The tank battalion arrived at the 333rd Regiment's station at 3:30 in the morning, but actually did not arrive at the station.
After Katukov heard about the situation, he rushed ahead of the tank battalion.
"Well done!" Katukov said: "The situation is very favorable to us. Now is the time to beat these invaders!"
"Colonel!" Shulka stopped him: "I think we should wait until daybreak before attacking..."
"I know it will be more advantageous for us to attack after dawn, Shulka!" Katukov said.
There is no doubt about this. The T34 can easily destroy the German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks at a distance of 500 meters, but the German Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks must be able to destroy the armor of the T34 within 100 meters.
threatening.
That is to say, t34 has long-range advantage.
But if you attack in the dark...this advantage basically disappears.
On the other hand, the 1941 version of the T34 only had a small number of tanks equipped with communication equipment. This also made it necessary for the tanks of the Fourth Tank Brigade to have several followers on the rear armor of each tank to communicate via telephone, as Shulka proposed.
Make contact with the tank.
The ones who command these followers are flags and hand gestures... The diesel engine of the T34 is very noisy, and it is impossible to hear each other when shouting.
"We can't cover up the noise of tanks!" Katukov said: "Even if we fire at the enemy, enemy scouts may still notice that we have a tank unit following up, which will scare them away!"
Katukov's words made the officers present burst into laughter, not only because of Katukov's humor, but also because of pride... At a time when all Soviet troops and even Moscow were worried about being unable to stop the German attack,
The 4th Tank Brigade was worried about the Germans escaping.
Shulka did not laugh. He pointed to the map and said to Katukov: "Comrade Colonel, there is open land ten miles back from our station, and the soil is dry and suitable for tank operations! If we place the tanks on the 333rd Regiment's defense line
Position about ten miles behind and set up an ambush..."
"What about the 333rd Regiment?" Katukov asked.
He understood what Shulka meant. The problem was that the 333rd Regiment had to face the enemy's one-man tank division with infantry.
"Of course we will be defeated, we already have experience!" Major Gavrilov continued: "We escaped from the Brest Fortress all the way here, didn't we?"
The officers laughed again.
Katukov thought for a while, then nodded and said: "I agree, let's do it like this, we will wait for you in ten miles... To be precise, our encirclement will start to be deployed around five miles away, but there we will see
When the Germans are chasing you, we will not take action, understand?"
"clear!"
Major Gavrilov and Shulka answered in unison.
But it’s easy to plan but difficult to do.
"Rout"... Even retreat would involve great risks, let alone "rout".
To be precise, it is not difficult to achieve a "rout". A failed retreat will develop into a rout. The problem is that it is difficult to achieve a false "rout" if you are unwilling to suffer too many casualties.
In particular, we have to plan the counterattack of the 4th Tank Brigade, so we must not lay too many mines and anti-tank mines on the road.
But this is a headache for Major Gavrilov, and Shulka believes that he can organize and plan it well.
The fact is that Major Gavrilov can indeed do it. The method is to accurately draw the minefield map after laying the mines, and then send the map to Katukov in advance so that every tank soldier understands where the minefield is... the enemy
I don't know this, so the minefield still has a deterrent and deterrent effect on the enemy.
When Shulka returned to the unit, the soldiers had already hid in the trenches to rest. Although some people still couldn't sleep, they had to close their eyes even if they pretended to do so under the orders of the instructor.
The instructor handed Shulka a cigarette, a cigarette rolled in an old newspaper... After the 333rd Infantry Regiment went around Stalingrad, the entire pack of German cigarettes was quickly out of stock.
It is said that its price has also risen with the tide, from one cigarette being exchanged for three Maltese cigarettes on the battlefield to one being exchanged for ten.
But actors will never do this business.
"I must be crazy if I exchange ten hay cigarettes for one!" the actor said: "Think about it, I can smoke ten cigarettes at the same time while someone else is holding a thin and small toothpick in their mouth.
!”
Of course, in a smoker's mind, quantity comes first, and as for quality...that is something that can only be considered on the basis of ensuring quantity.
"There's going to be a big battle soon, isn't it?" the instructor asked.
"Yes!" Shulka nodded: "A tank-to-tank battle!"
The instructor was silent for a while and asked: "Do you think we can win? Or, the expected victory?"
Shulka understands where the instructor is coming from.
In fact, this is what most people in the Soviet army think... Soviet tanks have always been not bad compared to German tanks, and they are even superior in some aspects, but they are still beaten by the Germans again and again with a huge disparity.
Defeat once.
Therefore, many people, including instructors, will worry about one question before this organized tank battle: Can the Fourth Tank Brigade really defeat the enemy?
"We'll find out soon!" Shulka said, and then he and the instructor hid under the poncho in the trench and lit cigarettes... This would not let the rain get wet, and at the same time, the German snipers would not see the light of the fire.
.
What Shulka was thinking was: If we can't win tomorrow, then everything will be over, Moscow will soon fall, and then the entire Soviet defense and the morale of the troops will suffer a fatal blow.
On the other hand, Zhukov is also worried about this problem.
After he received the battle plan explained in the telegram from Katukov, he immediately realized that tomorrow's battle might be a decisive one.
"We made a mistake!" Zhukov said to his staff: "On the one hand, we placed all our hopes on the Fourth Tank Brigade, but on the other hand, we did not give them enough equipment! They don't even have cars!"
"Comrade General, we lack cars and equipment..." the staff officer said.
"Yes, I know!" Zhukov interrupted the staff: "We do lack vehicles and other equipment, but we should never let the Fourth Tank Brigade lack equipment. This almost led to a big mistake. Fortunately, the 333rd Regiment took the lead.
We can withstand the attack of the enemy's armored division, otherwise we won't even be able to fight tomorrow's decisive battle!"
"Yes, Comrade General!"
"Prepare the equipment of the Fourth Tank Brigade immediately!" Zhukov ordered: "Other troops already lack equipment, and they don't care if they have less!"