Chapter 1377: Stop when you’re ready

"I can think of a German guy pulling his crotch, but is that too fucking crotch-stretching? It's more crotch-stretching than a useless knife that has no work to do!"

Malashenko, who was obviously a little surprised in his heart, raised his arm and glanced at his watch. It was less than half an hour since the forward troops exchanged fire with the enemy. It took about twenty minutes to clean up the Germans in a position? This is not a fucking Ukrainian bastard wearing a German dog's skin.

But no matter what the truth is and what the possibility is, this further order must be issued by Malashenko as the division commander. Objectively speaking, only he, Malashenko, has this power.

"Inform the frontline troops to suspend the offensive and not to continue to advance! Further forward is the hinterland of the Germans. If the troops are not strong enough to get in, they may not be able to get out! Stay in place and wait for the arrival of the large forces. That's it for the time being. The main force is large The troops will be here soon!”

Malashenko knew very well that what he was facing at the moment was not a few cats and two dogs of the Germans, but an entire armored corps of the Wehrmacht plus an elite division of the SS.

Previously, they fought against half of the 502nd Battalion, plus an armored division and a semi-remnant infantry division, and even with all the troops in their hands, they were unable to completely destroy the opponent. The fight lasted until dusk in the dark, but it only forced some of the Germans to raise their hands in surrender and perform French military salutes, while others simply rubbed oil on their soles and ran away.

After all, Malashenko, whose troops were still limited, could not afford to keep all these Germans. Those who should run could only be allowed to run away, and they could not catch up with them and use roundabout encirclement. How big your appetite is to eat as big a bowl of rice as you want, this is something every commander and fighter who holds an important position must understand.

Let a battalion of medium tanks break into the hinterland of the Germans, go deep alone, and still be a powerful opponent that far exceeds their own in terms of total strength. Although it is true that Malashenko holds the most elite tank division in the Red Army, he cannot be so arrogant.

The vanguard force has already exceeded its scheduled combat mission, and if it wants to go further, it will have to wait until the subsequent large forces arrive. Moreover, Malashenko, who must consider this variable factor, must consider what the German will do next after being stabbed in the side. He must be extremely cautious in issuing further orders.

It didn't take much time for the main force commanded by Malashenko to arrive at the forward theater. After all, medium tanks are only faster than heavy tanks, and they have not yet reached the level of qualitative change.

Heavy tanks carrying a large number of accompanying infantry drove up to the position one after another. The newly arrived infantry soldiers who jumped from the steel body were also looking around at the still smoking battlefield ruins with some curiosity.

"The battle was well fought, Varosha! Was it your troops who did it?"

Since new tactics and new equipment have been put in place and adopted one after another, Malashenko has begun to pay more and more attention to the situation of his only independent infantry regiment directly under the division headquarters.

Facing questions from Malashenko, who found him as soon as he got out of the car, Varosha, who had just arrived at the battlefield ruins not long ago, said a few words to a few of the entourage around him and then turned to Malashenko's side.

"Everything is fine, Comrade Division Commander! We killed the Germans and tested new tactics."

"The first battalion that followed the medium tanks in the vanguard battle was the serious old basic unit we brought out after the battle of Stalingrad. Although the equipment is not as good as the combat engineer battalion, in terms of combat experience and combat effectiveness, it can be said that it is No worse than the Combat Engineer Battalion."

"The Combat Engineer Battalion is good at breakthroughs with heavy firepower. The first battalion fights light and fast assault routes. There is no big problem in dealing with such a rookie German guy. The main thing is to have tanks to cooperate with and heavy firepower to fight well."

Out of trust in Varosha, Malashenko also assigned his most valued infantry unit: the combat engineer battalion to Varosha's command to add a new battalion and unified command.

Therefore, when it comes to the comparison of combat effectiveness, Varosha, who clearly knows the combat effectiveness of his combat engineer battalion, prefers to compare other battalions with the combat engineer battalion.

In normal training and regiment meetings, Varosha also requires battalion commanders to align the combat strength standards of their troops with those of combat engineer battalions. Even if the equipment is inferior and the combat power is slightly inferior, it must at least be as impressive as a combat engineer battalion.

Competing with the "humanoid self-propelled tanks" of the Combat Engineer Battalion would cost the lives of several other battalion commanders.

Don't talk about anything else, just in the usual hand-to-hand combat competition. The double-layered heavy armor on the iron bastards of the Combat Engineer Battalion took advantage of the boss. All attacks on the torso were judged to be invalid. However, ordinary soldiers wearing ordinary military uniforms would be killed as long as they were stabbed in the body with a knife. Directly declared out.

In addition, all the people in the Combat Engineer Battalion were strong and bear-like in body, and they were wearing double-layered heavy armor and were still dancing with style with rifles with bayonets in their hands. In the indispensable hand-to-hand combat stabbing training, if you want to defeat such a "humanoid self-propelled tank", you often have to take three or five soldiers in to do it.

The other battalion commanders who were watching around the stadium were anxious and had no choice but to join together and curse a few words of "not practicing martial ethics" to end the matter. That's not what they said, but that's what they meant.

Malashenko also had the opportunity to visit several combat engineer battalion trainings when he went to inspect the troops, and he had some understanding of this situation.

So when Varosha told Malashenko that the combat performance of the 1st Battalion was no worse than that of the Combat Engineer Battalion, Malashenko was indeed slightly surprised and then overjoyed, with a sincere smile on his face. emerge.

"That's good, Varosha!"

"I heard Comrade Political Commissar tell me that you usually require other battalions to be in line with the standards of combat engineer battalions. I very much support you in doing so! There is something I have never said to you, and I will tell you now, you You can also use it as a warning to the soldiers later."

"Sweat more in peacetime and bleed less in war. Those who can survive on the battlefield are all warriors with superb combat skills. I, Malashenko, a weakling who complains about pain and fatigue in peacetime, don't want any of them. Stalin Guards No. 1 Not even a tank division will be accepted."

"Since you want the most elite tank division in the Red Army to serve as infantry, you must be prepared to live up to the name of the elite. Strict requirements are responsible for the lives of the soldiers! This is what I ask you to do!"

Varosha, who became a monk halfway and did not follow his subordinates from the beginning, has always obeyed Malashenko's orders and wanted to prove and express himself in front of his comrades and to gain recognition.

So after hearing what Malashenko said, Varosha's next answer was naturally straightforward and without thinking.

"Yes, Comrade Commander! I will definitely implement your words and orders and ensure they are implemented in place!"