"Down the body! Try to disperse! Immediately after entering the trench, remove the threat and keep moving. It is a life-saving means. Tension is your biggest enemy! " Behind the smoke bombs, German officers are repeatedly waking up to their new recruits. These soldiers are from Belgium and France, and they are regarded as German foreign corps.
These soldiers are all recruited from the SS, and they do not occupy the regular recruitment quota of the Wehrmacht, but they can make up for many shortcomings in the recruitment of the Wehrmacht, because they are not affiliated with the German Ministry of Defence and the General Staff, and the SS can have more choices when recruiting.
After agitation and lobbying, some qualified recruits were recruited in the SS-occupied areas of France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The farthest recruiting unit in Spain found a volunteer to join the army. These soldiers all hated the Soviet Union and wanted to fight for a strong and unified Europe. They were crowned as "SS Freedom Division" with simple weapons and left the battlefield.
Several soldiers were covered by German tanks and entered the effective range of the Soviet Union. Soon, some Soviet heavy machine guns ambushed and roared. Some Germans were not well hidden. There were shouts of medics everywhere. These German SS jumped into the broken trenches and Soviet soldiers rushed out in all directions to compete for this not wide position.
The Soviet officer, who just slapped his helmet, is frowning at his left-wing position, where German shouts are everywhere, and he has also seen the top of the German swastika position shaking back and forth, and his face turned white because he knew that he was guarding this highland, which is only 134 meters away from Moscow.
Yes, the unit is meters! He couldn’t take a step back because he knew that if he retreated here, the Germans would be closer to Moscow. He touched one of the French cigarette cases in his arms and the lips became bloody because of excessive force.
He once smoked with zaitsev, the captain of Comrade Stalin’s personal guard, the great Soviet leader. He saw each other’s admiring eyes. He decided to swear to death this time because it was his belief as a Soviet soldier, so he turned a blind eye to his collapse and made the troops continue to stick to the air leakage position on all sides.
"Let comrade Pujiadov take a machine gun and try to keep the left flank. Behind us is Moscow. We can’t retreat! Everyone must have Soviet soldiers to realize that Comrade Stalin should drain the last drop of blood! " When he reached the age of 10, he continued to stick to the battle orders. As he spoke, German troops had rushed into his first-line peripheral trench under the cover of assault guns.
Just about 5 kilometers behind the Soviet officer, a secret bunker, zhukov and vatutin, now the supreme commander of the Soviet front is inspecting their defensive positions. The guns are so dense in the distance that I can’t hear the number of times, but the two men still got some not-so-good news from the commander who accompanied them.
"Comrade Marshal zhukov, Comrade vatutin, our troops are short of heavy anti-tank weapons. Soldiers have paid a few precious lives to deal with German tanks." This general Kenai stated that his troops have suffered heavy losses these days. "In three days, I was supplemented by 14 soldiers, but our troops were killed by 39 people."
Vatutin has nothing to support the front-line generals to complain about the facts together. He also has his own difficulties. The industrial base in the rear is increasingly taking Moscow seriously. "The heavy weapons from Chelyabinsk were interrupted two weeks ago, and the weapons and equipment shipped from other places were intercepted by various excuses in the rear …"
"Comrade vatutin" zhukov looked at the map and finally pointed to the defense line that had been smashed by German troops in front of the position and said to his colleague, "You should let the troops withdraw from here and they can die in vain."
Vatutin gave a wry smile and then walked to the front of the map. Looking from the sign marked with a distance of 13 kilometers, he said to zhukov, "Comrade Marshal, you don’t know that we have not retreated. Comrade Stalin has already reached the death order two days ago. All troops are not allowed to take a step back."
When zhukov entered the room, the first thing he looked at was the statistical report of troops’ supply acceptance. He knew that these seemingly large numbers still had great potential. The troops were just fighting one after another. They didn’t have enough ammunition, and they often didn’t get supplies. It was the result of the sacrifice of the grassroots soldiers to this moment.
So he looked at vatutin, pointing to the defensive positions that had been covered by German artillery fire and looked unreal, and asked, "Look! Look at that! The people who guard there are soldier who really love this country! They are fighting German steel with their own lives! What do you want them to hold the position? Throw stones at the tiger king tank? "
Chapter 177 17 Distance is meters
Throwing stones at the heavy armor of the German Tiger King tank obviously can’t destroy the German Tiger King tank. Now the Soviet anti-tank weapons are aimed at the Tiger King tank for normal fire, and in most cases they can’t penetrate the German tank armor.
