Chapter 608 Causes and Consequences

In the summer of 1942, the German army was at its peak and the Soviet army began to retreat and was beaten miserably. Almost no one would believe that under such circumstances, there would be a unit that could capture a large number of German soldiers, but Malashenko did it.

Since the establishment of the 1st Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment, capturing German soldiers has become a basic operation at the daily level of Malashenko.

At first, Malashenko could still feel happy or even surprised about this. Later, as the number of defeats and captures of German soldiers gradually increased, Malashenko gradually became numb and indifferent to this. He would only mention it when others asked about it, and he never used it as a capital for bragging on weekdays.

Malashenko, who had been chatting with his adjutant all the way, soon came to the combat meeting room in a roundabout way. Everyone, including Vasilevsky, cast their eyes on this incredible person without exception.

Mumble——

Being stared at by so many senior officers and soldiers of the rank of lieutenant general or above was the first time for Malashenko. The inevitable tension made Malashenko not know what to say for a while.

The awkward scene was broken by the highest-ranking officer present, Admiral Vasilevsky.

For this front-line officer who had been "removed" from the list of troops of the front command, Vasilevsky, who met Malashenko for the first time, was in a state of indescribable sigh and shock.

"Thank you for your hard work, comrade Malashenko. On behalf of all officers and soldiers of the front command, I would like to express my gratitude to your regiment for its heroic fighting. You are all the most loyal defenders of the motherland!"

The sudden praise caught the dusty Malashenko off guard. The admiral in front of him was someone he had never seen before, but the familiar face that seemed familiar made Malashenko quickly recall who the person in front of him was.

"Excuse me, are you Admiral Vasilevsky?"

Malachenko's first words when he came to the front headquarters were like this. Everyone present laughed with a slightly surprised look on their faces, including Vasilevsky himself.

Thinking that it was the first time for Malachenko to come to the front headquarters since he took office, Vasilevsky, who was cheerful and open-minded and could urinate in the same pot with Zhukov, laughed.

"Congratulations, you guessed it right, Comrade Malachenko. This is our first meeting."

""

The brutal battles for many consecutive days made Malachenko a little nervous. The person in front of him had a firm light in his eyes at first glance, which was enough to make people see the dawn of victory and hope.

Malachenko was very sure that his intuitive judgment would not be wrong, and he believed it so firmly.

But compared to the color photos that were restored and colored in later generations, seeing Vasilevsky in person was undoubtedly a greater shock to Malashenko.

The young man's eyes were complicated, mixed with surprise, eagerness, and several flavors that he could not read.

Vasilevsky roughly guessed that Malashenko, who had experienced many things, must have a lot to say to him now. It was probably for this that he came all the way to the front headquarters to report in person. He decided to give Malashenko some time to tell his story.

"Let's study and discuss the situation on the front first, and make an initial exploration plan for the next combat plan. I will come back later to comprehensively coordinate all opinions and suggestions. That's it for now."

Temporarily arranging all the things at hand, Vasilevsky turned to face Malashenko and then pointed to the small room next to him and said.

"Let's go over there and talk, Comrade Malashenko."

After sitting down, Vasilevsky asked the orderly to pour two cups of hot water and put them up. Seeing that Malashenko was still a little uncomfortable and had not sat down, Vasilevsky grinned and was more generous and straightforward than Malashenko had expected.

"Please sit down, Comrade Malashenko, don't be restrained, let's sit down and talk."

Since entering the front headquarters and seeing Vasilevsky with his own eyes, he felt that he had been acting a bit like a charlatan. Malashenko, who didn't know why, shook his head and forced himself to cheer up. After making sure that his brain was online, he sat down and answered.

"Comrade General, there is something I don't understand and can't figure out. When I came here just now, I heard the comrades on duty outside say that our regiment had been eliminated? What's going on?"

Having guessed that Malashenko would ask this question, Vasilevsky, who was sitting behind the desk, didn't seem surprised. After a moment of thinking, he opened his mouth and answered.

"The last time your regiment contacted the front headquarters was three days ago. We have tried various ways to contact you in the three days since then, but there has been no news or response."

"Some people assume that your regiment was wiped out by the Germans, but most people doubt this and firmly believe that your regiment is still fighting."

He took a sip of the water cup in front of him and continued to speak quietly.

"The front headquarters dispatched the nearest few fighter planes to conduct aerial reconnaissance of the village you are defending, hoping to get accurate information. The time is this morning."

"The pilots brought back news that the entire village had been completely wiped out and razed to the ground. If there weren't a few houses outside the village that were blown up and half collapsed, they wouldn't even be able to recognize that this was a village before."

"A large number of German soldiers occupied the place, and countless German tanks were marching on the ground, all armed to the teeth. The obvious result proves that your regiment was eventually wiped out by the Germans after failing to hold on. The fact is cruel, but everyone finally had no choice but to accept it. Even I didn't expect you to come to my door a few hours after the conclusion was finalized."

No matter how hard Malashenko racked his brains, he would not have expected that the truth of his "destruction" would be like this.

Although the current status of the First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment is not much different from being completely destroyed, no matter how heavy the losses are, it is still in place. Malashenko, who successfully withdrew his men, still firmly believes that he can "come back."

"Comrade General, our regiment was not completely wiped out. We urgently evacuated the village last night and left a surprise for the Germans. The village was not bombed to the ground by the Germans. It was the breakfast we left for the Germans."