Steel Soviet Union

The fragmented and fragmented German rear troops were stubbornly resisting. Although the outcome was doomed, the last efforts of these German soldiers with their lives undoubtedly delayed the Soviet offensive troops' continued advance to a certain extent. pace of.

This was a worst-case scenario for the Soviet troops who urgently needed to launch an assault before the retreating German troops could fully establish a foothold on the second line of defense.

After uncovering the top cover of the turret above his head, he leaned his upper body out of the vehicle to observe the situation. He stared at the few KV1 heavy tanks within his sight that were still being rescued and extinguished and could not immediately launch an attack. After thinking for a moment, he Malashenko quickly closed the turret hatch and returned to the turret before making an important decision.

"All the crews who were separated from the battle immediately followed me to continue the assault. There is no time to wait for the assembly! For the sake of victory, comrades, attack! Ula!"

Although Malashenko, who adhered to the principle of rapidity and rapidity, ordered to assemble all the surrounding vehicle crews that could be assembled to launch an attack immediately.

However, several remaining German defensive positions that had been divided and surrounded but had not yet been completely resolved were still dragging down some of the troops of the First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion.

Counting the previous tanks that were paralyzed by the German infantry due to negligence and using Molotov cocktails, the number of vehicles that can accompany Malashenko to attack the German second defensive position is only a mere Just a company of 23 KV1 heavy tanks.

Seeing their own tanks roaring again and continuing to attack the second German defensive position, some Soviet infantry who had just finished the remaining battle and had not yet had time to clean up the battlefield immediately turned around to follow. The total number was no more than one mixed armored infantry battalion. The coordinated forces of infantry and tanks immediately launched an attack on the second German defensive position not far away before the large forces of our own had fully withdrawn.

Facing another rumbling Soviet heavy tank, the German infantry who had just retreated to the second defensive position and had not had time to take a breath had to raise their weapons again and prepare to continue fighting.

The German 88 guns, which had been directly deployed on the first defensive position due to fear of fierce Soviet artillery fire, finally began to show their power after being deployed on the second defensive position.

In the hands of a skilled gun crew, the 88 gun, which can fire at an ultra-high rate of fire every five seconds, unleashes devastating anti-armor firepower. The ordinary KV1 heavy tank without additional armor is simply unable to do so at an assault distance of less than 500 meters. Withstood the fierce direct fire attack of 88 guns.

Like a red-hot razor, the 88mm hooded armor-piercing projectile can easily penetrate the thick frontal armor of these Soviet armored behemoths without any effort, just like cutting a cream cake.

The Germans had long prepared and carefully arranged the second line of defensive positions, but were rejected. Malashenko, who only made a tentative attack due to lack of troops, roughly remembered the exposed positions on the German positions. The 88th gun emplacement immediately ordered a temporary retreat.

The remains of four Soviet KV1 heavy tanks left in front of the German second line of defense were burning. Some of the corpses of Red Army soldiers who died on the battlefield during the accompanying attack were abandoned in the wilderness around these steel wreckage.

Malashenko, who tried to launch an assault to defeat the German army before it could establish a foothold on the second line of defense, ultimately failed to achieve his tactical goal.

The Soviet troops, which had just concluded a positional assault and won a temporary victory, needed time to reorganize the scattered troops, count the casualties, and clean the battlefield.

The German army, which had just been pushed back to the second preset defensive position by the Soviet army's powerful attack, was also silently licking its wounds. A large number of injured comrades who could have been rescued but still had hope were left behind on the first line of position due to the hasty retreat. This was undoubtedly aggravating the morale of the German army, which was repelled by the Soviet army at the beginning of the war. .

The words "never abandon and never give up" may sound nice, but in order to retrieve these wounded comrades on a cruel battlefield, several times the number of troops may be deployed or even the whole army may be annihilated. The German commander must The helpless choice he made, like breaking his arm to survive, is not so inhumane and incomprehensible.

After leading the assault force and retreating to the first defensive position of the occupied German army, they knew that the offensive battle personally commanded by the Red Army God of War Zhukov would never end in such a hasty manner. It was expected that the second wave of attacks would be launched soon. Malashenko immediately jumped out of the car to take advantage of this precious time to take a rest.

After leaving the inside of the tank, which was full of the smell of diesel engines, we came to the ruins of the battlefield where the smoke and flames had not yet completely burned out.

The residual heat of the war that has not completely dissipated and the smell of bloody gunpowder filling the air float around Malashenko like a shadow and dominate the five senses.

Already numb to this kind of battlefield relics that would shock and shudder ordinary people, Malashenko, who had just lit a cigarette in his mouth, remained silent and then stepped forward to a car that had just been lit. Next to the KV1 heavy tank whose fire was extinguished.

"Comrade Battalion Commander"

Before the other party finished speaking, he raised his hand to avoid unnecessary salutes and greetings. Malashenko flicked the cigarette ashes from the corner of his mouth with his finger and then faced the person lying on the stretcher and spoke quietly.

"Is it a burn? Is it serious?"

The reply to Malashenko was also in a plain and slightly low tone.

"Unfortunately, Comrade Commander was burned by German incendiary bombs when he was directing us to extinguish the fire and rescue the tank. Once this black and sticky substance got on people, it was difficult to get rid of us. We had no choice but to cut off our thighs with a knife. Put on the whole piece of burning meat, otherwise the flames will spread all over the body in a short time.”

The hot grassland summer and the already stuffy and unventilated bad combat environment in the tank made many Soviet tank crews roll up their sleeves and trouser legs to fight with bare arms and legs.

A fire bottle that is mixed with artificial rubber in gasoline to produce a large amount of highly toxic black smoke when burned. Once it is accidentally stuck on the human body, it will be difficult to completely shake off due to the viscosity of the liquid rubber. You can use your hands randomly. If you slap or roll on the ground, you are more likely to get it all over your body and lose it completely.

Before the flames ignite the clothes and completely devour them, surviving like a gecko with a broken arm seems to be the best choice that can be made in the limited time.

Looking at the other tank crew members who were bowing their heads and being silent beside the stretcher, they took off most of the remaining cigarettes in their mouths and gently handed them to Malashenko, who was injured on the stretcher. He patted the other person's shoulder and spoke quietly.

"Recuperate in peace, Sergeant. If I have the chance, I will visit you in the field hospital. You must be ready to report to me at any time!"