For Lieutenant Yakov, there is nothing happier in the world than to soar freely in the sky.

For Lieutenant Yakov from Moscow, the birthplace of vodka and the capital of the great Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, if there is one happier thing in this world than to soar freely in the sky, it must be to soar freely in the sky after drinking two taels of vodka.

It is impossible to know exactly when vodka was produced, but the earliest known vodka was brewed in the late 15th century by monks in the Chudov Monastery of the Moscow Kremlin, and has since become an essential necessity for the fighting Russians.

As a descendant of the family of senior tasters of the Crown Vodka Distillery, founded in 1818, Lieutenant Yakov did not become a respected sommelier like the elder Yakov and the elder Yakov, but he inherited the family's fine family style and century-old wine tasting knowledge, and of course, it is not surprising that he became a member of the army of alcoholics.

Before the outbreak of the war on the Eastern Front, Marshal Voroshilov, another veteran alcoholic in the Soviet Red Army, made a solemn request to the Supreme Leader and veteran vodka lover Comrade Stalin, that in order to boost morale and perpetuate the great traditions of the Russian nation, vodka was urgently needed at the front.

As the leader of the people, Stalin was well aware of the status of vodka in the minds of the Russian people, and he was also well aware of the effects of alcohol in the war.

The proposal of Comrade Voroshilov, the "First Marshal", immediately resonated with Stalin.

When Stalin was about to sign the vodka rationing order, he remembered the teachings of Comrade Lenin, another great leader of the people.

"I heard that you are always drunk in Tsaritsyn, and you don't count drinking it yourself, but you have to pour it into others. It can't be like this! ”

Although Comrade Lenin was already lying in the crystal coffin on Red Square, even if Stalin poured more vodka, he would not have jumped out of the crystal coffin. However, with respect from the bottom of his heart, Stalin turned his pen and lowered Voroshilov's ration from 250 grams to 100 grams, and set the alcohol concentration of vodka at 40 degrees.

In all fairness. 100 grams is just two taels in the traditional unit of measurement in an ancient country in the East.

On May 20, 1942, the soldiers of the Soviet Red Army drank two taels of vodka every day. He embarked on a westward expedition to Romania and Hungary and planted the red flag all over Europe.

Before the infantry charged, they had to drink two taels of vodka.

Before the tank unit departed, the commander took the lead and drank two taels of vodka.

Paying tribute to the fallen comrades. Pouring two taels of vodka in front of the graves of comrades-in-arms is the most sincere and painful mourning.

According to statistics, Stalin's approval rating in the army rose by five percentage points because of this empathetic and popular "two-tael" vodka.

As a technical branch of the technical arms, as a proud pilot in the army, he also enjoys the treatment of two taels of vodka per day without exception.

At noon on 29 May, Lieutenant Yakov, who had drunk two taels of vodka and had a fresh smell of alcohol, and his good friend Lieutenant Ilyich, got into the Yak-4 reconnaissance plane numbered 054 under the supervision of Comrade Political Commissar with one eye and one eye closed. Soaring into the blue sky, he flew to the Buzeu area to reconnoiter the movements of the German army.

After the plane stabilized the fuselage in the atmosphere, Yakov magically had an extra silver flask in his hand.

The flask is tiled, and the raised side is carved with a double-headed eagle logo with a crown on its head, and a line of numbers below the logo, 1818-1938.

This silver flask was issued in 1938 by Crown Vodka Distillery on the occasion of its 120th anniversary.

When Yakov joined the army, the elder Yakov gave this flask to his son, and he hoped that Lieutenant Yakov would see it every time. Don't forget that inside every cell of his body, there are hidden genes for vodka.

As a descendant of the Yakov family, Yakov's job should be a cellar full of barrels. And not the cramped cockpit of the aircraft.

Lieutenant Yakov was enthusiastic and devoted himself to joining the army, and he did not understand the deep meaning of old Yakov at all, and stepped on the battlefield with this wine jug with extraordinary meaning.

After two more sips of vodka, Yakov's fair face revealed a healthy reddish, and his flexible eyes, which could have seen six ways, were a little dull.

Under the stimulation of alcohol. The blood is like the turbulent water of the Volga River, and the cold air brought by high-altitude flight instantly dissipates.

Piloting the plane, swaying across the border into Romania, flying over a safe area of almost two hundred kilometers, Lieutenant Yakov, with the assistance of the navigator Ilyich in the back, approached the city of Buzeu.

Approaching the city of Buzeu, Yakov learned that he had been sent into a wolf's den by the superiors of the 316 reconnaissance aviation regiment.

I saw the sky in the distance, and I couldn't count how many planes were fighting.

Fighter planes chasing each other, large and small marshmallow-shaped smoke, broken wings, broken fuselages, and long columns of black smoke dragged by bombed planes filled the sky.

Hurriedly looking, Yakov recognized the MiG, the Yak, and the La-series among the planes that were in a mess.

Yakov recognized only one ME-109 and two other planes that were hit by Soviet fighters, except that the fuselage of the aircraft seemed to be painted with the Royal Romanian Air Force's tricolor cross.

