Chapter 1023: sudden shelling

  Chapter 1023 Sudden shelling

   After repelling the German attack, Sokov immediately called Chuikov to report the situation here.

"Comrade Commander," Sokov said into the microphone: "According to my judgment, the German army wants to occupy Lugansk and cut off the retreat route of the Southwest Front Army to the east; at the same time, it uses this place as a new starting point for attacking Stalingrad. "

After learning about the battle from Sokov in detail, Chuikov asked thoughtfully: "Colonel Sokov, you only used a reinforced battalion to repel the attack of a German tank-reinforced infantry. Judging from your record, is the German army really capable of cutting off the retreat of the Southwest Front Army? Don’t you think that their counterattack is just to ensure that their main force can safely retreat to the other side of the Dnieper River?”

"Comrade Commander," Sokov knew very well in his heart that it was because the optimism of his superiors misled Chuikov, so that even he had doubts about his own statement: "There is no doubt about it. According to my judgment, The German troops in the direction of the Caucasus have completely got rid of our army and rushed to join Manstein's troops. In this way, they have formed a partial advantage in strength and equipment, not to mention dealing with the Sixth Army and the Poles. Bove quickly clustered, even if it severely damaged the entire Southwest Front Army, it would not be a big problem."

"As for our division's use of a reinforced battalion to smash the German offensive, it is not because the enemy is too weak, but because our troops are very powerful." In order to make Chuikov agree with his point of view, Sokov specially emphasized: "This Most of the commanders and fighters of the battalion are my old subordinates, they have superb technical and tactical skills, rich combat experience, and incomparable hatred for the German invaders, which is the reason for their victory."

After listening to Sokov's statement patiently, Chuikov said with some helplessness: "Colonel Sokov, I can report the situation you analyzed to General Rokossovsky, and he will definitely report the matter to the higher authorities." .But with all due respect, even if we believe you, the higher-ups don't necessarily believe it, as long as they don't give Vatutin new orders, we can't change anything."

  Chuikov's words made Sokov feel powerless. He clearly saw that his allies were in danger and issued warnings many times, but nothing could be changed. He put down the phone, pondered for a long time, raised his head and said to Belei: "Comrade deputy division commander, it seems that it is not realistic to help the friendly army out of the predicament. The only thing we can do is to report ourselves first. The layout of those fake fortifications The work must be done quickly and must be completed before the next German offensive begins."

   "Don't worry, Misha." As the deputy commander of the division, Bely is clearly aware of the current situation near Luhansk. He nodded quickly and said, "I will arrange people to complete the work overnight."

Before dawn the next day, Sokov received a call from Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko. He reported: "Comrade Commander, our regiment's fake positions have been deployed. There are two fake tank positions and one fake tank position." The artillery positions..." He hadn't finished speaking when the rumble of cannon came from the receiver.

   "What's the matter, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel?" Sokov heard the sudden sound of artillery, and immediately asked sharply, "Where is the sound of artillery?"

   "I don't know very well, Comrade Commander." Papchenko replied in a panic, "I'll send someone to find out where the gunfire is coming from."

Two minutes later, Papchenko called again, and he reported to Sidolin who answered the phone: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the enemy is bombarding our false position. According to the report from the observation post, the enemy has used at least 50 guns." The artillery, the position under shelling, has been blown into a sea of ​​​​flames."

"Misha, it seems that our false position has really fooled the Germans." Bely heard the voice from the receiver, and excitedly said to Sokov: "If it weren't for the false position to help us Attracting German artillery fire, I am afraid that the defensive positions will suffer considerable losses."

   "I really didn't expect that the Germans deployed so many artillery near our division's defense zone." Sokov frowned and said, "If we don't eliminate them as soon as possible, I'm afraid they will cause us a lot of casualties."

   "Damn, what's going on?" Sidolin yelled into the microphone from the side: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, where did the enemy's artillery emerge from?"

   Before Papchenko could answer, Sokov interrupted and said, "Chief of Staff, ask Lieutenant Colonel Papchenko if they can lock the German artillery positions?"

   "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the division commander asked me to ask you, can you lock the enemy's artillery positions?"

  Papchenko hesitated for a moment, and replied: "The enemy's artillery position should be to the west of our regiment's position, but the exact location and distance are not clear at the moment."

"Send scouts and artillery observers immediately to find out the enemy's artillery positions." As soon as Sidolin heard Sokov asking about the German artillery positions, he immediately guessed his intentions and directly gave Papchenko an order: "And then destroy them with new rockets."

   Papchenko has witnessed the power of the new rockets many times. After hearing the order given by Sidolin, he immediately replied excitedly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, I will immediately send scouts and artillery observers to find out the location of the enemy's artillery positions, and then use new rockets to destroy them. .”

  The shelling of the German army has not stopped, and the scouts sent by Papchenko have found the location of the artillery position. Not long after the coordinates were issued, more than two dozen rockets with long flame tails flew over the German artillery positions.

  As soon as the rocket hits the ground, it explodes immediately. The explosion point exploded suddenly, and the lasing shrapnel and flying debris intertwined with each other, like a sweeping tornado, blowing up the cannon to pieces, throwing up the artillerymen's stumped limbs and arms, and the flying black The smoke engulfed everything that was blown up, and the soil and gravel that was lifted up, covered the sky and the sun with the flickering of the fire.

  As the German artillery positions were destroyed, the deafening artillery sound stopped suddenly, and the entire battlefield became quiet. The soldiers hiding in the trenches unconsciously looked at the place where gunpowder smoke rose in the distance, listening to the faint sound of explosions.

  A recruit asked curiously: "Why did the enemy's shelling stop? Did our guerrillas touch the enemy's position and blow up all their cannons?"

"It's not a guerrilla. With the fighting power of a guerrilla, it is impossible to destroy the enemy's artillery position in such a short period of time." A veteran who knew the inside story said lightly: "It should be that we used the new rockets to destroy the enemy's artillery. position."

  (end of this chapter)