Although the anti-aircraft guns and rifle fire on the ground successfully shot down one enemy plane, the bombs dropped by the remaining three enemy planes still hit the factory building and caused an earth-shattering explosion. The planes that completed the bombings quickly
He pulled up the nose of the aircraft and prepared to circle in the air before dive-dropping the bomb again.
The flight commander who led the bombing mission was the German ace pilot Captain Hans Rudel. When he saw that one of his planes was shot down by ground anti-aircraft fire, he informed the other two pilots through the airborne radio: "The Russians
There is powerful anti-aircraft fire on the ground, and in order to prevent our subsequent bomber formation from suffering unnecessary losses, we must find a way to destroy it."
"Captain," Leo, a German pilot flying on the left side of Rudel, immediately replied: "When I was making a dive just now, I saw several anti-aircraft guns firing on the ground. Let's destroy them."
"No, Second Lieutenant Carl was not shot down by anti-aircraft fire from the ground." Another pilot, Mark, retorted: "It seems that he was shot down by a rifle."
"What the heck, how can a rifle shoot down a plane?" Leo said disdainfully: "You're not blind, are you?"
"Stop arguing," Rudel was worried that the two would quarrel in the communication channel, so he quickly stopped them: "Let's change the direction and continue to drop bombs on the factory, and at the same time pay attention to the Russian ground anti-aircraft firepower."
"Understood, Captain." The two pilots agreed. After hovering in the air for half a circle, they chose to dive towards the factory from the south.
Soldiers from the anti-aircraft artillery position and the annihilation battalion were all deployed to the north of the factory building, watching the enemy planes swoop down from the south. Due to the obstruction of the factory building, they were unable to shoot, and could only watch helplessly as the bombs dropped from the sky and hit again.
Factory building.
Rudel knew that the Soviet army deployed anti-aircraft firepower to the north of the factory, so he led the other two aircraft to try their best to avoid attacking from the north to avoid ground anti-aircraft firepower.
Sokov, who was staying in the basement, could not help but frown when he heard the rumble of explosions above his head. He picked up the phone and asked Briski: "Comrade Captain, what are our anti-aircraft firepower doing, why are the enemy's bombs
Continuously falling on our heads and exploding?"
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Briski replied with a grimace: "The enemy seemed to be aware of our deployment. In order to avoid being hit by our ground anti-aircraft firepower, the enemy planes tried their best to avoid the north when dropping bombs."
"Cunning German guy," Sokov cursed bitterly, put down the phone, and said to Zinchenko and others sitting in front of him: "After we shot down a plane, the enemy has noticed that we are
Anti-aircraft firepower that could threaten them was deployed on the north side of the factory. Therefore, they chose to drop bombs from several other directions, leaving our anti-aircraft firepower to do nothing."
After hearing this, Zinchenko and the others couldn't help but look at each other. After a long time, he asked: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, what should we do? You know, if the enemy planes are allowed to continue bombing, no matter how strong our factory is,
Sooner or later it will be blown down. Once the factory building is blown down, the tank assembly work will have to stop."
"Comrade Deputy Factory Director," Cousteau coughed slightly and said with some embarrassment: "Actually, even if the German bombing could not collapse the factory, our assembly work would have stopped long ago."
"What, the assembly work has stopped?" Zinchenko couldn't help being surprised after hearing Cousteau's words: "When did this happen? Why didn't you report it to the factory?"
"Yesterday, the factory was bombarded. All the walls on the north side of the factory were blown down, and the driving track was also blown up in two places." Cousteau reported with a red face: "The driving cannot be used. We can use local methods to hoist the tank.
Turret. But the German shelling caused a large amount of masonry and rubble to accumulate on the assembly line. It will take at least a week for us to clean it all up."
At this point, Cousteau couldn't help but look up, and then continued: "The German bombing will accumulate more rubble on the assembly line, making our cleanup work more difficult."
When Cousteau reported the production work to Zinchenko, Sokov was thinking in his mind that the enemy planes had changed their attack direction, making the air defense position deployed on the north side of the factory seem like a dummy. Even if he wanted to change the direction now, it would be impossible.
It was unrealistic. If an enemy plane discovered the soldiers on the ground and dropped two bombs, it would inevitably cause huge casualties. He was so engrossed in thinking that he didn't even hear Bolshak calling him.
