Chapter 2010: Encirclement and Annihilation War (Part 2)

  Chapter 2010 Encirclement and Annihilation War (Part 2)

  The 202nd Tank Brigade, which cooperated with infantry, finally appeared on the battlefield. Seeing the appearance of the tank, the commander of the 109th Division breathed a sigh of relief, and then ordered his subordinates to follow the tank and attack the bridge over the Berezina River.

  Facing the flood of Soviet offensive troops, the German tank battalion seemed a little powerless. If they were equipped with Leopard tanks, facing the Soviet tanks rushing up, they could still wait for work and have a little advantage.

   But the battalion is equipped with all No. 4 tanks. Not to mention that the Soviet tanks on the opposite side are T-34/85, even if they are facing the early model T-34/76, they are still no match.

   After the tanks of the two sides bombarded each other 800 meters apart, the Soviet tank brigade became the final winner. They destroyed 35 of the Germans at the cost of seven tanks.

  The German Tank Battalion originally had 100 Panzer IV tanks, but they lost 56 of them within an hour of the battle. The battalion commander, Major Schultz, felt that if the fight continued, his tank battalion would be wiped out, so he decisively ordered the tanks to withdraw from the battle.

After the 109th Infantry Division occupied the bridge over the Berezina River, the division commander ordered to leave a battalion of troops to guard the bridge, and the remaining main force, under the cover of tanks, headed towards Titovka, north of Bobruysk. Advance, ready to attack the German 35th Corps massed in that direction.

  The 109th Division's unauthorized adjustment of the combat plan was quickly reported to Sokov.

Sidolin asked Sokov cautiously: "Comrade Commander, the 109th Division did not follow our original order to attack Bobruisk, but turned to Titovka in the north of the city, and the 3rd Division The troops of the group army surrounded and wiped out the German 35th group army. Do you want to order them to stop advancing northward, or to attack the city according to the original plan?"

  Although the commander of the 109th division made good claims, Sokov felt very uncomfortable. However, after carefully studying the map, he found that the mayor's thinking was correct. He ordered the division to attack Bobruisk in a feint, in order to attract the enemies in the city and annihilate them.

  Now the 35th Army of the German Army has blown up its own tanks and armored vehicles, and broke out to the north in the form of infantry, trying to escape to Mogilev. But after their intentions were seen through, not only were they bombed by the Soviet army, but the friendly forces also strengthened Titovka's defenses to prevent the enemy from fleeing north.

  If at such a time, an attack is launched from the enemy's rear with an army, it will definitely speed up the progress of encircling and annihilating this German army.

"Comrade Chief of Staff," Sokov said after trying to understand this, he stood up straight and looked at Sidolin, "I think the decision of the commander of the 109th Division is correct. The 35th Army of the German Army blew up their technical equipment. , intending to flee to Mogilev in a state of pure infantry. Now the friendly forces have strengthened their defenses on their way forward, making it more difficult for them to break through. If there is an army attacking from their rear at this time, there may be Opportunity to encircle and annihilate the 35th Army of the German Army in a short period of time."

   "But how should the division commander disobey the order?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, as a commander, the most important thing is to know how to adjust the attack plan in a timely manner according to the changes in the situation on the battlefield." Sokov said to Sidolin: "This division commander changes the direction of attack in a timely manner. The decision is very correct. However, when he adjusted the offensive deployment, he did not report to us in time. This is very wrong. When you call, you must criticize him well."

   "Understood, Comrade Commander." Sidolin nodded and said, "I will convey your thoughts to the division commander."

  Taking advantage of Sidolin's phone call, Ponejielin asked Sokov: "Comrade Commander, since the 109th Division cannot continue to implement our plan to lure the enemy, will you send some troops to carry out this task?"

Sokov thought for a while, then shook his head and rejected Ponegerin's proposal: "I don't think it is necessary. The troops participating in the battle have already been deployed. If other troops are to be transferred to carry out this task, they will definitely be dispatched." Disrupt our original deployment, thus affecting our entire plan. Doing so is not worth the candle.”

"If we don't take any action, when the 109th Division launches an attack on the 35th Army in Titovka, it may cause a German attack from the city." Ponejielin reminded Sukov: "I'm afraid it will be given to them at that time." It caused a lot of damage."

