Chapter 129: Weak Defense
The Front Military Committee wants to investigate the 62nd Army Command. The content of the investigation is nothing more than verifying their whereabouts in the past three days. Such an investigation is undoubtedly cumbersome, and, to a large extent, it will also affect the emotions of the relevant commanders, but the key issue is that such an investigation is actually very necessary.
There is no need to explain how important the Battle of Stalingrad is. As of now, the main battlefield of the entire Stalingrad Defense War is supported by the 62nd Army. Therefore, as the direct command organization of this force, the loyalty of the command headed by Chuikov is crucial.
In the past three days, the entire command center has been completely out of contact. No one knows where they went or what happened. Now, the command center has restored contact with the troops and said that they were trapped by fire in the past three days, and the place where they were trapped is still in the German-controlled area. In a situation like this, if we don't investigate and are not sure whether it is true, who can rest assured? Not to mention the front and Moscow, even Yuri can't rest assured.
Khrushchev personally visited the headquarters of the 62nd Army to announce the launch of the investigation procedure. At the same time, he also announced the order of the front headquarters: Taking into account the actual situation, Yuri will temporarily be responsible for the military command of the 62nd Army during the investigation.
Of course, in addition to these two orders, Khrushchev also announced the military committee of the front army's affirmation of the 62nd Army's previous combat effectiveness. According to the prediction of the front army headquarters , the German offensive in the direction of Stalingrad will stagnate in late October because the German army suffered heavy losses in the previous offensive. At the same time, their ammunition and supplies also need more time to prepare.
Khrushchev emphasized the defensive battles in the three areas of Gumrak, Voroponov and Mamayev Kurgan. Intelligence showed that in the past less than a week, the defensive battles organized by the Soviet army in these three areas had inflicted heavy damage to the German offensive forces. A total of four German divisions were crippled in these three areas and eventually had to withdraw from the battle sequence.
After announcing the orders of the front headquarters and the Military Committee, Khrushchev listened to Yuri's report. As the actual commander of the 62nd Army in the past few days, Yuri was the only one who knew the current battle situation in Stalingrad best.
As an increasingly mature commander, the entire battlefield situation of Stalingrad was in Yuri's mind. Therefore, when introducing the battle situation, he did not even use the battlefield map he brought with him, and directly explained it based on the original map of the command center.
In the past few days, in addition to the main offensive launched by the German army at Mamayev Kurgan, there were also three auxiliary fronts advancing in the city of Stalingrad.
In the Gumlak region, a German infantry division, with the support of aircraft and tanks, launched a continuous attack on the Soviet 149th Brigade. However, this German infantry division has obviously not adapted to the brutal close street fighting in Stalingrad. In the first two days of fighting, they only advanced less than 100 meters towards the Volga River, and their vanguard only captured the Vladimirovka railway transfer station yesterday afternoon. Last night, the 149th Brigade, which was reinforced by two battalions and supported by the artillery of the Volga Fleet, launched a counterattack against the Germans. After six hours of fierce fighting, the Soviets repelled the German offensive forces to the north of the Vladimirovka Railway and regained control of the center of Spaltanovoka. Unfortunately, in this counterattack, Major Kochmarev, chief of staff of the 149th Brigade, was directly hit by a German artillery shell and died on the spot. Yuri suggested that the front command should posthumously award Major Kochmarev the title of Hero of the Soviet Union after the war.
In the factory area, the German 79th Division and a newly transferred 44th Division launched offensives on the "Barricade" Factory and the "Red October" Factory respectively three days ago.
The attack direction of the German 44th Division was right at the junction of the two Soviet Infantry Divisions of Lyudnikov and Gurdjiev. Because the battle was launched very suddenly and there was a lack of coordination between the two Soviet troops, the German troops successfully occupied Mezenskaya Street and Tuvinskaya Street a few hours after the battle started. So far, the "barricade" factory was surrounded by the German army, but the two Soviet battalions that were surrounded did not give up the fight. Until this morning, they were still resisting in the German encirclement, thus tying down the German forces.
The attack of the German 79th Division was bravely blocked by the Soviet troops of Smehotvorov and Guryev. As of this morning, the German army had just pushed the front line to the outskirts of the "Red October" factory. Guryev planned to launch a counterattack tonight to try to retake Mashennaya Street controlled by the German army. However, Guryev had few troops left, and he needed new troops to support this counterattack.
