As soon as the German artillery bombardment ended, a regiment of the German 24th Armored Division deployed near the Red October Factory launched an attack on the defensive zone of the 39th Guards Division.
Although the bombardment has ended, the residential area where the Guards Division is stationed is still shrouded in rising smoke and dust. The sun hangs high in the sky like a maroon bright spot, and it is rare to reveal a ray of light from the smoke.
During the fierce bombardment, almost all the buildings and fortifications held by the Soviet soldiers were destroyed by German artillery fire. The commanders at all levels who climbed out of the ruins didn't even have time to brush off the dust on their bodies. They bent over and searched for their surviving soldiers in the ruins, and loudly ordered them to prepare for battle.
Just as the surviving soldiers were struggling to crawl out of collapsed buildings or trenches filled with floating soil, the enemy had already followed the tanks or armored vehicles and rushed into the streets originally held by the Soviet troops. Due to piles of bricks and rubble everywhere on the streets, enemy tanks and armored vehicles drove slowly. Soldiers with guns bent down to follow the vehicles, staring warily at the ruins on both sides of the street.
Although their advance was very slow, the Soviet commanders and fighters were unable to stop their advance. After finally setting up a machine gun in the ruins, it was fired into the sky by German tank fire just half the time. Seeing that the enemy tanks were so troublesome, some soldiers took cluster grenades and hid in the ruins, preparing to blow up the tanks with grenades when they passed by. However, the actions of these soldiers were discovered by the soldiers following the vehicle. Before they could throw the cluster grenades, they were knocked down by the enemy's dense bullets...
Seeing that the position he was holding was being lost bit by bit, Guryev became anxious. He quickly called Chuikov and reported to him the situation here, and requested: "Comrade Commander, my troops have just finished their mission." During the shelling, the organization has been completely lost, and now the commanders and fighters are fighting independently. If we don't get support, I'm worried that once the enemy breaks through our defenses in the residential area, they will rush towards the factory area."
Guryev's words made Chuikov stunned. He knew very well that once the German army broke through the residential area of the 39th Guards Division to the west of the Red October Factory, the enemy might march straight in, pass through the factory area, and come to the Volga. riverside. Thinking of this, he quickly said into the microphone: "General Guryev, behind us is the Volga River. If you don't want your troops to be driven into the river by the Germans, then do everything you can to hold on. As for reinforcements, I'll find a way."
Although Chuikov did not explicitly say that he would send reinforcements, Guryev still saw hope and said quickly: "Don't worry, Comrade Commander. As long as I am alive, I will definitely be able to defend my defense zone."
After Chuikov put down the phone, he turned to Krylov and said: "Chief of Staff, the situation in Guriyev is very bad now. Do you think you should let Sokov bring people to support?"
"Comrade Commander!" Krylov's face showed a dumbfounded expression: "It is estimated that fierce fighting is also going on at Mamayev Heights at this moment. How can we randomly dispatch troops? You know, the Red October Factory fell, and the enemy was the most numerous. Rush to the Volga River and drive us down the river. But if Mamayev Heights is lost, not only will our defense line in the city be divided into two sections, but even the ferry that connects us with the outside world will be occupied by the enemy. The consequences will be disastrous."
"But the situation in Guryev is very bad." Chuikov knew that Krylov was telling the truth, but the current situation of the 39th Guards Division was critical, and he could not ignore death, so he said awkwardly: "Otherwise, Shall we send out the headquarters’ security forces?”
"Comrade Commander, I want to remind you." Hearing that Chuikov planned to send out the guard battalion again, Krylov quickly reminded him: "Our original guard battalion was handed over to Sokov by you. Now he is in charge Those who protect the safety of the headquarters were transferred from the other side just two days ago. If they are sent to the Red October Factory, who will be responsible for the safety here?"
"Comrade Chief of Staff, if we do nothing to save ourselves, once the enemy captures Guryev's defense area, they can march straight through the Red October Factory, rush to the Volga River, and drive us all into the river." Chuikov's expression Seriously: "Sending out the guard battalion is not only to relieve Guryev, but also to ensure the safety of our headquarters."
