Just after dawn, the German artillery launched a fierce bombardment at the landing site of the 65th Army in the Puutusk area. The position of the 4th Guards Division was suddenly shrouded in smoke.
The division commander, Major General Levchuk, who was sleeping in the corner of the division headquarters, was awakened by the huge explosion. He sat up suddenly from the cot and asked loudly: "What's going on? Where is the sound of artillery coming from?"
"Comrade division commander," a staff officer rushed to him and replied loudly: "Our division's defense area has been severely bombarded."
"Shelling?!" Levchuk hadn't fully woken up from his sleep. He asked in confusion: "Where was the shelling on us?"
"Needless to say, Comrade Division Commander." The staff officer said with a wry smile: "It must be the Germans who shelled us, and judging from the sound of the artillery, the enemy used a lot of artillery."
"Where is the Chief of Staff?"
"He may be resting in his room." After the staff member said this, before Levchuk asked again, he took the initiative and said: "I think he will rush to the division headquarters as soon as possible after hearing the sound of artillery."
Levchuk nodded, picked up the phone on the table, and dialed the division artillery regiment: "I am the division commander Levchuk, let your regiment commander answer the phone."
The voice of the commander of the artillery regiment soon came from the receiver: "Comrade division commander, what are your instructions?"
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Levchuk said angrily, "did you hear the gunfire outside?"
"Yes, Comrade Division Commander." The artillery regiment commander replied in a positive tone: "I heard it!"
"Since you heard it, why don't you fight back?"
"Comrade Division Commander," hearing Levchuk questioning why he did not let the artillery regiment return fire, the regiment commander said with a wry smile: "Our artillery regiment now only has 14 76.2 mm cannons and 3 122 mm howitzers. According to the German artillery fire,
Judging from the scale, they used at least five hundred artillery pieces, and most of them were heavy artillery with a caliber of over 150. As soon as our regiment fired, it would take less than two minutes to be covered by their dense artillery fire. Once our regiment fired
The entire artillery force was wiped out..." At this point, the artillery regiment commander's words stopped abruptly.
"Keep talking, why don't you stop talking?!"
"Comrade Division Commander, if our regiment is completely wiped out, once the German artillery fire stops and the infantry attacks our positions under the cover of tanks, we will not be able to provide artillery support to the defenders."
Levchuk felt that what the commander of the artillery regiment said made sense. If he forcibly ordered them to fire at the enemy under such a huge disparity in strength, they would only hear a sound at best, and then they would become victims of the powerful German artillery fire. So he thought about it.
After a while, he said to the artillery regiment commander: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, order the artillery to take cover and wait until the enemy's ground attack begins before providing artillery support to the defenders."
As soon as the phone was put down, the chief of staff ran in panting and asked Levchuk: "Comrade division commander, what is going on? Why did the Germans suddenly launch a violent shelling of our defense area?"
"You ask me, who should I ask?" Levchuk said angrily: "Who knows what madness the Germans have gone crazy about. There was no movement at all two days ago. Today, before dawn, they attacked our division.
The defense zone carried out intensive shelling."
"Comrade Division Commander, this matter is of great importance. I suggest that you report it to your superiors immediately." The division chief of staff said: "The main force at the landing site has been withdrawn to the right bank area. Now only we and Colonel Artem's 40th Guards Division are left.
With the strength of our two divisions, we simply cannot stop the enemy's attack."
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff, you are right." Regarding the Chief of Staff's statement, Levchuk nodded and agreed: "Our two divisions have been severely weakened after the early battles.
.Rather than two divisions, it is more appropriate to say two regiments."
As soon as he got through the phone call to the Army Group Headquarters, Levchuk heard Glebov's anxious voice coming from the receiver: "Is it General Levchuk? I am Chief of Staff Glebov, your artillery
What’s going on with the noise?”
"Report to Comrade Chief of Staff." Levchuk replied respectfully: "Not long ago, our division's defense area was hit by powerful German artillery fire. According to the judgment of the artillery regiment commander, the number of artillery used by the enemy will not be less than
Five hundred doors.”
Hearing that the German army used 500 artillery pieces to carry out violent shelling on the defense area of the 4th Guards Division, Glebov could not help but frown. He covered the microphone with his hand and spoke to the man next to him who had just woken up from his sleep.
