Lavrinenko was right about two things. One was that Malashenko really wanted this result: all the defeated Germans who were fleeing would retreat to their starting positions and unite their forces in one place.
What the Germans do is a standard tactical procedure. Everyone knows that to deal with the enemy's large-scale armored assault, it is necessary to mobilize heavy troops to launch defense in depth. This is the most basic condition. If you still have one or two organic armored units,
, with the support of defensive positions, it is naturally better to play attack and attack with the enemy's armored troops and defend against counterattacks.
In the final analysis, the Germans were busy withdrawing all the troops, especially the armored troops, and returned them to the starting position to rest temporarily. This was also for this purpose and to prepare for the next battle that might start at any time.
But the German army ignored a very serious problem: those who hoped that the German army could quickly gather all its forces were not only the Germans themselves, but also Comrade Ma, who had carefully organized a "big conspiracy".
It is easier to get together and go on the road. The denser the troops are, the better the explosion will be. This is the only purpose of Comrade Lao Ma hoping that the Germans will quickly gather troops and launch a heavy defense.
At the same time, this also led to the second thing Lavrinenko guessed.
Malashenko did prepare a big surprise for the Germans: the Third Belarusian Front was directly under the Third Guards Artillery Division. After enhanced firepower, it had the destructive power of more than 300 large-caliber artillery pieces of 100 mm and above.
Generally speaking, this is a powerful artillery force at the battle artillery preparation level.
Now, Malashenko wants to use this destructive force in a local counterattack. It is almost conceivable what the results of this cunning operation, which can be said to be like killing mosquitoes with anti-aircraft artillery, will be.
What is even more desperate for the German army is that Malashenko, who wants all these German sticks to be wiped out, is not willing to do this. The firepower of just one Guards Artillery Division is still not enough.
Including the two self-propelled artillery battalions of the 1st Stalin Guards Tank Division under his own command, plus those that Malashenko entrusted the political commissar to specially arrange for contact with, and has already communicated with the three friendly infantry divisions that are cooperating.
The division's artillery units will also be fully committed to the upcoming bombardment to further increase their firepower.
Vatutin, who had great trust in Malashenko, gave Malashenko an astonishing amount of power.
Malashenko not only has great autonomy to decide on his own combat plans and specific tactics, but he can also order and mobilize other friendly division-level troops around him to cooperate with his combat plan and provide assistance.
Malashenko, who had never had the power to command so many troops, experienced this pleasure for the first time and immediately chose to do something big. It was so big that it was unprecedented: to take down at least three people in one go.
All armored divisions of the Wehrmacht were taken away.
"The situation on the front line has been confirmed. The Germans are ready to hit the road. Tell me, our artillery is all ready."
Even though he was commanding such a large encirclement and annihilation battle, Malashenko still "continued to change his old habits" and did not stay in his division-level headquarters. Instead, he continued to stay in the command-type IS4 heavy tank to visit the front line and charge into battle.
, entrusting the trivial matters of division command and other chores to the political commissar comrades.
It is also easy to solve the problem of issuing key orders and decisions. The huge command-type is4 heavy tank houses a vehicle-mounted radio station that is powerful enough and has a considerable communication distance. Even the power-enhanced antenna plugged into the butt of the vehicle is like
Even a "single ponytail" can be said to be towering into the sky.
With this set of hardware equipment, Malashenko has no problem in contacting Lavrinenko and Kulbalov at all times, or contacting the political commissar comrades in the rear. It is quite a bit of a "remote control command"
.
"As you wish, everything is ready. The commander of the 3rd Guards Artillery Division has called me four times. He said he was not sent here to set up cannons and have soldiers sit on ammunition boxes.
Just enjoying the scenery and chatting, let me find something for him to do quickly. If you don't give the order to take action, I estimate that the fifth phone call will be made to the division headquarters soon, and it will take no more than fifteen minutes."
"...."
Most of the artillery division commanders are super strong men with violent genes in their bodies. At least the few artillery division commanders that Malashenko has met are basically like this, with few exceptions.
Think about it, the artillery is a violent unit that can shake the earth and mountains at will, and the noise is louder than a tank. How can you expect that the division commander who leads the unit is a gentle and four-eyed clerk? No other unit is more powerful than the artillery.
A fierce and violent man is needed to serve as a commander. What kind of commander leads what kind of soldiers? This can never be wrong at any time.
"It's time to start. Launch the artillery bombardment according to the pre-planned plan! The aerial reconnaissance of the aviation unit still corrected the artillery bombardment coordinates and the precise position of the German positions. All available guns were used to blast all these Germans into the sky! Today
We will end everything soon!"
While maintaining a dialogue with his political commissar comrades, Malashenko also held a pencil in his hand and drew the shelling area with his own hands on the battlefield map board placed on his legs in front of him according to the new coordinates that had been corrected.
Malashenko is not good at drawing, and everyone in Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division knows this. Even the division commander himself joked that compared with the drawings made by comrade political commissar, the drawings made by him are almost like
Just like a dog crawling.
But at this moment, Malashenko uncharacteristically began to take the initiative to draw and circle the pictures. This is not to say that Malashenko suddenly fell in love with drawing and his temperament changed drastically. It is just that Malashenko wanted to experience it.
Enjoy the "God Mode" pleasure of "I draw a circle on the map, and all the Germans in the circle will die."
"Come on, use the power of a loving father to rain down the wrath of heaven on Fasis!"
It was rare for him to recite silently with such an expectant expression on his face, looking forward to everything that was to come. Malashenko seemed to have forgotten the last time he felt so looking forward to something coming soon.
Fortunately, this long-lost sense of anticipation did not make people wait for too long.
Just as Malashenko muttered to himself, the divine anger that symbolized the power of a loving father soon hit the heads of the fascists with overwhelming force.
"fire!!!"
Boom boom boom boom——
This is the roaring roar of the towed 122 and 152 heavy artillery clusters.
Boo hoo hoo hoo——
This is a densely arranged Katyusha rocket launcher firing a volley of arrows.
Boom--Boom--Boom--
The most special and most visually impactful firing is the battalion's 203mm B-4 heavy howitzer. Every time the gun rope is pulled, the fire erupts like a small volcanic eruption, enough to make people standing around feel the earth tremble.
, almost wanting to stand unsteadily, and firmly believing that any living being in this world is so pale and powerless in front of it.