Chapter 67 Waiting for Hans (Part 2)

After hearing the question from Seryosha, he did not answer immediately but took the last puff without a second thought. He rubbed the cigarette butt that was about to burn his fingers on the bulkhead beside him. Taking advantage of the less than one minute of retreating into the village, Malashenko, who had seized the opportunity to satisfy his craving for cigarettes, spoke to his crew members.

"Whether they will take the bait depends on whether the Germans are smart enough. Anyway, we have used the provocation method. A total of two anti-infantry Type 2 tanks have been killed by us. Next, it depends on whether Diakov and his men can take over the baton from us."

The Diakov mentioned by Malashenko at this moment is actually a lieutenant officer of the mechanized infantry regiment under the 20th Tank Division of the Soviet Army.

The infantry lieutenant who survived the German artillery bombardment with his extraordinary tactical qualities and coquettish positioning in the fierce battle throughout the day yesterday has taken over the position of the deceased battalion commander of his infantry battalion. As a temporary acting battalion commander, he led the soldiers of the lower half of the battalion to follow Malashenko to assist in the defense of this strategically important village.

The reason why this small village is of great strategic significance is that this seemingly inconspicuous Soviet village is actually the only way to connect the weak position handover area between the 20th Tank Division and its right-wing friendly force, the 131st Motorized Infantry Division.

If the Soviet army, which is in a defensive position, loses this geographically critical inconspicuous village in today's battle, the German armored forces that continue to advance through this area will be able to quickly penetrate deep into the back of the 20th Tank Division and the 131st Motorized Infantry Division.

Thus, they could coordinate with the German army's main attack mission on the front battlefield to form a pincer attack on the Soviet defense forces.

By then, even if the Soviet defense forces, which were attacked from both sides after the German army completed the high-speed penetration offensive, could withstand the German offensive, their morale would be severely damaged. At that time, it would only be a matter of time before the entire army collapsed and surrendered.

At the same time, the German troops that penetrated from the connection between the two divisions' defense positions to the back of the 20th Tank Division and the 131st Motorized Infantry Division would be unstoppable, and the field division headquarters behind the two divisions' positions, and even the 9th Mechanized Army headquarters at a higher level, would become optional offensive targets for the penetration of the German army.

After a serious and detailed overnight battle simulation, he immediately realized the seriousness of this problem. Without the drunk Cherniaev, the main division-level military commander, by his side, Political Commissar Petrov, who only had a little knowledge of military command but was far from proficient, finally called Malashenko and made a key decision.

"Comrade Malashenko, the junction of our 20th Tank Division and the neighboring friendly 131st Motorized Infantry Division's defensive positions is here. It is a relatively simple and easy-to-attack and difficult-to-defend plain village."

"It is not easy to defend this small wooden village with no favorable defensive terrain to rely on. It can even be said to be very difficult! But the situation we are facing now requires us to defend this key connection point. If we lose it, the disastrous consequences must be clear to you without me saying much."

After looking at Petrov's resolute and solemn expression, he looked at the battlefield map with clear layers in front of him, realizing that once the German army completed the interspersed, roundabout and encircled, it would produce a disastrous result in the front and back attacks. Malashenko, who came from the future and knew that the German army was always best at this kind of long-distance, large-scale movement, interspersed, roundabout and encirclement operations, naturally understood what Political Commissar Petrov wanted to express.

"I understand what you mean, comrade political commissar, and that's why I'm here! Please assign me a task!"

After that, Malashenko, who was "entrusted with an important task" by Political Commissar Petrov, was naturally assigned to this deserted village, to cooperate with less than half a battalion of infantry specially transferred by Political Commissar Petrov to strengthen the defense force to jointly defend this key location.

Less than half a battalion of infantry, plus the only four T3476 tanks left in the hands of his first tank company, these are all the defense forces in Malashenko's hands to defend this strategic location.

Actually, it is not to blame Political Commissar Petrov for not sending more troops to Malashenko. After yesterday's battle, the 20th Tank Division suffered heavy casualties. Not only did the motorized infantry regiment lose more than half of its personnel, but even the two tank regiments, which are the most critical indicators of a tank division, only had about 30 tanks left. Among them, nearly half of the tanks were small BT series fast tanks and T26 light tanks.

In such a terrible situation, the deployment of half a battalion of infantry and four T3476 tanks in good condition to defend the key weak area at the junction of the two divisions was the maximum force deployment that Political Commissar Petrov could make after comprehensively coordinating the battle plan.

At first, while deciding to send Malashenko, whom he considered the most deserving of the task, to lead his troops to defend this key area, Political Commissar Petrov also thought carefully about asking for some troops from the 131st Motorized Infantry Division, which was also part of the 9th Mechanized Army, to help defend the handover area which was supposed to be jointly responsible for by the two divisions.

But when the hopeful Political Commissar Petrov called the headquarters of the 131st Motorized Infantry Division amid the snoring of the division commander Cherniaev, the terrible news from the other end of the phone completely shattered the hope in Political Commissar Petrov’s heart.

"Comrade Petrov, you have to know that it's not that our 131st Division is unwilling to send troops to assist in the defense of this area, but that our division really can't spare more troops to defend this area."

"In order to fill the defensive gap caused by the shortage of troops on the front line, I even sent all the guards of my division to defend the position. Now the only reserve troops I have are myself and a dozen division staff, political commissars, and signal soldiers. Our 131st Division has reached the point of exhaustion, Comrade Petrov, I hope you can understand and find a way to overcome the difficulties."

After hanging up the phone call that made him feel distracted and at a loss, he never expected that he would have such an idea of ​​owing Malashenko. The somewhat disappointed Political Commissar Petrov couldn't help but muttered to himself.

"In the end, it was me, the political commissar, who failed to do my job well. Malashenko, you must get through this!"