Burning Moscow

After deciding the troops to serve as flank cover, in order to avoid nights and dreams, I ordered Gurtiyev to lead his troops to move to the northeast of the airport, find suitable areas, and build necessary fortifications.

Although the main force of the group army launched an offensive on Zaporos on the 19th, in order to check the construction of the defensive position of the 308th division, I decided to check it myself instead of staying in my army headquarters and listening to the boring situation. Reporting, that's not my style. So at noon the next day, I took Yushchenko and the special guard company and hurried to the temporary defensive zone of the 308th Division.

Upon learning of my arrival, Gurtiyev brought a group of commanders out of his tent to greet him. After shaking hands with him, I looked at the tents behind him. These dark-green military tents are particularly dazzling on the endless snow. I couldn't help but snorted, and then asked angrily: "General Gurtiyev, why didn't you follow the regulations and set up the headquarters in a semi-underground concealed department?"

Faced with my reproach, Gurtiyev chuckled twice, and then replied with some embarrassment: "Comrade Commander, tomorrow is the 25th Tank Army that will cooperate with our infantry in the attack. Look at this wide Ukraine. The Great Plains are very suitable for assaults by tank troops."

√★"Yes, I already knew that the plains here are suitable for assault operations by armored forces." Although I didn't understand the reason for what he said, I followed his words and asked, "But this matter is with you. Does it matter if the headquarters is not established according to the regulations?"

"That's it, Comrade Commander." Seeing that I was still aggressive. Gurdiyev's face flushed. He argued vigorously: "I think under the powerful attack of our army. The enemy is vulnerable. It may only take two or three hours for our troops to rush into Zaporos. Since the fighting time will not last. Too long, then I think there is no need to establish a semi-underground hidden department."

"General Gurtiyev," I heard his overly confident reply, and suddenly an unnamed rage arose in my heart, and I couldn't help raising my voice, "because you think our troops are within two or three hours You can invade the city, so the troops are not allowed to build fortifications in accordance with the regulations? If this is the case, what else is necessary to put your division here to defend the flanks of the friendly forces?"

"But, comrade commander..." Gurtiyev wanted to explain something, but I was interrupted unceremoniously. I sternly said: "General Gurtiyev, tomorrow on the Great Plains ahead, our army will launch an offensive against the Germans. Not to mention that the battle will take two or three hours, or even longer, even the entire battle. Just play for two or three minutes, and you have to fix the fortifications for me in accordance with the regulations. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Gurtiyev saw me angry. Knowing that it would be impossible to build the bunker of the headquarters in violation of the regulations, he quickly promised: "I will arrange for manual construction of the semi-underground shelter immediately. I will try to complete the construction before dark."

Seeing that Gurtiyev took the initiative to be soft, I stopped being aggressive, but slowed down and said: "Comrade General, where is the line of defense you built, take me to see. I hope that the field fortifications of your division are all Built in accordance with the regulations."

Gurtiyev left his political commissars and staff to take charge of the construction of the new division headquarters, and he took me to the front to check the construction of the position.

Although Gurtiyev’s division headquarters tried to save trouble, it just pitched a few tents on an open area, but the positions built by the division’s two regiments at the forefront were quite satisfactory. A regiment’s position was built on the mountain. In addition to the trenches and trenches, there were also many shelters and civil fires. The regiment headquarters built according to the regulations were located on the reverse **** of the hill. Even if the frontal position was hit by heavy German shelling, It can ensure the normal operation of the command system here.

The position of the other regiment was further north. They dug several long trenches on the wide plains and connected them with traffic trenches. And when I was standing on a high place, I could see that the commanders on the ground were not idle, they were still digging out shelters and building firepower points.

I saw this scene, nodded with satisfaction, and said to Gurtyev sideways: "Comrade General, the two regiments that your division is at the forefront, the fortifications you build are very good. Even if the German army launches into our defense zone Attack, I believe our commanders can also stop them."

Gurtiyev nodded, and then said to me: "Comrade Commander, the friendly defensive position is not far from us, less than five kilometers apart. Would you like to see it?"

"Where?" Hearing that the friendly defense zone can be seen on this hill, I couldn't help but arouse my curiosity, so I urged Gurtyev to say: "Comrade General, take me to see. "

Gurdiyev led the way, leading us along the long trench towards the front. After walking for a while, he pointed to a simple bunker on the hill and said to me: "Comrade Commander, that is our observation post, where you can see the position of the friendly forces."

When we walked into the observation post, the two soldiers inside who were observing the battlefield turned their heads and saw that a group of commanders came in and stood up straight and saluted us. Gurtiyev shook his head, and the two immediately walked into the observation post with comprehension.

I came to the retractable gun mirror in front of the observation port, leaned down and looked out of the camera. Soon I saw a lot of trucks parked on the wide plain. Thousands of commanders and fighters were digging a few long trenches, seemingly intending to use this as their offensive starting position.

I watched for a while, then straightened up and asked Gurdiyev: "Comrade General, which friendly army is building the fortification?"

Regarding my question, Gurtiyev shook his head and replied a little embarrassingly: "Comrade Commander, I haven't had time to send someone to contact them, so I can't figure out the number of the opponent. But one thing is okay. To be clear, they are definitely one of the main forces of the 6th Army."

When I heard him say this, I couldn't help but chuckle, and said to my heart that what you were talking about was nonsense? Now that we have received an order from the group army headquarters, let us cover the flanks of the friendly forces. Then the troops in the front must belong to the 6th Army. The idea of ​​sending someone to contact. I also just flashed it in my mind. Just forget about it. Because I think from the current situation, our army will not stay in the 6th Army for too long, so there is no need to deal with these friendly troops, lest the division-level commanders think that I want to fight for the command of the troops. .

