Chapter 391: withdrawal

Chapter 391 Retreat

The artillery headquarters was breached by the Soviets in a few minutes, and it was Pukarev who commanded the battle, not Shulka, because Shulka didn't think it was a headquarters at all... Rzhev has too much of that This is just one of the buildings defended by the remnants of the German army.

At this time, Shulka was commanding a platoon of troops to harass the German defense line from the rear, which accelerated the collapse of the German army because they believed that they were flanked by the enemy on both sides.

Then, a communicator ran up to Shulka... At this time, the Soviet army generally did not have a radio station at the company level, and communication mainly relied on communicators, signal flags, or telephone lines. Of course, there was no telephone line at this time. time and conditions.

"Comrade Captain!" The signalman reported: "Comrade Pukarev thinks you should go and see him. We captured a building, probably the artillery headquarters!"

"Artillery Command?" Shulka's eyes lit up involuntarily.

Following the communicators to the three-story building, Shulka found that it was indeed an artillery headquarters as Pukarev said, which can be seen from the many German officers in the corpses.

"I lead three platoons to attack here!" Pukarev reported: "At first, I thought that many Germans gathered because the building was easy to defend and difficult to attack. I didn't expect this to be a headquarters!"

One platoon lays down a building defended by a guard company. This was unimaginable before, and a platoon would be shot by German machine guns in minutes.

However, with the bazooka, things are reversed.

Those German machine gunners placed in the window were knocked down by rocket launchers one after another before they even saw the target... The machine gunner may not be obvious, but the window is too obvious. The rocket launcher shooter only needs to aim at the window.

Went to the second floor, and there were corpses and documents scattered on the floor.

Shuerka picked up one at random. Although he couldn't read German, he could understand the sketches drawn on it.

"Organize and protect these documents!" Shulka immediately ordered: "Just like protecting your women!"

"Yes, Captain!" Pukarev stood up and immediately ordered to his subordinates: "Did you hear that? Protect these documents!"

The soldiers hurriedly bent down to pick up the documents, and the Cossack said while picking them up: "But Comrade Captain, I usually punch my women!"

The people around couldn't help but "coax" and laughed.

The next thing was simple. Shulka immediately found a German-speaking translator to interpret those documents, and at the same time urgently called up the artillery.

The artillery was actually ready before that, because it was expected that a batch of German artillery would be captured after the victory of this battle.

The problem is that the Soviet army only prepared one artillery battalion. The fact is that the Soviet army captured fifty-three howitzers in Rzhev. These artillery pieces are enough for an artillery regiment.

The result was that Katukov immediately asked a Soviet artillery regiment to abandon its artillery and rush to Rzhev.

All the process was not completed until one hour later...The movement and coordination of the Soviet army is relatively slow, which is impossible.

Then, batches of shells poured towards the German fortifications on the coordinates.

The news soon spread to the headquarters of the Ninth Army. Before Model returned to the headquarters, the staff officer reported: "Rzhev has fallen, and our fortifications and warehouses near Rzhev have been attacked by the Russians." bombing!"

Model knew what this meant, which meant that the Russians not only occupied Rzhev, but also seized the artillery and documents he had placed in Rzhev, which is why the Russian army was able to bomb accurately in the dark.

After thinking about it, Model ordered: "Order the reinforcements to stop advancing!"

"General..."

"Bring them back!" Model said in an unquestionable tone: "We have already lost, don't hope for Rzhev anymore, it will only make our loss worse!"

Model is rational. With Rzhev's terrain, the Soviet army has successfully used artillery, and it also has the "Matilda" tank, which the German anti-tank guns can't do anything about. The Soviet army can easily use it Tanks built a steel defense line that the Germans could not break through, and then ruthlessly bombarded any enemy who tried to attack Rzhev with artillery, just as the Germans had done to the Soviets before.

"If Rzhev falls into enemy hands..." Colonel Krebs asked Model.

Model knew what Colonel Krebs meant.

Rzhev is not just a small town problem, but also a problem of commanding heights and artillery advantages. Once it fell, the German defense line that had been so hard to close would be torn open...a hole with a radius of ten kilometers around Rzhev.

This will expose the flanks of the 23rd Army and the 27th Army on the left and right flanks to the front of the Soviet army.

"Retreat!" Model ordered with a sullen face: "Retreat fifteen kilometers!"

"Then those Russian troops who were surrounded..."

"Open a gap in the north!" Model ordered: "Let them break through!"

"Yes!" Colonel Krebs responded.

Doing so was a helpless move, otherwise, when the Soviet army attacked in front of the German defense line, the German army would face the dilemma of being attacked from inside and outside, and it would not be as simple as giving up fifteen kilometers.

However, the German army also conditionally allowed the besieged Russian army to break through.

On the one hand, this is because the German army is not reconciled, and on the other hand, it is because if the Russian army is allowed to break through with heavy equipment, those tanks, cars, anti-tank guns, etc. will inevitably pose a great threat to the German army, and even get a batch of supplies After a U-turn, it can become the main force to attack or even encircle the German army.

Therefore, the German army destroyed the road, set up mines, and roadblocks before opening the gap, so that the Soviet army could only break through with light equipment.

This is no problem for the Soviet army, because they were already surrounded and lacking supplies. The tanks were short of fuel and shells. Even if the German army asked them to drive, they might not be able to drive back.

So with an order, the Soviet army blew up the heavy equipment and broke out.

"Congratulations, Comrade Shulka!" Katukov immediately called Shulka: "You have succeeded again, I just received the news that our besieged troops have broken out !"

"Thank you, Comrade Katukov!" Shulka replied: "This is the honor of our 1st Guards Tank Brigade!"

"We don't need to say such kind words between us, Comrade Shulka!" Katukov said: "We all know that without your wisdom and courage, the 1st Guards Tank Brigade would have hardly won this battle , or even if you can win, you have to pay a heavy price!"

"So..." Shulka replied: "This is why I'm trying to find a way, because I, too, may be part of the 'heavy price'!"

Katukov on the other end of the phone burst out laughing.

(end of this chapter)