The time for the counter-assault attack in the Mamayev Kurgan area was set at six o'clock in the morning on September 14. However, the troops involved in the attack were not the three divisions Chuikov mentioned, but the 10th Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. , the 38th Motorized Infantry Brigade, and the 42nd Independent Infantry Brigade.
According to the prior combat plan, the 38th Motorized Infantry Brigade, with the cooperation of a reinforced motorized infantry company and the attached artillery battalion, attacked the village southeast of Razgulyayevka; the 10th Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs The troops of one regiment carried out counterattacks against the enemy, targeting Highland 126.3, and then Highland 144.3; while the mixed regiment and a tank brigade carried out counterattacks in the direction of Ananda Agorodok and Highland 153.7. The 42nd Independent Infantry Brigade is preparing to conduct an assault on the hospital and the direction of 153.7 Hill to support this counter-assault operation.
However, due to the lack of air support and the very limited number of artillery that could provide artillery support to the counterattack forces, the damage to the German field fortifications was limited. As a result, the Soviet counterattack forces had to pay a huge price in order to capture these fortifications.
After Paulus learned that the Soviet army had launched a counterattack in the Mamayev Heights area, he immediately dispatched the air force to bomb the counterattack forces and the positions they occupied. The shelling and bombing caused heavy casualties to the Soviet counterattack forces. In order to prevent the counterattack force from being completely wiped out, Chuikov issued an order to stop the attack and move to Mamayev Heights at noon.
Seeing that the Soviet attack was repelled, the German army took the opportunity to invest a large number of infantry and tanks and launched an attack on the retreating Soviet army. The first to achieve results was General Hartmann's 71st Infantry Division. After breaking through the Soviet defenses, they successfully passed through the city center and established a narrow channel directly to the Volga River.
The German army always kept the commanding heights of Mamayev Hill in mind, so the 295th Infantry Division they invested, with the support of the 204th Armored Regiment affiliated with the 22nd Armored Division, launched an attack on the northern hill of Mamayev Hill. attack.
Otherwise, the 4th Battalion and the 192nd Battalion were defending Beigan. The 4th Battalion Commander Briski immediately reported to Sokov after the enemy's attack began: "Comrade Brigade Commander, the enemy dispatched a regiment of infantry. Under the cover of multiple tanks, they launched a fierce attack on our position? We have no anti-tank weapons. Please send an anti-tank dog company to support us."
"Don't worry, Comrade Captain." Sokov considered that the north bank has complete tunnel fortifications just like his own. No matter how fierce the German offensive is, it will not be easy to successfully occupy Beigang. But if the German tanks were allowed to get close to the hill, they would be able to use artillery fire to support the infantry attacking the northern hill. Therefore, he replied simply: "I will immediately send Captain Oshanin with the dog company to support you."
The reason why Sokov only sent the military dog company to support was because the surface position space of Beigang was limited and could not accommodate too many troops; but because a German army passed through the old city and started from the Soviet army. The Central Railway Station was captured in his hands, directly threatening the security of the flanks of Mamayev Heights.
After he put down the phone, he called a staff officer and asked him to inform Oshanin to lead people from the tunnel to Beigang and cooperate with the defenders there to eliminate the enemy tanks. After doing all this, he returned to the table, looked at Sidorin and asked: "Comrade Chief of Staff, haven't the scouts we sent returned yet? Which part of the enemy occupied the Central Railway Station?"
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Seeing Sokov's uneasy look, Sidorin quickly comforted him and said, "The reconnaissance company commander, Lieutenant Christopher, is personally leading the team. I believe he will be able to get what we urgently need. information."
The reason why Sokov behaved so impatiently was because he knew that the most difficult period in Stalingrad was coming. Although the German army had conducted probing attacks on Mamayev Heights many times before, and all failed in the end, Sokov was not sure whether he could hold the position this time. In addition, the commanders and fighters in the brigade all witnessed with their own eyes how the counterattack organized by Chuikov ended in failure, which would have a negative impact on the morale of their troops.
The battle on the north slope began.
