Babajanyan did not report to Katukov about the setback of the troops' attack, believing that with his own strength, he would definitely be able to take the port if he launched another onslaught. After all, it is just an ordinary freighter that causes casualties to its own troops, and as long as you transfer more tanks to it, it will definitely sink the opponent.

Speaking from the heart, Babajanyan was not wrong in this idea, and the German cruisers and destroyers that had been staying in this port had been transferred to other ports under the constant bombardment of the Soviet Red Army, and it was entirely possible to sink the German freighter with the loss of a few tanks.

Babajanyan did not report to Katukov, who did not know that the army had suffered a big loss in the attack on the port, but ordered the 8th Guards Mechanized Army to speed up the attack and make sure to enter the city ahead of friendly forces.

Babajanyan, concentrating 110 tanks from two tank brigades, again launched a storm towards the port. In the face of the torrent of Soviet steel, the German anti-tank fighters at the entrance of the port were also powerless, and they only blew up three or four tanks, and they were wiped out by the tanks that rushed up next.

When the tanks rushed to a distance of 300 meters from the freighter, they stopped one after another, each choosing a firing position. Without waiting for the order to open fire, the tanks that were already in position began to fire freely. The target of the freighter was large, and the armor-piercing and high-explosive shells fired by the Soviet tanks all hit the hull without exception.

Anti-tank artillery on the deck, trying to repeat the old trick and destroy the Soviet tanks with anti-tank guns. However, due to too many bullets in the hull, the hull was shaking violently, so that the shells of the German artillery could not accurately hit the target.

The Soviet tankmen saw that the anti-tank guns on the deck of the freighter could not pose any threat to themselves, and opened their guns faster. Two or three more rounds were fired in succession, and the hull on one side of the freighter was riddled with bullet holes, and a large amount of seawater poured into the bullet holes under the waterline, causing the hull to tilt and sink rapidly. The anti-tank guns, machine guns, and some German soldiers on the deck fell into the water like dumplings.

Seeing that in a few more minutes, the German freighter would capsize and sink, suddenly there was a heart-pounding scream in the air, followed by a huge explosion next to a tank that was firing its guns. Although the shell landed two or three meters away from the tank, it still caused the flanks of the tank, and the tracks also fell off with a hula. The tankmen in the tank were tossed upside down.

The first to come to his senses was the commander, who hurriedly began to shout over the phone: "The Germans are firing at us, they are using heavy artillery ......" Although the tracks of this car were blown off by shells, they were lucky compared to their comrades. The tank that was hit by the shell was suddenly blown into parts, and the tank crew inside was also wiped out in an instant.

"Hell, what's going on, where are the shells flying from?" The commander of the 40th Brigade, who was directing the operation, felt that something was wrong, and the shells that had caused huge losses to his tank brigade seemed to be flying from the sea, and he hurriedly lifted the hatch and ventured to look outside. When he saw where the shells were coming from, he was so shocked that his eyes almost fell to the ground.

Thinking that he was dazzled, he hurriedly raised his telescope and looked at it carefully, and after confirming that it was correct, he quickly retracted the tank, closed the hatch with a bang, and reported to Babajanyan through the radio: "Comrade commander, we have been shelled by German warships, I ask for retreat, I ask for retreat!" ”

"German warships?" After listening to the report of his subordinates, Babajanyan asked rhetorically: "How many warships do the Germans have, how far away are they?" ”

"Two light cruisers, one thousand and two hundred yards apart." After reporting on the situation, the brigade commander said to Babajanyan: "Comrade commander, at such a distance, it is difficult for our tank guns to inflict any damage on the enemy's warships. On the contrary, they can blow our tanks to shreds with just one shot on us. I beg to retreat immediately! ”

"No, you can't retreat!" But Babajanyan refused his request, and said in a stern tone: "Order all the tanks to shoot at the enemy's warships, there are only two of them, and we have hundreds of tanks, we can definitely sink them." ”