On the one hand, the Soviet Union rushed to produce 76 mm anti-tank guns, and unilaterally pursued production capacity, which ultimately affected the anti-tank performance of this gun. On the other hand, this gun was not developed with a single goal of anti-tank when it was originally designed.
To put it simply, this Soviet 762 mm caliber anti-tank gun was designed as a surface infantry support weapon when it was developed. What is a multifunctional platform? Is to try to make this kind of gun can be used for curve support shooting and also have certain anti-tank ability.
At the beginning, the design idea was a kind of artillery to do two or even three kinds of artillery work, and then the logistics and production greatly simplified the equipment pressure. However, when this kind of artillery was born, the mainstream of the world tanks was still 26 and Renault type xiaodouding 76 mm caliber to take into account anti-tanks, which was simply killing the chicken.
However, with the advancement of the war, the thickness of the world’s tank armor has made a qualitative leap, especially the Soviet opponent, the German Defence Force, equipped with tiger tanks and Tiger King tanks, and the technology has reached the forefront of the world. In this case, it is absolutely inadequate to design a multi-functional artillery to counter the advanced tank protection designed by the German professional design team.
Moreover, German science and technology developed rapidly, and the terrible breakthrough in high-tech materials was not studied by Soviet Union. In 1935, German material technology experts published a paper on reinforced steel materials. In 1939, German industrial enterprises generally made craftworld lead armored steel to produce their own armored vehicles.
Later, Germany developed a cloth material through a series of research and development to enhance the anti-tank weapon strike capability of the tank outer armor, but this material has not been tested by some troops for the time being.
The huge gap between one’s own tank gun and the enemy’s armor has become particularly obvious. During World War II, anti-tank warfare was mostly face-to-face bayonet fighting. Once one side lost confidence in its own weapon, it was conceivable how much impact it had on the war situation.
Soviet soldiers really don’t have stones as weapons to face German tanks. They really don’t have the courage in this battle. Before zhukov and vatutin reached an agreement on whether to retreat from the front, the Soviet positions were occupied by the Germans for more than half.
German soldiers easily crossed the barrier that the Soviet Union had broken the barbed wire and jumped into the Soviet trench. They desperately pointed their weapons at the Soviet fire that was about to collapse, killing the soldiers who fled backwards at the end of the trench.
"The Soviets ran away! Continue to fire! " An officer who just jumped into the trench from behind the tank waved his pistol and encouraged the soldiers around him. One after another, German soldiers carrying their weapons were crossing in front of him and heading for the other end of the trench. They sprinted as fast as they could.
"bang!" A German soldier leaning against the trench wall pointed his Mao Se 9k rifle at the Soviet direction. He rang his rifle and then skillfully pulled the bolt to prepare for a shot. He didn’t even know whether the shot just now hit his enemy or not, but the training made him learn to live as in this battle, so that he could be numb and aim at the enemy as quickly as possible.
The second German soldier next to him also lay prone on the pit wall. He also pointed his gun at the Soviet direction and then fired. Two men kept shooting and turned a blind eye to the bodies of three or four Soviet soldiers piled up next to them. Those bodies seemed to them to be dirt, something no different from stone sandbags.
The track of a German Leopard assault gun slowly rolled and picked up the soil, and then the huge load wheel fell from the soil at some point, which made the heads of German soldiers in the nearby trenches look a little small. The metal track rubbed and ran over the helmet, pressing the Soviet body across its route into the soil.
In front of the car body, the heading machine gun kept spewing flames and tracer bullets. In front of the assault gun, it was densely woven into a network of fire. Several Soviet soldiers were covered by this network of fire, and then they became bloody bodies and spread to the retreat road.
For the Soviet defenders who lacked anti-tank weapons, the original armor was not so thick. The infantry assault guns were already the steel giants that were destroyed in front of them. They relied on several nights of crazy counterattack and several people rushed to the German assault guns with explosive charges to stop these monsters from advancing.
Sometimes, in order to destroy a German assault gun or a tank, even Soviet soldiers will be killed, and even the whole battalion will be defeated. After more than a year of cooperation, the Germans have already formed a set of skilled cooperative warfare modes, and it is not easy for the Soviets to take advantage of this mode.
"Stalin!" Suddenly, a young Soviet soldier jumped from the ground not far from the side of a leopard assault gun in Germany. He rushed to the German assault gun with a dynamite bag and shouted slogans. This is a common trick for Soviet infantry to approach from the side, which is relatively safe.
