The battle situation at Mamayev Hill was so bad that Chuikov, who was originally determined to regain control of the hill, couldn't help but stand at the foot of the hill, looked up at the top of the hill with a telescope, and began to ask himself in silence.
"How much human blood does this damn mountain need to drink before it's full?"
From the moment he was driven off the hill by the Germans, Chuikov, who received the task from the Front Army Headquarters to desperately regain control of Mamayev Hill no matter what, has never stopped organizing counterattacks.
The 13th Guards Infantry Division, which was almost completely wiped out, was just the tip of the iceberg in this brutal battle. Chuikov, who was already stretched thin with available troops, threw almost all the troops he could mobilize into this battle.
From a dismantled infantry company to an entire infantry battalion, Chuikov had already taken out the last chips in his pocket and threw them all on the gambling table, unwilling to let the Germans laugh at the gambling table.
to the end.
But even so, the bloody battle at Mamayev Ridge remained stalemate.
The battle went from the initial regiment-level charge to the current platoon and squad unit attack. Even though the firepower of the German army on the top of the mountain was constantly weakening and decreasing in direct proportion, no matter how hard the Red Army soldiers who fought successively fought hard,
It was a matter of life and death that he could not break through the last hundred meters.
The German army gathered together almost all the submachine guns that had been ripped off from the bodies of their fallen comrades and even Soviet soldiers, and the loaded magazines and drums were placed in piles at their feet.
The last 100 meters of charging distance was like an insurmountable trench of death for the Red Army soldiers. The firepower of submachine guns and automatic weapons was so intense in this last distance that the Germans resisted desperately and fell down 100 meters in front of the position.
There are at least a thousand Red Army soldiers on the mountainside within the range!
The unobstructed bottom-up attack brought huge casualties. Chuikov, who had suffered unbearable losses to his troops, finally gritted his teeth and ordered to suspend the attack. He had to use a sharper prisoner of war to cut through the German army in one fell swoop.
This airtight automatic fire defense line.
"Tanks, we need a sufficient number of tanks to break the deadlock and win, but where can I get these tanks that are enough to affect the situation of the battle?"
Chuikov, who was constantly pacing in his command room, simulated many different ideas and tactical possibilities in his mind, but most of them were eventually rejected by Chuikov one by one. The ultimate direction of the answer lies in no other direction.
Given the choice, it ultimately fell to Malashenko's Guards First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment.
"The 1st Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment is the only hope. Malashenko cannot be allowed to continue to be dragged in the train station. He has to prove himself where he is needed more."
Having made up his mind, Chuikov briefly discussed with the chief of staff to finalize the details, and immediately sent out the quickly drafted telegram and flew directly to Malashenko's regiment headquarters. Only then did Malashenko receive Peter's request.
The scene with a strange expression after Political Commissar Rove handed over the telegram.
"Damn it, before the train station was finished, I was asked to go to Mamayev Kurgan. Just after I put it in the oil, I took it out and put it in the pot to stew over high heat before it was fully fried. This is not something you do in a war. Damn it.
What a stinker!"
With the title of Guard on his head, he enjoys the honor of a hero and the priority of supply. Since ancient times, there has been no free meal in the world. Malashenko must pay the due price and responsibility for everything he has obtained. This is unquestionable determination.
Order.
Malashenko raised his hand and rubbed his nose and handed the telegram back to Commissar Petrov. Malashenko, who had long been accustomed to all kinds of bad news that came one after another, did not complain too much.
When you know that complaining is completely useless, only executing the command is the best solution.
"How's it going? What specific plans do you have? When should we set off?"
Political Commissar Petrov has the right to know the contents of the telegram. In fact, Commissar Petrov who personally sent the telegram to Malashenko knew about this order earlier than Malashenko. What Commissar Petrov is now concerned about is
How does Malashenko plan to implement this order?
"Didn't it say in the telegram? We have to rush to the army headquarters to report before tonight. In the afternoon, an infantry unit will come to defend us. All we have to do is to hold on until then and hand over the position completely.
Then we’ll set off immediately.”
To be honest, even Malashenko himself felt that staying at the train station was not a good thing.
The terrain here is narrow and complex and full of bomb craters and building ruins blown up by the Germans. The infantry is suitable for using these battlefield terrains to fight, but for Malashenko's First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment, it is completely different.
Got the taste.
Heavy tanks that cannot maneuver can only move around in a small area or even transform into fixed turrets. The T34, which was originally good at maneuvering, is also in a bad situation. Various bomb craters and ruins have turned these high-speed medium tanks that were originally as mobile as rabbits.
The living iron bastard nestled in the corner, stretching back and forth and squirming, even Malashenko couldn't bear to look at it.
If we just defend, the situation is relatively good. At least being able to park steadily and then fire first while waiting for work is a big advantage. In contrast, Malashenko simply feels that the Germans opposite are the worst offenders.
Not to mention suffering from terrain restrictions and troubles like themselves, the most critical problem faced by the German armored forces was undoubtedly the embarrassment of being unable to exert their numerical superiority.
The German armored forces, which are far more powerful than Malashenko, invest more troops, but it is just like a tactic of adding fuel to the fire. The attack front with a wider palm cannot place too many tanks or assault guns. Those German troops that have been destroyed
The wreckage of the tank seriously hindered the German charge from the rear.
All in all, the complex and bad terrain is one of the important reasons why the German army has suffered repeated defeats and Malashenko has been able to hold on until now and the losses are not unacceptable.
In Malashenko's opinion, there is not much difference between the two battlefields: the railway station and Mamayev Kurgan. They are both meat grinder places that can knock out the brains of dogs. If there is a difference, it is probably
It's just the difference between jumping from a frying pan to a stew pot.
However, the terrain of Mamayev Ridge is definitely more conducive to tank troops than the railway station. This is not only a foreseeable fact, but also the only thing that can barely make Malashenko feel lucky.
"Hey, tool people are just tool people. Get used to it. I've never fought a good battle that went smoothly, but it's just a bad battle with these mud puddles and piles of dead people! Damn it!"