Chapter 854 Bad News

Although the Soviet field artillery cluster at the artillery position behind the front line had done its best, the artillery preparation extending to the second position was still quite short of time.

The large-caliber high-explosive grenades that fell like the last roar of a storm caused considerable casualties to the Romanian army on the position, but strictly speaking, such artillery bombardment was not enough to hurt the Romanians. What lay before Malashenko was a fully-formed Romanian infantry division, plus miscellaneous anti-tank artillery units and armored units.

Even if it would not cost a lot of casualties to eat up such a strong defense force, it would inevitably delay time. Malashenko, who was holding the commander's periscope and waiting in full battle, was ready.

"Don't give the enemy a chance to breathe! Seize the opportunity created by the artillery fire and charge at the fastest speed! All drivers, step on the accelerator and move forward!"

Malachenko, who climbed to his current position step by step because of Zhukov's promotion and appreciation, has a striking similarity with Zhukov in command style.

This is not because Malachenko deliberately imitates and flatters Zhukov out of gratitude. It is simply that Malachenko quite agrees with Comrade Zhukov's style of command and imitates it, and then improves it according to the actual combat situation he faces. It is like a powerful armored offensive swung head-on by a battle axe, which can be invincible and indestructible in battle.

Malachenko ordered more than 100 tanks of the entire First Guards Heavy Tank Brigade to be concentrated on a front assault line of less than five kilometers. The density of the attack has exceeded the defense density of the Romanian army on the front.

If it weren't for the fact that the tanks of the brigade were crowded together and difficult to maneuver, and that the overly dense formation was also prone to being suppressed and targeted by the enemy's artillery fire, Malashenko would even want to adjust the offensive deployment of the First Guards Heavy Tank Brigade to be more dense.

Find the weak point in the direction of the enemy and launch a fierce assault, using all the offensive energy to hit this point desperately. The open and closed fighting method is the simplest, but the hard-fought strength without any complex tactics is often the most difficult to crack.

Malashenko admires the American war saying "If strategy can kill elephants, what is the use of hunting rifles?" He also believes that the strong crushing tactics on the front battlefield can best defeat the enemy completely. This is Malashenko's self-summary and understanding of Zhukov's consistent tactics after combining his own actual situation.

Moving further and further towards the sun above the noon, the disc player dispersed the fog on the battlefield. The Romanian soldiers, who were lying on the battlefield with their weapons in their hands and trembling a little, could already see the heavy tanks of the Russians rushing towards them at full speed. The steel frenzy set off by dozens of tanks stepping on the accelerators was enough to scare the average timid person just by looking at it with their eyes.

In a hidden front observation post of the Romanian army's second line of defense, a German major wearing the uniform of the Wehrmacht armored troops, holding a telescope in his hand and staring intently, almost spoke subconsciously in the form of a cry of surprise.

"Damn it! We are in trouble, Bonn, that is not the Russian KV, it is the new heavy tank mentioned in the previous report!"

The German army was already aware of the fact that the Soviet army had begun to gradually test a new heavy tank, especially the German armored troops due to their professional relationship, who kept this news in mind more sensitively.

The new Soviet heavy tank, whose appearance was unknown, was very powerful. From the only photo taken by a frontline war correspondent, the German army only knew that this new heavy tank was equipped with a main gun with a thicker barrel and a longer caliber than the KV1 and T34. The armor protection also seemed to have innovated the design and adopted more large angles, making it extremely powerful.

At first, the German army thought that this heavy tank, which looked a bit like the KV1, especially the chassis part, was probably just a test vehicle to test its performance. There were only a few or even one at most. If it was used up, there would be no similar type to replenish it, so they didn't take it too seriously.

But as more and more strange and terrible rumors spread on the front line, the Sixth Army Command gradually realized that there was a Soviet heavy tank unit with extraordinary combat power in Stalingrad, equipped with an unknown number of powerful new heavy tanks. Without the support of 88 guns, all the German anti-tank weapons were helpless against this steel behemoth.

Paulus, who was ruined by the Soviet tank unit at the railway station and Mamayev Kurgan, personally ordered at the meeting to ask the battlefield intelligence department of the army headquarters to keep a close eye on the movements of the Soviet tank unit.

"The Russians must be using this unit as a fire brigade! The railway station, Mamayev Kurgan, the tractor factory, as long as the fighting is fierce, you will definitely receive reports of the appearance of this damn unit! And more than one person said so, there are hundreds of witnesses who can provide testimony, this is definitely not accidental or wrong!"

"Find this Russian tank unit and destroy it! I will tear the stubborn resistance of the Russians in the city to pieces and trample them under my feet!"

Major Koch heard the rumor that Commander Paulus was furious at the meeting.

At the time of the meeting, he was attending the meeting as an adjutant with his division commander, and was waiting outside the door. He happened to vaguely hear Paulus going berserk on the spot. After the meeting, he confirmed the news from his division commander. : Commander Paulus was so angry that he almost broke the table!

Regarding the mysterious Russian tank force equipped with new heavy tanks, Major Koch, who was born in the armored force, has always had a highly sensitive and neurotic reaction. Finally, by chance, he came to the Romanian army position to inspect and supervise the operation. Get first-hand information.

Compared to Major Koch's solemn face, Major Bonn, who also held a telescope and clearly saw the Russian heavy tanks, seemed a little hesitant.

"Didn't the news above say that this Russian tank unit is fighting in the city? We are in the northern suburbs of the city. Could these Russians still drive their tanks and move instantly? How did they manage to put together a whole heavy tank unit? Transported quietly out of the city and brought to us? This is impossible, absolutely impossible, Koch! There must be something wrong!"

Major Bonn, who was an infantryman, responded with denial and disbelief, while Major Koch, whose face was so dark that he could drip water, thought of the worst case scenario.

"If, I mean if, those Russians' new heavy tank troops are not just one in the city but many, what do you think we should do now? Bonn."