At dawn, on the line from Vyazma to Yaltsevo, the long river of active people began to flow backwards. Only the cars carrying the wounded and the refugees continued to follow the current.

As Dongfang Bai had predicted, the Chinese army advanced to all major points near Moscow. In Konstantin? Before Konstantinovich arrived in the Yaltsevo region, the 101st Tank Division, commanded by Colonel Michlin, Hero of the Soviet Union, had already arrived on the Vopi River from the North Caucasus Military District and occupied the defenses. To the east of Yaltsevo, trenches were being dug for the 38th Infantry Division under the command of Colonel Kirillov, which had previously belonged to the 19th Army and had lost contact with General Konev's command during the retreat. South of Yatsevo, Alexander? The mixed forces of Colonel Ilyichlidyukov have also organized defenses at the Dnieper crossings. Detachments and units on the main Minsk-Moscow highway between Vyazma and Yaltsevo were grouped in the forests near the Vopi River. The 101st Tank Division was rustic, and its strength was considerable. The division's two tank regiments and two motorized infantry regiments, together with the reserves at the disposal of the division commander, totaled 415 tanks, including 318 new German Leopard tanks. The reserve in the hands of the division commander had 5 "Klim? Voroshilov" (KB) heavy tanks and 10 tanks of the "T-34" type. In addition to tank regiments and motorized infantry regiments, the division had two artillery regiments, a reading reconnaissance battalion and a reading engineering battalion.

When the Chinese army crossed the river and occupied Yaltsevo, if there were no considerable forces near the Vopi River. The Soviets may not be able to hold out. Liu Baicheng's armored corps, Lin Yuying's armored group's 7th and 12th armored divisions. As well as motorized units, as well as troops parachuted northwest of Yaltsevo, they concentrated their assault here. The Chinese army launched attacks on a daily basis, and at the same time, there was indiscriminate bombardment by aircraft and heavy shelling by howitzers, rocket artillery and mortars.

The defenses of the army cluster of the Eastern White were quite strong. This was due not only to their tenacity, but also to the proper deployment of forces and the timely and accurate maneuvering of firearms. There was also a situation in which the command of the cluster was almost reorganized: the command of the Front Army put Vasily? Ivanovic? The original team and all technical means of the command of the mechanized 7th Army in Vinogradov were transferred to Dongfang Bai. A veteran of the Civil War, Vinogradov was an experienced general who had performed a remarkable role in the Soviet-Finnish War. He was energetic and tenacious, and was reappointed as Dongfang Bai's deputy. The chief of staff of the command is Mikhail, Sergeyevich? Colonel Malinin. Ma Lining used to be the head of the tactics department of a certain higher military school and was proficient in staff business. Dongfang Bai's right-hand man is so powerful, it is really relieved.

On April 27, the huge armored column of the Chinese army tried to destroy the Soviet defenses in the Solovievo area and seize the landing ground on the east bank of the Dnieper River. At the same time, the commander-in-chief from the east ordered Vasily? Aleksandrovich? The 44th Infantry Army of Major General Yushkievich was under the command of General Vostok White.

April 28 was the first offensive battle of great significance, that is, part of the assault campaign deployed by Timoshenko in the Smolensk direction with a cluster of 5 army groups. It was impossible to launch a surprise attack earlier, because the squadron [***] had already rushed towards Vyazma, and Dongfang Bai could only take a defensive position...... The thought that the offensive campaign was about to begin, Konstantin? Konstantinovich was sitting on a needle mat as he jumped off the uncomfortable bed.

"I've had enough!" He muttered to himself and began to put on his boots.

Asahi rose from the mist-shrouded sky, and had not yet illuminated the treetops of the polar and pine forests. However, the sky was already dawning, especially at the front, on the outskirts of Yaltsevo, where the first line of defense of the Soviet Red Army was hidden in the middle of the rubble and accumulated soil. Not far from the edge of the forest, in the depths of the thick shade, there is an old maple tree that has been through the vicissitudes of life, and on top of which the platform of the observation post is erected, and there is a cannon scope. Dongfang Bai looked through the cannon mirror from time to time. This vast forest surrounds Yaltsevo, through which the Vopi River flows and weeping willows divide the city in two. To the right, there is the black railway embankment leading to Vyazma, and beyond the railway, there is an uninhabited road, which resembles a long gray ribbon and a stationary river.

