Published at 13th of February 2023 06:52:17 AM

"Attack! Attack!"

The commanders of the German armored division and mechanized infantry division issued orders to attack one after another.

For a time, six armored divisions and twelve mechanized infantry divisions took the lead and rushed to the Russian position on the hundreds of kilometers of defense line of the German Army Group B. Each armored division of the German army has more than 300 tanks, and the mechanized infantry division also has more than 100 tanks. All armored divisions and mechanized infantry divisions add up to 3,000 tanks.

Moreover, these tanks are advanced tiger and leopard tanks. Behind the Tiger and Leopard tank, there are also a large number of armored vehicles, including tracked infantry fighting vehicles, half-track armored personnel carriers and so on.

A large number of tanks and armored vehicles formed a torrent of steel and rushed towards the Russian defense line.

The 8th Panzer Army, as the only two armored armies of the German army, has a strong armored assault capability. Under the jurisdiction of the 8th Armored Division, the 88th Armored Division, the 81st Mechanized Infantry Division, the 82nd Mechanized Infantry Division, the 83rd Mechanized Infantry Division and the 84th Mechanized Infantry Division. The armor strength it possesses is equivalent to the other two infantry armies.

"Attack, crush the Russians!" Countless German tanks and armored vehicles formed a torrent of steel and rushed towards the Russian defense line.

"Anti-tank gun ready to fire!"

On the position of the Russian army, the frontline commanders all had solemn expressions. Facing the attack of so many tanks and armored vehicles of the German army, it is almost impossible for their defense line to resist. However, under strict orders, they cannot retreat, they can only fight to the end.

"Comrade commander, our anti-tank guns were destroyed in the previous German shelling!" An officer reported.

"What? Damn it!" Hearing these words, the head of the group turned even paler. Without anti-tank guns, are their soldiers going to fight the German tanks with bare hands?

"Organize party members and regiment members, and when the German tanks come up, blow them up for me!" The regiment leader issued an order.

Under unavoidable circumstances, he can only use this method.

"Yes, Comrade Leader!"

Not only did this regiment encounter such a situation, the situation of other nearby troops was also similar. The Russian army did not have many anti-tank weapons, and it was attacked by the German artillery and air force before. There are indeed not many anti-tank guns that can survive.

It was the 88th Armored Division of the German Army that attacked this line of defense. Behind more than 300 tanks, many armored vehicles followed.

"Attention all companies, there is no movement on the Russian defense line, be careful of traps!" A tank battalion commander ordered.

Although, the German armored soldiers did not think that the Russian army could threaten their Tiger and Leopard tanks. But everyone cheered up. After all, the closer to the Russian defense line, the more dangerous it is.

"Boom!"

Anti-tank guns opened fire on the defense lines of other regiments. But the tanks rushing to the front are often "tiger" tanks with thick armor. The 37mm tank guns of the Russian army simply cannot penetrate the armor of these tanks. Even the more powerful 57mm tank gun can only penetrate the armor of the "Tiger" tank after the distance is further reduced to within 300 meters. As for larger-caliber anti-tank guns, the Russian army is still developing them, and they are not equipped at all at present.

The anti-tank guns of the Russian army not only failed to destroy the German tanks, but instead attracted the German tanks to fight back.

"Boom!"

A high-explosive bomb flew out of the barrel of the German tank, and hit the Russian anti-tank gun in the blink of an eye, blowing it into parts.

Immediately afterwards, the battle became fierce. The surviving anti-tank guns on the Russian defense line opened fire one after another.

Some German tanks were unlucky, they were shot through, and became a pile of burning scrap iron.

But more tanks crossed the wreckage of these destroyed tanks and rushed into the Russian line of defense.

"Attack, destroy German tanks!"

Countless brave Russian soldiers rushed to the German tanks with explosive packs or cluster grenades, trying to blow them up.

But what greeted them was the machine gun fire of tanks. Coaxial machine guns, directional machine guns, and even the machine gun that the captain leaned out to control were all firing crazily. The intensive firepower directly sieved the Russian soldiers who tried to get close to the tank. Their dynamite packs, or cluster grenades, exploded before they could blow up the German tanks, blowing themselves to pieces.

This brave suicide attack by the Russian army, except for a very small number of people who succeeded by chance, most of them failed. In particular, the armored vehicles also followed up. The infantry armed to the teeth got off the armored vehicles and provided close protection for the tanks and armored vehicles.

The defense line of the Russian army, in the face of the powerful armored force of the German army, if it is just like paper, it will be broken through without much effect at all. German tanks rushed into the Russian line of defense and massacred these Russian soldiers.

Even with the repression of the political commissar, it could not prevent the defeat of the Russian army's front-line troops. In front of ferocious steel beasts, human beings undoubtedly appear very small. In order to escape for their lives, those Russian soldiers could only choose to flee.

"Your Excellency the Marshal, our armored forces have torn through the Russian defense line. The Russian army's first-line position has been broken through and is being routed." Lieutenant General Karl Hilpert reported.

"Very well, order the infantry of each group army to start attacking, cooperate with the armored forces, and destroy those Russians who are stubbornly resisting!" Marshal Guderian ordered.

Before advancing to Moscow, the main task of the German army was to eliminate as much of the Russian army as possible during the battle. Only the more Russian troops are eliminated, the more likely the German army will win in the next battle.

"Yes. Your Excellency the Marshal!"

The infantry of several German armies, after the armored troops tore through the Russian defense line, also entered the battle and began to further expand the results of the battle.

Facing the fierce attack of the German army, the Russian army was defeated across the board. The infantry armies deployed on the front line could not withstand the attack of the German armored forces at all, and were defeated one after another with heavy losses.

Under such circumstances, Marshal Voroshilov issued an order for the 3rd Tank Army and the 4th Tank Army to launch a counterattack. In order to smash the German offensive in one fell swoop, the goal of the two armies was the 88th Armored Division of the German army. At this moment, the 88th Armored Division, like a sharp knife, was inserted into the belly of the Russian army. If it can be destroyed, the Russian army may be able to launch a counterattack in this direction.

On the morning of February 17, the German 88th Armored Division encountered the Russian 3rd Tank Army.