"chug chug!" A German grenadier, not far from the rear of the German assault gun, greeted this attempt to perish together with the enemy with a barrage of bullets from the p44 assault rifle in his hand. Soviet soldiers shot through each other’s weak bodies and smashed each other into a sieve.
Of course, the cooperation between Butan and Tantan is not only a tank to cover the infantry and carry out assault on enemy positions, but also a tank to be protected by the infantry behind it. It is a skill and tactics worthy of serious study and study, and it is not as simple as a group of soldiers following the tank.
When that Soviet soldi holding the explosive bag was unwilling to fall to the ground, his explosive exploded with a loud bang, leaving the Soviet soldi with nothing behind, while the German assault guns in the distance were still slowly pushing forward his low but strong body.
Suddenly, the assault gun stopped moving forward, and the front of the car was slightly adjusted to the left. The black muzzle of the 75 mm caliber gun fixed in front of it was aimed at a Soviet bunker that was burning fiercely in the distance. This bunker was reinforced with concrete and the surface of the bunker was covered with weeds, and it was disguised to some extent.
Boom a German assault gun muzzle spewed a thick smoke, and the whole tank body trembled. One by one, a shell hit its target easily at a distance of 100 meters. The high-explosive bomb machine gun bunker exploded less than one meter, causing a thick smoke and gravel. The bunker was immediately suppressed to stop the fire.
More German soldiers climbed up from the ground and launched a general attack on the Soviet positions that had lost fire support. Hundreds of Germans rushed into the Soviet defense positions carefully arranged, and the opponents who had no resistance ability were driven out from the inside. The Soviet army abandoned its armor and fled to the second-line defense positions behind them.
Several Germans hid in the trenches waving a flag full of Kong Deguo swastikas, while the majestic leopard assault artillery leaned its low body against the destroyed Soviet bunker, and its figure was just covered, so it was a more suitable shelter for itself.
"Sir! We have captured the enemy’s first defensive position and are expanding the results to the two wings. The enemy’s resistance is much weaker than the day before yesterday. I think they should be short of ammunition. "A German battalion commander pointed to a local map full of contour lines in front of a table and reported the results of this attack to his company." We lost five soldiers because of the cover of divisional assault guns. "
The head of the regiment nodded his head and reported that his infantry regiment had three infantry battalions in total. He moved two battalions in this attack, and about one person took part in the attack. Only when he captured the enemy position did he die five soldiers. This result has made him very satisfied.
What worries him is that the Soviet defenders have always been known for their madness and bravery. These soldiers are good at fighting back the soldiers’ lives immediately after losing their positions, so he quickly reached an order to let his troops come to fight back and minimize their losses. "Let the troops stop advancing and consolidate their defensive positions. The Soviets may fight back. We must hold our positions as much as possible."
He looked at the map, then just occupied the position and marked it with a mark, and then he laughed. "Now we are almost 127 meters away from Moscow."
Chapter 17 179 Dog
"Report marshal comrade! The forward troops of the German F regiment have just occupied a position of our army here … "A Soviet Major General holding his helmet went to zhukov and vatutin and pointed to a place beside the table and said," We are adjusting our strength to fight back. "
"Infantry counterattack?" Zhukov frowned and didn’t immediately veto this suggestion. vatutin smiled again and then replied, "It’s really infantry. To be more accurate, it’s human life to fill in … We have too few tanks in our hands, and we can do a lot of untrained infantry to delay the German attack."
In order to tie the battle to a stalemate, nearly 10,000 soldiers of the Soviet Union’s Moscow defense zone will be killed every day. It is by this desperate counterattack method that the troops here have supported the arrival of zhukov troops. It can be said that their own lives are fighting for a chance for the motherland.
Tens of millions of Soviet soldiers gave their precious lives one position after another. They attacked the German positions at night, lost their positions during the day and then took them back. Then they were occupied by the Germans during the day and continued to compete at night … Every inch of land here was not acquired by the Germans at random, but it was finally decided after several battles between the soldiers of both sides.
"Don’t fight back today," zhukov thought for a moment and then said, "After three days, a group of tank troops will arrive here, and then we will launch a large-scale counterattack to take back our land."
"Tanks? Comrade Marshal zhukov, with all due respect, the German position is not so easy to recapture. Even if you fight back in a tank, you will eventually be driven back because of heavy losses. "vatutin persuaded with a heavy expression," According to our experience, it is better to ambush in the defense of tanks and anti-tank artillery. "
Zhukov knew that he was too emotional, and he didn’t dare to fight back against his elite tank force. After all, he tried it once in Kursk, and his cards and chances were much better that time.
