Chapter 160 Breaking Into the Restricted Area

When the Soviet artillery bombardment, which was wrapped in the thunder and lightning force in the mountains and seas, finally stopped gradually, the surviving German soldiers who had been bombarded by the Soviet field artillery group for nearly an hour just stood unsteadily, holding the weapons in their hands and staggering like drunkards, and the roaring steel behemoth once again rushed over with full loads of "tank knights".

With the opening of the second wave of the Soviet army's formal group charge, the thing that the German commander was most worried about finally hit his head inevitably.

For the sake of caution, the 88 guns specially arranged in the second preset defense position were not spared. These heavy anti-aircraft guns that were bulky and did not have the ability to move on their own had no time to dodge when the Soviet artillery fell. They were all blown into a pile of twisted and deformed burning steel debris and parts and the whole army was annihilated.

Although they knew that the 88mm guns in their hands were the only effective weapon to deal with the Soviet heavy tanks, the German army was still unwilling to give up hope for victory after losing all the positions behind the 88mm guns.

The German anti-tank gun team pushed them out of the anti-tank hole by human push, but these 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns, which were the basic anti-armor weapons of the front-line infantry, were really incapable of doing the job.

The small water-tube anti-tank guns that could not effectively threaten even the T34 medium tanks could not be effectively used on the KV1 heavy tanks, which were famous for their thick armor.

The substantial killing power of the Soviet KV1 heavy tanks was limited to hearing a sound after hitting them. The small water-tube anti-tank guns were simply unable to stop the KV1 heavy tank cluster that was driving at full speed. It didn't take long for this light infantry and heavy armored coordinated mixed force led by Malashenko to roar and roll onto the German positions.

"Stop advancing! Suppress the German infantry, and keep all vehicle crews' machine gun firepower at maximum! Each vehicle crew should load high-explosive bombs, and first smash the German anti-tank artillery team, followed by the machine gun firepower point, and don't let the German assault team get close to our tanks!"

Behind the second preset defense position is the main urban area of ​​Yelnya City. The German army, who are fighting a desperate battle, knows that once this last position is lost, a bloody street battle like a meat grinder will inevitably begin.

The loss of a large number of technical equipment and heavy anti-tank equipment has made these two Wehrmacht infantry divisions not sure that they can fight back and forth with the Soviet siege troops in street battles like the previous Great German Infantry Regiment.

For a Wehrmacht unit with an honorary title like the Great German Infantry Regiment, let alone the super-large-scale organization of 14 combat battalions, the Great German Infantry Regiment alone enjoys the two privileges of high-quality manpower supply and equipment priority supply in the German Wehrmacht sequence, which is enough to overwhelm these two ordinary Wehrmacht infantry divisions.

The two German division commanders knew that even if they were tied together, the two ordinary infantry divisions might not be as strong as the Great German Infantry Regiment, so they could only go ahead with their heads held high.

The last remaining reserve troops in their hands were all thrown into the position at the moment when the war had not yet begun, hoping to drive the Soviet heavy tank vanguard out of the position before the Soviet follow-up troops completely broke through the position defense.

The German assault teams carrying technical grenades and Molotov cocktails were like moles running back and forth in the communication trenches of the position. Although the German assault teams, who were all crouching and only showing a corner of their helmets, had tried their best to get closer, Malashenko, who had suffered a big loss at the hands of the SS Imperial Division, would not make the same mistake again.

In order to stop the German anti-tank assault team from getting closer, the Soviet tank crew, who were already bloodthirsty, even turned the turret after dealing with the German anti-tank guns, and fired the 76mm high-explosive shells loaded in the barrel directly at these flesh-and-blood and defenseless German infantry.

The vehicle's trolley machine gun, turret coaxial machine gun, 76mm tank main gun, and even directly opened the turret cover and leaned out, using the Suomi submachine gun to close in and shoot at the German infantry who tried to approach.

The desperate and crazy firepower projection of the First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion caused huge casualties to the German infantry assault teams who tried to approach and destroy the Soviet tanks.

The German soldiers who were shot into a hornet's nest by the 62mm vehicle-mounted DT light machine gun and the Suomi submachine gun could at least leave their bodies intact. With the fast reload bonus brought by the first ammunition rack built into the turret, the 76mm main gun of the KV1 heavy tank, which fired one round every five seconds, was even more merciless.

A 76mm high-explosive shell, if it hit directly, could instantly kill a five-man German infantry anti-tank assault team.

Although the German infantry, who were protected by the trenches and tunnels, had tried to keep their figures low, the 76mm high-explosive shells with a surface-based killing radius often did not need to hit accurately at all. Even an explosion twenty meters away was enough to completely wipe out these flesh-and-blood German infantry on the spot.

The German army launched counterattacks again and again, but they failed again and again. The 1st Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion standing on the German position was like a copper wall that could not be pushed over or smashed. While standing firm, it repeatedly made the unwilling German infantrymen return home with bloody heads.

The 88 guns were completely wiped out, the small water pipe anti-tank guns were powerless, the air support was blocked, and the infantry anti-tank assault team was beaten again and again.

The lack of adequate preparation for the Barbarossa invasion due to the rush for success and the miscalculation of the specific strength of the Soviet armored forces have now finally led to irreversible catastrophic consequences.

The two German infantry divisions are now at their wits' end in the face of the Soviet heavy tanks, which is actually a partial microcosm of the entire Soviet-German War in 1941. The German army, which has an overall strategic advantage, has encountered serious constraints in equipment quality and local tactics. After losing the two magic weapons of air support and 88 guns, the German infantry is really powerless in the face of the Soviet steel torrent.

The German commander who failed to wait for his own reserve to drive the Soviet heavy tank cluster out of the position finally received the disastrous news that the Soviet follow-up infantry group had begun to rush in from the gap in the position.

One wave has not yet subsided, and another wave has risen. The German infantry, which has been severely damaged, is powerless in the face of the Soviet infantry group charge with an absolute numerical advantage. A close combat battle for position is inevitable, and in this situation, the winner will almost undoubtedly be the side with an absolute advantage in terms of numbers of troops.