Chapter 368 The situation is serious

The emergence of four PAK40s means that the German army has reshaped and produced this anti-tank gun that was originally shelved. It will not be long before more PAK40s will completely replace the outdated and outdated PAK36 and PAK38 equipment for the German army.

If Malashenko cannot fully replace his Guards regiment with new mass-produced vehicles by then, he will inevitably face a problem. The KV1, which is covered with heavy armor and weighs 47 tons, will be different from the PAK40. The T34 in 28 tons is no different.

Both the left and right sides were instantly killed with one hit. The T34's larger angle of sloping armor on the front of the car body might be able to ricochet a few rounds if it exploded. It also had good maneuverability that the KV1 did not have.

When the defensive advantages of heavy armor are virtually offset, everything that they were proud of in the past will become useless burdens. The First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment led by Malashenko is now facing such a problem. Awkward situation.

"It seems that we must speed up efforts to urge Kojing to put into production new heavy tanks as soon as possible. Even the defense of IS1 is much stronger than the current KV. If this continues, the KV1 with armor that cannot stop anything will only become worse than the T34. It’s almost time for this old tank to be retired.”

The KV1 heavy tank, which was only officially finalized and started mass production in 1940, would be a bit exaggerated to say that it is an old tank. However, it has become a foregone conclusion that this steel body, which was born less than two years ago, cannot adapt to the coming war. .

If possible, Malashenko still hopes that Kotin can work harder and come up with new tanks that historically would not appear until the end of 1943 as soon as possible. After all, with the additional blessing of himself as a time traveler, it would be a bit inferior to Malashenko if the already talented Kogin couldn't even do this little thing.

Thinking of this, Malashenko, who already had a decision and relevant conclusions in his mind, straightened up. The anti-tank gun beside him, which would soon become the standard equipment of the German army, no longer aroused Malashenko's interest. , turning the power of a loving father into reality as soon as possible is the core issue of Malashenko's current real relationship.

"Yakov, what are your plans next? Continue the counterattack to retake Istria or what should I say?"

Hearing Malashenko's question, Yakov, who himself felt a little confused, thought for a while before speaking uncertainly.

"Maybe we should continue the attack? I'm not sure. The message from the front army headquarters only asked us to counterattack Istria to regain the lost territory, but there was no specific attack plan and strategic deployment. We were really in a hurry. ”

It is not unreasonable for Commander Yakov to attribute all this to being in a hurry. If Yakov could have contacted his superior division commander to inquire about the specific combat orders and situation before setting off, what he is doing now Yakov and Malashenko will no longer be as confused as headless flies.

Similar to Yakov's situation, the First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment led by Malashenko, which is under the direct control of the Front Army Headquarters, will not be temporarily assigned to a certain front-line unit under the commander of the unit and the highest field command. Under normal circumstances, Malashenko directly received the dispatching action message sent by Zhukov. Malashenko and the First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment led by Malashenko responded to Zhukov who was currently fighting fires everywhere. It is undoubtedly extremely important.

Recalling that he had not contacted Comrade Zhu to report after this moderate victory, Malashenko felt that he needed to leave and immediately spoke to Lieutenant Colonel Yakov in front of him.

"Comrade Yakov, I have to report the results of the battle to the front army headquarters. In addition, I will also ask what our next action plan is. I suggest you contact the division headquarters of your division and ask the division commander about the next action. It’s better for the two of us to compare and analyze the plan.”

"Well, that's fine. Then I'll go back and let the political commissar be responsible for sending the telegram. I'll go to your regiment headquarters to meet you after I finish processing it."

After saying a brief farewell to Yakov, Malashenko quickly arrived at the field regiment headquarters that had just been relocated behind the back slope one kilometer outside the position. Political Commissar Petrov, who had only one arm, was directing the security forces and communications personnel at the regiment. He set up wooden poles and antennas in the tent, and immediately smiled when he saw Malashenko, who had returned with a victory, walking towards him. Turn around.

"I've heard it all, Malashenko. The communications staff of Yakov's regiment just came for a meeting. He told me that the divisions you jointly attacked with the front won a great victory and defeated all the positions that had just been occupied. The Germans who stood firm were driven out of the position and chased for nearly a kilometer before retreating. To be honest, I never thought that the first wave of counterattack could go so smoothly. "

There was indeed a hint of disbelief on Commissar Petrov's face, and Malashenko, who felt he needed to explain, immediately spoke with a smile.

"It's nothing, Comrade Political Commissar. There are not many Germans defending that position. They are just a small force. After fighting, I feel that they are only a battalion at best. Without support troops, let alone me. Without engaging in battle, the three Siberian divisions on the front were enough to crush them."

"I just saw on the battlefield that the corpses of several German soldiers were still wearing autumn clothes. Some of the other corpses were winter military uniforms produced by the Germans, but most of them were cotton-padded clothes ripped off the corpses of our Red Army. How can they fight those three Siberian divisions with their appearance? I have seen with my own eyes that these guys are a bunch of desperate blizzards."

He reached out and took the cigarette and lighter flame from Malashenko, then took a deep puff. Even though he only had one arm left, he still couldn't change his habit of smoking. He held the cigarette in his left arm. Political Commissar Petrov, who was hanging down for the time being, then asked again.

"So what are your plans now? Malashenko, do you plan to move forward or hold on to this offensive position."

Faced with Commissar Petrov's questions, Malashenko, who was feeling a little annoyed about this issue, spoke out.

"If I knew what to do next, I wouldn't be smoking here to relieve my boredom. Now I can only send a telegram to the front army headquarters to ask about the next action plan and battle layout. Otherwise, I really don't know what to do next. One step is a step forward or a step back.”

Before Malashenko could finish chatting with Commissar Petrov, the curtain of the regimental field tent that had just been set up behind him suddenly opened and a head poked out.

"Comrade political commissar, ah, comrade regiment leader is also here. Just in time, the telegram from the front army headquarters is right here."