"Why don't they retreat?" Shulka asked: "Have they not realized that this counterattack was a mistake?"
The instructor spread his hands and replied: "At least not so far, we have always won!"
Shulka choked up immediately after saying this.
What the instructor said was indeed true: the 16th Army recaptured Volokolamsk and fought to Tver, and then gave the Germans a severe lesson in the Volokolamsk area... This series was a victory.
In other words, Katukov took the risk of disobeying orders by setting up an ambush in Volokolamsk and defeating the German army, and the credit for this achievement instantly belonged to the Supreme Command.
"At least, they should also know that this approach is dangerous!" Shulka said: "After the troops are used for counterattack, we have no reserves, but the enemy will not easily relax the attack on Volokolamsk!"
"Of course!" the instructor replied: "But you have already defended it, and they believe you can continue to defend it!"
This is an irony, in other words, Shulka and others must fail in order for them to understand the seriousness of the problem.
Sure enough, before Shulka's discussion with the instructor ended, the German army launched an attack.
Although Shulka and others were on the second line, the roar of artillery shells and the roar and dive bombing of fighter planes were right in front of them. From time to time, several fighter planes even swooped down and strafed them.
There are actually differences within the German army regarding the direction of continuing the offensive.
Kruger, commander of the Fourth Army, believed that Volokolamsk should be bypassed. This was the most commonly used tactic of the German army...when encountering hard nails, they would bypass and encircle them from the rear. However, the Soviet army often failed due to lack of maneuverability or
Is not flexible enough to be surrounded again and again.
But this time von Bock denied this approach.
"We can't get around it!" Von Bock said to Kruger on the phone: "Because our main enemy is the 4th Tank Brigade, those T34s... Even if we successfully get around it, we will still end up with this team.
The troops are face to face. Therefore, we can only move forward!"
From this perspective, von Bock was right.
Although the counter-offensive strategy of the Soviet Supreme Command is wrong, if one day the German army breaks through the Soviet second line of defense somewhere and points towards Moscow, then the Soviet Supreme Command will not be stupid enough to still let the 4th Tank Brigade
Sit in Volokolamsk and insist on attacking Tver.
They will use all means, such as the mobility of trains or tanks, to fill the gap breached by the Germans.
Therefore, one day the German army will have to face the powerful T34 tanks of the 4th Tank Brigade.
In other words, it would not make much sense for the German army to bypass Volokolamsk. It would just be a waste of precious gasoline and start a decisive battle with the 4th Tank Brigade in another place.
When talking to Kruger, von Bock also said very seriously: "We all thought that the Russians' last barrier was the Mozhaisky Line of Defense, and that our biggest difficulties were mud and cold... I don't think so.
, the last barrier and the biggest difficulty is the 4th Tank Brigade. As long as this unit is eliminated, our road to Moscow will be clear!"
"But how should we deal with those T34s?" Kruger asked: "Our tanks and anti-tank guns can't penetrate them at all!"
"That's what you need to consider!" Von Bock hung up the phone after saying that.
This is not that von Bock is avoiding the problem, but that he believes that such tactical issues should be considered by them.
So the remnants of the German 2nd Armored Division, as well as the 5th Armored Division and the 35th Infantry Division that arrived later, launched a fierce attack on the Soviet 316th Division's defense line.
Shulka carefully observed the German fighter planes and found that in addition to diving, strafing and bombing, they mostly hovered in the sky.
It was obvious that they were searching for the Soviet 4th Tank Brigade.
Shurka believed that this was the German tactic...to use fighter planes to deal with the 4th Tank Brigade or to isolate the 4th Tank Brigade from the front line.
Looking at the sky again, as the temperature dropped, the rain had completely stopped, and all that was falling were snowflakes. They had even begun to deposit on the ground, and there was even sunlight in the sky.
The drop in temperature was a good thing for the Soviet army, but it was also a bad thing, because it increased visibility exponentially, and the German air power began to play its role again.
"This is a big problem!" The instructor also realized this, and he said: "Our tanks may have to stay in the bunker and cannot move!"
"Comrade Shulka!" At this time, a communications soldier shouted to Shulka who was hiding in the bunker: "Comrade Major, I want you to come to the headquarters!"
Shurka responded, handed over the affairs of the position to Pukarev, and then followed the communications troops to the regiment headquarters.
When he arrived at the headquarters, Shulka couldn't help but be startled. There were a lot of officers crowded in the narrow space in the basement of the regiment headquarters. Among them was Major Zahakavich, the commander of the 4th Tank Regiment whom Shulka knew.
, and several other officers whom I did not recognize, including two major generals.
Shulka stepped forward and saluted.
Major Gavrilov nodded, and then introduced: "This is Comrade Shulka!"
A major general stepped forward and shook hands with Shulka enthusiastically, saying: "Nice to meet you, Comrade Shulka, I am Rokossovsky, commander of the 16th Army!"
Rokossovsky?
Shulka couldn't help being stunned when he heard this... He is another legendary figure. Although he is still a major general at this time, he will soon become as famous as Zhukov.
"This is Major General Panfilov, commander of the 316th Division!"
"Nice to meet you, Comrade Shulka!" Major General Panfilov also shook hands with Shulka politely.
It was obvious that this was a regiment-level meeting, and they seemed to intend for Shulka to attend.
Sure enough, Rokossovsky then said: "We have heard a lot about you, Comrade Shulka!"
While leading Shulka to the map, he said: "If nothing else, the ambush of the 4th Tank Brigade in Volokolamsk surprised all of us!"
"Especially the Germans!" said Panfilov.
The officers at the command headquarters laughed in unison.
"Yes, especially the Germans!" Rokossovsky said: "This is a very beautiful victory. At that time, I even thought that the enemy would break through Volokolamsk, but I didn't expect that you gave them a hard blow.
one strike!"
At this time, Shulka wanted to say... We should withdraw Tver's troops, but in the end he held back and did not say anything.
Because he knew there was no point in saying this, and they couldn't make this decision.
"Now!" Rokossovsky continued: "We seem to be in trouble!"