Chapter 1136 A Blank Space

The 1st Stalin Guards Heavy Tank Brigade finally began to retreat according to the orders of their superiors. Only after repelling the Guards Flank Division that came to entangle and intend to delay time, Malashenko could finally let go and put all his energy into how to evacuate quickly.

Perhaps the losses were really too great to bear. The situation that Malashenko was worried about, that the Guards Flank Division would stick to it like a dog-skin plaster and catch up, did not happen as expected.

The tug-of-war with the Guards Flank Division that had lasted from early morning to now was simply a grinder of flesh and steel. Malashenko felt that the last time he witnessed such huge casualties on both sides was during the Battle of Stalingrad.

At the beginning, it was the Soviet attack. After taking the position, there was another wave of German air strikes. Immediately after the air strikes, the Guards Flank Division launched a counterattack.

The wet land that had just been stained with blood was immediately drenched with fresh blood. The bodies of the Soviet and German soldiers lying on the battlefield were countless and piled up, so many that they could almost trip people who walked carelessly.

Malashenko couldn't understand why the bastards of the Guards Flag Division really just wanted to force their side to stay, so why did they rush over like mad dogs and fight this unnecessary and cruel battle for the position? Wouldn't it be better to keep exerting pressure and fight slowly?

Malashenko felt that if he was the commander of the Guards Flag Division, he would definitely do so.

So according to this situation, the mad dog-biting attack of the Guards Flag Division is obviously not simple, and there may be other unknown plans hidden behind it.

But for the current situation, all this is no longer important. The upset Malashenko only sorted out his thoughts a little bit, and then stopped caring about these things and let it go.

The Guards Flag Division has now been broken. Not to mention continuing to launch an attack, Malashenko estimates that if he can still integrate a large wave of offensive, it is not impossible to recapture the October State Farm in one go.

But such an idea is ultimately just a thought. Malashenko has very little time left. If he cannot jump out of the current dangerous area before the Skull Division and the Imperial Division complete the encirclement in the direction of the October State Farm.

Not only Malashenko himself, but also the entire Stalin Guards 1st Heavy Tank Brigade, the Guards 9th Airborne Division, and even all the Red Army troops trapped in the encirclement will be in danger.

The safety of other friendly forces, Malashenko, who is already in danger, has no time to care about. The important thing is to quickly withdraw his own troops and the accompanying Guards 9th Airborne Division. This is the priority premise for considering what to do next and how to put it into action.

"Hey, have a cigarette!"

Malachenko, who was holding the machine gun on the roof in front of him, half of his body was drooping outside the turret to look at the scenery and relax. Iushkin, who asked Kirill to sit in his seat first, opened the other side of the roof cover that was split in half by the German armor-piercing shell and came out after a while. When he saw Malachenko holding the machine gun in a daze, he immediately handed over his cigarette.

"What are you thinking about? It's not common for you to be in a daze."

Iushkin was not talking nonsense. Malachenko was a person with a clear purpose and next goal most of the time. He rarely did meaningless things, and naturally there were fewer cases of staring blankly.

Malachenko, who was deliberately bumped on the shoulder by Iushkin, reached out to take the cigarette, opened his bitter mouth and put the cigarette without a filter into his mouth. He still didn't know what to think next, and he didn't know where to start to solve all this.

"Well, if you don't want to talk, then I won't ask. After all, you are the commander."

Iushkin, who was a little disappointed when his question was not answered, stretched out his hand to light a cigarette for himself and also lit one for Malashenko.

But the silence without any conversation was too weird. Iushkin, who only heard the roar of the engine and the grinding of the tracks, endured until he almost finished a cigarette, but still did not wait for Malashenko to speak first.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you like a puppet? At least you can chat, right?"

Iushkin, who was a bit talkative, finally couldn't help it. He was the first to break the weird silence and spoke to Malashenko. In the face of Iushkin's confusion, Malashenko's answer was quite simple.

"Don't you ever feel like talking? I just want to be alone for a while."

""

Iushkin had never heard Malashenko say such a thing before. He felt awkward and didn't know how to answer. He held the cigarette butt between his fingers for a long time but finally continued to speak.

"But we are best comrades. If you have any troubles, can't you tell me?"

Best comrades

Iushkin said it unintentionally, but Malashenko listened to it intentionally.

A seemingly insignificant word made Malashenko's smile more bitter and a little more helpless.

The heavier the feelings, the more heartbroken it is when the foreseeable moment of separation comes.

Malashenko, who was not ready, personally experienced the intense pain brought by this feeling, which was even more sad than the sudden departure of his comrades.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, but do you understand me? Ivushkin, I don't know how to do it, and I don't want to talk about it. I need a process to slowly accept some things. I know this is inevitable, but it still takes time. Before that, I want to be quiet. If there is a chance, I will tell you, I promise."

The person that Political Commissar Petrov wants to hide the most is undoubtedly Malashenko, but this does not mean that Comrade Political Commissar wants others to know about it.

The troops are in a difficult period facing great danger. The Stalin Guards 1st Heavy Tank Brigade, which is like a precision machine, must not have any trouble at this time. Otherwise, it will be like a giant who was originally strong and powerful, but has problems in the brain. Even if the news of a terminal illness is just spread, it must be avoided.

Malashenko understands this, so he does not intend to let other people know about it.

With Comrade Political Commissar's reputation and his feelings with his comrades, once this matter of poking a hole in the sky is spread, it will inevitably have a frying pan effect. Those elite tank soldiers who have muscles in their heads and specialize in defeating German soldiers, it is still unknown what they will do.

To be on the safe side, it is better to keep the news secret until after the war, even if Malashenko himself is extremely anxious.