Chapter 546: surround
This battle was completely beyond Lieutenant Colonel Edmund's expectations. From the moment he attacked the hospital, he thought it would end soon, then he thought it would end soon when he attacked the cemetery, and then the horses again. Mayev Gang…
In every battle, the German army has great advantages. For example, the battles in hospitals and cemeteries have absolute superiority in troops, and Mamayev Post has air supremacy, as well as advantages in artillery and tanks.
On the battlefield, the German army often wins the strong with the weak and the strong with the few, so Edmund always thought that it would not take long to end when he had the upper hand, so he always thought about winning or ending the battle. time to rest.
However, he seems to have fallen into a trap, one after another that never ends.
Finally, Lieutenant Colonel Edmund couldn't take it anymore. After several days of commanding almost without sleep, he went into the lounge and lay down on the bed without taking off his uniform.
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund slept so deeply that he only asked when the adjutant reported to him that the enemy was attacking.
"Attack the hilltop position?" Lieutenant Colonel Edmund sat up and asked vaguely.
"Yes!" replied the adjutant.
"Lieutenant Colonel Bauer has full authority to handle it!" Lieutenant Colonel Edmond ordered.
"Yes, lieutenant colonel!" The adjutant responded and went out.
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund lay back on the bed and continued to sleep, even though the sound of artillery was already roaring from the other direction.
This is because Lieutenant Colonel Edmund is very relieved about the defense line of the hilltop position. Before that, he had seen the defense map sent back by Major Klein, and there were no omissions.
Among them, especially the use of the wreckage of the assault gun, which can be regarded as a stroke of genius.
Lieutenant Colonel Edmond's evaluation of this is: "If the Russians really attack our defense line and plan to take Mamayev back by night, then they will be disappointed!"
This is the reason why Lieutenant Colonel Edmund rested assuredly and continued to rest. He hoped to take advantage of this time to replenish some physical strength and energy to cope with the final battle of the next day... If nothing unexpected happens, they will The Mamayev Post can be completely occupied, and the supply line of Stalingrad can be blocked accordingly.
But before Lieutenant Colonel Edmund slept long, he was woken up again by the adjutant.
"I said it!" Lieutenant Colonel Edmond, who was awakened, roared at the adjutant: "Let Lieutenant Colonel Bauer take full command!"
"But, Lieutenant Colonel!" The adjutant replied in a chilly voice, "It was Lieutenant Colonel Bauer who asked me to wake you up!"
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund couldn't help being taken aback when he heard the words, then turned over and sat up, took his hat from the table next to him, put it on, and strode towards the headquarters.
Lieutenant Colonel Edmond knew that if Lieutenant Colonel Bauer woke him up, it meant that there were changes on the battlefield or some accidents required him to make a decision.
However, Lieutenant Colonel Edmund never thought that Lieutenant Colonel Bauer did not need him to make a decision, because it was too late to make any decision at this time, and everything happened too fast.
"What's the situation?" Lieutenant Colonel Edmund asked after entering the headquarters.
"We failed!" Lieutenant Colonel Bauer replied: "They broke through our defense line!"
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund was stunned on the spot, and then he laughed: "This is impossible, Ball... Could it be that I overslept and forgot the time?"
As Lieutenant Colonel Edmund looked at his watch, he became even more puzzled: "If I'm not mistaken, it's been less than an hour since they launched their attack, and it took them only an hour to break through our defense line? "
"Yes!" Lieutenant Colonel Ball replied palely: "They are not attacking from the front, but from the flank..."
As Lieutenant Colonel Bauer said, he pointed to the map and said, "From here, under the cover of artillery, they broke through our defense line in only ten minutes. Our arrangement near the top of the hill didn't work at all!"
"Quick!" Lieutenant Colonel Edmund ordered: "Provide reinforcements for the frontal **** immediately! At the same time, order Major Klein to flank the enemy!"
"We've already done that!" Lieutenant Colonel Ball replied, "But I think it's too late!"
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund stared blankly at Lieutenant Colonel Bauer, speechless for a while.
"We must be prepared for a complete loss!" Lieutenant Colonel Bauer said: "I mean Mamayev Hill. That is to say, we should build a line of defense at the foot of the mountain, otherwise..."
Lieutenant Colonel Edmond knew what Lieutenant Colonel Ball meant.
If a line of defense had not been built at the foot of the mountain, the Russians probably would not have occupied Mamayev Post alone.
Lieutenant Colonel Edmund nodded helplessly, and ordered to organize a defense at the foot of the mountain.
Facts have proved that the choices of Lieutenant Colonel Edmund and Lieutenant Colonel Bauer are correct.
Because when the 82nd Infantry Regiment broke through the German defense from the flank and entered the front slope, it had already completed the encirclement of Mamayev Gang.
And Major Klein, who was on the ground at this time, didn't even know this... The Russian Guards Infantry Regiment was launching a fierce attack on his defense line.
You must know that this is the Russian Guards Infantry Regiment, and it is still at night.
So, although Major Klein has made full preparations, he still dare not slack off.
Then, the connection between the front finger and the rear regiment headquarters was suddenly broken.
"What's going on?" Major Klein had a sense of foreboding.
"The Russians bombed my rear with intensive artillery fire!" The adjutant reported: "Maybe these shells broke the telephone line!"
Major Klein nodded.
He wasn't surprised that the Russians bombed the rear, because it was a common tactic on the battlefield... using artillery fire to prevent enemy reinforcements and supplies from getting to the front.
"Fix these phone lines immediately!" Major Klein ordered.
Although there are radios, due to signal interference and other reasons, the short-distance communication is faster and more economical than the telephone.
"Yes, Major!" The adjutant replied, and immediately got out of the bomb hole to convey the order.
But he ran back after only two minutes, and reported with a changed face: "Major, I don't think it's just a problem of the artillery fire blowing up the telephone line. The front **** seems to be infiltrated by the enemy!"
"What did you say?" Major Klein's eyes widened: "Is there an enemy on the slope?"
"Yes!" The adjutant replied: "I heard shouts from that direction, and gunshots!"
It is normal to have explosions, if there are gunshots... that means that there is a battle in this direction.
Major Colein rushed out of the blast hole without saying a word, then poked his head out a little to look behind.
Sure enough, there were bursts of intense gunshots from the direction of the slope.
"No, Hans!" Major Klein said, "That's not enemy infiltration, it's the enemy entering the frontal **** and surrounding us!"
(end of this chapter)