Steel Soviet Union

"It's useless, Comrade Commander! The lead car has been smashed, one of the remaining three cars has been damaged, one tire has been deflated by bullets, and there is a tail car that we can't get past at all! The enemy is using at least three machine guns to block the gap. There is no bunker to use. If you go over there, you will die! "

It was obvious that Vatutin encountered a premeditated and prepared ambush.

The enemy set up an ambush next to the village road where Vatutin's convoy passed. This small village, which had been abandoned for a long time and had been shelled, was scarred and desolate and should not have been inhabited.

None of the drivers, guards or accompanying officers in Vatutin's convoy expected that they would suddenly encounter an ambush in such a shabby place. Hadn't the Germans in this area been cleared out long ago?

"Comrade Commander, otherwise you have to evacuate on foot! I will lead my people to find a way to contain the enemy, and you go in the opposite direction and evacuate from the other side. If that doesn't work, we will charge towards the enemy to attract attention. We can always make the enemy You evacuated safely!"

This adjutant, who had been following Vatugin for a long time, had a desperate mentality when he opened his mouth. He only thought about keeping Vatugin safe and did not consider himself. Vatugin, who really didn't want to do this unless he had to, was obviously still there. Consider other options.

"Where is our radio? Is the radio in this car still working!? Call the nearby troops and ask them to send people to support us quickly!"

The GAZ jeep with armored plates and reinforcements leaning behind Vatutin is the only command vehicle in the entire fleet equipped with a vehicle-mounted radio station. It is specially used by Vatutin when traveling and inspecting troops.

This reinforced GAZ, which cannot be directly destroyed by small arms, has been hit by bullets in its tires and deflated, so it is unable to move and has lost the possibility of being used as an evacuation vehicle. Not to mention that the wreckage of the lead vehicle, which had been blown up and burned into flames, was blocked directly in front. The third vehicle following the command vehicle was also destroyed. There was no way forward and backward, and everything was blocked.

It was impossible to evacuate quickly with the help of vehicles. Vatutin, who knew that his legs could not outrun bullets, came up with the idea of ​​calling for reinforcements by radio.

This idea is indeed feasible. Within a radius of ten kilometers, there are division-level Red Army troops fighting fiercely with the German army, and it has come to an end.

Even if a company of troops from any random army could come over to support him, Vatutin would be sure to be able to repel the enemy.

Although the firepower of the enemy troops on the opposite side is fierce, if you look closely, you will find that the configuration of the small arms firepower points is a bit disorganized, and they are more like a group of novices than elite troops. Even the firepower of the machine guns is not very consistent. It either fires wildly or fires continuously for several seconds. This is obviously the effect of several machine guns changing bullets at the same time.

Judging from the general intensity of the gunfire, Vatutin estimated that the enemy group on the opposite side could only have a force of less than one company at most. Although there are core weapons for infantry squads such as mortars and machine guns, it is certain that there are no direct-aimed artillery and armored vehicles. Otherwise, my group would not be able to survive now and would have been wiped out long ago.

Since this is the case, it becomes possible to persist until friendly forces arrive to rescue.

Vatutin's accompanying security forces during this trip were only a few, consisting of only one platoon, but they were well-trained and well-equipped security forces directly under the front-level headquarters. In terms of combat quality and elite level, they are definitely higher than the group of third-rate people on the opposite side. Even if the enemy has advantages in numbers and firepower, it should not be a big problem to hold on for a while.

"But, Comrade Commander, if reinforcements cannot arrive in time, then..."

"It's nothing, just execute the order! If we don't have a car and run on two legs, no one of us can leave, we will all die here! Move quickly!"

Rather than pinning his hopes on those tiny two legs to escape, Vatutin was more willing to hold on until reinforcements arrived to rescue him. He had always been a person who believed in strength rather than luck, and it was the same now.

Seeing that the comrade commander had made up his mind, the adjutant beside him could not say anything more and knew that he could not make any changes. Then he followed Vatutin's order and opened the car door, and quickly took off the door from the passenger seat. Use the microphone to debug the radio.

"Hey! If anyone hears it, please answer immediately! This is the escort of Commander Vatutin. We encountered an enemy attack on the way. Comrade Commander is in danger. Please ask for immediate reinforcements! I repeat, if we encounter an attack, anyone who listens Troops who have received this news should come immediately for reinforcements! The coordinates are"

The adjutant holding the radio transmitter shouted at the top of his lungs on the public channel. Vatutin, who had his back against the wreckage of the car, pulled out the pistol from his waist that was more decorative than practical, and pulled the The slide loaded the bullet into the chamber and prepared for battle. Vatutin almost forgot the last time he held this gun and fired.

"Comrade Commander, there is no reply. I have repeated it for the third time!"

The anxious expression on the adjutant's face clearly meant to persuade Vatutin to change his mind quickly. It was not too late and there was still time, but Vatutin obviously had no intention of doing so.

"Keep shouting for me, reinforcements will be here soon!"

"Reinforcements? Where did the reinforcements come from? Comrade Commander, there is no reply on the radio."

"I said yes, please continue to call for help! Hurry!"

""

I don’t know if Vatugin is really good at predicting things or if he is a bit evil today. In short, when the adjutant looked confused and disbelieving, and before he had time to do anything, he kept holding the radio transmitter in his hand. Suddenly there was a rush of words.

"This is the 1st Stalin Guards Tank Division, and I am Malashenko. We are rushing to the rescue immediately. We are already on the road, with less than five kilometers left. How is Comrade Commander's situation?"

Sometimes, when people are most desperate, they always long to hear a certain sound, whether it is a human voice or an object's voice. In short, this voice indicates hope.

At the moment, the familiar words from Malashenko are undoubtedly the voice of hope that Vatutin and his party are longing for.

"Comrade Commander, there is a reply! It is General Malashenko, Comrade General, who is here to rescue us!!!"

"Give me the radio and I'll talk to him!"

Ignoring the adjutant's surprised expression, Vatugin stepped forward without saying a word, grabbed the transmitter, held it in his hand, and almost without hesitation pressed the button towards the radio. Malashenko, who was shaking his head, spoke directly.