Chapter 624: Contact Interrupted

The fierce air raid that Malashenko suffered was only a partial microcosm of the entire Stalingrad battlefield. Thousands of German aircraft took turns to fight with the Soviet fighter aviation corps over the city in the name of the leader, and more German front-line bombers continued to pour death flames on the smoke-filled city below.

Stalingrad was in the hottest summer in August, and it was extremely unfortunate that a strong wind blew in Stalingrad on August 23.

The bombs dropped by the German aircraft group were like rain, and the aerial bombs were poured indiscriminately in every corner of the city. The flames of the bombs exploded and the strong winds in the streets and alleys of the city formed a strong fire storm. From the high altitude, it looked like countless fire dragons running around in every corner of the city.

Large areas of residential buildings in the city were completely reduced to ruins by the bombs dropped by the German Air Force. Civilians with their families desperately ran wildly on the burning streets trying to escape, and those who were about to die lay on the ground groaning in pain.

The Volga River wharf, which was used by the Soviet army to supply materials and troops, became the focus of the German army. The powerful bombs blew up the oil tanks on the wharf, and the hot black smoke with blazing flames rushed straight into the sky. The burning oil also flowed freely into the Volga River.

The wharf ignited by the fire in the oil tank has become a sea of ​​fire, and the ships anchored in the port were quickly burned into a shell by the fire at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The Red Army soldiers and dock workers who were doing their best to put out the fire shouted and screamed, and the women and children did not know where to escape to avoid the death that fell from the sky. The death and disaster brought by the invaders enveloped every family in this city.

The unprecedented large-scale air raid launched by the German Air Force not only destroyed the city, but also the current situation of the Stalingrad Front Command was not good.

Only half an hour after the air raid began, the telephone lines and communication antennas of the Stalingrad Front Command were all blown off and destroyed. Although the headquarters in the underground bunker itself was not in serious trouble, the fact that the front-line troops and Moscow could not be contacted made the front commander Yelyomenko anxious like an ant on a hot pot.

"Still can't contact? Can you contact the front-line troops?"

Yelyomenko, who was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, suddenly stopped and asked the confidential secretary for the fourth time in ten minutes, but there was still no news waiting for his answer.

"We have tried all methods, comrade commander. We have been trying to call since the moment the communication was cut off, but it is still fruitless!"

""

Yeromenko, who was speechless about the situation, twitched his eyebrows for a long time and couldn't say a word. Seeing this, Vasilevsky beside him walked up and patted his partner on the shoulder.

"All the communication troops of the headquarters have been sent out for emergency repairs. We should be able to contact the troops soon. Now we have to do what we can do."

"What we can do?"

Yeromenko was a little surprised to hear Vasilevsky's words. It seems that Vasilevsky does have a better solution for the current situation.

"What do you have in mind? Tell me."

"It's not a particularly good solution, and it can't even be called a solution. Instead of sitting here and waiting for communication to be restored, it's better to send more people to inspect the front-line situation and bring orders. Although this will be a bit slow and troublesome, it doesn't take too many people to cover the main front before the communication is interrupted, which is much better than sitting here and waiting!"

Using people to convey orders and bring back messages for communication is indeed not a particularly good solution. Not only is the timeliness extremely poor, but it is not necessarily accurate for both parties to communicate, but there seems to be no other choice except doing so.

"Okay, let's take action now. Send more people out, just in case, the bombing of those Germans may cause unexpected trouble. Do you have anything else to add? Comrade Vasilevsky."

Vasilevsky, who came to Stalingrad to supervise the battle from the Moscow headquarters with the order of his father Comrade Stalin, held a lot of power in his hands. Yeremenko was obviously asking Vasilevsky for his final decision.

Vasilevsky did not hesitate to answer Yeremenko's question. The urgency of the front line did not allow for any more hesitation on minor issues.

"I have nothing to add, but don't forget the situation at the tractor factory. There are only Malashenko's group of recruits and a half-crippled tank brigade. I am worried that such an important strategic target will attract a large number of German main forces to swarm in."

Vasilevsky's reminder suddenly reminded him of the phone call Malashenko made to him earlier. It was indeed unusual for the German army to deploy a fully equipped armored regiment at the beginning of the battle.

"I understand. I will send someone to contact the tractor factory as soon as possible. In addition, the city has just urgently mobilized a group of workers to distribute weapons. There are about two companies. Do you think they need to be sent to the tractor factory to support the battle? We have enough trucks and will be able to provide support soon."

It was an ironclad fact that no large-scale reinforcements would be available in the short term. Although the two companies of armed workers were a drop in the bucket for this level of brutal fighting, it was better than nothing. Vasilevsky nodded to Yelyomenko without even thinking about it.

"I think it's okay, let's do it."

Just as the two headquarters bosses were talking about their names, Malashenko, who had repelled the second group charge of the Germans, jumped out of the car in a short interval of battle and came to the factory area that had been bombed into ruins and found Political Commissar Petrov who was in front of the phone.

"How is it? Can you contact the headquarters?"

Malashenko, with a dusty face and a crooked tank cap, looked like a bandit leader doing business without capital. Malashenko, who didn't care about his appearance, only cared about whether he could contact the superior front headquarters.

Standing in front of the phone, holding the microphone in his hand, Political Commissar Petrov shook his head gently, who had tried for countless times.

Similar to the situation on the front side, Political Commissar Petrov, who was stationed in the regiment headquarters of the tractor factory, had never stopped trying to contact since the communication was interrupted, but the silent microphone only brought disappointment.