"Where is our nearest air support? Can we contact it?"
If artillery cannot be counted on, it can only rely on aircraft. Malashenko is not sure whether there will be fighter planes to support him when the battle is at its fiercest, which will directly affect the final decision.
"We have been contacted. There is a group of Figure 2 tactical bombers at the frontline field airport that just landed. This is the news ten minutes ago. You can apply for deployment, but it must be as soon as possible. If nothing else happens, they will have other missions. If it is later,
We won't be able to catch up any time soon."
Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division enjoys many privileges. In addition to priority in replenishing equipment and supplies and priority in trial use of new weapons, another very important privilege is to call for reinforcements in wartime. Whenever possible, there will be dispatchable personnel
Artillery or air support reinforcements will come over, but this must be done at least before this group of Figure 2 tactical bombers take off.
If reinforcements are called too late and there is no place to go and no planes to send, it will be useless even if Stalin’s 1st Guards Tank Division has special privileges. They can’t just conjure up a fleet of planes out of thin air for you to come for reinforcements.
?
Knowing that he didn't have much time to hesitate, Malashenko quickly thought about various situations in his mind, and whether to fight or take "conservative treatment" was just a thought.
"How's it going? What's your plan?"
Political Commissar Petrov asked questions from the side, reminding him of the time. Malashenko, whose eyes were rolling rapidly in his sockets, finally chose to speak again.
"Do it! Of course I have to do it, why not?"
"Taking action early may yield unexpected gains. Even a tentative attack is better than doing nothing."
"Contact the rear field airfield and send us this team of Figure 2 tactical bombers. Don't talk nonsense with them, just tell them to send the plane over quickly. This is the personal authorization from Comrade Vatutin."
Comrade Comrade Political Commissar nodded after hearing this without any objection. Malashenko has always been decisive in making major military decisions and has never been timid. There is nothing wrong with calling for air support. Commissar Petrov has no reason not to support him.
"If there's no problem, I'll make the arrangements myself. Is there anything else you want to say?"
"There's nothing else. I'm going to assemble the troops here. We'll set off immediately in ten minutes. The division's self-propelled artillery will also be ready. Although it's not as ready as the front-level artillery fire, it should be enough to cooperate with tactical air strikes.
"
Malashenko and his political commissar comrades split into two groups and acted separately. Fortunately, when Commissar Petrov’s urgent telegram arrived, the group of Figure 2 tactical bombers at the field airport had just been refueled and loaded.
Take off. The pilots were still in the camp next to the field airport, leading the new mission summary and preparing to attack, when the comrade commander in charge of the airport command broke in.
"Stop! There is a new task, and the old task summary is no longer needed! Use this new task summary, it's fast! You only have three minutes!"
Comrade Major, who was responsible for leading the team to attack, took over the new mission briefing and quickly reviewed it. He then raised his head and faced the group leader with a slightly disbelieving face.
"Are you sure there's no problem? Comrade Commander. What I mean is that the air raid coordinates marked here are the Germans' third defensive position. Didn't you just say that the comrades on the ground didn't even conquer the second position? Before and after.
In just ten minutes, isn’t the change too big?”
Comrade Major's questions were reasonable, but the regiment leader, who was obviously in a hurry and pressed for time, did not have time to explain so much to him.
"Why do you have so many questions? I asked you to give the mission briefing, not to ask questions. Can you do it? If you can't, just go away and let me come! This is a battle to support the leader's division. You
A bad guy!"
The comrade commander, who kept saying "Brute" so loudly, almost wanted to go berserk on the spot. It was almost the first time he saw the comrade commander get angry like this.
After saying the words, I was trembling on the spot, and I instantly understood the importance.
"Yes, yes, I'll tell you now! I understand, comrade leader."
As a pilot, you don’t have to understand the tanks on the ground, but if you don’t even understand the most famous tank unit in the motherland: the 1st Stalin Guards Tank Division, if you say you don’t know or haven’t heard of it, beware of being criticized by comrades from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Treated as a German spy with two swords, he was invited to dine at the Lubyanka Hotel.
The combat effectiveness of the troops is actually secondary at this moment. The important thing is that the 1st Stalin Guards Tank Division is the only unit in the entire Red Army with the name of leader. This is the only one who has shit like a scorpion! Brothers with a little bit of intelligence can do it.
I guess there is a special meaning behind this. This is also the reason why Comrade Leader is so anxious and angry.
Comrade Major gave a quick and simple explanation according to the content and mission objectives of the mission briefing. The Red Army pilots who were drinking water and listening did not even have time to calm down and take a breath.
As soon as I got off the plane, I came to listen to the mission briefing. I was about to take off again for an attack. The entire landing time was based on the time of the ground crew to refuel and reload. I couldn't delay it for more than half a minute. High-intensity continuous combat is so real.
"The above are the main points of the mission to be explained. In summary, we must rush to the sky over the designated area as quickly as possible after taking off, and quickly dump all the bombs we carry onto the enemy's third defensive position to open an attack for friendly forces on the ground.
Passage. This is a relatively close-range air strike. Be careful not to accidentally injure friendly troops. If you have any questions, you can ask them now. Who wants to talk?"
"...."
There was total silence in the camp. The pilots, clutching water bottles and dripping with sweat, were all staring at the major comrade who was explaining the briefing to them.
"No? Very good! Let's all take off and launch an attack!"
The Red Army pilots rushed out of the camp and ran as fast as possible to their respective fighter planes parked at the take-off position of the field runway. The corresponding ground support team responsible for refueling and loading the fighter planes was waiting beside the fighter planes.
"There is no problem with the bombs and fuel. Four 500kg bombs! There are some minor problems with the oil system and the flaps of the right main wing. After checking, there are no major problems. I will have to wait until you come back to repair them! Be careful along the way!"
The leader of the ground team was leaning on the escalator and lying beside the cockpit, loudly explaining the status of the fighter plane to the pilot. The two engines of the Figure 2 bomber were already running rapidly and had reached the maximum speed before taxiing for takeoff.
Knowing that he could no longer lie prone like this, the ground crew leader hurriedly stepped back and removed the escalator. When he raised his head, all he saw was the pilot's sudden thumbs up when he closed the hatch cover.