Red Moscow

When the chief of staff of the brigade issued the order to blow up the tanks and move immediately, several tank soldiers reacted violently. They used their bodies to block the comrades who were about to blow up the tanks, and shouted at them: "If you want to blow up the tanks, step on them!" Let's go with our dead bodies."

Seeing the comrades who have been with each other day and night, standing up in front of the tank, the soldiers on the mission couldn't help hesitating. They all turned to look at the chief of staff behind them, hoping to get some hints from him.

The chief of staff had just asked Luhlie for instructions on whether it was possible to take coercive measures for those tank soldiers who were firmly opposed to blowing up the tanks, and take them away from the tanks directly, so as not to affect the overall situation. But his proposal was rejected by Ruhlie, who told him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, our soldiers have feelings for their own tanks, and it is psychologically difficult to accept the fact that the tanks were blown up. Therefore, You can't use drastic measures against them, but try hard to persuade them."

It was precisely because of accepting Ruhlie's order that the chief of staff did not use the simple and rude method of ordering the soldiers to pull away the tank soldiers standing in front of the tank. In front of the tank soldiers, he said to them earnestly: "Comrades, I understand your mood very well. To be honest, I don't want to blow up these tanks, and I also want to drive them to destroy more enemies.

But no, comrades. Now the fuel and ammunition of these tanks are all used up, and we will not get any replenishment in a short period of time. These tanks are useless if they remain in our hands. Instead of staying here and being captured by the Germans, we would take the initiative to blow them all up. "

Everyone understands what the chief of staff said, but everyone just can't get past this hurdle in their hearts. A tank soldier with a bandage on his head murmured: "Comrade Chief of Staff, blow up all the tanks, can we still be called tank soldiers?"

"Don't worry, comrade." The chief of staff looked at the wounded and said, "I assure you, as long as we jump out of the encirclement of the Germans, the superiors will be able to replenish us with new tanks soon. As long as people are alive, I am afraid there will be no new tanks." Technical equipment?"

The chief of staff's persuasion made those tank soldiers who stopped the tank bombing shaken. Seeing that the time was right, he struck while the iron was hot and said, "Comrades, we are running out of time. If we don't blow up these tanks as soon as possible, it will be too late for the enemy to charge up."

Hearing what the chief of staff said, the tank soldiers were no longer stubborn, and walked away from the tanks one after another. At this time, the chief of staff ordered the soldiers carrying gasoline: "Do it."

A few minutes later, the tanks that had fought the Germans not long ago were all engulfed in flames. Looking at the burning tank, the tank soldiers were all heartbroken. They knew very well in their hearts that if the logistical supplies were not cut off by the German army, they were fully capable of fighting the enemy.

Don't look at the chief of staff who just calmed down in front of the soldiers and promised them that as long as he jumped out of the enemy's encirclement, he would soon be supplemented by his superiors, but in fact he also had no idea in his heart. During the march, he asked Colonel Rukhle in a low voice: "Comrade Brigadier, you said that after we jumped out of the encirclement, the superiors would replenish our equipment, or would we be converted directly into infantry?"

There is a reason why he asked this question. During the Battle of Stalingrad, a large number of tank soldiers in the tank army and tank brigade were directly converted into infantry after losing all the tanks.

Although Colonel Ruhlie didn't know how his superiors would arrange this unit in the future, in order not to affect the morale of the army, he still said seriously: "Comrade Chief of Staff, what's wrong with you? Don't you know that to train an excellent tank soldier, you need How long does it take? Using tank soldiers as infantry is a waste.”

In order to prevent the other party from saying anything to shake the morale of the army, he went on to say: "Okay, Comrade Chief of Staff, how to arrange us is a matter for the superiors to consider, so don't worry about it. Order the troops to speed up the march and try to reach the designated position as soon as possible." assembly point."

The sudden fire and thick smoke in the forest were seen by the German troops in the distance, and they immediately reported to the head of the armored regiment.

The head of the regiment who received the report immediately came to the forward observation post, raised his binoculars and looked at the fire point in the forest for a long time, then put down the binoculars and asked his adjutant: "Captain, tell me, why did the Russian defense area suddenly catch fire? "

The adjutant pondered for a moment, then tentatively replied: "Mr. Colonel, not long ago, we exchanged fire with Russian tanks in that area. I think the tanks we destroyed should be burning."

"I don't think so." The head of the armored regiment shook his head and said, "If it was a tank destroyed by our army, the fire should be gradually getting smaller, not getting bigger."

"Perhaps the burning tank ignited nearby trees, which allowed the fire to grow."

"That's even more impossible. You must know that the Russian tanks are all parked in the birch forest. Birch trees are the least flammable trees. Not to mention winter, even in summer, it is not easy to catch fire."

"Mr. Colonel," a company commander standing beside him said cautiously, "Could it be that the Russians themselves set fire to their own tanks?"

"Why did they burn their own tanks?" The adjutant asked in dissatisfaction, "Could they have lost their minds?"

"Our tanks are short of fuel and ammunition." Seeing the adjutant retorting himself, the company commander still bite the bullet and said: "The Russians also lack ammunition and fuel. Unable to move, the Russians decisively set fire to these tanks in order to prevent them from falling into our hands."

"Captain," the armored regiment leader felt that the company commander's words made sense when he heard this, so he nodded and said approvingly: "Your analysis is very reasonable. The fire in the forest should be the Russians burning down their incapable Take away the tank."

"Mr. Colonel," the company commander was overwhelmed with surprise when he heard the head of the regiment praise him, and quickly asked, "What is the mission we are connected to?"

"Captain, take your troops with you immediately and go over to check." The regiment leader told him, "Remember to bring a radio so that you can report the situation there to me at any time."

The German company commander immediately set off with his company to check the place where the flames were burning. An hour later, he reported to the head of the regiment through the on-board radio of the armored vehicle: "Mr. Colonel, it is true that the Russians set fire to their tanks. I have sent people to search carefully in the forest, and there is no trace of the Russians. They should Already moved."