Chapter 531: Tank Wreckage
After daybreak, the Germans could not wait to launch an attack on Mamayev Heights.
In fact, the Germans were already preparing for artillery fire before it was dark.
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund was in such a hurry because he thought that the day belonged to the Germans, and that they should make the most of every minute and every second of the day.
"Last time we occupied almost the entire Mamayev Heights!" Lieutenant Colonel Edmond said, "Just a little bit, the last line of defense." This time, as long as we hurry up, we will be able to completely occupy it, and only then will our weaknesses not be exposed to the enemy all the time! ”
Lieutenant Colonel Edmond was referring to the two flanks of Mamayev Heights.
Since last night's Soviet raid, Lieutenant Colonel Edmond was aware of the problem with the defense line on both flanks.
But sometimes it's one thing to know the problem, it's another thing to be able to solve it.
For example, the problem of the two wings of the Mamayev Gang is unsolvable.
To be precise, if the enemy still occupies part of the Mamayev Hill on the anticline, the weakness of the German flanks will always be a weakness.
The reason is very simple, just as the Soviet front slope is always exposed to German artillery fire and direct fire, because the new village and urban area of "Red October" on both sides of the Mamayev Gang are under the control of the Soviet army, so its two wings and even the front slope will be under the Soviet artillery at night.
This is a bit like "feng shui in turn", but the advantages and disadvantages of the Soviet and German armies on the Mamayev Gang rotate with the change of day and night.
This advantage and disadvantage time can be said to be half and half, to be precise, the German army has the advantage...... In April, the daylight hours were extended to 13 hours.
(Note: The longest daylight hours near Moscow are July, with 17 hours and 26 minutes, i.e. only six and a half hours are nights.)
However, it was still very difficult for the Germans to take the entire Mamayev Heights during this time.
To Lieutenant Colonel Edmund's frustration, once they can't take control of the entire Mamayev Heights, then last night's fiasco will happen again, that is, the Mamayev Posts will repeat what happened in the past again and again...... During the day, the Germans had the advantage of attacking the anticline, and at night it was the Soviets who had the advantage and were recaptured by them.
So Lieutenant Colonel Edmond decided to race against the clock
He was ready for all the offensive at dawn, the artillery prepared three bases of ammunition, the rear reinforcements came up with a tank battalion and an assault gun battalion, and five infantry companies were replenished, and even the air force was ready to take off.
The first blow was followed by a barrage of artillery fire on the front slope, followed by a fierce assault by the infantry under the cover of tanks and assault guns.
This time, the German attack on the positive slope was unexpectedly easy.
The obstacles in front of them were more barbed wire and mines, and in addition to that, a few snipers at the top of the hill.
"It's a good sign!" Lieutenant Colonel Edmund said: "We have more time to attack the anticline, the end of the Russians has come!" ”
This was followed by a fierce battle for the hilltop position, all of which seemed to repeat yesterday's steps...... Sometimes the battle is so boring, repeatedly fighting for the same position, even though it may be only a few hundred square meters, every inch of its ground has been deeply cultivated by shells, and every step has been lain by a corpse or sprinkled with blood.
However, in the end, the Germans still gnawed down the hilltop position under the cover of air power and smoke bombs.
The German officers and soldiers, including Edmund, thought that the next battle would be easy.
Of course, the Germans would not have thought that the Soviets would still have the wreckage of those tanks so that they could charge, but they could still build new bunkers with tanks and assault guns.
But the truth is not what they think.
The Soviets kept the wreckage of the tanks, but the wreckage of the tanks had become part of the Soviet defense line in front of them.
At that moment, the German front-line commander was even frightened, and he immediately called Lieutenant Colonel Edmund to report instead of ordering the charge.
"Lieutenant Colonel, they have strengthened the defensive line!"
"Any questions?" Lieutenant Colonel Edmond wondered for a while, isn't it a matter of course to strengthen the defensive line? Will the enemy do nothing and wait for himself to attack?!
"No, no, Lieutenant Colonel!" Major Erich replied: "They have strengthened the line with the wreckage of tanks, and they are standing in front of us!" I mean a line of steel......"
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this.
A line of steel, a line of defense made of tank wreckage, and the wreckage of their tanks.
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund knew what that meant, because not so long ago the Germans used tank wreckage as cover.
For example, tanks or assault guns, tank wreckage as cover is in some ways more advantageous.
The Germans lacked anti-tank equipment.
They did not have bazookas from the Soviet army...... This is a weapon for individual anti-tank and anti-armor, especially in mountainous areas with complex terrain.
Therefore, the Germans had only a few options to deal with the wreckage of these tanks:
Anti-tank grenades, air force, anti-tank guns.
But neither option is suitable.
Anti-tank grenades need to be close to each other, which will definitely cost heavy casualties.
The Air Force, on the other hand, has a clear view because the enemy is constantly burning waste tires, otherwise the reconnaissance planes would have sent an alarm a long time ago.
Anti-tank guns, which meant that the Germans were going to push it to the Mamayev post.
Not to mention that this is very difficult to do, and even if it does, it is easy to become an enemy target by placing anti-tank positions on the top of the hill.
On the other hand.
Tanks or assault guns often burn or even explode when they are hit because of shells, fuel, etc., so anti-tank guns are more effective against tanks and assault guns.
But the wreckage of the tank ...... It's actually a pile of scrap metal, and it's the infantry that hides in it, not the tankmen.
So even if the anti-tank gun pierces the wreckage of the tank, it is just killing a few infantry and adding a shot hole or observation hole for the other side.
From this point of view, fortifications built from tank wreckage are even much more survivable than tanks, unless they can be bombarded with assault guns at close range or blown up with explosive packs.
But the Germans did not seem to have any choice, they could only choose to attack.
So Edmund did not hesitate any longer, and he commanded Major Erich: "Attack, Major! That's just tank wreckage, you have a lot more than they do, and it's still moving! ”
Major Erich looked diagonally, where several assault guns were waiting for orders to attack.
They are indeed tank wreckage, moving tank wreckage.
Major Erich, however, did not think that the moving wreckage of the tanks would be of much use in this situation.
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