Burning Moscow
Chapter 89: The counterattack begins
I, Povsky, and a few guards, led by a division staff as a guide, walked along the trenches towards the regiment headquarters of the 223 regiment. Although the trenches were dug deep here, the commanders had to stand on special steps to shoot outwards, but when I walked, I still bent down slightly to avoid being accidentally targeted by German snipers.
Our group followed behind the division staff, passed through the trenches full of commanders, bypassing the machine gun firepower points and the mortar positions waiting to be formed. There is only one thing in my mind: Can a well-organized counterattack force successfully regain the occupied position 4?
As he was walking, the division staff in front suddenly stopped and said to me: "Comrade Commander, the command post of the 223 regiment is here."
As he said, he walked down the wooden steps and walked to the entrance of the underground command post. He opened the curtain blocking the door and said politely: "Please, Comrade Commander, please go in. The teacher is inside."
In addition to Nekrasov, there are 223 regiment commanders, regiment political commissars, deputy heads, chiefs of staff, and some people I don’t know. So many people are crowded here, and the originally spacious command post has become crowded. Unbearable.
Seeing my arrival, everyone got up from their seats and stood upright. Nekrasov took a step forward and reported to me in accordance with the regulations: "Comrade Commander, the 52nd Guards Infantry Division is studying the battle plan. Commander Colonel Nekrasov."
I nodded, walked to the simple wooden table, looked down at the military map lying on the table, and asked casually: "How is the plan researched? I can restore the lost position No. 4 in the shortest time possible." ?"
The head of the 223 regiment, a black and thin medium-sized lieutenant colonel, took a bold step towards me. The voice said hoarsely: "Comrade Commander, our regiment's counterattack force has been assembled, and we just wait for your order. We can put in a counterattack."
I looked up at him and put my hands on the belt around my waist. He asked kindly: "Comrade regiment commander, how do you plan to command the troops to retake the position?"
"First use artillery to cover the fourth position, and then use the infantry to initiate an assault." The regiment commander replied in a satisfactory manner.
"Comrade Commander," Nekrasov glanced at the artillery commander standing behind me, then whispered: "If the task of suppressing artillery fire could be accomplished by the Guards Rocket Battalion, it would be great. But I do not have the authority to command this force. I wonder if you can order the rocket battalion to cooperate with our counterattack?"
"Comrade commander." The Povsky urn behind me said in a loud voice: "Our Guards Rocket Battalion is deployed on the first line to cooperate with the defenders to eliminate the armored forces of the German assault. Moreover, the number of rockets stored is limited, and there is no rocket at all. It is necessary to invest in such a small-scale offense."
I waved my hand to signal Povsky not to speak any more. Turning his head to look at Nekrasov, he asked, "Comrade Colonel, where is your regiment's observation station? Take me to see the situation on the fourth position."
Nekrasov dared not neglect, and immediately led Povsky and I to the nearby regiment observation post. I stood in front of the observation port, holding a telescope, and looking at the fourth position in the distance. I saw it on the southern **** of the position. Some German soldiers wearing steel helmets were digging trenches. Many soldiers were working naked because of the hot weather. In front of the unconnected trenches. It is a sporadic bunker with machine guns or mortars inside.
I put down my binoculars and turned to ask Nekrasov: "Comrade Colonel, I don't know where the commander of the counterattack unit is?"
Hearing my question, Nekrasov hurriedly shouted outside: "Captain, come in!"
Following his orders, a young captain walked in from the door and stood upright in front of us. Nekrasov pointed to him and introduced to me: "Comrade Commander, this is the commander of the third battalion. Highland No. 4 is his defense zone."
I smiled and handed the binoculars to Povsky next to him. He smiled and asked the captain: "Comrade Captain, I can't think of the company that sticks to Height Four. It turned out to be under your command."
When the captain heard what I said, his face flushed with shame, he gave me a timid look, then lowered his head quickly, and said in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, since the fourth position was lost by our battalion, then the whole battalion is considered They have all sacrificed, and they have to take back their positions from the enemy's hands."
"Comrade Captain, I don't want you to sacrifice, I only want position 4." I walked over, put my hands on the Captain's shoulders, raised my voice, and said, "You must remember that the **** Germans, not the Germans. you guys."
After saying these words, I turned around and said to Povsky: "Comrade Artillery Commander, while the enemy’s fortifications have not been repaired, I immediately order the Guards Rocket Battalion to cover the No. 4 position and send the Germans. Go to see God."
