The driver and stoker knew that the situation at the front was critical. After hearing the battalion commander's order, they immediately began to add water and coal as soon as possible, but it still took nearly an hour to complete the work. Seeing that the ammunition of the armored train had been replenished, and the water and coal had been replenished, the battalion commander issued the order to set off again.
When the armored train passed behind the positions of the 102nd and 100th regiments, the commanders and soldiers on the position stood upright from the trenches, cheered and waved to the passing armored train.
The battalion commander in the car passed through the observation hole and saw the reaction of the commanders and soldiers outside. He couldn't help but said with some pride: "It seems that we are quite popular with the soldiers."
The captain standing aside waited for him to finish, and quickly laughed and said, "Comrade battalion commander, that's right. If they hadn't received our support, they would still be fighting hard against the Germans."
The battalion commander listened to the cheers coming from outside the car and the rumble of artillery in the distance, and said to the captain: "Captain, there is still a regiment's defense area ahead, which is being attacked by the Germans. When we crush their attack, You can go back to rest after the train.”
Perhaps because he repelled the attacks of two German troops in a row, the captain became particularly confident: "Comrade Battalion Commander, if the enemies only have the combat power they have today, I believe that no matter how many they come, we can repel them." Their offense.”
The battalion commander grinned: "Isn't that right? As long as our armored trains are there, the Germans will never even think of crossing the railway line." At this point, he paused for a moment and then continued, "It is said that the Germans occupied the In the southern part of the Mamayev Hills, that’s because our armored trains were not dispatched, otherwise the Germans would not even be able to get close to the railway line.”
Although Chuikov and others did not publicize the victory achieved by Sokov's troops in the past few days, well-informed people still heard some rumors. The captain said cautiously: "Comrade Battalion Commander, I heard that the reason why the Nangang position was lost was not because our army could not hold it, but because they set a trap for the Germans."
After listening to the captain's words, the battalion commander couldn't help but sneered and said: "Comrade Captain, you are so naive that you actually believe such a statement? Don't you know that once Mamayev Heights is lost, it will be occupied by the Germans? Once they reach the commanding heights of the city, they can bombard the city with artillery fire, blockade the docks, and cut off the connection between the defenders in the city and the other side. If you were the supreme commander, would you agree to this risky plan?"
After he finished speaking, he saw the captain's brows furrowed and deep in thought, so he continued: "I think it's probably the commander who stayed at Mamayev Heights who was trying to shirk responsibility and reduce the punishment he might receive. A deliberate lie..."
Before the battalion commander finished speaking, the scream of artillery shells piercing the air suddenly came from the air, and then two violent explosions were heard. The battalion commander judged from the sound of the explosion that the opponent was using a large-caliber artillery. He was immediately frightened and aroused goosebumps. His forehead and neck were covered with white hairs of sweat. The reason why he was so scared was because the impact point of the two shells was very close to the train, and the shrapnel from the shells made the armor of the train jingle.
"Comrade Battalion Commander," not only the battalion commander was frightened by the sound of artillery, but even the captain was frightened. Based on his rich professional knowledge, he heard that the bombardment was carried out by the German 150mm K39 plus howitzer. But he knew This kind of large-caliber artillery is so powerful. If nothing else, if the two shells just landed where the troops were gathering, there would be almost no people alive within a fifty-meter radius. Although he was staying in an armored train, if he was hit by two shells, his life might be in danger, so he quickly asked the battalion commander for instructions: "The enemy is bombarding us with heavy artillery, what should we do next?"
The battalion commander asked in a panic: "Where are we?"
The captain quickly glanced outside through the observation hole, and then said: "Comrade Battalion Commander, we should have arrived at the area where the 102nd Regiment is fighting. I see enemy tanks and infantry rushing towards their positions."
"Find a place to stop and use artillery fire and machine gun fire to destroy the attacking enemies." The battalion commander grabbed the captain's hand and told him: "Comrade Captain, remember, you must use the fastest speed to repel the Germans." attack. Otherwise we will become the target of German artillery attacks, do you understand?"
