The German sneak attack caused huge losses to the 35th Guards Division. After the hand-to-hand battle just now, there were only eleven people left alive in the division, including Glazkov, and half of them were wounded.
When each regiment learned that the division headquarters was under attack, they all sent people to come to the rescue. The first one to rush back was Major Ibaru, the instructor battalion commander, who brought fifty soldiers with him. Seeing corpses strewn outside the division headquarters, I couldn't help but worry about Glazkov's safety. When he saw that everything was normal with Glazkov, his anxious heart returned to his stomach.
Seeing that Glazkov's situation was not good, he took the initiative to propose to him: "Comrade division commander, I will leave these soldiers to protect you."
"No, no, no." After hearing this, Glazkov waved his hands and said, "Comrade Major, we are in need of manpower at the front. You'd better take all these soldiers back. As long as you can block the enemy's attack, I will Peaceful."
Now that the war is critical, Ibaru did not pretend to be polite to Glazkov. Since it was the division commander who personally ordered him to bring the troops back to the front line, he, as a subordinate, could only obey. So, he agreed and prepared to go back. Unexpectedly, after taking a few steps, Glazkov stopped him: "Comrade Major, please wait a moment."
Ibaru stopped, looked at Glazkov and asked, "Comrade Commander, do you have any other instructions?"
"Let me introduce you." Glazkov called Zalitzman over and introduced to Ibaru: "This is Comrade Zalitzman, the deputy director of the Dzerzhinsky Factory. If just If he had not led the militiamen to arrive in time, I think we would have been completely destroyed under the siege of the Germans."
"Hello, Comrade Zalitzman." Hearing that the middle-aged man in casual clothes in front of him had saved his division commander's life not long ago, Ibaru quickly reached out to him and said enthusiastically: "Thank you. You saved our division commander."
"We are all defenders of Stalingrad." Zalitzman held Ibaru's hand and said: "This is what we should do. Unfortunately, we only killed a dozen Germans and left the rest to them. Ran away."
After the two exchanged some pleasantries, Glazkov said to Zalitzman: "Comrade Deputy Director, Major, they need manpower there. Can you send two companies there?"
"No problem," Zalitzman said without hesitation in response to Glazkov's request: "The fighter battalion from our factory is here just to help you. I will order the troops to follow the major to the front. "
Just after Ibaru left with two militia companies, the division chief of staff also ran over panting with a group of soldiers. Seeing that Glazkov was safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Comrade Division Commander, I heard that the Germans rushed near the division headquarters. They were worried that you were in danger, so they came here for reinforcements. How are you, are you okay? ?”
"I'm fine." Glazkov pointed to the corpses of the commanders and soldiers neatly arranged next to him and said, "But almost all the division's staff, communications troops and logistics personnel were sacrificed."
"Comrade division commander." The division chief of staff turned to look at the soldiers he brought and asked tentatively: "I'll leave these soldiers to you."
"The frontier needs soldiers, you'd better take them all back." Glazkov repeated what he said to Ibaru: "The better you fight on the frontier, the safer I will be here."
When he saw that the chief of staff of the division was about to lead the troops to leave, Zalitzman asked before Glazkov could speak: "Comrade general, do you need me to send someone to follow this colonel to the front?"
Seeing Zalitzman's initiative to go to the front line, Glazkov nodded vigorously and said, "Comrade deputy director, this is great. Then please send two more companies to follow my chief of staff to the front line." Go ahead."
Zalitzman brought five companies from the Dzerzhinsky factory. After sending two companies each to the 100th and 102nd regiments, only one company remained. He was deeply afraid that Glazkov would send the remaining troops to the front, so he quickly proposed to the other party: "Comrade General, I think the remaining more than a hundred militiamen will stay here to be responsible for the defense of the division. And collect the remains of those sacrificed warriors."
According to Glazkov's idea, he did want to send the remaining company in Zalitzman's hands to support the 101st Regiment. However, when he heard that the other party said that he wanted these militiamen to keep the remains of his men, he Changed my mind temporarily. He nodded to Zalitzman and said, "Okay, Comrade Deputy Director, you and your subordinates can stay here."
…………
Just when the 35th Guards Division and Dzerzhinsky's militia were stubbornly blocking the German army, the armored trains of the 30th Independent Armored Train Battalion were dispatched. This armored train numbered 74 helped the defenders of Mamayev Heights annihilate a fast German column during the August battle. Today, after they received a telegram that the 35th Guards Division was in critical situation, they dispatched again.
