When Chuikov learned that the Central Railway Station was lost, he became furious. He roared at Krylov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the Central Railway Station, as the city's transportation hub, is undoubtedly the main channel leading to the Volga River. As long as the enemy is there,
Once we gain a foothold there, we will not only split our defense line in two, but we can also rush to the Volga River at any time, control the ferry there, and cut off our connection with the other side."
Krylov waited for Chuikov to get angry before he said: "Comrade Commander, in order to launch a counterattack against the German army, we have put all mobile units into the battle, and now we have no reserve units in our hands."
"We still have a reserve team, which is ready to be transferred to the river to defend the ferry." Chuikov frowned and said: "Anyway, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov's 73rd Infantry Brigade is guarding Mamayev Heights, so let this team
The troops go and take back the train station for me."
Krylov nodded, walked to the table, picked up the phone, and said into the receiver: "Get me the 37th Tank Brigade and ask for the brigade commander, Major Hopka...Major, this is Krey, the chief of staff of the group army.
Commander Love ordered your brigade to attack the station and be sure to eliminate the enemies entrenched in the station."
After Krylov put down the phone, he continued to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, this tank brigade still has five T-34 tanks and more than 400 soldiers. It should not be a big problem to retake the station."
Half an hour later, the 37th Tank Brigade launched an attack on the station building of the central railway station where the German troops were entrenched. Major Hopka, who was in charge of the command, thought of the task very simply, thinking that under the cover of the tanks, his troops could easily
He easily captured the station. So he sent only one company and two tanks to attack the station occupied by the Germans.
The two tanks carefully bypassed the bomb craters in the square and rushed towards the entrance of the station building. Behind them were more than fifty soldiers. When they were still more than thirty meters away from the entrance of the building, the tanks hidden behind the sandbag fortifications
An anti-tank gun opened fire first, destroying the tank leading the charge. Before the other tank could react, the German artillery fired again and destroyed the tank. The infantry who lost the cover of the tank were immediately attacked.
The Germans fired fiercely, and they fell into a pool of blood one after another before they even had time to fire a shot.
Seeing that one of his companies rushed forward and was completely wiped out by the enemy in less than five minutes. Major Hopka felt that something was wrong, so he quickly adjusted his attack method. He realized that the Germans not only occupied the station building, but also occupied the station building.
Even the houses on both sides were occupied. If he continued to attack from the front, he would pay a heavy price.
This time he ordered the remaining three tanks to park on the other side of the station square and bombard the exposed fire points in the station with artillery fire. At the same time, he ordered the infantry to move back to the station building from both wings in platoon units with the help of the cover of the ruined walls.
rear.
As soon as the offensive battle here at the station started, Sokov received the scout's report. When he heard that the leading troops of the attack were completely wiped out by the Germans in just a few minutes and two tanks were lost, he couldn't help but secretly
He sighed, thinking that the Soviet commander's tactics were really rigid. If he followed this method of attack, there would be very few people left alive in the army before the station was captured.
Sokov knew very well the importance of the Central Railway Station. If the enemy really gained a foothold here, it would not only split the 62nd Army's defense line into two disconnected parts, but also
Threaten the safety of Mamayev Heights. Thinking of this, he decided to go out to see the situation, and then decide whether to send troops to cooperate with friendly forces to retake the Central Railway Station.
When he came to the observation post on the top of the hill again, he unexpectedly found that the reconnaissance company commander Christopher was also there. Seeing Christopher raise his hand to salute him, he nodded at him, and then asked: "Lieutenant
Comrade, how is the situation? Have our friendly forces launched another attack?"
Christopher nodded and replied: "Comrade Brigade Commander, they launched another attack, but the commander who led the team seems to have adjusted his tactics..."
"Adjusted tactics?!" Christopher's words aroused Sokov's curiosity. He raised his telescope and asked curiously: "How?"
"Comrade Brigadier, look, there are three tanks parked south of the station square, shelling the German fortifications in front of the station building." Christopher pointed to the smoke-filled station in the distance and said to Sokov: "
Their infantry, using the cover of the ruined walls, detoured back to both sides of the station building from the left and right sides. When they approached the enemy's firepower point, they made a surprise attack and used grenades to eliminate the enemies hiding in the building.
