The German commander in Volokolamsk, seeing that the Soviet troops charging from the east of the city were not supported by tanks, decisively ordered his troops to launch a counterattack in this direction. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

Beloborodov, who was commanding in the east of the city, could not help but applaud again and again when he saw through the telescope that the enemy had left his position and launched a charge against his troops. The chief of staff standing on the side, seeing the expression of the division commander, couldn't help but ask strangely: "Comrade division commander, the German army is launching a counterattack against our army, why are you still so happy?" ”

"Chief of Staff, most of the enemy's fortifications in the east of the city were saved by the rapid artillery fire of our troops." Beloborodov pointed to the battlefield outside and said to his chief of staff: "To seize such a strong defensive position, our army would have to pay a heavy price, but now that the enemy has left these fortifications on his own initiative and fought against our troops, we can reduce many unnecessary casualties." ”

The chief of staff frowned and said, "But the enemy's counteroffensive will also cause us a lot of casualties." ”

"Don't worry," Beloborodov said confidently, "as long as our troops are entangled with the enemy, then our fighters can engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat with weapons such as bayonets, grenades, and sapper shovels." When it comes to fighting bayonets, the Germans are no match for us. ”

As he spoke, the two armies collided, bayonet to bayonet, chest to chest, scuffling and fighting each other, and the battlefield of thousands of men was like a duel between cold weapons in the Middle Ages. The German officers and soldiers relied on their height to fight left and right, while the commanders and fighters of the Soviet army relied on the strength of the crowd to storm and surround and beat in groups, and for a time no one could help anyone. The soldiers on both sides howled and stabbed each other fiercely, and there were no fancy racks on either side, kicking the crotch wheel and slashing at everything they could, just to kill each other.

Officers and soldiers on both sides fell every minute, and the snow on the ground was mixed with the blood that flowed out, and was trampled into mud by countless feet. The wounded lying on the ground, as long as they are not out of breath, as soon as they see that they are wearing different shoes, they will rush over and drag and bite on the legs, no matter how the other party kicks and kicks, they will not let go, even if they die, they will bite down on the meat, and they must not let the other party get better.

Under the ferocious offensive of the Soviet army, the German army was defeated step by step, and retreated all the way to its own defensive positions. Seeing this, Beloborodov decisively gave the order and threw another infantry regiment into battle, fighting to take the enemy's position in the shortest possible time.

Seeing the addition of reinforcements, the Soviet commanders and fighters who were fighting fiercely became more and more sharply attacked, and they continued to attack the crumbling defense line. In some places, the Soviet commanders and fighters had already jumped into the trenches and fought with the defenders in the trenches, using all kinds of weapons they could pick up, bayonets piercing each other's bodies, grenades and crushing heads, gritting their teeth and trying their best to choke each other's necks and rolling, digging their fingers into their eyes and even tearing them with their teeth...... The war has reached a point where it cannot be started.

"Open the artillery, the artillery immediately fires!" Seeing that the position in the east of the city was precarious, the German commander, who was standing on the church bell tower and watching the battle, decisively gave the order to open fire.

"Your Excellency, Commander," the adjutant standing on the side twitched violently a few times after hearing this order, and reminded euphemistically, "Our soldiers have not withdrawn yet, and if they open fire, they are likely to accidentally injure their own people." ”

"Bastard!" The German commander shouted at his adjutant: "If we don't fire any more artillery, the Russians will break through our positions and rush into the city." Don't hesitate any longer, immediately order the artillery to open fire, and if Shangfeng wants to investigate this matter in the future, I will bear all the responsibility. ”

Hearing the commander say such harsh words, the adjutant had no choice but to reluctantly agree, picked up the phone next to him, and gave the artillery commander in the city an order to open fire.

As the order was given, after a scream, dozens of shells fell on the area where the battle was raging and exploded, and the wall of fire and hundreds of shrapnel that collapsed swept around in an instant, enveloping it along with a small number of German soldiers who were engaged in white-knuckle combat with the Soviet army. The two sides had so many troops concentrated in this area that a large open space was blasted alive, and the Soviet attack was blocked, but then it was filled with an influx of commanders and fighters.

