After Sokov gave the order to the military dog company to reinforce the northern slope, he was worried that the enemy would be detrimental to the front army headquarters that was about to be transferred. He quickly picked up the phone on the table and prepared to call Khrushchev to transfer the troops here. Report the situation to him. Unexpectedly, when he asked the communications soldier to answer the phone, the other party told him: "I'm sorry, Comrade Brigade Commander, the phone line of the front army headquarters is temporarily unavailable."
"What's going on?" Sokov asked impatiently, "Why can't I get through?"
"The specific situation is not clear." The communications soldier was startled by Sokov's attitude and quickly explained to him: "It should be that the phone line over there has been cut off."
"The phone line has been cut off? Who has the courage to cut off the communication line of the front army headquarters..." Just as he said this, he suddenly realized that the headquarters might have begun to move, and he quickly asked the operator: "Comrade radio operator, call the front army headquarters and see if you can get in touch."
But when the radio operator started calling, Sidorin walked up to Sokov and asked tentatively: "Comrade Brigade Commander, are you planning to report the situation here to the front army headquarters?"
"Yes, my comrade chief of staff." Sokov nodded and replied: "The enemy has begun to attack the north slope. Once the oil storage tank on the top of the slope is hit by artillery fire and detonates the fuel in the tank, it will Cause catastrophic consequences. The blazing fuel will flow down the hillside into the Volga River, burning everything they encounter on the way down..."
Although Sokov did not say it clearly, Sidorin still guessed that the other party wanted to warn Khrushchev and the others, so he reminded him: "Comrade Brigade Commander, maybe the front headquarters has begun to move. If you want to warn them, We can only send communications troops."
"It makes sense." Sokov agreed with Sidorin's statement. He immediately called a communications soldier and told the other party: "You immediately rush to the city department store to find the front army headquarters and tell them, It is said that the enemy has begun to attack the northern slope of Mamayev Heights. For their safety, please stop the transfer temporarily."
After the signal soldier who went to the front army headquarters to report the news left, Sokov called another signal soldier and said to him: "Go to the dock to find Seryosha and ask him to withdraw the guard company immediately. Go to the residential area on the south side of Mamayev Hill and conduct a search to see if there are any deserters from our army and agents sent by the Germans."
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After receiving Sokov's order, Oshanin immediately called the platoon leader in front of him and said with some excitement: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, our company has been stationed at Mamayev Heights for some time, but every day The comrades of the infantry brigade must all have opinions about us sitting in the tunnel doing nothing. Now it is finally our turn to show off our skills. Listen, there are more than 20 German tanks rushing towards the defensive positions on the north slope. You Immediately lead a platoon to the north slope to assist the defenders there in destroying the enemy tanks and let the infantry have a good look, we are not just idlers."
"Don't worry, Comrade Captain." The platoon leader had been impatient for a long time after staying in the tunnel for so long. After hearing the order issued by Oshanin, he immediately expressed his position to him and said: "We will never let the enemy tanks approach the high ground."
"Platoon leader, before you set off, you must carefully check the explosive bags carried by the military dogs." Before the platoon leader left, O'Xianin specifically told him: "The tunnel is wet, and our explosives will inevitably get damp. Under such circumstances, the explosives must not be affected by moisture and affect the bombing of enemy tanks. Otherwise, the sacrifice of military dogs will be of no value."
"Understood," the platoon leader nodded vigorously and replied: "Before departure, I will order the handlers to carefully check the explosive bags on the military dogs to avoid using those that are damp."
More than 30 handlers from the military dog platoon, led by the platoon leader, came to the north slope along the tunnel connecting the north and south slopes. They were greeted by Captain Golia, commander of the 192nd Battalion.
Seeing the soldiers of the military dog company leading the military dogs, Golia quickly stepped forward to greet the platoon leader and said to him: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, I have been waiting for you. The German tanks are now less than 10 meters away from the high ground." The distance is one kilometer, I will take you into the attack position."
