Chapter 67 Waiting for Hans (Part 2)

After hearing the question from Seryosha's mouth, he did not answer immediately. Instead, he quickly took one last puff and wiped the cigarette butt from his mouth that was almost burning to his fingers on the bulkhead next to him. On the road, Malashenko took advantage of less than a minute to retreat into the village and got drunk, and then he spoke to his crew members.

"Whether or not you take the bait depends on whether these German guys are smart enough. Anyway, now we have also used the provoking method. We have killed one of the two anti-infantry No. 2 tanks in total. Next, it depends on Dia. Can they take over the baton from us?"

The Diakov mentioned by Malashenko at this moment is actually a lieutenant officer in the mechanized infantry regiment of the Soviet 20th Tank Division.

This infantry lieutenant, who survived the German artillery bombardment with his extraordinary tactical prowess and coquettish positioning during yesterday's fierce battle, has taken over the position of the fallen commander of his infantry battalion. A temporary acting battalion commander led half a battalion of soldiers to follow Malashenko and came to help defend this small strategic village.

The reason why this small village is of great strategic significance is because this seemingly inconspicuous Soviet village is actually a weak position connection between the 20th Tank Division and its right-wing friendly force, the 131st Motorized Infantry Division. The only way to pass through the region.

If the Soviet side, which is on the defensive, loses this inconspicuous little village with a key geographical location in today's battle, the German armored units that continue to advance through this area will be able to quickly penetrate deep into the 20th Tank Division and the 131st Motorcycle Division. Behind the infantry division.

As a result, it was possible to cooperate with the large German troops on the frontal battlefield, which was responsible for the main attack mission, to form a pincer-shaped offensive against the Soviet defense forces, with enemies from both front and back.

By then, even if the Soviet defense forces, which had been attacked from both sides and faced by enemies after completing a high-speed penetration offensive by the Germans, could grit their teeth and withstand the German offensive, it would have a serious blow to morale. At that time, the entire unit would collapse completely and even surrender and be captured. It's just a matter of time.

At the same time, the German troops that penetrated from the connection between the two divisions' defensive positions to behind the 20th Tank Division and the 131st Motorized Infantry Division were bound to be unstoppable, and the field division headquarters located far behind the two divisions' positions, and even more The higher-level 9th ​​Mechanized Army Headquarters will then become an optional attack target for the German troops.

After a serious and detailed night-time battle situation deduction, I immediately realized the seriousness of this problem. Without the drunken Chernyev, a major division-level military commander, I can only say that about military command. Political Commissar Petrov, who knew a little but was far from proficient, finally summoned Malashenko and made a key decision.

"Comrade Malashenko, the transfer area between the defensive positions of our 20th Tank Division and the friendly 131st Motorized Infantry Division next door is here. It is a relatively simple and small plain village that is easy to attack and difficult to defend."

"It is not easy to defend this small wooden village with no favorable defensive terrain to rely on. It can even be said to be very difficult! But the situation we are facing now requires us to defend this key connection point. If you lose it, you should know the disastrous consequences without me having to say more."

After looking at Petrov's resolute and solemn expression, he then looked at the clearly layered battlefield map in front of him, and realized what disastrous consequences it would have in being surrounded by enemies from both front and back once the Germans completed the roundabout and outflanking process. Malashenko, who traveled through time and knew that the German army was always best at long-distance, large-scale movements, and roundabout encirclement operations, naturally understood what Commissar Petrov wanted to express.

"I understand what you mean, Comrade Political Commissar, and that's why I'm here! Please assign me tasks!"

After that, Malashenko, who was "entrusted with important tasks" by Petrov's political commissar, was naturally assigned to this deserted small village, and cooperated with Petrov's political commissar's special deployment. Less than half a battalion of infantry came over to enhance defense strength to jointly defend the key location here.

A company of less than half a battalion of infantry, plus the only four T3476 tanks in his first tank company, are all the defensive forces Malashenko has to defend this strategic location.

In fact, if you really want to talk about it, you can't blame Commissar Petrov for holding down the door and not sending more troops to Malashenko. It's just that the 20th Tank Division, which suffered heavy casualties after yesterday's battle, not only lost more than half of its motorized infantry regiment, but even as a Not to mention the two tank regiments that are the most critical indicators of a tank division, there are only about thirty tanks left, and nearly half of them are those small BT series fast tanks and T26 light tanks.

In such an extremely bad battle situation, it was already political commissar Petrov who deployed half a battalion of infantry and four T3476 tanks in relatively good condition to defend the key weak area at the junction of the two divisions. The maximum deployment of troops that can be made after comprehensively coordinating the war situation planning.

At first, when he decided to send Malashenko, who in his eyes was the most deserving of the important task, to lead his troops to defend this key area, Commissar Petrov, who was thinking carefully, also thought about the 9th Mechanized Forces next door to him. The army's friendly 131st Motorized Infantry Division went to ask for some troops to help defend this handover zone where the two divisions should jointly shoulder the responsibility.

But when the hopeful political commissar Petrov made a phone call to the headquarters of the 131st Motorized Infantry Division amid the thunderous snoring of the division commander Chernyaev, the bad news on the other end of the phone shocked the political commissar Petrov on the spot. The hope in my heart was completely shattered.

"Comrade Petrov, you have to know that it's not that our 131st Division is unwilling to send troops to help defend this area, but that our division really cannot devote more troops to defend this area."

"In order to plug the defensive gap caused by the shortage of troops on the front line, I even sent all the security troops of my division to defend the position. Now the only reserve team in my hand is myself and a dozen division staff officers and political commissars. , and the Signal Corps. Our 131st Division is at the end of its rope, Comrade Petrov, I hope you can understand and find ways to overcome the difficulties. "

After hanging up the phone call that made him feel lost and at a loss, he never expected that he would have such thoughts of being indebted to Malashenko. Political Commissar Petrov couldn't help but murmured, feeling a little lost. He spoke in a low voice while muttering to himself.

"In the end, I, the political commissar, failed to do my job well. Malashenko, you must get through this!"