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," Bolshak saw that after he called out twice, Sokov was already a little distracted, so he quickly raised his voice and called again. Seeing Sokov's eyes turning to him, he couldn't wait to see him.
The ground asked: "What should we do with our air defense fighters? Should we let them withdraw and hide?"
When Sokov heard what Bolshak said, he almost instinctively wanted to give an order to have the soldiers of the annihilation battalion withdraw. But when the words reached his mouth, he swallowed them back. He said to Bolshak: "Major, according to the German army
According to the confessions of the prisoners, the enemy will definitely bomb our place indiscriminately, and it is absolutely impossible to send only four bombers. Therefore, we cannot allow the soldiers to withdraw just yet."
"If the German army launches indiscriminate bombing against us," Zinchenko couldn't help but interjected: "Just a few anti-aircraft guns and more than a hundred rifles will not be able to stop them. Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, if there is
If possible, I hope you can report it to the army headquarters and ask your superiors to dispatch aircraft to assist in the battle."
"Okay, Comrade Deputy Director." Regarding Zinchenko's proposal, Sokov thought for a moment and nodded in agreement: "I'll call the Army Headquarters again, hoping they can find a way to provide us with air support.
.”
After getting through to the group army headquarters, Chuikov personally answered the call. He asked into the phone: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, what can I do for you?"
"Comrade Commander," although Sokov had encountered a problem in front of Chuikov a few hours ago, in order to better protect the assembly workshop, he had to bite the bullet and said: "According to the intelligence we have, the enemy
We are about to be bombed indiscriminately here, because I beg you, can you contact the front army headquarters and ask the air force to send aircraft to support us and drive away the enemy bombers from above the factory area."
"Let the air force assist in the battle?" Seeing Sokov making the same request for the second time, Chuikov did not reply flatly, but asked tentatively: "Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, can't you think of any way to deal with it?"
A German plane?”
"Comrade Commander, we have deployed an anti-aircraft fire network composed of infantry in the north of the factory area, and in the battle just now, we successfully shot down an enemy plane." Sokov said into the microphone: "Now the enemy
The planes have learned their lesson, and they all dived and dropped bombs on the factory building from a position that our anti-aircraft firepower could not reach. There are only three enemy planes now, and we are overwhelmed. If more enemy planes fly over, I am worried..."
"Okay, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov." Chuikov guessed from Sokov's report that he might really be helpless now. After hesitating for a moment, he said: "I immediately contacted the front army headquarters and asked them to send
Aircraft to drive away enemy planes over the factory."
…………
When Chuikov and Sokov were talking on the phone, Chief of Staff Krylov was standing nearby. He vaguely heard the conversation between the two. As soon as Chuikov put down the phone, he asked tentatively: "Comrade Commander, do you really plan to
Call the front army headquarters?"
"If we allow the German army to bomb the Red October Tractor Factory indiscriminately and do nothing, the enemy may occupy an offensive starting point in the factory area." Chuikov looked at Krylov and said: "Our command headquarters is far away
The factory is only two or three kilometers away. Once the enemy takes over the entire factory, our headquarters will be exposed to the enemy, and we may be driven into the Volga River by the enemy."
"But," Krylov understood what Chuikov said, but he was worried that Chuikov's request would be rejected by Front Army Commander Yeremenko, so he asked with some anxiety: "What if the superior does not agree?"
Send the air force, what should we do?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, we can only try our luck." Chuikov said with a wry smile: "If my request is rejected by Commander Yeremenko, I will privately contact Air Force Major General Khryugin of the 8th Air Force Group Army.
He and I have a good relationship, and I think it won’t be a big problem if I ask him to dispatch a squadron."
"Okay, Comrade Commander." Seeing that Chuikov had made up his mind, Krylov no longer tried to persuade him, but nodded and said, "I will immediately order someone to put you through the phone number of the Front Army Headquarters."
After the call was connected, Chuikov took the microphone from the hands of the communications director and said nervously into the phone: "I am Chuikov, commander of the 62nd Army."
"It's Chuikov." Khrushchev's voice came from the receiver. He asked anxiously: "We see the city on fire. The battle between you and the enemy must be fierce, right? How can you hold on?
City?”
Faced with Khrushchev's question, Chuikov didn't know how to answer for a while. He thought for a while and then replied with a firm expression: "Comrade Military Commissar, if the Germans want to occupy the city, they can only step on us.
The corpses have come in. Even if we have one soldier left, we will continue to fight the enemy."
