Chapter 100 Bloody Smolensk (I)

While the Soviets were rushing to launch the campaign and form a new army group, the German Army Group Center, unwilling to be left out, took the lead in launching the prelude to the Battle of Smolensk in the face of the war clouds, adhering to the principle of blitzkrieg.

On July 14, the SS "Empire" Panzer Division of the 2nd Panzer Group under the German Army Group Center and the 46th Panzer Corps jointly attacked the important town of Gorky, opening up an offensive path for the arrival of the large forces of the Central Army Group in the rear.

On July 15, the German 46th Panzer Corps occupied and controlled Sverrofetsi, the 29th Motorized Infantry Division captured the southern suburbs of Smolensk, the 18th Panzer Division occupied the northern part of Krasny, and the 17th Panzer Division captured the eastern and southern parts of Orsha.

The 29th Division of the 47th Motorized Army of the German Army, which was the most aggressive in the offensive, had already captured the old city of Smolensk. The surviving Soviet troops in the city were surrounded on three sides and the situation was urgent. The fall of Smolensk was only a matter of time.

On July 16, the Soviet Western Front, realizing that the situation in the front was becoming more and more urgent, continued to increase its troops and speed up the transportation of materials from Moscow in the rear to Smolensk more frequently.

On July 17, the well-prepared 21st Army of the Soviet Army took the lead in launching a counterattack against the German enemy in front of it, but was defeated by the enemy's powerful armored forces and more than 600 sorties of air support, and was forced to switch to strategic defense.

On the same day, Rokossovsky, who received the order to form a new army from Moscow, led his headquarters to the city of Yartsevo. Along the way, he incorporated scattered retreating troops and several new full-strength divisions that were about to arrive in the rear reserve. Rokossovsky's 16th Army will be completed in the next few days.

At the same time, Malashenko, who received a transfer order, also boarded a train to Smolensk and led his crew on a journey to report to the Western Front.

On July 18, the 17th Armored Division of the German Army captured the urban area south of Smolensk and successfully resisted the Soviet troops counterattacking from the north and drove them back to the city.

On the same day, Major Malashenko, who arrived at the headquarters of the 16th Soviet Army in Yartsevo by train, was formally ordered by Rokossovsky to form the 1st Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion directly under the command of the 16th Army Headquarters.

On July 20, the 46th German Armored Corps captured the city of Yelnya, 70 kilometers east of Smolensk, and was able to build a salient facing Moscow.

At this point, the Soviet Army Group assembled in the Smolensk direction to participate in the battle was now only a stone's throw away from failure.

At this point in the war, the newly formed Soviet Western Front under Marshal Timoshenko has lost more than 300,000 people and injured more than 80,000 people, equivalent to a daily loss of more than 20,000 combat troops.

Comrade Stalin was furious when he learned in Moscow that the German army had captured Yelnya and established a salient in the direction of Moscow.

The furious Stalin quickly ordered Timoshenko to use the newly formed battle group to launch a counterattack against the German army in the next few days, and he could not delay any longer!

In order to show his support for the difficulties encountered by Marshal Timoshenko, Stalin, who thought over and over again, finally pulled out a total of 17 divisions from the four Soviet army groups fighting in other directions to reinforce Timoshenko, in order to strengthen the counterattack strength of the Western Front and demonstrate his determination to win the Battle of Smolensk.

Time continued to advance to July 22, with the German army advancing triumphantly and the Soviet army intensively deploying troops. The fully prepared Soviet Western Front, under the command of the new front commander Marshal Timoshenko, launched a general attack on the German army with the 24th, 28th, 29th, 30th and the 16th Army commanded by Rokossovsky.

In this super-large battle that was large enough to sweep the entire Soviet Western Front and the German Central Army Group, the 16th Army commanded by Rokossovsky tried to outflank the rear and flanks of the German Army Group at the beginning of the war, trying to put pressure on the German flank defense line and create opportunities for their own frontal offensive.

As the most trusted direct command unit in Rokossovsky's hands, the 1st Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion led by Malashenko was thrown into the hotspot where the battle was most intense on the front line shortly after the war began.

"Major Malashenko, your mission is to assist the friendly infantry to tear open the German frontal defense position and open a gap. Hill 142 occupied by the Germans must be taken. There is no second possibility. Do you understand?"

Through the new and good-viewing periscope in his hand, he clearly saw the small hill less than one kilometer away from his side. Realizing that a war was about to break out, Malashenko immediately held the radio communicator and replied to Rokossovsky who was still waiting.

"Our tracks will crush the positions of those Nazi invaders! Please wait for our victory report, comrade commander."

After saying this, he immediately switched the communication channel to the communication channel of the heavy tank battalion he led. After experiencing several brutal tank battles, Malashenko, who had already experienced a strong will, immediately gave orders in a calm tone.

"Comrades, the target is Hill 142 occupied by the Germans in front of the 12 o'clock direction! Smash it, we have no other choice, Ura!"

"Ura!"

The high-spirited shouts instantly spread throughout the communication channels of the heavy tank battalion along with the responses of the crews to Malashenko.

If there was anything that made Malashenko, who had just taken over the newly established heavy tank battalion, most happy, it was undoubtedly that every battle tank under the battalion, including the T34 tanks, was equipped with the latest 10R inter-vehicle wireless communication radio.

With the help of these newly produced brand-new radios, Malashenko, who had been suffering from his "stand-alone" combat mode, can now finally sweep away the communication difficulties encountered in the past combat, and be responsible for commanding every battle as an independent commander completely freed from the part-time job of gunner.

Looking at the German anti-tank gun teams in the periscope field of view that were lowering the muzzles of the anti-tank guns on the positions and turning them around to slowly aim at their own side. Malashenko, who left the gunner's position for the first time, then gently passed his arm over the breech block and put it on the shoulder of the gunner who was ready at the side.

"The wound hasn't healed completely yet, don't push yourself too hard, Lieutenant Iushkin! Be careful with those Germans, let's go!"