Everything around seemed to stand still. There wasn't even a hint of wind in the treetops, perhaps the wind had already slipped away. It seems to be very unaccustomed: looking through the eyepiece of the gunner, the earth and features do not tremble as usual. The observation post that Dongfang Bai climbed up along the tall, sturdy and rough wooden ladder just now was the observation post of the commander of the 74th Tank Division. It's a stone's throw from Yaltsevo. There is also a platform on a tree next to it, and on top of it is a special artillery scope for the division commander.

To the East, the city resembles a huge cemetery full of desolation and filth. As far as the eye can see, chimneys rise above the rubble of burned houses. There seemed to be a burning smell, though the air was so quiet, mellow and transparent, and the smoky chimneys resembled tombstones. What is the secret of why these chimneys can survive and stand majestically?

The red flare suddenly rose at the front of the Chinese position, flew high into the air, drew an arc, and fell in the direction of the Soviet troops. At this time, in the rear, in the distance, the sun peeked out of the clouds, illuminating the dense green groves on the banks of the Yaltsevo and Vopi rivers. Near the forest, there was a thick black and wide shadow of a tree stretching out to the left and right, just covering the starting position of the Chinese tank regiment, making it difficult to see.

Dongfang Bai saw the tank in the middle of the shadow of the drooping branches and leaves of the trees...... That's a lot! Almost simultaneously, the tanks spewed out gray-black smoke and began to sortie.

The regiments were divided into two echelons and attacked in a company's "line" battle formation. When the attack from the tanks began, the Chinese artillery and mortars simultaneously bombarded the Soviet firing points and positions that had been clearly reconnoitred in advance...... The infantry battalions of the 52nd Infantry Division swarmed forward. From the place where the troops launched the attack, there was suddenly a strong and weak air current, blowing head-on. The treetops trembled, the planks rattled at the foot of the observation post, and from the eyepieces of the gunner's scope, the battlefield rose and fell as dramatically as if the sky had sunk into the ground. Dongfang Bai's eyebrows pressed against the rubber cover of the eyepiece, and he adjusted the vertical sight with skillful movements.

For a moment, it seemed as if it were not tanks and infantry approaching the outskirts of Yaltsevo, but rather that he and the observation post were slowly drifting backwards with the forest.

Not long ago, the squadron crossed the Vopi River, occupied Yaltsevo, and attacked the Soviet defensive positions, looking for weak links in our defense, and preparing to pounce in the direction of Smolensk. They did not expect that the Soviets would attack, as if they had been hit by a cold shot from the corner, and they were dazed. For a period of time, the Chinese army did not return fire, and there was a dead silence on the Chinese army's position, which can illustrate this point. But it didn't last long.

Viewing from the top of the maple tree, it is clear at a glance that the bunkers of the front line of the Soviet Red Army suddenly become clearly outlined, machine guns and submachine guns begin to fire, sparks flash, from the basement vents of destroyed houses, from behind chimneys, and from somewhere, large-caliber machine guns shoot bullets with a trail of baretails, which fly away at a rapid pace, drawing slightly curved flash tracks. A cannon in the ruins of the ruins, aiming directly at the tank. One of the cannons was directly hit by a Chinese artillery shell, and suddenly the cannon was erected straight on the gun carriage, as if the cannon had grown two iron feet, and stood upright for a moment, and then like an invisible giant, it collapsed backwards with a bang, throwing the armor guard aside, and the surrounding gunners were also knocked down.

One of the medium tanks of the Soviet army was hit and caught fire. The upper lid of the tank opened, and three figures in black jumpsuits quickly jumped out one after another. The tankmen scattered and ran away, lying down, and at this moment, fire and smoke rushed out of the top of the hit tank. From a distance, the turret flew away from the tank as if the wind had blown away the hat from a man's head.

