"Comrade battalion commander," the radio operator said to Serdyukov, "we are not far from the regiment headquarters. You can have a wireless conversation with the regiment commander without sending a telegram."
"Get me to the regimental headquarters immediately." Serdyukov felt that what the operator said was reasonable. Telegraphing a victory is more inspiring than reporting a victory verbally, so he ordered the operator: "I want to personally report the situation here to the regimental commander." Report."
After a quick operation, the operator handed the microphone and earphone to Serdyukov: "Comrade Battalion Commander, the call has been connected."
Serdyukov put the earphone to his ear, spoke into the microphone and said: "Report to the commander, our battalion has successfully occupied the municipal building, and I have arranged for several soldiers to plant the red flag. Just go through it again In a few minutes, our red flag will be flying over Red Army City."
"Well done, Major Serdyukov. You did a great job." The regiment leader was overjoyed when he learned that the third battalion had successfully occupied the municipal building. He said excitedly: "But the enemy in the city is still in progress. Resistance, our attack is not going well, you need to continue to hold on for a while before we can rush over to support you."
Serdyukov's battalion was able to easily capture the municipal building because of a lot of luck. First, after the artillery fire tore a hole in the enemy's defense line, Serdyukov led his troops to follow the fleeing enemy and rushed straight to the municipal building. There was almost no enemy interception along the way. The enemy who was holding on to the municipal building was a unit directly under the Romanian Division. They usually performed some security tasks and had little combat experience. Therefore, they were bombed by several Soviet aircraft and surrendered impatiently. Romanian soldiers in other areas were engaged in a tug-of-war with the Soviet army, fighting for every inch of territory.
Vasilenko saw his three infantry regiments attacking the city from three directions at the same time, but the progress was slow. He kept raising his hand to look at his watch, mentally calculating how long it would be until dark.
Seeing that Vasilenko was so anxious, the division chief of staff on the side comforted him and said: "Comrade division commander, don't worry, Serdyukov is a commander with rich combat experience. If his battalion is assigned to the assault mission, he will definitely be able to do it in the sky." Black Qian takes the municipal building."
As soon as the division chief of staff finished speaking, he heard the radio operator shouting: "Comrade division commander, the commander of the 44th Guards Regiment wants to speak to you."
Vasilenko walked up to the operator, took the earphone and microphone, and asked angrily: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, how is the situation of your regiment? Have you broken through the enemy's defense?"
"Not yet, Comrade Division Commander." Upon hearing Vasilenko's question, the regiment commander replied with some shame: "The Romanian soldiers were making a tenacious defense in the area where we attacked, and the attacks of the 1st and 2nd Battalions were unsuccessful. At this moment, they are gathering in the cemetery outside the city, preparing to launch a new attack."
"What about the Serdyukov Battalion?" After learning that the 44th Guards Regiment was not progressing smoothly, Vasilenko's mood became even worse. He said into the microphone: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, don't forget what you promised me. Said that you can plant the red flag on the top of the Red Army City Municipal Building before dark."
"Comrade division commander," the regiment leader reported confidently after waiting for Vasilenko to finish: "I am calling you to report to you the progress of the Serdyukov camp. They have successfully occupied the municipal building. , and raised the red flag to the rooftops.”
"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Vasilenko was stunned for a moment when he heard the news, and then asked cautiously: "Is this news reliable?"
"Completely reliable." The regiment leader, who had received the exact information, said in a positive tone: "Major Serdyukov reported to me personally."
"That's great." After confirming that the news told by the regiment leader was true, Vasilenko breathed a sigh of relief and said: "I will report this good news to Comrade Commander immediately. Also, Lieutenant Colonel Comrade, please, on my behalf, congratulate all the officers and men of the Serdyukov Battalion on their great achievements in the battle."
After finishing the call with the commander of the 44th Guards Regiment, Vasilenko suddenly felt a little more confident. As long as the red flag was planted on the top of the Red Army City Municipal Building, he would nominally occupy the city, and he could also ask the commander for help. The officer has handed over his duties. He ordered the radio operator: "Get through to the group army headquarters immediately. I want to report this good news to the commander."
