In the command car of the armored train, German communications soldiers were communicating with their superiors.
"22, report location, report location!"
"We are on our way to the train station!" the signal soldier replied.
"What happened? Why did the communication stop just now!"
"We were in a fierce battle just now!" the signal soldier replied: "The artillery shell hit us and the equipment malfunctioned!"
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes, we broke through the enemy's siege, but the enemy crossed the Volga Bridge!"
"clear!"
…
Of course, what the German command headquarters at the other end didn't know was that the communications soldier on the armored train said these words with a gun pointed at his head.
As a result, the armored train drove into the German defense lines very smoothly, and the German soldiers even moved the roadblocks on the railway line for the armored train.
On the south bank of the Volga River is the center of Tver, where there are dense and tall houses. A German battalion built a second line of defense here using the buildings with the train station as a supply center.
After the armored train entered the defense line, what you saw on both sides were tanks that were transferred to the defense line, anti-tank guns, and groups of reinforcements from the German soldiers... Tver is a supply base for the German army
, a lot of equipment and supplies shipped from the west are stored here. For the local area of Tver, the German army has no shortage of equipment, and even temporarily reinforced two battalions from the rear.
These German troops planned to engage in street fighting with the Soviet troops in the city center.
The German army still has the possibility of victory.
This is mainly because the German army only needs to hold on until dawn or close to dawn... If the Soviet army has no time to withdraw its own defense line and hide near dawn, it can be regarded as a failure, because by then the 4th Tank Brigade will be completely exposed to the bombing of the enemy's air power.
under.
And if the Fourth Tank Brigade is destroyed, Moscow will almost be unable to defend itself.
Therefore, Rokossovsky had another order: Regardless of whether the 32nd Army could be rescued in the end, the entire 4th Tank Brigade must be withdrawn by the time.
Therefore, time is on the side of the Germans.
On the other hand, the tanks of this era are really not suitable for street fighting... In fact, even modern tanks are facing a big problem in street fighting.
Because street fighting means that enemies are often at close range when they appear. Every building, every window and even every ruin may be hiding enemies, especially at night when visibility is low, so it is impossible to guard against them.
Therefore, German tanks, anti-tank guns, and even anti-tank grenades could pose a great threat to the Soviet army.
Once the battle was fought like this, it would not be difficult for the German army to delay the Soviet army for several hours until dawn.
But what the Germans didn't expect was that an enemy had already sneaked into their defense line at this time, and this enemy was not an ordinary enemy, but a behemoth equipped with many weapons and equipment...an armored train.
"You are under the command of the 3rd Battalion!" The German command headquarters gave the order to the armored train: "Stay at the train station, Major Luca will contact you!"
"Yes!" the signal soldier replied.
The instructor looked out nervously through the perforation. There were German soldiers everywhere outside. He did not even dare to stay at the perforation for too long for fear of being recognized by the enemy.
"Do you want to do it?" the instructor asked.
"No, comrade instructor!" Shulka replied: "It's not yet time, we have to wait until the main force is ready and launch an attack!"
The instructor nodded, his nervousness making him breathe a little faster.
He knew that Shulka was right. Taking action at this time would only cause a little confusion among the German troops, and perhaps kill some German troops or destroy a few tanks.
But after the German army came to their senses, they would quickly block the armored vehicle, just like the Soviet army captured it.
"This is the craziest thing I've ever done!" said the instructor. "I feel like I'm surrounded by Germans... but they don't know it yet!"
In fact, not only the instructor, but also the other soldiers were so nervous that they did not dare to take a breath, and they had to lower their voices when talking to each other, for fear that the Russian they spoke would be discovered by the German troops outside.
At this time, two bucket trucks stopped next to the armored train with a "chi" sound. Several officers jumped off the bucket trucks, followed by several communications soldiers carrying radios on their backs. They seemed to be very familiar with the armored train.
He rushed to the command car, and then banged the iron sheet hard outside.
"Turn this thing on!" The voice outside shouted: "They told you I would be coming, I am Major Luca, and you are under my command!"
"What should we do?" The veteran standing by the car door turned back and looked at Shulka.
Shulka raised his head towards the communications soldiers, and then everyone understood.
The German signal soldier was escorted to the iron gate and slowly opened it. Major Luca and the others got in without any suspicion.
After entering, Major Luca even took off his military cap and asked: "Who is commanding here?"
The iron door closed again, and Shulka stood in front of Major Luca and replied in English: "I am in command here, Major!"
Only then did Major Luca and the others realize that something was wrong. They were about to touch their guns, but before they had time, several guns had already been pressed against their heads and they were disarmed.
"Hello, Major Luka!" Shulka handed over a map and a pen and said, "We still have some time. I wonder if you can draw me the firepower configuration along the railway?"
"You are delusional!" the German major replied.
"Very good!" Shulka glanced at the officers around the major and said, "I believe you are not the only one who knows this information... If you don't want to, I can ask other people, I think there will always be someone who is willing!"
"I know!" replied a German captain.
"Louis..."
"Major!" Louis said, "They're going to get this information anyway, can't you see? We're screwed, the armored train is parked behind us and we don't know anything about it!"
The instructor quickly took Captain Lewis to the other side.
"He is right, Major!" Shulka said to Major Luka: "You are finished, at least Tver is finished... We are waiting for that moment, the moment when the main force launches the attack!"
Major Luca suddenly sat up from his chair and wanted to resist. In fact, he hoped to make some gunshots to attract the attention of the German troops outside.
But the veteran didn't give him this chance. He knocked Major Luca to the ground with the butt of his rifle.
At this moment, there were explosions from the defense line, and there was also the faint "rumble" of tank tracks... The main force of the Soviet army launched an attack.
The German troops became nervous, and all of them hunched over and faced north in preparation for battle. Some German troops even leaned against the armored train.