The advance tank batteries had rushed into Yaltsevo, and the Soviet tanks were coming in front of them and returning fire. Not long after, the Soviet tanks of the "KV" and "T-34" types were mostly hit, and more and more were burned or stopped. However, the "Tiger" and "Panther" tanks provided by the Germans are still relatively difficult to destroy. Dongfang Bai stared closely at the "White Tiger" tank that rushed ahead. The tank was in a no-man's land, toppling the ruins and rolling through the streets of the city center that ran through the city to the banks of the Wopi River, firing fire incessantly. Almost every shell hits and destroys the target. Several tanks and several artillery pieces of the Soviet army also fired back at this tank. Dongfang Bai could see that the shells had turned into fireballs and were bounced back by the armor of the heavy tank, or the "metal pieces" would have drilled into the thick steel plates, embedded there like jagged bad teeth.

Thick smoke billowed from the battlefield, obscuring the sky. Thick smoke spread over the ground, covering the entire city of Yaltsevo, and the enemy troops hurried back to the west bank of the Voldu River.

Dongfang Bai could hear Colonel Michilin's voice giving the order, and he was on the observation post platform next to him, ordering Mo Yongsheng, commander of the 203rd Tank Regiment, and Lieutenant Luo Yaning, commander of the tank company who rushed in front, to occupy the bridge over the Wopi River, hold on to the right bank of the river, and ensure that the infantry seize the landing ground. Soviet artillery batteries fired at Chinese tanks from the right bank of the Wopi River and on the heights west of the road, and Mo Yongsheng had apparently requested artillery fire to suppress them. In the village of Saprekino on the high ground, all the houses have been burned down. Dongfang Bai could see it clearly, every time the Chinese [***] team opened fire, a puff of smoke and dust rolled up in front of the position.

At the same time, the battle for Yaltsevo continues. The 101st Tank Division and the 38th Infantry Division of the Soviet Army paid a high price for the battle for the city, which was sandwiched deep in the forest between Smolensk and Vyazma. Dozens of Soviet tanks were shot and caught fire, and they froze still, and in the city of Yaltsevo, the soldiers fought bloody battles and lay their corpses on the streets. And the Soviet army, which was suddenly attacked by the Chinese tank cluster and was in shock, suffered even greater casualties.

Lieutenant Luo Yanin rode in a "gray wolf" tank and, according to the instructions of the battalion commander, led his tank company in the second echelon. The crew of his tank was new to battle (at best, it was only a second time), but it was well trained. There were three people in the tank, in addition to Luo Yaning, there were the driver Sergeant Jin Xiaoyong, the gunner Bai Wei, and the loader Sergeant Li Wenyu. In the first minutes of the battle, Luo Yanin saw through the observation hole that more and more tanks were destroyed by the Soviet troops in the first and third companies of the first echelon. He couldn't contain the excitement in his heart.

In these burning tanks, the Soviet soldiers who fought with them died one after another...... In the battalion's offensive battle formation, there were more and more unobstructed loopholes. The pace of the offensive should be accelerated. Inside the tank where Luo Yaning was located, it was difficult to breathe because of the burning smell of gunpowder and the smell of soot. The "Gray Wolf" type tank trembled, jolted, swayed from side to side with the ups and downs of the tracks. However, 100 mm caliber guns tirelessly fired shells. Now, Luo Yanin saw that four tanks of the Soviet army rushed from the collapsed houses to the front line of the Chinese army, hitting the flank of the Chinese tanks.

"Armor-piercing bullets!" The lieutenant gave a staccato command.

"Armor-piercing rounds reloaded!" Sergeant Li Wenyu's voice was hoarse, and he replied.

A tank of the Soviet army had just appeared on the crosses of the sights, and Royanin immediately opened fire. The shell hit the tank's observation hole accurately, and then, as if swallowing something, it convulsed spasmodically and then fell silent. One of the tanks in the back slightly deflected to the side to withstand the re-fire of the Royanin gun. As a result, the tank was again wounded by an armor-piercing shell and spun in circles. The tank crew jumped out of the car, despite the danger of being strafed by machine guns...... The other two tanks fell back into their bunkers.

