Chapter 519 Glider
At this time, the Soviet army still had two distinct strata to some extent.
One is an ordinary soldier. They fight the enemy to death on the battlefield, and they only think about surviving or killing the enemy every day.
The other is the officer class, they are more concerned about how to obtain military exploits and then get promoted.
It should be said that this boundary was more obvious before that, but now it is becoming more and more blurred because of the war.
The reason why it becomes blurred is because the promotion of an officer is directly linked to the victory on the battlefield and not other things.
Mehlis is an extreme, Major Akimovich is somewhere between the lines... His goal is still the same as before with regard to promotion, but at the same time he wants to be a hero like Shulka to gain the support of the soldiers, Or it can be said that it is the pursuit of a certain sense of honor.
"You don't need to learn to be like me, Comrade Akimovich!" Shulka sat up and said to him: "You just need to be yourself, then bravely fight the enemy, and try to defeat them. Then One day, when you look back, you will find that the soldiers will discuss you in the same tone!"
Akimovich nodded half-understood, and said, "However, by then I will find that those are meaningless to me, right?"
"Yes!" Shulka nodded.
Then the two laughed at the same time.
This can be said to be a kind of irony, getting what you want but finding that it doesn't make sense.
What Shulka didn't say is... what's more important is actually being able to live to that moment.
At this moment, Andrianka came up, and he reported to Shulka: "The request has been sent to the command as planned!"
Shulka nodded.
The "request" here does not refer to the request of the "cemetery project"...Andrianka named this project "cemetery project".
Of course, it is impossible for the Army Command to know this.
However, there may be some errors.
For example, the Soviet artillery may provide fire cover for the 82nd Infantry Regiment and aim the muzzle at the cemetery. When a batch of shells fly from the rear and hit the 82nd Infantry Regiment, it will be wronged.
So Shulka made a false defense plan.
To be precise, it cannot be said to be "false", because it followed this plan before that, but it is not an end but a process.
In this plan, Shulka demanded that all shelling by the army in the direction of Mamayev Post should be organized and contact the 82nd Infantry Regiment in advance.
"We may launch a counterattack!" Mikhailvich reported: "And if the artillery is bombing the enemy at this time, it will cause unnecessary accidental injuries!"
This is a normal coordination between infantry and artillery, so Golikov agreed without thinking too much.
Then, the 82nd Infantry Regiment deployed two lines of defense.
Actually, that's not a line of defense...the Soviet army set up a lot of mines, barbed wire and roadblocks.
Throughout the afternoon, the logistics troops were almost transporting these things, and then the 82nd Infantry Regiment arranged them in the ruins one by one.
The ruins and the roadblocks turned the hospital and the school into a difficult jungle, but the jungle is not made of trees, but broken walls, mines, wire and needles.
At the same time, it can be seen that the German army was also preparing, because transport planes flew over Mamayev Post one batch after another and then dropped supplies downward, and occasionally a few gliders appeared.
Compared to transport aircraft airdrops, the benefits of glider are obvious... Its cost is very low, almost a steel frame plus a layer of skin.
But the amount of material it can load is very large, because it can be airdropped instead of airdropped like a transport plane.
If there are any shortcomings, it is that its defense is too weak, and its speed is not fast. A few machine guns can pose a big threat to it.
Therefore, when the glider flies over the airspace near the hospital, the German army will always use artillery to cover the hospital for a while.
Its purpose is obvious, which is to cover the delivery of the glider supplies to the German army on Mamayev Post.
"They're going to attack tonight!" Shulka said.
"Tonight?" Akimovich was a little disbelieving: "Night battles are not suitable for the Germans, I think they will wait until tomorrow!"
"Although I think the same as Akimovich!" Andrianka said: "But why do I feel that I am wrong!"
"You should get used to this!" Mikhailvich said with a smile. "I don't need to think about it so much, I just need to know... Shulka is right! Yes, they will attack tonight !"
"I want to know the reason, Comrade Captain!" Akimovich asked a little unconvinced: "Why do you think the Germans will attack at night? They will lose their air and tank advantages!"
"Even during the day, their tanks and air superiority are difficult to exert in the ruins!" Shulka replied: "We can hide in the basement and sewers to avoid bombing, and it is also difficult for tanks to come in! The war has been fought until now, They already know that!"
Akimovich nodded, but he still objected: "But it doesn't mean they will attack at night!"
"If you don't want to attack at night..." Shulka raised his head towards the glider that was flying to Mamayev Kurgan in the distance, and said, "Then why did they take the risk of using the glider to deliver supplies?"
Then Akimovich understood.
"Are they preparing for the night's attack?" Akimovich asked in surprise.
"Of course!" Shulka said, "it will be difficult for them to drop supplies to Mamayev Kurgan after dark. On the other hand, if they want to wait until dawn, they still have a whole day to drop supplies. Gliders are needed. There's only one possibility they're in a hurry to use them...they're going to wipe us out tonight and open up the supply lines!"
Akimovich nodded, he had to admit that Shulka's analysis was reasonable.
Shulka guessed right.
German 29th Motorized Infantry Division Commander Andreas couldn't wait any longer.
It can't be said that he was impatient, but that Mamayev Gang was under too much pressure.
Mamayev Gang is such an important place that both the enemy and the enemy are fighting for it at all costs.
Although the German army has occupied the Mamayev Gang, the problem with the German army is the lack of supplies.
If you wait until tomorrow, the Russian army may gather enough troops to attack Mamayev Gang.
At that time, the German army will be like the previous situation, unable to pinch hospitals and schools in order to cope with the Russian attack.
So, Major General Andreas decided to take advantage of the victory just now, replenish enough ammunition for Mamayev Post, and then get rid of those guys stationed in the hospital and school tonight.
Only in this way can the German army really occupy Mamayev Gang.
(end of this chapter)