With five minutes left in the bombardment, three red flares rose into the sky, signaling the attack.
The commanders and soldiers who had been waiting in the trenches for a long time pushed their bicycles out of the trenches. After forming a simple formation in front of the position, they started charging on their bicycles. Suddenly, thousands of bicycles poured into the German defense area like a tide.
Division Commander Fomenko set up his observation post on a wooden platform built by two big trees, where he could see most of the battlefield clearly. Watching the battle with him, in addition to the political commissar Colonel Manoxin, there were also several division staff officers and communications soldiers, so that his orders could be conveyed to each regiment in a timely manner.
In the telescope, Manoxin saw the tanks that had rushed to the front in every attack in the past, but were left far behind by the bicycle team. He couldn't help but said to Fomenko with emotion: "Comrade Division Commander, our The infantry rushes in very quickly. It is estimated that they will be able to rush to the enemy's position as soon as the bombardment is over."
The starting point of the attack was three or four kilometers away from the German defense area. If we followed the previous walking speed, it would take more than half an hour. During such a long period of time, the German troops who held their positions had long since woken up from the shelling and were ready for battle. However, the Soviet commanders and fighters were somewhat tired after walking for such a long time. Facing the German troops who were waiting for work and preparing for battle, they would definitely Huge casualties were incurred.
But today, almost all of the commanders and fighters participating in the first wave of attacks were on bicycles. Even if the road conditions were not ideal, they could shorten the impact time to about ten minutes, leaving no time for the Germans to prepare for defense.
"You are right. With bicycles, our commanders and fighters can greatly shorten the time to attack the German positions." Fomenko said with the same emotion: "Look at those Maxim heavy machine guns. In the past, even each machine gun team Rushing forward behind the infantry at the fastest speed, it would take at least an hour to complete such a long-distance impact. But now, our soldiers are actively using their brains to tie two bicycles and a flatbed together , not only can it carry heavy machine guns and more ammunition, but its movement speed is also greatly enhanced."
"Comrade division commander, tell me why the commander came up with such a tactic?" Manoxin said with interest: "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I just couldn't believe that such a method could be adopted to attack the enemy. The enemy attacks."
After hearing this, Fomenko laughed twice, and then said to Manoxin: "Comrade political commissar, this may be the reason why he can be the commander, and we can only be division commanders and political commissars."
Fomenko's words reminded Manokhin, he frowned and thought for a moment, and then said: "As far as I know, before the big counterattack under Moscow began, Comrade Commander was just a small corporal. Look at , now less than two years have passed, and he is already a general, commanding nearly 100,000 troops."
"Comrade Commander's promotion path can be said to be a miracle." Fomenko continued: "If it were someone else of his age who could obtain the rank of lieutenant, he would have been promoted very quickly, but compared with Comparing commanders and comrades, they are nothing."
"By the way, is he married?"
"It's over." Fomenko replied briefly: "It is said that I met a female health worker named Asia when we were defending the town of Khimki. She was quite beautiful. They were there during the Battle of Stalingrad. married."
"Comrade division commander, do you know where the commander's wife is now?" Manoxin continued to ask curiously: "Is it in the field hospital at the headquarters or in the military hospital below?"
Hearing his political commissar ask this question, Fomenko had a surprised expression on his face: "Comrade political commissar, don't you know that after the last incident, the commander has transferred his wife back to the rear?"
"What happened?" Fomenko's words ignited Manokhin's burning fire of gossip.
"Comrade Political Commissar, I heard this from others, and I don't know whether it is true or not." Fomenko said: "During the Battle of Kursk, the commander arranged for his wife Asya to be admitted to the field hospital of the 182nd Division. , serving as an assistant military doctor. However, the field hospital was attacked by a detachment of the German 19th Armored Division one day, and Asiya and several female medical staff were captured..."
"Ah, captured by the enemy?" Manoxin asked in surprise: "What happened next?"
"Comrade Commander immediately mobilized troops to prepare for an attack on the 19th German Armored Division." Fomenko continued: "The German division commander was immediately frightened when he knew that among the few medical staff captured, there was actually the commander's wife. If something goes wrong, not only will someone be sent to comfort them, but they will also be sent back."
