The decisive battle against the Third Reich

Lights are needed for fighter planes to take off. The lack of lights at the airport means that the airport knows nothing about the enemy situation, or they knew that the Germans were landing on the Taman Peninsula but did not expect that the Germans would arrive at the Soglione Airport so quickly.

This is indeed the case.

This is not only because of the misjudgment of Major General Kotov mentioned before, but also because the Soviet air power is being reorganized at this time... Before this, the Soviet Air Force should be called "aviation force."

To put it simply, there is no independent air force but only aviation arms, such as headquarters aviation, front army aviation, group army aviation... These aviation units are subordinate to the Soviet army and are commanded by various front armies and even group armies.

This will obviously have many problems. For example, infantry commanders usually have no experience in air combat and do not know how to command air combat correctly. Mehlis made such a mistake in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula.

Another example is that the air force is scattered among the infantry and cannot be mobilized flexibly according to battlefield needs, nor can it share information... When this group army is attacked, it cannot mobilize the aviation reinforcements of other group armies. Because it does not have this power, ridiculous things often happen in the early stages of the Soviet-German air war. Scene: When German fighter planes flew into the sky over the Soviet Union in large numbers, the Soviet aviation force had only a small number of air forces to fight on the one hand, but on the other hand, a large number of fighter planes were idle on the ground.

The reason is that they did not receive any orders to fight, and their commanders believed that it was the business of other armies and had nothing to do with them.

But the air does not need to advance through lines of defense like land combat. The German Air Force will soon turn its targets to those fighters parked at the airport but not taking off... In other words, at least half of the Soviet fighter planes It was wiped out on the ground before it even took off.

In order to eliminate these shortcomings, the Soviet Army began to reorganize the aviation force in May 1942 to establish an independent air force, which was the Air Force Group.

In the Caucasus is the 4th Air Force Army, commanded by Vershining. It concentrates the fighters originally scattered in the Southern Army Group into an Air Force Group for unified command.

Colonel Khrizov of the 11th Aviation Division stationed at Solione Airport was faced with such an embarrassing situation. He did not even know who his superiors were to ask for instructions or intelligence at this time.

Should fighter jets withdraw from Soglione Airport?

This may be the right choice, because the enemy's location is too close to the airport, only 35 kilometers... This is obviously very dangerous for fighter planes.

However, on the one hand, doing so will be regarded as "cowardly" by the superiors. On the other hand, if the front line needs fighter support after dawn, the opportunity to fight will be missed.

Won't the fighter planes withdraw from the airport?

Then the aviation division's more than two hundred fighters can only wait quietly at the airport for the verdict of fate.

Just when Colonel Khrizov was hesitating, gunfire suddenly came from outside the airport. Colonel Khrizov stood up from his chair like a spring and looked out the window, then turned to ask the staff officer: "What?" Situation? Why are there gunshots?”

"I don't know, Comrade Khrizov!" the staff officer replied: "Maybe our people had a conflict with the deserters!"

"Is it an enemy?" Khrizov asked again.

The staff officer looked at his watch and replied: "Probably not. It's only one hour and fifteen minutes before the Germans land on the Taman Peninsula. They can't be so fast..."

Before he finished speaking, a guard hurried in and reported: "Colonel, they are Germans, they have hit here!"

Khrizov's face suddenly turned pale. After being stunned for a moment, he loudly ordered: "Quickly, order all planes to take off!"

But it is too late to issue this order now...

It was the First Infantry Regiment that hit the airport.

The leading scouts did not launch an attack after arriving at their destination. All parts of the German army knew what to do at what time. The scouts were not scouts. The most important thing was reconnaissance, not combat.

So, without alerting the enemy, they did the necessary reconnaissance and sketched out the airfield defenses from a high altitude.

So Qinchuan learned immediately: the frontal defense was stronger, and there were five fortifications that were a headache. The defense at the side entrance is even weaker, with only two bunkers on the left and right.

"We should attack from the front!" Qin Chuan said.

"Why?" Colonel Slain asked.

"The side door seems easier to attack, but it is further away from the airport runway!" Qin Chuan replied: "And we have to pass through a construction area on the way. Once the Soviets entangle us in the construction area, enemy fighter planes may take advantage of this time. escape."

Colonel Slain nodded. Although it takes time for fighter planes to take off, every fighter plane that flies away will be a loss to the German army.

"On the contrary, as long as the main entrance can be broken through quickly, we can seize the runway as soon as possible!" Qin Chuan pointed to the sketch and said: "As long as our tanks can drive near the runway... none of their planes can escape!"

So Colonel Slain stopped thinking about it and immediately ordered: "Attack from the main entrance!"

Three 38T tanks "rumbled" up, followed by a large number of German soldiers.

The Soviet guards did not even realize that these were enemies. They were shouting and cursing loudly, and seemed very dissatisfied with the tanks shining their dazzling headlights on them.

The next second, the tank stopped, and then fired a shell at the bunker with a "bang", and at the same time, the machine gun fired rows of bullets at the Soviet soldiers... A stream of blood was on the front of the tank. The light shot out from the Soviet soldiers. Because the light was so strong, even the blood droplets flying into the air could be seen clearly.

Then the Germans launched a fierce attack towards the main entrance.

The tank continued to move forward, and the soldiers followed closely behind the tank and slowly moved forward. From time to time, they leaned out from behind the tank and shot a bunch of bullets in the direction of the Soviet army... Since the German army used MP43, even though they occasionally poked their heads out, To shoot, its firepower is much stronger than that of the Soviet army.

Several Soviet soldiers hurriedly hid in the bunker and set up machine guns to fire, but the bullets hitting the tank's armor could not pose any threat to the Germans except for making a crisp sound!

"Go up and blow it up!" A Soviet officer ordered: "Don't let the tanks get close, otherwise we will be finished!"

This officer is right, the bunker cannot be moved, but the tank can move. When the tank moves in front of the bunker... the enemy can rush up and stuff grenades and explosive packets into the bunker.

But this Soviet officer thought wrongly. The Germans did not need to rush to this distance to stuff grenades and explosive packets into the bunker.

Because the German army has rocket launchers.