Amid the sound of ping-pong gunfire, Lieutenant Yakov also heard an unusually sharp sound, like an air defense siren.

Lieutenant Yakov originally thought that the sound was really an air raid siren, but after observing the battlefield for a while, he realized that the screaming sound was a bomber with a seagull-like lower wing.

Whenever that bomber launched a dive, a poignant siren sounded.

"When we set off, why didn't the commissar and the regiment commander tell us that we would be welcomed in this way, which was different from what we expected." Yakov said to Ilyich.

Ilyich also sensed the danger ahead, clicked his lips, and said in embarrassment: "What should I do?" If we fly like this, it will definitely be a game of bird hunting that pulls us into this dangerous game. ”

No matter how dangerous the front is, you must complete the tasks assigned by your superiors, and if you return to the airport and there is not a single usable photo in your camera, your superiors will definitely not listen to your explanation, thinking that you are cowardly and avoiding war, and if you don't do it well, you will be deprived of the right to supply vodka and then sent to the military justice department.

The nose of the plane turned left, and the left wing of the plane piloted by Lieutenant Yakov pressed down. The right flank is raised up, and a nice left turn away from the battlefield.

Keeping his distance from the battlefield and then finding a way to get into the scouting site, Yakov made up his mind.

Hey. What is that?

When the plane turned left, the fuselage tilted to the left, and Yakov subconsciously glanced under the plane, just in time to see four planes flying south almost against the ground.

Seeing the black widow-like livery of the four planes, the sneaky behavior of thieves and thieves. Yakov recognized the four planes at a glance as Il-2 attack aircraft.

There is a way, follow those four guys, avoid the battlefield at high altitude, and cut in from a low altitude.

The altimeter's hand quickly dropped from 5000 to 1000 and then to 500.

Yakov followed the four Il-2s and swooped down on the Buzeu area.

Clenching his right fist and waving it constantly, Yakov excitedly shouted: "Ah big scene, did you see it, Alyosha, it's definitely a big scene." Look at the ground. ”

"How many tanks are fighting down there, four hundred or five hundred? I was dazzled and counted. The mission was not in vain, and even the adventure was worth it. ”

"No, I have to take pictures, this kind of big scene must not be missed."

Yakov said, piloting the plane in circles around the battlefield covered with torrents of steel.

In the wilderness south of Petrosu Peak, the 23rd Panzer Division of the German Army is playing against the 212th Motorized Division of the Soviet Army.

In order to strengthen the attack, break the German line as soon as possible, and synchronize with the attacking forces north of Petrosu Peak. Encircling the Germans near Petrosu Peak in a pincer offensive, the 212th Motorized Rifle Division was reinforced by a tank regiment.

In order to break through the Soviet defense line as soon as possible, he hit the Buzeu River with a right hook and surrounded the city of Buzeu. The 23rd Panzer Division was reinforced by the 501 Heavy Armored Battalion.

The two reinforced forces, each with about 300 tanks, rushed through the southern part of Petrosu Peak and rushed across the mountains.

The Soviet troops on Petrosu Peak, the Soviet fighters in the sky, easily spotted the huge ironclad corps of the 23rd Panzer Division.

The German FI-282 Hummingbird helicopters also had no difficulty detecting the red storm blowing by the Soviets on the north and south flanks of Petrosu Peak.

Before the battle even began, the two warring sides were aware of each other's presence. A very different reaction followed.

Under the effect of vodka, the 212th Motorized Division took nearly 30 KV-1 as the lead, nearly 100 T-34 as the backbone, and more than 140 BT-5 to cover the two wings, setting off a tornado full of vodka alcohol, and rushing towards the German tank cluster.

On the other hand, the Germans, knowing that a powerful Soviet tank group was approaching on the opposite side, the commander of the 23rd Panzer Division, Major General Mark, urgently ordered to adjust the formation.

The 501st Heavy Armored Battalion remained at the same speed and drove to the rear of the position of the 60th Motorized Rifle Regiment under the 244th Motorized Rifle Division according to the original route.

The tank destroyer battalion of the Panzer Division picked up speed, passed the 201st Tank Regiment, which had slowed down in front, and the second rushed to the rear of the position, where forty-five No. 4 tank destroyers waited side by side with forty-five E-40s for the arrival of the enemy.

Farther behind them, the 12 88-mm anti-aircraft guns of the 1st company of the division's air defense battalion were also flattened and switched to ground combat mode.

In an instant, an extra ironclad shield appeared in front of the red storm blown by the Soviet tank cluster.

The 201st Panzer Regiment of the 23rd Panzer Division was used as a sharp sword by Major General Mark and hidden behind a shield.

The Red Storm of the Soviet Army knew nothing about the "sword and shield tactics" of the German army, and with the fearless spirit of "the ignorant are fearless", it crashed straight into the German position.

A miraculous scene greeted the eyes of all the combatants on the battlefield.

Without warning, fifty or sixty clouds of gray-white smoke erupted from the German positions.

All the Soviet troops who participated in the war witnessed a scene that made them fearful.

