Red Moscow

  Chapter 1499 The Underground Passage of the German Army

  After the troops launched an offensive, Sokov couldn't sit still anymore. After explaining a few things about the headquarters to Sameko, he took Samoilov and his guards to the 182nd Division.

  Seeing Sokov suddenly appearing in his division headquarters, Khokhlov was taken aback. He asked in a panic, "Comrade Commander, why did you come to me?"

"Let me come over to see how you fight?" Sokov came to the table, looked down at the map on the table, and saw that it was full of dense arrows, and asked casually: "The progress of the troops how?"

"The 546th Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Golyachkin has rushed into the fortress through the gap opened by the artillery fire." Khokhlov replied: "Although they encountered some resistance, their advancing speed is still very ideal. He pointed to a bastion on the map, "They are attacking this bastion, I believe good news will come soon."

   After hearing this, Sokov nodded noncommittally. For him, it was a victory for the troops to rush into the fortress along the blasted gap. As long as the troops entered the fortress area, with the existing equipment, they could suppress the German army in terms of firepower, thereby speeding up the capture of the fortress.

   "Has the divisional artillery regiment entered the fortress?" Sokov asked.

"Not yet." Hearing Sokov's question, Khokhlov replied with some embarrassment: "Although the artillery fire blasted a gap in the city wall, there was a lot of bricks and rubble piled up in the gap, and it was impossible to move the artillery. go in."

"This is impossible, Comrade Colonel." Sokov shook his head and said, "You must know that after entering the fortress, what you are facing is the solid fortification of the German army. Although our rockets can destroy the enemy at a long distance The firepower point of the German army, but after all, it has to be within a range of 100 meters for this kind of attack to be effective. As for the artillery, it can easily destroy the firepower point of the German army from four to five hundred meters away. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood." For Sokov's statement, Khokhlov agreed very much. Regardless of the fact that the bazooka can not only hit German tanks, but also deal with open and dark bunkers, but the disadvantage is that the range is too short. More than one hundred meters. If encountering a cross-fire network composed of enemy machine guns, the shooter cannot enter the effective range at all. The situation with artillery is different. Let alone one or two hundred meters, even one or two thousand meters, as long as the target can be seen, there is a chance to hit the target directly.

   Khokhlov said repeatedly: "I will arrange manpower and find a way to move the artillery to the city."

"Comrade Colonel," Sokov knew how difficult it was to move the artillery into the city from the gap full of bricks and rubble, so he didn't simply give an order, but took the initiative to advise the other party : "That kind of 76.2mm cannon can be completely disassembled, and let the soldiers carry it back into the fortress to reassemble it."

"Disassemble the artillery and carry it back into the fortress, and then continue to assemble it again?" Khokhlov did not blindly believe Sokov's statement, but said cautiously: "Comrade commander, please allow me to give the artillery The head of the regiment made a phone call and asked if the cannon could be disassembled and carried in."

  If the commander was changed, Khokhlov would have been furious long ago when he heard that Khokhlov dared to question his order so much. But Sokov waved his hand and said tolerantly, "Let's fight. By the way, what caliber of artillery can the artillerymen dismantle and carry into the city?"

  Khokhlov quickly called the artillery regiment, and he asked bluntly: "Comrade major, when can your artillery regiment enter the fortress?"

"Comrade Commander," replied the artillery regiment commander, "Although the artillery preparations before the attack knocked down the walls of the fortress in seven or eight places, the gaps are full of bricks and rubble. Enter the fort."

   "No, Comrade Major, you must enter the fortress as soon as possible." Khokhlov said with a firm attitude: "The infantry attacking the fortress needs you to help them destroy those strong firepower points with artillery fire."

"But…"

"Comrade Major, let me tell you that the gap in the road cannot be cleared in a short period of time." Before the artillery commander finished speaking, Khokhlov interrupted him: "What you can do is to clear the road." The artillery was dismantled and carried back into the city to be assembled."

  After Khokhlov finished speaking, the other end of the phone fell silent.