"Very good, Comrade Chuikov, you said it very well." Khrushchev said with satisfaction: "We must have this fearless revolutionary spirit and heroism in order to completely defeat the communist aggressors."
After these words, he remembered that Chuikov would not call for no reason, and quickly added, "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Comrade Military Commissar," Chuikov heard Khrushchev's question and said quickly: "The enemy is about to carry out intensive bombing on the assembly workshop of the Red October Tractor Factory. As you know, we seriously lack anti-aircraft firepower. In order to prevent the factory from being attacked by the enemy,
The plane was blown into rubble, and I asked the front army headquarters to send air force support to drive away the enemy planes above the factory area."
After listening to Chuikov's request, Khrushchev asked: "Comrade Chuikov, if I remember correctly, the troops stationed at the Red October Tractor Factory are Major General Guriev's 39th Guards Division, right?"
"Yes, Comrade Military Commissar." Chuikov nodded and replied: "In addition to General Guryev's Guards Division, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov is currently holding a battalion and is guarding the assembly workshop."
"What, what did you say?" Khrushchev asked in surprise: "Comrade Chuikov, who did you just say is leading the troops to guard the assembly workshop?"
"Lieutenant Colonel Sokov," Chuikov knew that Khrushchev and the others knew Sokov, so he deliberately mentioned his name. At this moment, when he heard that Khrushchev was really asking, he answered truthfully: "He is an infantryman."
Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the 73rd Brigade.”
"Hell, how could it be him?" Khrushchev learned that Sokov personally led people to stand guard in the assembly workshop, and couldn't help but said angrily: "If he is not still injured, how could he be sent to such a dangerous place?
Where to go?"
"Comrade Military Commissar, Lieutenant Colonel Sokov made the decision himself." Chuikov deliberately pretended to be innocent and said, "It was only after the troops settled in the assembly workshop that I found out that Lieutenant Colonel Sokov personally led the team.
. In this case, I can't drive him back, right? Doing so will affect the morale of our army."
"I understand, Comrade Chuikov." Khrushchev said unhappily: "I will discuss with the commander immediately and find a way to send a plane to the Red October Tractor Factory." After putting down the phone, Khrushchev sat across from him.
Yeremenko on the opposite side said, "Comrade Commander, Chuikov just called and said that according to reliable intelligence, enemy planes are about to bomb the assembly workshop of the Red October Tractor Factory. Lieutenant Colonel Sokov, commander of the 73rd Infantry Brigade,
School, lead a battalion and hold on there."
"What the hell, what the hell is going on?" After Yeremenko learned that Sokov led his troops to stick to the assembly workshop, he had the same reaction as Khrushchev when he heard the news: "He should still be injured. Why?"
How can you stay in such a dangerous place?"
"Comrade Commander, where Lieutenant Colonel Sokov should stay, we will discuss this matter later." Khrushchev said to Yeremenko anxiously: "The top priority now is to send a plane to Red October
Tractor factory, drive away all the enemy planes bombing the factory area."
Whether it was Khrushchev or Yeremenko, both of them knew that Stalin was very interested in Sokov. If such a commander, who was known to the Supreme Commander himself, died due to his own negligence, it would probably be
Causing unnecessary trouble for himself. Thinking of this, Yeremenko picked up the phone on the table, dialed the headquarters of the 8th Air Force Army directly, and informed Air Force Major General Khryugin to immediately send a plane to the Red Army.
October tractor factory.
Khryugin heard that Yereomenko's tone was very anxious when he issued the order, and he immediately realized that this matter was urgent. As soon as he put down the phone, he called his chief of staff over and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, our superiors ordered us to send
Aircraft support the Red October Tractor Factory, which flight group do you think is still on standby?"
The chief of staff thought for a while and replied: "The 437th Flight Regiment received a new flight squadron the day before yesterday. I think we can send them to the Red October Tractor Factory."
"What?" Khryugin couldn't help being shocked when he heard what the chief of staff said. "You mean the women's flying squadron?" Seeing the chief of staff nodding in affirmation, he immediately waved his hands and said, "No, no, they are all flying
The Yak-1 aircraft is probably no match for the enemy."
"Comrade Commander," the chief of staff reminded Hryugin: "But apart from them, we have no flying squadrons available."
"Okay." Khryukin hesitated for a moment, nodded and said, "Chief of Staff, give them an order to take off immediately."