Red Moscow

  Chapter 390 Armored train sortie

  The German sneak attack caused huge losses to the 35th Guards Division. After the hand-to-hand combat just now, including Glazkov, there were only eleven people left alive in the division headquarters, and half of them were wounded.

   When the regiments learned that the division headquarters had been attacked, they all sent people to rescue them. The first to rush back was Major Ibaru, the instructor and battalion commander, who brought fifty soldiers with him. Seeing the corpses strewn about outside the division headquarters, he couldn't help worrying about Grazkov's safety. When he saw that Glazkov was normal, the hanging heart returned to his stomach.

  Seeing that Glazkov was in a bad situation, he took the initiative to propose to him: "Comrade commander, let me keep these soldiers to protect you."

"No, no, no." Unexpectedly, Glazkov waved his hands after hearing this and said: "Comrade major, the front line is in need of manpower, you should take all these soldiers back. As long as you can block the enemy's attack, I will be here." It's all right."

   Now that the war is critical, Ibalu did not pretend to be courteous with Glazkov. Since the division commander personally ordered him to bring the troops back to the front line, he could only obey as a subordinate. So, he agreed and prepared to go back. Unexpectedly, just a few steps away, Glazkov stopped him: "Comrade Major, please wait a moment."

  Ibaru stopped, looked at Glazkov and asked, "Comrade Commander, do you have any other instructions?"

"Let me introduce you." Glazkov called Zalitsman over and introduced to Ibaru: "This is Comrade Zalitsman, the deputy director of the Dzerzhinsky factory. If he hadn't arrived in time with the militia, I think we were under the siege of the Germans, and the whole army was wiped out."

"Hello, Comrade Zalitsman." Hearing that the middle-aged man in casual clothes in front of him had saved his teacher's life not long ago, Ibaru hastily extended his hand to him, and at the same time said enthusiastically: "Thank you You saved our teacher."

"We are all defenders of Stalingrad." Zalitzman said, holding Ibaru's hand, "This is what we should do. Unfortunately, only a dozen Germans were killed, and the rest were left to them." Ran away."

  Grazkov waited for the two to exchange a few words, and then said to Zalitzman: "Comrade deputy factory director, the major needs manpower there, can you send two companies there?"

"No problem," Zalitsman said without hesitation to Glazkov's request, "Our factory's destroyer battalion is here to help you, and I will order the troops to follow the major to the front. "

  Just after Ibaru left with two militia companies, the division chief of staff also ran over panting with a group of soldiers. Seeing that Glazkov was safe and sound, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Comrade Commander, I heard that the Germans rushed near the division headquarters. They were worried that you would be in danger, so they came here for reinforcements. How are you? Are you all right?" ?”

   "I'm fine." Grazkov pointed to the corpses of the commanders and fighters neatly placed beside him, and said, "However, almost all the division staff, communications and logistics personnel died."

   "Comrade commander." The chief of staff of the division turned his head and glanced at the soldiers he had brought, and asked tentatively, "Let me leave these soldiers to you."

   "The frontier needs fighters, you should bring them all back." Glazkov repeated what he said to Ibaru: "The better you fight at the frontier, the safer I will be here."

  Seeing that the chief of staff of the division was about to lead the troops away, Zalitsman asked without waiting for Glazkov to speak: "Comrade General, do you need me to send someone to follow the colonel to the front?"

Seeing that Zalitsman offered to go to the front, Glazkov nodded vigorously and said: "Comrade deputy factory director, this is really great. Then please send two more companies to follow my chief of staff to the front go."

  Zalitzman brought five companies from the Dzerzhinsky factory. After sending two companies to the 100th and 102nd regiments, only one company remained. He was afraid that Glazkov would send the remaining troops to the front, so he quickly suggested to the other party: "Comrade General, I think the remaining one hundred militiamen will stay here and be responsible for the defense of the division headquarters. And restrain the remains of those sacrificed warriors."

According to Grazkov's idea, he really wanted to send the remaining company in Zalitsman's hands to support the 101st Regiment, but when he heard that the other party said that he wanted these militiamen to keep the remains of his subordinates, he decided to Temporarily changed my mind. He nodded at Zalitzman and said, "Okay, Comrade Deputy Factory Manager, you and your subordinates can stay here."

  ...

   Just as the 35th Guards Division and Dzerzhinsky's militia stubbornly blocked the German army, the armored trains of the 30th Independent Armored Train Battalion were dispatched. This armored train numbered 74, in the August battle, once helped the defenders of Mamayev Post and annihilated a fast column of the German army. Today they dispatched urgently after receiving a telegram from the 35th Guards Division that the situation was critical.

