Steel Soviet Union

The end of a battle does not mean the final victory. The unexpected news that follows indicates that there are more dangerous battles waiting ahead. Malashenko, who has little time to waste, must continue to move forward as quickly as possible.

"Are you all ready? Is there any latest news?"

At the same time as the battle ended, the advancing division headquarters was moved to the newly occupied position. Malashenko, who did not even have time to set up a tent, and Commissar Petrov stood in the cold wind and spread the map onto the armor of the tank. The board served as a table, and Commissar Petrov quickly gave answers to Malashenko's questions.

"The aviation reconnaissance plane reported that the line of defense we just took down was only the outermost security position of the German army. It seems to have a lot of troops, more than a regiment of infantry, but the superiors estimate that the real role of this line of defense is only in the main position in the rear. Building a buffer zone between us and our offensive edge also explains why the German armored forces are not here, let alone appear.”

"In this way, even if the Germans in front are defeated, at least they will have a place to retreat to. If a piece of the position is lost, there will still be another piece to defend. At least they will not be defeated so completely in one fell swoop, and there will still be someone who can make a comeback. Chance, it seems to the Germans.”

"Sounds a very familiar strategic plan, doesn't it? Hehe, those Germans are also learning from us, learning from our echelon layout and deep defense, which means that the further back you fight, the greater the danger you may encounter. . If the Germans notice your movements and respond in time, you have to be prepared to face the main force of the Germans. "

Malashenko's mission was to carry out a strategic roundabout and encircle all the German troops in the Cherkasy protrusion, arrive at the encirclement point designated by his superiors within the specified time, and successfully join up with another friendly force. This would be a declaration. mission completed.

But those German guys are not fools. They will not sit there and wait for you to surround them. Even the live fish on the chopping board will have to jump twice when the kitchen knife cuts them, let alone people.

If the Germans detect and capture Malashenko's main force and strategic intentions, I can't say that the Germans will definitely send a large force to try to block it, but at least the Germans will try to do something before the encirclement is closed, and it is best to jump. go out.

In this case, it will not be so easy for Malashenko to complete his mission. Either he will play a cross-country training race with the Germans, or he will have to have a big fight near the final encirclement point. This is The result is absolutely predictable, and this is obviously not what Malashenko wants to see.

Is there any effective solution?

certainly.

"The Germans will not be given a chance to react. The friendly forces responsible for the frontal attack will interfere with the Germans' strategic judgment and disguise our strategic intentions. I will personally lead the team to the encirclement point before the Germans try to break out of the encirclement. That piece of land is nailed down. As long as there is no problem with the encircling troops in the other direction, victory will definitely belong to us."

Petrov, a political commissar with a cigarette in his mouth, listened and nodded. If it were other friendly forces, it might encounter some problems, but the Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division commanded by Malashenko has extraordinary capabilities. powerful offensive energy.

The ultra-high level of mechanization is also one of the iconic features of this heroic unit. Cross-country training and speed tests are the strengths of the Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division. It should not be a big problem to use one's own strengths to attack the other's weaknesses. .

"You'll do it, I trust you, but there are other things to take care of."

Political Commissar Petrov, who flicked out the few cigarette butts left in his mouth, changed the topic and began to shift from the strategic layout to the tactical level to talk to Malashenko about more specific details.

"I have also read the documents and reports that Varosha collected. What do you think of the new German heavy tanks mentioned above? These things have obviously been deployed in the war zone. Not surprisingly, they are near us. Standby at a distant location.”

The introduction of a new type of equipment to the battlefield will bring some unpredictable variables to the battle situation. If used well, it may even have the opportunity to reverse the entire battle and change the outcome. Political Commissar Petrov's worries are by no means unnecessary.

But compared to Commissar Petrov's serious expression, Malashenko, who boasted that he was confident, grinned.

"How big of a problem can it be? The Germans just picked out a stronger new cat from their zoo and let it out of the cage. The final result will not change. They have new heavy tanks and so do we, and I don't I think there will be more Germans than us, and I have many ways to deal with these sick cats. "

Regarding equipment and specific combat matters, Commissar Petrov has always not intervened much and will not interfere with Malashenko.

As the saying goes, there is a hierarchy of knowledge and expertise. As a military commander, Malashenko naturally has his areas of expertise. Political Commissar Petrov, who has not been in a tank to participate in a battle for a long time, believes that Malashenko is in In this regard, he knows how to measure and has better abilities than him. When the war is imminent, it is better to let Malashenko do it and perform on his own.

"Well, since you are sure, I can only wish you victory. But you still have to remember to be careful on the battlefield. The Germans' combat power is no worse than before and has declined as much as the battle just now illustrates. The problem is, don’t let the enemy take advantage of you.”

Older elders will more or less have some necessary care for the younger generation. Malashenko feels that Political Commissar Petrov is in such a situation. Doing everything you should do is more important than any kind of rhetorical answer. powerful.

"Stay at the division headquarters and wait for my good news! It won't be long before we can kill all these Germans shivering in the ice and snow. I will do what I say."

The fully equipped Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division soon set off again, but this time the direction of advance changed slightly.

Having already found out the direction of the enemy's next line of defense, Malashenko chose not to get into trouble and try to save some time. From the northern and outer areas of the Germans' next line of defense, they circuitously interspersed and passed quickly. Maps and reconnaissance showed that the German army lacked troop deployment in this area close to the actual Soviet control area.

The only bad thing is that there is really no road at all in this poor place. It is a bare snowfield with no obstructions, open terrain, and no defense at all. It is no wonder that the Germans are so neglectful of this damn place. Be on guard.

One thing that can be foreseen is that even if the 1st Stalin Guards Tank Division is highly mechanized, it cannot pass through it too fast, but in general it is still much faster than the troublesome and laborious attack on the German defense line.