According to Sokov's prior assumptions, the German army could only mobilize enough troops for the attack on Luhansk after annihilating the Soviet Sixth Army and Popov's rapid cluster.
But he soon discovered that his guess was wrong, and very wrong. The German 333rd Infantry Division, which was supposed to besiege Popov's rapid group, suddenly appeared near Luhansk. The 71st Guards Division, which had just entered the defense zone and had not had time to build a position, was violently attacked by the Germans.
As the temperature dropped sharply in the past two days, the snow that had begun to melt began to freeze again. Under the cover of artillery fire, the German tanks launched a charge towards the positions of the 210th and 213th Guards Regiments.
After their first attack was repelled, the German army dispatched a large number of aircraft and carried out indiscriminate bombing of the positions of the two Guards regiments, turning the Soviet army with only simple positions into a scorched earth.
When he learned that the north of the city had been attacked, Sokov was also very anxious. He quickly called Sivakov and asked them about the situation there: "Comrade Colonel, how is the situation there?"
"Comrade Division Commander," since artillery shells or bombs fell and exploded near the division headquarters from time to time, Sivakov had to shout into the microphone at the top of his voice: "The enemy has planes in the sky and tanks and artillery on the ground. They are attacking our division." The positions are being bombarded indiscriminately. The two regiments currently standing on the front line have suffered more than half of their casualties. Do you think I should put the 219th Guards Regiment as the second echelon into the battle? "
"Don't be anxious, Colonel Sivakov." Hearing that Sivakov was eager to put the reserves into battle, Sokov quickly stopped him, "The enemy is bombing your positions indiscriminately. Send troops to On the front line, it will only increase unnecessary casualties, so I think we should wait a little longer."
After hanging up the phone, Sokov asked Vitkov in confusion: "Chief of Staff, tell me, why did the Germans not attack from the west or southwest, which is easy to attack and difficult to defend, but chose to choose the easy to defend and difficult to attack direction? What about the north side?"
"Comrade Commander," Vitkov replied: "If the terrain in the north is still as muddy as it was a few days ago, the German army will definitely choose to attack from the west or southwest. But with the sudden drop in temperature in the past two days, Those muddy places are freezing again, which is conducive to the deployment of their mechanized troops. Moreover, they should know that our army basically has no decent fortifications in the north. As long as it breaks through the defense zone of the 71st Guards Division, it can quickly rush into the city... …”
After Bely waited for Vitkov to finish speaking, he asked Sokov tentatively: "Misha, why don't I lead the tank brigade to attack from the flank and teach the Germans a lesson?"
Using tank brigades to attack the German flanks, Bely's suggestion immediately gained everyone's approval. Sidorin also said excitedly: "The deputy division commander is right. The enemy's attention is now focused on the north, and they will not even notice that we will attack from their flank."
"The two tank brigades, artillery divisions and rocket launcher battalions promised to us by our superiors have not arrived for a long time." Sokov frowned and said, "Now our entire combat group only has one tank brigade under Colonel Bely. If it is too early The land was consumed in the battle, so how should we fight the next battle?"
"What should I do?" Vitkov asked.
"Call Colonel Gorishny, commander of the 75th Guards Division, and order him to transfer a regiment of troops to the north of the city." Sokov said to Vitkov: "Once the Germans find that they have broken through the defense line of the 71st Guards Division, they We must block it resolutely and never let the enemy rush into the city."
"What about Colonel Sivakov's troops?" Vitkov asked Sokov: "Are we just going to watch them being wiped out by enemy artillery fire?"
"Sending reinforcements at this moment is risking death." Sokov said resolutely: "Call Sivakov immediately and order him to hold the position resolutely at all costs and not to retreat even a step."
After giving this order, he summoned Samoilov and said to him: "Comrade Lieutenant, follow me to the church in the city center. I will continue to direct the battle there."
Samoilov, with a platoon of guards, escorted Sokov to the church. Sokov climbed up to the bell tower of the church, raised his binoculars and looked in the direction of the fiercest fighting. He saw that the German artillery and bombing had ended, but the defenders' position was still wrapped in layers of smoke. The German infantry in the distance was Following the tank, he trotted towards the position.
When the enemy was still one or two hundred meters away from the Soviet position, the machine gun firepower on the position opened fire. Some soldiers following the tanks were shot and fell immediately.
Seeing that the infantry was under attack, the German tanks hurriedly stopped, aimed at the firing point and fired. At first, the impact point was still a little far away from the machine gun fire point, but after two rounds, the German tank crew found the right direction and knocked out the shooting machine gun with one shot.
Seeing that the machine gun fire points on the Soviet position were destroyed, the German tanks continued to move forward, while the infantry got up from the ground, shouting and rushing forward.
If the position being attacked was defended by the 41st Guards Division, at such a distance it would be time for the anti-tank crew to attack the enemy tanks with rocket launchers. However, Sivakov's troops were not equipped with such weapons. Facing the approaching German tanks, they could only use anti-tank grenades and Molotov cocktails to blow up the German tanks after getting close.
However, since the German tanks were followed by infantry, many anti-tank fighters fell into a hail of enemy bullets as soon as they left their positions. It often takes more than twenty soldiers to blow up a German tank.
When Sokov saw this scene, he couldn't help but burst into anger. He quickly grabbed the microphone, connected to the headquarters of the 71st Guards Division, and asked loudly: "Colonel Sivakov, where is your artillery regiment? Why not Fire the cannon, are you going to keep the cannonballs to lay eggs?"
"Comrade Commander," Sivakov said aggrievedly: "Our artillery regiment is all howitzers and does not have anti-tank guns. It may be difficult to destroy German tanks."
"If artillery can't deal with the enemy's tanks, can't it also deal with their infantry?" Sokov said angrily: "As long as you use artillery fire to destroy the infantry covering the tanks, then the soldiers will leave the trenches and blow up the German troops. tanks. Got it?”
"Understood, Comrade Commander." Sivakov quickly replied: "I immediately ordered the artillery to fire towards the front."
A few minutes later, from the rear of the German troops that were rushing towards the Soviet position, dazzling fire and smoke rose up. It was the artillery of the 151st Guards Regiment, which began to bombard the attacking German infantry. The artillery shells landed in the ranks of the German infantry and exploded, leaving the enemy with blood and corpses everywhere.
Although the flying shrapnel made the armor plates of the German tanks clank, they did not pose much of a threat. But without the infantry cover, the German tanks quickly became the prey of Soviet anti-tank fighters. With the explosions one after another, the German tanks parked in front of the positions caught fire and emitted thick smoke amid the explosions of anti-tank grenades or Molotov cocktails.
When the tank caught fire, none of the tank crews inside could stay still. They ordered the hatches to be opened and they scrambled to escape. But they forgot that their location was only a few hundred meters away from the Soviet position. The tank soldiers who managed to escape were either shot to death or surrendered to the surrounding Soviet soldiers with their hands raised.