…”
"Interesting, a bit interesting." Sokov looked at the three tanks that were still firing and said with interest: "It seems that the commander of this unit is really not simple. He ordered the tanks to move towards the enemy's position.
Open fire to attract the enemy's attention, and then send troops to circle back to both sides of the station to strike the enemy by surprise. It seems that it shouldn't be a problem for them to recapture the station building."
Due to Major Hopka's readjustment of strategy, the commanders and fighters of the tank brigade successfully occupied the station building after a fierce battle. The German troops in the station could not figure out the strength of the Soviet army. In order to avoid being annihilated, the remaining troops withdrew in a hurry
Got to the station.
After the tank brigade troops occupied the station, Hopka ordered the people to rearrange the defenses, and at the same time ordered the communications troops to set up the telephone and personally report the news of the capture of the station to Chuikov.
When Chuikov learned that the Central Station had been recaptured, he couldn't help but be overjoyed: "That's great, Major Hopka. You are so great that you managed to recapture the station so easily. I congratulate you, and please express my congratulations to you on my behalf."
The soldiers express their gratitude for their meritorious service in the battle to defend Stalingrad. Do you have any difficulties?"
"Comrade Commander," Hopka replied: "Currently there are only three tanks and more than 300 soldiers left in the entire brigade. I wonder if you can send some reinforcements?"
"No, Comrade Major, I can't send you reinforcements, so I don't have anyone on hand." Maybe he was worried about affecting Hopka's mood. After hesitating for a moment, Chuikov continued: "According to the superiors
According to the notice, a Guards Division will arrive in the city tomorrow. At that time, I will transfer troops from this division to strengthen the defense of the Central Railway Station. Comrade Major, you only need to hold on at the station for 24 hours, and the reinforcements will arrive.
arrive."
Knowing that the reinforcements would arrive within one day, Hopka felt as if he had taken a reassurance, and suddenly felt much more at ease. He said into the microphone: "Comrade Commander, please don't worry. Before the friendly forces arrive tomorrow, we will
We will definitely hold our position."
Sokov, who was standing in the Mamaev Hill observation post, saw the red flag planted in the station building again, and gave up his plan to send troops. Since the friendly forces had already captured the station, he would send troops at this time.
It was a bit of a competition for credit. He only said to Christopher: "Continue to have people observe the movement in the direction of the station." Then he returned to his headquarters unsteadily.
When Sidorin saw Sokov coming in from the outside with a smile on his face, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Brigade Commander, it seems that you are very happy. Do you have any good news to tell us?"
"Yes, I have good news to tell you." Sokov walked to the table, sat down, and said to Sidorin and Belkin: "Our troops have recaptured the Central Railway Station from the enemy's hands.
Already."
"What, the Central Railway Station has been retaken?" When Sidorin heard the news, a surprised expression appeared on his face: "But not long ago, the attack launched by the friendly forces was repelled by the Germans."
Not only was the attacking force completely destroyed, but it also lost two tanks."
"Chief of Staff, you are right. The friendly forces' first attack did end in failure." Regarding the failure of the tank brigade's first attack, Sokov did not deny: "But in the subsequent attack, they
, adjusted the strategy in time, and used the remaining three tanks to bombard the station building occupied by the enemy to attract the attention of the defenders. At the same time, the infantry used the cover of the ruined walls to approach the station building from both sides and used grenades.
The enemy's firepower was eliminated, and after a fierce battle, the station building was successfully occupied. However, the enemies in other parts of the station, because they could not figure out the strength of our troops, saw that the station building was lost, and fled the station in a hurry."
After confirming the news that the Central Railway Station had been recaptured, Sidorin also breathed a sigh of relief. In this way, the enemy would not be able to threaten Mamayev Heights from the flanks, so that the German 295th Infantry Division could fully deal with the frontal attack.
