Chapter 535: Build a position
The main reason is that the battle on Mamayev Gang was very intense. The 82nd Infantry Regiment almost built up fortifications against the bombing of enemy shells and aircraft, and there were also logistical personnel transporting ammunition moving along the trenches. Those who transport the wounded down, those who go up for reinforcements, and so on.
However, the 82nd Infantry Regiment had built a lot of fortifications during training, so these were trivial matters for them, but in half an hour, several lines of defense were almost built.
Colonel Pavelkov and Lieutenant Lermontov built a bomb-proof hole 700 meters behind as a temporary headquarters. series of actions.
"What are they doing? Thinking that field fortifications can stop the enemy from attacking?" Pavelkov looked at this scene with some doubts.
After a pause, he asked Lieutenant Lermontov: "Do they have any other requirements? Such as equipment, tanks?"
"No, no, Comrade Colonel!" Lermontov replied: "They only ask us to guarantee ammunition, and in addition...if necessary, they hope to have artillery reinforcements!"
"Tell them we have only one mortar battalion!" Pavelkov replied.
Colonel Pavelkov did not lie.
This is mainly because the Soviet artillery suffered heavy losses in the previous battles... This is determined by the German army's control of the air. Because of the air superiority, the German army can use air power to suppress the Soviet artillery and block Stalingrad at the same time.
So naturally, there were fewer and fewer artillery pieces in Stalingrad, even to the point where they dared not use them during the day.
Mortar units are different, they can be spread out and move quickly.
"That's what I told them!" Lermontov said: "They say that's enough!"
Colonel Pavelkov smiled noncommittally.
This is simply a joke to him. Before that, he checked the information of the 82nd Infantry Regiment and knew that this unit was a problematic unit that escaped from the front line. They should have been included in the punishment battalion...but for some reason , Will become the security force of the Stalingrad Tractor Factory.
No matter what it is, Colonel Pavelkov does not believe that such a security force can repel the German attack without tanks, aircraft or even howitzers.
"They are looking for death!" said Colonel Pavelkov, and then ordered: "Get them ready to take over the position!"
"Yes, Comrade Colonel!"
After a few minutes, Colonel Pavelkov called the 82nd Infantry Regiment... The telephone line was temporarily pulled for the purpose of unified command.
"How is the preparation going?" Colonel Pavelkov asked: "The front line is almost overwhelmed!"
"We need another twenty minutes, Comrade Colonel!" Major Mikhailevich replied: "Also, we need more grenades and mortar shells!"
"No problem!" Colonel Pavelkov replied: "I will send the supplies up, twenty minutes!"
In fact, they couldn’t wait until 20 minutes in the end, and the infantry guards’ defense line on the front line collapsed at 12 minutes.
The German army launched a general offensive at this time.
This is a very embarrassing thing for the Guards infantry, especially retreating in front of the 82nd Infantry Regiment.
But no unit on the battlefield can never retreat at any time, and the Guards Infantry Regiment is no exception.
"Ready for battle!" Shulka ordered loudly.
The soldiers threw down the engineering shovels in their hands one after another, and set up weapons to deploy firepower in the unfinished fortifications.
Not far away, Pavelkov shouted angrily on the phone: "No one is allowed to retreat. I order you to shoot those traitors who abandoned their positions on the spot!"
"No, Comrade Colonel!" Shulka replied: "You seem to have forgotten a little bit, I am in command here!"
"But this is number 227..."
Before he could finish Shulka, he hung up the phone.
Bavelkov on the other end of the phone roared angrily: "These bastards, cowardly cowards, I will not let these guys go!"
At this time, Pavelkov was actually a little bit annoyed... He didn't want the people of the 82nd Infantry Regiment to see his troops retreating, which was a shame to him.
So, even though he had known for a long time that the line of defense on the front **** was difficult to defend, and that the soldiers on the front line would be repulsed by the Germans, he still demanded that these retreating soldiers be shot to death.
But Shulka didn't think so. In his eyes, those soldiers were brave fighters who fought bravely on the front line, and they shouldn't be treated unfairly like this.
As Shulka saw, all of those soldiers were wounded, some were slightly or heavily wounded, and some even had their left arms blown off, and they continued to fight with pistols with only rough bandages... Of course they were not coward.
After thinking about it, Shulka shouted at the retreating infantrymen: "You should stay and fight with us, you know what will happen when you go back!"
These words seemed to remind the infantry guards. After hesitating for a while, they jumped into the trenches of the 82nd Infantry Regiment one by one. Some even fled to the foot of the mountain, and returned to the battlefield when they saw this situation.
This also made Bavetkov look better.
"Very well!" said Bavetkov, "These cowards went where they were supposed to go!"
This has two meanings.
The battlefield is where they should go, and the unit of the 82nd Infantry Regiment is also where they should go.
At this time, a new change appeared on the battlefield: the Soviet infantry who fled back from time to time were mixed with a few German soldiers... They were chasing the Soviet army all the way up.
This is a common tactic used by both the enemy and the enemy. After defeating the enemy, they often do not kill the deserters. Even if they have the ability to do so, they follow the deserters and even drive them to attack the second line of defense, and then the third, The fourth way...
But Shulka doesn't need to worry about this.
Only a few "bang bang" gunshots came from behind, and the enemies among the Soviet soldiers fell down in response.
That is the sniper deployed in the rear.
With Vasily around, Shulka believes they can do it.
Sure enough, the German soldiers who followed behind were knocked down one by one, which made the follow-up German soldiers dare not act rashly.
At this time, Shulka ordered loudly: "Grenade!"
The soldiers guarding the ridge line immediately pulled and ignited the grenades one after another and threw them in the direction of the enemy.
The advantage of ridgeline positions is that they are "separated by a wall" from the enemy. This side is their own position and the other side is the enemy.
The grenade can be thrown to the enemy's position on the other side with a light throw, and there is no need to worry about the shrapnel hurting yourself.
The disadvantage is that you can't see the situation and goals on the other side.
But it doesn't really matter, because the enemy also doesn't know where the grenade will go.
The battlefield is sometimes all about luck.
(end of this chapter)