In order to hold Zhizdra and Sushnych and cut off direct contact between the two enemies, Rokossovsky decisively gave the commander of the infantry corps, Orlov, an order to attack Lyutinovo. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 infoIn order to ensure the smooth operation of the offensive, he even sent Kazakov to the area and asked him to discuss artillery support with Orlov.

Kazakov followed a cannon regiment and overnight rushed to the garrison of the Infantry Corps southeast of Lyutinovo, where he met Orlov, who had just taken up the post of corps commander. After a brief greeting between the two, the topic cut to the chase. Kazakov solemnly asked: "Comrade commander, do you think that our troops will be able to successfully capture Lyutinovo?" ”

"It's hard to say, comrade artillery commander." Orlov pointed to the map and said to Kazakov: "The first line of defense of the Germans was to connect two villages next to the forest. Not only did they build a criss-cross of trenches and civil fire points, but they also had a large number of minefields and barbed wire in front of the fortifications. Our two successive attacks on this area ended in failure because of the lack of adequate artillery support. I don't know how many artillery units you brought us today. ”

"I only took one artillery regiment with me." Seeing the disappointed expression on Orlov's face, Kazakov continued: "The number of our artillery is not large, and in addition, several sections are exchanging fire with the German army, and this artillery regiment is still specially approved by the commander. ”

Hearing that Kazakov had already said this, Orlov could only shrug his shoulders and said helplessly: "Since this is the case, then let's study how to use the existing two artillery regiments to destroy the German fortifications." ”

Kazakov remembered that before he came, Rokossovsky had specifically told him what he had done, so he pointed to the map and said to Orlov: "Comrade Army Commander, in the past, before the attack, our army would prepare artillery fire on the enemy's defensive positions for more than half an hour, so as to achieve the goal of destroying the enemy's fortifications and opening the way for our attacking troops. ”

"That's right, that's right." Although Orlov didn't understand why Kazakov was saying this to himself, he nodded and said with certainty: "Comrade Artillery Commander, according to the usual practice, as long as there are enough shells for the artillery of our army, the longer the artillery preparation time, the better. ”

"Comrade Commander, you misunderstood." Kazakov waved his hand at Orlov and explained: "The reason why I say this to you is because the commander once specifically told that the first line of fire on the Germans should only be carried out for five minutes, and then our artillery fire will be extended. ”

'What, only five minutes of shelling, and then the extended fire of the artillery fire?' When Orlov heard this, his eyes suddenly widened like brass bells, "Comrade Artillery Commander, five minutes of shelling will not destroy the German fortifications at all......"

Before he could finish speaking, Kazakov raised his hand to stop what he was saying: "The commander said that according to his observations, when the Germans were shelled by our troops, they usually withdrew their troops from the first line of trenches to the second line of trenches, and we actually bombarded empty positions with only a few observation posts. When our shelling is over, the Germans will return to the first line of trenches through the communication trenches to stop our attack. ”

"Is this true?" Although this was said by Kazakov, Orlov asked half-convinced: "Did the Germans really withdraw the main forces from the first line of trenches to the second line of trenches before they were shelled by our troops?" ”

"I believe that what the commander said must be right." After saying this, Kazakov beckoned to the other army leaders who were still standing aside: "Everyone come and study how to attack the German army after dawn tomorrow." ”

Early the next morning, with Kazakov's order, hundreds of artillery pieces of various types on the artillery position opened fire at the same time, and in an instant, the first line of German trenches was shrouded in gunsmoke.

While the shelling was underway, both Kazakov and Orlov stared intently at their watches, and when the time was almost up, they both raised their heads, and Kazakov instructed one of the staff officers: "Call the commander of the artillery and let the artillery fire carry out extended fire." ”

Orlov, on the other hand, said to his chief of staff: "Comrade Chief of Staff, order the fighters of the 108th Division to start the offensive." Tell them that they must occupy the first line of German trenches in the shortest possible time. ”

After receiving the order to attack, thousands of commanders and fighters who were in the trenches immediately shouted "Ula", jumped out of hiding places with their weapons in hand, and trotted towards the German trenches that were still billowing smoke.

Kazakov, who was standing in the observation post to check the enemy's situation, was actually very unsure, and he didn't know whether what Rokossovsky had told him was true. On the battlefield, the slightest negligence can lead to the death of hundreds or thousands of people, so the closer the commander and fighter are to the German trenches, the harder his heart beats.

At a distance of three hundred meters, there was silence on the German positions.

At a distance of two hundred meters, there was still no movement in the enemy's position.

At a distance of a hundred meters, there were finally sporadic survivors shooting in the trenches, but their strength was too weak, and although several of the charging fighters were knocked out, many more soldiers flooded the first line of German trenches.

Seeing that the commanders and fighters had successfully occupied the first line of German trenches, the stone that Kazakov was hanging over his throat finally fell to the ground. And Orlov urged the chief of staff: "Hurry up and call the commander in front and ask him to immediately report to me the results and casualties of the troops." ”

A few minutes later, the chief of staff walked up to Orlov and Kazakov with a battle report and reported to them: "Comrade commander, the results of the battle have been counted. Nine German corpses were found in the trenches, six of whom were killed or shocked by shells, and the remaining three were killed by indiscriminate gunfire from our soldiers. Our troops suffered 19 casualties, eight of whom were killed, and captured a batch of guns and ammunition, including five MG34 machine guns. ”

"Our fighters were so wonderful that they easily captured the strong fortifications of the Germans at such a small cost." After Orlov said these emotional words to Kazakov, he turned to the chief of staff: "Call the front commanders and order them to hurry up and repair the fortifications, and when the shelling is over, organize forces and launch an attack on the second line of German trenches." ”

Half an hour later, when the troops attacked the second line of defense again, they still did not meet with the resistance of the German formations, which made Orlov and Kazakov in the observation post in the back very puzzled.

