The decisive battle against the Third Reich

"Fire!" Colonel Olbridge shouted.

German soldiers holding rocket launchers suddenly appeared from the snow to the south of the anti-tank trench. As soon as they pulled the trigger, the rockets flew into the anti-tank trench, regardless of whether they were stacked in the anti-tank trench. The Soviet tank was smashed but not broken. Anyway, let’s fight for a round first.

Just hearing a burst of "boom", smoke and fire appeared in the anti-tank trench, followed by the screams and wailing of Soviet soldiers.

Another group of German soldiers appeared in front. They picked up hand grenades and anti-tank grenades and threw them into the anti-tank ditch. After the explosion, even the screams and howls disappeared.

What's even more powerful is... because the subsequent Soviet tanks were on the other side of the high ground, they couldn't see what was happening here at all. One batch after another continued to rush towards the anti-tank trench at full speed.

Perhaps it was because the fire and smoke coming out of the anti-tank trench attracted the attention of the tank crew. The tank driver walking in the front row found a situation ahead and braked urgently.

But this can't save them from their bad luck...

This is partly because there is a lot of snow on the slope, and it is very difficult to stop due to the weight of the tank and the smoothness of the slope.

Therefore, even if the tank uses emergency braking, it still cannot stop the momentum of each vehicle falling into the anti-tank trench.

Even if there were a few tanks that reacted quickly and braked early, the tanks from behind soon hit them one by one.

In an instant, the Soviet tanks were in a mess. Some were sliding on the slope while braking, some were turning to escape from this "death place", some were colliding and tumbling down the slope, some were falling into the anti-tank ditch...

The German army took advantage of this moment to greet the Soviet tanks with all their weapons, including the ME63.

At this time, the German tanks also stopped retreating. One by one, they moved forward to a position with a good view, adjusted their turrets, and fired shells at the chaotic Soviet tanks.

In the end, the anti-tank trenches were almost filled with Soviet tanks, so much so that some Soviet tanks were able to successfully cross the anti-tank trenches while rolling over the "corpses" of friendly tanks.

But even so, it would be difficult for them to survive on the other side of the anti-tank ditch... Countless tank guns, rocket launchers and anti-tank grenades were waiting for it here, and before it had time to fire a shell, it was hit and turned into ashes. A pile of flames.

Finally, after this chaotic situation lasted for twenty minutes, it finally stopped. The reason was that a tank driven by a Soviet captain was lucky enough to get stuck in a wooden pile.

This section of wooden pile was thick and long, as thick as a bucket and more than one meter high. Its main trunk fell on the other side more than ten meters away. It was probably broken by an aerial bomb dropped by a bomber.

On the one hand, this wooden stake prevented the tank from rushing downwards, and on the other hand, it served as a good cover for the tank... Several shells fired at it were blocked by the wooden stake.

Or it can also be said that the tank gun of the "Plank IV" tank was originally able to penetrate the T34's front armor from the front, but the wooden stakes actually thickened the tank's armor, causing the armor-piercing projectiles that were supposed to penetrate to get stuck in the armor. superior.

This was confirmed after the war, when German soldiers found two armor-piercing bullets stuck on the front armor of the abandoned T34.

If it were other tanks, it might not have much impact.

But this tank was the captain of the third tank battalion of the 25th Tank Brigade of the Soviet Army. Tanks above the company level have two-way communication equipment, so the captain and battalion commander immediately reported the situation to the headquarters: "There are enemy anti-tanks ahead. Trenches, there are enemy anti-tank trenches ahead, stop attacking!”

Lieutenant General Kirichenko, who was in charge of commanding the frontal attack, immediately understood what was going on and immediately ordered the troops to stop the attack through the walkie-talkie... Although the communication equipment of the Soviet tanks was very backward, at least the order from above could still be conveyed. , so the Soviet tank attack slowly stopped, and several tanks that happened to cross the ridge of the highland wanted to retreat anxiously.

They did retreat, but they were blasted back by German artillery fire... One after another, they turned into burning fireballs and slowly slid down the other side.

"What's going on?" Rotmistrov asked Lieutenant General Kirichenko.

"Comrade Rotmistrov, there is a German anti-tank trench behind the high ground!" Lieutenant General Kirichenko replied angrily: "We failed!"

"What does failure mean?" Rotmistrov shouted angrily into the microphone: "It's just an anti-tank trench. We have engineers. I order you to cover the engineers and fill up the anti-tank trench and continue the attack!"

"Comrade Rotmistrov!" Lieutenant General Kirichenko replied: "Our main tank force has almost been lost!"

"What did you say?" Rotmistrov couldn't believe what he heard.

"Yes!" Lieutenant General Kirichenko replied: "Because we did not pay attention to the anti-tank trench, we lost at least more than two hundred tanks there. The only reserves we can use now!"

"Then send the reserve team up!"

"Comrade Rotmistrov!" Lieutenant General Kirichenko objected: "The Germans have not suffered much loss in combat effectiveness. In other words, they may still have a hundred tanks with advanced performance..."

"And we still have two hundred more!"

"Yes, we do have two hundred!" Lieutenant General Kirichenko replied: "But most of these tanks are 'Matilda', 'M3', and T60 light tanks. They are not German tanks at all. opponent!"

This was Rotmistrov's mistake, because the troops serving as reserves should have been elite troops, because only elite troops can be ready to commit and play a role in emergencies on the battlefield.

However, because Rotmistrov underestimated the enemy and was eager to win, he used a mixed unit of American, British, and Soviet tanks, mostly light tanks, as a reserve force. As a result, there were no available troops.

Just imagine, if it were these mixed light tanks that fell into the anti-tank trench at this time instead of the T34, then the Soviet army would still be able to fight and even hope to win, but now...

"Comrade Rotmistrov!" Lieutenant General Kirichenko said: "I think we should defend rather than attack, because now is the time for the Germans to attack!"

Lieutenant General Kirichenko was right, the German army was preparing for an attack at this time.

The trouble for the Germans was... the anti-tank trenches and even the slope across the anti-tank trenches were filled with the remains of Soviet tanks. They had to clear a path from these wrecks before they could launch a counterattack.