"I don't think there is any need to send out a guard battalion." Krylov knew from the shelling that ended not long ago that the German army used a strong force this time, trying to break through the Soviet defense line in one fell swoop and rush to the Volga River. Even if Guryev blocked the Germans, they might rush to the river from other directions. If there were no guards in the headquarters, there would be the danger of being beaten by the Germans at any time. It was out of this consideration that he insisted: "I think troops can be transferred from other places to strengthen General Guryev's defense area."
"But didn't you just say that Sokov might have been attacked by the enemy and unable to mobilize troops?"
"Yes, I said that." Krylov said to Chuikov: "But now in the Red October Factory, in addition to the mixed regiment composed of the remnants of the 184th Infantry Division, there is also Colonel Gurdiev The 308th Infantry Division, no matter which unit they have, can rush over to support Guryev."
Hearing what Krylov said, Chuikov raised his hand and slapped himself hard on the forehead, and said repeatedly: "Confused, I am so confused! How could I forget that there are other troops in the Red October Factory? Staff Commander, immediately call Colonel Gurdiev and order him to immediately send the 347th Regiment to support Gurdiev."
Before Krylov picked up the phone, shouts came one after another from outside: "Air raid, air raid siren, take cover, everyone, take cover quickly!"
"Air raid?!" Although German planes often appeared over the Volga River and bombed ferries and ships on the river, they seemed to have never bombed other targets on the banks of the Volga River, so Chuikov heard this The shouting felt very strange. He walked to the door and asked a soldier who was looking into the air outside: "What happened? Why is it so noisy outside?"
"Comrade Commander." Seeing that the commander was asking him, the soldier quickly stood up straight and replied respectfully: "There are about twenty enemy planes coming towards us. I'm afraid they are preparing to attack us." We bomb."
"Hell, how can you be so sure that the enemy planes are coming to bomb us?" Chuikov said with some displeasure: "Maybe the enemy is preparing to bomb the troops standing in the factory area."
"Comrade Commander, the sky above the factory area is filled with smoke, and the enemy planes cannot see the target clearly." Seeing that Chuikov did not believe his words, the soldier quickly explained: "And we are close to the river, and the wind blowing from the river has blown away the smoke. If we break up, the enemy will easily find us..."
Before the soldier finished speaking, the enemy plane had already flown over the headquarters, and then began to dive and drop bombs. The bomb landed on the shore and exploded. Columns of water mixed with sand rose into the sky. Various simple fortifications were torn to pieces by the power of the explosion and thrown high into the air like paper toys.
A bomb fell and exploded not far away. Chuikov felt someone push him hard from the side, causing him to fall to the ground unprepared. He originally thought that someone pushed him from the side in order to save him. He fell to the ground and looked around. Except for the soldier who was talking to him, who was lying on the ground with his head in his hands, he couldn't see anyone at all. He must be It was overturned by the blast of air.
Chuikov crawled from the ground, quickly turned around and ran into the headquarters, shouting loudly to Krylov: "Chief of Staff, inform the units directly under the headquarters to pay attention to air defense!"
Krylov dropped the microphone in his hand and said loudly to Chuikov: "Comrade Commander, the phone line has been blown up, and our communication with the outside has been interrupted."
"Colonel Yulin," Krylov said to Chuikov, then turned around and called the director of the communications corps, and ordered him: "Immediately send someone to contact the units directly under the headquarters and ask them to prepare for air defense. Hurry. Go, don’t dawdle!”
After Yulin dispatched the communications troops, Chuikov asked Krylov: "Except for the Red October Factory, how is the situation in the other areas?"
"There were also fierce battles at the silicate factory and the barricade factory." Krylov replied: "But what is strange is that although the Dzerzhinsky Tractor Factory also suffered heavy shelling from the Germans, the shelling After it was over, no trace of the enemy was found in that direction.”
