Steel Soviet Union

Lavrinenko didn't know what was going to happen next and was full of complaints and complaints, but Malashenko saw it clearly and had already anticipated it.

Those who have died so far are only a drizzle. The upcoming battle in Stalingrad is like a bloody mouth still waiting to swallow more lives. Countless casualties will flow into rivers of blood.

A large part of the reason for the current situation is caused by the mistakes in decision-making by the top brass of the Soviet army. Malashenko knew this very well but could not say it out loud.

The ruined street scenes along the way kept passing through Malashenko's field of vision like a slideshow. Malashenko, who was not even in the mood to get angry or complain, just gave a faint reply to Lavrinenko.

"The war will be over when we kill those Germans until they have no courage to fight again, Lavery. All the bad news is ultimately caused by the invasion of those Germans. If there is a reason for all this now, then We will eventually go after the Germans one by one, complaining and whining will not work, the Germans will not listen to these things.”

Lavrinenko, who just had complaints in his heart and felt unhappy, simply closed his mouth when Malashenko opened his mouth like this. Human beings sometimes feel much better if they just say all the things they are holding in their hearts. , Lavrinenko is roughly in such a situation at this moment.

After a few brief words, the convoy led by Malashenko arrived at the destination of the trip: the Stalingrad Tractor Factory.

Malashenko, who was in the lead car, opened the door and got out of the car first. Old Ivan was waiting to greet him with several technical supervisors and factory leaders at the door that was full of pits and mottled by German aerial bombs.

While Malashenko went to the front army headquarters to do business, the soldiers of the 1st Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment who stayed outside the city took a short rest and washed up. Many of them even put on spare tanks. Clean clothes.

The soldiers of the 1st Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment who appeared in front of Old Ivan and his party at this moment were in high spirits. Although many of them still lacked effective sleep and rest and looked a little physically and mentally exhausted, in the final analysis It still looks very different from the ordinary patrols in the city. The aura coming out of the mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood can be faintly smelled even standing here.

Seeing that Malashenko had brought so many people to help at once, old Ivan, who had not smiled for a long time, immediately beamed with joy, and then rushed towards Malashenko in front of him.

"Comrade Malashenko, it's great that you can bring so many Red Army soldiers. On behalf of all the comrades in the factory, I thank you!"

Malashenko's polite smile was hanging on the corner of his mouth. The urgent time no longer allowed Malashenko to waste any more time.

"I understand what you mean, but now we must seize the time. It is best to start changing clothes immediately. My soldiers are all ready!"

Seeing Malashenko being so direct, old Ivan, who was embarrassed to delay any further, immediately turned sideways and made an invitation gesture.

"Everything is ready, Comrade Malashenko. If you are interested, please come with me to the production workshop to have a look. This will also make it easier for you to understand our next work more directly."

After all the troops on hand were sent to the factory to help with the work, Malashenko naturally had nothing to do. Thinking of the situation, he nodded lightly to old Ivan and followed him. Old Ivan beside him was chatting while walking towards the factory.

Iushkin, who had been standing behind Malashenko and witnessed all this with his own eyes, was a little puzzled. He still can't figure out why he ended up working in a tank factory after a good rest.

"I thought we could sleep well for two days. At least we wouldn't have to worry about the German shells and bombs falling on our foreheads before we even opened our eyes. I didn't expect that now we have to come to the factory to keep company with these machines."

He took the last drag of his cigarette, threw the butt to the ground and stamped it out with his foot. Lavrinenko, who was also feeling unhappy, just wanted to go to the battlefield and kill a few Germans to vent his anger.

"Stop complaining. At least now you don't have to worry about dying at any time. You may be able to sleep peacefully at night. What's wrong with you?"

Malashenko originally thought that the situation at the Stalingrad Tractor Factory might be similar to that of the previous Kirov Factory in Leningrad. At best, the machinery and equipment had been removed and there might still be something left that could maintain basic operations.

But when he actually walked into the factory, Malashenko realized how unrealistic his previous ideas were.

The Luftwaffe's bombing of this factory specializing in the production of T34 tanks was carried out in a targeted manner. In the days before Malashenko's arrival, groups of Junkers 88 and Heinkel 111 bombers visited this place on a daily basis, just like a brush. Daily tasks.

Even with the intensive blocking of surrounding Soviet anti-aircraft artillery fire, the rain of high-altitude horizontal bombing bombs still blew up the factory that had been evacuated in advance, just like the top of the head that Malashenko is looking up at this moment. Big hole in the ceiling of the factory building.

He noticed something unusual on the face of Malashenko who looked up. Old Ivan, who turned around and came forward, immediately spoke to Malashenko in an introduction-like tone.

"Many of the aerial bombs dropped by the Germans had time-delay fuses. After they smashed through the ceiling of the factory and fell to the ground, they would explode within a few seconds or even ten seconds. At first, some comrades thought that the bombs dropped by the Germans were Dud, just”

Old Ivan, who stopped abruptly at this point, was obviously unable to continue for some reasons that need not be explained.

He moved his gaze to the sky to his feet and looked at the traces of craters under his feet that were obviously backfilled twice. Malashenko counted at least seven or eight similar large holes in the ceiling of the entire factory and couldn't help but sigh to himself.

"Damn, this factory wasn't blown up. It's all thanks to the honest people and good quality of the people building houses these days. I don't know if the German planes will come again."

The last time he was at the Leningrad Kirov Tank Factory, Malashenko received a fierce bombardment from the "Leningrad Express" from two K5 train guns, and an earth-shaking shelling of the Scharnhorst main gun level Malashenko still remembers it vividly, and even feels a little scared.

Different time, but a tank factory in much the same or worse condition.

Malashenko only hoped that he would not be as unlucky as last time this time. Those German bombers, which were more annoying than flies, had better get away as far as possible and not come now.

After he has finished handling the matter and left here, no matter how much those German bombers bomb, it has nothing to do with Malashenko.