The armored train followed the railway line and came to the rear of the 101st Regiment's defensive position. The artillery on the top of the carriage began to shell the German tanks that were rushing toward the position. The muzzles of the four Maxim heavy machine guns protruded from the shooting holes. As the commander in the car gave the order, they roared at the same time. The long flame mouths were like four dark red whips, lashing out fiercely. The dense German infantry defeated them in pieces.
Seeing that the German infantry attacking them were knocked down by machine gun fire from the armored train from the rear; when the tank that gave them a headache was also destroyed by the artillery above the armored train, the aggrieved officers and men of the 101st Regiment couldn't help but feel proud. They ignored the battle. Before it was over, they all turned around and shouted "Ula!" in the direction of the armored train!
Attacking the 101st Regiment's position was a German infantry battalion and a tank company with six tanks. However, under the powerful firepower of the armored train, the enemy's offensive was quickly disintegrated. All six tanks were destroyed by artillery fire, and the infantry responsible for the attack also abandoned hundreds of corpses and fled in panic.
Seeing that the enemy attacking the 100th Regiment's position had retreated, the armored train continued to move forward and came to the 100th Regiment's defensive zone. It used artillery shells and machine gun bullets to crush the German attack in this area. But just as the battalion commander of the armored train battalion ordered his men to continue to advance towards the defense area of the 102nd Regiment, a captain reported to him: "Comrade Battalion Commander, our ammunition is almost exhausted and we need to return to the station immediately to resupply."
"What, the ammunition is almost used up?" When the battalion commander heard what his subordinates said, he couldn't help but frowned and asked: "According to the regulations, isn't each artillery equipped with 200 rounds of ammunition and the heavy machine gun equipped with 30,000 rounds of ammunition? Why, so quickly? Lighted?"
"Comrade Battalion Commander," the captain said with a bit of laughter when he heard what the battalion commander said: "When we patrolled along the railway around the city yesterday, we already sent half of the ammunition to the defenders in the south of the city. Originally, we were told to replenish the ammunition today. Yes, even before the replenishment of ammunition came, we received the order to attack. We had just repelled two enemy attacks in succession, and the ammunition was almost exhausted. If we did not go back to replenish it, when the Germans attacked again, we would be I can only stare."
Both Glazkov and Zalitzman saw the performance of armored trains on the battlefield in the headquarters. They both became excited when they saw that with the appearance of armored trains, the enemies attacking the 101st and 100th Regiment positions were repelled, leaving only burning tanks and patches of German corpses in front of the positions.
Glazkov said to Zalitzman: "Comrade Deputy Director, have you seen this? As soon as our armored trains appeared, the Germans were beaten to pieces. When they reached the defense area of the 102nd Regiment, they were repulsed. Attack the enemy there, and I think today’s battle should come to an end.”
Although Zalitzman had seen this armored train many times, this was the first time he saw it fire. He did not expect that the power would be so powerful, easily crushing the German attack. As soon as Glazkov finished speaking, he nodded and said: "Yes, Comrade General, if we can have a few more armored trains like this, the Germans will have no chance of approaching the city."
The two of them were talking when they suddenly saw the armored train they had pinned their hopes on, rumbling past them from south to north. Seeing this situation, Zalitzman couldn't help but asked in surprise: "Comrade General, logically speaking, shouldn't the armored train rush to your left wing to support the 102nd Regiment fighting there? Why did it turn around and head north? Woolen cloth?"
Not to mention that Zalitzman didn't know what was going on, Glazkov was still confused. He quickly picked up the phone, called the regiment command post of the 102nd Regiment, found the deputy division commander who was directing operations there, and asked straight to the point: "Colonel Dubyansky, what is going on? The armored train is not driving. Were you going to support you? Why did you just retreat without firing a single shot?"
"I don't know either, Comrade Division Commander." Since the area where the 102nd Regiment was located was still undergoing fierce firefights, Dubyansky had to shout at the top of his lungs when talking to Glazkov: "Our battle situation here It was getting intense, and I was still thinking about waiting for the armored train to come over and rescue us. Unexpectedly, after they stayed for a while on the way, they turned around and left."
Seeing that Dubyansky didn't know what was going on, Glazkov deliberately called the commander of the armored train battalion to ask him what happened. He was about to reach the defense zone of the 102nd Regiment, but he didn't know to turn around. came back.
As soon as the armored train returned to the station, the battalion commander opened the door and jumped from the carriage to the platform, shouting to the logistics personnel waiting there: "Hurry up and load the ammunition into the car, we still need to support friendly forces in combat." Also, driver, please add water and coal to the train’s boiler immediately, we’ll have a long way to go later.”