Manoxin saw what happened next in the battle report: the 19th Armored Division was annihilated, all the officers and soldiers of the division were either killed or captured, and even their division commander was taken prisoner.
"Do you know where the commander's wife is now?"
"When we attacked Belgorod and Kharkov, didn't Colonel Yakov come with a group of hovercrafts?" Fomenko explained to Manokhin: "The commander and Colonel Yakov are My good friend, for the sake of Asya’s safety, sent her to the Arms and Equipment Department in Moscow, where she continued to serve as an assistant military surgeon.”
While the two were chatting, a staff officer who was observing the battlefield situation suddenly put down his telescope and turned to report to Fomenko: "Comrade Division Commander, our troops have approached the enemy's defensive position."
After hearing what the staff officer said, the two people quickly stopped talking and raised their binoculars to look into the distance.
I don't know when the bombardment stopped, and the entire German defense area was still filled with gunpowder smoke. The commanders and fighters who were charging on bicycles were less than a hundred meters away from the German position. I don't know who took the lead. After jumping off the bicycle, they threw the bike to the ground and rushed towards the enemy's position with their weapons in hand.
"Charge forward, comrade division commander, our soldiers have charged forward." Through the binoculars, Manoxin saw groups of commanders and combatants rushing into the smoke with weapons in hand. He couldn't help shouting excitedly: "They Rushed into the enemy's position."
Compared with Manokhin, Fomenko behaved extremely calmly. Watching the commanders and fighters rushing into the smoke with weapons in hand, he kept thinking in his mind: The enemy deployed an infantry regiment in the Svetlovodsk district. and a tank battalion. I wonder how many casualties the shelling that lasted for an hour caused them?
After Manoxin yelled for a while, seeing that Fomenko didn't respond, he put down the telescope again and asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, why don't you speak? What are you thinking about?"
Fomenko also put down his telescope and said with a wry smile: "Although our commanders and fighters rushed into the enemy's position, it is still unknown how much damage the shelling just caused to the enemy. If the enemy's losses are not large, our troops Once you enter enemy territory, a fierce battle will begin.”
After saying this, he turned around and ordered a staff officer: "Get in touch with the division chief of staff immediately and ask him to report the results of the attacking troops in a timely manner."
The staff officer agreed, picked up the phone next to him, and contacted the division headquarters.
While the staff officer was on the phone, Manoxin couldn't help but ask: "Comrade division commander, do you think the shelling just now can wipe out one-third of the enemy?"
"It's hard to say." As a commander with rich combat experience, Fomenko shook his head gently after hearing Manoxin's question and replied: "Based on past experience, our army will The artillery preparations could only destroy some German fortifications at best, and the damage to their effective forces was very limited."
"What's the reason for that?"
"The reason is very simple." Fomenko said: "Comrade Commander once said at a meeting that the enemy is very cunning. Every time our army carries out artillery bombardment on their defense area, they will promptly move to the second-line position, only to suffer Several observation posts were left on the shelling positions to monitor our army's actions.
When our army's artillery preparations are over and the infantry launches an attack, their troops will pass through the communication trenches and return to the front from the second-line position to intercept our army's fire. "
"Our shelling today was carried out very suddenly." Manoxin said cautiously: "I think most of the enemies are still sleeping. Our shelling will definitely achieve huge results."
"I hope so." After Fomenko said this, he asked loudly to the staff: "Comrade staff, is there any latest battle report from the division headquarters?"
"Not yet, Comrade Division Commander." The staff officer quickly stood up and replied: "The Chief of Staff said that he has not received any battle reports from the front yet."
After hearing this, Fomenko sighed softly, raised his telescope again and looked towards the smoke-filled location in the distance, trying to see clearly through the smoke how the commanders and fighters inside were fighting the enemy. Then the thick smoke obscured everything, and he couldn't see anything clearly except the billowing smoke.