However, at that time, hundreds of thousands of elite soldiers in the southern group collided with the Germans, and a regiment in the southern theater was completely stopped in the wilderness of Kursk, and his original intention to recapture the whole Caucasus became a distant and unrealistic dream.
"But what can we do now?" Zhukov feels a little tired. He really wants to find a chair to sit on, because he feels that his former exhausted strength is passing away. The development of the German team and the high level make him lose sight of his hope of winning. Maintaining a war that will eventually fail is the most tiring thing for a general. Because of this situation, these generals are devastated, not by the spirit.
"We are developing some new anti-tank measures, such as German iron fist anti-tank rocket launchers and directly launching large-caliber rockets." vatutin seemed to see zhukov’s sense of force and comforted him. He also felt this kind of feeling that people almost collapsed. He knew that a battlefield commander could struggle but he could lead his troops to victory.
At this point, his eyes lit up and he squeezed out a smile and said to zhukov, "We also trained hounds to let these clever little guys send bombs to German tanks. They are very clever and simple to adapt, so that these military dogs can have executive ability. We have put this special weapon into actual combat, and the response is not bad."
……
At this time, more than a dozen hounds in the defensive positions of the Soviet Union have been dragged into the trenches by their owners to prepare for their last glory. They have lived with the Soviets since childhood, and their feelings for human beings are beyond doubt.
However, in this war, people’s lives are no longer valuable. At the moment of humble death, the hounds friends beside them have to give their lives in this sacred war. Without saying a word, a group of female soldiers knelt down and tied these hounds with explosive packs in their hands.
"Bernard! Bernard! Do not move! Don’t move! " A young soldier holding a hound chain stroked the strong hound neck and comforted his dog, which seemed impatient. He gently tidied his partner’s hair and said a few words, then he choked up and tears fell down his cheeks.
Carrying a heavy burden that doesn’t belong to him on his back, this hound named Bernard shakes his head with some anxiety, and then he is quiet, holding his tongue on the back of his master’s hand. He knows that the horse is going to complete a-drilling to a place that looks very big.
If you want him to get into the square and keep his position, his master will eat and feed himself when he comes back. This is the only thing Bernard remembers in his mind. Experts who try their best to make him learn these movements call this conditioned reflex.
"Is the first anti-tank squad ready?" A Soviet officer came up from the side of the trench and asked these special soldiers who were preparing to fight. He knew that the hounds involved would not answer his questions, so he set his eyes on the dog.
"Sir … I can’t bear to part with my partner." A female soldier with a dog cried and answered her officer’s words, but the officer could look at the speaker coldly and then walked up to a soldier.
These dogs are the only anti-tank weapons in his hand. These dogs have been training very hard. They have been rationed with fresh meat for a long time. Although he would rather have several 76 mm anti-tank guns, he gave him so many dogs to deal with German tanks.
The counterattack horse is going to take the position this time, and nothing can be let out. Thousands of Soviet soldiers are bayoneting their rifles, and all the weapons in their hands that can be used against enemy tanks will be taken out to cover this crazy counterattack.
"If I had a choice, I wouldn’t put thousands of soldiers’ lives on your dog." The Soviet officer Nai answered this question, but when he answered, he pointed his head at the female soldier.
Guns were hidden in distant places. As a soldier shouted not far away, Soviet soldiers jumped out in droves in the trenches. They carried their weapons and shouted the slogan "Long live the great leader Stalin" and walked step by step towards the position just occupied by the Germans.
"comrades! It’s time to test us! Come with me! " The Soviet officer pulled out his revolver and waved his arms and shouted that the female soldiers behind him got up from the bunker with weapons like the men nearby.
Behind them, a dozen special soldiers with dogs were protected by some tall soldiers and walked slowly towards the German position in the distance. They saw their flags flying sideways and their young faces.
Suddenly, a soldier threw his head back and hit the ground like a sandbag. People passed around his position. People passing behind him could see that the fallen soldier had a hole in his forehead and blood overflowing from the back of his head. Of course, every soldier forgot that there were blue eyes that he didn’t want to close.
"German assault gun!" Not far away, a Soviet soldier knelt down with one hand holding his rifle and one hand pointing at his companion in the distance, but bullets flew by from time to time around him, which was very dangerous. He knelt at his feet and two Soviet machine gunners were holding machine guns in their hands to cover their friendly forces and rushed to German positions.