  The armored train followed the railway line and came to the rear of the defensive position of the 101st regiment. The artillery on the top of the carriage began to shell the German tanks that were rushing towards the position. The muzzles of the four Maxim heavy machine guns protruded from the firing holes, and as the commander in the vehicle gave an order, they roared at the same time, and the long flame mouths, like four dark red whips, lashed fiercely towards the The dense German infantry knocked them down in pieces.

Seeing the German infantry who attacked them were knocked down by the machine gun fire from the armored train at the rear; when the tanks that gave them a headache were also destroyed by the artillery above the armored train, the aggrieved commanders and fighters of the 101st regiment couldn't help but feel elated. Before it was over, they turned around and shouted "Ula" in the direction of the armored train!

   Attacking the position of the 101st regiment was an infantry battalion of the German army and a tank company with six tanks. However, under the powerful firepower of the armored train, the enemy's offensive was quickly disintegrated. All six tanks were destroyed by artillery fire, and the infantry in charge of the attack also left hundreds of corpses and fled in embarrassment.

  Seeing that the enemy attacking the 100th Regiment's position retreated, the armored train continued to move forward, and came to the defensive zone of the 100th Regiment, using shells and machine gun bullets to smash the German offensive in this area. However, when the battalion commander of the armored train battalion ordered his subordinates to continue to advance towards the 102nd regiment's defense area, a captain reported to him: "Comrade battalion commander, our ammunition is almost exhausted, and we need to return to the station immediately for supplies."

"What, the ammunition is almost consumed?" Hearing what his subordinates said, the battalion commander couldn't help frowning and asked: "According to the regulations, isn't each artillery equipped with 200 rounds of ammunition, and the heavy machine gun equipped with 30,000 rounds of ammunition? Why, so quickly?" Lighted up?"

"Comrade battalion commander," the captain said dumbfoundedly when he heard what the battalion commander said: "When we were patrolling along the railway around the city yesterday, we already sent half of the ammunition to the defenders in the south of the city. It was originally said that we would replenish ammunition today. Yes, even before the supplementary ammunition came, we received the order to attack. We have just repelled two enemy attacks in a row, and the ammunition is almost exhausted. If we don’t go back to replenish it, when the Germans attack again, we will I can only stare blankly."

  The performance of armored trains on the battlefield, both Glazkov and Zalitzman saw in the headquarters. Seeing that with the appearance of the armored train, the enemy attacking the positions of the 101st and 100th regiments were repulsed, leaving only burning tanks and piles of German corpses in front of the positions, both of them became excited.

Glazkov said to Zalitsman: "Comrade deputy factory director, have you seen it? As soon as our armored train came out, the Germans were beaten to pieces. When they reached the 102nd regiment's defense area, they repelled the Germans. Attack the enemies there, I think today's battle should come to an end."

  Although Zalitzman had seen this armored train many times, it was the first time he saw it firing. He did not expect that it would be so powerful that it could easily crush the German attack. As soon as Glazkov finished speaking, he nodded and said, "That's right, Comrade General, if we can have a few more armored trains like this, then the Germans will have no chance of approaching the city at all."

  The two of them were talking, when they suddenly saw the armored train that they had hoped for, rumbling past them from south to north. Seeing this situation, Zalitzman couldn't help asking in surprise: "Comrade General, it stands to reason that the armored train should have rushed to your left flank to support the 102nd Regiment fighting there? Why did it turn around and head north?" Woolen cloth?"

  Don't say that Zalitsman didn't know what was going on, Glazkov was still confused. He quickly picked up the phone, connected to the regiment command post of the 102nd Regiment, found the deputy division commander who was directing the operations there, and asked straight to the point: "Colonel Dubyansky, what's going on here, isn't the armored train driving?" Going to support you? Why did you just retreat without firing a shot?"

"I don't know, Comrade Commander." Due to the fierce exchange of fire in the area where the 102nd regiment is located, Dubyansky and Grazkov had to shout at the top of their voices when talking on the phone: "The battle situation here It was getting intense, and I was still thinking about waiting for the armored train to come to rescue us. Unexpectedly, after they stayed halfway for a while, they turned around and left."

Seeing that Dubyansky didn't know what was going on, Glazkov deliberately called the commander of the armored train battalion and asked him what happened. He was about to reach the defense area of ​​the 102nd regiment, but who knows to turn around? came back.

As soon as the armored train returned to the station, the battalion commander opened the door of the car and jumped onto the platform, and shouted to the logistics personnel waiting there: "Hurry up and load the ammunition on the car, we still need to support the friendly forces in combat. Also, driver, add water and coal to the boiler of the train immediately, we still have a long way to go later.”

  (end of this chapter)