After entering the forest, the defeated troops of the Lotharheim regiment, which had been retreating in the forest, split up and evacuated towards the positions of the neighboring troops. Fastest update
The same is true for Lawrence. He led more than 200 people. Heavy weapons were lost one after another, and each soldier's ammunition could not survive another high-intensity battle.
This infantry battalion fled for five or six kilometers. The further north we went, the safer we knew we would be. After all, we would soon reach the highway. The armored vehicles cruising there would be powerful weapons, and as an important communication line,
The two divisions stationed in its north can also provide effective support.
The exhausted Lawrence was still holding the baby. He believed that the child's mother had been killed by the Soviets. It was a German family who responded to the call to support the front line. Unfortunately, the whole family's lives were at stake here, and only this child survived.
He didn't know the child's name, but he was a German baby. There was a ball of golden fluff on the little boy's head.
As an officer, he could not always do the nanny job of taking care of the children! Lawrence casually pulled over a soldier and ordered the man to take good care of the children.
He looked at his watch and estimated his speed, and felt that he had reached a safe enough place. If the Soviets continued to pursue them, it would only mean that they were a group of people who wanted to commit suicide.
"It's very safe here! Let's rest where we are! The whole army is on defense!"
After the order was issued, the nervous soldiers were like deflated rubber balls. Compared with their physical fatigue, the mood of the survivors who had suffered a cruel defeat was also extremely bad.
A platoon commander under Lawrence also managed to escape. Seeing the battalion commander sitting dejectedly, the battalion commander walked over and took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket.
"Batalion Commander! Take one to calm down the shock."
As a result, Lawrence, who was extremely depressed, lit up the cigarette skillfully and blew out a puff of green smoke, which was regarded as resting his nervous heart.
But what was very bad was that the cigarette was only half smoked when a series of explosions came from the distance!
Many soldiers who were already napping stood up reflexively, nervously cocked their rifles and aimed their guns at the south.
There was only a baby crying at the resting place in the forest, but the German soldiers were extremely calm. They were half-kneeling or lying on their stomachs with their guns raised, like sculptures.
The explosions were very dense but dull, sounding like a howitzer carpet bombing.
Lawrence, who was nervous, relaxed his vigilance slightly, and shouted loudly to the nervous soldiers: "Gentlemen, the enemy is not coming! It seems that our damn and stingy artillery has finally fired their shells."
"What's the use! We were still beaten like sons!" The second platoon leader was discouraged and threw his submachine gun directly on the ground.
Yes, the result of the battle was that the position was lost. Perhaps because the regiment headquarters was basically destroyed, and the commander died, no one would be responsible for the defeat. In this way, Lawrence basically understood that he was not guilty. But as a German soldier, such a defeat
This is not the first time that shame has pierced my heart.
The German artillery was bombarding the Lotharheim regiment's position, and they did not skimp on ammunition.
Hertzman's two regiments finally got news from the defeated troops about the front line. The situation was very bad and the position had been lost! The entire regiment, as well as those from the Eastern Battalion and the workers accompanying the army were fleeing, and the camp was burning.
The black smoke is getting thicker and thicker.
The 10 most powerful SFH18 howitzers of the 707th Division were ordered to fire immediately. Hertzman and other personnel in the division headquarters were furious. As the division commander, Hertzman should be more calm, but in the face of the Soviets riding on his neck and shitting like this
He roared into the phone at the top of his lungs: "Artillery regiment, shoot half of the artillery shells in your inventory for me. Don't be stingy with heavy artillery. Blast the Soviets who are looting our positions into ashes!"
Now there is no need to worry about accidental injuries. Everyone who is still alive has fled to the neighboring troops, and a hole has been opened in the long position.
Rather than the army being defeated, the most important thing to pay attention to is the Soviets taking advantage of the situation.
At the moment, Hertzman couldn't help but touch his neck. His mind was filled with the experiences of his former division commander and even the 715th Division. "These Soviets are too special. Maybe they intend to go deep alone and target the division headquarters."
These untimely words made the staff shudder. It is true that the total strength of the 707th Division after its reduced establishment is only a little over 10,000! The location of the division headquarters is only protected by one guard battalion, and the defensive strength is not strong.
Based on the principle of caution, the division chief of staff advised: "Perhaps we should avoid it. Today we encountered a large-scale Soviet air force and encountered their fierce attack. They only attacked our point. At present,
The situation..."
"No one is allowed to leave!" Hertzman immediately pulled out his pistol and slapped it on the table. "As the division commander, I order that no one is allowed to retreat! I will directly shoot the deserters, and all officers and soldiers of the division must stick to the front!"
In this case, the division chief of staff, Rostad, did not elaborate any more. "Okay! I take back what I said. If the enemy comes, we will stay with him until the end."
Herzmann breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to believe that his troops would collapse due to their poor combat effectiveness. It was certainly reasonable for Losaheim's regiment to be defeated by a focused attack, but there was certainly no army that could defeat a 150mm cannon.
Under the carpet bombardment, it was unharmed.
The German artillery, mainly composed of ten large-caliber howitzers and supplemented by several medium-caliber howitzers, indeed carpet-bombed the position. The bodies of the dead Soviet and German soldiers were completely blown to pieces, even the wounded soldiers who were dying were still alive.
, this series of lightning strikes also gave everyone a happy feeling.
The shelling was so loud that the retreating Balzen troops were also startled, but this did not affect their retreat.
At present, Balzen is really congratulating himself. "Thank you for your hard work, I ordered the troops to retreat quickly. Otherwise, if we let everyone looting, my nearly 1,000 people may be wiped out!" Therefore, the original attack suffered a lot of losses.
He, who was worried about others, now smiled. The artillery cover that the Germans should have had become an afterthought.
At this moment, in theory, no one was willing to go to the bombed-out position. Balzen just wanted to return to the Soviet forest camp as soon as possible. Only one man stood up and called on his troops to return to the position.
This person is none other than Lawrence.
He stood on a collapsed tree trunk, gathered the surviving soldiers of the entire battalion, and ordered: "Brothers, we cannot continue to retreat now. Now I order the entire battalion to march south and return to our position!"
"But! Battalion Commander, there are Soviets there!" a soldier suddenly shouted.
As soon as the man finished speaking, he was replaced by a series of anti-aircraft shots from a submachine gun. Lawrence looked coldly at his soldiers, and the sound of the gunshots shocked everyone.
"Do you want to be a hero or a coward? Even if the road ahead may be very dangerous, brothers, ask yourselves now, don't you feel guilty? Two of the three main battalions of the regiment have become cowards, are you going to follow in the same footsteps? Or are you talking about us?
Take the opportunity to regain our own position? rw