Chapter 304: The essential

Chapter 304 key

The Germans initially chose to surrender, blowing up the tanks as usual and waiting for the arrival of the Soviets.

From this point of view, it would be even better for them to fight the Soviets at the Sopak unorganized defense line.

But who knows?

Most of the German officers and soldiers did not have the idea of ​​fighting the enemy one by one, so that the enemy would have less combat power.

They look more at the results of the battle. If the battle can be won or even hoped to be won or they think they can win, then they will insist on fighting.

But if they think that it is meaningless to continue fighting, and they cannot change the situation of the battle except to die more people, then they will choose to surrender.

For example now... In fact, the conditions of the enemy and the enemy have not changed. Major General Andreas can still return to Sopak's unorganized defense line to fight, and he can still fight according to his own ideas instead of Guderian's.

The problem is that the German army's thinking is different: it thought it could win, but now it knows that the battle will be lost.

So, the German army put down their weapons in batches and surrendered to the Fourth Tank Brigade.

When Shulka and others arrived, it was obvious that the Germans had made some attempts: they drove the tanks off the road, hoping to use the tank tracks to create a passage beside the road, but they obviously failed.

There are indeed very few anti-tank mines beside the road, but anti-personnel mines are not something that tracks can withstand for a long time.

There are also some infantry who hope to advance through minefields while detecting mines...but they also fail. As mentioned before, the temperature drop freezes the wooden shell mines, which makes them harder to detect and harder to detonate. .

This can be seen from the wreckage of tank kings and corpses beside the road.

In the end, the German soldiers had no choice but to surrender.

"Shuerka!" Just as Shurka was watching the tanks that were ignited by the Germans like torches, the instructor at the other end called out: "We have called a major general!"

It is not uncommon for Shulka to capture a major general, and he even thinks that it will not make much difference whether it is a major general or a second lieutenant, because they usually cannot provide more valuable information... After all, the 3rd Armored Division has been fully The army was wiped out.

But Shulka still walked towards the instructor.

Sure enough, it was a major general of the German army, standing in front of the guns of the Soviet army with his chest upright.

German officers usually behave like this when they are captured. Shulka doesn’t know if this is to show his fearlessness or the glory of the imperial soldiers or something else... Shulka only knows that the Soviets don’t care about these, they will be sent to Going to Siberia to withstand the baptism of the cold wind, it is the real ability to hold your head high and think you are noble.

"We don't know what he's talking about!" said the instructor, "He seems to be very interested in demining tanks!"

Shuerka took a serious look, and sure enough, he saw that the major general was looking at the demining tank.

"Any questions?" Shulka asked in English.

Major General looked up at Shulka, smiled wryly, and replied: "You may not believe it, just now, I hoped to get such a tank!"

"I believe it!" Shulka replied: "Because you didn't, you became our captives!"

"Obviously, you have improved the previous mine-sweeping tank!" The major general said:

"It's a very clever creation, you used it to successfully defeat us!"

Shulka did not answer him, but said to him: "You should go with them, general, and good luck!"

Major General shook his head and asked, "Do you think I will still have the so-called 'good luck'?"

Shulka was speechless, it seemed that the major general already knew what was waiting for him.

The major general was quickly taken away by the soldiers, but for some reason he left a deep impression on Shulka... At the moment of being captured, he was not thinking about his own fate, but was looking at the demining tank. Equipment urgently needed by the German army.

Perhaps this is what a professional soldier should do. What they care more about is not their own life or death, but the key to victory or defeat in a war. They will eagerly want to know or take a look at this key.

Shuerka even believed that the reason why the major general surrendered with the others was to take this opportunity to take a closer look at the demining tank.

This victory, the Fourth Tank Brigade no longer cheered.

They seem to be used to victory... Although there were actually a series of open and secret battles behind this victory, and there were even many twists and turns, the soldiers didn't know this. They only knew that they defeated the enemy easily this time.

"Retreat!" Following the order of Major Zakhakovic, the Fourth Tank Brigade walked back along the road. As usual, they had to rush back to Moscow before dawn.

As for the defense of this area, leave it to the Civil Defense Division.

After learning that the 3rd Armored Division had surrendered, Guderian called von Bock: "We have been fooled, Marshal! The 3rd Armored Division is surrounded by the enemy, I am afraid few people will be able to escape back!"

Von Bock was silent for a while, and then asked: "Why is this happening? Is our information wrong?"

"No, Your Excellency the Marshal!" Guderian replied: "The information you have obtained is very likely to be accurate, because the number of Russian tanks is indeed limited. We think there are only thirty or so, which is not much different from the number in the intelligence. in and out!"

"What's the problem?" Von Bock said.

Von Bock felt a little guilty about this failure, because he had been urging Guderian to attack from the beginning to the end.

"The problem lies in their new equipment!" Guderian replied in frustration: "They invented a mine-sweeping tank that can quickly clear mines, so the minefields are useless to them... I didn't consider this, otherwise, the tank will be the first The Fourth Brigade has more than 30 tanks, I am afraid it will be difficult to stop the 3rd Armored Division, no matter how bad it is, the 3rd Armored Division will die with them!"

"How many tanks did you destroy?" Von Bock asked.

"Maybe only five, maybe more, I don't know!"

Von Bock was bitter for a while, the 3rd Armored Division... more than a hundred tanks only got five enemy tanks in exchange.

"I think there is only one way now, Your Excellency the Marshal!" Guderian said: "Attack under the cover of the air force during the day, prepare for defense before dark, and block the position with a large number of mines to prevent the enemy from counterattacking! Fight steadily... the Russians T34 is very limited, and if they are consumed like this, they will soon lose their combat effectiveness!"

Von Bock nodded, and then said: "So, do you want me to assign the air force to your direction to cooperate with you in combat?"

"No, Your Excellency the Marshal!" Guderian replied: "I think Volokolamsk is more suitable for attacking!"

(end of this chapter)