The dog platoon sent by Captain Oshanin showed its power on the battlefield. Thanks to Sokov's guidance, military dog attacks were changed to single or double dog attacks, which greatly avoided the occurrence of four or five military dogs attacking the same tank. In less than twenty minutes, thirteen German tanks were blown up by military dogs and burned in the open ground. The infantry, which had lost the cover of their tanks, had just rushed to the foot of the mountain at Beigang when they were beaten so hard by the commanders and fighters of the fourth battalion with machine guns, submachine guns, rifles and grenades that they had to withdraw temporarily.
Sokov heard that the fighting on the north bank was good, so he took a guard along the hidden corridor to a newly built observation post on the top of the mountain to observe the fighting between the two sides with his own eyes. Unexpectedly, not long after entering, the enemy's artillery observer discovered the observation post and immediately guided the artillery in the direction of the bombardment.
Sokov was looking into the distance with his telescope when he suddenly heard the scream of a cannonball piercing the air. A moment later, a cannonball landed in an open space more than 20 meters away and exploded, causing a huge explosion. A piece of soil.
"Comrade Brigade Commander," an observation post was experienced and knew that this was a test firing by the Germans. He quickly reminded Sokov: "The enemy should have discovered this place. We should move immediately!"
Hearing what the observation post said, Sokov also realized that something was wrong, and quickly put down the telescope and ran outside. Unexpectedly, as soon as he ran out of the observation post, a series of artillery shells landed and exploded near the observation post. The mud stirred up by the air wave spread all over Sokov. Sokov didn't bother to brush off the dirt on his body, so he bent down and continued running towards a nearby cave entrance, preparing to return to his headquarters through there.
When Sokov returned to his headquarters covered in dust and somewhat embarrassed, he unexpectedly found that Christopher, whom he had sent out for reconnaissance, was here. He quickly grabbed Christopher and asked nervously: "How is it? Do you understand? What is the number of the German army occupying the train station?"
"It's all figured out." Christopher nodded and said: "The one who occupied the central railway station was a grenadier battalion of the German 24th Armored Division. The battalion commander was Major von Hayden. There were more than 500 people in the whole battalion. "
"More than five hundred people?" The number Christopher mentioned surprised Sokov. He originally thought that the enemy occupying the Central Railway Station would be a company at best, but unexpectedly there was actually a battalion with more than 500 people. According to the combat effectiveness of the German army, even if you bring twice as many troops, it will not be easy to take the train station from their hands. "Is this news true?"
Christopher nodded and replied: "In order to find out the true strength of the German army, we captured four or five prisoners one after another. After interrogation, their confessions were all the same."
Sokov did not ask how these prisoners were disposed of, but he was already sure that the German army threatening his flank now was the 24th Armored Car Grenadier Battalion. Knowing that there were more than 500 enemies occupying the train station, Sokov couldn't help but hesitate. He had limited troops. If he wanted to storm the station, it was hard to say whether he could defeat them. Even if it is defeated, it will not be able to defend against the crazy counterattack of the German army.
Seeing Sokov's silence, Sidorin quickly reminded him: "Comrade Brigadier, since the enemy has occupied the train station, they will definitely set up a strong defense there and use it as the starting point for their new attack. You see, Do we need to send troops to shoot them down."
Sokov mentally calculated the troops he could use: currently the 4th Battalion and the 192nd Battalion were holding the North Post, and these two battalions definitely could not be used. Although there are three battalions in Nangang, the first and second battalions must hold their positions and cannot be used; and the third battalion has already reduced its troop strength by half after performing two consecutive missions.
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Belkin agreed with Sidorin's plan: "I think what Comrade Chief of Staff said makes sense. We should take the initiative to eliminate or drive away all the enemies occupying the station..."
"Comrade Political Commissar, please wait a moment," Sokov looked at Bergin and asked, "I would like to ask, are you familiar with the terrain of the station? Do you know what the enemy's deployment is like in the station? In such a hurry If we are busy launching an attack, why don't we let the commanders and soldiers die?"
