Chapter 537 Pursuit Order

It is sheer nonsense to talk about the angle of incidence and the positive effect to someone who is not a tank soldier. I know that even if I explain all these, Commander Leonid will definitely still be confused and unable to understand.

Malashenko, who simply decided to explain it all in an easy-to-understand way, nodded quietly.

"Yes, you understood it correctly, Comrade Division Commander. Now as long as we are close enough to destroy those German tanks, those new German Panzer IV tanks can also destroy our heavy tanks. To put it simply, this is a This mutual relationship is like two infantrymen shooting at each other and knocking each other down. The key lies in who shoots faster and more accurately. "

With Malashenko's easy-to-understand explanation, Commander Leonid, who nodded slightly, understood something, but the German Panzer IV tank, which was originally useless, seemed to be able to easily destroy his own side overnight. The fact that there were heavy tanks still left the confused Commander Leonid a little confused as to what was going on.

"But Comrade Malashenko, don't we have a solution that we can deal with?"

"Comrade Commander! An urgent call from the Front Army Headquarters. There is important military information that you need to review."

Before Division Commander Leonid finished speaking, Political Commissar Petrov, waving a fresh telegraph newspaper in his hand, had already walked quickly out of the small courtyard of the headquarters. Judging from the serious look on his face, it was obvious that something big had happened.

After a thump in his heart, he thought something was wrong with the attacking troops on the front line. Malashenko took the telegraph newspaper from Commissar Petrov and immediately started reading it at a glance.

"Retreat? These Germans actually ran away like that?"

This telegram just sent from Comrade Lao Tie's front army headquarters brought a very shocking news: two infantry divisions and one armored unit entrenched outside the village of Nibetlikaya where Malashenko was located. The German troops in the division retreated when they least expected it!

Judging from the brief content mentioned in the telegram, it is not without reason that the three German divisions facing the enemy were able to retreat on their own initiative.

On the one hand, the Soviet troops of six infantry divisions and one tank regiment hoarded in the village of Nibetlikaya were not something that the German troops of three divisions could take down in a short time.

As the attacker, not only is it at a disadvantage in terms of military strength, but also in terms of technology and equipment, it has to face Malashenko's Guards tank regiment plus six divisional artillery regiments. The possibility of taking advantage is simply not possible for the German army. That may exist.

On the other hand, the large-scale offensive operation of the Southwest Front launched by Timoshenko has been progressing smoothly so far.

A large number of German hoarding troops that were in offensive deployment but lacked defensive arrangements were instantly overwhelmed by the torrent of steel. Front-line German generals including Paulus and Kleist were struggling to stabilize the situation and stop the Soviet offensive. They did not care about the local situation. On the other side of the village of Nibelikaya where the battlefield exists.

The Soviet troops attacking on multiple fronts have now penetrated deep into the German-occupied areas. The German troops trapped in local theaters faced the fatal risk of multiple flanking attacks and the troops surrounded by the Soviet troops cutting off their retreat.

Under such circumstances, it was meaningless to worry about the protruding part of Nibertlikaya Village, which was originally used as a springboard for the attack. If the retreat was cut off, there would be no time to launch a counterattack to retake the village.

The Germans with a keen sense of smell immediately ran away after receiving the permission from their superiors to withdraw. They happened to be caught by the Soviet aviation in the sky and reported it to the front army headquarters. This is how this letter was drawn. Schenke held the telegram in his hand.

Timoshenko, who received the counteroffensive mission from Stalin, gave Malashenko the only order in the telegram that was very clear: together with the six surrounding infantry divisions, catch up with and eat this isolated force. German battle group.

In order to successfully achieve this operational goal, Timoshenko has ordered the Soviet counterattack groups on the north and south lines to deploy one infantry division each and march in a straight line towards the only road the German army must take to retreat, in order to seize the opportunity before the German army arrives. Strategic location and immediately intercepted any Germans who wanted to pass through it.

How much time can two infantry divisions buy? Malashenko is not clear about this. The only thing that can be determined at the moment is that there is not much time left for him.

"Comrade division commander! Quick, gather the troops immediately! Those Germans want to run away, we must catch up with them immediately and keep them all behind!"

The telegram from the front army headquarters was like a whip whipping a top. The Soviet army, which had just finished a short battle and had not had time to rest, once again took action urgently. For a while, the roar of horses and people was mixed with the noise of roaring engines. The echoes echoed over the village.

Malashenko, who knew that time was not waiting for him, immediately ordered to set off after organizing his troops. There were too many jars and pots, the level of mechanization was low, and many horses were used to transport supplies. Naturally, the infantry division commanded by Commander Leonid could not keep up with the horses. Rashenko's marching speed could only send one battalion of troops to follow in the form of tank knights carrying only light weapons.

"My large troops will arrive as soon as possible, Comrade Malashenko! We must give those Nazi fascists a lesson!"

He gave a firm salute to Division Commander Leonid who was waving away. Although they didn't spend much time together, he had a very good impression of this comrade who had a very straightforward personality. He closed the top of his tank with his horse. Shenke then pressed the microphone in his hand and ordered to rush to the battlefield.

"Let's go, comrades! All the way to the west! Let us crush those Fascist lackeys, Ulla!"

The two Soviet infantry divisions that had received the order to block the Germans' retreat were marching forward desperately. The three retreating German divisions, knowing that all friendly forces on both flanks had been repelled by the Soviets, did not even take a step. Dare to slack off and run fast.

Malashenko, who commanded his entire regiment to rush forward at full speed, was hanging at the very back, and the race against time seemed to have begun.

From the end of the battle to when he received the telegram and ordered the troops to be reorganized and prepared until the final emergency departure, it was almost two hours apart. In Malashenko's opinion, the Germans should not be able to run too far.

After chasing him for more than an hour amid the roar of the diesel engine, Malashenko, who was wondering why he hadn't seen the shadow of the Kraut until now, sensed the approaching murderous intention almost instantly.