Steel Soviet Union

The glorious Guards designation came too suddenly for Malashenko, who was currently unprepared. It is certainly a good thing to get the Guards designation during the current Moscow defense battle in 1941. But Malashenko, who has been accustomed to the hard work of things, is obviously not mentally prepared for such a surprise.

After calming down his excited and erratic breathing for a while, he immediately raised his head, looked at Malashenko, Chief of General Staff Shaposhnikov in front of him with firm eyes, and then put forward what he had always hidden in his heart. A small request.

"Comrade Marshal, I have a small request regarding the appointment of the new unit. I hope you can make the decision to mobilize all the personnel under my command who were originally staying in Leningrad, including my own vehicle crew!"

"I have experienced so many battles with my comrades, sharing life and death together. With their core group, I can increase the combat effectiveness of the new unit as quickly as possible. I know how to take them from the surrounded Leningrad." It will be difficult to transfer back, but this is really the only request I hope you can make. "

After hearing this, Shaposhnikov couldn't help but shake his head and smile as he recalled Zhukov's words he had just heard on the phone not long ago.

"Comrade Marshal, after Malashenko is transferred to the new unit, he should make a request to you to transfer the original unit personnel back. I hope you will agree to this small request. After all, it will make his new unit closer to The Guards troops can better display their due combat effectiveness, believe me.”

Thinking of this, Shaposhnikov, who had a new understanding of the relationship between Zhukov and Malashenko, could not help but secretly affirm.

"It seems that Comrade Zhukov has a very clear idea of ​​the character of Malashenko, otherwise he would not have made such an accurate prediction. It is not too difficult to transfer this group of people back from Leningrad. It’s better to follow Zhukov’s advice and agree to it.”

Chief of the General Staff Shaposhnikov, who did not make any unnecessary or excessive hesitation, immediately answered and agreed to Malashenko's small request. After all, it was also important to try his best to meet Malashenko's modest request. One of the things Comrade Stalin personally warned.

After receiving the appointment letter as the head of the new Guards First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment, Malashenko immediately took office. Almost all the crews of this newly established Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment were composed of people who had previously served in the Guards. It is composed of experienced Red Army tank crews who have survived the fierce fighting since the outbreak of the war.

Any Red Army tank crew that can survive on this cruel battlefield of mountains of corpses and seas of blood can, without exception, be called elites, but these rebellious and unruly soldiers are full of murderous intent and reveal a hint of madness. For the Red Army tank crews, only tank heroes like Malashenko, who have achieved more glorious results, are worthy of serving as their commanders and leading them to victory.

According to the latest establishment list, the newly established First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment under Malashenko has the same nature as the original independent First Heavy Tank Breakthrough Battalion. There is no doubt that it is a group with far superior capabilities than its peers. A large reinforced tank regiment organized at the regimental level.

In addition to the original company-level logistics support units such as field maintenance support, oil supply, and baggage and ammunition transportation, which were expanded to the battalion level, the three tank companies under the independent first heavy tank breakthrough battalion system were also upgraded to one level. , which was expanded to the size of three tank battalions on the original basis.

As a result, Malashenko initially estimates that his First Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment will have a huge organization of about 120 to 150 tanks.

Although this number is based on the full strength of the troops, based on the previous combat experience of Malashenko, a tank unit that is always fighting is almost always under full strength.

It sounds like there are hundreds of tanks, which is nearly as powerful as most of the German armored divisions. Obviously, it is impossible to maintain a full strength all the time. It is foreseeable that the 1st Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment will be used in the most unfavorable areas of the battle. As long as he can maintain about a hundred standing combat tanks, it will be a happy event worthy of burning incense for Malashenko.

But no matter what, the fact that he won the honorary title of the Glorious Guards and expanded the army once is undoubtedly a happy thing for Malashenko. Only more powerful tanks and the size of the army are the most important things. The most fundamental guarantee for Rashenko's survival in this war-torn era.

Malashenko, whose troops have not yet been assembled, has been intensifying the training of his new troops in the following days. The high-intensity training throughout the day allowed some Red Army tanks, which already had high self-esteem and were unruly, to merge into the vehicle crew. Gradually, there began to be a hint of dissatisfaction with Malashenko, and in the end some bad abuses began to spread among the troops.

After hearing these bad words that cursed him, Malashenko was very dissatisfied. Instead of punishing his subordinates for making irresponsible remarks about his superiors, he responded with a calm and indifferent expression. One morning later, At the training meeting, he even gave a speech to the tank soldiers under his command that was memorable.

"Comrades, before today's training begins, I would like to talk to you about some personal issues about myself."

"Recently, I heard some not-so-nice rumors. It is said that some of our comrades were dissatisfied with me for making everyone train so hard all day long before I even went to the battlefield. So much so that they scolded me angrily. I, Malashenko, am a "spy sent by the Germans to tire out the Soviet tank soldiers." Is that what it means? "

After hearing Malashenko's bland words standing on the open-air podium with his unsmiling expression, a few people who wanted to call Malashenko a piece of stinking shit yesterday were stinging. The leading tank soldiers remained silent.

Captain Malashenko, who wears both the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner on his chest, is a tank hero that even Supreme Leader Comrade Stalin pays close attention to. It’s enough that the bad words of swearing at Malashenko in private reached his ears. If anyone dares to stand up and admit that he was the one who cursed at this time, he is a smoky and hopeless idiot.

Malashenko, who had expected the silence of the hundreds of Red Army tank soldiers in the audience and was not surprised at all, smiled faintly again and then spoke again.