Sokov's words immediately made Sidorin feel discouraged. According to his idea, Sokov heard that the German army occupied the central railway station. In order to ensure the safety of the left wing, he would definitely send troops to recapture the station without hesitation.
Seeing Sidorin's frustrated look, Sokov raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder, comforting him and saying: "Don't worry, Comrade Chief of Staff, it's not that we don't want to retake the Central Railway Station, but the conditions are not mature yet. .”
"The conditions are not mature yet?" When Sidorin heard what Sokov said, his eyes widened in surprise: "Comrade Brigade Commander, you must know that our infantry brigade has nearly 5,000 commanders and fighters, even if only 1,000 are sent. We can also recapture the station from the enemy. If we remain stationary, the enemy can launch an attack on our Mamayev Hills from the direction of the station at any time."
"Yes, there are more than 5,000 people in our brigade." Regarding Sidorin's statement, Sokov did not deny it, but nodded in affirmation: "But have you ever thought about it, what if we were seizing the station?" The process has consumed too much troops, so how should we fight the next battle?"
Seeing that Sidorin opened his mouth and seemed to want to refute something, Sokov continued: "The reason why I said the time is not ripe is because tomorrow at the latest, a Guards Division will come to the city. The superiors will leave the task of retaking the Central Railway Station to them."
"Comrade Brigade Commander," Sidorin finally waited for Sokov to finish speaking, then immediately continued: "How do you know that a Guards Division will enter the city and that the superiors will send them to retake the train station?"
Regarding Sidorin's question, Sokov replied without batting an eyelid: "When I went to the army headquarters two days ago, I heard it from the commander himself. He said that the superiors sent an elite Guards Division. , will cross the river and enter Stalingrad in these two days, so I infer that their superiors will send them to retake the train station."
Sokov said this, but there is a basis for it. In real history, on the second day after the German army occupied Mamayev Hill, Rodimtsev's troops of the 13th Guards Division crossed the river and entered the city. Under Zhukov's arrangement, the troops were divided into several groups to capture Mamayev Hill, the Central Railway Station and the Expert Building respectively, thus stabilizing the Soviet defense line in Stalingrad. However, the casualties of the division were also huge. Of the more than 10,000 troops, they only fought for three days, and only more than 1,000 people died in the entire division.
When thinking of Rodimtsev's 13th Guards Division, Sokov inevitably thought of the famous sniper Vasily Zaitsev. Although there are elements of the Black Soviet Union in the movie "At the Gate", it is true that when the 13th Guards Division entered Stalingrad, there were more than a thousand soldiers without weapons. And the scene of the new recruits charging was near the train station, because the sculpture of the young pioneers dancing around the crocodile left a deep impression on Sokov.
Sokov secretly thought: If his superiors asked him to provide them with weapons, could he consider recruiting Vasily Zaitsev into his army? With such a sniper joining him, he could also organize a group of soldiers. A small team went deep into various fighting locations to snipe and kill German officers and soldiers.
Sidorin saw that Sokov was silent, but the expression on his face was extremely wonderful. He looked serious at one moment, and then kept giggling at the other. Seeing this situation, he thought that Sokov had been in the tunnel for a long time and his nerves were a little abnormal. After coughing heavily, he continued to ask: "Comrade Brigadier, you haven't answered my question yet. "
"It's very simple." After Sokov came to his senses, he immediately replied: "Under the current circumstances, the 13th Guards Division is undoubtedly the most complete unit, and they are the most suitable for such a difficult task."
Although his troops did not attack the Central Railway Station, Sokov could not sit idly by. He said to Christopher: "Comrade Lieutenant, although our troops will not attack the railway station, your reconnaissance will continue. We must continue. We need to understand the enemy's firepower configuration and troop distribution. In this way, when friendly forces arrive, we can provide them with useful intelligence so that they can take back the central railway station from the enemy's hands in the shortest possible time."
"I understand, Comrade Brigadier." After hearing Sokov's instructions, Krasovsky nodded quickly and said: "I will leave people to continue reconnaissance near the train station to find out the German firepower and troop distribution. .”
