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Text Chapter 1028 The Great Battle (12)

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    There was a tense atmosphere in the headquarters of the Soviet Second Ukrainian Front.  Just like the situation encountered by the 45th Tank Brigade, half an hour ago, all the radio stations here also failed.  The staff members were sweating profusely, but no matter how hard they tried, the radio was still noisy.

    "It must be the fault of the Chinese!" The tall General Gilbernos looked livid. As the former commander of the Southwest Front, he had been on the front line since the beginning of the war.  It is a pity that the Southwest Front, which performed best in the East Kazakh Campaign, suffered heavy losses due to underestimation of its opponents, and then suffered heavy losses in last year's spring and summer offensive.  Although the newly formed Second Ukrainian Front Army has 40 divisions, after losing a large number of experienced veterans, the combat effectiveness of the army is far inferior to that of the old army.  So he knew very well that the more difficult times this situation is, the more calm and coordination is needed for commanders at all levels.  But when the enemy launched a massive counterattack, the radio station lost its function, which made him very worried.

    The heavy pressure made him and the front army unable to breathe.  Although Sarekopa is not the main battle zone, it is the hub connecting the north and the south.  If this area is lost, it will have a negative impact on Kokshetau and Ilgiz.  "Have the cavalry returned?" So after learning that the radio failed, he sent a large number of cavalry to contact the troops to understand the situation.

    "Some of them are still not back." Major General Potapov, commander of the 5th Army, frowned in pain.  He is the commander of the 5th Army of the Southwest Front. Because he did not participate in the previous battle, his unit is the only complete group army left in the Southwest Front, and it is also the most important reserve force in the hands of Kilponos.  "This is what we know now. The enemy launched attacks from the north and south sections of Lake Sarykopa at the same time. Comrade Yankovic said that there are at least five to six divisions on the front of Taush in the south. The situation in Saga in the north is also serious  Political Commissar Powers replied that the enemy invested a lot of heavy artillery, and the entire fortification area was severely damaged. There were also attacks here and here, but the specific number of the enemy's investment will not be known until the cavalry returns.  .¡±

    "The situation is very serious, Comrade Commander! On such a large scale, there must be a full-scale counterattack. So please let me lead the troops up." Potapov asked.

    Kilponos¡¯ face was as sinking as water, with his hands on the edge of the table, staring at the attack arrows that appeared simultaneously in the north and south of the lake on the map, hesitant in his heart.  It¡¯s easy for the reserve team to go up, but which direction should they send?  The Sarekopa line of defense was fifty kilometers wide, and the lake was 10 kilometers long.  If communications are open, rely on the reserves of the 5th Army and several cavalry divisions.  You can still deal with your opponents.  However, communication is now paralyzed and it is impossible to determine the enemy's main attack direction. Rushing into the reserve team will only cause greater losses!

    Is the enemy going south, breaking through Tavush, crossing the Grand Canyon, and outflanking Ilgiz's rear?  Or should we storm Saga and threaten Kostanay through the plateau?  intelligence.  intelligence!  He urgently needs an accurate intelligence feedback!

    "Speed ??up!" On the edge of the forest southeast of the Turgai Plateau, Colonel Skorokhod led his 9th Cavalry Division to advance rapidly in the night.  This is a cavalry division formed in the Krasnoyarsk and Tomsk areas in the winter of 1940. Most of the troops are sturdy Cossack cavalry.  Originally his mission was to defend Central Siberia, but after the failure last winter, in order to preserve his strength.  Zhukov and Rokossovsky withdrew them to the Urals.  It was this order that allowed the 9th Cavalry Division to survive.  And was incorporated into the Second Ukrainian Front three months ago.  Kilponos knew very well that the Chinese Army was more mechanized than the Soviet Army, and putting the cavalry on the front was tantamount to death.  Therefore, he deployed the 9th Cavalry Division in the southeast of the plateau as a reserve force.

    After the battle started, Colonel Skorokhod received the order from the headquarters and immediately assembled troops to support the juncture of the forest and plateau.  But what made him uneasy was that after the troops were on the road, no matter how hard he tried, the telegrams he sent out were like silence.  What happened?  "Have you made contact?" Colonel Skrohod slowed down and rode beside the communication carriage on the track to inquire about the situation.  "Still no reply, and"

    "And what?"

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the radio station is full of noise. The closer you get, the louder the noise becomes.¡± The communications soldier did not dare to hide it.

