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Text Chapter 852 Turning (7)

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    While the crisis in Moscow was quietly brewing, the Central Asian river plains outside Khujand were already flashing with terrible fireballs.  The sudden increase in range of the 305mm fortress artillery was completely beyond the expectations of the Soviet army. When the first artillery shell roared down, the artillery position of the Soviet 54th Group Army deployed five kilometers behind the trenches suffered an unprecedented and terrifying blow.  Even if the weight is reduced by nearly half, the 256-kilogram high-explosive grenade can still set off a terrifying mushroom cloud.  Every time a shell falls, it can create a large crater five meters deep. The frozen soil squeezes each other during the explosion, and the gravel and soil are swept into the air hundreds of meters high.  That kind of diffuse explosion shock wave like a landslide and earth cracking was enough to kill all the soldiers in the nearby bunker.

    The barbed wire fences, tunnels, bunkers, trenches and gun emplacements were more brittle than eggshells under the heavy bombardment of the fortress's heavy artillery.  The 122mm, 152mm, and 203mm heavy artillery pieces that symbolized the Soviet artillery doctrine were disintegrated and buried under the thicker muzzles without even firing a single shot.  Piles of artillery shells began to explode. From a distance, the Soviet position 40 kilometers away was as gorgeous as fireworks.

    As if they knew that their usefulness was getting less and less, the garrison troops in the mountaintop fortress put all their enthusiasm into the gun barrels. The commander of the fortress also took special care of these young men and ordered that all 720 bottom-exhaust extended-range bombs distributed be used.  Fight out.  The 265kg grenade has a damage radius of up to 550 meters against personnel and 71 meters against fixed targets.  One can imagine how terrible the damage will be caused when the artillery goes all out to fire out these shells!

    So much so that the Soviet 54th Group Army defending Andijan was completely stunned by the sudden extension of artillery fire!  All the phone lines were crowded in an instant, and all kinds of shouts and curses filled the entire space.

    "Hello, hello? 156th Division, put me through the 156th Division. What? The phone line is broken? Then go and fix it!"

    ¡°Damn it, orderly?¡±

    "Comrade Commander! They are aiming at the infantry positions."

    After forty minutes of ravaging the artillery positions, Army General Kilponos once again watched in pain as the fortress artillery moved the muzzles closer to the infantry trenches and fortification area troops.

    The fortification area force is a new strategy based on large-scale trench warfare in the last European War. Simply put, it means building a large number of permanent and field fortifications and other fortifications, and combining the obstacles of each fortification.  The areas that constitute the fortification system are widely used in the defense systems of countries around the world.  It is centered on the solid permanent cement fortifications and is equipped with a large number of field fortifications. The fortifications are equipped with specialized artillery, machine guns, etc.  Depending on the intensity and importance of the combat direction, the depth of the fortification area can be up to tens of kilometers, and the firepower density per kilometer is quite astonishing. Therefore, the Soviet army, which advocates firepower, pays special attention to the deployment of fortification areas. Often a fortification group has 20  machine guns, 10 to 20 field guns of various types, and at least 10 anti-tank weapons.

    Tashkent is the most important strategic point on the plains of the Syr Darya River.  Not only does it guard Andijan, but it can also radiate the entire great plain from Shymkent to Samarkand.  Therefore, since the Shanghai Communiqu¨¦, the Soviet army has continued to strengthen the Tashkent Fortress left by Tsarist Russia, transported a large number of old fortress heavy artillery from the European War, and built 1,296 fortresses on this plain that is 350 kilometers long from north to south and 150 kilometers wide from east to west.  For fortifications, there are 25 machine gun battalions alone, with a total strength of 18,000 troops.  After the end of the First Central Asian Battle.  Stalin also ordered to strengthen anti-tank firepower. Dozens of anti-tank battalions were deployed here, with as many as 2,177 anti-tank guns and combat defense guns of various types!  Among the 530,000 troops of the Uzbek Front in Tashkent, 200,000 participated in the fortification area troops.  The mission of these fortification units was very simple and clear.  It is to use layers of fortifications and bunkers to consume the enemy's effective strength and prevent the enemy's armored clusters from quickly breaking through.

    This is also the main reason why Stalin was cut off at Kyzylorda and still insisted on holding on, believing that this place would become the tomb of the Wehrmacht.  Follow his ideas.  Even if the National Defense Forces deploy twice as many troops, they will still be beaten to death in front of this vast fortification area, which is the largest in Central Asia and even ranks among the top five in the world.