The enemy who occupied the station was driven out of the station by the Soviet army. The German battalion commander Major von Heyden returned to the regiment headquarters in despair and reported the news of the missing station to the regiment commander. Such important information, the regiment commander naturally
Not daring to hide it, I quickly called the teacher.
"Take it back, take back Stalingrad's Central Railway Station to me immediately." After hearing the news, the German division commander dropped the tea cup in his hand and ordered angrily: "As long as there is one person left in your Grenadier Regiment.
We must never stop attacking the station as long as we are alive. Do you understand?"
"Understood, Your Excellency, Division Commander." After hearing the division commander's order, the regiment commander replied respectfully: "I will immediately organize the troops and launch an attack on the station."
Although it was getting late, the German army launched an attack on the station overnight in order to reoccupy the station. For a time, intensive gunshots and explosions rang out inside and outside the station.
Even though Hopka still had more than 300 men under his command, he was responsible for the defense of so many locations in the station, so the force seemed a bit weak. The cunning Germans took advantage of the weak enemy with scattered Soviet troops to attack them in several places.
A feint attack was carried out to contain the Soviet forces, and the forces were concentrated along the railway and rushed directly to the station building.
The commanders and fighters who stood firm in the station building fired condescendingly at the enemy from the windows. The tanks parked outside the building also fired at the location where the enemies were gathered. Pukhov looked out from the window and saw enemies everywhere.
, he was worried that he would not be able to defend the station building with his existing troops, so he quickly called Chuikov and asked him for help: "Comrade Commander, the enemy is launching a fierce attack on the station. Our troops are too few and we are about to be unable to withstand them."
We are here, please send people to support immediately, send people to reinforce immediately!"
"Major Hopka," Chuikov said angrily after hearing the call from Hopka: "Didn't you promise me that you could stay at the station for 24 hours? Now only seven hours have passed, you
You actually told me that you couldn't hold your position..."
"Comrade Commander," Hopka said with a sad face: "The enemy launched attacks from several directions at the same time and pinned down our troops. Now they have arrived outside the station building and are trying to seize the building?"
"Comrade Major, are your tanks still there?" Chuikov asked coldly after Hopka finished speaking.
"Yes, yes." Hopka quickly replied: "The remaining three tanks are parked outside the station building, using artillery fire and machine guns to prevent the enemy from approaching our building."
"Since the tank is still there, listen carefully to the order I gave you." Chuikov said loudly on the phone: "You immediately lead all the soldiers in the building to surround the tank and guard the entrance of the building. If you guard
If you don't stop, I don't care whether you are a brigade commander or a division commander, I will shoot you myself."
Hearing Chuikov giving himself an order in such a stern tone, Hopka could only bite the bullet and reply: "Understood, Comrade Commander, I will immediately organize people to guard the entrance of the station building and never let a German rush in."
Enter the building."
After putting down the phone, Hopka called over two communications soldiers and ordered them loudly: "You immediately summon people from other places to the station building. We are going to fight them to the death here. Do you understand?"
"Understood, comrade brigade commander." The two communications soldiers quickly agreed loudly, turned and ran out of the room, went to every corner of the station, and notified the defenders to retreat to the entrance of the station building.
The battle lasted until dawn. The Germans, who suffered heavy casualties, saw that they could not capture the station, so they had to withdraw in despair. The tank brigade commanders and soldiers who stood in front of the station building also suffered heavy casualties. Even the brigade commander, Major Hopka, also suffered heavy casualties.
Unfortunately, he was shot and died, leaving only one tank and 25 commanders and fighters in the entire brigade.
Chuikov learned that the station had been defended, so he hurried to the station with a few soldiers, preparing to praise Hopka in person. However, when he arrived outside the station building, he saw hundreds of dead bodies neatly placed on the ground.
The bodies of the commanders and soldiers. Seeing this, he couldn't help but feel a little in his heart. He quickly grabbed a passing soldier and asked: "Where is your brigade commander, Major Hopka?"
The soldier glanced at Chuikov and replied with dull eyes: "Sacrificed. Comrade Brigade Commander died in the battle."