Chapter 1107 Prepare for battle in advance

The reason why the 125th regiment sent by Sokov was able to capture the Red Army Village by surprise was entirely because the main force of the German army was attracted by the first and second battalions to the high ground in the east of the city, leaving less than two defenders in the city. Hundreds of people. This force is scattered in the city, facing the ferocious offensive of the three battalions of sailors, they have no ability to resist at all.

  After learning the news that the 125th Regiment occupied the Red Army Village, Sokov ordered Witkov to report the matter to Rokossovsky, and then he prepared to take a guard platoon and rush to the Red Army Village in an armored vehicle. Choose a location to build a defensive position before the German counterattack forces arrive.

   Just as Sokov was about to leave, Vitkov reminded him: "Comrade commander, our large troops are coming towards Donetsk. Which troops do you plan to let hold the city?"

Sokov glanced at the marching routes of the divisions, and said to Vitkov: "I think the important task of defending Donetsk is to be handed over to the 67th Guards Division of Major General Jean Merkulov, and then to them. With a tank brigade, even if the Germans send out armored troops, we can fight against them."

   On the way to the Red Army Village, Sokov encountered Papchenko's 122nd Guards Regiment.

As soon as he saw Sokov, Colonel Papchenko said aggrievedly: "Comrade commander, you are really partial. Let Colonel Starcha's 124th regiment occupy Donetsk, and let Yersa Colonel Koff's 125th Regiment seized the Red Army Village. But our regiment has not received a single mission, and now the commanders and fighters of the whole regiment are all emotional."

"I think the person with emotions is you, Colonel Papchenko." Sokov said to him after breaking through the careful thinking of the regimental commander in front of him: "Our division has successively occupied Donetsk and the Red Army Village. , the Germans will never let it go. If my analysis is correct, the German counterattack troops are already on their way. Therefore, the enemy does not leave you much time. The first thing you do after entering the position, Just hurry up and repair the fortifications.”

"Comrade Commander," Colonel Papchenko said in embarrassment to Sokov's order: "The soldiers have already become exhausted after marching for a long distance. I worry that they don't have enough physical strength to build fortifications." .”

"How to build the fortifications is your business." Sokov said with a serious expression: "If the enemy appears and you have not completed the construction of the fortifications, then there is a possibility of being defeated by the enemy. During the Stalingrad defense war, There are many elite units of our army, so there are no fortifications on the battlefield, and they are easily defeated by the enemy."

   Papp invited guests to think about it carefully, and what Sokov said was very reasonable. The Mamayev Post that he insisted on at the beginning was because of the perfect fortifications. As long as our own troops leave the fortifications, it is difficult to advance forward, which proves that the enemy's inability to take down Mamayev Post is not due to the enemy's lack of combat effectiveness, but because the fortifications of Mamayev Post are too good for defense.

   Wanting to understand this truth, he quickly replied: "Don't worry, Comrade Commander, I will immediately pass on your order to the commanders and fighters, and as soon as the troops enter the defensive zone, hurry up and repair the fortifications."

   Sokov entered the Red Army Village, came to the regiment headquarters of the 125th regiment, and praised Yershakov and others.

Ershakov, who had just captured the city, was in a state of excitement. As soon as Sokov finished speaking, he immediately stated: "Comrade commander, don't worry, as long as our regiment sticks to the city, we will never let the enemy Occupy this city."

"I plan to hand over this city to the 75th Guards Division for defense." Sokov rushed here because he wanted to deploy defenses as soon as possible, and complete the construction of the fortifications before the main force of the German army arrived. Therefore, he told Ershakov: "The task of your regiment is to build fortifications outside the city as soon as possible to keep the enemy far away from the city."

"Comrade commander, I have one more thing to report to you." Ershakov was not annoyed when he heard that Sokov planned to order his regiment to withdraw from the city. When the city was occupied, a batch of 14.5mm quadruple anti-aircraft machine guns was found. If we are allowed to defend outside the city, I hope that these anti-aircraft machine guns can be equipped with our regiment.”

