Chapter 1676 The choice between static and dynamic
Chapter 1676 The choice between stillness and movement
As Malashenko thought, the political commissar did have a complete grasp of the latest situation first-hand, and gave the answer without much hesitation.
"The northern front that Lavri is responsible for is progressing more smoothly than ours. Just when you rushed to the position, Lavri sent a good news that the battle was over. Their casualties were slight, and their technical equipment was almost not lost. The enemy
The defensive strength of the northern position is not strong, especially the lack of anti-tank guns, and the battle to collapse is faster than the flood of the border."
"The situation on the southern front commanded by Kurbalov is a little more complicated. The minefield clearing effect of the rocket launcher units of the front army is not very good. Those Katyushas only cleared more than half of the anti-tank mines, and there was still a small section of minefields left.
Kulbalov and the others caused some trouble."
"But fortunately, the Germans suffered heavy losses from the shelling and failed to effectively take advantage of the favorable defensive opportunity delayed by the minefield. By the time the Germans set up the cannon, Kulbalov and the others were already along the edge of the minefield.
We rushed over forcefully and quickly broke through the position."
"The casualties were a little larger, but only about four to five hundred people. Most of them were accompanying friendly infantry units, not infantry from our division. The number of tank losses was also relatively high, but most of them were caused by mines blowing off their tracks.
, a total of less than 20 vehicles were damaged in the battle. Kulbalov was so anxious that he rushed through the last minefield at full speed, just to buy time.
"Karamov has already led people for emergency repairs. Within an hour, the broken tracks can be reattached and the tank can move. After the maintenance equipment has been replaced, this guy has a lot more confidence to speak. Do you plan to start with
Wait, or should we immediately prepare for the next wave of attacks? Our scheduled combat missions for today have been completed, and the front army headquarters has not yet issued new orders."
According to the combat order issued in advance by the front army headquarters, Malashenko's Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division needs to capture the first and second defensive positions of the German enemy in front of them within today. This is the minimum task.
Target.
Reconnaissance intelligence showed that no less than three divisions of German troops were deployed on these two defensive positions, but they were all infantry and no armored troops.
The Germans have placed their armored units further back and are ready to take action. It seems that they do not want to rush into use as soon as the battle breaks out. For the sake of safety, they have become the priority of Army Group Center.
.
The strength of the three infantry divisions seems small, but considering that Army Group Center has been operating here for a long time, it has built many non-permanent defense facilities, anti-tank minefields, etc. It is also possible to quickly mobilize reinforcements at any time during the battle.
There are indeed too many uncertainties due to factors such as the formation of troops and the tug-of-war for positions based on refueling tactics.
The minimum mission goals scheduled in the combat order are neither higher nor lower, and the difficulty is moderate. This is the consensus reached in advance between Malashenko and Political Commissar Petrov.
But judging from the current situation, both Malashenko, Political Commissar Petrov, and even Vatutin have obviously overestimated the defensive strength of Army Group Center, and also underestimated it.
The powerful assault energy contained in Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division.
After defeating two defensive positions in a devastating manner, there was still more than half a day left. Malashenko, who was racing against time, did not want to play a sit-down war, so he stayed here doing nothing, waiting for Vatutin's follow-up order.
You must do something meaningful within your scope of authority that can seize time and opportunity.
"How is the situation on other fronts? How is the progress of friendly forces on the southern and northern flanks of our division?"
Malashenko felt that if he guessed correctly, Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division was probably the unit with the fastest assault speed and the most rapid progress. The strategic situation of Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division should be as follows
It is a protruding part embedded in the area actually controlled by the German army.
Although this protrusion is in an unstable state of relative motion, it may be tied up at any time due to the smooth breakthrough of friendly forces on the north and south fronts. But if you plan to take action next and continue to attack forward, then the current offensive of friendly forces will
Progress is crucial.
Malashenko did not want to sneak into the depth defense of the Germans because he was too fierce and his teammates were too aggressive. He was unable to retreat and became a "nail house" surrounded by the Germans from three sides, including the front and the north and south wings.
The worse situation is not impossible. If it encounters another wave of armored counterattacks by the Germans pretending to be pigs and eating tigers, even Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division may be in danger of capsizing.
You must know that this is a super-large battle organized by several front-level troops. Both the enemy and ourselves have invested an unprecedented amount of troops. Operation Bagration is the largest super battle on the Eastern Front battlefield so far, even in terms of organization
The extraordinary Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division was still as insignificant as a lonely boat in the sea in such a huge super battle.
Malashenko, who knew how capable he was and how much he weighed, thought it would be better to play it safe first. It was not the right time to act recklessly. The truth of knowing oneself and knowing the enemy and being victorious never goes out of date, so be clear about the present moment.
The correct choice is to make a decision based on the situation on the battlefield, and the answer from the political commissar did not make Comrade Ma wait too long.
"In general, the progress is going smoothly, but relatively speaking, the offense is blocked. You know who this "relative" target is, so I don't need to explain any more."
"...."
Malashenko, who was speechless, also didn't beep more. Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division charged the hardest and had the fastest attack speed. It has long been a normal phenomenon. Malashenko was more concerned about the political commissar.
What is Comrade's prediction of the entire situation?
"Based on the rest of the day and the current situation, my suggestion is to at most test the attack distance to the next defensive position. At the same time, we should be prepared to respond to the arrival of enemy reinforcements and counterattacks at any time. This is how we proceed.
The premise is that there is no greater breakthrough by friendly forces on the north and south wings."
The next German defensive position shown on the map is five kilometers away. It is a hilly area with undulating terrain. The German army can deploy defensive positions at commanding heights and occupy a high altitude advantage. It is relatively easy to defend and difficult to attack.
What's more important is that the location of the third defensive position on the map has exceeded the fire support range of the field artillery group of the front army. Most of the field artillery groups that have just carried out artillery preparations are currently moving their positions and advancing to new positions.
Combat position and replenish ammunition, there is no way to provide support to Malashenko in a short time.
Even the artillery units that remained and had not yet been transferred were unable to provide artillery support because they were not within range.
This means that if Malashenko does not receive any other support, such as air support, this third defensive position will have to be firmly gnawed on with his head and teeth.
The deeper the enemy's defense in depth attacks, the stronger the force configuration and the more technical equipment. However, the firepower of the division's self-propelled artillery units under his own command cannot be compared with the front-level strategic artillery group, and the effect of the attack is completely
Not on the same level, far from it.
If there is a fight, it will definitely be a battle that is more difficult and more intense than the previous two battles combined.
In the end, it was better to take a step forward and take a piece of meat from the German.
To be on the safe side, we should hold on to the two occupied positions and wait for orders.
With his hands on the front hood of the Gas Jeep, Comrade Ma fell into deep thought for a moment while staring at Comrade Lao Ma, who had a war zone map spread out in front of him.