In general, throughout Stalingrad, the 62nd Army fought very tenaciously and brilliantly. It is no exaggeration to say that since the outbreak of the Soviet-German War, the Soviet army has never performed so well in face-to-face combat, not even in the Battle of Moscow.
However, the excellent performance of the troops does not mean that the battle situation will become optimistic. In fact, according to Yuri, the defense of the Stalingrad city is still full of crises.
Take the battle in the factory area for example. With the fall of the "Barricade" factory, the German front line has actually advanced to the banks of the Volga River. The 62nd Army defending the urban area of Stalingrad has basically been cut into two parts. Now, the only channel for the Soviet army in the east and west of the city to communicate is a narrow corridor less than 400 meters wide from the south of the "Barricade" factory to the bank of the Volga River. Now, it is Guryev's 39th Division that is responsible for defending this corridor.
The division that Guryev was in charge of could be said to be an infantry division that could fight tough battles. However, the division had been severely damaged in the previous battles, and Guryev did not even have a single reserve force. Just two days ago, a secret German detachment broke through the 39th Division's defense line and attacked Guryev's headquarters. At that time, Guryev could not even raise a company of troops. In the end, it was Yuri who transferred him to the guard company directly under the army headquarters, which defeated the German attack.
In general, the current battle situation in Stalingrad is very complicated. Although the Soviet troops stationed in the city have built a series of defense lines , due to the lack of manpower, these defense lines are full of loopholes. Therefore, what the 62nd Army needs most now is follow-up reinforcements, and a large number of them.
Although Yuri's report was not very optimistic, Khrushchev was still very satisfied with the situation. He told Yuri that Moscow and the front were doing their best to raise troops for Stalingrad and the 62nd Army. When he crossed the river, the 45th Infantry Division had already arrived on the other side of the Volga River. They would start crossing the river tonight. At the same time, the 284th Infantry Division commanded by Batyukh would also arrive at the Volga River crossing at dusk tomorrow. The naval officers and soldiers coming from the Far East would also arrive at the Volga River in the next two days. These naval officers and soldiers would be reorganized on the other side of the river and become an independent division under the command of Goroshny.
In Yuri's opinion, even if everything Khrushchev said could be realized as scheduled, the prospects for the Stalingrad defense operation were still not very clear. Roughly speaking, even if Batyukh and Zholudev's troops could cross the Volga River within the scheduled period, the 62nd Army would only have 8 divisions deployed in the theater of operations, namely: the Yermolkin Division, the Golishny Division, the Batyukh Division, the Smehotvorov Division, the Gurdjiev Division, the Zholudev Division, the Lyudnikov Division, and the Sokolov Division. In addition, there were two brigades, the Andryukko Brigade and the Borvinov Brigade. The reason why these troops were named after their commanders was very simple. The troops that entered the city early had already become chaotic, and the soldiers in the organization had been replaced several times. Sometimes, even a regiment of new soldiers that was added the day before was crippled the next day.
On the German side, there are seven infantry divisions and three tank divisions in the participating troops whose numbers Yuri knows. The difference in strength between the two sides is too great. At the same time, although the 62nd Army has never given up the defense of the city, the German army has still pushed the front line to the banks of the Volga River. According to Yuri's estimation, the 62nd Army can only hold out for a week at most before it will be cut into two parts by the German attack in the central part of the city. At the same time, as the German attack advances to the banks of the Volga River, the Soviet crossing docks will also be in the most direct danger. Both logistical supplies and the transportation of new troops will become extremely difficult.
On the bright side, Yuri believed that the 62nd Army had already dealt a heavy blow to the German offensive forces in the early defensive operations. In addition, it was already mid-to-late October, and the weather was getting colder as winter was approaching. If nothing unexpected happened, the momentum of the German offensive could be maintained for a month at most. By mid-November, or even earlier, the intensity of the German offensive would probably decrease, and by that time, it would be time for the Soviet army to launch a full-scale counterattack.
In general, for the current Soviet army, or to be more precise, for the current 62nd Army, persistence will be the only way out, there is no other way.