    Dealing with fortified areas is the most troublesome problem for armies around the world.  Especially in areas like Tashkent that cannot be avoided and must be attacked, the reinforced concrete fortifications give all the generals a headache.  Therefore, in order to clear forward obstacles for our assault troops and destroy important artillery positions, the fortress gun guys aimed their guns at the 20-kilometer-wide fortification area in front, preparing to use heavy artillery to open a gap for the assault troops.  .

    "They're aiming at us! Be careful, get down, get down, don't raise your head, don't move around, their cannonballs can only scratch our itch." Seeing the cannonballs that were whizzing past overhead just now, falling from above his head  , many Soviet soldiers began to become restless.  Officers and political commissars immediately stepped forward to stabilize morale. Some even deliberately patted the thick concrete. This move reassured many soldiers.

    But the officers and commissars lied.

    Civil War Destruction and Priority Five YearsAfter the Construction Plan, the materials used in Soviet fortifications, which were short of materials, were much worse than similar materials in Europe and the United States. Due to the urgent need for national construction, a large amount of steel was used in the Five-Year Plan, resulting in many permanent cement fortifications without even steel bars.  A few.  In many areas, the simplest method is adopted, which is to first build the inner wall with cement, add bricks in the middle, and then pour a layer of cement outside.  It looks sturdy but is actually much less effective.

    Such fortifications may be able to protect against 155mm artillery shells, but when faced with 256kg heavy artillery originally used in the navy, they are no different than paper.

    Boom boom boom.

    After two or three rounds of testing, the fortress cannons became more and more accurate, constantly throwing cannonballs to the places marked with fortifications on the map.  "Look, the distance is still far away. Let me tell you, the larger the caliber, the less accurate it is, and the enemy is using old cannons from the last century, which cannot damage our fortifications at all." Political Commissar Constantine stood on his  In the anti-tank gun fortification, facing three 76mm anti-tank guns and dozens of artillerymen, he pointed at the fireball thousands of meters away without changing his expression, showing an unwavering and tough-guy demeanor.

    The Soviet artillerymen, who didn¡¯t even know a few Chinese characters, were all relieved when they saw that the shells were indeed inaccurate.  Upon seeing this, Constantine immediately asked everyone to prepare artillery shells, and also said that the Chinese tanks would suffer.  The artillerymen who believed it was true immediately got busy, but a minute later, an earth-shaking loud noise came from beside them. The ground shook violently, the artillery shells piled in the corner rolled down and collapsed, and a large amount of mud suddenly poured into the narrow shelling window.  dust.  The strong smell of gunpowder smoke filled our mouths and noses, choking everyone so much that they almost couldn't hold their breath.

    When the sight was restored, the artillerymen discovered that the same anti-tank fortification 600 meters away was no longer visible. Only an M1936 76mm anti-tank gun with a broken barrel could be seen in the entire fortification.  Where the barrel was broken, there was a headless body stuck in it, burning little by little in the flames.

    Constantine's expression changed, he quickly avoided the doubtful looks cast by the artillerymen, sat down on his own and began to wipe his pistol.  Observant soldiers even saw it.  The hands of this respected comrade political commissar were trembling.

    A minute later, the second round of shells fell.  At this time, no one was talking anymore. Everyone knew that they would die faster if they went out, so they huddled together, and several of them were so scared that they kept praying.  In the past, this kind of behavior was enough to get him shot, but now Constantine just pretended that he didn't see it and let's survive first.

    The fortification soldiers hiding in the permanent fortifications can at least have psychological comfort, but the infantry in the front-line trenches are in dire straits.  The destructive power of large-caliber artillery shells is too great, even if they are buried in the trenches.  They were all likely to be killed by falling earth and rocks.  You know, for ordinary infantry, 150mm-class artillery shells are already extremely terrifying, so since the beginning of the war, the Soviet army has not dared to get too close to the fortress within 35 kilometers.  Positions are also deployed along this maximum range line.  So when the fortress cannons suddenly extended and rained down at a rate of 6 per minute, you can imagine how huge the panic it caused.

    What¡¯s even more frightening is that the opponent has taken out all long-range artillery shells this time.  At the rate of one per minute.  They need to survive the strong wind and explosion for 150 minutes!  Therefore, faced with the bombardment that seemed to never stop, a large number of front-line infantry began to retreat. Even if the supervising team set up machine guns, they could not stop the rushing soldiers.