In order to facilitate the blowing up of German tanks, there are more than a dozen individual bunkers at the foot of the high ground, which are specially used for military dog handlers and military dogs to hide. Golia led the dog platoon to an exit at the bottom of the slope, pointed forward and said to the platoon leader: "Comrade Second Lieutenant, your attack location is right there. Do you need me to take you there?"
"No need, Comrade Captain. We can go there by ourselves." The platoon leader saw that the individual bunkers were no more than thirty meters away from the exit, and then smiled and said to Goliath: "Thank you for guiding us."
Golia stretched out his hand and shook hands with the other party, and said sincerely: "I wish you victory!" Then he turned around and walked back to the depths of the tunnel.
As soon as Goliath walked away, a row of captains squatted in front of the cave entrance, raised their binoculars and looked into the distance. Twenty tanks were seen divided into two rows, moving menacingly towards the north slope. A cloud of smoke and exhaust smoke rose from behind the tanks, making the infantry queue further away looming.
Seeing that the enemy tanks and infantry were far apart, the platoon commander breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to the trainer in the tunnel and said: "Comrades, the Germans have more than 20 tanks, but this is nothing. On average, Each of us has less than one vehicle. I now order each squad to enter the individual bunkers outside in turn. Once the German tanks enter the three hundred meter range, they will immediately send military dogs to attack and blow them up. Do you understand? ?" After his subordinates agreed enthusiastically, he continued, "First class will go first."
The German tanks rumbled past the ring railway and entered the minefield laid by the infantry brigade. But what is regrettable is that all the infantry mines laid here are. Although there are constant explosions, the damage to the German tanks is minimal. After passing through the minefield, the German tanks crushed the barbed wire fences under their tracks, opening a passage for the infantry behind them.
Seeing that the enemy's tank was only more than 300 meters away from him, the squad leader decisively gave the order to attack. As the order was given, twelve military dogs jumped out of the individual bunkers and rushed towards the German tanks in the distance like lightning.
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After Sokov dispatched the communication troops to the front army headquarters and the guard company respectively, he came to the fortification halfway up the northern slope, found an inconspicuous corner and lay down, and then raised the telescope. He wanted to see it with his own eyes. How military dogs blew up German tanks.
When he saw the military dogs jumping out of the individual soldier's bunker and rushing forward like lightning, Sokov thought to himself: If twelve military dogs were sent out at once, they could kill seven or eight enemy tanks. But the next scene surprised him. Instead of one military dog attacking a tank as he imagined, two, three, or even four or five military dogs rushed toward a tank at the same time.
After a while, he saw the latest military dog attack getting under a German Panzer IV tank. After a brief pause, he first saw a ball of fire emerging from the bottom of the tank, quickly wrapping the tank body, and then he heard a booming explosion.
Then, four or five more military dogs got under the bodies of different tanks. After a series of explosions, those unlucky tanks also began to burn. However, not every tank that was destroyed immediately stopped there and burned. There was still a tank that was still in flames and was still spinning in place. In a circle, they tried to drive back to their starting position, but they didn't drive very far before they could no longer drive and stopped in place and started burning.
Twelve military dogs destroyed four tanks. Sokov thought with some laughter and tears: Only three well-trained military dogs could blow up a German tank. This exchange ratio was really beyond his expectation.
The tanks that were not attacked realized that their companions had been destroyed, and quickly stopped where they were, using tank guns to bombard the trainers' hiding place, trying to eliminate them there. At the same time, the infantrymen who were far behind also quickened their pace and rushed over to support the tanks in front.
Sokov saw an earthen bunker not far away and hurriedly bent over and walked over. This is an observation post. When the soldiers inside saw Sokov breaking in, they quickly straightened up and saluted him, and reported: "Comrade Brigadier, we are observing the enemy's situation, please give instructions!"