The regiment commander, Major Mo Yongsheng, was slightly ahead of the formation of the Chinese tanks continuing to attack, and the Soviet tanks concentrated their fire and fired fiercely at the tank. The Soviet gunners fired accurately, firing thick sparks again and again, and the heavy tank was hit by shells one after another, and flames flashed from time to time on the turret. But the armor of the White Tiger tank is resistant to any impact and firepower. It can also be seen that the molten projectile with the flare is trapped in the armor plate.

Sergeant Jin Xiaoyong drove the tank where Lieutenant Luo Yaning was located, and walked behind the regimental commander's heavy tank, which means that the tanks of this company marched behind and on the left and right.

The Soviet troops had not yet had time to blow up the bridge over the Vopi River. They never imagined that the Chinese army would rush into Yaltsevo, so the Chinese tanks took the enemy by surprise, disrupted the battle formation of the Soviet troops, rushed into the ruins of the city, crossed the railway embankment of the Yaltsevo station, and reached the road from Minsk to Moscow, north of the May Day farm.

Mo Yongsheng's tank was parked on the road, which was very favorable terrain, the steep roadbed behind the ditch covered the lower part of the tank, and from the turret it was possible to cross the roadbed and clearly see the village of Saprekino, and it could hit the Soviet artillery battery and the dense group of tanks stationed in the village. Lieutenant Luo Yaning also ordered Jin Xiaoyong to park the tank on the road. The tanks of the Chinese army on the left and right also followed. Dense fire on the enemy to the death fired at the village of Saprekino.

The explosion of mortar shells was constantly heard behind. That is, nearby or not far away, there is a mortar battery of the squadron [***]. It is necessary to be vigilant and not to stop shooting. However, the smoke from the burning tanks of our army and the squadron, the rolling of tracks, the explosion of shells and mortar shells, and the firing of tank artillery rolled up billowing smoke and dust, blinding Luo Yanin's eyes. I had to look through the curtain of smoke and dust that weakened from time to time, and shoot indiscriminately at any black spot that suddenly appeared.

Luo Yaning was uneasy, opened the turret cover, and saw a group of bombers flying in the sky. The engine made a dull boom and flew in the direction of Smolensk. This is a "quick knife" type aircraft!

The lieutenant looked around and saw that Soviet army tanks, trucks, and tractors were littered with destroyed and burned Soviet troops on both sides of the road. How did our artillery fire destroy these guys, and how could there be such dense firepower? How could Major Mo Yongsheng find that there was a 'standing cone' on the road, just enough to accommodate his tank, and let the tanks behind follow, anyway, before that, the situation of the Soviet army was not good, their ground firepower could hardly hurt a single hair of the Chinese tank, and in front of the Soviet tank, the Chinese army could be said to be invincible. However, no more artillery can be fired now.

From above, the confrontation between the two armies is clear at a glance. The Soviets opened fire, which was tantamount to exposing the target and allowing the "Quick Knife" aircraft to dump bombs on the Soviets. It's horrible! It's terrible to be here. Even if it is stationary, it is easy to be detected in the air, and its own tanks are also attractive targets for Chinese aircraft bombing, which is even more embarrassing. There is no way to hide. There is only a glimmer of hope, that is, the pilots of the [***] squadron miss the bomb, or let them turn around and chase other targets. At this moment, three green flares were fired into the smoke-filled air from the Saprekino farm. This is the squadron [***] instructing its pilots the target and which direction to drop the bomb.

Luo Yaning immediately yelled at Sergeant Jin Xiaoyong. At this time, Jin Xiaoyong was like an expelled wild dog, towards the open front hatch, breathlessly inhaling air that was not much cooler than that in the tank.

"Jin Xiaoyong! Shoot three green flares in front of you! In the direction of the enemy. ”

Jin Xiaoyong has an alert mind and quick movements. Immediately removed the flare gun from the clamp on the side wall, quickly pressed the bullet with a green shell, put the hand out of the open hatch, fired one shot in the direction of the village of Saprekino, and then two more in succession...... The crews of Major Mo Yongsheng's tank regiment also did the same, and dozens of green signal flares rose in the air, and then slid diagonally in the direction of the Soviet army's artillery position.

(To be continued)