Batov reported: "Comrade Commander, General Levchuk reported that the enemy used no less than 500 artillery pieces to carry out violent shelling on the positions of the 4th Guards Division."
"What the hell, what are the Germans going to do? Shell the positions of the 4th Guards Division at this time." Bartov walked to the wall, looked up at the map hanging on it, and began to think about what he should do next.
Do.
Glebov released his hand covering the microphone and asked: "General Levchuk, in addition to shelling the defense area of your division, what actions did the German army take against the defense area of Colonel Artem's 40th Guards Division?"
"I'm not sure, Comrade Chief of Staff." Hearing Glebov's question, Levchuk hurriedly replied truthfully: "I haven't received any information about the 40th Guards Division yet."
"General Levchuk, we already know the situation there." Glebov said into the microphone: "We will provide support to you as soon as possible."
After putting down the phone, Glebov walked behind Batov and said cautiously: "Comrade Commander, the two Guards Divisions currently remaining at the landing site on the left bank were severely weakened in the early battles. If the German army
The offensive is fierce, and I'm worried that they won't be able to defend it at all. Do you think that the troops that were evacuated to the Belovizh Forest two days ago should be immediately transferred back to the landing site on the left bank?"
"Chief of Staff, even if we mobilize our troops now, I'm afraid it will have to wait until the evening before these three divisions can reach the shore of Narev." Bartov said with some annoyance: "But in this case, our original rest and preparation will be lost.
The plan fell through."
"Comrade Commander, this matter is of great importance. Do you want to report it to the front army headquarters?" Glebov said: "I think we may need the cooperation of friendly forces."
"Cooperation from friendly forces?!" Hearing what Glebov said, Batov couldn't help but be stunned, and then asked: "Are you talking about the 48th Army?"
"That's right, it's General Sokov's troops." Glebov said to Batov: "His troops are closest to our landing site. If our position is attacked by the enemy, he will attack from the side and rear and hit hard.
Giving the enemy one piece of land can completely disrupt the German offensive plan."
At this moment, Batov remembered that Sokov once reminded him that the enemies in the Narew River Basin were a little abnormal and asked him to strengthen his defenses. Who knows that he didn't listen to his words at all, and now that something went wrong, he asked him to handle it again.
If you clean up the mess yourself, I'm afraid the other party won't be willing.
Thinking of this, Batov said to Glebov: "Chief of Staff, you are right. This matter is of great importance and needs to be reported to the front army headquarters immediately to see what they mean."
The reason why Batov asked Glebov to report to the front army headquarters was that in the next battle, he might need Sokov's help to have a chance to hold the position. However, he was somewhat dissatisfied with Sokov in the past two days.
Politeness, if you go directly to the other side to ask for help, you may run into trouble, so the best way is to report to the front army headquarters and ask them to come forward to negotiate the matter.
Rokossovsky received a call from Batov and learned that the position established by the group army on the left bank of Narew was being violently bombarded by the Germans. He was shocked and asked quickly: "Comrade Batov,
Where are the three divisions you transferred now?"
"Where else, of course, is in the Belovizh Forest." Batov guessed what Rokossovsky would ask next, so he took the initiative and said: "Even if we urgently assemble our troops now, we will have to do it as soon as possible."
The troops will not be able to reach the left bank area until dark."
"Can the two Guards divisions you left on the left bank last for such a long time?" Rokossovsky said seriously: "If the landing site on the left bank is lost, do you know what the consequences will be?
?”
"I know, Comrade Marshal." Batov replied awkwardly: "No matter that more than a month of hard work of our army commanders and fighters has been in vain, and the 48th Group Army, which also stays on the left bank, will become a lone army and have to face two enemies at the same time.
Attack from all sides.”
"It's good that you know." Rokossovsky heard the implication from Bartov's words: "I hear what you mean, do you want Mischa's troops to help you?"
"That's right, Comrade Marshal, you have guessed it all." After hearing Rokossovsky's confession, Bartov said with some embarrassment: "General Sokov's landing site is closest to the Puutusk landing site.
, if he is willing to send troops to attack the German army's flank and rear, then our troops holding on to the left bank may be able to hold on until reinforcements arrive."
"Okay, I will notify Misha and ask him to send troops to reinforce you." Rokossovsky said into the microphone: "Before the reinforcements arrive, you must find a way to take remedial measures and be sure to secure the landing site.
understand?"
