USSR 1941

The German offensive quickly collapsed after paying a large number of casualties.

So much so that Lieutenant Colonel Edmund asked Major Erich on the phone: "Why stop the attack?"

Major Erich's answer was: "No, Lieutenant Colonel, we never stopped attacking! It's just that they all died on the way to attack!"

In just over half an hour, the two newly added infantry battalions of the German army were exhausted in the offensive battle.

This made Lieutenant Colonel Edmund realize that the battle could not continue like this, because if he continued to fight like this, the Mamayev Post would not be recaptured, and the German 6th Army would collapse due to a large number of casualties.

"I think!" Lieutenant Colonel Bauer suggested: "Our best way is to strengthen our defenses!"

Lieutenant Colonel Edmond nodded helplessly.

It is impossible to hit the reverse slope before dark, so the German army should be prepared to deal with the enemy's breakthrough from the two wings after dark.

Otherwise, it would not be the Soviet army but the German army that was completely driven out of Mamayev Gang.

On the other hand, seeing that the battle situation had stabilized, Pavelkov said excitedly: "Tonight, when we regain Mamayev Post, nothing can stop us!"

"No, Colonel!" Shulka replied, "I think we should keep it this way!"

"Why?" Pavelkov asked suspiciously: "We are fully capable of recovering the front slope, just like before, attacking under the cover of artillery fire on both wings!"

"Yes!" Shulka asked back: "And then?"

Hearing this, Colonel Pavelkov was stunned.

This question is worth pondering, and then what?

On the second day, even if the German army did not launch a counterattack, the Soviet army would have to withdraw from the positive slope, that is, they still had to abandon the positive slope after all.

"If the enemy's commander is a smart man!" said Shulka, "I think he will withdraw the main force from the front slope to the foot of the mountain at night. In this way, our army will consume a lot of shells and be killed by mines." Paying a certain amount of casualties to capture the positive slope, and then have to hand it over the next day! It doesn't mean anything to us!"

In fact, not only is it meaningless, it is also a burden for Stalingrad,

Because any military supplies in Stalingrad, which was semi-blocked by the German army, are valuable strategic materials, and artillery shells are of course no exception.

Colonel Pavelkov nodded, and replied: "That's right, Captain! All we need is to ensure that the Germans cannot block the river and port with a gate on Mamayev's Hill!"

This has always been the strategic goal of the Soviet army and the German army competing for Mamayev Gang.

If this strategic goal can be achieved, then what's the point of throwing the positive slope to the Germans?

Soviet commanders always forget why they fought this battle, and Colonel Pavelkov was no exception, but he finally understood.

As a result, the strategically important Mamayev Gang subsided in a series of tug-of-war.

The German army occupied the front slope, and the Soviet army occupied the reverse slope, and neither of them could do anything to the other.

On the surface, it seems to be a tie, but in terms of strategic goals, the German army has never been able to block the Volga River through Mamayev Gang, so there is no doubt that they lost the battle.

The 82nd Infantry Regiment stayed on the reverse slope until it was dark, and did not switch defenses with the 39th Guards Infantry Regiment until nine o'clock at night. (Note: Stalingrad gets dark around 7:30 in April)

The 82nd Infantry Regiment that was withdrawn from the defense was all like savages, including Major Shulka and Major Mikhailvich, all of them were covered in black and muddy, and even smelled of burnt and gunpowder smoke... …that was caused by shelling and burning waste tires.

Despite this, the soldiers were full of energy, although many of them had not been able to sleep well for several days.

Needless to say why this happened, they tasted the feeling of defeating the enemy for the first time, and they defeated the enemy in a series of fierce battles, and finally survived.

At the beginning, the soldiers didn't show much, perhaps because they haven't relaxed from the tense and alert state of the battlefield.

It wasn't until they walked down Mamayev Hill on the way to the "Red October" metallurgical plant that someone asked with an incredulous expression:

"What have we been doing these days?"

"Have we really defeated the enemy?"

...

They couldn't even believe that these were real, everything seemed like a dream.

Then there was a burst of cheering, and now even shells whizzed over their heads.

"Comrade commander!" Valery asked Mikhailvich excitedly: "Now, we will no longer be regarded as 'runaway troops'!"

"Of course, Comrade Valery!" Major Mikhailvich put his arm around Valery's shoulders and said, "We have proved our courage with practical actions and proved that everyone in the 82nd Regiment is a good person." Yes, you are all heroes!"

The surrounding soldiers laughed proudly.

"What do you most want to do now, Comrade Valery?" asked Andrianka.

"I..." Valery thought for a while, and then replied, "I want to write a letter to my mother the most, telling her the good news. She will definitely be proud of me!"

Everyone was silent, which aroused their heart disease... They actually wanted to do this.

Of course, in addition to making the family proud, another meaning is to reassure them that they will no longer be regarded as "quasi-traitors." The family members are always worried about the danger of being ignored, interrogated, or even sent to Siberia.

"Do you know what I want most?" After being silent for a while, Andrianka cast her eyes on Shulka, and then said solemnly: "Thank you, Comrade Shulka! If it weren't for you, I believe there would be no such thing as now." The 82nd Regiment!"

The surrounding soldiers nodded one after another, and cast grateful and admiring glances at Shulka.

At this moment, Shulka knew that he had completely conquered another army.

And this "conquer" refers to the morale of the army, that is, at critical moments, they will even stand on their side without principle.

Judging from past experience, this does not seem to be a good thing, so Shulka is also very helpless, he does not want this result.

The 82nd regiment was arranged to rest in an underground warehouse of the "Red October" metallurgical plant.

It's safe enough here, and there's a double shot of vodka and black bread.

Although the soldiers were hungry, almost without exception, they held up the kettle with vodka and drank for a while... For the Soviets, there was no such thing as drinking on an empty stomach and hurting their stomachs, especially when they felt When they are tired, they will want to use alcohol to make them feel less tired than to rest.

Shulka didn't have such a habit. He tore a piece of black bread that was as hard as a rock, devoured it, and then threw it on the ground without caring about anything else.