Chapter 662: The Empire Strikes Back Part 1

"Oh my God, the Germans have launched a massive counterattack. They are attacking the 328th Division's defense lines."

Oktyabryski, who was eating black bread and drinking coffee in a wheat field next to the road, suddenly heard a roar in the distance, and then heard the shouts of Rotmistrov, commander of the 7th Tank Corps.

He quickly looked up to the south, only to see the dark and low sky, already brightly illuminated by bursts of artillery fire and explosions. Countless artillery shells trailed tail flames and landed very quickly on the position of approximately the 328th Division of the Red Army, stirring up clusters of smoke columns and flames. The roar of exploding artillery shells reached the roadside where the 7th Soviet Tank Army was resting in hiding more than ten kilometers away. (Although there were P51s from the American internationalist fighters to cover it, the circuitous Soviet 3rd Army still chose to march day and night). It sounded like bursts of muffled thunder, hitting the hearts of every Red Army commander and political worker.

Did Germany launch a counterattack? Did their main force arrive in Warsaw?

Just when this slightly frightening question emerged in Oktyabryski's mind, streaks of lightning suddenly appeared in the distant sky, tearing open the sky that was still a little dark in the early morning. Accompanying the appearance of these lightnings, there were also bursts of strange screams.

"Bazooka salvo! This is the second round of rocket salvo!" Rotmistrov, commander of the 7th Tank Army, sounded a little trembling when he spoke again, "The artillery group of the 10th Army was actually fired. The Nazi planes were suppressed! This is terrible. Without the support of the artillery group, the 328th Division could not withstand the German armored group assault! And our 3rd Army..."

The 3rd Army of the Red Army is the main force in the Warsaw North Road Cluster. Its 7th Tank Army is also the only tank army in the Soviet Union equipped with T-34/57 tanks! If the 7th Tank Corps is still in its original position, then the combination of 55 powerful T-34/57s and 16 ZIS-2 57mm anti-tank guns will definitely severely damage the German heavy tank cluster.

But now, the powerful 7th Tank Army is on its way to the enemy's rear. Although the rest of the 7th Tank Army and the 3rd Group Army are now located not too far from the battlefield, only a dozen kilometers away. But that's a straight line distance, and there's a wide Renaf River in the middle!

What's even worse is that there are only a few pontoons for the 3rd Army to cross the river, and they are all located in Serotsk, 7 kilometers away. If it were nighttime, the 20 to 30 kilometers and up to 40 kilometers of maneuver would only take 2 hours to complete.

But it happened to be daytime now, and the German planes were still hovering over the heads of the Red Army. Even with the cover of the American P51, the 3rd Army, which has more than 2,800 tanks and vehicles, will definitely be bombed and suffer heavy losses.

"Comrade Commander, the German counterattack will probably not succeed," Political Commissar Oktyabryski looked at the sea of ​​​​fire caused by German rockets in the distance and swallowed, "The 10th Army also has a tank corps. And there are 16 ZIS-2 anti-tank guns..."

At this point, Oktyabryski himself frowned. The F-34 76.2mm tank gun currently used by T-34 and KV-1 tanks has been proven to be unable to penetrate the armor of German heavy tanks. The 75mm guns and 88mm guns used on German tanks and assault guns can easily penetrate the frontal armor of T-34 and KV-1.

Therefore, among the entire 10th Army, there are only 16 towed ZIS-2 anti-tank guns and 32 more cumbersome 85mm anti-aircraft guns that can threaten German heavy tanks. This kind of towed artillery without armor protection is very vulnerable to enemy artillery and air power coverage, and its battlefield survivability is very problematic...

…

"Fire! Fire quickly! Stop the Nazi tanks!"

Lieutenant Ivan Sidovic, commander of the anti-tank gun company of the 1122nd Regiment of the 328th Division of the Red Army, heard his horrified voice - he knew this was a wrong order! Because it is impossible for an anti-tank gun to penetrate the front of a German heavy tank at such a long distance.

In fact, this 45mm caliber anti-tank gun is difficult to penetrate even the front of the No. 4 H tank and the No. 3 assault gun. According to the latest combat manual, the anti-tank gun must accurately hit the tracks of German heavy tanks (referring to Tiger Leopards), No. 4 tanks, and No. 3 assault guns, or hit the sides of No. 4 tanks and No. 3 assault guns within 300 meters. .

But it is very difficult to use the 1 anti-tank gun in accordance with the requirements of the manual, whether it is to move the 669 kg (hauled) towed anti-tank gun to within 300 meters of the enemy tank flank, or to hit a moving Tank tracks are not easy.

Compared with the two, hitting the track seems to be easier. But if you want to hit, you have to bring the German tank closer. Because once the 45mm anti-tank gun fires, it will expose the target. The assault guns and self-propelled artillery following the German heavy tanks will immediately blast the grenades! Therefore, after firing two or three rounds from the 45mm cannon, the position must be moved immediately. If you want to cause losses to the enemy in the limited shelling opportunity, the German tanks must be brought closer to attack.

