Chapter 1384 Commander, We Have Artillery!

The duty of a soldier is to obey orders. Knowing this, Kurbalov will naturally follow Malashenko's orders.

It's just that the use of heavy tanks for defense is indeed worth pondering. How to arrange the troops, whether to keep reserves, and how many reserves to keep are all issues worth thinking about.

Although there was a defensive battle in Kursk before, the situation at that time was completely different from now.

Not only was the overall force establishment much larger than that time, but even the crucial technical equipment was all replaced. It seems a bit inappropriate to use the past tactics to fight today's battle. For the sake of safety, Kurbalov hopes to get more accurate and detailed orders from Malashenko.

"Uh, this"

Without the political commissar, all matters of command and tactics need to be decided by Malashenko alone.

Although the chief of staff is capable and efficient, he is still far from the political commissar's independent work.

Malashenko knew this clearly in his heart, and he knew that now was the time for him to stand up and take charge, and he had to do it regardless of whether he was willing to do so or not. He had to do it even if difficulties arose, and there was no reason to fail or back down.

"Let's put it this way. Your regiment will be kept as a reserve. The most elite troops must be kept until the most critical moment. Our division emphasizes high mobility and mechanization, and the infantry does not have many anti-tank guns available. The task of anti-tank operations will be handed over to the second and third regiments, but you must not take it lightly just because you are allowed to rest for a while."

"On the contrary, once the Germans show signs of decline or I need you to attack, your regiment must use all its strength to press forward. Beat the Germans as badly as you can, and never show mercy. The troops will be temporarily placed at the back of the left wing of the position. I will let the 4th Guards Tank Brigade defend the same position on the right wing, and you will have to cooperate in the battle at that time."

Malachenko gave the answer almost without hesitation. This is a safe tactic that is not very innovative but wins steadily and relies on strength.

According to the Germans' usual nature, Malashenko estimated that the Germans who were defeated in the frontal attack would inevitably try to carry out a siege tactic of outflanking and cutting off the retreat, provided that the Germans really wanted to eat him up in one go.

Deploying heavy tank units with high mobility, heavy armor and heavy firepower on both wings of the position can effectively curb the spearhead of the German armored forces and ensure the safety of the left and right flanks of the position.

In addition, Malashenko had to consider that once the Germans gave up the attack and started to run away, all the tank units at hand must be pressed up at the fastest speed and quickly pursued. The marching formation of a long snake formation is a taboo for military strategists at this time, and it must be absolutely avoided at this time.

Based on the dual considerations of tight defense and easy pursuit, Malashenko finally made up his mind to execute this order.

Maybe this tactic is just a new wine in an old bottle, but it is not very innovative. However, the victory lies in the fact that the troops and technical equipment in Malashenko's hands are absolutely strong enough to fight the Germans who are the enemy in front of them.

Only when you rely on hard power, you often don't need any high-end command art. Didn't the Americans who fought all over the world in later generations say that? If the brain can kill an elephant, what is the use of a hunting rifle?

Strength is the most essential capital of self-confidence and arrogance, nothing else.

Kurbalov, who received the specific plan from Malashenko, took the order quickly and was also responsible for conveying the combat orders to several other regiment commanders. Malashenko, who was so tight on time, had no extra time to convey the orders one by one and hold any bullshit combat meetings. It was undoubtedly more appropriate to let Kurbalov, whom he trusted, do this.

"There's not much time left, let's get in the car and get started."

Feeling that he had basically dealt with all the important matters, Malashenko was about to go back to his car to make final preparations. Unexpectedly, at this moment, the chief of staff, Colonel Dudabovsky, who had just reported to him, suddenly ran up to him again, waving the telegram in his hand.

"Comrade Division Commander, you have to take a look at this! Friendly forces on Hill 239 sent us a contact point report. They have learned about our timely support and combat situation from the front headquarters, and expressed their gratitude to us for this."

"In addition, and most importantly, the field artillery cluster on Hill 239 can provide us with long-range artillery support, but the specific artillery coordinates must be reported by us, and the range must be defined in advance for them."

"Because we just arrived, there are no telephone lines and the radio communication distance is not enough. We can only use telegrams, and there is a certain delay in information, so the artillery coordinates can only be fixed, that's it."

""

Malachenko originally thought that the brothers on Hill 239 were now in a difficult situation, but he never expected that they could come to help him at a critical moment and provide him with some artillery support. This can be called a pleasant surprise.

"How strong are the artillery on Hill 239? How many guns are there and what is their caliber?"

To be honest, Stalin's 1st Guards Tank Division was forced to abandon the powerful combat power of traditional towed artillery because it pursued a high level of mechanization.

In terms of the actual strength of the Stalinist First Guards Tank Division, such a large and elite mechanized heavy-armored force only has two battalions of artillery to support it. This is like a Guards Tank Army equipped with two battalions of artillery, which is really a bit funny.

Malashenko is very clear about the lack of artillery strength.

However, you can't have both fish and bear's paw. If you want high mobility and high mechanization, you must abandon those towing artillery that are troublesome, and it is more troublesome to deploy positions and recover them.

In this case, it is no less pleasant for Malashenko to get long-range artillery support from Hill 239 unexpectedly.

And figuring out the specific strength of the field artillery cluster on Hill 239 is the key detail that Malashenko must know to modify his combat plan.

Guessing that Malashenko might ask this question, the chief of staff did not hesitate, and blurted out the specific details without thinking.