The Soviets continued their strategy: bombing buildings on the east bank and using propaganda offensives.

Qin Chuan believed that Hartman's police force had at least played a role, because if the radio stations had not been found, the Soviets would have known that their efforts were in vain...... Because all the Germans hid in the underground fortifications without fear of artillery bombardment, even if the buildings on the ground were blown to shreds, they even fed, drank and slept soundly in the warm cellars.

In this case, the propaganda offensive of the Soviets naturally did not play a role.

If there was any trouble with this, it was at airborne supply...... If the German soldiers did not arrive in time, the Soviet people would divide them up or even swallow them in their stomachs at the first time, and the Germans would probably have to cut open their stomachs to find them.

On one occasion, a supply crate full of rifles and ammunition smashed to the ground because the parachute did not open, and the result was that more than a dozen rifles and boxes of ammunition were missing.

This forced Hartman to lead the police to search the people again, and in the end only six rifles were found, and then three people were hanged.

"So!" Colonel Slein said to Qin Chuan: "We are always in danger, their eyes (referring to the Soviet people) are always on our food, they even have weapons in their hands, and at the first opportunity, they will launch a surprise attack on us, and then together with the Soviet army, they will wipe us all out!" ”

In any case, Major General Vardani was very satisfied with the "results" of the Soviet troops.

Rear Admiral Vardani watched through a telescope and saw that all the buildings within 100 meters of the Lovati River had been blown into ruins.

"I have to warn you, Comrade Vardani!" Matevich said: "We only have four days! ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Matevich!" Major General Vardani lowered his binoculars and replied: "I suppose the Germans are so frozen that they can't even lift their rifles, and tonight is the time for us to launch a general attack on them!" ”

After a pause, Major General Vardani couldn't help but ask: "Actually, I've always been curious, the Germans who stayed here were just a small army, why did Comrade Pukaev want us to take it within a week?" ”

"Because it's Holm, Comrade Vardani!" Matevich replied: "You must know that in a little more than a month the weather will be warmer, and then the Lovati River will thaw, and the surrounding area will slowly turn into swamps, and it will be even more difficult to attack Holm, and then our logistics troops will need to send supplies to the main army to the west through Holm!" ”

Major General Vardani couldn't help laughing: "Comrade commissar, you mean that they can hold Holm until the ice and snow melt, no, this can't be ......"

"Nothing is impossible!" Matevich interrupted Major General Vardani: "Because it is the German First Advance Corps stationed there, if you know what they have done in Africa that is considered impossible, you will at least be more cautious!" ”

Obviously, Major General Vardani was a bit underestimated, but he himself didn't see it that way.

That night, the Soviets gathered their forces and launched a large-scale attack on the Germans.

The offensive began with a heavy artillery bombardment, with a clear focus on the trenches on the east bank of the Lovati River.

At that time, Qin Chuan was lying by the fire and falling asleep...... He didn't know how long he hadn't been able to get a good night's sleep, especially because the weather was cold, and his muscles would unconsciously collapse, and as soon as he relaxed in the warm cellar, he would naturally want to feel tired, so he would fall asleep in the dark.

At this time, a sudden burst of violent vibrations woke Qin Chuan from his sleep, and Qin Chuan opened his eyes and looked at the dust falling from the top of his head for a long time, but he didn't react...... He had just dreamed that he was lying on the beach in Sicily, enjoying wine in the sunset, blowing the sea breeze, and when he opened his eyes, he realized where it was.

After being stunned for a while, Qin Chuan remembered that this was the Soviet Union, and he was in a cellar covered in ice and snow.

"Captain!" Gerhard emerged from the tunnel, dusted himself off, and gasped in front of the stove to roast his hands that were already red from the cold.

"They seem to have launched a general attack!" Gerhard said: "The artillery fire is fiercer than any before! ”

Qin Chuan spread out the map on the spot and asked, "Is it only our direction?" ”

"No!" Gerhard replied: "Four directions, all four, but we are obviously the point!" ”

Qin Chuan nodded in agreement.

Compared with Britain and the United States, which were accustomed to engaging in some intelligence or deception before the war, the Soviets' tactics were very dull, and they did not know or could be said to disdain to hide their strategic goals, so they liked to push and crush their opponents with absolute strength or numbers.

This kind of "dullness" can sometimes feel uncanny, such as the previous small-scale harassment attacks on the East Coast, which were launched once in the early morning and once in the evening and late at night...... The reason why they did not attack during the day was because the German army occupied a favorable position that was not conducive to the Soviet army's strong attack during the day, and on the other hand, because the German army had air superiority, and the tanks were easily attacked by the German army during the day.

So much so that the Germans could almost pinch the trenches and wait for the Soviet offensive.

This time the situation was the same: the intensity of the bombardment in other directions was less, only the direction where Qin Chuan and others were stationed was the most violent, so it was intuitive to judge that the Soviet army would carry out harassing attacks in the other three directions, and launch a strong attack on the west that is, the east bank of Lowaty.

"Their artillery has been strengthened!" Gerhard listened carefully to the sound of artillery for a while and said: "There are at least two rocket artillery battalions in our direction!" ”

As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect", Gerhard can already hear the whistling of artillery shells and the whistling of rockets.

"I want to!" Qin Chuan said: "The Soviets underestimated the enemy!" ”

"What?" Gerhard didn't understand.

"Look at this!" Qin Chuan pointed to the map and said, "They have blown up almost all the buildings in our area, and launching a general attack at this time means that they have no idea that we have built cellar fortifications!" ”

"So!" Gerhard seemed to understand something: "They think we've been frozen to the point of ineffectiveness, at least not in this area?" ”

"Yes!" Qin Chuan nodded: "We can take advantage of this!" ”