The rising sun spread its pale golden light over the land, and the snow that had almost melted made the entire Soviet Union a bit muddy.
Malashenko, who began to maneuver under the cover of darkness in the early morning, has now led his troops to a very close attack position. If he moves any further, he will be in danger of being discovered by German patrol sentries.
.
After the last time when he and Lavrinenko went out for reconnaissance as a duo, Malashenko almost lost his life. Having learned the experience and lessons, Malashenko learned his lesson this time and no longer did that kind of life-threatening thing.
Instead of making a second move, he ordered the infantrymen assigned to him to go out to reconnoiter the enemy's situation. Malashenko really couldn't compare to these professional infantrymen when it came to the work on both legs.
"How do you think the situation is going? Malashenko, why hasn't there been any movement for so long?"
Lavrinenko, who was impatient to wait, lay behind the snow nest and quietly watched the situation in the distance. The infantrymen who had been gone for nearly an hour but had not yet returned made him a little worried about the sudden change in the situation.
"You ask me who should I ask to go? Just wait patiently, they will be fine until the gunshots are fired, and they should be back soon."
Compared with the anxious Lavrinenko, Malashenko who is as calm as if nothing happened is much more natural. Malashenko knows that in this situation, even if you are anxious, there is nothing you can do, because the communication is not developed.
All we have to do is wait for those two-legged infantrymen to come back and report the news after completing their investigation.
The patient Lavrinenko had no choice but to continue lying in the snow nest with Malashenko, waiting for the situation to progress. The half-melted snow melted into lumps, making Lavrinenko feel uncomfortable all over, lying on the ground.
It feels uncomfortable to have your clothes wet a lot.
About ten minutes later, when Lavrinenko was about to ask Malashenko what was going on again, several figures trotting up and appeared on a small slope not far away immediately made Lavrinenko's eyes widen.
Bright.
"It's them! They're back, Malashenko!"
The squad leader of the Red Army who was responsible for leading the reconnaissance team was an experienced veteran. In previous battles, he had figured out the position deployment situation from under the noses of the Germans several times, and survived intact to report the information he saw with his own eyes.
Brought back successfully.
In terms of investigative capabilities, this Red Army squad leader who is over 30 years old is definitely much better than Malashenko.
"Comrade Leonid, what did you see?"
After listening to Malashenko's question, he pulled off the camouflage mask on his face. Captain Leonid, who had clearly seen the situation on the edge of the village, blurted out to Malashenko.
"There are about at least one company of Germans deployed outside the village. They have placed machine guns at the entrance of the village. I did not see an anti-tank gun. It is probably hidden in a concealed firing position in the dark."
"Although I didn't see any German tanks, I saw deep ruts at the entrance to the village. That kind of mark cannot be made by a car. Although the land this month is very wet and soft, it will not be damaged by a car weighing several tons.
To press it into that state is something only a tank can do."
After hearing this, Malashenko turned his head and looked at Lavrinenko beside him. The investigation situation was indeed as expected by the two of them last night, and there were indeed German tanks.
"Can you tell how many tanks there are? Comrade Leonid, no precise figures are needed, even just a rough estimate will do."
After listening to Malashenko's question, squad leader Leonid, who looked thoughtful and began to carefully recall all the details of the past, quickly gave an answer.
"I'm not sure how many tanks there are, but based on my past reconnaissance experience, the minimum number will not be less than this number, Commander Malashenko."
Looking at the three fingers of monitor Leonid's raised hand, Lavrinenko was stunned for a moment and then raised the corners of his mouth, and immediately showed a disdainful smile.
"Ha, I thought those Germans were so prepared that even a few tanks dared to prepare for an attack. It was really overestimating their capabilities."
Before Lavrinenko could finish his words, squad leader Leonid, who raised three fingers, shook his head continuously as if he was trying to make up for the situation.
"Not three, but thirty! Those German tanks drove at least thirty tanks into the village through the village entrance. I don't know if these tanks are still in the village, but the rut marks at the village entrance will definitely not be lower than this number!"
Thirty cars!?
Lavrinenko, who suddenly heard such words, blinked his eyes in surprise, and then subconsciously turned his gaze to Malashenko beside him, hoping to seek results, but he still maintained a calm expression.
Rashenko seemed as if he had anticipated all this.
"Aren't you surprised? Malashenko. These are at least thirty German tanks!"
Lavrinenko's surprised rhetorical question echoed in his ears. Malashenko, who was not really surprised by this situation, made Lavrinenko smile in surprise.
"Actually, I think thirty tanks is a bit too little. Considering the importance of the village of Nibotrikaya, it is normal for the Germans to place an armored division here."
"...."
Malashenko's answer left Lavrinenko speechless. He didn't know what to say, but after getting the first-hand information, how to attack the village was the most urgent decision to make.
In order to achieve the unexpected and unprepared effect ordered by the front army headquarters, Malashenko must consider how to deal the heaviest blow to the German army in the shortest time, using a fast and fierce tank assault to end everything before the German tanks in the village could react.
Judging from the terrain, the medium-sized village of Nibotrikaya is limited in the number of hidden tanks it can accommodate, no matter how hard it is.
Malashenko estimated that the number of German tanks parked in the village would be thirty, starting with fifty, and would never exceed this number, which was roughly the strength of a standard German armored regiment.
"We all know the specific requirements of the battle. The first thing to do is to rush in before the Germans in the village react. To put it bluntly, we cannot let the German tanks drive out of the village to form a formation. We must surround the Germans in one go.
The whole village was completely eaten!”
"Only in this way can we maximize our attacker's advantages and let the more complex terrain in the village become an obstacle to the Germans, making it impossible for them to gather enough troops to fight us in the first place."