When I left the 308th Division, the semi-underground shelter used to build the division headquarters was basically completed. I pointed to the shelter department and said earnestly to Gurtiyev: "Comrade General, no matter how long tomorrow’s battle is going on, you must first ensure the safety of your headquarters so that you won’t be paralyzed by the command system. The troops are in chaos."

"I see, comrade commander." Gurtiyev apparently realized that he had made mistakes that he shouldn't have made because of being lazy for a while, and he quickly assured me: "No matter what the scale of the battle in the future, I They will build fortifications in accordance with the regulations to ensure the safety of the division headquarters."

I nodded, waved at him, and Captain Yushchenko boarded the jeep waiting nearby, and returned to the military headquarters at the airport with a truck full of guard company soldiers.

When I walked into the command post of the special plane, Kirilov greeted me. Asked with concern: "Comrade Oshanina, what's the situation with General Gurtiyev?"

"Not bad. Comrade political comrade." Although I had just been angry with Gurtiyev because of the non-compliance of the division command, I still said in an understatement in front of Kirilov: "No. 308 The two regiments at the forefront of the division have built good fortifications and should be able to withstand the German impact."

"Do they need to send reinforcements to them?" The chief of staff Vitkov, who had just arrived last night, asked this. "They don't seem to have any heavy weapons. They don't have the ability to take the initiative to attack the Germans except for pure defense. The ability to attack."

After thinking about what Vitkov said, I nodded in agreement, and at the same time told Vitkov: "Comrade Colonel, please invite Colonel Bere here. I want to ask how the tank brigade is doing. "

"Okay, I'm going to call him now." After Vitkov finished speaking, he walked to the telephone.

After a few minutes, Colonel Berlay appeared at the headquarters. After he raised his hand to salute us, he respectfully asked: "Comrade Commander, would you please come to me, do you have any instructions?"

"Comrade Colonel, please sit down first!" I asked him to sit down and asked straightforwardly: "How many tanks does your tank brigade currently have?"

Hearing my question, Bie Lei immediately stood up and replied loudly: "Report to Comrade Commander that after this period of fighting, there are 47 tanks left in the brigade. Ten of them failed. They cannot be moved, we can only use them as fixed forts on the north side of the airport."

"Comrade Colonel, just leave the ten faulty tanks and continue to serve as a fixed fort." I don't know what scale of battle will take place on the open plain tomorrow, just in case, I still decided The tank brigade of Colonel Bere was transferred to the reserve team, and even if there were any accidents, he could deal with it calmly.

The attack on the German army started at nine o'clock in the morning. Due to the recent supply difficulties of the Southwest Front, the artillery preparation before the attack was cancelled. Nearly a hundred tanks of the 25th Tank Army formed a five-way column and drove vigorously from behind the friendly defensive positions.

Standing in the observation post with Gurtiyev, when we saw our armored forces advancing toward the southwest like a rainbow, we couldn't help but feel our blood boiled over. Gurtiyev said excitedly: "Comrade commander, look at our armored units. With their aura, they cannot be resisted by our embarrassed Germans."

After saying this, he leaned down unconsciously, brought his eyes closer to the lens of the cannon lens, and said triumphantly: "Our armored forces have started an assault. Let me see how the Germans reacted... …" He stopped abruptly when he was halfway through.

Seeing the twitching expression on his face, I couldn't help asking strangely: "Comrade General, what's wrong with you, what do you see in the camera?"

Seeing his delay in answering, I couldn't help being fussy again, so I pushed him away, put my eyes closer to the camera, and looked inside. At this sight, I was shocked in a cold sweat. I saw high dust from the southwest. German tanks also rushed towards our army's position in a five-way column. Although there were not as many tanks as our army, But there are at least seventy or eighty. Behind the phalanx of tanks is a team composed of motorcycles and armored vehicles, and behind it are the overwhelming infantry.

Our position is exactly in the middle of the two units. Seeing the two armored units getting closer and closer, my heart touches my throat. I asked myself inwardly: Although the number of German tanks is smaller than ours, if it is exhausted, how many tanks will be left when our troops rush to the city of Zaporos?

Thinking of this, I immediately walked to the middle of the room, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed the brigade headquarters of Colonel Bele. As soon as I heard his voice, I immediately said: "Comrade Colonel, I order you to take your tank brigade to the defense zone of the 308th Division immediately. You are needed here."

"Yes!" Colonel Bie Lei replied loudly on the phone: "Please don't worry, the commander~www.wuxiaspot.com~ I will lead the troops to rush over."

When I put down the phone and returned to the observation port, I found that the enemy's tanks were less than two kilometers apart. I didn't care about grabbing the observation gun with Gurdiev, but directly raised the telescope to check the situation on the battlefield.

The five tanks of our army rushing to the front of the tank slowed down, then the car body for a while, the artillery shells roared out and flew directly towards the German tank formation. I quickly turned the binoculars and looked at the German tank array. Except for one shell that missed and fell on the ground and exploded, the remaining four shells all hit the German tank accurately.

Seeing the smoke rising from the body of the German tank, I applauded secretly in my heart, and at the same time I heard Gurtyev shouting loudly: "Great, our tank driver is great, five shots and four hits. Let these **** Germans go to hell."

But we seemed to be too happy. When the gunpowder dissipated, the four German tanks that had been shot still drove forward unabated. Just as I was shocked, the German tanks paused for a while, and then their bodies also shook. The tank shells fired out roared towards our tank phalanx. (To be continued...)

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