Chapter 852: The Final Battle—Strict Order (Fifth Update)
"Tiger tanks! Tiger tanks! They found me... Oh my god, I'm done, ah..."
Captain Samokin heard a scream from the American headset he was wearing. It was the voice of a tank commander named Utkin under his command. He was driving a T-34/76 and had no chance of fighting the Tiger tank. However, the result was the same when Samokin's T-34/85 was targeted by the Tiger tank - they all became glorious revolutionary martyrs!
The communication with Utkin's crew was immediately interrupted. It seemed that the four people had become martyrs. However, Captain Samokin had no intention of rushing out to avenge his comrades, because the only result of rushing out from behind the hidden mound was to be smashed by the Tiger's 88mm gun... There was no doubt about it. Anyway, Captain Samokin had not heard of anyone escaping from the muzzle of a Tiger tank since the outbreak of the Soviet-German War - in fact, it was impossible, because the current German Tiger tanks had tungsten alloy hard core armor-piercing shells (Pzgr.40 shells) that could be used, which could steadily penetrate 138mm homogeneous steel plates at a 30-degree angle at a distance of 1,000 meters, and the hit accuracy was extremely high. Even at a distance of 1,500 meters, this type of shell could penetrate 123mm homogeneous steel plates at a 30-degree angle.
In other words, all Soviet tanks and tank destroyers could not confront Tiger tanks head-on without the cover of fortifications.
Moreover, the Tiger tank never went out alone. It was always accompanied by the No. 4 tank on the side and the "Rhino" behind it - it was equipped with a 71-caliber 88mm gun. If it used tungsten alloy hard-core armor-piercing bullets, it could kill all Soviet tanks at a distance of 2,000 meters!
However, the Soviet tank soldiers now had some ways to deal with the German tank clusters. Their method was to ambush and attack the black guns. Sometimes they would use the T-34/76 as bait to lure the German tanks, creating conditions for the ambushed T-35/57, KV-85, SU-85 or anti-tank guns to attack.
So Samokin was just waiting quietly for the German tank/infantry clusters to approach step by step under the flares and moonlight - they had just broken through the first line of defense formed by the T-34/76 tanks, and now was the most proud moment!
Captain Samokin kicked the driver Shevchenko's shoulder with his boots at this time - he kept the vehicle running at high speed and was ready to move at any time.
Because Captain Samokin had found the target of the attack, a Tiger tank that was slowly approaching.
"Armor-piercing shells!" He gave the order to the loader, and a 57mm armor-piercing shell was quickly pushed into the barrel, and then he pressed the firing button without hesitation!
Boom!
A ball of fireworks suddenly rose in front of the Tiger tank that Samokin had chosen.
A hit!
"Quick, quick, quick! Start!" He didn't even look at whether the Tiger tank that was hit was finished, but just shouted and kicked the driver Shevchenko twice on the shoulder.
Immediately, a piercing noise sounded, and the vehicle shook violently and retreated backwards. After retreating a few dozen meters, it turned around again, and then drove at full speed to the next ambush position.
This is a one-hit-and-leave, air tactics were applied to ground tank combat!
However, this tactic was a bit reluctant for the Soviet Red Army tank troops that lacked high-precision artillery and high-quality armor-piercing shells. If the Germans had fought like this, the effect would have been much better...
Sergeant Major Kensper, the German ace tank commander, had stars in his eyes and a buzzing in his ears. His tank had just been hit by a 57mm shell! Fortunately, the shell hit the gun shield and failed to penetrate, but it still scared Kensper and the gunner Max.
Kensper, who had come to his senses, knew that he had been hit by a black gun, so he quickly looked for the target through the commander's periscope and soon saw a huge black shadow about 400 to 500 meters away.
"Stop!" He gave an order through the phone in the car, "10 o'clock, that black shadow, kill it!"
"Tatatata..." First, the coaxial machine gun fired a string of tracer bullets, hitting the black shadow in front, and then there was a loud "boom", which meant that the black shadow of the Soviet tank was turned into a ball of flames.
The tank that was hit was the T-34/57 tank that Captain Samokin, the Soviet tank ace, was riding in!
…
“Damn it!”
Admiral Lukin, commander of the 5th Tank Army, standing on the roof of the Red Star Primary School teaching building of the No. 13 collective farm, cursed angrily, because he found that the defense line he carefully arranged was not as solid as he imagined, and the first line of defense was easily broken by the German tank cluster.