Eleven KV-1 heavy tanks and seventeen T-34 tanks were permanently parked in the way of the charge.

Black smoke rose from the rear power compartment of the five KV-1s, and flames erupted from the vehicles.

Six T-34s exploded, and the turrets tumbled into the sky, as if to salute the Germans opposite.

Or on the turret, or on the front armor, or on the tracks, and the rest of the tanks that have received heavy damage have at least one more bullet hole in different positions.

What kind of weapon is this? What kind of power is this?

Of the tanks that were killed, the closest to the German positions was 1,200 meters. The distance even reaches 1,500 meters.

The Soviet tanks were jolting across the field, and they were dead on the spot before they could even see what the German tanks looked like.

There is also a hint of weirdness in death.

Of the destroyed tanks, only three or four tank crews escaped in a hurry.

What about the rest of the crew? Are they all dead?

Before the surviving Soviet tanks could figure out the situation on the battlefield, seventeen more tanks said goodbye to their first battle forever.

Hit twice in a row. The Soviet tankers discovered the hidden positions of the German tanks one after another, and the smoke from the muzzle of the guns when the enemy opened fire was the best pointing light.

Soon, on the KV-1 and T-34 tanks, the 76.2mm tank guns spit out flames of revenge.

Emergency stop, fire, start, emergency stop, fire

In the middle of the stop-and-stop, the Soviet tank cluster stumbled into the "shield".

Fly over a distance of a thousand meters. The 76.2 mm armor-piercing projectile twisted and deformed into the front armor of the E-40 tank, and was then catapulted into the sky and then crashed gorgeously.

Sensing that their shells could not cause damage to the enemy, the Soviet tankmen did not flinch, and they drove their tanks fearlessly towards the German positions.

If you can't do it for a thousand meters, you will have 500 meters, and if you can't do it for 500 meters, you will have to wait for 100 meters, and since you can't penetrate the opponent's armor at a long distance, then close the distance.

With this simple and firm idea, the Soviet tankmen rushed to the enemy with flying shells.

1,000 meters, 800 meters, 500 meters, every 100 meters. The Soviet tankmen had to pay a terrible price, but in the face of the painful reality, their hearts became colder and colder.

It's 500 meters, why can't I break through? An angry thought came to the minds of all Soviet tankers.

Opposite them, another group of enemies had a happy thought.

It's five hundred meters, and it's finally my turn to fire!

Forty-five tank destroyers No. 4 remained in hiding and did not participate in the previous battles.

Seeing that the nearest enemy had already rushed to a distance of 500 meters, with an order from the battalion commander, Tank Destroyer No. 4 broke its silence and issued a death statement to the Soviet tankmen.

"The KV-1 is 2.7 meters high. The T-34 is 2.45 meters tall, while I, the No. 4 tank destroyer, are only 1.85 meters tall. I'm shorter than you, but if you despise me because of it. I'll blow up your ammo and blow your turrets off to close the height gap. ”

Powerful 75mm L60 guns, unstoppable 75mm armor-piercing shells mercilessly gouged through the armor of Soviet tanks, burrowed into tank cabins, tumbling and destroying everything that stood in their way. Whether it's the driver's flesh and blood or the ammunition rack, or the engine compartment at the rear of the car.

A salvo of tank destroyer battalions, the tracks of nearly thirty Soviet tanks stopped rotating, and four tanks were killed by ammunition, and the turrets were swept into the air by a powerful shock wave, eliminating the height gap with the enemy on the opposite side.

The sudden fire of the No. 4 tank destroyer almost doubled the anti-tank fire on the German position, and the Soviet tanks in the charge struggled, and the Soviet tanks endured shells from all directions, and the sharp spirit of the first battle dissipated.

At a distance of 500 meters, whether it is the 100 mm front armor of the E-40 tank or the 60 mm 50-degree inclined front armor of the No. 4 tank destroyer, it is an unsolvable problem for the 76.2 mm gun.

As for the weak 45 mm tank gun on the BT-5 tank, it has no sense of existence.

I don't know when, the Soviet tankmen drilled out of the turret, waved the flag, and used the flag to inform their comrades of the retreat of the battlefield spectacle reappeared.

The chaos of one group of tanks desperately reversing and another group of tanks desperately charging to the death also reappeared on the battlefield.

Seeing the chaos of the Soviet tank cluster, the situation on the battlefield changed again.

After confirming that the enemy's head had broken through the bleeding from his own shield, Major General Mark swung his long-hidden sword.

The tanks of the 201st Panzer Regiment rushed out from the southwest and stabbed at the Soviets from the left flank of the Soviet tank cluster, crushing the last fighting will of the Soviet tank group in one fell swoop.

After leaving the wreckage of more than a hundred KV-1 and T-34 tanks on the battlefield, the surviving BT-5 tanks saw that the situation was not good, turned around and withdrew from the battlefield, desperately trying to get away from those perverted steel monsters on the opposite side.

Pursuit!

The E-40 tanks of the 501st Heavy Armored Battalion drove out of their positions and pursued in the direction of the Soviet escape (to be continued). )