Burning Moscow

"Good news, what good news?" I raised my eyebrows when I heard Bezikov's words, and asked unexpectedly, "Comrade Chief of Staff, I don't know what kind of good news?"

"That's it, Comrade Commander." Bezikov handed me the telegram while honoring my military rank. He reported: "The telegram said two things: First, the superiors assigned the 96th Tank Brigade. Commanded by our group army; second, it was sent by the engineering unit we just sent. The commander reported in the telegram that they are using the gap in the battle to lay landmines in front of the No. 4 position. Among them are a large number of anti-tank mines. I believe they will be able to Delayed the advancing speed of the German armored units."

I glanced at the telegram hastily, handed it to Danilov, and then said to Bezikov: "Chief of Staff, call them back. If the minefield can really block the German tanks, when they come back, I personally honor them.” After I finished speaking, I immediately stared at Danilov and Kirilov nervously, afraid that they would raise objections.

Unexpectedly, Danilov said rationally: "I agree with the commander. The engineers and soldiers are under the eyes of the enemy, braving the enemy’s artillery fire. This task is very difficult and arduous. Anyway, they Both will pay huge casualties. I think it is absolutely necessary to give them awards and honors."

Hearing Danilov's words, Kirilov also echoed: "Chief of Staff, you must make it clear to them in your reply. As long as you can complete the task, no matter if you are alive or sacrificed, you will get them. Deserving honor."

"Yes, I'll do it right away." Bezikov agreed, turned and walked out of the room quickly.

When Danilov saw that there were only a few of us left in the room, he mentioned the old thing again: "Comrade Commander, since our commanders can repel the first German offensive. Then I believe they can definitely do it again. Repel the second, third, or even more attacks. If this is the case, why not send our reserve team up for reinforcements? You know. We have at least three divisions' mobile power to use."

"Comrade Deputy Commander, please listen to my explanation." Danilov said with a muscle. It gave me an unusual headache, but I had to be patient and explained to him: "Although our shelling disrupted the German offensive steps, I have to say that their strength is still very strong. Their offense is like a tsunami. Generally, even if we build a strong dyke, we will be shot to pieces in the stormy waves. Only when they break through our first line of defense will this strength be weakened. At this time, our second line of defense will be weakened. The line of defense can fully play the role of the gate and block their attack."

"The first line of defense has been breached, so are you so sure of defending the second line of defense?" Danilov continued to ask, uneasy.

"It should be able to be held, and must be held." In order for Danilov to stop thinking about it, I must show him my mind: "In defense in depth, what I consider is the anti-tank defense capabilities of the troops in order to resist the large-scale enemy. Armored forces assault. Construct various anti-tank obstacles. In front of the positions most threatened by tanks and in the depth of defense, various anti-tank obstacles are constructed. At the same time, in order to deal with the enemy, the Tiger tank and the Pertinan self-propelled artillery are widely used. We have built strong anti-tank areas with strong support points in the most dangerous directions and maximized the artillery density. This can be explained to you by Colonel Povsky, the artillery commander of the group army."

Hearing my order, Povsky stood up and said respectfully to Danilov: “Thanks to the systematic training, the skill of our artillery has been significantly improved. Now in a certain area. After the enemy appears, as long as the artillery observers can point out the coordinates of Hitler's bandits in time, it will take less than a minute for our artillery to fire accurately."

The words between Povsky and I finally gave Danilov peace of mind. Looking at Danilov, who was sitting at the table, staring at the map and thinking about things, I couldn't help sighing secretly, saying that he didn't know every step of my plan, but he couldn't keep his breath at the critical moment. Either worry about this or that, just to make him feel at ease. I had to spend time explaining to him. At the same time, I also feel fortunate. Fortunately, he is not a commander. Otherwise, with his changing personality, this battle would be impossible.

Bezikov walked in from outside, behind Lieutenant Gretka. I watched with a blank face as the two came to the wall and turned on the radio lying in the corner. After a piercing electric current rang, a hysterical voice came out of the radio, and Greteka stood by and interpreted for us simultaneously: "...our slogan is: either victory or death. The head of state said. I started everything from the beginning, and these words of the Führer are being further confirmed. The great Germanic army has begun an unprecedented offensive against Kursk. As long as there is another decisive blow, the Bolshevik front will collapse. ... God, may you bless our military might..."

Hearing this, Kirilov suddenly said: "Okay, close it, Goebbels will only use bragging rights to cover up the truth of the German defeat." Then he waved to Gretka and signaled him to go out first. .

After Gretka left, Danilov said thoughtfully: "Although Goebbels is talking big words, I think the German intention is very clear, that is, through a pincer offensive of north-south opposition, All our troops deployed in the Kursk Bulge were wiped out." At this point, he sneered, "Their appetite is not small, it depends on whether they have a good set of teeth. Maybe in the end, we can. Break their teeth."

Bezikov, who turned off the radio and walked over, stood at the table and stared at the map for a while, then raised his head to look at me, and said to me with a worried expression: "Comrade Commander, from the current situation, we It’s only a matter of time before the first line of defense was breached." At this point, he paused for a moment deliberately, and when he nodded his head in recognition, he went on to say, "But what I worry most is not the first line of defense, but The 67th Guards Division deployed in the Butovo region. Their task is to monitor the German "German" division and cover the right flank of the Mechanized 3rd Army."

After listening to Bezikov’s concerns, I stared at the map for a while and replied: "Between Tomarovka and Butovo, there are streams and marshes everywhere. There are also landmines. If the Germans choose As an offensive direction, it will inevitably pay heavy casualties. Moreover, Colonel Baksov, the commander of the 67th Guards Division, is also a commander with rich combat experience. He must have done enough defensive measures." Here, I changed the subject. "The problem we are currently facing is how to stop the German army from attacking the main front positions, but to rush along the areas we deliberately abandoned."