"Quadruple anti-aircraft machine guns?" Sokov's eyes lit up when he heard the weapon Ershakov said. Therefore, this anti-aircraft machine gun can not only be used to hit enemy planes, but also infantry when it shoots flat. Nightmare, quickly asked: "How many?"

   "There are twelve guns, which need to be drawn by car or carriage."

   "Do you have enough ammo?"

Ershakov nodded vigorously, and replied: "I think these anti-aircraft machine guns should be in our army's inventory. Since the city fell, they have fallen into the enemy's hands. I went to the warehouse to check it myself. Every anti-aircraft machine gun The machine gun can be equipped with no less than 10,000 rounds of ammunition, including many armor-piercing incendiary bombs, which can be used not only to deal with enemy aircraft, but also to deal with enemy tanks and armored vehicles at close range."

"Comrade Colonel, in addition to the planes, tanks and armored vehicles you mentioned, this anti-aircraft machine gun can also be used to shoot infantry flat." Sokov thought of the German offensive troops, and in the shooting of the 14.5mm quadruple anti-aircraft machine gun, After being beaten to pieces, the corners of his mouth could not help but rise slightly. "For the troops, this anti-aircraft machine gun is simply their nightmare."

"Understood, Comrade Division Commander." Seeing that Sokov agreed to hand over the batch of anti-aircraft machine guns to his troops, Ershakov quickly replied: "Now there is still a small group of enemies, about a company's strength, retreating. In the direction of the western suburbs, I tried to use the terrain there to carry out a tenacious resistance. After I plan to eliminate them, I will use it as a defensive position for our regiment."

   "Comrade Colonel, act now." Sokov learned that there were still enemies in the western suburbs, and quickly told Yershakov: "I will give you two hours, and you must take down the enemy's position."

"Two hours?" Hearing the time given by Sokov, Ershakov showed a troubled expression on his face: "Comrade commander, is two hours too little? You know, our It takes more than half an hour for the troops to move to the vicinity, and the remaining one and a half hours to attack is a bit too hasty."

"Comrade Colonel, don't you know that orders from superiors can only be carried out and not used for discussion?" Sokov didn't want to bargain with Ershakov, so he ordered him in a stern tone: "Take your orders immediately now." Let the troops go."

   Facing Sokov's strong tone, Ershakov didn't dare to refute. He could only agree, and led his troops to the western suburbs to destroy the enemies entrenched there.

The fortifications in the western suburbs of the city are the remnants of the leading troops of the Imperial Division. After they realized that the city was occupied by the Soviet army, they decisively chose to retreat and retreated to the fortifications in the western suburbs. They planned to rely on the fortifications to defend here and wait for the Imperial Division The main force is coming.

  When the troops of the 125th regiment appeared in the distance, they were immediately spotted by the German sentry in the fortification. After a while, the German battalion commander came to the trench, raised his binoculars and looked towards the place where the Soviet army was gathering in the distance. Seeing that the opponent had only infantry and no tanks, he felt more at ease.

  The German battalion commander said to his subordinates: "Don't worry, the Russians don't have tanks. If they want to break through our defensive positions, at least 2,000 lives will be paid. Everyone stick to their posts."

Ershakov called the third battalion of Shamrikh for the offensive task. He called Shamrikh to the front, pointed to the German fortifications in the distance and said: "Comrade major, have you seen the enemy's fortifications?" ? In addition to the criss-crossing trenches and traffic trenches, there are many civil firepower points, and the attack is very difficult. Can your battalion take it down?"

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." The third battalion is the main force to seize the Red Army Village, and the morale of the entire battalion is high. Naturally, it will not be too difficult to capture a position where only one or two hundred enemies are holding on: " Our battalion guarantees to complete the attack mission you entrusted to us."

   Just when the third battalion was ready to go, Sokov came to the front. He raised his binoculars and looked opposite for a while, then turned his head and said to Yershakov: "Comrade Colonel, order a unit to conduct a feint attack on the enemy's position. If you are fired back, immediately lie down on the spot. Watching No one is allowed to stand up until the signal flare."

   "Comrade Commander," Ershakov asked in puzzlement about Sokov's somewhat inexplicable order: "Why?"

   "Don't ask so many why." Sokov didn't want to explain to him, and said to himself: "You just need to pass on my order, which can reduce the casualties of the troops during the attack."

