Steel Soviet Union

Lavrinenko, who was busy directing the battle and somewhat incoherent, said at least one thing right.

In order to capture Stalingrad No. 1 Railway Station within today, the German offensive force invested in the direction of the railway station was two full infantry divisions and half an armored division.

Of course, it is impossible for such a large number of troops to be all used on the tactical point of the train station. Other surrounding neighborhoods surrounding the train station as the center point are also targets of the German army. The German army had already formulated an action plan to clear as many surrounding streets as possible to ensure a certain buffer zone on the flanks so that they would not be cut off by the counterattacking Soviet army.

The first to be breached was the southern defense area of ​​the train station that Lavrinenko was responsible for guarding.

After assembling more than ten tanks and more than 500 infantrymen, the German army concentrated its forces and launched a targeted attack on the weak points of the Soviet defense that had been explored. At the same time, it maintained its offensive on the front of the defense zone south of the train station and continued to exert pressure.

Lavrinenko, whose weak point was firmly pinned by the German army with an absolute numerical advantage, was unable to mobilize excess troops and had no choice but to choose the station wall as a breakthrough point. However, the German army chose the right place and succeeded in one fell swoop.

The German tanks, which encountered little resistance, easily ran over the infantry trenches, opened full throttle and knocked down the station wall. The German infantry, which had cleared the trenches outside the wall with an absolute numerical advantage, quickly swarmed in through the breach at the breakthrough point.

Lavrinenko, who didn't want to admit the terrible facts before him, was faced with a powerful offensive from both sides of the German army. The German troops pouring in from the breach and the German troops still rushing straight from the direction of the frontal attack formed a powerful force. of pliers.

Now, the defense force commanded by Lavrinenko is like a snail caught in the center of a tong. As long as the German army continues to invest more powerful follow-up offensive forces with a little force, this already endangered snail can be instantly Clamped to pieces.

Lavrinenko, who clearly realized how critical the situation he was currently facing, and realized that if he continued like this, he would be at risk of being surrounded and annihilated by the German army, after informing Malashenko of his consent, Lavrinenko immediately ordered the troops to break away from contact with the German army. The defense zone inside the train station was quickly evacuated.

Seeing that the Soviet troops in front of them withdrew, the German troops, who had paid a lot of casualties in the several successive charges just now, were naturally not willing to let go of the duck in their mouth, and immediately pursued the enemy in pursuit, hoping to catch up with the retreating troops. Lavrinenko and his party ate it in one go.

Lavrinenko, who was facing the enemy in a reversing position and kept firing to try to hold off the German pursuers, was finding the situation difficult. Several 61-K 37mm light anti-aircraft guns deployed on the roof of the train station waiting hall began to fire at this moment. Show great power.

These light anti-aircraft guns were arranged with the possible need for ground fire support attacks, so they were placed very close to the edge of the roof in exchange for a broad downward view and maximum depression angle.

The three 61-K 37mm anti-aircraft guns equipped with armor-piercing tracer bullets unleashed continuous ferocious firepower on the German troops who were chasing Lavrinenko with a maximum rate of fire of 160 rounds per minute.

The short firing distance of three hundred meters allows the ferocious firepower of these three light anti-aircraft guns to be fully displayed.

The Germans, who were caught off guard and faced a blow, immediately stopped their pursuit. The 37mm armor-piercing tracer bullets fired directly at targets regardless of size shattered the bodies of the German soldiers. The bloody pieces of flesh were mixed with the undead on the spot. The pitiful wails echoed among the roars of fire.

The 37mm armor-piercing tracer bullets fired from top to bottom not only made the German infantry cry and scream, but also several German tanks rushing in front with fragile roofs were extremely unlucky to be shot through by these small-caliber anti-aircraft guns. The dome armor.

The solid armor-piercing warhead, which penetrated the armor and entered the tank, immediately deformed severely and produced a terrible ricochet effect. The warheads scattered and ricocheted around, claiming the lives of the German crew who had not yet realized what was going on.

The German tanks whose gunners or loaders had fallen down quickly reversed under the command of the commander. Those German tanks whose crew members were still intact immediately angled their solid frontal armor in the direction of the anti-aircraft guns. , and directly start direct fire when it is possible that high-level anti-aircraft guns with low-level anti-aircraft guns will penetrate the armor's weak points at any time.

"High-explosive bombs! Aim at Ivan's anti-aircraft gun and blast it to pieces!"

"Load it!"

"Fire!"

boom--

Compared with the German tanks that had at least some armor protection, the Soviet anti-aircraft artillery crews that directly exposed their unprotected gun emplacements to direct German firepower in order to cover the retreat of Lavrinenko and his party were obviously more vulnerable. brave.

The 75mm high-explosive projectile flying at high speed accurately hit the barrel of the 37mm anti-aircraft gun. The 680g TNT charge contained in the warhead of the projectile quickly expanded and exploded into a blazing fireball, enveloping the entire anti-aircraft gun. All the Soviet soldiers operating the anti-aircraft guns were wrapped up.

A violent explosion also detonated the shell box placed at the foot of the anti-aircraft gun emplacement. The chain reaction of the huge explosion, which was almost connected in one piece, not only completely destroyed the three anti-aircraft guns, but also destroyed the edges and corners of the roof of the waiting hall. A big chunk flew off.

The rubble was thrown into the air and then crackled down straight down, as if it rained instantly. Wrapped in the rain were fragments of human remains and twisted and deformed hot anti-aircraft gun parts.

The sound of explosions coming from the direction of the waiting hall behind him attracted his attention. Malashenko, who had just backed the tank to a safer place and was about to retreat, immediately looked back in the direction of the sound.

Nearly half of the roof of the waiting hall, which was basically blown down in one go, was still sending out smoke. The falling debris was even sprinkled on the engine hood of Malashenko's car. Less is everywhere.

Lavrinenko, who had retreated to the position next to the waiting hall and was reversing, saw Malashenko, who also had his upper body sticking out of the turret, less than 200 meters away.

Directly in front of Malashenko not far away, the frantic German infantrymen jumped into the infantry trenches, roaring and screaming, and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Red Army soldiers who had not yet had time to evacuate. The trench where Porsha was fighting the MP40 was filled with fierce bursts of fire, and it was no longer clear where the specific gunshots came from.

Seeing that the frontal defense line that Malashenko was responsible for had also been penetrated by the Germans, Lavrinenko, who knew that the situation had reached the most critical moment, grabbed the microphone he had placed at hand and shouted to the possible listeners. Malashenko, whose own voice could not be heard, spoke loudly.