    "Those bitches in the factory know how to deceive the superiors and pass them off as inferior products! They should all be killed!" The hot-tempered Colonel Skrokhod thought the radio station was broken and cursed the factory and the workers.  "Hurry up! Something must have happened to make everyone ready to fight at any time."

    "Division Commander, Division Commander!" After Colonel Skrokhod ordered to continue to speed up, a scout cavalry rushed from the front of the team: "Division Commander, there seems to be movement ahead."

    "What's the noise?"

    "It sounds like the sound of trucks, there are a lot of them! Comrade Company Commander has already gone up, and he asked me to report to you."

    "Get ready to fight! LetTanks and armored vehicles, come on!  Go, position the cannons and wait for my orders.  "As soon as the scout cavalry finished speaking, Colonel Skorokhod immediately ordered preparations for war. The Cossack cavalry, which once made the entire Eurasian continent sleepless, is indeed the best cavalry in the world. As soon as the order was given, thousands of cavalry were in the dark.  Completed the offensive transition.

    In order to enhance the combat capabilities of the cavalry, the Soviet cavalry divisions were equipped with fast tanks and armored vehicles.  For example, the 9th Cavalry Division has 22 T-26, 44 BT7 tanks and 16 BA-10 armored vehicles, as well as 8 122mm howitzers, 24 76mm cannon howitzers, 16 82mm mortars, and  There are 16 45mm anti-tank guns.  At the beginning of last year, it was also equipped with 12 37mm anti-aircraft guns and 18 anti-aircraft machine guns.

    The scout cavalry did not lie about the military situation. What they encountered was the 66th Mech Infantry Division and the Tajik 1st Armored Regiment who followed Sun Liren and entered the plateau from the forest area.  When the 9th Cavalry Division Reconnaissance Company crossed the hill, they were immediately startled by the scene under the moonlight.  Hundreds of tanks and trucks were seen heading north quickly along the hills ahead.  "Tank! We've been discovered! Get grenades ready!" The reconnaissance company commander knew that with such a small force, he wouldn't be able to fire a machine gun if he rushed forward.  But he was just about to retreat.  A team composed of hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles suddenly separated from the large force on the opposite side and rushed towards the 9th Cavalry Division at high speed.

    This sudden division of troops.  The Soviet reconnaissance company commander mistakenly thought that he had been discovered by the opponent, so he had no choice but to launch an attack.

    In fact, his judgment was wrong. The 66th Division Armored Reconnaissance Company and the Tajik 1st Armored Regiment that moved towards him did not notice him at all. The reason why they divided their forces was because of the special terrain here.

    The average altitude of the Turgai Plateau is actually only a few hundred meters, but it is a table-shaped plateau composed of residual hills, salt lakes, canyons and basins.  The central part is a depression, the north is a grassland zone and agricultural reclamation area, and the south is a semi-desert zone.  It has numerous mineral deposits and is the most important iron ore base in Kostanay and even the Ural Industrial Zone.  The reason why it is daunting to armored forces is not because of the altitude, but because of the rolling hills and numerous canyons, which make it difficult for large troops to pass quickly.  If it weren't for Zhuo Fan's invention of the "leapfrog on land" tactic of breaking through dispersedly, then concentrating, and finally using transport planes to deliver troops to the assembly area.  Liu Mingzhao did not dare to rashly allow the heavy troops to move in this place that was extremely vulnerable to ambush.

    So as soon as the 66th Division reached the plateau, Wang Wenshan dispersed the three armored regiments in his hand to attack according to the plan.  But what I didn't expect was that this accidental collision happened to make the Soviet reconnaissance company mistakenly think that the main force had been discovered, so it had to use an attack to warn its companions behind.  "It's the Soviet cavalry! Quick, notify the division commander. There are Soviet cavalry activities nearby. Everyone pay attention, 4422 attack formation!" Major Liu Jianguo, commander of the Tajik 1st Armored Regiment and a graduate of the Baoding Armored Forces Academy, immediately sounded the battle alarm.

    "One battalion and one company, open fire! The second and third companies surround the two wings, and the rest of the vehicles continue to advance. We must get over the hill in front of the enemy!" Liu Jianguo quickly issued the order.

    The Tajik tank soldiers who participated in the war for the first time lived up to the efforts of the Chinese instructors. 14 Type 31 "Leopard" tanks from one battalion and one company took the lead in slowing down and firing.  The other two companies also quickly deployed to the wings.  "Boom" A series of orange-red fireballs stood out in the night.  Twelve 70mm tank guns fired continuously at the Soviet reconnaissance cavalry company.  However, the effect of using artillery to suppress the high-speed charging cavalry was not very good, so the company soon switched to using machine guns to fire simultaneously.

