Steel Soviet Union

Vatutin's order was truthfully issued, and what remained was the problem of "how to implement" left to Malashenko.

As usual, Vatutin still only issued a basic order, giving Malashenko the general direction of what must be done.

As for how to operate at the specific tactical level, Vatutin did not have too many requirements, which meant that Malashenko could still make his own decisions as usual.

Needless to say, this is not only a manifestation of Vatutin's absolute trust in Malashenko, but also proof of the tacit cooperation between superiors and subordinates without the need for too many words. Comrade Lao Ma naturally understands this truth.

"I've said everything I need to say, what about you? What are you going to do?"

It is not only Malashenko who can understand Vatutin’s intentions, but also our political commissar comrades.

Intangible and tacit cooperation exists not only between Malashenko and Vatutin, but also between our comrades and the political commissar, an excellent pairing.

"What else can be done? Divide the troops, we can only divide the troops."

"Fortunately, the losses in yesterday's battle were not too big, and the battle to surround and annihilate the Grossdeutschland Division the day before yesterday was not too strenuous. As long as the logistics supply is in place and both ends are reliable enough, it is feasible to divide the troops, but it has to be There are priorities and main directions for deploying troops, and we cannot just cut the troops in half and end up with an average number of troops.

Although the train hijacking and the encirclement and suppression of the northern protrusion belong to the same level in terms of importance, due to the different enemies faced by the two different theaters, Malashenko must decide on a main direction of using troops. It cannot be said that the troops will be sent equally to both sides. One point and you're done.

Looking at the red circles on the map for the closer train stations, and then looking at the black arrows for the concentration of German troops farther north, a basically formed plan was already clear in Malashenko's mind.

"Don't underestimate the enemies garrisoned at the train station. Even the half-disabled and exhausted Skeleton Division is definitely not easy to deal with. These bastards will definitely lose in the Prokhorovka battle. If the reinforcements hadn't been timely, Come on, they will win the battle. They will definitely not give up easily if we meet again. These bastards have this madness, which is different from other Germans."

"In addition, as you just said, the main task of this battle is not to annihilate the Skeleton Division. It doesn't matter if we can repel these bastards or take away the treasure. We still have another vicious battle to fight in the north. "

"So I'm going to lead the main force of the division to the southwest. You can rest assured if I personally command it. I will achieve the mission goal as quickly as possible. If these bastards like the Skeleton Division are not afraid of death and don't know what to do, I will hit them. Fearful, trembling, and unable to bear the heavy casualties, they retreated voluntarily.”

"In addition, I don't think it's feasible to snatch the treasure away from under the noses of these lunatics. As long as they still have the strength to fight, they will definitely block the snatching. Therefore, decisive forces must be invested in this direction in order to fight quickly. Decide quickly. Then we can quickly break away from the battle and rush north to support the encirclement and suppression battle. This is the most feasible method at present. "

Malashenko expressed his true thoughts and conclusions at the moment. After hearing this, the political commissar comrades immediately nodded in agreement.

"My thoughts are basically the same as mine. I also believe that the battle in the southwest requires the main force of our division. After all, the opponent is not ordinary, and we cannot underestimate the enemy."

"Um"

The best result is that the heroes have the same view, and Malashenko has other battles to arrange: the encirclement and suppression battle of the salient in the north.

"Let Lavrinenko be responsible for leading the team all the way to the north, with a regiment and corresponding auxiliary troops. The leading troops of the Baltic Front are a little faster than us, but they have just arrived. I judge that they are not yet organized at this stage. If there is too large a battle, given the organization of our division, dispatching one regiment of tanks will definitely be enough to cope with the first phase of the peripheral clearing battle. "

"You and Lavrinenko will discuss the specific battle command matters. If you are here, I won't worry about any big problems. Just take the division and follow him north, and let Lavrinenko lead the way. The first regiment has passed. Since we don’t have enough troops, we will go with the main regiment. I will take the second regiment and the third regiment south to rob the train. After the mission is completed, I will immediately go north to join you. "

"Oh, yes, there is one more thing. I estimate that there will not be many opportunities for artillery to appear in the battle in the south, but you can't play with artillery fire coverage at the train station. That is sitting in your own home and destroying your own treasure. I, Malashenko, don't Do something stupid like this.”

"Katyusha will allocate them to you. I will take two companies of ISU-152 over there to provide necessary fire support. I will also distribute the remaining ISU-152 to you."

"This is the approximate force distribution plan. If you have any opinions, please raise them now. We will work together to resolve this matter, and then we will split up and set off immediately. The sooner the better."

The plan proposed by Malashenko has almost been perfected to the point of perfection, or in the current situation, this is the best that can be achieved.

Comrade Political Commissar did not make too many changes to Malashenko's plan. He only made detailed additions to more specific distribution of troops and tactical equipment, and then finalized it and immediately decentralized the order to each regiment and battalion, including After learning about this, Lavrinenko cursed and reluctantly led the troops on the road.

"Why do you want me to lead the team north? Since we are sending a group, wouldn't it be better to let Kurbalov take charge of the command? No, I won't do it! Fight the Skeleton Division, these bastards, why do you want to kill me in such an exciting battle? Leave yourself to eat alone? No, no, no, no, you must take me with you."

""

Malashenko was a little surprised, but he didn't expect Lavrinenko's reaction to be so violent. For a moment, he really thought that Lavrinenko also wanted to kill the skeleton master. In the end, it was the political commissar who was the first to notice. Something is wrong.

"Don't fight with him. As the Chinese say, he is just a drunkard who is not interested in drinking. It is false to want to beat up the Skeleton Master, but it is true that he is worried about your safety. The Skeleton Master is such a difficult opponent, If the comrade, the division commander, takes the two regiments that lack artillery and cannot fully expand, they will face it alone. If you can rest assured, we will not be brothers in life or death. "

"Am I right? Comrade Deputy Division Commander."

""

Lavrinenko's face suddenly became a little strange, and he was a little embarrassed and couldn't get off the stage. This is how he behaved when someone revealed his true feelings on the spot. Of course, this scene was seen by our Comrade Ma, and warmed to his heart. Among all the great men, The feelings between people, especially the brotherhood of life and death on the battlefield, are often difficult to express and cannot be expressed in words.

"I still say the same old saying, these German guys can't make a shell that can kill Malashenko with their current ability. Let's wait for a few hundred years. I led the most elite heavy tank unit of the motherland to fight all the way. , have killed countless so-called Fascist elites, and this time will be no exception. Maybe we can wipe out the bastards like the Skeleton Masters, fight your battle well and wait and see!"

Even though he felt extremely reluctant and worried about giving up, Lavrinenko, who had a mountain of military orders and was hard to disobey, could only stick to the chest of his good brother with the firm promise of Malashenko solemnly patting his shoulders. After a punch, he followed the order and set off.

"Don't let anything happen to you. Remember this! Bring all your parts and meet me in the north, otherwise I won't spare you! Is that clear!?"