"Understood!" the captain agreed, and then began to give orders to the gunners and machine gunners: "The artillerymen and machine gunners selected their respective targets and were ready to fire."
After the gunners and machine gunners were ready, the captain asked the battalion commander for instructions: "Comrade battalion commander, the shooting preparations have been completed. Should we stop now?"
"Stop, why stop? Stop and become a target for the Germans?" The battalion commander glared at the captain and said dissatisfied: "The train continues to move forward. We have to shoot at the enemy while moving."
"Comrade Battalion Commander, when shooting while marching, the accuracy of shooting cannot be guaranteed." The captain said with some embarrassment to the battalion commander's order: "Maybe we wasted a lot of shells and bullets, but we didn't hit any valuable targets at all. .”
"Captain," seeing that the captain did not understand his intention, the battalion commander said angrily: "Didn't you see the Germans using heavy artillery to bombard us? If we stop, we will be the targets of the Germans, so we can only shoot while moving. , to avoid German artillery fire, do you understand?"
"Understood, comrade battalion commander." Regarding the battalion commander's stubbornness, the captain could only choose to obey: "The shooting preparations have been completed. Can we fire now?"
"Fire!"
After receiving the battalion commander's permission, the captain raised his hands high above his head, then swung them downwards while shouting: "Fire!"
The artillery and machine guns on the train fired at the same time. Although the train was moving, which affected the shooting accuracy, German soldiers continued to be blown away by the artillery fire and beaten into pieces by machine gun bullets. However, the enemy continued to charge forward regardless of the situation, and it was clear that they would not withdraw their troops until they captured the Soviet position.
At this moment, on the position of the 102nd Regiment, as the German firepower was suppressed by the armored train, the machine gunners who changed positions at every turn stopped one after another. After choosing the position, they set up a machine gun and used their own Start shooting as quickly as possible. The machine gunner pulled the trigger to the end, and in less than a minute, all 47 bullets in the round bullet tray were fired, sieving the German soldiers who rushed nearby.
The German troops, suppressed by artillery and machine gun fire from the armored train, still did not give up their attack attempt. Two mortar teams established a mortar position in the crater fifty or sixty meters away from the Soviet position. They adjusted the mortars to the maximum elevation angle, no longer calculating the distance, they just needed to fire them out as quickly as possible, because it was too close to the Soviet trenches, and at least half of the shells could fall into the enemy's trenches. In the trenches, every cannonball can overturn several defenders in the trenches.
The intensity of the battle far exceeded the imagination of the commander of the 102nd Regiment. He originally thought that with the arrival of the armored train, the German troops attacking their defensive positions would definitely flee. Unexpectedly, the other side was shelled and strafed by armored trains at this moment. Not only did it show no signs of retreat, but on the contrary, the offensive became more fierce.
The chief of staff of the division supervising the battle here said with a straight face to the commander of the 102nd Regiment: "Comrade Colonel, immediately mobilize all forces to launch a counterattack against the German troops. We must drive them away from the position."
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," after hearing the order from the division chief of staff, the regiment leader said with some embarrassment: "The teaching camp you brought has been exhausted, and the battalion commander Major Ibaru has also died. How can we still have the strength to carry out the mission?" Fight back?"
"Didn't Major Ibaru bring back two militia companies before he died?" The division chief of staff knew that the militiamen had poor combat effectiveness, but under the current circumstances, he could only seek medical treatment in a hurry: "Immediately send him to the hospital. They went into battle.”
The regiment leader tried to persuade the division chief of staff again, and quickly said: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I have carefully observed these two militia companies. They are responsible for patrolling in the city. If they are used for counterattack, I am afraid they will have no effect..."
"Okay, Comrade Colonel, stop talking." The division chief of staff raised his hand to look at his watch, and then said: "Time is urgent, put them into battle immediately, otherwise it will be too late."
The regimental commander saw that the chief of staff of the division was stubborn and would not have any effect even if he tried to persuade him, so he could only nod his head, call his deputy commander, and tell him to inform the militia company to join the counterattack.
The deputy regiment commander left the regiment command post and came to the trench where the militia company was resting. He said loudly: "Company platoon commander, come to me." Following his shout, more than 20 militiamen in civilian clothes came. When he came in front of him, these people were all company and platoon-level cadres of two militia companies.
