The Rise of the Third Reich

Zhukov and Pavlov's determination soon turned into the roar of more than 3,000 cannons and more than 800 Katyusha rocket launchers. Although the total amount of Soviet artillery on the Soviet-German battlefield was far less than that of the European coalition forces, around the triangle between Volokolamsk-Mara River-Solnechnogorsk, The Soviet artillery was several times more powerful than the German artillery. When all gun positions start firing at the highest speed. The sounds of the artillery were almost completely merged into one whole, and only the loud bangs and booms echoed in the ears of the people on the battlefield. The ground also shook violently, and people near the impact point of the shell could hardly even stand.

The German artillery fire was not to be outdone. Just as the Soviet artillery group on the southern front was counterattacking, the Fw-189 artillery fire aircraft in the sky reported their precise position to the concealed German towed howitzer group. Although the 270 sFH18 150mm howitzers belonging to 5 regiments were not considered powerful firepower on the Soviet-German battlefield, under the command of the artillery school shooting aircraft, these artillery still exerted their due power. In just a few minutes, Silenced a Soviet artillery regiment.

At the same time, more than 200 Do217 medium bombers hovering in the sky waiting for the Soviet artillery group to be exposed, like giant eagles in the sky that have discovered their prey, roared in and dropped tons of bombs and incendiary bombs. Suddenly several Soviet artillery positions that were firing fiercely turned into a sea of ​​fiercely burning fire!

However, German air strikes and artillery counterattacks could not completely suppress the Soviet artillery fire. It was night after all, and the accuracy of air strikes and bombings and the role of the artillery in calibrating aircraft were severely compromised.

At 8:35 pm on May 6, the artillery group belonging to the Soviet Northern Front Assault Group suddenly changed its firing method, from the original full-scale suppression to Xujin barrage-style shooting focused on several key breakthroughs. According to the speed of infantry advancement, it extends forward 200 meters per minute. The explosion points of the artillery fire were first exploded layer by layer in the middle part of the two armies' front line about 20 kilometers between Rod Snow to the west of the Lama River and Osheikino on the banks of the Rama River. The impact points were so dense that they formed a A high wall of flames composed of explosions, shrapnel, smoke and dust moved slowly, completely shattering all obstacles and forcibly opening up a channel for the tank assault group to advance.

The attack on the Soviet Northern Front Group has begun!

The first to rush out of the trenches were the junior officers and political cadres of the Soviet infantry unit. They stood outside the trenches despite sporadic counterattacks from the German army. Behind them, illumination bombs fired by mortars rose into the sky intensively, and then slowly fell, illuminating a large area of ​​war-torn land.

"To defend the cause of communism!"

"For the defense of the Soviet fatherland!"

"Comrades, rush with me..."

The Bolshevik officers waved their pistols and shouted: Communist fighters, advance!

On the Rod Snow-Osheykino front, less than 20 kilometers from the front, 20,000 elite infantrymen drawn from seven Red Army infantry divisions poured out of the trenches. Each of these communist soldiers carried several heavy RPG-43 anti-tank grenades, and some carried American-aided bazooka rocket launchers or Soviet imitation "Red Iron Fist". Before the attack, everyone drank a large glass of vodka, so their faces looked rosy and slightly excited.

The German artillery counterattack was not violent, and their artillery seemed to be completely suppressed by the Soviet artillery. The Red Army soldiers formed waves of attacking skirmishers, and shouts of "Ula! Ula!" began to ring out on the battlefield!

Soviet tanks also appeared later. They were not guiding the infantry, but "covering" the infantry. At the two main breakthroughs, General Katukov invested hundreds of large JS-2 tanks in each. and T-34/85 tanks. They followed the brave Red Army infantry and slowly advanced with their 122mm and 85mm caliber main guns.

Behind these tanks, there are many American jeeps carrying mortars. Their mission is to launch illumination flares after the Soviet infantry and German troops encounter each other to offset the power of "vehicle radar" or other secret weapons for night battles.

The only thing that greeted them was the German army's not very fierce artillery fire and blind machine gun fire - because the smoke from the Soviet artillery bombardment had not cleared away, the visibility on the battlefield was extremely poor, even with night vision equipment (in fact, the German infantry on the front line did not have it) Can't see the target clearly either. However, the German soldiers who escaped the Soviet artillery fire still used their MG42, Mkb42 and FG42 to fire at the place where the closer and closer shouts of "Ula! Ula!" came from. The Red Army soldiers suffered some casualties, but they did not slow down their advance. They still charged forward with their heads covered under the bullets fired by the Germans.

