USSR 1941

Chapter 207: mine dog

??Chapter 207 Landmine Dog

??The next day, when the 4th Tank Brigade arrived at their destination, they could hardly believe that this was the Moscow they had just left a few days ago:

??Long queues lined the streets and alleys, waiting for the weapons and tools distributed to arm themselves.

??The political commissar or instructor of the Soviet Army with a pistol hanging around his waist stood on the wooden box, waving his arms and calling on the people nearby with a small horn.

??This is the establishment of a civil defense division. It is said that 100,000 residents were recruited at one time. They received only a few days of training and almost learned to shoot and then were sent to the battlefield.

??In addition to this, there is also an independent worker battalion. They are not only engaged in labor production, but also perform military service, that is, they pick up guns and train during the break, so as to prepare for street fighting with the enemy.

Old people, women and even children who were unable to fight participated in the excavation for the second and last line of defense in Moscow... Vyazma was originally the last line of defense. After it was breached by the German army, Moscow took advantage of the German army to encircle Vyazma Between several armies, an additional line of defense was built outside Moscow, that is, the Mozhaisk line of defense. (Mozhaisk is located to the west of Mosk, and the road mileage is only 96 kilometers. This is why the train did not go to the front line but stopped in Moscow... The front line is too close to Moscow, and the train is easily bombed by the enemy if it continues to move forward.)

??They implemented three shifts, regardless of day and night, and built anti-tank trenches, barbed wire fences, infantry trench barriers, etc. under the cold rain and even the bombing of the German army.

??Almost everyone was mobilized, and the pedestrians who could be seen walking back and forth were either carrying guns or shovels for building fortifications.

Therefore, when Shulka and others got off the train, the people did not feel surprised or welcome these soldiers as before... Their mentality has changed: before, the soldiers who came from the train station were defending Moscow, that is, protect theirs. But now, they themselves are defending Moscow, they are soldiers themselves.

?? It wasn't until the canvas on the flatbed truck was lifted and the tanks came down one by one that there was a little applause and cheers around.

??But this seems to be different from the pure cheers before, they are like welcoming their friendly troops.

??Out of the train station, Shulka thought that there would be a car waiting for them as before, or a car assigned to the 333rd regiment.

??Mechanized infantry, of course, must have cars.

?? But soon he was disappointed.

?? Following the command, the team lined up in a neat formation, followed the tanks and set off on foot towards the barracks.

??Cars were used for the intensive delivery of troops, supplies and equipment, including transporting civilians out to build trenches and food for them.

?? So there would be no spare cars for the 333rd regiment at all, and of course no anti-tank guns.

?? That is to say, the 333rd regiment became a veritable infantry regiment the moment it stepped off the train.

??The anti-aircraft artillery battalion was no exception. They didn't get the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns they needed... Even if they got these, they didn't have cars to tow and transport ammunition.

?? "It won't make any difference!" Major Gavrilov comforted the soldiers: "Because the enemy is so close that we don't need cars to deliver supplies!"

??The soldiers all laughed, but everyone knew that this was not true. No matter how close the line of defense was, tanks needed cars to follow them to deliver diesel and ammunition. You can’t expect soldiers to push oil barrels forward!

Katukov also knew this, so from the moment he got off the train, he kept asking his superiors for a car, and finally went to the headquarters to pester Zhukov for a while... At this time, the Fourth Tank Brigade was directly under the Western Front The troops are directly under the command of the front army.

??Katukov's efforts soon paid off, and the front army transferred 30 vehicles for the fourth tank brigade.

??These cars are only enough for the tank regiment.

?? For this reason, Uncle Alek was dissatisfied.

?? "What should I do?" Uncle Alek said, "If I don't have a car, why should I pick up a rifle?"

?? Before the words fell, Major Gavrilov ordered: "The driver gets the rifle!"

?? "No!" Uncle Alek protested: "I haven't shot for more than ten years, I only use the rifle as a steering wheel!"

"Take it, Uncle Alek!" Shulka stuffed the rifle brought by him into his hand: "I'm afraid you won't even have the rifle later, you don't want to face the Germans with your bare hands, or use the steering wheel to deal with them !"

??Hearing this, Alec Dapi lost his voice, silently took the rifle and reviewed the shooting essentials.

??While at the barracks, a very strange unit joined the 4th Tank Brigade.

?? Its designation is the 5th Light Infantry Company. It has a small force, less than a hundred people, but has 108 dogs.

??All kinds of dogs are available, Collies, Golden Retrievers, Labradors...

?? "What do they do?" Shulka asked the instructor.

?? "I don't know!" The instructor shook his head: "Maybe it's for reconnaissance or something else!"

Soon Shulka discovered the problem. These dogs would drill into the tank chassis according to the instructions, and only drilled into the tank chassis... At this time, those dogs were doing this, and groups of them gathered under the tank chassis, and then the soldiers uttered praises and throw them food.

?? Shulka and the instructor looked at each other and knew what the dogs were for.

?? "Hey!" Shulka called to the soldiers of the light infantry company: "Can you guarantee that they will not drill into our own tanks on the battlefield?"

?? "No, we can't guarantee it!" The company commander of the light infantry company replied: "So you'd better turn off the engine when they go out!"

?? "Turn the engine off?"

?? "Yes!" The company commander explained: "We train them with tractors, and they can only get food when the engine is 'rumbling' under the tractor, otherwise they will starve!"

?? is indeed a good way.

?? Shulka nodded... It's just a bit cruel to those dogs. They thought they would get food under the enemy tanks, but what awaited them was blown to pieces.

?? But this seems to be normal. People are dying at the muzzle of guns and guns in pieces. Who cares about these dogs? !

?? Then, Shulka and others saw the light infantrymen tie a saddlebag made of linen to the dog.

?? This saddlebag is like a saddle, the difference is that there are two bags on both sides of it.

?? Needless to say what these two bags are used for, they will be loaded with high explosives or anti-tank mines during combat.

?? As for the detonating device, it was a four-inch wooden bar, which stood on the dog's back, and when bent, the dynamite exploded.

??(end of this chapter)