Seeing that everyone had gathered, the deputy commander said loudly to them: "Comrades, you must have seen the situation at the front. The Germans are rushing towards our position desperately. If we don't launch a counterattack as soon as possible, , the position will be undefendable."
As soon as the deputy commander finished speaking, a militia company commander saw his military rank clearly and immediately expressed his position: "Comrade Major, tell me, what should we do next?"
"Gather all your soldiers," the deputy regimental commander said to the militia company commander: "We must immediately counterattack the Germans and drive them away from our positions."
"Comrade Major, we have already made all preparations for battle." The militia company commander said with a firm expression: "Please give the order to counterattack."
The deputy commander glanced at the location where the fierce fighting was taking place, which was only five hundred meters away. He climbed out of the trench, turned to the soldiers in the trench and shouted: "Brothers, follow me! Remove the elements from our position." Drive away." After shouting, he raised his pistol high and trotted towards the area where the fierce fighting was taking place.
Seeing that the deputy regimental commander had taken the lead in the charge, the platoon commanders of each company also climbed out of the trenches, half-turned around and shouted to the militiamen still in the trenches: "Comrades, what are you still hiding in the trenches? Come out immediately, Move forward with us!”
Seeing the commanders taking the lead in the charge, the militiamen staying in the trenches suddenly felt excited. They climbed out of the trenches one after another, followed their commanders, and rushed towards the most intense battle.
The Germans spotted the charging troops and immediately opened fire on them with mortars and machine guns. The militia's charging team was hit by dense rain of bullets and flying shrapnel, but the gaps were quickly filled by the people following behind. In just a few hundred meters, countless figures fell, but the remaining People still rushed forward without hesitation.
The commanders and soldiers who had been staying in the trenches saw the militiamen passing over their heads and bravely rushed towards the enemy. Not to be outdone, they jumped out of the trenches one after another and rushed forward. But when they approached the enemy, they threw out pieces of grenades and rushed forward quickly with the help of the smoke raised by the explosion.
Facing the fierce Soviet counterattack, the frustrated German army became hesitant. Not only the soldiers were secretly retreating, but also the leading officers were retreating. Someone yelled, turned around and ran back. His run immediately became the last straw that crushed the German army's psychology.
If they were to retreat slowly, the troops would still be able to maintain a relatively complete structure. However, when a few soldiers turned around and ran away, it immediately caused a series of chain reactions. From an orderly retreat, it turned into a rout. The German officers and soldiers scattered like frightened rabbits, only regretting that they had lost two legs. For a time, the battlefield was full of broken troops, pursuing soldiers, and German soldiers with their hands raised in the air.
For the surrendered prisoners and the defeated troops who fell down in panic, the commanders and fighters of the 102nd Regiment immediately divided their hands to take in these prisoners, while the rest continued to chase the fleeing German troops...
The division chief of staff and the commander of the 102nd Regiment were in the command post and saw through binoculars the counterattack carried out by the commanders and militiamen. The regiment leader couldn't help but said with emotion: "If our armored train had not opened fire while moving, we might have been able to defeat this enemy attack without the need for a militia charge."
After hearing the regiment commander's complaints, the division chief of staff said with a wry smile: "Comrade Colonel, do you think the comrades of the armored train battalion don't want to stop and shoot? But no, the enemy's heavy artillery is constantly bombarding them. Once they stop, , our armored trains were in danger of being destroyed by German artillery fire, so they could only fire on the move."
"What a pity, what a pity." The regiment leader looked at the battle outside that was gradually coming to an end and said with regret: "If our armored trains had not had to fire on the march to avoid enemy artillery fire, how could we have fired from our armored trains? The number of enemies who escape in front of the position will definitely not exceed one-fifth."
"Okay, Comrade Colonel, don't say these are useless." Although the troops held their position, the division chief of staff was calmer than the regiment commander. He said with a straight face: "If our troops continue to pursue, we may If you are killed by German artillery fire, you immediately send a signal to the troops to withdraw to their defenses."
