Chapter 206 Morale
The secrecy measures will be implemented immediately as Colonel Katukov said.
First, the soldiers are separated from the workers in the factory... Originally, the tank soldiers had to learn the tank production process and basic maintenance with the workers, but now all of them are over, and the maintenance courses are continued by the more outstanding tank soldiers and engineers in the army.
The second is that the training ground is isolated.
Because there is nothing to keep secret about the original training, workers can enter and leave the training ground relatively freely.
But now, a wall of sandbags has been piled up on the entire periphery, and sentries are standing guard one by one with live ammunition.
Katukov even decided not to report this method.
The reason is... If it is reported, then the Supreme Command will definitely spread this method to other troops, and the result will immediately spread to the German army.
"But..." Major Gavrilov asked with some concern: "If the Supreme Command pursues responsibility, how should we explain it?"
"This is nothing but a spontaneous practice of the soldiers!" Katukov replied: "We didn't know it was so important that it was worth reporting to the Supreme Command!"
This is certainly not true, but it seems to make sense.
"But this may affect the combat effectiveness of other troops!"
"Maybe!" Katukov replied, "but most of their tanks are on the defensive line, they hardly use this method. Instead, the Germans are on the offensive... No, we can't let them know! "
Major Gavrilov nodded in agreement, and at the same time glanced at Shulka, as if to say that the method invented by Shulka even brought a threat to Moscow.
Shuerka could only spread his hands innocently. He didn't expect such a side effect at the time.
But these confidentiality measures are actually not necessary.
First of all, it is because the units that produce tanks at the Stalingrad Tractor Factory have implemented strict secrecy systems, and these systems are still very successful. Because the German army had never known that the Soviet army had T34 tanks until they encountered them on the battlefield.
Secondly, the training of the Fourth Tank Brigade did not last for a week, that is, seven to seven.
On the afternoon of the fifth day, when Shuerka and others were still explaining and getting more familiar with the use of self-rescue logs, the whistle for assembly sounded.
Without waiting for Shulka to ask, the instructor walked up to Shulka with a pale face and said, "The enemy has surrounded Vyazma!"
The instructor does not need to participate in troop training. In the past few days, he has been handling the review of the troop's integration into the Fourth Tank Brigade.
"How many people are surrounded?" Shulka asked.
"670,000!" The instructor replied: "Even more!"
That was the 19th, 20th, 24th and 32nd Army of the Soviet Army.
This seems to be inevitable, because as mentioned before, the Soviet army lacks fast mobile units for flexible mobile defense. Then, as long as the enemy concentrates superior forces to open two gaps from the defense line and advance in depth... a circle of encirclement will naturally be formed.
But 670,000, which is more than half of the troops guarding Moscow, which means that the enemy has opened the gate to Moscow, but Moscow is almost undefended.
Therefore, the training of the 4th Tank Brigade is of course over, otherwise it will be like what Colonel Katukov said...Moscow will be breached before the training is completed.
The Fourth Tank Brigade assembled urgently and drove to the train station.
The itinerary was so rushed that there was no time to carry heavy equipment other than tanks... Cars, artillery, anti-tank guns, etc. were all lost in Stalingrad. Tanks are a must. If it doesn't bring it, there will be no tank fourth brigade.
The 333rd Regiment received information that the heavy equipment would be replenished in Moscow, but in reality Moscow was also in a state of shortage of equipment... It was even unbelievable that even rifles were lacking.
The reason for the lack of rifles is mainly because batches of troops were defeated and captured, and batches of armed people in Moscow were armed in the rear. The non-stop transportation of railway lines could not satisfy this huge amount of ammunition, Transportation requirements such as troops and equipment.
The fourth tank brigade is divided into two trains.
The station was so busy that all kinds of supplies and goods bound for Moscow were piled up, as well as stevedores, troops sent to the front line, etc., so that the ranks of the fourth tank brigade were dispersed, and the tanks also needed the police to open the way to maintain them, otherwise It was impossible to move an inch at all.
Then the tank soldiers were busy slowly driving the tank onto the flatbed along the slope, and fixed the tank on the flatbed with steel cables and triangular blocks. After working for several hours, they finally set off before dark in the evening.
"How many tanks do we have?" Shulka asked.
Since he was incorporated into the 4th Tank Brigade, he has been busy training, so he doesn't know some basic information about the troops, even the establishment.
"A total of 72!" The instructor replied: "There are 17 more in Moscow, withdrawn from the front line!"
Shuerka nodded, the total number is 89, although not many, but all of them are T34, which is also a good armored force.
"They belong to two tank battalions!" The instructor continued: "The 8th and 9th battalions of the 4th Tank Regiment! The other is the 333rd Mechanized Infantry Regiment, and there is also an anti-aircraft artillery battalion!"
An anti-aircraft artillery battalion is a must for armored units... Tanks are most afraid of the enemy's air power, so they must have anti-aircraft firepower.
"Comrade instructor!" Leonyev asked, "Is the situation very bad?"
The instructor wanted to say something, but didn't know how to say it, because according to their usual practice, they should only say good things and not bad things, and then mobilize morale.
But this set will obviously not work now, because everything will be exposed when they arrive in Moscow.
"Yes!" Shulka replied instead: "The situation is indeed very bad, and hundreds of thousands of us are surrounded by the enemy!"
In an instant, the carriage fell into silence, only the sound of the train "cracking".
"But..." Shulka continued: "Which one of the battles we experienced was in a good situation? Brest? Or Kyiv?
No, comrades! As you all know, every time it's 'the situation is very bad', every time, we thought we couldn't live in this world, but we survived in the end, until now! So, do you think this time will be an exception? "
"No, Comrade Company Commander!"
"Do you think the Germans can beat us?"
"No, Comrade Company Commander!"
"Do you think anyone can defeat the 333rd regiment?"
"No, Comrade Company Commander!"
The voices of the soldiers became louder and louder, and finally it even affected the soldiers in other cars to shout together.
"Very good!" Shulka nodded with satisfaction: "Comrades, remember one thing: we are not going to defend Moscow, we are going to teach those Germans a lesson!"
The soldiers let out a loud cry like a beast, and their morale was quickly mobilized.
(end of this chapter)