Chapter 374 Retreat
Immediately afterwards, a group of German tanks appeared in Shulka's sight.
They came out from the west bank of the Tver River, divided into two groups, one on the left and one on the right, and drove towards the bridgehead of the Tver Bridge. Most of them were "No. 3" tanks, followed by some 35T and "No. 2".
The tanks advanced with the infantry, densely packed, outflanking the Soviet army like two black clouds. (Note: At this time, the German army did not put on white camouflage uniforms like the Soviet army due to lack of supplies)
Shuerka believes that this force is the German Sixth Armored Division attacking the city.
On the one hand, this is because the German army is also short of troops, and they no longer have another armored division to attack the 1st Guards Tank Brigade.
There is no need... If the German army had two armored divisions, they could attack from several directions at the same time. Even if the Soviet army had rocket launchers in their hands, they would not be able to sustain it.
At the same time, German fighter planes were also roaring in the sky... The Soviet Air Force has been expelled from this airspace, so they can safely dive down to shoot and bomb suspicious targets, and even a few bombers took turns bombing the remaining Tver bridge.
But this seems to be normal. The broken Tver Bridge is not of much use value for the German army. Instead, they will become the "commanding heights" for the Soviet army to block the railway
So naturally, the German army will destroy this commanding height.
It's just that the "Tver" bridge is very strong, and several direct hits from the "Stuka" bombs failed to blow it up.
After thinking for a while, Shulka ordered: "Retreat!"
"Retreat?" The instructor looked at Shulka suspiciously: "No, Comrade Captain! The superior ordered us to hold the bridgehead!"
"Hold the bridgehead?" Shulka said. "Where is the bridgehead? The bridgehead? Hold it and we'll all die there!"
"But Comrade Captain..."
"Obey orders!" Shulka ordered: "You will know why I did this!"
The instructor nodded, but there was some dissatisfaction on his face.
The troops retreated about 200 meters to the residential area, and occasionally deployed a few bazooka shooters and snipers in the building, allowing them to cover each other and retreat when the opportunity came.
Retreat when the opportunity arises, that is, to take advantage when there is an advantage, and to retreat when there is no advantage.
Soldiers sometimes perform better when fighting with this mentality, because they don't have too much psychological pressure, and they can easily deploy mines, firepower points and even design their own retreats.
They did play a considerable role, because it took more than half an hour for the German army to fight over the two hundred meters.
Of course, a considerable part of the reason why it took more than half an hour was that the German army needed to clear the ruins to make way for the tanks. Only when it is empty can the tanks be sent up.
This gave the snipers a good opportunity. They carried a rifle and sometimes hid here and sometimes ran there, and beat the German army into a panic.
And the combination of rocket launchers and sniper rifles would embarrass the German army.
If you want to deal with enemy snipers, you must either send out tanks or let a team of people quickly charge to the enemy's sniper position.
But if you do this, there will be another "whoosh" unexpectedly, and a rocket will roar towards you.
"Now!" The instructor asked when he retreated to the designated position: "Can you tell us why we retreated?"
"We have to do this!" Shulka said: "To stick to the bridgehead is to die!"
"Comrade Captain!" the instructor said solemnly: "But that was the order of the superior, and Comrade Katukov also made it very clear that we must not lose the bridgehead position, that is very important to us! It even affects the entire battle." Decisive!"
"Yes, I know!" Shulka handed the instructor a cigarette.
However, the instructor did not answer.
"What are you going to do with me?" Shulka raised the cigarette in his hand and smiled, "Put a gun to my head? Dismiss me? Or report to the superior?"
"No, Shulka!" The instructor slowed down and persuaded: "I know you cherish the lives of your subordinates, but we should consider the overall situation, shouldn't we? You know what the consequences will be if you don't hold the bridgehead!"
"But what if I just don't think about the big picture?" Shulka asked rhetorically.
"You, you bastard..." the instructor cursed angrily.
Shulka suddenly laughed.
"Tricked you!" Shulka said.
"What?" The instructor looked puzzled.
"It's useless to stick to the bridgehead, Comrade Instructor!" Shulka said: "Even if I'm not afraid of death and disregarding the lives and deaths of my subordinates, is it useful? If we are all dead, who will hold the bridgehead?"
Hearing this, the instructor was at a loss for words.
"Our death will not benefit the battle or the overall situation at all!" Shulka said: "The enemy will be the happiest. They will easily win this battle soon, and then repair the railway and resume transportation!"
"But wouldn't this happen if we retreated?" the instructor asked back.
"Of course!" said Shulka, "You know, it took more than an hour to repair the railway, but it only took a few minutes to blow it up!"
The instructor couldn't help but "Oh": "So we don't need to guard the bridgehead?"
"Yes!" Shulka replied: "We just need to wait until Germany has worked so hard to repair the railway, and then rush to blow it up, don't you think so?"
"Yes, Shulka!" The instructor nodded vigorously: "That's right, I knew you would have a way!"
Shuerka looked back at the instructor with disbelief.
The instructor replied with some embarrassment: "Oh, well...sometimes there are exceptions!"
Shuerka smiled and offered the cigarette, but this time the instructor did not refuse.
Different from the instructor, Katukov, who was directing the operations at the headquarters, didn't even ask when he retreated two hundred meters after receiving the first battalion.
On the contrary, Katukov also praised: "Good idea, the Germans are unwilling to fight in the streets, but Shulka makes them have no choice!"
Katukov is a military commander after all, and a famous general of a generation. It is not surprising to see Shulka's thoughts at a glance.
Shulka did, as he thought, continue to drag the Germans into street fighting.
Tanks and bazookas gave the Soviet army an advantage in street fighting, and of course Shulka wanted to take advantage of this.
The German army did not realize this. Even though the German army was still fighting the Soviet army in residential areas as before, Major General Lucas thought that this time the strategic goal was finally achieved and the transportation could be resumed.
Next, there is the issue of encircling and annihilating the Russian army or driving them out of Tver.
(end of this chapter)
