Chapter 349 Veteran
Actually Katukov knew what to do, but he just let it happen.
The reason is that Katukov knew it was too late to report.
First of all, this is just speculation, and Rokossovsky does not necessarily believe that this speculation will become a fact.
Secondly, there is only ten minutes until the general offensive is launched.
The command system of the Soviet army was cumbersome and inefficient. Even if Rokossovsky believed it right away and made decisions right away... I am afraid that the order would be difficult to communicate to all parts, and it may even cause confusion due to temporary changes in the plan .
So Katukov could only let it go.
Time jumped forward little by little, and then, three red flares rose slowly.
Almost at that moment, the dense artillery sounded, and there was a "rumbling" sound.
On the frontier of Moscow, from Tver in the north to Yelets in the south, the Soviet army assembled a total of 1 million troops and prepared 1,000 aircraft to invest in 7,652 artillery pieces and 774 tanks.
The large and small caliber artillery of these troops fired in the direction of the German army almost at the same time. The dense shells hit the German army positions like hail and blasted a wall of fire. of.
After more than ten minutes, the sky gradually brightened...Shuerka and others didn't feel the dawn at all, because the sky had been completely covered by the smoke of gunfire.
The reason why we know that it is dawn is because the sound of fighter jet engines sounded in the air, and then Soviet fighter planes dropped bombs on the German positions and swooped down to shoot violently with machine guns.
The bombing lasted for half an hour before it began to extend back.
A few red flares rose in the sky again, and Katukov waved his pistol and shouted: "Comrades, for the sake of the people, for the army, and for the great Soviet Union, go!"
"Come on!" The soldiers yelled and jumped out of the trench with their rifles in hand.
At the same time, the tank rushed out of the trench along the **** with a "boom" and "jumped" to the ground.
But in fact, everyone soon discovered that this was unnecessary, because the "Matilda" tank...its maximum off-road speed is only 15 kilometers per hour, and it is certain that this maximum speed is not tested in the snow, because The advancing fighters passed it quickly and had to slow down and wait.
Some soldiers ran forward while looking back, and occasionally waved their hands back a few times, as if to make "Matilda" go faster.
But "Matilda" also has more than enough energy, it still drives behind unhurriedly, like a clumsy tortoise, or an elephant walking by the river.
Shuerka believes that the most anxious thing at this time should be the tank crew.
This is indeed the case, and Fedosiev scolded his mother in a hurry, even though it drove an American M3 medium tank.
The speed of the M3 medium tank is not slow, but because it must maintain the sequence of the second echelon, it can only slow down and follow behind.
So, Shulka and others watched the 2nd Guards Tank Brigade in front of them go farther and farther amidst the sound of gunfire, explosions and shouts of killing... and finally disappeared in the morning light.
All that was left for the 1st Guards Tank Brigade were rows of bomb craters and corpses in various poses.
If it is purely from the perspective of interests, Shulka prefers the state at this time, because it does not need to rush to the most dangerous front to directly contact the enemy.
To be precise, they would also come into contact with the enemy, but they were all wounded or pretending to be dead... The soldiers raised their guns and killed these German soldiers without hesitation.
"They didn't surrender!" The actor explained: "I didn't see them raise their hands, so it doesn't count as killing prisoners!"
This is true.
It's just that most of the wounded can't raise their hands. They either hurt their hands, or they are busy covering their wounds with their hands.
However, being so far behind by the 2nd Guards Tank Brigade as it is now, I am still inexplicably discouraged.
"I don't understand one thing!" Soon the soldiers began to chat, and the actor said: "Why do the British make such slow tanks? To fight?"
"They call it an 'infantry tank,' Okunev!" replied the veteran, "that is, a tank that the infantry can keep up with, so..."
As he spoke, the veteran raised his head towards the tank not far ahead.
"Unbelievable!" The actor shook his head: "That is to say...the British usually advance at this speed when fighting?"
Soviet soldiers really couldn't believe this, because they usually rushed forward at the fastest speed.
"Otherwise?" The veteran asked back: "Do you think the British will rush in front of the tank?"
"Oh, yes!" The actor imitated Stephen's tone and demeanor, and shouted: "Follow behind the tank, you idiots... you are finished!"
The actor does have some talent for acting, and he looks a bit similar to Stephen, which made the soldiers burst into laughter.
"They are already veterans!" The instructor walking beside Shulka sighed.
Shulka knew what the instructor meant.
If it was in the past, even if they were fighting with the leftovers behind the friendly army, they would still be nervous.
But now, they can joke while fighting, and occasionally turn over dead bodies on the side of the road and shoot the wounded enemy with a "bang" shot, all of which are as natural as they should be.
Shulka didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
Because, when they become veterans, their awe of life is also disappearing little by little.
Not even Shulka.
"I knew I was right, Comrade Shulka!" said the instructor while stepping forward panting.
"What's right?" Shulka didn't understand what the instructor meant.
"Remember what I told you in Kyiv?" the instructor asked back.
Shulka looked confused, he had already forgotten all about it.
"You were investigated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs!" the instructor reminded.
Shulka said "oh", but still didn't understand: "But what does that have to do with today?"
"You completely forgot!" The instructor couldn't help laughing: "I said at the time that the reason why I will stand firmly on your side and speak for you is because I think that changes are needed, that the country and the army need you, and the Soviet Union needs you. You... look now, Shulka! We are counterattacking, we beat the Germans! We did it!"
Shulka shook his head and replied: "No, Comrade Instructor! We are still far from defeating the Germans!"
(end of this chapter)
