nycdaug Chapter 194 Liberation of Rostov
Chapter 194 Liberation of Rostov
As the battle progressed, Lin received a telegram announcing the Allied forces had crushed the main German force. He immediately ordered the divisions of the 115th Army to intensify their offensive. After a day and night of intense digging, the underground tunnel had finally reached the foot of Rostov. Countless explosives had been placed, and everything was ready. Liu YL, Chief of Staff of the 115th Army, notifying Lin that the time had come, signaled the start of the attack. Lin took a deep breath and calmly gave the order to attack.
As the order to attack was given, a deafening roar erupted beneath Rostov. Multiple underground passages were simultaneously opened, sending clouds of dust billowing.
The 200th Army's assault troops, spearheaded by the 115th Army's Special Operations Regiment, rushed out of the tunnels like a tiger out of its cage, forming several torrents that plunged directly into the heart of the German defenses in Rostov. Like a sharp sword, they pierced the enemy's defenses and quickly launched an offensive.
The soldiers bravely led the charge, engaging in fierce battle with the Germans. The roar of gunfire and shouts resounded through the air, smoke filled the air, and the flames of battle raged. Every soldier fought to the utmost, advancing fearlessly.
The 115th Division fully utilized the Chinese soldiers' expertise in night combat, using the cover of darkness to continuously erode the streets and positions held by the Germans. Deprived of the support of their forward bunker positions and unprepared for the Chinese army's sudden central offensive, the Germans were cut off from the city's defenses. German forces within the city were forced to engage in street fighting with the Chinese in the city streets, while those outside the city could only retreat to their bunkers, offering a final, stubborn resistance. The 200th Group Army Special Operations Regiment, a special operations unit specially trained for such battlefield situations, was adept at close-quarters combat. The Germans suffered heavy losses and were forced to continue their retreat towards the city center.
After a night of fierce fighting, as dawn broke, the 115th Army had already captured Rostov's entire perimeter and three-quarters of the city. The thousands of remnants of the German 94th Infantry Corps were trapped, like trapped beasts, in an area of less than two square kilometers. Of the senior officers at the army and division levels, only Lieutenant General Tertinamann, the deputy commander, managed to survive.
However, Lieutenant General Tertinamann was a staunch Nazi who would not tolerate his troops surrendering without a fight. He gathered his fascist fanatics into death squads, who engaged in a desperate battle with the Chinese. The enemy's sudden, volcanic eruption, a fearless display of determination, caught the 115th Division's assault troops completely off guard, leading to a German counterattack and the seizure of several key districts.
Chief of Staff Liu, in charge of the urban assault, was furious and called for the disciplinary action of certain commanders. Lin restrained Liu, a wry smile forming within him. It seemed the 115th Group Army needed some time to hone its skills in urban siege warfare and accumulate more experience. Lin had originally assumed that the 200th Group Army's Special Operations Regiment, after a night of fierce fighting, had reduced the German forces to a tiny area of less than two square kilometers, like a spent force. The rest of the 2th Group Army should have been able to eliminate the remaining German forces. Unexpectedly, the Germans unleashed a formidable force, leaving the 115th Group Army unable to respond.
Lin instructed Liu YL to inform the 200th Group Army's Special Operations Regiment to dispatch a number of its elite troops to assist the 115th Group Army's assault forces in launching another fierce attack on the remaining German forces. Lin further instructed Liu YL to convey an order for each division of the 115th Group Army to dispatch elite troops to learn from the Special Operations Regiment's experience. Lin intended to establish his own Special Operations Regiment within the 115th Group Army. Lin's goal was even greater: he planned to establish independent Special Operations battalions in each division, rapidly elevating the 115th Group Army to become the Third Expeditionary Force's most formidable offensive force.
Chief of Staff Liu was filled with suspicion and couldn't help asking, "Commander Lin, why don't we just keep the 200th Army's special operations regiment?"
Lin's lips curled up slightly as he chuckled. "The Special Operations Regiment is now the 115th Group Army's Special Operations Regiment, so how can we choose to keep it? However, as a friendly force, we still have to return a Special Operations Regiment to the 200th Group Army, probably in half a year or a year."
When Chief of Staff Liu heard this, he suddenly realized what was happening. That's right, when has anything that fell into Commander Lin's hands ever been returned intact?
Putting aside other matters, the re-entry of the Special Operations Regiment was like a sharp sword, instantly suppressing the frantic German counterattack. The last remaining fascist fanatics were quickly eliminated, and the remaining German troops finally huddled like turtles in several high-rise buildings in Rostov, fighting a final desperate struggle. Liu YL ordered the Soviet translator to deliver the final ultimatum to the Germans. Lieutenant General Tertinaman handed the seriously wounded German soldiers out to the translator and conveyed to the Chinese troops that they were determined to fight to the death and would not surrender!
Liu YL immediately ordered the artillery to bring rocket launchers and direct-fire assault guns to the front lines, unleashing a devastating barrage on the Germans. Instantly, the building erupted like a tinderbox, a violent explosion. Flames shot skyward, debris flew, and smoke filled the air. Under the intense bombardment, several surrounding buildings collapsed like giants unable to bear the weight. When the dust and fog cleared, the shattered main building, held by the Germans, emerged before everyone. This former Soviet Rostov City Hall now resembled a frail old man, bearing witness to the final sunset of the German army.
The commanders of the 115th Group Army, including Lin, were forced to admire the German army's resolve and fortitude. Just as Liu Xian was about to give the final order to attack, a white flag finally appeared in the building. Lieutenant General Tertinaman, realizing at the last moment that defeat was beyond his reach, felt compassion and ordered the remaining 200 or so German troops to surrender to the Chinese army after he committed suicide. Afterward, he walked alone into a relatively intact room and, facing a portrait of Hitler, shot himself.
Starting on New Year's Day 1944, Sino-Soviet forces, led by the Chinese Third Expeditionary Force, annihilated nearly 30 German Fourth Panzer Army troops at Rostov, on the southern front of the Soviet Southern Front, in just 4 hours. They destroyed nearly 12 German tanks and tank destroyers, over 400 armored vehicles of various types, 1000 artillery pieces, and over 1200 aircraft. This resulted in the largest loss ever suffered by the German army in a single battle, shocking the world!
The names of Peng, Yang, and Lin appeared in the eyes of the world. The top leaders of the Chinese and Soviet armies, including Zhukov, suddenly discovered that the Soviet-German forces in the south of the Soviet Union had undergone a fundamental reversal. For the first time, the German army was at an absolute disadvantage in a strategic area!