BXBX NOVEL Chapter 446: Jankoy
Shulka's advantage, on the one hand, is that he has more knowledge, which is important because it leads directly to many things or intelligences that Manstein did not know or was not sure about, in Shulka this was already certain Yes, it is equivalent to a clever calculation.
Secondly, Shulka knew that Manstein was the opponent, but Manstein did not know that the opponent was Shulka. Before that, Manstein had always thought that his opponent was a Russian general who would only fight to the death.
When Shulka returned to the troops, the 1st Guards Tank Brigade had already arrived at Zhankoy and launched an attack.
Shulka reported to Katukov as soon as he answered, which was an order he received when he was still in Feodosia.
"Colonel!" Shulka saluted in front of Katukov who was looking at the map.
"Oh, Comrade Shulka!" Katukov raised his head, and then a smile appeared on his face: "Good job, you managed to buy us about ten hours!"
"Our commando has arrived on the Xinzhan Highway, hasn't it?"
"Yes!" Katukov nodded: "They also brought a batch of landmines, and our air force also dropped a batch of landmines before dark, and they will plant these mines on the road! Of course , these mines may not be able to trap the enemy's 28th Infantry Division!"
Of course Shulka knew this.
Just as it is difficult for the German army to trap the Soviet army with landmines, it is also difficult for the Soviet army to lay mines to trap the German army in the winter season when everything is frozen, because the troops rely less on roads, especially infantry with less heavy equipment division.
But at least it will slow down the march of the 28th Infantry Division, especially if the commandos plant a few mines on the side of the road from time to time.
In this way, the time of the two troops with similar distances was stretched apart.
"Now our target is it!" Katukov pointed to a point on the map and said: "Zhankoy!"
The reason why Zhankoy is important is that it is the transportation hub of the Crimean Peninsula. Almost all Crimean highways and railways need to pass through Zhankoy.
More importantly, more areas between the Crimean Peninsula and the Ukrainian mainland are disconnected. A large area is either a lake or a bay, and only a long and narrow land connects the two.
This land is called Perekop land. To the east is Sivash Lake and to the west is the Karkinit Bay connected to the Black Sea. The narrowest point is only 8 kilometers, that is to say, as long as the 8 kilometers wide isthmus is guarded , the German army would not be able to enter the Crimea and threaten the safety of the Soviet troops stationed there.
And Zhankoy is located at the exit of Zhankoy... The Zhankoy exit is only about 50 kilometers away from Zhankoy. Zhankoy can become an excellent logistics supply and troop mobilization base for the blockade.
But it was such an important place where one man guards the gate and ten thousand men cannot open it, but the Debranfenburg troops knocked on the door with ease.
Now, once the Soviet army occupies Zhankoy, they can immediately threaten and blockade the Perekop land, so that reinforcements from outside cannot enter, and German troops inside cannot get out.
"They have built a line of defense outside the city!" Katukov said: "The big one is two miles outside the city!"
"Outside the city?" Hearing this, Shulka was surprised.
The German army should know that their opponent is the Soviet armored force, and the advantage of the armored force is to fight in the field. They should use their strengths to avoid weaknesses and choose to fight in the streets of the city.
So from the beginning to the end, Shulka believed that the battle would be fought in the city and was ready for street fighting.
But now the fact is just the opposite, they actually chose to build a line of defense outside the city.
"Is it because the terrain is good for defense?" Shulka asked.
"No!" Katukov casually took out a topographic map in front of Shulka, and said, "The average altitude of Zhankoy is only 20 meters, which can be said to be flat!"
Shuerka frowned when he heard this, which was even more strange.
"They dug an anti-tank trench!" Katukov marked on the terrain map: "Of course there are mines, barbed wire, barricades and the like, but of course they know that they can't stop us!"
"They must have something to threaten us!" Shulka said.
"I think so too, but what will it be?" Katukov said: "PAK40? Or 88MM anti-aircraft gun?"
"Although they can pose a threat to us, they have not yet reached the point where they can block our attack!" Shulka said.
This is obvious, because the German army was also equipped with these two types of equipment before, and they also failed to block the attack of the T34 troops.
"No matter what it is!" Katukov said after a moment of silence: "We must attack immediately!"
Of course it is necessary to attack, because time is running out, and any hesitation is a waste of the time Shulka won.
Thus, the battle against Zhankoy began a few minutes later.
The first thing to do is of course a violent bombing.
It was Mehlis who carried out the bombing mission...to be precise, an artillery regiment and a rocket launcher battalion transferred from Feodosia by Shulka.
Otherwise, the size of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade with only one artillery battalion is simply not enough to launch a large-scale bombing.
This has become routine for Shulka.
Because it was the Second Tank Battalion and the Second Infantry Battalion who launched the attack, Shulka could lie down in the trench in front of the headquarters and hold up a telescope to observe.
This is a rare leisure and experience, always in the danger and pressure of war, and it is a kind of luck to be a spectator once in a while... because at this time, you can't help but have this thought: at least the people who are on the battlefield now are They are not themselves, at least now they are safe.
The artillery shells flew to the enemy's position one after another, and the rockets slammed into the ground with bright lines and whistles, and then burst into fireballs amidst bangs and vibrations.
Barbed wire fences, roadblocks, and landmines were thrown into the air in pieces.
The bombing lasted twenty minutes.
Then Katukov gave an order, and the Second Tank Battalion "rumbled" towards the enemy's position under the instructions of flares and tracers.
The T34 tank at this time is not only the pride and honor of the Soviet army, but also a kind of security for soldiers.
Of course, there is no absolute security on the battlefield, and accidents may happen at any time.
However, if you know that the enemy tanks must be within a range of 100 meters to penetrate you, you will naturally feel a sense of pride and reassurance, because no matter what, you are always much better than the enemy tank soldiers.
However, this battle is not the case.
(end of this chapter)