  Sokov's order was quickly conveyed to the third battalion in charge of the attack. Although everyone didn't understand the meaning of Sokov's order, they still carried it out unconditionally.

After the offensive began, Captain Agranov, the company commander of the Eighth Company of the Third Battalion, who was in charge of a feint attack, walked at the forefront of the troops holding a pistol. As he walked, he shouted at the soldiers: "Brothers, once When the Germans start shooting, you immediately lie down and shoot back at the enemy. No one is allowed to stand up until the signal flare is seen."

  The enemy's position was silent until the Eighth Company was 150 meters away from their trenches when the German machine guns opened fire. Some sailors were shot and fell down, and the remaining commanders quickly followed the order to lie down on the spot, and raised their guns to fight back at the exposed German firepower.

   "Comrade Commander," seeing that the opponent's enemy position opened fire, Ershakov quickly reported to Sokov: "The enemy opened fire, what should we do next?"

   "Comrade Colonel," Sokov said to Ershakov with a smile: "Let your twelve anti-aircraft machine guns shoot at the enemy's positions at the same time, and destroy those exposed firepower points."

  Yershakov didn't understand the meaning of Sokov's order until now, and nodded quickly, and the anti-aircraft machine gun company formed temporarily gave the firing order.

   Following an order, twelve quadruple 14.5mm anti-aircraft machine guns started shooting at the German positions. The firepower was exposed on the position, and he was fatally hit in an instant, and he was immediately dumb. Even those enemies who hid in the firepower points of civil engineering did not escape bad luck, they were still beaten to death by the steel bullets pouring down like a torrential rain.

  After just a few minutes, all the exposed firepower points on the German positions became dumb.

"Comrade Colonel, the enemy's firepower points have almost been wiped out." Seeing that the enemy's firepower points were all dumb, Sokov nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Ershakov and said, "Order the anti-aircraft machine gun company to stop firing and send out signal flares. Let the troops attack."

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Seeing that the German firepower point that gave him a headache was inadvertently destroyed by the dense anti-aircraft machine gun bullets, Ershakov hurriedly agreed excitedly, and began to follow Sokov's order, Give instructions to your troops.

  As a red flare representing the attack rose into the air, the soldiers who were lying on the ground jumped up and rushed towards the enemy's position. Because the enemy suffered huge losses in the baptism of the anti-aircraft machine gun bullets just now, their resistance seemed so weak in the face of the swarming Soviet commanders and fighters.

   Seeing the Soviet commanders rushing into the opposite position one after another, Ershakov raised his hand and looked at his watch, and found that only one hour had passed since receiving Sokov's order. Only then did he understand in his heart that the time that Sokov set for himself was not too short, on the contrary, there was still a lot of leeway.

Ershakov looked at Sokov and said with admiration: "Comrade commander, you are really amazing. I really admire you for being able to take down the enemy's solidly defended position in such a short period of time." gone."

"Okay, stop flattering." Although Ershakov's words made Sokov feel very comfortable, he knew better that the German reinforcements were coming. If the defense line cannot be built as soon as possible, then The battle that came down was not easy to fight. He urged Yershakov: "Since the position has been taken down, quickly take your subordinates and build fortifications there. Remember, you must fight against the German army." Complete basic defensive work until reinforcements arrive."

  After Yershakov left with the regiment headquarters personnel, Sokov turned around and said to the radio operator behind him, "Send a telegram to Colonel Witkov and ask if your superiors have any latest instructions?"

Soon, the operator handed a telegram to Sokov and said to him: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Witkov, Chief of Staff of the Group, has forwarded the order of the Front Army, let us go to the Red Army Village - Donetsk Build a new line of defense in the area to resist possible German attacks."

After reading the telegram, Sokov looked ahead and thought for a while. He felt that the two regiments that were only close to the 41st Guards Division would be foolish to stop the German counterattack. The other divisions must arrive as soon as possible. . Thinking of this, he ordered the radio operator again: "Send a telegram to the 71st and 75th Guards Divisions, ordering them to speed up their march and make sure to reach the Red Army Village in the shortest possible time."

  (end of this chapter)