Although Babajanyan gave the order in this way, after ending the call, his heart was extremely unsteady, and he hurriedly ordered the signal corps to connect with Katukov's headquarters. As soon as the phone called, he could not wait to say: "Comrade commander, the two tank brigades that we attacked the port were shelled by German cruisers, and I forced the air force to support them. ”

Knowing that the tank brigade had been shelled by German warships, Katukov hurriedly asked: "Have the troops withdrawn?" ”

"Nope!" Babajanyan replied simply, "The tank brigade has already stormed the port, and if it withdraws after a few shells from the Germans, it will have a bad effect on morale." Therefore, I ordered all the tanks to stop at the shore and shoot at the German warships. ”

"Confused, just confused." When Katukov heard this, he couldn't help but be furious: "Colonel Babajanyan, do you think our tanks can beat the enemy's warships?" Immediately order the troops to withdraw and not to make unnecessary sacrifices. ”

Hearing that Katukov was angry, Baba Janian could only answer honestly: "Understood, Comrade Commander, I immediately ordered the tank brigade to withdraw from the port." ”

Since the formation of long-range bombers flying from Saaremaa Island at this time, after completing the bombing mission, had already returned to the base, it was obviously impossible for them to bomb the German warships. Therefore, Katukov could only ask Rokossovsky for help, hoping to receive support from the Air Force.

When Rokossovsky received a call from Katukov, he was stunned. In the history he knows, when the U.S. Army landed in Salerno, Italy in 1943, the German 13th Panzer Division deployed 18 Tiger tanks and 43 No. 4 tanks on the beachhead in order to prevent the U.S. landing, and fired at two destroyers and 1 light cruiser at a distance of 1000~1500 meters. After more than 20 minutes of shelling, the Germans lost 7 Tiger tanks and 22 No. 4 tanks, several of which were returned to parts by the huge guns on the cruiser, while only 6 people on the American warship were slightly injured.

This battle, known as "swatting mosquitoes on Salerno Beach", sparked countless debates in later generations, and some people even suggested that a hundred of the latest American A1M1 main battle tanks could not defeat the Yamato battleships of the Japanese Kingdom. Rokossovsky scoffed at this point of view at that time, and said in his heart what fool would let a hundred tanks stop on the shore and let the enemy's naval guns bombard? Who knew that Babajanyan's decision today was a slap in the face, and he was shelled by German ships, not only did he not order his troops to withdraw from the battle in time, but instead ordered all the tanks to stop and shoot, which was like hitting a stone with an egg.

But no matter how much to blame for Babajanyan now, the only way is to immediately send in the air force to bomb the German ships, sink them or drive them away from the vicinity of the harbor, so as to ensure that Babajanyan's tank company can maintain more viable strength.

Thinking of this, Rokossovsky hurriedly covered the microphone with his hand and instructed Bogolyubov: "Chief of Staff, immediately contact General Vershinin, saying that our troops attacking the Gdynia shipyard and port have been shelled by German ships, and ask him to immediately dispatch the air force to drive away or destroy the enemy's ships." ”

After Bogolyubov walked away, Rokossovsky said into the microphone again: "General Katukov, I have asked the chief of staff to give the Air Force an order to send bomber groups to attack the German ships, and I will definitely get the tank brigade out of danger as soon as possible." ”

Upon receiving the call, Vershinin immediately dispatched three bomber squadrons to the vicinity of the port of Gdynia to bomb the German ships that were stuck on the surface of the sea and relieve the tank brigade from the devastating shelling.

Although Rokossovsky reacted immediately to the incident of the tank brigade being shelled by the Germans, sending the air force to support. However, it was still a step too late, and by the time the air force arrived at the port and bombed the German ships, more than 70 tanks had already been destroyed, and only a third of the crew of these tanks had escaped.

But when Babajanyan learned that his two tank brigades were almost wiped out by the shelling of German ships, he was stunned, and he did not expect that he would be so completely defeated by hitting warships with tanks.