    The heavy artillery fire and machine gun fire caused heavy losses to the cavalry reconnaissance company. They were all killed before they could even reach the tanks.  But their sacrifice also bought time for Colonel Skorokhod. After the sound of artillery sounded, he immediately realized that what he encountered was probably an armored force.  Of course, he was not stupid enough to use cavalry to attack an unknown number of tanks, so he immediately accelerated his tanks, and the cavalry detoured to both wings, trying to let the cavalry sprint quickly after the tanks entangled the opponent, using the latest RPG  -40 anti-tank grenade for close attack.

    When the cavalrymen pulled out grenades and detoured to the two wings, 66 T26 and BT7 tanks finally played the role of fast tanks and rushed up the hill first.  "No! Second Battalion, focus your fire to destroy them! Pay attention to the cavalry around you! Don't let them get close!" As soon as he saw the Soviet tanks under the moonlight, Liu Jianguo said to himself that it was not good.  Because he knew very well that the Tajik 1st Armored Regiment in the first battlefield would be difficult to cope with the joint attack of tanks and cavalry, so he immediately called the 66th Division, hoping to receive support.

    The fastest responder was the Armored Reconnaissance Company of the 66th Infantry Division operating with them.  As soon as they saw the Soviet tanks, 14 reconnaissance-type Leopard tanks rushed forward.  After the Siberian Tigers gradually became the main force, at the beginning of the war, the Golden Leopards began to undertake the tasks of reconnaissance and accompanying infantry, or to support some important allies.  But it is undeniable that even in the face of the Soviet Union's latest T34/85, the 'Leopard' is still an excellent medium tank.  The sloped armor combined with the 70mm/l50 cannon is extremely lethal.

    bt7 and t26 Although it is fast, it is really unable to stop the fierce attack of the 'Leopard'. The 45mm main gun cannot penetrate the opponent's armor even at zero range.  By the time the 1st Tajik Tank Regiment rushed up the hill, 25 of the 66 Soviet tanks had been destroyed, and the rest were all passively beaten.  However, the tenacious Soviet tank soldiers still obtained opportunities for the cavalry. Taking advantage of conditions such as poor visibility at night and sheltered hills, more than 5,000 Cossack cavalry quickly rushed into the armored regiment from both wings.

    "Be careful with grenades! Turn left! Boom!" Two Cossack cavalry who had dodged the machine gun approached a Leopard from the side and rear and threw an RPG-40 anti-tank grenade towards the engine compartment cover.  This is a giant grenade that relies on the powerful explosive power of a large charge to carry out destruction. It looks like a tin can with a handle.  It is 95 mm in diameter and contains 200 grams of TNT explosive.  The process is also very simple, and it has strong damage ability to the top of the tank and the engine compartment cover.  The hatch cover is only 30mm thick.  Unable to withstand such a powerful explosion, the tank that was hit immediately burst into flames.

    "Machine gun, machine gun!"

    Hundreds of machine guns roared and hissed as the officers shouted, firing in all directions.  In the terrible barrage, the elite Cossack cavalry fell in pieces, which made Colonel Skrokhod's heart bleed.  But the Cossacks were worthy of being the most elite cavalry in the world, risking their lives to launch a volley of charges despite the hail of bullets.  Tanks were constantly hit by grenades and caught fire, and those tank soldiers who climbed out were without exception mercilessly massacred by the cavalry.

    Although the 1st Tajik Armored Regiment is not the National Defense Force, Liu Jianguo still has great feelings for this unit that he trained and brought up.  But poor experience and nervousness in the first battle.  As a result, the troops did not even exert half of their strength. If it were not for the protection of the 66th Division Armored Reconnaissance Company, which rushed left and right, the casualties would have been even greater.  Just when he was anxious, although the RPG-40 anti-tank grenade was not a hollow charge, it was very powerful, and tanks continued to be hit.

    Just at the critical moment when the Tajik 1st Armored Regiment was in chaos, a series of denser bullets rained down.  Suddenly splashed from behind.

