Chapter 727: Loss of Troops and Generals
The huge German offensive assembled in heavy rain all night failed to achieve the desired results.
In the eyes of the German commanders, those Russians who were entrenched south of the train station and refused to give in were simply weird!
A dilapidated train station was hit from south to north and then from north to south. Almost all the buildings in the train station that could hide people were plowed by artillery fire and bombing! But even so, the Russian soldiers still stood in half of the buildings or among the ruins that were about to collapse, fighting to the death. The ferocious automatic firepower swept away any German soldiers who dared to get close, running and jumping like frightened rabbits.
The fierce battle lasted all morning, not only did they not get anything out of it, but they also brought in hundreds of men and dozens of tanks. No one would be able to bear the consequences of such bullshit! Not to mention the German army who was used to fighting with favorable winds.
"The mortars we carry can't reach those Russian mortars, General. The direct-aimed artillery on the tanks can't hit those Russians. They have their entire mortar position hidden behind the rubble, except for the observation post." Calibrate the bombardment coordinates. Once an artillery observer is killed, there will be another one who can't kill them all. We are almost pinned down by them!"
The German commander, who had watched all the details of the battle just now through the telescope, was so angry that his hands were shaking.
He originally thought that the death of Colonel Weikes was just an accident. This proud Junker noble colonel looked down on many people. He even dared to talk about General Rommel who encountered difficulties in North Africa, and his words always revealed his arrogance towards this general who was not a Junker noble.
According to Colonel Weeks' own words, if the head of state promoted him to general and gave him two armored divisions and three infantry divisions, he would be sure to advance the front to Cairo within a month! Let those stubborn British John Bulls either go to the sea to feed the fish or surrender obediently, and go to the prisoner-of-war camp to discuss the good times of Dunkirk and the rights and wrongs with the French.
Major General Osheim did not like to discuss the dead, not to mention that although the dead man was a little arrogant and rude, he was still his comrade-in-arms.
It was only the tragic death of Colonel Weeks at the train station, and the first battle this morning that he commanded after taking over the command, that made Major General Osheim understand that Colonel Weeks' death had nothing to do with his arrogance and rudeness. The essential connection is because the Russian guys opposite are really capable of fighting!
Unable to hold it back anymore, he once again raised the telescope in his hand and took a look at the Soviet position opposite. Major General Osheim could even vaguely see the Soviet soldiers busily shuttling in the position. It looked like they should be Treating the wounded, transporting ammunition and supplies to prepare for the next wave of battle.
Such efficient combat qualities were obviously not something that those miscellaneous Soviet troops could possess. Major General Osheim, who pursed his lips, put down the telescope he held in his hand, and then turned to the Chief of Staff who had just finished reporting next to him. Asked.
"Can you contact the artillery? We may need more powerful artillery support, preferably as soon as possible."
After hearing this inquiry, the chief of staff shook his head. The latest telegram news received was obviously not very good.
"I have already sent a message to ask, but to no avail. The call back said that the fighting on Mamayev Hill was fierce, and the Russians transferred a large number of troops from nowhere and rushed up the hill to launch an attack from above."
"Our troops suffered a lot of casualties, but the Russian casualties were even greater! It is said that even the entire hillside was covered with Russian corpses, but even so, they still did not know how to give up. There were more Russians than corpses. We are constantly entering the battle!”
"For the sake of safety, the superiors have withdrawn some of the heavy artillery deployed on the top of the hill. If these things are captured by the Russians, we will be in big trouble. General, I think the decision of the Army Headquarters to temporarily withdraw the artillery is correct."
Major General Osheim's chief of staff was right. If the heavy artillery deployed on the top of the Mamayev Hills was taken away by the Soviet army, then the ferocious force that had plowed the south side of the train station again this morning would have The shelling will undoubtedly hit oneself on the head next.
Because except for the battle on Mamayev Hill, among all the battlefields of street fighting in the entire Stalingrad city, the battle at the train station here was the most intense and the most important!
Major General Osheim would not believe that the commander-in-chief of the Soviet army on the opposite side would be so stupid that he would not bombard the German troops in the train station after seizing the cannon. This kind of thing would not be possible except for a fool who would pray. Will believe it.
"well"
The soft lament was not only Major General Osheim's annoyance about the current battle situation, but also his deep concern about how to update the next strategy.
"You are right. It is the right choice to withdraw the artillery from the hills. I would do the same if I were sitting in the position of Commander Paulus. But in this case, our battle here will be very passive. I I heard that the Russians mobilized a large number of planes this morning, and a fierce air battle broke out in the north of the city. Is this news confirmed? "
"Plane? This news"
"General, the call from the headquarters is from Commander Paulus himself. He calls you by name to answer it."
Major General Osheim, who was interrupted from the conversation, looked at each other with his chief of staff, and both of them could detect the feeling of "something bad happened" in the other's eyes.
Commander Paulus has been paying close attention to the battle in the direction of the railway station, and Major General Osheim is very clear about this matter. And it was precisely because the battle at the railway station dragged on that he accepted Commander Paulus's order to take over the command, but he did not expect Commander Paulus' call to come so quickly, which was simply unexpected!
Major General Osheim, feeling a little bitter in his mouth, walked to the phone, reached out to hold the microphone but hesitated a little. After looking back and exchanging glances with his chief of staff, he finally mustered up the courage to put the microphone to his ear.
"I am Osheim, and I am carrying out the will of the Führer and your orders, Commander Paulus."
"It's nice to hear your voice, Osheim."
Paulus' voice on the other end of the phone was a little hoarse, as if he had not slept well last night and had insomnia all night, and had not drunk a drop of water after getting up in the morning, which inevitably made Major General Osheim a little worried about the commander's health.
As far as he knew, Commander Paulus seemed to have insomnia recently, and he had to take sleeping pills prescribed by the military doctor to fall asleep peacefully. This was obviously not good news for Paulus, who was in charge of the overall situation.
Without letting Major General Osheim, who was holding the microphone on the other end of the phone, think too long, Paulus on the other end of the phone soon spoke again in his slightly hoarse voice.
"I heard that the first battle you commanded just ended. Tell me about the specific results."