The German officers and soldiers who were fighting fiercely with the Soviet army understood that advancing was death and retreating, and even if they fled into the city, they would only die a little later than now, and it was better to stay here and continue to fight. In the face of the Soviet commanders and fighters who rushed up, they did not dodge or dodge, but directly pulled the grenade, regardless of whether they were friends or enemies around, or grabbed the bayonet pierced into the stomach, and forced the Soviet commanders and fighters to retreat step by step until the other party was also stabbed to death.

Seeing this situation, Beloborodov in the observation post couldn't help but grit his teeth, he found that the German army's tenacious performance on the battlefield was no worse than that of the Soviet commanders and fighters, and just when he was about to do something more to change the stalemate of the battlefield, he suddenly felt someone pulling his arm from behind. When I turned my head, it turned out to be the chief of staff.

When the chief of staff saw Belorodov turn around, he immediately said to him: "Comrade division commander, there is a call from the headquarters of the army group. ”

Beloborodov took the telescope and walked quickly to the table, grabbed the earphones placed on it, put them to his ear, and said loudly: "Hey, I'm Colonel Beloborodov." ”

"Comrade Colonel, what's the matter with you?" Rokossovsky's displeased voice came from the earpiece, "Don't you have artillery?" ”

Beloborodov, not knowing why Rokossovsky was asking these questions, answered truthfully: "Comrade commander, now our commanders and fighters are entangled with the enemy, and if they open fire, they will accidentally injure their own people. ”

"Immediately call the troops down and regroup." Rokossovsky did not talk nonsense with him and directly ordered: "Don't you see that your troops, which are being shelled by the enemy?" If the troops are allowed to stay there, they will only be wiped out in the end. ”

"But, Comrade Commander." Listening to Rokossovsky's order to retreat, Beloborodov said unwillingly: "Our troops have finally rushed into the enemy's position, and if they withdraw at such a time, the sacrifices and efforts made in front will be in vain." ”

"Comrade Colonel," Rokossovsky said in a stern tone, "it is not yet the time to fight a war of attrition with the Germans, you first withdraw your troops for regrouping, and at the same time bombard the German positions with artillery." Wait until the shelling is over, and then launch a new charge at the enemy's positions, understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander. I immediately withdrew my troops. Beloborodov was not a stubborn man either, and since Rokossovsky had given the order to temporarily retreat, after putting down the phone, he decisively ordered: "Chief of Staff, immediately withdraw our troops and let them regroup in the occupied settlements." At the same time, the artillery regiment was ordered to carry out artillery coverage of the exposed German positions and firing points. ”

"Understood, Comrade Division Commander." The chief of staff replied in a loud voice: "I immediately give orders to the troops. ”

And at this moment in the headquarters of the army group, Malinin was reporting to Rokossovsky, who had just put down the phone: "Comrade commander, at the moment a regiment of the 8th Guards Division has captured three streets in the southern direction of the city and is developing in depth. ”

"The comrades of the 8th Guards Division are all good." After listening to Malinin's report, Rokossovsky first praised Leviakin's troops, and then began to give orders: "Tell Leviagin not to rush, but to adopt steady tactics and advance step by step towards the city." To occupy an area is to consolidate an area and to purge it of the remnants of the enemy. After dark, let the 322nd Infantry Division send a regiment to enter the city from the south of the city, move along the streets to the east of the city, and meet the 9th Guards Division that is attacking from that direction. ”

When Malinin went to convey the order, Deputy Commander Zakharov asked with some curiosity: "Comrade commander, did you send your troops to make a detour to the east of the city because you were worried that the 9th Guards Division would not be able to break through the enemy's defenses?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Deputy Commander." Rokossovsky frowned and said: "Judging by the situation of the battle, the Germans are more tenacious than we thought, and we have to pay a dozen or twenty casualties for almost every step forward. ”

"In that case, we might as well concentrate all our forces in the south of the city." After Zakharov waited for Rokossovsky to finish, he began to explain his point of view to the other side, "After completing the preparation of artillery fire, launch a fierce attack on the enemy." I am sure that in the face of an offensive like ours, the enemy's defenses will soon crumble. ”

"Comrade Deputy Commander, you are so optimistic." Rokossovsky pointed to the map on the table and said with a wry smile: "If we concentrate all our forces in the south of the city, then the enemy can also call most of the troops in the city to move in this direction and fight a brutal and protracted positional battle with us." In this way, we will pay a greater price. Therefore, we can only use the tactic of attacking in several directions at the same time to disperse the forces of the German army. ”

