Chapter 1377: Quit While You're at It

"I can imagine that the Germans are bad, but this is too bad, isn't it? This is worse than a useless knife that has no work!"

Malachenko, who was obviously a little surprised, raised his arm and looked at his watch. It was less than half an hour since the front troops exchanged fire with the enemy. It took only twenty minutes to deal with the Germans on a position? These Germans must be Ukrainian traitors in German dog skins.

But no matter what, what the truth is, what the possibility is, this further order must be issued by Malachenko as a division commander. Objectively speaking, only he, Malachenko, has this power.

"Notify the front-line troops to suspend the offensive and stop advancing! Going forward is the belly of the Germans. If you don't have enough troops to get in, you may not be able to get out! Stay where you are and wait for the arrival of the main force. For the time being, the main force will arrive soon!"

Malachenko knew very well that what he was facing was not a few Germans, but an entire armored army of the Wehrmacht plus an elite division of the SS.

Previously, he had fought against half of the 502nd Battalion, a weak armored division, and a half-crippled infantry division, and he still failed to completely destroy the enemy even when he put all his troops on the battlefield. He fought until sunset, but only forced some of the Germans to surrender and salute in French style, while others simply ran away.

After all, the troops were limited, and Malashenko was unable to keep all the Germans. Those who should run could only be left to run, and it was impossible to catch up with them and encircle them. Eat as much as you can, this is the truth that every commander and fighter in an important position must understand.

Let a battalion of medium tanks break into the hinterland of the Germans, go deep into the enemy's territory alone, and it is a powerful opponent that far exceeds his total strength. Although Malashenko has the most elite tank division in the entire Red Army, he cannot be so arrogant.

The vanguard troops have already exceeded the scheduled combat mission. If they want to go further, they have to wait until the follow-up troops arrive. Moreover, what will the Germans do next after being stabbed from the side? Malashenko, who must consider this variable factor, must be extremely cautious in further orders.

It didn't take long for the main force commanded by Malashenko to arrive at the frontline war zone. After all, medium tanks are only limited in speed compared to heavy tanks, and have not yet reached the level of qualitative change.

Heavy tanks carrying a large number of accompanying infantrymen drove to the battlefield one after another. The newly arrived infantry soldiers who jumped off the steel bodies were also looking around at the smoking battlefield relics, quite curious.

"This battle was well fought, Varosha! Which unit under your command did it?"

Since the new tactics and new equipment were in place and adopted one after another, Malashenko began to pay more and more attention to the situation of the only independent infantry regiment directly under the division headquarters under his command.

Facing the question from Malashenko who found him as soon as he got off the car, Varosha, who had just arrived at the battlefield ruins, said a few words to the accompanying personnel around him and then turned to Malashenko.

"Everything is good, comrade division commander! We killed the Germans and tested the new tactics."

"The first battalion followed the medium tanks to participate in the vanguard battle. It is a serious old-fashioned unit we brought out after the battle of Stalingrad. Although the equipment is not as good as the combat engineer battalion, in terms of combat experience and combat performance, it can be said that it is not worse than the combat engineer battalion at all."

"The combat engineer battalion is good at heavy firepower breakthroughs, and the first battalion is a light and fast assault route. There is no big problem in dealing with such a rookie German. The main thing is that there are tanks to cooperate and heavy firepower is good."

Out of trust in Varosha, Malashenko also allocated his most valued infantry unit: the combat engineer battalion, to Varosha's command to add a new battalion organization and unified command.

Therefore, when it comes to the issue of combat effectiveness comparison, Valosha, who clearly knows the combat effectiveness of his combat engineer battalion, prefers to compare the other battalions with the combat engineer battalion.

In normal training and regiment meetings, Valosha also requires all battalion commanders to unify the combat effectiveness standards of their troops to the combat engineer battalion. Even if the equipment is not as good and the combat effectiveness is slightly worse, at least they have to show the momentum of the combat engineer battalion.

Competing with the "humanoid self-propelled tanks" of the combat engineer battalion is a life-threatening experience for the other battalion commanders.

Let's not talk about anything else. In the usual hand-to-hand combat competitions. The double-layer heavy armor on the iron bastards of the combat engineer battalion took advantage of the boss. All attacks on the torso were judged invalid, and ordinary soldiers with only ordinary military uniforms would be directly eliminated if they were stabbed in the body.

In addition, the combat engineer battalion was strong and muscular, and they were wearing double heavy armor and still wielded their bayoneted rifles with great agility. In the indispensable hand-to-hand combat training, if you want to knock down such a "human-shaped self-propelled tank", you need to bring three or five soldiers in to do it.

The other battalion commanders watching around the stadium were so anxious that they could only curse together for "not being martially virtuous" and that was it. It was not that, but it was indeed the meaning.

Malashenko had the opportunity to visit the combat engineer battalion training several times when he went down to inspect the troops, and he had a little understanding of such situations.

So when Varosha told Malashenko that the combat performance of the 1st Battalion was not worse than that of the Combat Engineer Battalion, Malashenko was indeed slightly surprised and then overjoyed, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.

"That's great, Valosha!"

"I heard from the political commissar that you usually require the other battalions to meet the standards of the combat engineer battalion. I support you very much! There is something I have never told you before. I will tell you now. You can also use it as a warning to tell the soldiers in the future."

"Sweat more in peacetime and bleed less in war. Those who can survive on the battlefield are soldiers with superb combat skills. I, Malashenko, don't want any softies who cry out in pain and tiredness, and I, Stalin's First Guards Tank Division, will not accept any."

"Since you want to be an infantryman in the most elite tank division of the entire Red Army, you must be prepared to live up to the name of elite. Strict requirements are responsible for the lives of the soldiers! This is also what I ask you to do!"

Valosha, who was a latecomer rather than a follower at the beginning, has always obeyed Malashenko's orders and wanted to prove and show himself in front of the division commander and get recognition.

So when he heard what Malashenko said, Valosha's next answer was naturally straightforward without thinking.

"Yes, Comrade Commander! I will definitely carry out your words and orders and ensure that they are implemented to the letter!"