Not only did they wonder, but even the commander of the 108th Division, who personally commanded the battle at the front, was very puzzled. After he personally arrived at the German trenches, he realized that under the bombardment of hundreds of Soviet artillery pieces of various calibers, the German defensive positions were plowed over and plowed over by artillery fire, causing heavy casualties among the German officers and soldiers hiding here. Under the scorching heat, the thick blood and scorching stench, mixed with the choking smoke of gunpowder, made people feel suffocated, and the loose floating soil was full of mutilated and blurred torsos, charred corpses, stumps and broken arms, and tattered guns.

The German commander stationed in the city of Lyutinovo was frightened when he heard that his two companies deployed in the outlying positions had been annihilated by the entire army in just one hour, and hurriedly called his superior commander and asked them for help, saying that he was besieged by superior Soviet troops, and if he did not send reinforcements, Lyutinovo might be lost.

The German command, having received a telegram from Lyutinovo asking for help, hurriedly began a discussion. After some debate, they found that if Lyutinovo was allowed to fall, the troops that were on the offensive at Zhizdra and Sushnych were in danger of being cut apart by the Soviets. Therefore, they immediately made a decision to send an infantry regiment and a tank battalion from each of the above two regions to reinforce Lyutinovo as quickly as possible.

When Rokossovsky learned of the beginning of the movement of the German army, he knew that the offensive in the direction of Lyutinovo had achieved results, and the Germans had to send troops to reinforce Lyutinovo in order to prevent themselves from being divided into two separate pieces by the Soviet army. In this way, the pressure on both Zhizdra and Sushinich was greatly weakened.

Although the strength of the German army has been reduced, the defenders deployed in Zhizdra did not feel this at all, and the German attack on them was still continuous and ferocious. After holding out for a day and a night, the first line of defense was lost, and the surviving commanders and fighters had to retreat to the second line of defense. Zakharov, who commanded the operation, was also forced to retreat to the city, set up the observation post in the church in the city, and stood on a high bell tower, holding a telescope to observe the battle ahead.

The Germans, having captured the first line of defense abandoned by the Soviets, did not immediately attack, but fiercely bombarded the second line of defense of the Soviet army with artillery fire. An hour passed, the second line of defense was already scorched, and more than half of the Soviet commanders and fighters who were holding on to it had suffered casualties.

Seeing this, Zakharov immediately transferred a regiment from another division and put them into the second line of defense to stop a possible new German offensive. Before the regimental commander led his troops into the second line of defense, he gave a death order to the other side: "Comrade Colonel, please remember that the city of Zhizdra is behind you, and I order you not to take even half a step back, even if there is only one person left. ”

After hearing his words, the regiment commander looked up at him and said with great sadness: "Don't worry, Comrade Deputy Commander, our commanders and fighters would rather let the bones be exposed in the wilderness than take half a step back." ”

After listening to this, Zakharov's nose rushed to a burst of soreness, and he raised his hand and patted the regiment commander on the shoulder: "Okay, Comrade Colonel, the Germans will soon attack, now take your troops into positions." ”

As soon as the reinforcements entered the position, the Germans launched a battalion-sized charge to the second line of defense, but they were quickly repulsed. The Germans, unwilling to accept defeat, launched no less than eight more attacks on the second line of defense in the next few hours and captured part of the Soviet positions.

Most of the commanders on the position died heroically, and the regimental commander who made the military order gathered more than 200 soldiers, and in order to regain the lost position, he personally led the people to start a white-knuckle battle with the Germans. After a bloody battle, the position was finally regained, but less than 50 of the more than 200 fighters who participated in the battle remained.

Seeing this situation, Zakharov, who was on the bell tower, hurriedly called Rokossovsky, who was staying in the forest, and said anxiously: "Comrade commander, the German offensive is too fierce, so far we have exhausted one division, and a regiment of another division has suffered more than half of the casualties, if you don't send reinforcements, I'm afraid you won't be able to hold Zhizdra." ”

"Comrade Deputy Commander," Rokossovsky patiently waited for Zakharov to finish, and then said in a stern tone: "You must believe our commanders and fighters, they are fully capable of blocking the enemy outside the city of Zhizdra." You've completed two days of blocking missions so far, and with just another 24 hours, we'll have enough strength to launch a counterattack against the enemy. The success of our counterattack depends on how long you can hold out in the Zhizdra region. ”

As soon as Rokossovsky put down the phone, Malinin came over and reported to him with a happy face: "Comrade commander, good news, I have just received a telegram from the commander of the 12th Tank Army, Colonel Bogdanov, that their troops have reached the approach of Sushnych, and in half an hour at most, they will all be able to enter the city. ”

Hearing that the 12th Tank Army had reached the vicinity of Suchinich, Rokossovsky couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief in his heart, as long as this unit entered the city, then it could easily crush the German attack on Suchinich. Thinking of this, he instructed Malinin: "Chief of Staff, send a telegram back to Colonel Bogdanov, tell them to temporarily stop their advance, rest in place for an hour, and then divide into two ways to attack from the flank of the German army, bypassing Suchinich." ”

He took advantage of Malinin's time to send a telegram and carefully reread several war reports sent by Orlov. He put down the telegram, leaned down and stared at the map for a long time, and then instructed Malinin, who had just returned: "Chief of Staff, you send another telegram to General Orlov, asking him to leave one division to continue the feint attack on Lyutinovo, and the other two divisions immediately go to the nearby forest area to ambush German reinforcements from the two directions of Suchinich and Zhizdra." As long as we succeed in destroying these two groups of the enemy, we will be able to draw enough forces to launch a counterattack against the Germans in the Zhizdra area. ”