Chapter 403
When the 7th Armored Division fought with the 17th Soviet Division in Molodizno, the 20th Armored Division on the right wing also encountered the Soviet army in the Varoren area. After a day of fierce fighting, the counterattack of the 21st Infantry Army of the Soviet Army failed on its entire line.
Molodizno was less than 60 kilometers away from Minsk. Chasing the back of the retreating Soviet army, the twenty-five armored regiment led by Colonel Rosenberg rushed in and rushed towards the final target Minsk.
Wherever the marching column of the No. 4 tank passed, the Soviet army fled to the forests and bushes on both sides of the highway. The Soviet army, which had no time to hide, either surrendered, or was killed by German guns and cannons, and was surrounded by countless flies and mosquitoes.
In just over two hours, Colonel Rosenberg and his subordinates walked the last fifty kilometers, arrived in the northern suburbs of Minsk, and met with the Thirty-Seventh Reconnaissance Battalion.
Although it is about ten kilometers away from the city of Minsk, the Soviet army's tight defense line blocked the way for Colonel Rosenberg and his subordinates.
When Colonel Rosenburg found the battalion headquarters of the 37th Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Major Koch, the commander of the 37th Reconnaissance Battalion, was warmly entertaining two Soviet officers. Seeing these two Soviet officers with panda eyes and bloodshot noses, Colonel Rosenburg wisely chose to pretend not to see it.
Although the style of the reconnaissance battalion in entertaining Soviet officers is of the honor of being a morally vile person, special circumstances must be treated with special conditions. After all, the essence of war is to destroy the enemy with infinite violent means.
Seeing the arrival of his old friend Colonel Rosenberg, Major Koch warmly invited him to drink coffee.
There must be cowards in the beating. Colonel Rosenberg sat aside and did not even finish a cup of coffee with Major Koch. The sergeant who was responsible for entertaining two Soviet officers came to them and handed the confessions of the two Soviet friends to him.
"On the other side of us are the Second Army of the Thirteenth Army, with two divisions, the numbers are the 100th Division and the 161st Division. They are not many, but they have complete fortifications. Are we waiting for the subsequent troops to arrive before launching an attack?" Major Koch asked.
"After the infantry behind us catch up, we will immediately launch an attack to seize Minsk before dark." Colonel Rosenberg said.
"Okay, good luck. I will lead my troops to the east and northeast of Minsk to try my luck first. See if I can find loopholes in the enemy's defense line."
After drinking the remaining coffee in the cup, Colonel Rosenberg waved goodbye to Major Koch.
After studying the information obtained from torture of prisoners, Colonel Rosenberg learned that the front of the Soviet 161 Infantry Division was about 9 kilometers, with a position of about five kilometers deep, and an infantry regiment defending on the front line.
The 100 Infantry Division has a defensive front of 18 kilometers wide and a defensive position with a depth of 6 kilometers. The defensive forces deployed on the front line are two regiments.
As a veteran of armored warriors who have experienced many battles, Colonel Rosenberg knew that this position, which has both a strong military density and a certain degree of defense, was one of the enemies that armored soldiers were most reluctant to encounter.
After thinking for a while, Colonel Rosenberg made careful arrangements, and the time to wait for the subsequent infantry to arrive should not be wasted. He must take the lead in destroying the enemy's defensive positions and form psychological suppression on the defenders.
After some radio contact, Colonel Rosenberg recruited the god of artillery on the battlefield.
Four fi-282 hummingbird helicopters arrived at the battlefield one after another and wandered near the Soviet positions. The firepower of the division's 78th self-propelled artillery regiment immediately arrived, and dense shells fell on the breakthrough point he had chosen in advance like a meteor shower around the town of Rados.
Not long after the shelling began, the 16th Air Artillery Division of the SS, the unit responsible for providing firepower support to the Third Panzer Army, sent twelve Stuka dive bombers and eight me-109 fighters to the battlefield to provide support for the upcoming attack of the Seventh Panzer Division.
Stuka blew the shrill horn of Jericho and dived to the ground. Various types of bombs hit the defenders accurately. The me-109 fighter jets also lowered their heights, one after another, strafed the Soviet positions.
To Colonel Rosenberg's prediction, in the French Battle, when French soldiers and even British soldiers first encountered Stuka, they only heard the whistle of Stuka's dive bomber, or saw Stuka dive launching a dive and would be scared to death. They would lose the courage to resist and become deserters.
It was also the first time I encountered the bombing of Stuka dive bombers. The Soviet positions on the opposite side were almost unshakable, with only fierce anti-aircraft artillery fire.
The 37mm anti-aircraft gun, 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun, and light machine guns on the position, and even the muzzle of the **sand submachine gun are pointed towards the sky, and the rain of bullets fired into a fire net, guarding the positions.
A me-109 fighter and a Stuka dive bomber were hit one after another. Dragging black smoke, he flew westward from the battlefield.