From the moment the troops launched their attack, those who were eager to know the results of the battle were not only Fomenko, but also Sokov who was far away in the city of Kremenchug. After learning that the 84th Division had launched an attack on the enemy, he stared at his watch and waited for an eternity for five minutes before asking Sameko: "Comrade Chief of Staff, does the 84th Division have the latest battle report?"
"No, Comrade Commander." Sameko answered simply: "We have not received any battle reports about them yet."
"Call and ask." Sokov was worried that the other party's division headquarters was very busy, so he quickly ordered Sameko: "Maybe they are compiling the latest battle report and haven't had time to report it yet."
With five minutes left in the bombardment, three red flares rose into the sky, signaling the attack.
The commanders and soldiers who had been waiting in the trenches for a long time pushed their bicycles out of the trenches. After forming a simple formation in front of the position, they started charging on their bicycles. Suddenly, thousands of bicycles poured into the German defense area like a tide.
Division Commander Fomenko set up his observation post on a wooden platform built by two big trees, where he could see most of the battlefield clearly. Watching the battle with him, in addition to the political commissar Colonel Manoxin, there were also several division staff officers and communications soldiers, so that his orders could be conveyed to each regiment in a timely manner.
In the telescope, Manoxin saw the tanks that had rushed to the front in every attack in the past, but were left far behind by the bicycle team. He couldn't help but said to Fomenko with emotion: "Comrade Division Commander, our The infantry rushes in very quickly, and I guess they will be able to rush to the enemy's position as soon as the shelling ends."
The starting point of the attack was three or four kilometers away from the German defense area. If we followed the previous walking speed, it would take more than half an hour. During such a long period of time, the German troops who held their positions had long since woken up from the shelling and were ready for battle. However, the Soviet commanders and fighters were somewhat tired after walking for such a long time. Facing the German troops who were waiting for work and preparing for battle, they would definitely Huge casualties were incurred.
But today, almost all of the commanders and fighters participating in the first wave of attacks were on bicycles. Even if the road conditions were not ideal, they could shorten the impact time to about ten minutes, leaving no time for the Germans to prepare for defense.
"You are right. With bicycles, our commanders and fighters can greatly shorten the time to attack the German positions." Fomenko said with the same emotion: "Look at those Maxim heavy machine guns. In the past, even each machine gun team Rushing forward behind the infantry at the fastest speed, it would take at least an hour to complete such a long-distance impact. But now, our soldiers are actively using their brains to tie two bicycles and a flatbed together , not only can it carry heavy machine guns and more ammunition, but its movement speed is also greatly enhanced."
"Comrade division commander, tell me why the commander came up with such a tactic?" Manoxin said with interest: "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I just couldn't believe that such a method could be adopted to attack the enemy. The enemy attacks."
After hearing this, Fomenko laughed twice, and then said to Manoxin: "Comrade political commissar, this may be the reason why he can be the commander, and we can only be division commanders and political commissars."
Fomenko's words reminded Manokhin, he frowned and thought for a moment, and then said: "As far as I know, before the big counterattack under Moscow began, Comrade Commander was just a small corporal. Look at , now less than two years have passed, and he is already a general, commanding nearly 100,000 troops."
"Comrade Commander's promotion path can be said to be a miracle." Fomenko continued: "If it were someone else of his age who could obtain the rank of lieutenant, he would have been promoted very quickly, but compared with Comparing commanders and comrades, they are nothing."
"By the way, is he married?"
"It's over." Fomenko replied briefly: "It is said that I met a female health worker named Asia when we were defending the town of Khimki. She was quite beautiful. They were there during the Battle of Stalingrad. married."
"Comrade division commander, do you know where the commander's wife is now?" Manoxin continued to ask curiously: "Is it in the field hospital at the headquarters or in the military hospital below?"
"Comrade Political Commissar, I heard this from others, and I don't know whether it is true or not." Fomenko said: "During the Battle of Kursk, the commander arranged for his wife Asya to be admitted to the field hospital of the 182nd Division. , serving as an assistant military doctor. However, the field hospital was attacked by a detachment of the German 19th Armored Division one day, and Asiya and several female medical staff were captured..."