    The more Soviet troops fled.  The artillery boys on the top of the mountain became more and more excited. They stripped off their clothes, revealing their strong muscles, and their cheeks blackened by the gunfire were filled with sweat stains.  When the two-and-a-half-hour shelling ended, the area 20 kilometers wide in front and 42 kilometers deep in the Khujand Fortress was already filled with flames and huge craters.  When Constantine and the soldiers of the anti-tank battalion raised their heads, a torrent of steel appeared on the horizon.

    The commander of the 103rd Division, Meng Lang, stood on the command tank, holding a microphone and issuing orders at a leisurely pace: "Take the battalion as a unit, and the infantry should pay attention to protection. Concentrate and don't disperse! Don't rush to attack. If you encounter Jili¨¨ resistance, stabilize first.  Stay and call for support. Be careful of the river. The ice and snow have begun to melt this season. Protect the pontoon and bridge vehicles to prevent them from getting stuck in the quagmire. After the breakthrough, the troops should spread to the two wings and do not block the main advance path behind. "

    As a classmate of Liu Mingzhao and Long Yun, he was a member of the generation who came back against the wind and waves of the North Sea. After returning to China, he started as the company commander of the security division and worked his way down to where he is today.  Therefore, he has always been strict in running the army and is famous for his skillful use of tactics.  Although the division commander was strict and verbose, the officers and soldiers of the 103rd Division benefited a lot from the detailed tactical arrangements.  What's more, the four central guard divisions and the 1st to 5th divisions are all ace divisions from the year of 1911 to the present. It can be said that they were trained by Yang Qiu step by step according to the standards of later generations. Their tactical literacy is extremely high, even though they have not fought in so many years, they are a bit tired.  Nervous, but with just a tap, each unit can still quickly complete the attack transition.

    Counting the divisional armored battalions, the 103rd Division is a typical armored division with 7 battalions. Each battalion is fully equipped with 42 Type 36 main battle tanks.In order to deal with the dense and solid permanent fortifications, a 36C independent fire-breathing tank regiment was assigned from the rear.  420 tanks, with the cooperation of dozens of engineering tanks, quickly filled the first position.  Then, with the battalion as a unit, under Meng Lang's mercury-like breakthrough tactics, they dug a dozen gaps in the 20-kilometer-wide defense line. The other four divisions following them immediately spread to the two wings along these gaps.  , paving the way for the subsequent main force to pass.

    "Tank, it's an enemy tank! Get ready to fight."

    The rumbling sound of the motor, like a battle horn, made Constantine forget the embarrassment just now and shouted to the artillery to get ready.  Soon, five vague figures appeared in front of them.  "Manchurian tiger, it's Manchurian tiger!" There is no word for Siberian tiger in Russian, so after learning the nickname of the 36 tank, the name of Manchurian tiger became a nightmare for Soviet tank soldiers and anti-tank guns.

    "Load! Aim at its tracks." Although Constantine is a political commissar, he has good military literacy and knows that his 76mm anti-tank gun cannot deal with the main armor of the Type 36 tank.  So simply concentrate on destroying the traveling mechanism.

    Boom boom.

    Three armor-piercing bullets came out of the gun. Two of them hit the mud at a too low angle, and the remaining one hit the front at a too high angle and ricocheted.  However, Constantine was not discouraged and immediately organized a second round of shooting.

    The fire from the bunker attracted the attention of the tank platoon. Four of them rushed over quickly, while the other strange-looking tank moved to the side and rear under the protection of infantry.  Constantine noticed the tank, but he didn't realize the danger because the tank was so weird!  how to say?  It seems to use the same chassis as the Type 36, but the turret is significantly smaller and does not have a long barrel.  The main thing is.  There was also a thick shovel used by a bulldozer in front of it, which blocked the track after it was put down, so he thought it was a modified engineering tank and did not want to waste cannonballs.

    The four 36 tanks quickly rushed to 600 meters and fired fiercely at the anti-tank bunker.  It must be said that Constantine's anti-tank battalion was still very tenacious. After a gap was made in the bunker, it still gritted its teeth and refused to retreat, fighting back like a stubborn child.  This tenacity finally paid off. A 36 tank with half its side exposed was accurately hit by a shell on its tracks.  Lost the ability to move.