"Yes, Comrade Marshal." Seeing that Rokossovsky did not reprimand him, Bartov breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. After putting down the phone, he said to Glebov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, we can now help the Left Bank
Want to do something at the landing site?”
"Under the current circumstances, it is certainly impossible to mobilize infantry to reinforce the left bank." Glebov said: "However, our artillery units deployed on the right bank can provide artillery support for the defenders on the landing site."
"That's okay." Batov picked up the pencil on the table, drew a dotted line on the periphery of the landing site on the left bank, and said to Glebov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, when the Germans start to attack the landing site, order the artillery to attack
The attacking enemy must build an insurmountable wall of fire in front of our position to block fire."
Despite Batov's understatement, Glebov knew very well in his heart that to build such an insurmountable wall of fire in front of the garrison's position would consume tons of shells every minute.
As soon as the battle continues, the artillery shells accumulated by the army's artillery will be exhausted.
After Batov finished speaking, he saw Glebov standing there in a daze. He couldn't help but frown slightly and said with some displeasure: "Comrade Chief of Staff, didn't you hear what I said?"
"I heard it, Comrade Commander." Glebov nodded and said, "I am considering how to provide some necessary help to the troops on the left bank."
"Where are the artillery we deployed on the right bank?" Bartov asked: "Can they complete the tasks I deployed?"
"I'm afraid it's difficult." Glebov shook his head and said: "Since you ordered the troops on the left bank to withdraw across the river, the artillery director considered that if the artillery without infantry cover continued to stay on the Narew River, there might be
There was a possibility of being attacked by the enemy, so he moved the artillery station fifteen kilometers east. In other words, if the artillery was allowed to fire from the existing artillery position, it would only be possible to cross the Narew River, but it would not be possible at all.
An impenetrable net of fire was erected in front of the garrison's position."
"Immediately notify the artillery director to move the artillery positions five to eight kilometers westward." Bartov said: "I think it will be too late to move them now. The German shelling will stop soon. Once the German shelling
If we stop, they will launch an attack on our landing site on the left bank. Without the cover of artillery fire, it will be difficult for the defenders to hold the landing site."
In this way, Glebov called the artillery director and asked the artillery to move five to eight kilometers westward and build a new artillery position, ready to provide artillery support to the defenders on the left bank at any time.
But before the 65th Group Army's artillery began to move, the Germans prepared for nearly an hour's artillery fire on the landing site on the left bank. Under the cover of dozens of tanks, they launched an attack toward the Soviet positions that were still shrouded in gunpowder smoke.
The two Guards divisions remaining at the landing site on the left bank had been weakened in the early battles. Their total strength was less than 5,000, of which there were only 4,000 combatants. Faced with such a fierce German attack, the commanders and fighters, although
They put up tenacious resistance, but in the end they were outnumbered and had to abandon their position and retreat to the river.
Artyom's 40th Guards Division was the first to withdraw to the defensive position by the river and began to reinforce the fortifications here in preparation for a last-ditch battle. Levchuk's three Guards regiments, on the other hand, used alternate cover and fought back.
In this way, they retreated step by step to the defensive position by the river.
However, the German army moved very quickly and soon captured the 11th Guards Regiment, which was behind them. They were unable to leave the battlefield and could only fight against the German troops reinforced by tanks in simple fortifications.
Levchuk learned that his troops at the rear were entangled by the Germans, and asked the chief of staff to continue retreating with the main force of the 3rd Guards Regiment and the 8th Guards Regiment. He led the guard battalion to rescue the trapped 11th Guards Regiment.
group.
But when Levchuk rushed to the place with the guard battalion, the 11th Guards Regiment had been surrounded by the Germans. The commanders and soldiers relied on the terrain and were making the final resistance. Seeing that the division commander personally led the guard battalion to the rescue, the remaining members of the 11th Regiment
The morale of the officers and soldiers immediately increased, and they bravely launched a counterattack against the enemy, tearing a hole in the enemy's encirclement and jumping out.
Seeing the commander of the 11th Regiment with a bandage on his head approaching him, Levchuk said to him: "Comrade Colonel, you immediately take your people and withdraw towards the river. I will stay to cover you."
Hearing that the division commander wanted to leave a cover, how could the regiment commander leave so easily? He quickly said: "Commander, you should withdraw first, and I will leave the cover."