunition in this battle, and the supplies you have in your hands will contribute a lot to the Soviet Union's anti-fascist cause."
"You..." Suddenly, Fyodorov lowered his head, "General, we sold our souls for the fascists. The motherland can forgive us, even if it gives us the greatest forgiveness. What contribution do we dare to expect? We were once
traitor."
"Not anymore! I am a very pragmatic person. Our army suffered heavy casualties in this battle. Your ability to revolt at a critical moment shows that your uprising was based on your own conscience, rather than seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages.
In our army's critical moment, your troops not only defeated the German army, but also sent a large number of weapons and ammunition." As he said, Yang Mingzhi pointed at it, "Those are the assault guns you captured! They are really good, they should be able to be used."
"Yes, but when the German troops withdrew, the artillery shells were not destroyed. They actually took all the fuel. Fortunately, our army had some fuel reserves. Now the fuel tanks of the eight vehicles are full. I think any truck driver can
Can drive them away. These assault guns will quickly become the fighting force of the army."
"What good news! Fortunately, our army also has full-time tank crews, so I will accept your capture."
Whenever he welcomes new troops, Yang Mingzhi boasts that he must give them an impassioned speech.
Regarding how to face the 21st Guerrilla Brigade, of course, he first criticized their previous traitorous behavior, and then vigorously praised their abandonment of the dark side and turned to the bright side, recalling the sweetness of hardship and playing the emotional card. Yang Mingzhi believed that most of the puppet soldiers worked for the German army just to survive.
, they are willing to return to the Soviet Union if the Soviet Union pardons them.
During the speech, many soldiers shed tears.
Including this Fyodorov, there were two tears on his dirty face.
"Thank you! Thank you! Comrade General, many of us were in the Red Army and almost starved to death in the German prisoner-of-war camps, so we sacrificed our lives for the German army without conscience. There are also many people who had their families as hostages and had to serve the German army.
There were also some people who were forcibly recruited by the German army. They set up gallows in the villages and dared to oppose the recruitment. Men, women, and even children were all hanged."
"I know this. We have compiled many statistics on the atrocities committed by the German army." Yang Mingzhi patted his new subordinate on the shoulder and consoled him, "Now, you are still the Soviet Red Army. The reason why some soldiers were captured cannot be explained by the cowardice of the soldiers who surrendered."
Explain that if the commander directs it properly, the battle will be won of course, and then surrender will be impossible. And me!"
Yang Mingzhi deliberately slapped his chest hard, like a boxer who never fails.
"To be honest, your troops under the German army are just a group of human-shaped mules and horses. The German army expects you to carry supplies and be used as cannon fodder. Right?"
"Yes! Yes! But they didn't expect that when we escorted the supplies, we were already thinking about the Soviet Union."
"This is called a strategy! It was me, Berekov, who communicated with Ponomarenko in Moscow. I said that only when the time is right, will my department agree with your uprising. That's why your department has to escort supplies to the German army.
From here, we didn’t start taking action until yesterday.”
Fyodorov immediately widened his eyes: "Could it be... is everything under your control?"
"Of course." Having said that, Yang Mingzhi felt a little guilty because at the beginning, he had no hope for Fyodorov's troops. Today, seeing how humble this man is, it doesn't matter if he praises himself.
"Ah! If I can serve as your subordinate, I think we can often win battles!"
"That's natural. I think your unit has the possibility of becoming the main force of the 63rd Army. I will send people to train your unit into a real elite."
"Yes! Comrade Commander!" Fyodorov saluted first and then asked another question.
"Comrade Commander, I have one last question."
"Speaking."
"I heard that you came from the Far East, but looking at your appearance, we are really surprised. Could it be that...you...you are a Mongolian."
"It's Chinese!"
The decisiveness of Yang Mingzhi's answer surprised Fyodorov. Moreover, the commander's answer was undeniably surprising.
"You...you are Chinese?!"
"Of course. You don't need to be surprised at all. Maybe it's because I'm Chinese that I can command the troops to fight some incredible victories. I think there are many Chinese in the Red Army who are actively participating in the international anti-fascist war. So I am here
It’s not unusual here.”
However, Fyodorov's surprise was always written on his face. Yang Mingzhi didn't understand why this man was so surprised. Could it be that this man had met a Chinese before the war? What happened to this man?
It's just pure surprise.
Yang Mingzhi did not say much. Now that the troops have officially incorporated the 21st Guerrilla Brigade, the German troops who invaded the hinterland of the Guerrilla Republic fled without their armor. To turn the crisis into safety, it is time to truly solve the mess in the rear. Moreover, the victorious troops must always
Stay vigilant. Once there is a change on the northern front line, they must go north for reinforcements.