    "Good job! Markovich, one more shot." Constantine was very good at arousing emotions and immediately loudly encouraged the gunner who hit the track, and the remaining two cannons also hit the track.  However, due to the problem of shooting angle, no results were obtained.  More than a dozen shells only disabled one "Manchurian Tiger". Although the results were discouraging, the strange thing was that just when Constantine was thinking about retreating.  The remaining three vehicles suddenly gave up on them and accelerated to the right in an attempt to go around.

    "Great! Turn around quickly, they are going to expose the side. Get ready!" Constantine thought that the other party had made a mistake, and excitedly turned the cannon with the soldiers.  After all, no matter how strong the "Manchurian Tiger" is, the side tracks are still very weak.  But the moment the muzzle of the gun turned around, a black figure suddenly flashed out of the left shelling window.

    "It's an engineering tank! Machine gun, be careful of the infantry." Constantine also thought it was an engineering tank covering the infantry, but just when he called the machine gunner to get ready, an orange-red flame suddenly pierced his eyeballs!

    The high-pressure air pushes the gasoline and pulls out a line of fire up to 130 meters long.  Without even a shout of caution, flames burst in from the firing hole.  In an instant, the entire bunker was filled with flames and thick smoke, and sparks were flying everywhere in the semi-enclosed space.  In the blink of an eye, everyone was covered in fire.

    The power of the Type 36C fire-breathing tank is terrifying, to some extent more powerful than a tank gun.  After three consecutive fires, the inside and outside of the bunker were already charred. Dozens of Soviet artillerymen and machine gunners were covered in flames and fled desperately, screaming and screaming. Some people rolled on the ground trying to extinguish the flames as soon as they came out. Even the approaching Chinese soldiers had no time to care.  .  Even without strafing, the detonated shells blew the entire bunker into pieces.

    In the darkness before dawn, the lines of fire shot out were bright and terrifying. The troops in the fortification area who had high hopes were panicked and were constantly being devoured by the fire-breathing monsters thrown into them for the first time.

    Since the artillery suffered heavy losses in the previous fortress artillery surprise attack, when the 103rd Division continued to advance in depth, Kilponos could not even find many means of counterattack.  Less than a hundred T26 and BT7 tanks were thrown in and were destroyed by the rushing Type 36 and Type 31 tanks without even splashing out.  Even the fortifications that had high hopes were turned into big fireballs due to the emergence of fire-breathing tanks.  Seeing that the army was about to collapse, he had to order the use of reserves, trying to use human sea tactics to delay the enemy, and at the same time stepped up calls for nearby reinforcements.

    But he forgot that compared with the Soviet Union, which had a population of 150 million before the war, his opponent was a country with more abundant human resources!  Moreover, the people who rule this country have no idea of ??elite military formation at all.Thoughts.  Looking at the entire world, only Yang Qiu has maintained a large-scale armored force and air force while developing the economy and researching new technologies and weapons. Even to this day, the Air Force still retains thousands of Sparrow Wings from the European War.  Training aircraft, used to maintain the flying team.  And even after industrial capabilities improved and weapons and equipment gradually became dominant, he never gave up his manpower advantage.  Therefore, in this Tashkent siege, three armies totaling 16 divisions and 350,000 soldiers were invested in Andijan alone.

    It is impossible to rely on a group army with less than 80,000 men to block three armies. Facing a determined opponent, Kilponos only lasted three hours.  They had to order a retreat to Gulistan.

    Just as Andiyan opened the gap, Sun Chuanfang of South Road was not to be outdone.  First, the Tajik 24th Infantry Corps emerged from the mountains and launched an attack on Dushanbe. Then he led 8 divisions and 2 Afghan divisions north from Termez.  He first asked Du Yuming to assist the 24th Army in encircling a Soviet infantry division in Dushanbe. The remaining nine divisions gave up the encirclement and annihilation, and forced their way through the defensive junction between Karsi and Shahrisabz overnight, directly attacking the two Soviet infantry divisions.  The infantry division was left behind and tried to storm Samarkand.

    At 9 a.m., the 2nd Airborne Division, protected by 40 Thunderbolts, carried out a parachute drop on a saline-alkali land 55 kilometers away from the eastern desert of Urgench.  Due to the open terrain and good preparation, the parachute descent was particularly smooth.  Only 17 people were injured or killed in the accident. All the remaining 13,000 paratroopers landed safely and opened a field airport within a few hours.  Although it was attacked by two tank battalions of the Soviet 29th Army that arrived later, the air force did not let the chaos in Balkhash reappear this time, and soon sent enough heavy weapons using transport planes and gliders.  By evening, the 9th Motorized Infantry Division of the Seventh Army and the 11th Independent Kazakh Cavalry Division arrived one after another.  Facing three divisions, Katsalov, who had suffered a lot, was so frightened that he immediately retracted his fist and tried to defend the Urgench railway line.