“Comrade Commander…” Major General Dubkov, Chief of Staff of the 5th Tank Army, also climbed onto the roof. He was not here to watch the battle, but to convey the order of the front headquarters to Lukin. “The front ordered us to hold on to Klimovichi for at least 10 days to cooperate with the main attack in the Gomel direction.”
“10 days…” Lukin took a breath lightly. He originally thought that the 5th Tank Army could hold on for more than 15 days, but the battle from this afternoon to now made him a little unsure.
Moreover, he now doubted whether the 1st and 2nd Tank Armies could successfully take Gomel?
“We can still hold on for 10 days,” Lukin collected his mind, “The key is the 13th collective farm and the nearby forest… What is the forest called?”
"It's called the June 1st Forest." Major General Dubkov answered.
This name was changed in June 1942 to commemorate the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War - at that time it was to commemorate the outbreak of the world revolution...
"Farm No. 13 and the June 1st Forest are the key to the defensive battle," Lukin said. "Our tank army still cannot resist it on the plains, but it can definitely be defended by relying on the forest and farm... The Katyn Forest Haven’t you been guarding Bian for a long time?”
"You are right, then let the troops set up defenses in the farms and forests."
Lu Jin nodded, "But first we have to take down Collective Farm No. 13... completely!"
Major General Dubkov turned his head and looked in the direction of the field. The sound of gunfire and explosions were still coming from there, indicating that the fierce battle was still going on.
The Ukrainian traitors guarding there are really stubborn! General Lu Jin shook his head and said: "We must take it down tonight!" He thought for a while and then said, "By the way... I thought of a way to attach the SU-122 assault gun to a bucket and use it as a bulldozer. Bury the windows in the basement of the field building and we should be able to capture that building quickly.
In addition, reporting to superiors, it has been confirmed that the German armored group appearing in the Klimovich area has at least several armored divisions! "
…
"Comrade General Secretary, according to the report of General Lukin, commander of the 5th Tank Army, we can basically confirm that the German armored group in the Klimovich area is large in scale, with at least several armored divisions."
When Pavlov reported this "good news" to Stalin, the expression on his face looked very solemn.
"Comrade Pavlov, is there any bad news?" Stalin looked at Pavlov and asked.
"Yes," Pavlov nodded his bald head, "The Air Force also discovered that a large, at least military-level, German armored force had left Oryosha and was moving along the road towards Roslavl... They probably wanted to outflank the 5th Tank Army's retreat.
In addition, the situation in Smolensk is also extremely serious. The Katyn Forest will be lost as soon as tomorrow morning, and the city of Smolensk has been surrounded on three sides. "
"Surrounded on three sides? Why not on four sides?" Stalin was a little surprised.
"It may be that the Germans were unwilling to attack Smolensk, so they left a retreat channel for our people." Chief of General Staff Shaposhnikov said.
"No retreat!" Stalin said categorically, "This is a critical moment and the Red Army must not take a step back!
Not only must Smolensk never give up, but Klimovich's 5th Tank Army must also hold on to the end! "
Pavlov frowned deeply. His and Shaposhnikov's private plan was actually to delay and wait for change. Smolensk was an abandonment, and the Battle of the Junction could also be abandoned when the situation was unfavorable. Only Leningrad, Moscow and the Kharkiv-Donetsk industrial zone must be held.
Seeing Pavlov frowning, Stalin suddenly increased his tone and said: "I know that this decision will cause the sacrifice of many Red Army soldiers, and may even cause the death of the 5th Tank Army and other main forces of the Red Army with glorious histories. Destruction. But in order to win the final victory of the Great Patriotic War, such a price is worth it and necessary. In order to win the crucial Battle of the Junction and to reverse the unfavorable situation on the Soviet-German battlefield, the Supreme Command should issue an order. The most severe order!"
Hearing this, Pavlov and Shaposhnikov looked at each other. Neither of them dared to tell Stalin their plans or to persuade him any more, so they had to take out their notebooks and pens and start recording.
Stalin said: "From now on, all officers, soldiers, and political officers must be given an iron discipline: no one is allowed to retreat even half a step without an order from a superior. No matter he is a company commander, battalion commander, regiment commander, division commander, or political commissar , as long as he retreats without permission from a superior commander, he is a traitor, and he will be treated as a traitor to the motherland.
At the same time, all troops surrounded by the enemy must maintain high morale and firm belief. They are absolutely not allowed to surrender to the enemy. Instead, they must fight to the end without hesitation, protect their equipment with their lives, and attack the enemy from behind. Eliminate the Nazi lackeys. If they do not do that, but shamefully surrender to the enemy, not only will they themselves be regarded as traitors to the motherland, but their families will be deprived of all national rights and assistance they enjoy! "