A few minutes later, the radio operator connected to the radio station of the army headquarters. Vasilenko reported to Tolbukhin with some pride: "Comrade Commander, the 15th Guards Division reports to you that the commanders and fighters of the third battalion of the 44th Regiment of our division have successfully occupied the city hall of the Red Army City. Putting the red flag on the roof."
"Is this true, General Vasilenko?" When Tolbukhin heard the news, he thought he had heard it wrong. He quickly asked again. After getting the accurate answer, his mood suddenly became happy. : "Great. Although we only occupied the Red Army City in name, it is a huge encouragement to all the commanders and fighters of the group army. You have made great achievements, and I will ask your superiors for credit."
As the commander of the army group, Tolbukhin had more issues to consider than Vasilenko. After he ended the call, he called the chief of staff over and told him: "Comrade chief of staff, the commanders and fighters of the 15th Guards Division have successfully occupied the municipal building of Red Army City and planted the red flag on the roof. You want to Immediately report this news to all troops to boost the morale of the officers and soldiers."
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Naturally, the Chief of Staff was very happy to accept such an errand. He nodded vigorously and said loudly: "I will report this to all the troops immediately."
When Tanahishen learned that the troops of the 15th Guards Division had planted the red flag on the top of the municipal building in Red Army City, he was immediately anxious. In order to break through the joint defense line of the German and Romanian troops as soon as possible, he drove his tank and personally launched a charge towards the enemy's position.
Seeing the commander's tank charging at the front, the rest of the tank crews all seemed to be on fire, braving the enemy's artillery fire and charging forward without hesitation. Use tank guns to destroy enemy fortifications or artillery, and use machine guns to shoot at the enemies who rush out and try to blow up the tanks. In less than twenty minutes, nearly a hundred tanks of the tank army successfully broke through the enemy's defense line and quickly advanced the enemy in depth. .
On the right wing of the 57th Group Army was Volski's Mechanized 4th Army. The offensive of this unit was like a red-hot sharp knife cutting through butter, easily tearing through the Romanian army's weak defense line. Advancing towards the intended destination - Shet. If they hadn't detached part of their troops to contain the 13th Tank Corps on the left to contain the German 29th Motorized Infantry Division, they could have reached their destination earlier.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, less than half an hour before dark, the commander of the tank brigade, who served as the vanguard, reported to Volski with excitement: "Comrade Commander, we are only a few minutes away from Shet. To five kilometers. In front of us, there were fleeing Romanian troops everywhere, and no trace of fortifications was found."
"Comrade Colonel," Volski told the tank brigade commander through the microphone: "Keep moving forward, keep moving forward, and get to the Scheit area as soon as possible to establish an overnight camp for the follow-up troops."
"Understood, Comrade Commander." The tank brigade commander quickly replied: "We will occupy the Shaite area as soon as possible and occupy an overnight camp for the follow-up troops."
After Volski put down the microphone and earphones, he said to his chief of staff: "Comrade Chief of Staff, the leading troops have approached the Scheit area. Order the follow-up troops to speed up and rush to join the tank brigade. I have ordered the tanks to The brigade has established a night camp in Sheite, and we will spend the night in the Sheite area tonight.”
"Comrade Commander," the Army Chief of Staff waited for Volski to finish and then reminded him specifically: "The tank brigade responsible for the assault mission is probably almost out of fuel and ammunition. Can you please arrange logistics to send it to them?" ?”
"Let the logistics troops move with us." After thinking for a moment, Volsky said to the chief of staff: "This way there is no need to send special troops to ensure the safety of the transportation team."
…………
The 57th Group Army and the 4th Mechanized Army on the left wing both achieved good results. However, the 51st Army, whose right wing attacked Beltovka from the Sarpa Lake area, made slow progress. The 271st and 276th Infantry Divisions, which were responsible for the main offensive mission, were tenaciously blocked by the German 22nd Armored Division during the attack. Although the commanders and combatants performed extremely tenaciously, they made little progress and advanced less than three kilometers. It cost more than 3,000 casualties.
