allonlinenovel Chapter 206 Battlefield
Chapter 206 Battlefield
"What? The headquarters was bombed by the German army?!" Upon hearing this news, Old Peng stood up as if he had been electrocuted and asked anxiously, "How is the Chief of Staff? Is he injured?!"
The combat staff officer who reported the news quickly responded: "Chief of Staff Huang and his team evacuated 10 minutes ago. No one was injured. They have now arrived at the Second Covert Command Headquarters."
Old Peng paced back and forth like an ant on a hot pan. Although it was just a false alarm, the news was like a heavy hammer that woke him up. As the chief of staff of the expeditionary force, Huang Wei's importance is self-evident. He responded promptly this time, but what about next time?
"The Chief of Staff must not be put in danger. His safety must be ensured!" Old Peng made a quick decision. He immediately instructed the staff officer to summon the commander of the front's garrison and ordered him to immediately dispatch a special forces platoon to take over the Chief of Staff's security. The garrison commander hesitated for a moment, then explained that Chief Huang's security had always been provided by the 200th Group Army's garrison regiment, and that Chief Huang also served as commander of the 200th Group Army.
Old Peng, in a rare display of rage, yelled at the garrison commander: "The Chief of Staff is the Chief of Staff of the Front Army. Why is the 200th Army responsible for guarding us? What are you doing?! If anything happens to the Chief of Staff, I'll shoot you!"
While Lin Zheng and General Yelyomenko were discussing the timing and direction of the armored assault, they received a report of the bombing of Chief of Staff Huang's headquarters. Their expressions instantly grew solemn. Lin Zheng's brow furrowed tightly, as this unexpected incident could have a significant impact on the entire battle plan. It seemed that he had to act as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, upon receiving the report, Liu Molong's fury ignited. His explosive temper was fully revealed, and he immediately summoned the other three division commanders. After reviewing the divisions' preparations, Liu Molong made a decisive move, vowing to launch the operation that very night. He vowed to recapture Schacht in one fell swoop.
At the front headquarters in Astrakhan, Wei Lihuang and Zhu also received the notice. The usually steady Wei Lihuang seemed a little anxious at this moment. He suggested that Huang Wei be removed from the front line and returned to the front-line headquarters to ensure his safety. However, Zhu was more calm and rational. He said to Wei Lihuang, "Commander-in-Chief Wei, the Chief of Staff's lack of understanding of the front-line situation is indeed detrimental to his on-the-spot judgment. We don't need to worry too much about Chief of Staff Huang's safety. However, the German Air Force is so arrogant, our air force should also be dispatched to teach them a severe lesson." Wei Lihuang nodded, agreeing with Zhu's idea.
Just as Wei Lihuang was about to ask his confidential staff to notify the 34th Air Force, Zhu Yuanzhang stopped him. Zhu Yuanzhang said, "I think we should just let the 5th Air Force act alone this time. Our air forces can't always rely on others. We should learn to fight independently and demonstrate our strength!" Wei Lihuang thought for a moment and felt that Zhu Yuanzhang's suggestion made sense.
Upon learning that his headquarters had been attacked and that various units were experiencing unusual movements, Huang Wei immediately notified their commanders and ordered them to strictly adhere to the established plan. He knew that if this resentment was not quickly suppressed, it would likely affect the commanders' judgment and negatively impact the smooth implementation of the entire combat plan.
Huang Wei also personally called Liu Molong, ordering him not to act rashly. He also informed him that he and the 17th Army were confident in their defense. The 17th Army's defensive operations northwest of Rostov were intended to delay and tire the German 7th Panzer Army, creating an opportunity for its forces to encircle and annihilate it. He ordered Liu Molong not to take any action for three days.
Huang Wei also called Lin and asked him to take the camera with him and keep an eye on Wang Congwu's ambush on the German SS 185th Grenadier Division north of Taganrog. If successful, it would be very helpful to Lin's actions.
After receiving Huang Wei's strict orders to his subordinates, Old Peng laughed and said with emotion, "What on earth is going on in Huang Wei's head? He's so calm and so meticulous. Germans, Friedrich Dollmann (commander of the German 7th Army), just wait for his true wrath!"
"Boom boom boom boom!" The German 203mm heavy howitzers began to fire, and 230mm mortar shells continued to rain down. Wu Bairen, commander of the 602nd Division, calmly emerged from his concealed observation post, quickly adjusting his gun scope and carefully observing the German movements.
Wow, the German army really invested a lot this time. It is estimated that they dispatched a tank battalion, at least a grenadier regiment, and at least one infantry regiment. 2000 meters away, there was a dense group of them, coming over in an orderly manner like a tide.
"Is there any problem with the 1st Regiment?" Wu Bairen turned to ask Gudong, the commander of the 1st Regiment, who was standing behind him. Gu strode forward, carefully observed the situation through his scope, and muttered, "My goodness, this is a desperate battle." He turned back from his scope and grinned at Division Commander Wu. "Hey, old Chief of Staff, we all came from the 600th Regiment. This isn't new to us. If there's any problem, just do it!"
Wu Bairen was transferred after the Battle of Toungoo, Burma, and did not participate in the subsequent operations of the 600th Regiment and the 200th Division. This was a great regret for him. Otherwise, with his former position as Chief of Staff of the 600th Regiment and his partnership with Huang Wei, he would have been more than just a division commander. Of course, he earned this title after later returning to the 200th Division and fighting bloody battles along the way. Seeing Commander Gu's dismissive attitude, he knew clearly that these core officers of the 200th Group Army had experienced bloody battles. Strategically, they despised the enemy, while tactically, the 1st Regiment had long been prepared for a decisive battle.
Division Commander Wu nodded slightly to Regiment Commander Gu, patted him on the shoulder, and said solemnly: "I'll leave this to you. The division's firepower will provide you with support at any time!"
The German tanks at the front rushed like wild horses and quickly broke through the first empty position of the 1st Regiment. However, the German tanks were blocked by a trench nearly 4 meters wide and could only patrol the periphery in vain. Several heavy tanks equipped with bulldozers were struggling to fill the soil, and the German grenadier team cleverly entered the tunnel and was quietly detouring to the surrounding areas.
Gudong watched all this calmly from his observation post and whispered to the staff officer beside him, "Is the 1st Battalion ready?"
The staff officer replied, "All explosives have been placed in place, and the 3rd Battalion has already tunneled behind the enemy. We are just waiting for your order!"
Gudong immediately ordered the detonation. Immediately, earth-shattering explosions erupted around the German army. The black mud of southern Russia immediately flew tens of meters high in a cloud of mud, which, along with the smoke and debris from the explosions, enveloped the German troops on the front lines...