Chapter 131 Overdraft of Will

The Soviet and German armies, which fought with blood and lives in the small street battle of Yelniya, still could not decide the final outcome after a whole day of brutal fighting.

The Soviet army, which continued to attack the city of Yelnya with a desperate attitude, suffered heavy casualties. The burning wreckage of tanks and the corpses of dead Red Army soldiers blocked almost every street in the city.

In order to withstand the Soviet offensive that came like a mountain and a tsunami, the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment stationed in the city for a last-ditch battle also suffered heavy losses.

Almost all the anti-tank guns of all types and calibers used to deal with the Soviet tank troops were lost. The 88 gun, which was regarded as a thorn in the side and a thorn in the flesh by the Soviet army, would immediately lead to a desperate charge from the Soviet side once it opened fire to attack the exposed target. Fight back until completely destroyed.

Although the German troops hiding in the complex terrain and building bunkers in the city achieved their original strategic intention of avoiding Soviet artillery bombardment, the Soviet field artillery, which was limited by the complex terrain and buildings in the city blocking the artillery trajectory, could no longer launch effective artillery attacks. .

However, the Soviet siege troops continued to launch successive group charges regardless of the cost of casualties, which far exceeded the current limit of the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment.

The brutal and aggravating battles with almost no rest for many days had already exhausted the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment. The shortage of logistical supplies, especially high-end ingredients, meant that these German soldiers, who had guns in their hands all day long, often could only get some basic bread. Tablets, biscuits and drinking water were barely enough to satisfy their hunger, which undoubtedly made matters worse for the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, which was already severely exhausted and was resisting a force several times its own.

At the same time, the 10th Armored Division of the Wehrmacht and the SS Imperial Division, which were still resisting Soviet offensive forces from other directions on the outskirts of Yelnya City, were also in a bad situation.

In the afternoon of July 24, the position of the 41st Combat Engineer Battalion of the SS Imperial Division was finally breached by the Soviet army's continuous group charge attack. As a result, the entire defensive front of the Imperial Division faced collapse at any time. The danger of destruction.

Some time earlier, the Imperial Division Commander Hausser, who had deployed the last reserves in his hands to support the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, had no other choice.

This talented and brave SS Lieutenant General directly led his guard troops to the front-line positions that were broken through by the Soviet army and took command in person. After witnessing the division commanders all going to the front line, the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Division, as if they had been beaten to death, began to howl more bravely and launch a fierce counterattack against the Soviet troops who invaded the position.

In the evening of that day, Hausser, who led his guard troops to the front-line position to rush to the rescue command, finally filled the gap in the position with his own hands. Under the rumble of Soviet artillery and the continuous group charge, the SS Imperial Division relied on its own The force still stubbornly held the position and stood firm.

The Soviet and German armies, which had suffered heavy casualties on each other, were silently using the cover of night to seize the opportunity to transport soldiers and supplies and lick old and new wounds. When the sun rose, the rumbling bombardment once again heralded a new day of fighting. The curtain has already begun.

The fierce and cruel offensive and defensive battle of Yelniya continued to advance until July 27 with the roar of artillery.

In the past few days, Malashenko, who had led his troops to launch siege operations again and again amidst constant battle losses and replenishments, was repeatedly repelled by the German army's stubborn resistance and unrelenting fight.

Malashenko, who has replenished his crew and equipment four times in less than a week, is now almost unable to accurately call his subordinates by name.

The once-familiar faces gathered to say goodbye early in the morning and then parted ways forever, while the cold corpses remained forever in the war-torn city of Yelnya and lost their lives. The war-torn and slightly numb faces constantly replaced the names of the victims under the organization of the First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion, and continued to drive tanks to attack the German army.

In the afternoon of the 27th, the Soviet siege troops that invaded the city from the southern suburbs of Yelnya City were only a short distance away from Yelnya Airport.

In order to ensure that this important air corridor and air supply line were not lost, the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, which was smashed by the Soviet siege troops and stationed in various main streets in the city and was still resisting, had to deploy a group of infantry regiments. A quick reaction force was dispatched to the airport for emergency support. This made the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, which was already riddled with holes, even worse.

Guderian, who was taking command in the Smolensk war zone far behind the Yelnya city, began to realize more and more that the war situation seemed to be heading out of control after receiving telegrams for help that kept coming like snowflakes from the front line. Continuous development is ongoing.

From the beginning to the end, Guderian was unwilling to give up the city of Yelniya, which was already in his own hands. Guderian, who wore the rank of general, had an almost rigid obsession. In order to turn this obsession buried deep in his heart into reality, the stubborn Guderian once again began to mobilize his troops and invest more troops into the crazy meat grinder of Yelniya City.

Time progressed to July 29 amid the roar of war day after day and the reinforcement telegrams from the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment that kept drifting to the rear like snowflakes.

That night, the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, which had suffered nearly half of its casualties while waiting for reinforcements to arrive, finally received the reinforcements it had prayed for - the 268th Infantry Division of the Wehrmacht.

This Wehrmacht infantry division, which had just finished resolving all the fragmentary battles at hand, immediately drove non-stop to the direction of Yelnya to provide support as soon as it received Guderian's order.

The 268th Infantry Division, which suffered little losses in the previous first phase of the Smolensk battle and was basically fully manned, was split into several battle groups as soon as it arrived at the Yelniya City theater. Supports the theater defense lines in three directions including the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, the SS Reich Division, and the 10th Panzer Division.

Although the number of support troops that were divided into three was used in the defense area responsible for the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, it was a drop in the bucket, but it was undoubtedly a drop in the bucket for the Grossdeutschland Infantry Regiment, which had been reduced to only 50 to 80 men in each company. It is crucial to provide help in times of need.

The German army, supported by a newly arrived fully equipped infantry division, was once again full of vitality due to the injection of fresh blood.

The Soviet army, which is constantly dispatching more reinforcements and supplies of materials and ammunition from the rear, obviously does not want to give up Yelnya City, the last node leading to Moscow. The smoke of the battlefield is floating among the ruins of Yelnya City. will continue to burn.