"Comrade Deputy Commander, just listen to me and let the other troops stand still." Sokov said confidently: "If the Germans in the city really attack from the rear of the 109th Division, it will be impossible for us to launch a new feint attack." Not too late, that will give the Germans the illusion that our attack on the 35th Army is a real feint."

   What Sokov said sounded like a tongue twister, and it took Ponejielin a long time to figure it out. He nodded and said: "Comrade commander, maybe you are right. If we really attack the city at this moment, the Germans may only send part of their troops to meet us, and transfer other troops to the north of the city to support us." The 35th Army was attacked from front to back."

"When we formulated this feint attack plan, it was to lure out the defenders in the city and eliminate them, so as to reduce our army's losses in the siege street battle." Sokov worried that Ponegerin still didn't understand something, so he To further explain: "If there is no fighting in Titovka in the north of the city, our feint plan will work. But now the 35th Army in the north of the city is in danger, and the German army in the city may be ready to rescue at any time. We are in If we launch a feint attack into the city at this time, the enemy must be on the defensive, even if our army retreats, they will not pursue it, after all, the north of the city is where they are concerned."

"That's right, Comrade Commander is right." Sidolin, who had just finished the phone call, immediately echoed what Sokov said: "As soon as the battle in the north of the city started, our original plan to lure the enemy It will lose its effect. Even if we want to launch an attack again, I am afraid we can only wait until the battle at Titovka is over."

  The battle in the Titovka area is going on fiercely.

  The German 35th Army, which broke through to the north, was supported by artillery fire from within the city, and mobilized a regiment to attack the position of the 444th Regiment of the 108th Division.

  Looking at the German army approaching their own position, the Soviet commanders and fighters on the position were extremely calm, pointing their guns at the approaching enemy, quietly waiting for the order to fire.

   When the enemy was 700 meters away from the position, the artillery regiment of the 108th Division fired. The shells that hit the ranks exploded violently, and every loud noise could take away many soldiers, like nests of ants blown away by a storm. Facing the sudden artillery attack, the German officers and soldiers who responded quickly instinctively lay down on the ground with tactics;

  But the German officers and soldiers knew in their hearts that if they wanted to survive here, they had to break through the Soviet defenses and open a channel for the follow-up troops. The fierce German officers and soldiers continued to advance against the dense artillery fire. They could distinguish the sound of the shells passing by in the continuous explosions, judge the distance of the explosion point, look at the gap between the explosions of the shells, and turn from one bomb crater to another.

  Hundreds of German officers and soldiers braved the artillery fire, crawled and rolled, and people died every second, but they just passed through the shelling area under the intensive artillery fire.

   When the enemy was 400 meters away from the position, the machine guns on the position fired. The muzzle flames of the light and heavy machine guns, like dark red whips, kept sweeping towards the approaching German officers and soldiers. The mortars in the trench fired, and the bursting shrapnel and the rain of bullets intertwined into an impenetrable fire net.

Major General Teremov, the commander of the 108th Division, saw this scene in the headquarters. He couldn't help sneering, put down the binoculars in his hand, turned his head and said to the chief of staff next to him: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the Germans have arrived to open a passage. In all respects, this is a kind of irrational shock. From these enemies, I don't see the slightest shadow of the soldiers' selfless sacrifice. The enemies are just in a certain semi-numb state. It is not so much the animal obstinacy of a herd of cattle as it is to say that an army will subdue the enemy by its own will at all costs."

  The Chief of Staff nodded and said, "You are right, Comrade Commander. But the scene in front of you is indeed soul-stirring."

"Comrade Commander," a staff officer reported to Teremov: "The commander of the 407th regiment reported that thousands of German troops appeared in front of their defensive positions. It seems that the Germans intend to attack their positions. Shock."

  After listening to the report, Teremov said with confidence: "Call the artillery regiment and say that the enemy is preparing to attack the 407th regiment's position and ask them to prepare for artillery interception."

  General Baharov, who was in charge of blocking the road, learned that the German army had begun to break through in the direction of Mogilev, and immediately sent a tank brigade to support it. The tank soldiers were divided into two groups, one went to the defense area of ​​the 444 regiment, and the other went to the defense area of ​​the 407 regiment to assist the infantry to block the enemy fleeing north.