Just when Khokhlov thought that the telephone line was blown up by artillery fire, he suddenly heard cheers from the receiver: "Great, Comrade Commander, your idea is really great, why didn't I think of it?" Woolen cloth."

   "What's my attention?" Khokhlov was stunned by the artillery commander.

"Didn't you say that the artillery can be disassembled and carried into the city, and then reassembled?" The artillery chief said excitedly on the phone: "This is completely feasible, so that our artillery will not be blocked due to road congestion. into the city."

"Then act immediately," Khokhlov urged: "Time is running out, and the troops in the city need your artillery support. If you enter the city a minute earlier, our infantry will pay less and we will liberate the fortress." The time can be greatly advanced.”

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." The Artillery Commander replied loudly: "I will immediately arrange manpower and start dismantling the artillery."

Khokhlov put down the microphone in his hand, looked at Sokov who was sitting in front of him, and said with admiration: "Comrade commander, you are so right. The artillery chief told me that he can arrange for manpower to dismantle the After the artillery, it was reassembled in the fortress to destroy the strong firepower of the Germans."

   Dismantling the artillery and assembling it after entering the fortress is easy to say, but not easy to do. The Artillery Regiment of the 182nd Division took more than an hour and a half from dismantling the artillery to reassembling the artillery after entering the fortress and firing the first shot at the enemy's firepower point.

  Although Sokov was dissatisfied with the speed of the artillery regiment, under the current circumstances, it was not good to be too demanding on the other side. According to his thoughts, as long as the artillery regiment can help the infantry successfully pull out the firepower points in the bastion, it will be considered a great achievement.

  The ensuing battle fully demonstrated that there is some truth in sharpening the knife and cutting firewood by mistake. As the artillery regiment entered the fortress, the attack speed of the 182nd Division greatly accelerated. Once you encounter a German firepower point firing wildly, you only need to call the artillery regiment. After a few minutes, that firepower point will be directly aimed by the artillery. destroy.

  Seeing that the 182nd Division's attack here went smoothly, Sokov felt very happy in his heart. He picked up the phone on the table and got in touch with Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, how is the progress of the rest of the troops?"

   "It's going very well," Sameko replied: "The 84th Division had already captured one of the bastions, but was quickly wiped out by a German countercharge."

   "What, the troops of the 84th Division were driven out of the bastion by the enemy?"

   "Yes." Sameko explained to Sokov: "According to General Fomenko's report, the Germans have invested in the reserve team and have an advantage in terms of strength and firepower."

   "The Germans have joined the reserve team?" Sokov asked a little puzzled after hearing Sameko's words: "How did they transport the reserve team into the bastion?"

  Responding to Sokov’s question, Sameko replied confidently: “Comrade Commander, I think the Germans may all be your apprentices, and they poured out all your tunnel tactics.”

   "My tunnel tactics?" Sokov frowned: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you mean, there is an underground passage between the enemy's bastions?"

"That's right, it must be like this." Sameko said: "The outside of the bastion is all our troops, and no one has found the German reinforcements. Since they didn't fall from the sky, they can only come from Came out of the ground."

  Sokov learned that the German army had adopted new tactics for defense, so he couldn't help worrying a lot. If the enemy really mobilizes troops through the underground passage, then attacking a certain bastion may lead to a war of attrition. Facing the continuous stream of enemies, the attacking troops will inevitably pay a heavier price.

  Thinking of this, Sokov couldn't sit still any longer. He said to Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I will rush to the division headquarters of the 84th Division now to discuss with General Fomenko how to deal with the enemy."

Hearing that Sokov was going to the 84th Division, Khokhlov was worried about his safety and planned to send someone to **** him, but Sokov refused: "No need, Comrade Colonel. I have a guard platoon by my side. If more Sending men with me, I'm afraid it will attract the attention of the Germans, and they will only need a few shells to finish me."

  The headquarters of the 84th Division is not far from here. Sokov took Samoilov and the guard platoon and walked for more than ten minutes to the entrance of Fomenko's command department.

Sokov saw two soldiers standing guard at the entrance of the shelter half buried in the ground, so he ordered the guard platoon to stand by and walked over with Samoilov himself: "Comrade soldier, is your division commander inside?" ?”

