Fighters need lights to take off, and the absence of lights at the airport means that the airport knows nothing about the enemy, or they know that the Germans are landing on the Taman Peninsula but do not expect the Germans to arrive at the airport Soglione airport so quickly.

And that's exactly what happened.

This was not only because of the miscalculation of the previously mentioned Major General Kotov, but also because the air power of the USSR was being reorganized at this time...... Before that, the Soviet Air Force should have been called "aviation".

To put it simply, there is no independent air force, but only aviation arms, such as the air force of the high command, the air force of the front army, and the air force of the group army...... These aviation units were subordinate to the Soviet Army, commanded by various armies and even army groups.

Obviously, there will be many problems, such as infantry commanders who usually have no experience in air combat and do not know how to command air combat correctly, as Mechelis made in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula.

Another example is that the Air Force is scattered among the infantry, unable to flexibly mobilize according to the needs of the battlefield, and unable to share information...... This army group was attacked and could not mobilize the aviation reinforcements of other army groups, because it did not have this power, so in the early days of the Soviet-German air war there was often a ridiculous scene: when a large number of German fighters flew over the Soviet Union, the Soviet air force on the one hand only a small number of air forces to meet the fight, on the other hand, a large number of fighters on the ground idle.

The reason for this was that they had not received any orders to meet them, and their commanders believed that it was the business of the other armies and that it was none of their business.

But the air was not like a land war, and the Luftwaffe would soon turn its attention to the planes that had stopped at the airfield and had not taken off...... In other words, at least half of the Soviet fighters were wiped out on the ground before they took off.

In order to eliminate these shortcomings, the Soviet Army began to reorganize its air forces in May 1942 to form an independent air force, that is, an air force group.

In the Caucasus, the 4th Air Force Army, commanded by Vershinin, is a unified command of the fighters originally scattered in the Southern Army into a single air force group.

Colonel Khrytsov, the 11th Aviation Division, stationed at the Soglione airfield, was faced with such an embarrassing situation, and he did not even know who his superiors were at this time, and who to ask for instructions or information.

Should the fighters be withdrawn from the Soglione airfield?

This was probably the right choice, since the enemy's position was too close to the airfield, only 35 kilometers...... This is obviously very dangerous for fighters.

However, on the one hand, this will be regarded as "cowardly" by the superiors, and on the other hand, if the front line needs the support of fighters after dawn, it will miss the opportunity to fight.

Won't the fighters be withdrawn from the airfield?

Then the more than 200 fighters of the aviation division can only wait quietly in the airfield for the verdict of fate.

Just when Colonel Khryzov hesitated, a gunshot suddenly came from outside the airport, and Colonel Khryzov stood up from his chair like a spring, looked out the window, and then turned his head and asked the staff officer: "What's the situation?" Why are there gunshots? ”

"I don't know, Comrade Khrytsov!" The staff officer replied: "It may be that our men clashed with the deserters!" ”

"Is it the enemy?" Khryzov asked again.

The staff officer looked at his watch, and then replied: "Probably not, it is only an hour and fifteen minutes before the Germans land on the Taman Peninsula, and they cannot ...... so quickly"

Before the words could be spoken, a guard hurried in and reported: "Colonel, it's the Germans, they're here!" ”

Khrizov's face turned pale for a moment, and after being stunned, he ordered loudly: "Quick, order all planes to take off!" ”

But it's too late to give this order......

Hitting the airfield is the first step of the Corps.

The scouts who were ahead of them did not attack when they arrived at their destination, and all parts of the German army knew what they were going to do and when, and the scout was not a scout, and the most important thing was to scout and not fight.

So, without alarming the enemy, they did the necessary reconnaissance and made a sketch of the defense of the airfield at a high place.

So Qin Chuan learned at the first time: the frontal defense is stronger, and there are five headache pillbox fortifications. The side door defense is weaker, with only two pillboxes, one on the left and one on the right.

"We should attack from the front!" Qin Chuan said.

"Why?" Colonel Slane asked.

"The side door may seem easier to attack, but it's farther away from the runway!" Qin Chuan replied: "And we have to pass through a built-up area on the way, once the Soviets entangle us in the built-up area, the enemy's fighters may take advantage of this time to escape." ”

Colonel Slein nodded, although it would take time for a fighter to take off, every fighter plane flown away would be a loss for the Germans.

"On the contrary, as long as the main gate can be broken through quickly, the runway can be seized as soon as possible!" Qin Chuan pointed to the sketch and said, "As long as our tanks can drive near the runway...... They can't run away from a single plane! ”

So Colonel Slain didn't think much about it, and immediately ordered: "Attack from the main gate!" ”

Three 38T tanks "rumbled" up, followed by a large number of German soldiers.

The Soviet guards didn't even realize that these were the enemy in front of them, shouting and cursing loudly, as if they were very unhappy with the tank's glare headlights shining at them.

The next second, the tank stopped, and then fired a shell at the pillbox with a "boom", and at the same time the machine gun fired a row of bullets at the Soviet soldiers...... Streams of blood rushed out of the Soviet soldiers under the tank's headlights, and even the droplets of blood that flew into the air could be seen clearly because of the strong light.

Then the Germans launched a fierce attack on the main entrance.

The tank continued to advance, and the soldiers followed closely behind the tank and slowly moved forward, leaning out from behind the tank from time to time to shoot a shuttle of bullets in the direction of the Soviet troops...... Since the Germans were using MP43s, their firepower was much stronger than that of the Soviets, despite occasional poke-out shots.

Several Soviet soldiers hurriedly hid in pillboxes and set up machine guns, but the bullets hit the armor of the tanks and could not pose any threat to the Germans except for a crisp sound!

"Go up and blow it up!" A Soviet officer ordered: "Don't let the tanks get closer, otherwise we're finished!" ”

The officer was right, the bunker could not be moved, but the tank could move until the tank moved to the bunker...... Enemies can rush up and stuff grenades and explosives into bunkers.

But the Soviet officer was wrong, the Germans simply did not need to rush to this distance and stuff grenades and explosives into the pillbox.

Because, the Germans had bazookas.