red moscow

Chapter 3115

Just as Nazorov turned to gather his troops, Sokov reached out and grabbed his arm, his brow furrowing slightly as he asked with some concern, "Comrade Captain, without existing fortifications, can we really hold off the enemy? You know, the impact of German tanks is no joke."

Nazorov grinned: "Comrade Brigade Commander, don't worry. I see a steep hill ahead where I can set up our blocking positions and use the terrain to suppress their attack route. Also, although this heavy snow has caused trouble for the march, it has also helped us—the snow is thick enough that with a little modification, it can become our natural cover."

"Captain Yefim!" Although Nazorov answered with great confidence, Sokov still called Yefim over and instructed him, "Nazorov and his men don't have any decent anti-tank weapons. They can't handle armored forces with just rifles and grenades. Immediately send two anti-tank teams to assist them in building their defensive lines."

“Yes, Comrade Brigade Commander.” Yefim readily agreed to Sokov’s arrangement. “I will immediately assign two experienced anti-tank teams to assist Captain Nazorov and his men in dealing with the German tanks.”

"Thank you, Comrade Brigade Commander." Seeing that Sokov had specially assigned him two anti-tank teams, Nazorov's face showed gratitude. He rubbed his numb hands, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively asked, "I'd like to ask, when will our battalion be able to be equipped with these anti-tank rocket launchers like the 1st and 4th Battalions? The soldiers are both envious and anxious to see their brother units with new equipment."

Sokov patted Nazorov on the shoulder: "Captain Nazorov, I understand your feelings and I know the soldiers' desires. But the anti-tank rocket launcher supplies are still on their way. Once they arrive, I will distribute them to your battalion as soon as possible. The most important thing now is to hold the position and not let the German armored forces advance an inch, understand?"

"Yes, sir! I guarantee I will complete the mission!" Nazorov, energized by Sokov's promise, answered loudly and turned to run towards the area where the Third Battalion was stationed, ready to lead them to intercept the enemy.

……

Led by Nazorov, the officers and soldiers of the 3rd Battalion made a difficult ascent up the slope covered with thick snow before the German armored company arrived. They quickly used the terrain to disperse and ambush the German reinforcements, their breaths freezing in the cold, their eyes fixed on the road below.

Soon, the dull thud of tracks grinding through the snow came from ahead. The two lead German tanks slowly appeared on the horizon, spotting the Soviet troops lying in ambush on the slope almost simultaneously. The tanks screeched to a halt, their turrets spun rapidly, and their machine guns spat fire, followed by a deafening roar from their main guns. Several armored vehicles following behind deployed in an arc behind the tanks, forming a firing net and joining the fray.

In an instant, the whistling of bullets tearing through the air and the muffled explosions of mortar shells mingled together, like an incessant drumbeat of death, pounding heavily on the hearts of every Soviet soldier crawling on the snow. The concentrated fire relentlessly plowed through the snow, stirring up plumes of snow mist that erupted like white fountains. Several soldiers were unfortunately struck by stray bullets; their heads snapped back, and they fell silently to the snow, warm blood gushing from their wounds, quickly staining the surrounding pristine white snow.

Nazarov crouched low, hiding behind a snow-covered mound. Bullets whizzed past his head, scattering dirt and snowflakes that covered his already dust- and gunpowder-laden overcoat with a layer of snow. He squinted, his eyes fixed on the tanks and armored vehicles spewing fire in the distance, a chill running down his spine: the enemy was positioned far too far, well beyond the effective range of rocket launchers. To destroy them, anti-tank crews would have to risk advancing through the dense enemy fire, leaving their relatively safe cover, to engage in close-quarters combat. If these anti-tank crews were from his own personally trained 3rd Battalion, Nazarov would have given the order without hesitation—the battlefield never tolerates hesitation. But they all belonged to Yefim's 1st Battalion, brothers temporarily assigned to his command. He had no right to decide their fate, nor could he bear to send them into that almost certain death trap of fire.

The deputy battalion commander crawled up to Nazorov and asked in a low voice, "Comrade Battalion Commander, why don't you send an anti-tank team to attack and destroy the enemy's tanks and armored vehicles?"

Nazorov did not answer immediately, but hesitated and said, "Deputy Battalion Commander, look!" He pointed to the German tanks and armored vehicles in the distance and said helplessly, "They are at least three or four hundred meters away from us, while the anti-tank team's rocket launchers have a range of only two hundred meters, which is not enough to destroy them. If we attack rashly, our soldiers will only become sitting ducks."

The deputy battalion commander frowned, looking somewhat agitated: "Then send out an anti-tank team! Their mission is to destroy enemy armored vehicles, isn't it? We can't just sit here and wait to die because we're afraid of losses. Comrade Battalion Commander, this is war; someone has to take the risk."

Nazorov sighed and shook his head: "But they are all Captain Yefim's men. I have no right to send them to their deaths. Captain Yefim trusts me, and I cannot rashly send his soldiers on such suicidal missions."

"Comrade Battalion Commander, what's going on?" The deputy battalion commander responded with dissatisfaction and urgency upon hearing Nazorov's words: "How can there be no deaths in a war? Once they destroy the enemy's armored vehicles, we can launch an attack. Otherwise, we will only be pinned down here by the enemy and unable to move an inch."

Nazorov remained silent, watching quietly as several trucks were parked behind the tanks and armored vehicles. Countless German soldiers jumped from the trucks, their movements swift and orderly, then they scrambled into small groups to seize advantageous positions, preparing for battle.

Seeing that Nazorov remained silent, the deputy battalion commander grew anxious and raised his voice slightly: "Comrade Battalion Commander, we can't hesitate any longer! If we wait until the First Battalion has completely wiped out the enemy in the village while we haven't made any progress, the Brigade Commander will definitely send the First Battalion to replace us. You can't just hand over the honor you've earned to other friendly forces, can you? Our battalion worked so hard to get this mission, we can't just waste this opportunity."

The deputy battalion commander's words deeply stung Nazorov, and his eyes instantly turned cold. He felt the deputy battalion commander was right; if he delayed taking action, the brigade commander would definitely send the 1st Battalion to relieve him after the 1st Battalion had cleared the enemy from the village. This would not only result in a loss of honor but could also leave a bad impression on the brigade commander.

Thinking this through, he took a deep breath, made a decisive decision, and began issuing orders: "Anti-tank teams, immediately advance to the vicinity of German tanks and armored vehicles and try to destroy them. At the same time, let our machine guns open fire to suppress enemy fire and cover the anti-tank teams as they approach enemy armored vehicles."

(End of this chapter)