  The soldier recognized Sokov, quickly raised his hand to salute, and replied respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Commander, the division commander is inside, do you need me to call him?"

  Sokov waved his hand, smiled and said, "Forget it, I'll just go in and find him."

   Before Sokov entered the shelter, he suddenly heard a scream coming from the air. Then he felt himself being thrown to the ground by someone, and then he heard Samoilov's familiar voice: "Comrade Commander, danger!"

As soon as his words fell, a shell landed five or six meters away and exploded. The soil lifted by the explosion fell on the roof of the shelter like a goddess scattering flowers, and the walls made of logs were hit by flying shrapnel. There is a sound of "scrambling and snatching". Before the two sentries could figure out what was going on, they were hit by the flying shrapnel and both fell to the door.

  A lieutenant officer rushed out of the shelter. When he saw Sokov and Samoilov standing at the door, he couldn't help showing a surprised expression: "Comrade commander, why are you here?"

"I heard that you are in a little trouble, so I came here to find General Fomenko to see if there is any good way to deal with the immediate crisis." After Sokov finished speaking, he took a look and fell to the ground The two soldiers, who were writhing in pain, said to the lieutenant: "Comrade lieutenant, two comrades here are injured, do you think you can call a military doctor for him?"

  The lieutenant agreed, got up and walked to the door, and shouted inside: "Healer, health worker, come to the door, someone here is injured."

  Following his shout, a female health worker with a medical kit on her back ran out and asked the lieutenant nervously: "Comrade lieutenant, I want to ask, where are they injured?"

   "They were wounded by the German shelling," the lieutenant urged the health worker: "Hurry up and bandage their wounds."

   While the hygienists were bandaging the wounds of the wounded, Sokov led Samoilov into the half-buried bunker, where he saw a frowning Fomenko.

   "Comrade General," Sokov walked up to Fomenko and said in a teasing tone, "You look so sad, have you encountered any troubles?"

"Comrade Commander." Although Fomenko is a general, he also fell into despair when the troops' offensives were frustrated one after another. Seeing Sokov's appearance at this moment, he seemed to grasp a life-saving straw , didn't want to let go at all: "Our troops who attacked the bastion were driven out by the enemy. Tell me, what should we do next?"

   "Comrade General," Sokov said to Fomenko: "If you want to cut off the Germans' troop transport channels, you must destroy the tunnels."

   But Fomenko shook his head again and again after hearing this. He smiled wryly at Sokov: "Comrade Commander, the enemy's tunnel is several meters deep underground. How can we destroy it?"

   "Yes, this is a difficult problem." Sokov also felt the same about Fomenko's concerns. Not to mention that the enemy's tunnel is a few meters deep underground, even if it is only half a meter from the ground, Soviet commanders and fighters who do not have perspective eyes will naturally not be able to see it. If you dig indiscriminately, it will not only waste time and manpower, but also the commanders and fighters who dig the soil to find the tunnel may be attacked from other bastions at any time.

   "Comrade General," Sokov asked tentatively, "Did your subordinates discover the German underground passage when they occupied the bastion?"

"No, Comrade Commander." Fomenko replied with a bitter smile: "My troops entered the bastion, and when the Germans were fighting fiercely, suddenly a lot of German soldiers emerged from the ground and beat our soldiers to death. One was caught off guard, and then they launched a counterattack, knocking out all the troops who had rushed into the bastion."

   After learning that Fomenko's troops rushed into the bastion, they were driven out by the Germans before they could gain a firm foothold. Sokov felt quite disappointed. However, as the supreme commander of the army group, he must come up with a good way to deal with the Germans, and they will destroy or drive out of the fortress. ""

   Just when Sokov was at a loss, Colonel Manoxin, the political commissar of the division, came over and said to Sokov, "Comrade Commander, I have an idea, and I don't know whether to say it or not."

"Comrade Political Commissar, if you have anything to say, just say it." Seeing that the situation was so critical, and Manuoxin was still trying to trick himself, Sukov urged, "Even if I say something wrong, I won't It's your fault."

  (end of this chapter)