Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division brought enough defensive weapons and went out in full force. Moreover, the heroic leader division was not fighting alone. Some advance troops of the friendly infantry divisions following Malashenko's coordinated attack had already arrived.
Assist in defense.
Although Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division rushed too hard and was seriously out of touch, a considerable part of the friendly forces are still lagging behind and are still on the way. However, some of the more mechanized infantry in trucks have already arrived.
, the number is not much, but no matter how small the mosquitoes are, they are still meat. It is always a good thing to have more strength to assist in defense.
This was the result of Vatutin asking the infantry division following behind to use all the vehicles at hand to rush to the front theater as quickly as possible to assist the defense of Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division. It was highly mechanized and carried heavy equipment.
The Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division, equipped with firepower, does not lack firepower, but it lacks infantry, which is the backbone of defensive operations.
It is really difficult for Malashenko's own regiment to take on the leading role. In wars these days, especially defensive operations, the number of people is still an extremely important factor in determining the outcome and cannot be ignored. Unite all those at hand who can unite
The infantry force will greatly assist Malashenko's dynamic defensive operations.
The infantry defense force deployed on the position can be divided into two parts. The Varosha Infantry Regiment occupies a minority and is the elite backbone of the infantry defense system, playing the core role. The advance troops of other friendly infantry divisions account for the majority of the infantry defense force.
The absolute main force on the battlefield, to withstand the Germans' assault offensive mainly depends on whether they fight well enough.
"I hope our comrades in the friendly forces can hold on, otherwise when the occupation worsens, we will have to support them, but we don't have the time."
The deputy commander was a little worried about the combat effectiveness of the assisting defense troops sent by the friendly infantry divisions. It was difficult for people to feel at ease with those ordinary infantry troops who still held Mosin Nagants, Boboshas, and even rare SVT40s in their hands. Especially.
But on the premise of not knowing much about their fighting will and morale, and on the premise of cooperation for the first time, the situation will become more serious.
"The third battalion is left here just to deal with this. Don't worry too much. We can't say whether the Germans can defeat them or not."
After hearing this, the deputy leader smiled and shook his head. Although he said that, it was obvious that the actual pressure in his heart was not too great.
"But you said that the Germans might have three or four armored divisions to attack us today. Are you really not worried at all?"
Varosha, holding a telescope in his hand, was still standing at the command and observation position of the forward command post, looking at the position where the battle was about to begin.
The commander of the infantry regiment is prohibited from going up to the trenches with broken guns to command operations. This is Malashenko's explicit and fatal order to Varosha.
Varosha, who was a little dissatisfied, even muttered a little aggrievedly, "Aren't you also taking the lead in the charge?" Unexpectedly, Malashenko, who had a good ear, heard him on the spot and said, "I have armor protection.
You only have these one hundred kilograms of stinky meat!" Varosha was silenced on the spot and did not dare to speak out again.
Of course, the good news is that after that, Varosha did as Malashenko asked, no longer carrying a gun in his hand, and went to the trenches to enjoy himself. It was considered that he returned to his own life under the forced order of the division commander.
The duty of the leader.
"Worried? When we were in Prokhorovka, those SS scum mobilized three of the most elite ace armored divisions to encircle and suppress us, and at that time we were only a brigade. The result? Kill those who deserve to be killed, and do what needs to be done.
Die to death, all the Germans will meet their due end, the leader's elite is still the leader's elite, becoming more sharp and deadly, and it is the same today."
The Prokhorovka battle can be said to be the battle in which Malashenko came closest to death, and it was also the battle in which the entire army was almost wiped out.
In this battle, the 1st Heavy Tank Brigade of Stalin's Guards encountered a crazy encirclement and suppression by the three elite elite armored divisions of the SS "Imperium", "Skeleton", and "Standard Guard". The overall strength gap was large enough to use
Malashenko was piled up and killed, forming an extremely terrifying crushing force that swept over him.
The price was that Malashenko was beaten and had to abandon his car to escape. He was shot and fell to the ground. He was seriously injured. After simple field first aid, he was airlifted to Moscow in the rear for treatment.
The 1st Heavy Tank Brigade of Stalin's Guards was also almost wiped out, with the loss of more than 85% of the division's technical equipment and more than 70% of its personnel casualties.
If it weren't for his absolute will to fight that was so tenacious that it made the enemy tremble and could not be shaken, Malashenko and his comrades would have been completely killed in this battle, and not even a scum would be left.
Coupled with the timely arrival of friendly reinforcements to the rescue, the tragedy was finally reversed.
To this day, everyone who survived the steel strangulation battle that was so cruel that it even surpassed any other battle during Stalingrad clearly remembers what a huge trial and challenge those two days and one night were.
test.
As the saying goes, "What doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger." The 1st Heavy Tank Brigade of Stalin's Guards, which experienced the hellish steel strangulation battle in Prokhorovka, was reborn and was heavily armed and upgraded to become the only one in the entire Red Army.
One by one, an ace tank division that has achieved complete mechanization returned to the battlefield with an even more powerful and almost destructive force, beating Germans along the way crying for their fathers and mothers, just like purgatory.
To this day, Varosha can still clearly recall the extreme cruelty of this hellish battle.
After having withstood such a great test and still surviving, Varosha no longer felt how terrifying it would be to face three or four German armored divisions again, and ordinary Wehrmacht troops who were not those crazy SS lunatics.
In other words, it is extremely difficult to cope with.
The current situation is no longer what it used to be. The big advantage lies with the Red Army. As long as it persists for about half a day, it will be supported by subsequent heavy-armed friendly forces.
"Comrade Commander gave us this task, which is a heavy responsibility. But I regard it as an opportunity, Varosha, an excellent opportunity to create a greater tactical miracle and surround the German reinforcements on the spot!
"
"I not only have to contain and repel the attack of the German reinforcements, but I also have to eat their flesh, drink their blood, and smash their bones! Even if I can't eat them all in one bite, I still want to kill the Germans."
Cut him up and eat a big piece of his flesh on the spot! These bastards don’t even know who they are fighting, so let’s let them see.”
Recalling what Malashenko told him when he inspected the defense layout last night, he did not disclose it to any of his subordinates. Varosha, who only knew about it himself, understood that the comrade, the division commander, was planning a far bigger enemy than the enemy.
A more ambitious plan for reinforcements and rescue operations.
This is not a question of the same dimension as whether the so-called three or four German armored divisions can be defended.