In front of them there was only a very thin trench and many scattered anti-gun bunkers and foxholes. The German army did not occupy this area for a long time and did not have time to build strong defenses. However, they did not put many troops on the front line to receive artillery shells, so there were not many casualties. They were also unable to deal with an attack like a sea of ​​people and a sea of ​​tanks.

The German front line on the Rod Snow-Osheikino front was quickly broken through. If this breakthrough was reflected on the situation map of the Soviet and German armies, it would be a thick arrow 20 kilometers wide, breaking through the German defenses and heading towards Volokolamsk assault.

But everyone knows that this breakthrough is only temporary, and the German tanks' deadly counterattack will begin soon!

The fate of the Soviet motherland and the cause of communism depends on how this decisive battle between Soviet tanks and German tanks turns out.

Captain Ribbentrop's heavy tank company was very deadly to the Soviets.

The 20 E-50A tanks are like 20 ferocious beasts at this moment, squatting outside the city of Osheijino, on the edge of a forest near the west bank of the Mara River, with their bloody mouths open, facing the approaching people step by step. prey. Moreover, these 20 steel monsters also possess a skill that is almost unparalleled in this era-night vision!

The large infrared searchlights on the four "Owl" night combat illumination vehicles attached to the 2nd Company of the 516th Heavy Tank Battalion where Captain Ribbentrop is located have been turned on, and the infrared rays invisible to the naked eye are sweeping over the flat land 1,500 meters away. land.

However, these four "Owl" night combat lighting vehicles are not specifically used to illuminate 20 E-50A tanks. Because there are still two paratrooper companies with many "Doll" rocket launchers and "Tank Killer" rocket launchers, cooperating with Ribbentrop's tank company.

The paratroopers' battle line was about 1,000 meters in front of Ribbentrop's tanks. Many anti-tank fire bunkers and foxholes were dug. There were also mortar groups under the paratrooper company in the nearby woods. Once the front started, they would It will fire flares or other ammunition.

In addition to these two paratrooper companies that cooperated with Ribbentrop's heavy armor company, there were many battle groups composed of heavy armor companies and paratrooper companies on the west side of Ribbentrop's company, right in Austria. Outside the city of Sheikino, the battle line was opened on the plain west of the Mara River.

"Captain, the Soviets are coming!"

Ribbentrop heard the voice of gunner Mahaus in his ears. There are two FG-1250 night vision binoculars on the E-50A tank, one of which is used by the gunner and the other by the commander (Ribbentrop) use. Hearing what gunner Mahaus said, Ribbentrop quickly put his eyes on the eyepiece of the FG-1250 night vision telescope.

"It's not the Soviets, it's our people." Ribbentrop vaguely saw a few scattered figures running desperately, obviously not the attacking Soviet army. He paused and said, "But the Soviets are coming soon!"

As if to prove his judgment, the cry of "Ula! Ula!" soon came from the darkness.

"Brothers, prepare to fight!" Ribbentrop pressed the throat communicator and conveyed the order to his men. "Remember, our target is the Soviet tank. Fire within 1,500 meters. I wish you good luck. !”

Of course, the E-50A tank will not reveal its position to mere infantry - these tanks are carefully camouflaged, with camouflage nets hung on the body, making them difficult to spot in the dark.

As for the Soviet infantry, the paratroopers' FG-42s and an assault artillery group in the rear that had just moved to a new position will take care of them.

Not long after Ribbentrop finished speaking, a burst of thunderous artillery fire suddenly passed in front of him about three thousand meters away. Captain Ribbentrop knew that this was the Grizzly assault gun and perhaps the Rhino anti-tank destroyer firing from the rear. Artillery observers operating with the paratroopers at the front must have spotted the approaching Soviet infantry and tanks.

The Soviet army, which was suddenly attacked by artillery, responded quickly. The infantry rushing in front shouted more violently "Ula! Ula!" and accelerated the attack. The mortar teams in the rear responsible for launching illumination bombs also jumped off the American jeeps, opened their 82mm or 120mm mortars, and began to launch illumination bombs into the air.

However, these flares did not fall on the heads of the heavy armored company commanded by Ribbentrop. They only illuminated a large area of ​​empty and desolate land. In at most 20 minutes, a fierce tank night battle will take place on this land - Rudolf von Ribbentrop thought of this, and put his eyes on the eyepiece of the night vision telescope, searching carefully with traces of Soviet tanks.

At 9:27 pm, as the paratroopers in front were retreating steadily, the first huge T-34/85 tank appeared in Ribbentrop's night vision binoculars!