    Dozens of "Hound" wheeled armored vehicles from the 66th Infantry Division Infantry Light Armor Battalion climbed up from the north of the hill.  Wheeled combat vehicles have poor survivability. Most of them have 40mm rapid-fire cannons and heavy machine guns, but they are much more flexible than tracked vehicles, and their rapid-fire firepower is more suitable for dealing with cavalry.  Rapid-fire artillery using fragmentation grenades can also completely ignore damage to friendly tanks, so the "hounds" of the infantry light armor battalion do not need to aim at all.  Just aim at the mixed battle circle and shoot.  Faced with the strangulation of more than a hundred tanks and armored vehicles, the courage of the Soviet 9th Cavalry Division completely collapsed in the face of steel. The continuous appearance of armored vehicles also made Colonel Skrokhod realize that in front of him was probably a complete armored vehicle.  division.  So they had to abandon thousands of corpses and retreat westward.  But he was much better than Bonov and did not forget to send the cavalry to inform the headquarters.

    "What! A large number of tanks entered the plateau? Damn it! Tell me quickly. Where is it?!"

    When Kilponos received the news, it was already two hours later.  When the cavalry panted and pointed out the location of the encounter, a hot flash rushed straight into his nose.  "You bastard! This bastard Ponov! Why didn't he report it? Why!"

    Kilponos was furious because he knew very well that if the 9th Cavalry Division encountered a complete Chinese armored division, it might not be able to survive for even an hour.  This also means that the enemy has left the combat zone for at least an hour!  Even if the terrain is complex, the mechanized march can maintain a speed of 30 kilometers per hour.  The nearest 5th Army is 40 kilometers away from the encounter point, so even if the 5th Army sets out to pursue now, it will be difficult to catch up.  But these are not the most important, what is more important is!  The radio station was still unavailable. According to the cavalryman who came to report, it would take at least three hours to escape the interference of China's mysterious weapons.

    It is now 4 o'clock in the morning, which means that it will be at least 7 o'clock in the morning before the message can be sent to the theater command and Lukin in Kokshetau.  Fate seemed to be deliberately torturing Kilponos and the Second Ural Army. Before they could figure out a way, an urgent report came from the Saga defense line north of Lake Sarekopa.  Li Yuguo gathered a total of 600 tanks from the 7th Motorized Infantry Division, the 19th Motorized Infantry Division, the Army's 4th Amphibious Armored Regiment, the Kazakh 2nd and 3rd Armored Regiments, and the Polish 5th Armored Brigade, 17 kilometers north of Saga,  Breakthrough of the Turgai River defense line.

    This means that it is impossible for Kilponos to send cavalry to pursue him.  "Immediately organize the cavalry to take the radio and set off. No matter what, the news must be told to General Timoshenko as soon as possible! Then order the aviation division to search for the enemy at all costs! Comrade Potapov, please lead the 5th Army to set off immediately  , no matter whatthe gap must be blocked!"

    While dozens of Soviet cavalrymen were rushing out carrying the radio on their backs, Li Yuguo over there also took out the chess pieces at the bottom of the box.

    Behind the gap opened by the armored cluster, the spiritedGeneral Li Yuguo and Deputy Commander Dai Jintang stood side by side, looking at the troops crossing the river. Thinking of the battle report received in the afternoon, they sighed in their hearts: "Lao Du's battle was miserable."

    "Yes. The battle report said that the two armies only withdrew more than 60,000 soldiers. Adding in the more than 20,000 soldiers who were injured and withdrawn early, the battle lost more than 50,000 soldiers! Hey, I don't know if he can survive this.  "Dai Jintang also nodded.  Both of them are good friends of Du Zishan.  Du Zishan became famous in the battle of Rui Niweier. Under the leadership of Yue Peng, they blocked the impact of eight elite German divisions on the Bazangkul Highlands, and finally completed the establishment of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.  Imagery of the Battle of Rennevale.  Now all three of them are generals, and they all have gray hair on their temples, so they are very worried about the loss of their old friend.

    "Chief of Staff Liu is right, it's time to help him." Li Yuguo took a deep breath and waved to the officers who were waiting nearby with excited faces ready to attack.  "Remember! Don't be obsessed with fighting! The armored cluster will help you block the pursuers. I remember one sentence, after passing the war zone, immediately take a long way south. Be sure to block the road from Irgiz to Aktu before sunrise tomorrow.  The road to Binsk (now Aktobe)!¡±

    "Kilponos, Malinovsky, Zhukov Haha, I want to see how they jump out this time! Let's go!"

    In Li Yuguo and Dai Jintang's departure order, three light armored battalions composed of Type 26 fast tanks and wheeled 'Hound' armored vehicles, and four Kazakh and Tajik cavalry divisions, with a total of 70,000 soldiers, headed to Irgez in the southwest.  The rear swooped away

    (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile phone users please go to m. to read.)
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