  The road leading to Mogilev in the north has been blocked by tank troops and infantry divisions, but the commander of the 35th Army did not give up his plan to break through to the north, and issued strict orders to the troops to open the passage at all costs.

   While the 35th Army was madly attacking the north, the 109th Division, under the cover of the 202nd Tank Brigade, launched an attack from their rear.

Before Operation Bagration began, the Germans never thought that the Soviet army would launch such a large-scale military offensive in Belarus. The outskirts of cities like Bobruisk, except for the fortifications built by the Soviet army a few years ago, were basically No new fortifications were built.

  These fortifications that were abandoned before they were built in the past could not perform their due defensive functions at all in the face of the attack of the Soviet army. Facing the German troops hiding in the trenches and shooting, the tanks firing in front only needed a few shots to beat them to pieces. The German army, which had lost its heavy weapons, was helpless in the face of the Soviet tanks. The only way to do it was to turn around and run back.

  Seeing that the enemy began to retreat, the Soviet army accelerated the speed of the attack, and followed the enemy to the headquarters of the 35th Army.

The German army in the city, although they found that the Soviet army launched an attack from the rear of the 35th Army, they did not dare to fire easily because they were worried that the artillery fire would accidentally injure their own people. They could only watch helplessly as the Soviet army scattered their friendly troops. flee.

   What's more terrible is that Batov's 65th Army suddenly launched an attack from the south and southwest of Bobruisk at this moment. Seeing that the situation was not good, the garrison commander in the city immediately ordered the artillery to turn the muzzle and intercept the artillery fire in the direction of the 65th Army's attack, so as to prevent the Soviet troops from approaching the city.

Rokossovsky learned of Batov's troops and launched an attack on Bobruysk, while Sokov's troops remained on standby except for an infantry division and a tank brigade participating in the battle. , so he called Sokov and asked him why he stood still?

After hearing Rokossovsky's words, Sokov explained to him: "Comrade general, if our army also launches an attack on this matter, the Germans will definitely adjust the deployment according to the strength of the two troops, thereby increasing our strength." The difficulty of attacking the city. But if I stay still, the enemy will not be able to figure out my reality, and worry that when they transfer the main force to the south and southwest of the city, they will be suddenly attacked by us."

  Hearing what Sokov said, Rokossovsky thought about it carefully for a while, and felt that what the other party said made sense. As the defender, the German army can naturally feel which unit has the strongest combat effectiveness and poses the greatest threat to itself, so it can make defensive adjustments. And if Sokov's main force stays still, it will form a deterrent force against the German army. The troops that originally defended the southeast would not dare to move easily, lest they be caught by surprise by Sokov.

  After putting down the phone, Malinin leaned over and said to Rokossovsky: "Comrade Commander, if Sokov's troops can also join the troops, I am afraid it will speed up our process of liberating Bobruysk."

"I think Misha is right." Rokossovsky lit a cigarette and continued: "He has a great reputation in the German army, and most of the German commanders have heard of his name. If his main force does not move, the defenders in the city may feel uneasy, and dare not randomly deploy troops from his direction to reinforce the direction Batov is attacking."

   "Then do we need to provide some help to Bartov's troops?"

Regarding Malinin's proposal, Rokossovsky thought for a while, then shook his head and said: "I don't think it is necessary, Batov is also a senior commander, he knows how to provide sufficient fire support for the attacking troops. Our top priority now is to annihilate the 35th Division of the German Army located in the Titovka area in the north of the city. As long as they are eliminated, it will not only deal a heavy blow to the morale and morale of the German army, but also reduce the damage we suffered during the siege. threat."

"Then I will call General Rudenko and ask him to send the air force again to carry out air strikes on the enemy and cooperate with the ground forces to destroy the 35th Army." Malinin said: "After clearing out the enemies outside the city, we can launch an attack on the city. gone."

  The 35th Army, which was flanked back and forth, was still struggling. But with the arrival of hundreds of Soviet fighter planes, the area where they were located was blown up into a sea of ​​flames, and the officers and soldiers completely lost their organizational system, running around like headless flies until they were killed or captured by the Soviet commanders who came. until.

  By evening, the main force of the 35th Army of the German Army was wiped out, except for hundreds of people who fled Mogilev from the small road, and the commander of the 35th Army, von Ludtsov, also became a prisoner of the 109th Division.

  (end of this chapter)