A careless fi-282 helicopter flew too close to the Soviet position. Unfortunately, he was hit by an anti-aircraft shell and swung to the ground like a gyro, and a "hummingbird fall" was staged in front of the soldiers of the two armies.
In order to ensure their own safety, the other three hummingbird helicopters had to fly further away from the Soviet position.
Colonel Rosenberg looked up at the movement of the bomber group in the sky. When half of Stuka dived, he decisively issued an offensive order.
The first battalion commander Major Schultz raised his right arm three times in the air and decisively issued an order to "tank attack".
The fifty-seven tanks that the first battalion could use spewed white smoke, discharged a wedge column, and guided the infantry of a battalion to the north of Rados town.
When the last Stuka dive bomber completed the dive and raised the height again, Major Schultz's troops rushed to the Soviet position in Rados Town. The tank rushed in the front was only ten meters away from the landing point of the aviation bomb. Major Schultz saw the danger of the tank from afar and was very worried about the tank.
In the Soviet trenches, the windows of broken houses in the town of Rados, the attics and roofs, and in the bushes on the east and west sides of the town, there were Soviet soldiers everywhere, as well as fire-spouting muzzles and low 45mm anti-tank guns.
Although the losses were heavy under the attack of the German joint artillery fire, the defenders in the town of Rados did not lose the courage to resist. Faced with the No. 4 tank cluster that had already rushed in front of them, they did not fear, but squatted in the trenches and allowed the tank body to cross over their heads, and then threw out the moor bottle and cluster grenades under the strafing of German infantry.
The two Soviet infantry had just thrown out the mooring bottle, and were then knocked into honeycombs by flying bullets, twitching and falling into the trenches.
The molten bottles they threw at the cost of their lives hit the tank steel plate and shattered, and flammable liquid splashed on the power tank. Flames and black smoke enveloped the tank, and members of the two No. 4 tanks had to abandon their cars and flee.
A Soviet soldier had just raised the cluster grenade in his hand over his shoulder. Before he could throw it out, he was hit by a bullet flying from the side and died. The cluster grenade fell into the trench. Another Soviet soldier hurriedly picked up the cluster grenade and threw it out of the trench, breaking the track on the left side of a No. 4 tank.
With Soviet artillery bombardment and various anti-tank weapons, the first battalion led by Colonel Schultz paid the price of six tanks being destroyed and injured, and covered infantry rushing into the town of Rados. Street fighting broke out immediately.
With the support of the Grizzly Assault Guns, the houses guarded by the defenders in Rados were bombarded into rubble piles, and the defenders retreated step by step and were forced to retreat to the south of the town.
Seeing that the German infantry was about to sweep the entire town of Rados, a roar rang out in the basement of a farmhouse south of Rados: "The town of Rados is about to fall. Don't worry about us, don't be afraid of accidental injuries, fire the fire, fire the fire quickly."
The roar of the defending commander dispelled the concerns of the artillery in the rear. A muffled thunder sounded behind the 100th Division's position.
The explosion of the shells overwhelmed all the sounds, houses, streets, whether occupied by German or Soviet troops, were all covered by fierce artillery fire.
The Soviet soldiers in grass-green military uniforms and the German infantry in dark green military uniforms were all blinded by sudden artillery strikes, and no one on both sides expected that in this close combat field, artillery soldiers would be madly bombarded.
Near the landing point of the shell, whether it was Soviet soldiers or German soldiers, all of them were flying flesh and blood. Wherever shrapnel and shock waves passed, their flesh and blood were cut into pieces.
The broken military uniform was wrapped in pieces of flesh and blood splattered among the ruins. The flying helmet carried half of the head cut by shrapnel, and the town of Rados was covered with incomplete corpses.
The German army occupied most of the town of Rados, and at the same time, the losses were even heavier in this kind of shelling that was not distinguished from our enemy.
The Grizzly Assault Cannon, which was just too sharp, also lost its function at this time, and the infantry hurriedly reversed and retreated.
The reinforcements of the 100th Soviet Division rushed to the south of the town of Rados, launched a counterattack in time, and recaptured the town of Rados that the Germans abandoned.
In the north of Rados Town, Colonel Rosenberg was watching the battle. The entire battle was under his attention, and he was also shocked by the Soviet army's fighting style.
More than half an hour later, in the southeast of Rados Town, the second battalion commander also sent a battle report. The offensive to cut off the connection between Rados Town and the rear was also blocked by the Soviet army, and the battle was in a stalemate and he was unable to make progress for a long time.
The second battalion commander also reported that the Soviet army's artillery fire was fast and fierce, and there were too many shells that seemed to be used up. Although the Soviet army did not have strong anti-tank firepower, the German infantry suppressed by artillery could not move.
Losing infantry support, the tanks faced the Soviet positions alone, and changed from attack targets to hunted targets, and were defeated by Soviet mobilizers and cluster grenades.
After hesitating for a while, Colonel Rosenberg had to order the Second Battalion to withdraw from the battle as well.