After I said this, no one in the room answered. I waited for a while and saw that they continued to remain silent, so I could only say to myself: "Since the Germans don't know how to promote, it is not a bad thing to let them run into a wall in front of our position. At least it can consume more. Some of their vitality."

As soon as my voice fell, I heard a rush of footsteps, and then the Director of Communications Lopukhov rushed into the room. Seeing his unexpected appearance, I couldn't help but stunned. I wondered if the defense areas of the 51st and 52nd Divisions of the Guards were attacked by the Germans again? So before he could speak, I asked first: "Major, is it news from the 51st and 52nd Guards Division?"

After hearing this, Lopukhov froze for a while, then shook his head and said, "No, Comrade Commander." I just let out a sigh of relief in my heart, when he continued to say, "It's an emergency from the 67th Division of the Guards. telegraph."

I heard only the telegram of the 67th Guards Division. An unknown premonition surged in my heart again, and I quickly grabbed the telegram in his hand and took it to my eyes to examine it carefully. I saw it read: "The German army dispatched a regiment of infantry and 70 tanks. With the support of 60 or 70 fighters, they are launching a fierce attack on Butovo."

"Comrade Commander, what happened?" Danilov asked curiously, "I think your face has changed."

I slid the telegram into Danilov's hand and said with a solemn expression: "The German'Greater German' division has begun to attack Butovo." After that, I walked to the table and picked it up. The phone on the table.

Kirilov asked me curiously: "Lida, who are you calling?"

"I'll call Commander Vatutin. Ask him to send air forces to support Butovo." I first instructed the communicators to connect to the front headquarters, while waiting for the response from the other party. Said to Kirilov: "The 67th Guards Division has no air defense force. Under the bombing of the Germans, it will suffer heavy casualties."

As soon as the phone was connected, I directly called Vatutin and said: "Comrade Commander, the'Greater German' division dispatched an infantry regiment and seventy tanks to attack Butovo, and there were still sixty or seventy. Enemy planes are bombing our army's positions. I ask you to send the air force to support Butovo's defenders, otherwise it will be difficult for them to hold their positions under the German three-dimensional offensive."

"Comrade Oshanina," Vatutin explained reluctantly when he heard my request: "In order to fight for air supremacy on the battlefield, all our aircraft were sent out. Even if we need to provide air support to Butovo, at least It will be an hour later."

For an hour, when I heard Vatutin say this, I really wanted to cry without tears. After waiting for such a long time, the day lily was cold. It seemed that asking for help was better than asking for myself. After putting down the phone, I sighed and said to the colleagues around me: "Commander Vatutin said, our fighter planes have all lifted off to compete with the German Air Force for air supremacy on the battlefield, so even if we want to support Butovo , At least it will be an hour later."

"One hour, the waiting time is too long?!" Danilov said desperately: "The 67th Guards Division, which has no anti-aircraft weapons, after being bombarded so intensively, it is estimated that the casualties must be small. Right."

I closed my eyes and thought for a moment, then turned to ask Bezikov, "Comrade Chief of Staff, which unit is the closest to Butovo?" What I thought was that Butovo must not be lost, so I must consider sending reinforcements. . "By the way, didn't you just say that the superiors assigned the 96th Tank Brigade to our command? I don't know if they are far from Butovo. If it is not possible, they will first go to strengthen the 67th Guards Division."

Bezikov shook his head and said bitterly: "Comrade Commander, the 96th Tank Brigade has not yet arrived in Oboyan. In four or five hours, they will not be able to reach Butovo." Here, seeing me frowned, I quickly said, "However, the infantry regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Sejerikov is very close to Butovo, and there is also a tank company in his regiment. All eight tanks have just been installed. The troops’ new tanks can be sent to support them."

"No hurry, wait." If the 96th Tank Brigade were there, I would definitely send them there without hesitation. Who knows that the only tank company in the Sergeikov regiment that can be used now is. The defense of Butovo is almost a drop in the bucket, so I said vaguely: "Let’s talk about Butovo’s fall."

As soon as I finished speaking, another communications staff came in and handed me a telegram. The moment I finished reading the telegram, I really wanted to slap myself hard, calling myself a crow's mouth. It was said that Butovo was going to fall, but he did not expect that it was really lost~www.wuxiaspot.com~ Colonel Baksov’s telegram wrote: "...Butovo has been lost. Under the pressure of the German army, our division is moving towards The Cherkaskoye area retreats, please group army to indicate the next course of action."

I slapped the telegram on the table, and angrily told Bezikov: "Chief of staff, but you sent the telegram back to Colonel Baksov, telling him that my order is before dark, at all costs, Butovo took it back for me."

"Where do I need to send reinforcements to him?" Bezikov deliberately asked for my opinion before leaving.

In this case, even if I can no longer see Sederikov’s new formation, in order to ensure the right wing of our group army, I decisively order: "You will send a telegram to Lieutenant Colonel Sederikov by the way. , Let him keep one battalion of troops and continue to be responsible for the security of the communication line. The remaining two infantry battalions and one tank company will immediately move towards Butovo. Let him actively cooperate with the Baksov Division’s attack on Butovo. Fight back. Do you understand?"

Not long after Bezikov left, the phone on the desk rang suddenly. Danilov picked up the phone and listened for a while, and said to me with a serious expression: "Comrade Commander, General Tavart Kiradze reported that the Germans dispatched about two hundred tanks under the cover of the plane. The position of the 51st Guards Division, attempting to break through our position while on the move." (To be continued.)