Seeing that his troops were performing so poorly, Army Group Commander Trufanov stamped his feet anxiously. He was a little at a loss and said to the chief of staff of the group army: "Comrade chief of staff, the troops on the left have successively broken through the enemy's defense line and moved in depth. However, our group army has not achieved any results in the battle so far. We I’m worried that if I continue like this, I may be criticized by my superiors.”
"Comrade Commander, the terrain of the offensive area assigned to us by superiors is easy to defend and difficult to attack." After the chief of staff waited for Trufanov to finish speaking, he said helplessly: "There are hills everywhere here, it is impossible to attack at all. When we deploy our armored forces, the enemy can use the terrain to block our attack at any location. Without powerful artillery or air support, it will be very difficult for us to break through the enemy's defenses in this area, even if we pay a huge price. "
"Then what should we do?" Trufanov walked back and forth in the headquarters several times with his hands behind his back, then stopped and said to the Chief of Staff: "Chief of Staff, immediately call the 9th Infantry Division of the second echelon. The corps commander called and ordered his troops to prepare for battle and be ready to take over the offensive tasks of the 271st and 276th Infantry Divisions."
Seeing that the commander was a little confused because of his anxiety, the chief of staff swallowed his words of persuasion again and said insincerely: "Yes, comrade commander, I will immediately convey your order to the 9th Infantry Corps." , so that they are ready to take over the attack from the first echelon of troops."
Just as the chief of staff started dialing, the roar of aircraft engines was heard in the air. Hearing the ear-splitting roar in the air, Trufanov couldn't help being startled. He quickly called a staff officer and told him: "Go out and take a look. What's going on with the plane outside?"
The staff officer agreed, turned around and ran out of the headquarters. In less than two minutes, he ran back again and reported to Trufanov with excitement: "Comrade Commander, these are our planes. There are many of them, at least hundreds."
When the chief of staff heard this, he immediately put down the phone, walked up to the staff and asked, "You read that right, are you sure it's our army's plane?"
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." The staff officer replied excitedly: "I can clearly see the red star on the fuselage. Yes, it is an attack aircraft of our army."
"Attack aircraft?!" The chief of staff heard that the ones coming were attack aircraft, not bombers or fighter jets. He couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. Then he thought of a possibility and quickly turned to Trufanov and said: "Comrade Commander, maybe this batch of The planes are here to provide us with air cover."
"Provide us with air cover?" Trufanov didn't recover for a moment, and asked in confusion: "How to support?"
"Then what should we do?" Trufanov walked back and forth in the headquarters several times with his hands behind his back, then stopped and said to the Chief of Staff: "Chief of Staff, immediately call the 9th Infantry Division of the second echelon. The corps commander called and ordered his troops to prepare for battle and be ready to take over the offensive tasks of the 271st and 276th Infantry Divisions."
Seeing that the commander was a little confused because of his anxiety, the chief of staff swallowed his words of persuasion again and said insincerely: "Yes, comrade commander, I will immediately convey your order to the 9th Infantry Corps." , so that they are ready to take over the attack from the first echelon of troops."
Just as the chief of staff started dialing, the roar of aircraft engines was heard in the air. Hearing the ear-splitting roar in the air, Trufanov couldn't help being startled. He quickly called a staff officer and told him: "Go out and take a look. What's going on with the plane outside?"
The staff officer agreed, turned around and ran out of the headquarters. In less than two minutes, he ran back again and reported to Trufanov with excitement: "Comrade Commander, these are our planes. There are many of them, at least hundreds."
When the chief of staff heard this, he immediately put down the phone, walked up to the staff and asked, "You read that right, are you sure it's our army's plane?"
"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." The staff officer replied excitedly: "I can clearly see the red star on the fuselage. Yes, it is an attack aircraft of our army."
"Attack aircraft?!" The chief of staff heard that the ones coming were attack aircraft, not bombers or fighter jets. He couldn't help but be stunned for a moment. Then he thought of a possibility and quickly turned to Trufanov and said: "Comrade Commander, maybe this batch of The planes are here to provide us with air cover."
"Provide us with air cover?" Trufanov didn't recover for a moment, and asked in confusion: "How to support?"