    After receiving the news that the 2nd Airborne Division had landed successfully, the 1st Army and the 16th Army had a total of 7 divisions.  Launch an attack toward Karakalpakstan along the Aral Sea to contain the Soviet army while ensuring the safety of the 7th Army's flanks.  Also on the same day, a total of 3 infantry divisions and 2 Iranian divisions from Mare and Mashhad also launched an attack on Ashgabat in the northwest as planned.

    Except for the Northern Route Army in Shilkent because the railway is closed.  In addition to the slow progress of the tenacious resistance of the Soviet Karatas fortification troops, rapid progress was made in the other directions.  Moreover, the National Defense Forces Air Force also firmly grasped air superiority from beginning to end, investing a total of more than a thousand fighter planes to support troops in all directions and destroy obstacles along the way.  In this close support bombing operation.  The dive bombers once again demonstrated their advantages of high efficiency and high precision. They completed raids on 17 Soviet field airports and more than 600 fortifications in a short period of time, destroying a total of more than 800 aircraft of various types.  Among them are at least 30 BF109 and 110 IL2 attack aircraft.

    At this time, Tashkent was already in chaos. Large groups of dive bombers and H-5 tactical bombers came several times a day. Thousands of buildings collapsed in the explosion. Although a large number of anti-aircraft guns were replenished, they were faced with the air attacks from all directions.  Raid, air defense forces are still stretched thin.  In the crowded and narrow underground command post, Apanashenko and other top leaders of the Uzbek front army were all sitting here, constantly communicating with the troops who had not lost contact through radio, and directing the defense.

    But as more and more troops lost contact, Apanashenko's face began to turn blue.  Although he vowed to Moscow in the telegram that he would turn this place into a "mill for grinding meat," when his opponent really launched with all his strength, he realized that the power in his hands was still seriously insufficient.  "Comrade Commander, the 54th Group Army reports that the enemy has invested three armored divisions and a fire-breathing tank. Their three fortification regional regiments have suffered serious losses, and the front of Bekabad has also been lost. Now the enemy is moving towards Adar.  Advancing towards Lake Kur, General Kilponos has moved his headquarters to Gulistan to continue the resistance.¡±

    "Comrade Commander, this is a telegram from General Katsalov of the 29th Army in Urgench. He reported that Urgench has been besieged, so there is no way to come over to support us."

    "This defeated Soviet scum!"

    When he heard that Katsalov¡¯s 29th Army could not get through, Apanashenko, who had always had a fiery temper and severe military management, slammed the table angrily.

    Chief of Staff Sheko, who had worked with him for more than ten years, picked up his pointer and walked to the map helplessly: "The current situation is obvious. The Chinese are trying to cut off the Urgench railway line, and then go west from Andiyan to Ai  Dalkul Lake cuts us off. From the current point of view, we have the largest enemy forces in the north. Although the railway line from Taraz to Shymkent has not been completely repaired, the 30th and 31st Group Armies in this direction cannot move under any circumstances.  Therefore, I suggest that before it is cut off, the reserves of the 44th Army should be immediately deployed to ensure the safety of Gulistan. At the same time, Dushanbe and other places south of Samarkand should be abandoned, the four divisions here should be recovered, and the forces should be concentrated on the Turkestan Mountains.  Stay on the defensive??.  "

    Apanashchenko nodded, this is indeed a no-win solution, otherwise the troops will be eaten up by the fast-moving armored cluster if the troops are too scattered.  But Begov, the First General Secretary of Uzbekistan, stood up and retorted: "Comrade General, General Secretary Stalin's order is to fight for every inch of land and not give up any land! If we give up the south of the Turkestan Mountains, it will be equivalent to letting them go."  The easy attack on Urgench is a crime against the Soviets.¡±

    "Well, you go and report to Moscow. Just say that Apanashenko has committed a crime. You take charge!" Apanashenko, who was in a rage, was so angry at this robbery that he slapped the table. Seeing Begov, he couldn't help but  After another word, he sat down again: "Just fight like this and withdraw your fists. You all go to the front line. If anyone loses his position, he doesn't have to come back! I also want to tell all the commanders and soldiers that their fortress artillery is powerful, but my fortress  The cannon will also tear all the enemies into pieces!" (To be continued)
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