"But, Comrade Commander." Povsky said hesitantly: "We have a limited stock of rockets, and it will take at least a week to get supplies. If they are all used up, if the Germans launch a general offensive tomorrow, there will be no rocket battalion. Ammunition."
"Don't worry, Colonel Povsky." Knowing that the artillery commander was worried about covering the infantry's offensive, excessive use of rockets would cause the rocket battalion’s ammunition to be depleted, so he comforted him and said: "Look. Look, the southern **** of Position 4 is such a large area. Two volleys are enough. Don't worry, the Germans will not aggressively attack until the rocket battalion is supplied with ammunition."
"Well, comrade commander." Povsky said helplessly: "I will prepare the artillery." He said that he would take the phone in the middle of the observation station.
"Wait a minute, please wait a minute, Colonel Povsky." When his hand touched the telephone, I stopped him in time. Then, regardless of his surprised look, he turned around and ordered the 223 regiment commander and the third battalion commander: "Lieutenant colonel, lieutenant, you see, the counterattack force's offensive starting point is about two kilometers away from the fourth position. If you wait for artillery fire to prepare After the attack is over, then when they pass through this long open field, the German troops embarrassed by the artillery fire have completed the assembly again. In this way, our infantry will be casualties under the enemy's fire when they charge to the high ground. heavy."
"Comrade Commander, how shall we fight?" The thin black lieutenant colonel asked as soon as I finished speaking.
I pointed my hand to the fourth position in the distance, and said to the third battalion commander: "Comrade Captain, you will immediately lead your men to attack the fourth position." He opened his mouth when he heard me say this. When I seemed to want to say something, I raised my hand to stop it. I continued and said: "When you are halfway through the distance, the Rocket Artillery Battalion will fire the first wave. Don't stop, just keep going, because our artillery is very accurate and will not accidentally injure your own people. When the second wave of salvo is over, you are only a few hundred meters away from the fourth position. At this time, only one charge will be able to rush to the position and eliminate the German soldiers who have been so disoriented. Understand?"
"Understood!" The group commander and the battalion commander replied in unison.
"Comrade Commander," Nekrasov waited for me to say, and said in surprise: "According to your style of play, our army will greatly reduce casualties. I believe that it will not take long for the third battalion to recover. Their lost ground."
Povsky also understood the reason why I had just stopped him, and proactively said to me: "Comrade Commander, it takes about 20 minutes for the infantry to get from here to the fourth position. Then I will order the artillery to be ten after the infantry departs. Minutes to shoot, okay?" Seeing my nodding to agree, immediately picked up the phone and called the Guards Rocket Battalion to assign them a bombing mission.
Soon after the regiment commander and the third battalion commander left, I saw troops massing one after another at the foot of the hillside. As soon as the hundreds of commanders wearing steel helmets entered the designated positions, they formed a dense line of skirmishers in a standard squatting posture, staring at the low mountain that was about to attack.
Nekrasov also introduced me to the side: "Comrade Commander, the troops involved in the attack are the 7th Company, the 8th Company, and the 9th Company of the Third Battalion, with a total of 375 troops."
After hearing this, I nodded and did not speak. According to my observations, the Germans had fewer than two hundred men on the fourth position. We attacked with double the strength, and we were confident of winning. I turned my binoculars and looked at the team at the foot of the mountain. I saw the third battalion commander squatting at the forefront of the attacking team.
When all the troops were assembled~lightnovelpub.net~ he stood up, turned his head and glanced at where we were, adjusted his uniform, raised his pistol and moved backwards, and then strode forward. Go.
The company commanders and platoon leaders in the back also stood up one after another, raised their pistols or assault rifles in their hands, and did the same actions as him. The dense skirmish line suddenly stood up, and then came the familiar shout "Wula! Wula!!" Then the entire offensive force followed behind the captain and strode forward towards the fourth position.
Seeing the divergent formations spreading out on both sides and becoming sparse as they proceeded, I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seems that the soldiers of the Guards have rich combat experience and will no longer be silly and crowded together. Let the Germans use themselves as targets. I put down my binoculars, turned my head and asked Nekrasov: "Colonel, is there a tunnel for us on Height Four?"
"No," Hearing my question, Nekrasov immediately shook his head and replied: "We have fortifications on the mountainside and on the top of the mountain, but we didn't build the tunnel, otherwise this position would not be lost so easily."
Nekrasov’s words gave me a sigh of relief. There is no tunnel, so that our counterattack forces can easily annihilate the Germans on the ground without having to fight them like a field mouse. (To be continued.)