Chapter 1253 Attack the Enemy!

After taking the last puff of his cigarette, Iushkin threw the butt into the snow at his feet. The unburned tobacco shredded the snow and made a hissing sound. Iushkin, with a fairy-like breath coming out of his mouth, had heard the familiar footsteps coming.

"Prepare for battle, Seryosha, our tank commander is here."

Malashenko, who had entrusted the division headquarters to Political Commissar Petrov to command on his behalf, came to the garrison, where all the steel behemoths that would be put into the brutal frontal battle later were neatly parked, including ISU-152 self-propelled howitzers and powerful IS6 heavy tanks.

When the first ray of dawn light shines on the frozen land, the dormant winter behemoths will wake up again and impose endless fear and death on the enemy.

Iushkin and Seryosha were already standing at attention beside the tank, waiting. Artyom, who had just finished moving the last shell, stood beside Iushkin last. Malashenko walked in front of the three people, took a deep breath, and cast his eyes on Iushkin first.

"What should the gunner do during the intervals between battles and when the shells need to be moved during supply maintenance?"

""

Iushkin, who was standing at attention, was a little surprised, but he didn't say anything, let alone show it.

Iushkin vaguely guessed what Malashenko meant, but this time he chose to remain silent as never before.

"Answer me! Captain Iushkin!"

""

Iushkin knew he couldn't bear it anymore, and whether he was willing or not, it was time to say something.

"Report to the division commander! The gunner's duty is to assist the loader in completing the moving work during the intervals between battles and when the shells need to be moved during supply maintenance. The answer is complete!"

"Very good, the answer is correct."

Malashenko nodded, but there was no smile or casualness to talk about.

"Then why are you indifferent, squatting in the snow smoking, watching Artyom working alone?"

""

Iushkin couldn't answer. He looked down on the new loader and was always upset and dissatisfied with Malashenko for transferring Kirill away. He was just angry all the time, and took out all his anger on the new Artyom, preferring to watch him work alone rather than go over to help.

Malashenko, who knew this well, really didn't know what to say to Iushkin. Malashenko understood that Iushkin and Kirill had a special relationship, and Seryosha's relationship with him was not as good as Kirill's.

But Iushkin's stubborn temper of putting personal feelings above objective reality really made Malashenko angry.

Even though Iushkin knew that Kirill was no longer suitable to be a loader, he still couldn't get around this hurdle in his heart, and he kept sulking and throwing tantrums. Malashenko really wanted to point his finger at his nose and scold him, "Fuck, even women are not as fussy as you!"

Thinking about it, complaining about it, being angry at Iushkin for not fighting, Malashenko finally understood Iushkin.

Being young and energetic at the same age, Malashenko understood what Iushkin was thinking.

"If you have any complaints or anything you want to say, come to me. Don't vent all your dissatisfaction on Artyom. When I was with you, I was still the same person as before. I was your car commander, not a division commander or a major general. There was no generation gap or estrangement, even for Artyom. It was the same as before, as always."

Malashenko tried to soften his tone and said these words to Iushkin patiently. Malashenko believed that Iushkin was not the kind of stubborn person. He looked careless on the surface, but in fact he was the most loyal and righteous. He just needed some time to adapt.

"Everyone get on the car and prepare for battle!"

Malashenko, who was once in a desperate situation, had looked forward to that incomparable beautiful sound many times. It was a kind of earth-shaking, earth-shattering sound that seemed to be the end of the world, representing the most powerful field artillery cluster on the planet at this moment. Once this power was released, it would be equivalent to destruction, and there would be no second possibility.

This familiar sound that had been absent for a long time finally sounded on time at the agreed time. The Red Army artillery positions under the cover of night began to release their anger towards the predetermined strike coordinates.

The front army, group army, army, division, and all independent rocket artillery units joined together, and the earth-shaking doomsday-like artillery roared throughout the earth. The devastating pain that the Germans least wanted to endure fell on their heads again after a long time.

Each of the large-caliber heavy artillery shells that rained down like rain could make a big hole in the entire position. The loud noise of a 203mm large artillery firecracker could even cause a considerable local earthquake, but even so, it was still not the most terrifying existence.

The dense rain of rockets in the mountains and tsunamis was more powerful than large-caliber heavy artillery. The Katyusha rocket launcher, called the "Stalin Organ" by the German soldiers, released multiple times the firepower of artillery units of the same size.

The dense rain of rockets came and went quickly, but the German positions, which had been turned into a mess like the surface of the moon, were still suffering. The Red Army field artillery units, who were determined to make the enemy taste the taste of destruction, were far from stopping.

Malashenko, standing on the turret, held a telescope in his hand and admired this rare scenery. It was true that there was no sun in the sky to illuminate this dark world, but it was also because of this that the flames of justice could burst out more brilliantly in the darkness.

The German positions that were hit by the shelling and caused a fire were ignited with a huge fire and released billowing smoke. The bright and dazzling firelight could even illuminate most of the night sky in the distance. Malalashenko, who guessed that it might be the German front-line fuel depot or some ammunition storage point that was destroyed by a cannon, laughed happily.

"Keep burning, bastards! The more fiercely you burn, the less fear you will have to endure later. It is good for you to die quickly."

The intensive artillery preparation lasted for a full hour with the sky-high noise and the rising flames that illuminated the night sky, no more and no less.

When the last shell arrived and exploded as expected, the dawn light rose from the horizon as promised, illuminating the frozen earth. Malashenko, who couldn't wait to crush the Germans on the opposite side into slag, held the transmitter in his hand and blurted out in a roar.

"Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division, attack the enemy!"

The steel roared, the diesel engine roared, and heavy tanks loaded with assault infantry jumped out of the starting position, stepped on the accelerator and rushed straight towards the shattered position.

The staggering German soldiers, who were blown up and limp like rubber men, walked out of the anti-artillery cave and returned to the shattered position under the scolding and orders of the officers, but the shadows of destruction and death were all visible under the rising sun.