Chapter 455 Contact
In any case, the wreckage of the "Tiger" was smoothly transported into a relatively safe underground warehouse.
Shuerka contacted the Front Army Command at this time.
The way of contacting has gone through a turning point... first contacted Katukov, and then reported to the Front Army Command in the name of the 1st Guards Tank Brigade Command, which attracted attention.
But it didn’t pay much attention, because as Shulka guessed, Mechlis didn’t know what it meant, so he just nodded to indicate that he had received the telegram and threw it aside.
Until the phone line was connected, Shulka called Mehlis.
Originally, this call would not be able to reach the headquarters of the front army at all. To be precise, it would be intercepted and eliminated by the staff officer, but Shurka showed his identity and the staff knew that Shurka was interested in Mehlis. Say something.
After many twists and turns, Shulka finally heard Mehlis's voice.
At this moment, Shulka couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. This almost took more time than driving directly to the headquarters.
"Shulka? Are you in Feodosia?" Mechlis asked in surprise, "I always thought you were still fighting in Zhankoy. Once again, you won a brilliant victory. Our plan succeeded. There is almost nowhere to escape..."
"Yes, Comrade Mechlis!" said Shulka, "I know that, but I think you should come to the railway station!"
"Train station? Why?"
"I'll explain it to you then!"
Mechlis hesitated for a moment, and then replied: "Perhaps, I can let Alexei go for me!"
Mechelis does not leave his fortress easily, especially during the day.
Even now the Luftwaffe is bombing Zhankhoi with all its might and putting Feodosia aside.
Shulka didn't expect this, he just hoped that Mahlis could see the "Tiger" with his own eyes and realize the importance of the problem.
But now I find it all in vain.
However, this does not seem to be important. The important thing is that Shulka can persuade Mehlis to let the Navy transport the "Tiger" wreckage away instead of staying here as soon as possible while ensuring safety.
Thinking of this, Shulka replied: "No, Comrade Mehlis, let me go to the headquarters!"
Later, when Mechlis realized how much credit the wreckage of the "Tiger" was, there was no need for Shulka to say anything, and he ran to the warehouse in a hurry.
He even reported to Stalin while touching the "Tiger": "Yes, I am sure, Comrade Stalin, because it is right in front of my eyes!"
Of course, this is all for later.
It has been more than half an hour since Shulka reappeared in Mechelis' headquarters.
Mechlis is the same as before, happily asking for credit from Moscow... This is one of the reasons why the front army command cannot receive news. Most of the radio stations here are used to contact Moscow instead of commanding troops to fight.
It was Alexis who came up to him.
"Welcome, Comrade Shulka!" Alexey said, "I didn't expect that we would meet again!"
"Shuerka!" Mechlis yelled exaggeratedly when he saw Shurka, and then gave Shurka a hug: "Our hero, welcome back from the front line!"
"Comrade Mehlis!" Shulka said: "I am here this time to report to you that we have encountered a new type of enemy tank on the battlefield!"
"Oh, is this new tank very powerful?" Mehlis asked while pouring Shulka a drink: "Is it more powerful than our T34?"
"Yes!" Shulka replied: "We can only pose a threat to it within a range of two hundred meters, but it may destroy our T34 from one kilometer away!"
Mechlis couldn't help being taken aback for a moment, and then laughed with the staff.
"That's the funniest joke I've ever heard!" Mehlis said.
It's not that he doesn't believe in Shulka, but he doesn't believe that such a tank exists.
Shuerka didn't laugh, he just replied coldly: "We seized one, and it's at the train station only ten kilometers away from here. We have already reported it to the headquarters!"
Everyone's smiles froze quickly.
Even Mehlis, knowing that the enemy has such a tank, understands that this is a big deal.
After thinking for a while, Mechlis jumped up from his chair: "Have you seized one?"
"Yes!" Shulka replied: "A wreck of a tank, to be exact, we destroyed it and brought it back!"
"Very good, Shulka!" said Mehlis, "Very good!"
After walking a few steps, just when others thought he was about to issue an order, he asked Alexei: "What should we do?"
"Transport it to a safe place immediately!" Alexei turned his gaze to Shulka: "Do you think so, Captain?"
"Yes!" Shulka said: "I suggest that we should send it to the Caucasus, and at the same time transfer several tank experts or scientists. It has great research value!"
"Just do it!" Mechlis said, "But before that, I'm going to see this tank!"
There is only one thing that can make Mechlis walk out of the fortress despite the danger of his life, and that is credit.
When the canvas was lifted off and the huge body of the "Tiger" was displayed in front of Mechlis, he couldn't help being stunned. Although he didn't know what its guns and armor meant, it was a body after all. A tank that has never been seen on the battlefield.
Mechelis described it to Stalin in the telegram: "It is simply a moving fortress, with a thick barrel and heavy armor. I seem to see it advancing on the battlefield while firing at our tanks. But our soldiers were not afraid, they bravely defeated it, this monster, and successfully captured it and brought it to me..."
"Transport it to the rear immediately!" Stalin gave an order.
"Yes, we're going to do that!"
So, everyone's eyes are actually not in the direction of Khoi, and even the air force is used to protect the wreckage of the "Tiger" to withdraw to the Caucasus.
This approach itself is not wrong, because the enemy's new tank is too important. It not only allows the Soviet army to fully understand the data and performance of the enemy's tanks, such as artillery attack distance, T34 penetration distance, etc., but also can learn from it. "Tiger" some technology.
The problem is that Katukov did not expect Manstein to play a trick on the Perekop Isthmus, and he lost the opportunity to wipe out the elite of the German 11th Army.
But Shulka didn't expect this either.
That is to say, even if Shulka's attention is in the direction of Koi instead of "Tiger", Manstein can also get away calmly.
(end of this chapter)