After listening to Krylov's introduction, Chuikov had a general understanding of the enemy's intentions. He walked to the table, raised his hand to brush away the dust scattered from the roof, pointed to the map and said: "Based on the enemy's troop deployment, the enemy is trying to rush to the Volga River from the direction of the Red October Factory and the Barricade Factory. . Then we will go back to the rear of Mamayev Ridge, occupy the ferry, and cut off our connection with the other side."
"Once our connection with the other side is interrupted." Krylov had long been aware of this problem. Seeing that Chuikov had also discovered it, he said with a sad face: "Not to mention that the troops needed by the army cannot be replenished, even the ammunition is very low. It will be exhausted soon. Once our ammunition runs out, we will have no choice but to fight the enemy with bayonets like Sokov and his friends did."
"Therefore we must defend the Red October Factory and the Barricade Factory with all our strength." Krylov also clicked twice on the map with his hand and said: "If necessary, we can combine the Gurdiev Division and Goli The Schnei Division was redeployed back to the Red October Factory to strengthen the defenses there."
"It's not necessary." Chuikov shook his head and said, "Let them stay between the Red October Factory and the Barricade Factory. If they see danger in any direction, rush to that direction immediately for support."
"Comrade Commander, Comrade Chief of Staff." The two were talking when an officer suddenly ran in from outside and shouted loudly: "A shelter in the Logistics Department was destroyed by an enemy bomb."
The officer Krylov recognized at a glance was Major Zinoviev from the supply depot of the Logistics Department. He quickly asked: "Are there any casualties?"
Major Zinoviev raised his sleeve and wiped it on his face, nodded and replied: "Three people were killed on the spot and five were injured. One of the officers had his leg pinned down by a fallen log. We are Organize manpower for rescue.”
Although the enemy planes continued to bomb outside, Chuikov waved his hand and said in a tone that left no doubt: "Major Zinoviev, take me to see it immediately."
Zinoviev did not dare to make the decision, so he turned to Krylov for help to see how he would react. Krylov knew that once Chuikov decided on something, no one could persuade him to change his mind, so he nodded to Zinoviev and motioned for him to obey the order and take Chuikov to see the bombed shelter.
Zinoviev led Chuikov through a few hundred meters of traffic trenches, came to a collapsed shelter, and said: "Comrade Commander, this is right here."
Chuikov saw a dozen soldiers, risking enemy bombing, trying to move the still burning logs away from their collapsed position. He guessed that the officer Zinoviev was talking about must still be inside, so he walked over.
This sight immediately startled him. He saw a lieutenant officer pinned down on his waist by five or six horizontal logs. Although some soldiers tried to move the logs away, they failed. The military doctor standing not far away saw Chuikov coming in person, so he walked over quickly, leaned close to Chuikov's ear, and whispered: "Comrade Commander, the fallen log hit his waist, even if he was saved, When he comes out, he will probably be a useless person."
Chuikov understood what the military doctor meant, which was that the officer's waist was broken by a log. Even if he was rescued, he would probably have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Although he wholeheartedly agreed with the military doctor's opinion, there was no need for the soldiers to take risks to rescue a disabled man who was about to be paralyzed. But as the officer's superior, he could not ignore death, so he turned to the military doctor and said: "Comrade military doctor, as long as he is still alive, we will do everything possible to rescue him from it."
Seeing that the military doctor seemed to want to say something else, he quickly raised his hand to interrupt him: "Comrade military doctor, I have made up my mind, you don't need to say any more. After the soldiers rescue him later, you must immediately perform surgery on him." Treatment, whether he can survive depends on his luck."
The enemy plane hovering in the sky found that there were many people surrounding the shelter that had been blown down and was still smoking. He immediately realized that the destroyed shelter might be some important command post, otherwise how could it be done? Maybe there are so many people around here? Thinking of this, he immediately pushed the joystick and dived towards the ground.
"Take cover, take cover quickly." Hearing the screams of dive bombers in the air, Chuikov was startled into a cold sweat. After shouting at the top of his lungs for a while, Chuikov jumped into a nearby bomb crater to avoid the enemy air attack. .
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