Lieutenant Ivan Sidovic certainly knows this truth. But facing hundreds of thousands of tanks and armored vehicles coming from the Germans, he, like most of the anti-tank artillery company commanders, had no courage to get close to these roaring steel monsters and then attack them. .

In fact, Sidovic was not the only one who lacked courage. The entire defense line of the Soviet 1122nd Regiment was firing. The officers and soldiers were shouting in fear and crazily, desperately firing at these slow-moving steel behemoths. Weapon in hand. Machine guns and rifles clashed, clanking and sparks flying on the armor on the front of the tank. But they're still moving forward! Some ugly-looking Zliny 2 105mm assault guns stopped, and the equipped 105mm caliber howitzers began to suppress the Soviet anti-tank firepower points that exposed the targets.

This Hungarian assault gun and the German No. 3 assault gun are two completely different types of assault guns. The No. 3 assault gun is an anti-tank weapon for German infantry, while the Zliny 2 assault gun is a weapon for suppressing infantry. Its function is similar to the German's own "Wasp" self-propelled artillery, but the "Wasp" self-propelled artillery does not have as good armor protection as the Zliny 2. It is difficult to rush to the enemy's forward position and shoot directly with a 105mm howitzer. .

Because it is a direct shot, and the distance is less than 1,000 meters, there is no problem of missing the target. Dozens of Zliny 2-type assault guns belonging to the 1st Assault Artillery Brigade of the Hungarian Mechanical Army simultaneously spit out tongues of fire with 105mm howitzers. The Soviet troops on the entire front were covered in blood and flesh! Shells penetrated the anti-tank gun fire points one after another, and then fragments of weapons mixed with human limbs exploded and splashed out.

Lieutenant Ivan Sidovic's anti-tank company also suffered a disaster. Several anti-tank firepower points were hit by 105mm artillery shells. Half of the 45mm guns in the company were immediately reduced to parts together with the Red Army soldiers who controlled them!

At this time, the Tiger tanks also stopped advancing and began to sweep across the entire front with 88mm guns and machine guns. The Red Army was completely unable to raise its head. The grenadiers on the armored vehicles following the Tiger tanks jumped down one after another, carrying MKb -42 automatic carbine and MG42 machine gun launched a charge!

"Comrades, for the sake of the proletariat, go for it!"

"Comrades, pick up your guns and grenades and attack the evil Nazi tanks!"

The shouts of commanders and political workers sounded one after another on the 1122nd Regiment's position - the position defended by the 1122nd Regiment is already the reserve position of the 328th Division. If it is broken through again, then the defense line of the 328th Red Army Infantry Division will be will be completely broken through.

Although an ordinary infantry division was originally a cannon fodder in this war between the two army superpowers, the Soviet Union and Germany, it would be nothing even if it was wiped out.

However, less than two hours after the German artillery bombardment began, the 328th Division of the Red Army lost two lines of defense one after another, and even the last reserve line of defense was in danger. However, this greatly surprised the commander of the 10th Group Army, Major General Popov, and the commander of the Far East Army. Anticipation of General Pavlov in Minsk.

"Comrade Commander, Major General Popov has personally commanded the 22nd Tank Corps to support the 100th Infantry Corps."

Major General Rimoschik, the chief of staff of the Western Front, appeared in front of General Pavlov worriedly and reported to him the latest changes on the front line.

The defense line of the 328th Division was about to be lost. As the superior unit of the 328th Division, the 100th Infantry Corps had to ask for help from the 3rd Army Headquarters. Popov, the commander of the 3rd Army, did not dare to neglect, and had already personally led the 10th Tank Army (the 1st Battalion ZIS-2 anti-tank gun belonging to the 3rd Army also followed the 22nd Tank Army) to go up.

"Comrade Commander, the 10th Army may not be able to withstand the German assault. Should we ask the 3rd Army to support the 10th Army?" Major General Rimoschik suggested in a low voice.

"Let the 3rd Army return to Razimin from the original route?" General Pavlov glanced at his chief of staff, "Do you know how long the march of more than 2,800 vehicles and 80,000 soldiers is? To complete the turn How long does it take? And it's daytime... Do you want the 3rd Army to march dozens of kilometers on the road in the face of German air attacks? "

"Comrade Commander, this is the 10th Army..."

Pavlov waved his hand and interrupted Major General Rimosik: "The 3rd Army continues to implement the original plan... I don't believe that the Germans can leave Warsaw's retreat!" He paused, and then Said: "As for the 11th Army in the direction of Razimin-Wovomin? Two armies can't stop the German armored group? And the center group can immediately launch an attack to the north and hit the German flank. If it doesn’t work, I still have the reserves of the 4th Army, the 28th Army, and the 31st Army. I have an overwhelming strength advantage and will definitely win!”