As soon as the tank driven by Sokov approached the factory gate, he saw thick smoke billowing in the direction of the family area outside the factory gate, fire shooting into the sky, and the sound of gunfire.
Seeing this situation, Bely issued an order to each vehicle crew through the radio: "All attention, all attention. After leaving the factory gate, slow down, let the infantry get off, and then start a battle formation and attack forward. Repeat,
Attention all..."
After giving the order, Bely raised his hand and patted Sokov on the shoulder. When he saw him turning around, he said to him: "Comrade Brigade Commander, when you leave the factory gate later, you will slow down and give way to others."
The tanks were ahead of us."
Sokov knew very well in his heart that Belly issued this order because he and his two highest-level commanders were there. If the tank was destroyed by German artillery fire, the troops would lose their unified command and lose their unity.
It was chaos. So he slowed down and let tank after tank pass him.
After the tank carrying infantry drove out of the factory gate, it slowed down and allowed the infantry to jump off the vehicle while it adjusted its formation in an orderly manner. After completing the adjustment of the formation, Ivantsov gave an order,
All the tanks increased their power and rushed forward, while the infantrymen who got off the tanks followed closely with weapons in hand.
Although Sokov has been in the Red October Factory for a long time, he has never been there because the direction of the main entrance is the defense line of the 39th Guards Division. After leaving the factory gate, he saw a few hundred meters
Buildings collapsed in the family area outside, and the streets were full of corpses of Soviet or German soldiers. The destroyed tanks, armored vehicles, and trucks were burning. Soviet soldiers hiding in the buildings fired machine guns, submachine guns, and rifles into the streets.
The German tanks and infantrymen on the ground fired at them and threw two grenades from time to time.
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Bely leaned into Sokov's ear and said loudly: "It seems that we came at the right time, and the comrades of the Guards Division effectively held back the Germans."
"Yes, Comrade Colonel." Sokov stared ahead and said without looking back: "As long as our tanks rush up, we can defeat the enemy."
The German troops attacking the family area encountered a tenacious resistance from the Soviet army. They were struggling a bit when they suddenly saw a tank unit in the distance rushing towards them. How could they dare to fight? The infantrymen dragged their guns and headed in the direction they came.
They ran while the tanks stayed behind to cover. While reversing slowly, they stopped from time to time and fired two shots at the Soviet tanks. Due to the armor-piercing shells used by the Germans, the shells fired had only one or two lucky hits.
, the rest of the armor-piercing shells hit the open ground, neither destroying the Soviet tanks nor causing any casualties to the infantry following the tanks.
Seeing this, Sokov quickly turned to Bely and said: "Colonel Bely, immediately contact Captain Ivantsov and ask him to tell the infantry to speed up and rush forward to destroy the enemy tanks."
"What, use infantry to destroy enemy tanks?" When Bely heard Sokov say this, his first thought was that the noise in the tank was too loud, and he accidentally heard it wrong, so he asked cautiously: "So
If we do, won’t we let our soldiers commit suicide?”
"Don't worry, Colonel Bely, nothing will happen." Sokov explained to Bely: "Didn't you see that the enemy used armor-piercing bullets? It will not cause any casualties to our infantry, and our infantry rushed to
In front of the enemy's tanks, you can use anti-tank grenades or explosive charges to destroy the enemy's tanks."
"Okay, comrade brigade commander, since you gave the order, I will convey your order to Captain Ivantsov." Although Bely felt that Sokov was suspected of messing up his life, he considered that the other party was highly valued by his superiors.
A commander, who must have no problem with his command, gritted his teeth and used the radio to notify Ivantsov: "Comrade Captain, please inform the infantry to charge the enemy tanks immediately."
After receiving the order conveyed by Bely, Ivantsov could not help but be stunned. He asked in surprise: "Comrade Colonel, isn't this asking the infantry brothers to die?"
"This is an order!" Bely glanced at Sokov, who was driving the tank, and said bravely: "Execute it."
Hearing that it was an order from a superior, Ivantsov, who was used to obeying, did not dare to neglect. He quickly notified the infantry liaison officer sitting on the tank body through the tank phone. After the liaison officer heard the order conveyed by Ivantsov,
Immediately use a signal flag to signal the company commander following the tank.
Seeing the signal sent by the soldiers sitting on the tank, the first company commander shouted to the left and right without hesitation: "Comrades, get over our tanks, rush up and blow up all the enemy tanks." The soldiers of the first company said.
Shouting loudly, he quickly passed over the advancing tanks and rushed towards the enemy tanks.
Bely saw the infantry soldiers rushing towards the enemy tanks without hesitation, and his heart was in his throat. He was worried that even if the enemy tank guns could not cause losses to the soldiers, the bullets fired by the machine guns on the vehicles could still kill the soldiers.
They were knocked down in droves.
But what happened next shocked Belly. When the German tank crews saw the Soviet soldiers rushing up, they immediately fired with machine guns in a hurry, but they only knocked down a few soldiers before the soldiers rushed in.
In the blind spot of the field of vision, throw the anti-tank grenade you carry at the enemy tank.
In a series of explosions, the German tanks covering the retreat of the infantry burst into flames one after another. Some stopped and burned, and some continued to retreat back with their bodies covered in flames. The tank soldiers who escaped from the tanks,
They were also covered in fire and were running around. The Soviet soldiers standing not far away knocked down these burning men one by one with the weapons in their hands.
In just a few minutes, all the seven or eight tanks behind them were destroyed. However, because the German infantry retreated early, a company of infantry rushed forward, aimed their guns at the backs of the German soldiers, pulled the triggers desperately, and fired one magazine after another.
.Unfortunately, because the distance was too far, only a handful of enemies fell to the guns of the soldiers.
Bely did not expect victory to come so quickly. He looked at Sokov and said in an unbelievable tone: "Comrade Brigadier, I was worried just now that the orders you issued would cause many commanders and soldiers to lose their lives in vain. But now it seems
, your tactics are very effective."
"Immediately send someone to get in touch with the garrison commander here." Sokov continued to drive the tank forward, and at the same time ordered Bely: "Let them arrange a defensive area for us."
"Understood." Perhaps because he saw the order issued by Sokov and achieved such incredible results, Bely became more and more convinced of him. He quickly agreed and used the radio to notify Ivantsov and asked him to send people to find the guards.
The division commander discussed how to deploy defenses next.
After about ten minutes, a major officer, led by soldiers, appeared in Sokov's field of vision. He jogged to the tank, straightened his body and reported to Bely and Sokov who were standing next to the tank chatting.
Said: "Comrade commanders, I am the commander of the first battalion of the 117th Guards Regiment. How can I help you?"