"What a great idea!" Colonel Pavelkov said: "We can even find a way to ask the engineers to turn the tank wreckage in one direction, that is, to make them face the hilltop position!"
This can indeed be done, all it requires is that the force on both sides is uneven during the process of dragging the tank down.
Then the officers expressed their opinions one after another.
"You're right, the armor on the front is thicker, and we can also use the enemy's modified heading machine gun!"
"Perhaps we can also weld a perforation hole on both sides so that it can provide more powerful fire cover for our army!"
"We can also weld a door at the rear, and ammunition can be sent in from the rear!"
…
Shulka's words were like opening a creative door, and then all kinds of interesting and practical ideas emerged one after another.
Then Colonel Pavelkov looked at his watch and ordered: "So, what are we waiting for? There are still five hours until dawn, and we must make all preparations before then!"
"Yes, Comrade Colonel!" the officers replied in unison.
Engineers and soldiers were quickly mobilized.
These engineers are divided into two groups, one group is responsible for dragging the tank wreckage to the appropriate location, and the other group is responsible for making necessary modifications to the tank wreckage.
They divide the work, that is, half the drag and half the modification, and then they are replaced after the completion.
The modification work sounds easy, but in fact it is not that simple. The reason is that there are still shells and ammunition residues in some tank wreckage. If you accidentally weld these things with electric welding, they will make a "boom" sound.
In addition, there may be fuel residue.
So before modification, these things must first be cleaned as necessary.
Then, as mentioned at the meeting, use a directional machine gun in the front, and have a machine gun perforation diagonally forward on both sides... It should be said that this idea is very good, because it allows the tank wreckage to support each other.
For example, on both sides of the No. 2 tank are the No. 1 and No. 3 tanks (the Soviet army renumbered these tanks), so the side machine guns of the No. 1 and No. 3 tanks can block the side and front of the No. 2 tank.
Likewise, Panzer 2's side-facing machine guns can also provide cover for other tanks.
The idea of welding a small door at the rear was also very practical, allowing the Soviets to easily send supplies and reinforcements to the tank.
Engineers even connected tanks to trenches to form a unified line of defense.
Compared to modification, dragging is much simpler.
The steel cable was fixed to the wreckage of the tank, and the other end was fixed to several cars at the foot of the mountain. Then at the command, the slowly moving car dragged the tank down the slope.
As long as the angle and speed are well controlled, or if you do it a few times and adjust the towing direction in a timely manner, you can "place" the tank wreckage in the appropriate position with the desired posture.
Everything went fairly smoothly.
The reason why I say "fairly" is because one of the tanks was towed too fast and the terrain caused it to roll several times on the slope and then lie on its back... This gave people a headache.
Because it has turned over where it should be, it is easy to drag it down, but it is difficult to drag it up.
After a final discussion, I felt that it was not worth spending too much time and energy on a tank wreckage. At the same time, in order to prevent it from being used by the Germans, I dug a hole next to it, dragged it in and buried most of it, leaving part of it outside.
Of course it is a bunker.
Colonel Pavelkov walked up to Shulka and handed him a cigarette. Then, while looking at the fortifications that were gradually taking shape, he said: "With the addition of these tank wrecks, we can basically rest assured on the front. But I thought of another question.
,Comrade Shulka..."
"Are you worried that the enemy will attack from the flank like us?" Shulka asked rhetorically.
Pavelkov couldn't help laughing: "Nothing can escape your eyes!"
With that, Colonel Pavelkov lit a cigarette for Shulka and asked: "If we can get to the enemy's rear through the flanks, why can't the Germans do the same? I mean, if they find it difficult to break through from the front
if……"
Shulka blew out a breath of smoke, then spread out a map, pointed at the map in the dim light of the morning light and replied: "The problem is that we have the flanks, the 'Red October' new village, and the urban area! And!
We also have artillery deployed in these areas!"
"I know this!" said Bavelkov: "They can provide fire cover for the flanks of Mamayev Kurgan, but it is difficult for them to be effective during the day because they will be bombed by enemy air power!"
"We only need to solve the problem at night!" Shulka replied: "If it is daytime... then go up and fight them with bayonets!"
Colonel Pavelkov thought for a while, then nodded and said: "That's right, Captain! This is exactly what we hope for!"
This is indeed what the Soviet army hoped for. Even if the Soviet army could use two people to defeat one German army in hand-to-hand combat, it would still be cost-effective.
This is not only due to the high quality of the German army and the lack of manpower, but also because the German army's mobilization ability is far inferior to that of the Soviet army.
The Soviet-German war did have such a process in history:
In the early days, most of the German troops were elite soldiers, but the quality of the Soviet troops varied.
But as the war deepened, both sides suffered a large number of casualties... This was not cost-effective for the German army with average quality, because as the casualties of elite soldiers and veterans increased, more and more recruits were added to the army, and the result was that the German army
The overall quality decreases in a series.
On the contrary, the Soviet army grew amid casualties, and more and more recruits became veterans, so the overall quality increased instead of falling.
Due to the ebb and flow of one thing and another, in the later stages of the war, the quality of the two armies was actually not much different, especially the growth of the new generation of Soviet commanders.
Of course, this includes Colonel Pavelkov... He is an officer who recognizes his own shortcomings in the reality of the battlefield and then changes himself.
"I understand, Comrade Shulka!" Colonel Pavelkov shook Shulka's hand gratefully and sighed: "I should have met you earlier! It can be said that... until now, I have not
Understand what war is about!"
Shulka understood what Pavelkov meant.
Before that, war for him might have been like waving a pistol and shouting: "Comrades, for the Soviets! For Stalin, go for it!"
This cannot be blamed on Colonel Pavelko, because at this time the Soviet army had this kind of atmosphere from top to bottom.
Especially during this period, the Soviet army still implemented the political commissar system. Military commanders actually had to obey the command of the political commissar, and most of the political commissars did not understand military affairs.
But Shulka knew it wouldn't be long.
Because the political commissar system exposed too many shortcomings in actual combat, the political commissar system was officially abolished in October.