Chapter Thirteen Rebuilding the First Company

According to the loss statistics after yesterday's battle, the Soviet 20th Tank Division, not only rushing into offensive operations, but also dragging the marching team that stretched for several kilometers like noodles and playing refueling tactics, suffered a lot of losses. .

As the vanguard force of the 20th Tank Division, they had just arrived at the designated position and before they had time to take a breath, the division headquarters, which was highly dogmatic and could not recognize the actual battlefield situation, immediately sent a telegram according to the script and in accordance with the orders of the higher-level military headquarters.

The order clearly required this leading sharp-knife force, which had only one tank company and an accompanying motorized infantry company, to immediately launch an assault on the German troops entrenched in the village for repairs.

But what the Soviet 20th Tank Division Headquarters, which was on the way to the rear, didn't know was that the German troops entrenched in this small village that had just experienced a round of baptism of fire and could be said to be useless were not random. It is a soft persimmon, but the strong force of the 13th Armored Division of the German Wehrmacht, which has one integrated armored battalion and three accompanying motorized infantry companies.

In the mid-summer of 1941, the initial stage of the war, the production of T34 medium tanks at this time was far from reaching the scale of the steel torrent that would occur after the Soviet military industrial strength completely exploded and was mobilized in the later war.

Although the Soviet Western Front, which defends the western gate of the entire Soviet Union and Europe, has absolute priority for new equipment, the latest improved model of the T3476 tank Type 1941, which was just finalized and put into production in 1941, is undoubtedly a very valuable and relatively scarce equipment.

At that time, this Soviet tank company led by Captain Brasovsky had a total of 17 fully equipped tanks.

Except for the T34 tank commanded by Malashenko, then lieutenant and deputy company commander, which suffered a mechanical failure and broke down due to a long-distance march, a total of 16 Soviet tanks were actually used in the first wave of surprise attacks against the Germans in the village. vehicle size.

But among these 16 tanks, except for the company command vehicle commanded by Captain Brasovsky, which is the only latest T3476 medium tank, the other 15 tanks are all made of old and It consists of the obsolete BT7 fast tank and T26 light tank.

Whether it is BT7 or T26, these two types of Soviet tanks, which can be called light tanks, are not as good as the main German opponents they have to face, No. 3 and No. 4, in terms of firepower or armor protection. The tank was only slightly stronger than the Panzer 1 and 2 tanks still equipped by the German army at that time and the Czech-produced 38T light tank.

The double disadvantages in overall equipment quality and quantity cannot be compensated for by the technological superiority of a single T3476 medium tank that is ahead of its era. The advantages of fast maneuverability of the Soviet light tanks cannot be effectively used in local offensive battles. The German troops in the village, which had an absolute numerical advantage, were soon attacked and annihilated through attack and breakthrough. Only the No. 177 T3476 tank was left, which was paralyzed and unable to move.

It is no exaggeration to say that if the follow-up troops of the 20th Tank Division had not arrived one after another and participated in offensive operations one after another, Lin Jie, who had just traveled to the Soviet-German battlefield, would undoubtedly have been captured by the Germans or captured by the Germans. Covered to death in a tank and turned into human flesh for barbecue.

After this battle, the first tank company that was the first to enter the battle not only suffered a heavy blow when its original company commander, Captain Brasovsky, was killed in action, but the remaining 16 BT7 fast tanks and T26 light tanks below its company headquarters were also severely damaged. They suffered a devastating blow from the German armored units in the village and were completely wiped out.

In addition, the remaining units of the Soviet 20th Tank Division that subsequently participated in the offensive also suffered considerable losses.

The nearly 20% tank equipment damage rate of the entire division undoubtedly gave these Red Army soldiers who had just experienced a turbulent purge a head-on blow. At the same time, it also gave these Soviet armored soldiers who were relatively inexperienced in combat a first blow. I saw the terrifying combat efficiency of the world's most elite armored soldiers.

The German armored forces that conquered the entire Europe through original blitzkrieg offensives in the past few years did not live up to their reputation! It is no exaggeration to say that the German armored forces at this time, regardless of the quality of their equipment and just the combat experience and combat literacy of their officers, are definitely the most powerful and professional elite armored forces on the planet. .

According to the next operational deployment and a series of subsequent superior combat orders, the first problem that the Soviet 20th Tank Division will face after the tragic victory is the reorganization and reorganization of the incomplete troops.

Among them, the 1st Armored Company of the regiment, which was almost completely wiped out but only survived one T34 tank No. 177, naturally bore the brunt of the attack and came into the sight of Division Commander Cherniayev.

In order to allow this company that gave birth to a tank hero to continue to exert its due combat effectiveness and heroic unit cohesion, after discussing with his partner, political commissar Lieutenant Colonel Petrov and listening to his suggestions, the 20th Tank Division The division commander, Colonel Chernyev, finally made the following decision.

According to the decision and instructions made by the division headquarters, the reorganized 1st Armored Company will have a total of 6 T3476 medium tanks and 11 BT7 fast tanks, including the No. 177 vehicle, in order to restore the combat strength of the full armored company. .

However, it is undoubtedly impossible to obtain reinforcements and new tanks from the rear during the current rapid march during wartime. In order to make up for Malashenko's continuous armor deficit, these newly added T34 medium tanks and BT7 fast tanks are both It was drawn from other lower-level units belonging to the 20th Tank Division. It can be regarded as a forced wartime behavior of tearing down the east wall to make up for the west wall.

But no matter what, with these experienced crews drawn from other friendly forces as supplements, Malashenko, who had just taken office for less than a day, finally no longer has to continue to be his polished commander.

This is undoubtedly a great thing for Malashenko, who is eager to prove his worth on the battlefield so as to gain promotion opportunities, and then get rid of his status as cannon fodder to improve his chances of survival.

After instructing the newly formed armored company under his command to start warm-up and prepare for departure as soon as possible, Malashenko turned around with a sigh and once again found the man within his sight. The big boy was squatting by the low wall with his head down and silent.

"Hey, this damn war!"

After sighing softly, he moved his steps that were not brisk and came to Kirill's side, who was bowing his head in silence. Not knowing what to do, Malashenko had to take out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. With half the cigarette left, he took out one and handed it to Kirill's face.

"I don't know if you know it, but I think this thing should be able to correspond to your inner state of mind at the moment."