"Please continue." Sokov said, walked over and picked up the phone hanging on the wall, and asked the communications soldier to connect to the dog company. As soon as he heard Oshanin's voice, he said loudly: "Comrade Captain, why are you still in the tunnel? Don't you want to see how your most loyal comrade-in-arms destroys the enemy's tanks?"
Oshanin is a disciplined person. Although he eagerly hopes to see the battle of military dogs with his own eyes, he does not dare to leave the tunnel for even half a step without receiving an order. At this moment, when he heard Sokov asking him to go to the trench, he immediately agreed loudly, dropped the microphone and ran out.
When Oshanin found Sokov at the observation post, the second batch of military dogs attacked. When he saw these military dogs, who had been with him day and night, rushing under the enemy's tanks one after another, and perishing together with the tanks in the explosion, his eye circles turned red and his nose felt sore.
At this moment, he heard Sokov's voice: "Comrade Captain, the first wave of military dogs destroyed four German tanks; the results of the second wave were slightly better, destroying five tanks. It took 24 military dogs to blow up nine tanks. Is this exchange too much of a disadvantage for us?"
When the soldiers staying at the observation post heard Sokov's words, they couldn't help but murmur to themselves: If infantry were sent to blow up nine tanks, at least one platoon of soldiers would have to be sacrificed. Now only 24 military dogs have been lost. , is it worth the fuss?
Oshanin looked at Sokov with a blank expression and asked puzzledly: "Comrade Brigadier, I don't understand what you mean."
"You must have seen the group of military dogs that just attacked." Sokov said sadly: "Isn't it a bit wasteful for several military dogs to blow up a tank at the same time? What if each military dog had its own choice? If we set a goal, can they achieve more results?"
"Comrade Brigade Commander, the situation you mentioned can also be achieved." After Oshanin observed the battlefield for a while, he said to Sokov: "No matter how well-trained military dogs are, they cannot compare with humans. , they don’t know how to choose targets, so there will be several military dogs attacking a tank.”
From the tone of Oshanin's words, Sokov heard that the other party seemed to have some countermeasures, and asked curiously: "Is there a way to solve this problem?"
"Yes." Sokov was just taking a chance, but when he asked, Oshanin unexpectedly gave him an affirmative answer: "It was a command error by the platoon leader. He should not have allowed the military dogs to fight." Instead of attacking a unit, a single or double dog attack should be used, so that the number of German tanks destroyed can be increased."
Regarding Oshanin's statement, Sokov feels that it still makes sense. If a single dog attacks, it will go straight to the target and blow it up; even if two dogs attack and both dogs rush to the same target, it is just two dogs for one tank, which is worse than just now. It's a good deal to exchange four or five military dogs for one tank. Here in Mamayev Kurgan, military dogs are a kind of consumable. Since they will not be resupplied after they are used up, they must be used rationally.
Before Sokov could speak, Oshanin continued: "It's a pity that there is no phone here to directly contact the platoon leader, otherwise I would order him to use a single or double dog attack to deal with the German tanks."
After listening to Oshanin's words, Sokov knew very well that even if he sent someone to notify the platoon leader and use a single or double dog attack to blow up the German tanks, it would be too late. Just as he was thinking this, he saw the third group of military dogs jumping out of the individual soldier's bunker and rushing towards the enemy tank. After a series of rumbles, three more tanks began to burn.
German tank pilots may never have dreamed that the Soviet army would use the tactic of bombing tanks with military dogs in order to prevent unnecessary losses. The German commander decisively gave the tanks orders to retreat immediately. The tank crews who received the order to retreat felt like they were being amnesty. The driver quickly restarted the tank and moved backward in reverse.
The first wave of German attacks was blocked by an anti-tank dog company. After losing twelve tanks, they withdrew to their starting position dejectedly.
Seeing the enemy retreating, Sokov let out a sigh of relief and said to Oshanin: "Comrade Captain, although the Germans have retreated, they will come back again soon. You should immediately move the second platoon to the north." Go away. Remember, they must use single or double dog attack tactics to try to eliminate more German tanks."