"The cavalry corps is now in the rear of the enemy," Zakharov, having understood what Rokossovsky meant, offered on his own initiative: "Can we order them to attack at the same time, so as to distract the enemy?" ”

Without waiting for Rokossovsky to finish, Lobachev interjected: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I don't think it's appropriate to let the cavalry corps attack. First of all, they did not have heavy weapons and could not suppress the Germans in terms of firepower; Secondly, Dovatore's sacrifice had some impact on the morale of the troops. Based on these two factors, I think it is better to let the commanders and fighters of the cavalry corps stay where they are for defense, lest the enemy, who is cornered by us, break through from their direction. ”

There was a lively discussion going on here, and Zhukov's phone call came in again. Without any greetings, he asked straight to the point: "Comrade Rokossovsky, how is the situation in your place, have the troops rushed into the city?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Zhukov." Rokossovsky reported to Zhukov: "The 8th Guards Division, which launched an attack from the south of the city, has successfully stormed Volokolamsk, occupying three streets south of the city, and at the moment the troops are developing in depth. ”

"What, just occupy three streets." Zhukov expressed extreme dissatisfaction with Rokossovsky's reported results, "Your movements are so slow! And what about the east of the city, what kind of results did the attack launched by the 9th Guards Division from the east of the city achieve? ”

"The troops of the 9th Guards Division, when they were about to break through the German positions, suddenly came under rapid enemy artillery fire, and the casualties of the troops were very large." Rokossovsky continued: "I have ordered Colonel Belorodov to temporarily withdraw the troops and regroup before launching an attack. At the same time, I also ordered him to use the divisional artillery regiment to carry out artillery shelling of the exposed German positions and open the way for the attacking troops. ”

…………

However, it backfired, and not only did the new offensive launched by the 9th Guards Division in the east of the city fail, but even the 8th Guards Division's plan to expand the occupied area in the south of the city also failed. The Germans continued to launch counterattacks in the direction of the south of the city, trying to repeat the old tricks and drive all the Soviet troops out of the city in this area.

After a whole night of fighting, both the attacking Soviet commanders and fighters and the German officers and soldiers defending the city became exhausted. As soon as it was dawn, Rokossovsky decisively ordered Malinin to throw the 322nd and 323rd Infantry Divisions into battle, and to seize more positions from the Germans before dark.

As soon as the artillery commander Kazakov waited for Malinin to leave, he immediately asked Rokossovsky: "Comrade commander, what are the tasks of our artillery?" ”

Rokossovsky smiled at him, and then asked: "General Kazakov, your artillery observers, have you reconnoitred the positions of the enemy's defensive positions?" ”

"Yes," replied Kazakov, nodding his head, "as long as you give the order, we can cover these areas with artillery fire at once." ”

"Let the artillerymen get ready," seeing that Kazakov was ready, Rokossovsky said lightly: "When the time is right, immediately open fire on the enemy." ”

The German commander saw that the Soviet troops in the east of the city had increased again, and immediately ordered the adjutant to send an infantry battalion to reinforce the defenders in the east of the city, in an attempt to block the attacking Soviet commanders and fighters outside the city.

The follow-up troops of both sides rushed up almost at the same time, and the Soviet commanders and fighters, who were aroused by the Germans, rushed and beat like mad cows, and they did not stop wherever they passed, nor did they leave any living mouths, they all picked and killed, killed, and trampled under their feet like garbage. Seeing that the Soviet army was working so hard, the German soldiers who had fought all night were a little timid and hesitated.

At this moment, the Soviet artillery fire came overwhelmingly, blowing up the area they defended into a sea of fire, which became the last straw that crushed them. At first, only a few soldiers ran back, but before they could take a few steps, they were killed by the officer who commanded the battle. But as the deserters grew, the few officers who had left them were no longer helpful. When the defenders of the entire position began to flee, the officers could no longer control their troops, and they were dragged backwards or rammed, and were trampled to death by the retreating crowd. The soldiers who fled backwards even disrupted the troops that had come to reinforce them.

Seeing that the German army in the east of the city was in disarray, Beloborodov decisively gave the order to attack on all fronts, and the troops of two divisions followed behind the enemy, and the tide poured into the city of Volokolamsk.