The battle losses of the two battalions were quickly handed over to his hands, and Colonel Rosenberg saw them and burst into darkness.
In less than two hours of battle, the entire regiment actually lost fifteen tanks. At present, only 102 tanks can be used in the entire regiment, and the total loss has reached 98.
At this moment, Colonel Rosenberg received a call from the division commander Lieutenant General Fun Ke.
Walking to an armored communication vehicle, Colonel Rosenberg heard Lieutenant General Funke say, "I heard that your attack outside Minsk is not going well?"
"Who told you?" Colonel Rosenberg asked curiously. He had not sent the battle report to the division headquarters. In theory, Lieutenant General Fun Ke should not know.
"You forgot the helicopters on your head. Their mission is not only to find targets for artillery soldiers, but also to my eyes." Lieutenant General Funke said.
Colonel Rosenberg looked up at the helicopter in the sky, and then said, "Well, our first round of attacks did suffer heavy losses, and fifteen tanks alone lost."
After hearing Colonel Rosenberg briefly talk about the battle, Lieutenant General Funke said: "Since the enemy on the opposite side has strong fortifications, tenacious fighting spirit and powerful artillery, most importantly, the enemy also has an absolute advantage in number, should we think of other ways?"
"I am scouting the enemy's positions and looking for areas where the enemy's defense is weak." Rosenberg said.
General Funke said: "Your idea is right. General Guderian said that the armored division is a light sword, not a heavy warhammer, and it is not something we should do with brute force to smash the enemy's strong positions. Contact Major Koch of the reconnaissance battalion, and I think he will give you some advice."
Upon receiving the suggestion of Lieutenant General Funke, Colonel Rosenberg turned to contact the correspondent for the 30th Reconnaissance Battalion.
Before the connection was completed, Major Schultz suddenly ran to him.
Seeing Major Schultz's face full of anger, Colonel Rosenberg asked curiously: "What's the matter?"
"Col. You'd better come to the front line and see what the damn Russians are doing?" Major Schultz said.
Colonel Rosenberg hurriedly followed Major Schultz to the front of the position, hiding behind a bush to peek at the movements of Rados Town.
Two Soviet soldiers climbed onto a No. 4 tank at the entrance of the town, pulled the cluster grenade in their hands and stuffed it into the turret, then jumped out of the tank and hid in the trench next to them.
A thunderous explosion sounded in the No. 4 tank. The tank's turret soared into the sky, swirling and falling to the ground, lying on the ground with its back facing the sky.
Colonel Rosenberg immediately guessed that the cluster grenade detonated the ammunition in the tank, which led to such a thrilling scene. He was very familiar with this scene, but most of the scenes he had seen before happened on French tanks and Russian tanks.
"The tank was just broken and abandoned. We could only give up for the time being. We originally wanted to wait until the town was occupied before recycling, but we didn't expect the Russians to do this." Major Schultz said angrily.
"This is normal, we will do this when we encounter similar situations." Colonel Rosenberg said.
While the two were talking in a low voice, another strange scene appeared.
The three people walked out of the town, led by a Soviet soldier, and the one walking at the end was also a Soviet soldier, while the one walking in the middle was a German soldier.
The German soldier was not wearing a steel helmet, his face was covered with blood. When he walked, he exerted force on his left leg and dragged his right leg to the ground, which was obviously injured.
What are they going to do? A question mark emerged in the minds of Colonel Rosenberg and Major Schultz.
The Soviet soldier escorted the German wounded soldier to a burning No. 4 tank. The Soviet soldier behind him kicked the German wounded soldier's left leg and kicked the wounded soldier to the ground.
An outrageous scene appeared in the telescopes of the two. Two Soviet soldiers picked up the rifles in their hands and stabbed them hard at the fallen German soldiers. After they called and struggled for a while, they lay on the ground and stopped moving.
After stabbing the wounded German soldiers to death, the two Soviet soldiers were still unsatisfied. They worked together to pick up the bodies on the ground and throw them on the engine compartment of the burning No. 4 tank.
A moment later, the military uniform and hair on the body were lit first. Although it was far away, Colonel Rosenberg seemed to smell a barbecue, driven by anger.
"Let's start an attack. It's too much to kill the Russians." Major Schultz shouted angrily.
Colonel Rosenberg was also indignant and almost blurted out that he agreed to Major Schultz's proposal.
A voice came from behind him.
"Col. Major Koch of the Reconnaissance Battalion asked to speak to you."
Five minutes later, Colonel Rosenberg recruited Major Schultz to the communication vehicle.
"The reconnaissance battalion discovered loopholes in the enemy's defense line, and we must transfer it to support the reconnaissance battalion. We have to wait for the revenge of that comrade."
Seeing Major Schultz still full of anger, Colonel Rosenberg said, "Don't worry, I will not forget the blood debt owed by the enemy, we will come back."
Half an hour later, the 25th Armored Regiment embarked on the journey again and turned around and drove north. (To be continued.)
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Chapter completed!