Steel Soviet Union

The newly replaced main gun coaxial machine gun roared into action again under the operation of gunner Iushkin. Several German infantrymen who had just repelled the surrounding Red Army infantry and wanted to seize the opportunity to attack were caught off guard and deflated on the spot. The KV1 tank turret is like a beast waking up from sleep, baring its fangs again to harvest the lives of all the prey around it.

The Soviet army's entire organic reserve infantry division was fully engaged in the battle, causing the battlefield situation to develop increasingly unfavorable to the German army.

At the beginning of the battle, they could barely rely on their dual advantages in quality and quantity, but the German attack force, which was suppressing the remnants of the 21st Border Defense Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, gradually began to be unable to hold on. The small piece of Soviet position just captured was too difficult for the German army, which only had lightly equipped offensive troops and lacked heavy defensive weapons, to hold it.

More and more Soviet infantry came like a tide from the rear and repeatedly attacked the German temporary defense line. They were forced to retreat again and again under the pressure of the enemy's absolute counterattack advantage and the still-growing numerical advantage.

The German army, which tried its best to avoid close combat with the Soviet army and was helpless against the KV1 heavy tanks, was finally forced to the edge of the final cliff after repeated tug-of-war.

"Those Germans can't hold on any longer! The time to destroy the enemy is now, comrades, Hurrah!"

The Soviet army in pursuit of victory once again launched the Ula Charge, preparing to drive all the German troops who were facing the enemy out of the position at one go. From the periscope of the commander, he saw the German infantry starting to retreat again. Malashenko immediately ordered each vehicle crew to start. A full-line pursuit began, and the reserve 10th Infantry Division, which had just entered the conflict line of fire, advanced closely behind its own steel behemoths.

The dozens of KV1 heavy tanks charging at the front of the team are undoubtedly the biggest headache for the German army at the moment.

These rough-skinned steel behemoths had no way to effectively deal with the lightly armed German attack troops.

The only consequence of being unable to stop these behemoths is that the temporary defense lines of the German army that retreated are continuously broken down one after another. The Soviet infantry following these tanks will immediately rush in through the gaps in the defense line to expand the results of the battle. The German army, whose defense lines were in pieces, had to order again to retreat and reorganize their defenses.

But after a while, the German army, which could barely stop its retreat, would return to its original posture under the Soviet offensive in pursuit of victory. This was simply a nightmare vicious cycle for the current German attacking troops!

Those small-caliber mortars that were urgently transported and brought over by the German army using SDKFZ251 half-track vehicles, although their parabolic ballistic characteristics could be hoisted to the Soviet infantry team behind the tank, they had a certain killing effect.

However, these small water pipe mortars, which are small enough to be transported on half-track armored vehicles, are obviously as useless as a lonely boat in the sea in front of the massive Soviet infantry launching a division-level charge.

Regardless of the cost of casualties, the Soviet infantry and tanks coordinated with the division's first-level organic charge, completely crushing the possibility of the Germans seizing the entire position in one go.

Holding the binoculars in his hand tightly, he watched the soldiers under his command who had received rigorous training and fought all the way from Western Europe, falling to the ground one after another under the bayonets and steel tracks of the Soviet soldiers swarming in. , realizing that the goddess of victory still did not favor Germany after all, the German commander had to grit his teeth and order helplessly.

"Let all the attacking troops withdraw and return to the starting position, and prepare to regroup for the next wave of offensive. Inform the artillery group to be ready at any time. Those Ivans are likely to take advantage of the victory and take the opportunity to launch a counterattack. If things go well, we can take this opportunity to launch another offensive. Those Ivans should go back the way they came."

The wishful thinking German commander planned to first let his attacking troops retreat from the original route and temporarily avoid the edge, luring the Soviet army, which had temporarily grasped the initiative on the battlefield, to pursue the victory.

When the troops on both sides were far apart and the Soviet pursuing troops were in an open area with no bunkers to use, they launched another ferocious artillery bombardment to inflict heavy damage on the Soviet troops.

At that time, the German attacking troops, who had taken a breather and reorganized during the continuous interval of shelling, could immediately make a comeback, clean up the Soviet pursuit troops that had just suffered heavy losses from the shelling, like the autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, and completely seize the entire enemy's territory. A Soviet defensive position.

During the rapid march, they had just arrived at the front line to rush to the battlefield. The 10th Infantry Division of the Soviet reserve force did not have enough time to deploy artillery positions and deploy them in place to keep them on standby. This crucial battlefield factor had already been taken care of by the sophisticated German army. The commander secretly remembered it in his heart.

As the saying goes, there are no tigers in the mountains, but monkeys dominate.

Even if there is only a temporary absence of the Soviet field artillery unit, a powerful opponent that can grind the enemy to the ground, the German artillery, which accurately grasps the timing and dynamics of the battlefield, can still exert powerful and unexpected power under this premise.

The two German infantry divisions had a total of 24 150mm divisional heavy howitzers and other smaller-caliber artillery. Only one artillery fire coverage was enough to severely damage the entire Soviet pursuit force.

As for the Soviet artillery counterattack that may come later, what is the point of waiting until all the German tanks rush to their artillery positions?

Looking at the Soviet pursuit troops who had crossed the outermost infantry trenches and began to pursue the retreating own attack troops, the German commander, who was gradually developing in the direction he expected, put down his telescope and smiled. A sneer of laughter.

"Notify Harienberg and Gunther Strauss that their artillery can now start performing."

The German artillery positions that received the order from the front-line field command immediately began to attack according to the just-marked artillery coordinates.

In an instant, 150mm heavy artillery shells rained down, roaring through the air and whistling as they fell among the Soviet pursuing troops, exploding continuously and shaking the earth.

But just like the grin on the German commander's mouth when he put down the telescope in his hand, Malashenko, who was marching at the forefront of the pursuit force and constantly observing with his commander's periscope, also raised the corners of his mouth and raised it.

"Do you really think your second-rate artillerymen can stand up to the challenge? You think too highly of yourself."

Far behind the Red Army position, on the Neva River with rippling blue waves and undulating water, the majestic light cruiser "Maxim Gorky" was raising all three triple 180mm main gun turrets. They all aimed at the distant sky.

"The coordinates of the German artillery positions have been confirmed. The entire fleet is listening to the order and firing salvos!"