Canteen System Assistance Notes

"spark".

Chapter 750: Combustible Sparks (⑵) Hardened Spear Tip

(Update)

Operation Spark was a joint operation launched by the Volkhov and Leningrad Fronts with the intention of breaking through the German defenses of the Schlüsselburg-Siniavino salient east of Leningrad and south of Lake Ladoga and lifting the blockade of Leningrad.

Unlike the Battle of Liuban, this was an active offensive battle.

The things that the attacker needs to consider are more numerous and more complicated than those on the defensive.

Although Division Commander Rurik possessed considerable command talent and had always enjoyed good fortune, he was wary of taking any chances when launching an offensive. The staff assigned to him was rather underachieving, forcing him to bring along his chief of staff to review the enemy and our own situation on the front line.

Rurik's 2nd Shock Army was currently deploying several divisions from north to south east of the Schlüsselburg-Siniavino salient. According to aerial reconnaissance information provided by the front and reports from the reconnaissance scouts who had stayed behind during his "ski camp" days, the German forces facing him were the 227th Infantry Division, part of the 18th Army of Army Group North.

This German infantry division was nearly fully staffed, with Lipka at the front as its defensive node, guarding an approximately 18-kilometer-wide front. Rurik's direct line was the "Eighth Workers' New Village," which it defended. This was a bit of a stretch for a single division, but according to Rurik's knowledge, the old-fashioned German infantry divisions, when fully staffed, were indeed a tough target in defensive operations.

Even though the 256th Infantry Division was considered "basically complete," a rare occurrence within the Soviet system, its strength was only a little over 80,000 men. Rurik, having studied German military organization, knew that this nearly fully staffed German division far outnumbered his own: twelve 150mm howitzers, thirty-six 105mm howitzers, as well as various caliber infantry guns and anti-tank guns. With the trenches, fortifications, and ammunition stockpiles within the salient, Rurik had no doubt this German unit could project firepower more than five times his own.

Therefore, if you want to attack, you must overwhelm the enemy in terms of manpower and firepower.

The Volkhov Front mobilized a lot of troops. Right next to Rurik's 256th Infantry Division, the 128th, 372nd, 327th, and 314th Infantry Divisions were ready to launch an attack together; behind him, there were four infantry divisions on high alert, ready to provide support at any time; in addition, in other directions, more troops were preparing to make roundabout and diverting operations, waiting for Rurik and his men to open up the situation.

同时，方面军下放了不少炮火支援。留里克手里的身管火炮只有8门12毫米的M3o型，以及16门76毫米的Zis 3型，但是方面军给了他152毫米榴弹炮的*火力支援呼叫卡”，并在火力计划给他留了大约进行5轮效力射击的弹药量。只要留里克通过电话或者""宝峰4号"中继台朝后方呼叫

, two artillery regiments equipped with D-1 152mm guns would effectively shoot them down.

The target in front of him was blown flat.

This would probably allow the 256th Infantry Division to obtain several additional opportunities to apply for fire support in addition to the fire preparation and artillery confrontation organized by the army group, which would be enough to open a gap in the German defense line in front of it.

but......

This is probably not enough.

Rurik, who had minored in artillery and scored 4.5 in both battalion and regimental operations and campaign science, pondered that although the planned battlefield for this battle was limited, the Air Force had discovered numerous suspected pillboxes during reconnaissance. These firing points, constructed of logs and earth-filled iron barrels, were often supported by more substantial semi-permanent pillboxes, guarding key transportation points throughout the salient.

If your troops want to break through, they must have sufficiently "hard" accompanying firepower.

Rurik suddenly remembered his good partner: Political Commissar Leonid Fyodorovich Titalenko had found him early in the morning and taken away a whole box of Chinese grape brandy from the division's "small treasury", saying that he was going to "build relationships".

Oh, Fyodorovich, you are always one step ahead of me in this regard... Rurik put away his notebook and decided to go and see for himself.

The Soviet divisional forces were generally weak, so when the Volkhov Front decided to launch a counterattack, it assembled a large force capable of crushing the German forces in front of it. The Rurik 256th Infantry Division, one of the main attackers, was supported by armored units.

Moreover, these armored forces are not the most common T60 and T70 light tanks, but "self-propelled mortars" using the T34 chassis.

Rurik was once puzzled by this name, but when he saw this big guy that had been converted into a fixed fighting room and installed a 160mm gun, everything became clear to him: this thing was a pure "explosive pack launcher".

It is equipped with a high-pressure and low-pressure gun called the X-160R. After removing the lower gun mount and double turrets of the original XN-160, the total weight of the gun system was reduced to less than 1 ton, and it also has a large muzzle brake. Even though this high-pressure and low-pressure gun has a high-twist rifling, its trajectory is still curved and the initial velocity is poor. The maximum usable range is only 2000 meters, and the effective range is probably half of that.

However, the 28kg high-explosive or concrete-destroying warhead contains 16kg of explosives, which can directly demolish any bunker in the physical sense. The front armor of 75mm/45' + external 16mm spaced armor can also block the common German 75, 50 and 37mm anti-tank guns and "turtle fist" rockets. Even if it is unfortunate to encounter an enemy tank, the giant jet armor-piercing shell with a static penetration depth of up to 600mm can also pose a huge threat to heavy tanks.

Unless, the enemy tank rushes over while the two loaders are carrying ammunition...

Because of the problem of effective range, SU-160 cannot be called a self-propelled artillery or assault gun, and can only be given a strange name such as "self-propelled mortar" - now, there are 8 such self-propelled mortars assigned to the 256th Infantry Division.

Comrade Fedorovich must have gone to build rapport with the crew members!

His good partner was not only good at clerical and political work, but also knew how to persuade people and build relationships. He also knew how to fight for supplies and resources. When he was in the encirclement, if it were not for Political Commissar Titalenko who continued to gather the defeated soldiers and find weapons and equipment, Rurik felt that he would not be able to withstand those nightmarish three days.

Now, I should learn from his approach...

However, when Rurik and his cook, Comrade Tirenko, came to the tank commander assigned to them with a bag of canned salted peanuts,

But I didn't see the fat, bald political commissar, who was just teasing

He accepted the can of salt water as a snack and pointed to several tanks in the distance.

"Comrade Rurik Kapovich, thank you for remembering us, your poor unwanted 'old loves'. The political commissar you're looking for is over there!" "Huh?"

Rurik turned his head to look in the direction he pointed, but he saw several strange tanks with unusually low bodies, hexagonal turrets and long gun barrels basking in the midday sun in the powder snow blown by the wind.

"Come on, boys, hey! hey!"

Unbeknownst to Rurik and his men, Karl Hilpe, commander of the 26th German Infantry Corps, was clapping his hands, "beating the rhythm" for the young men. "I've seen many tanks, but yours is the biggest and strongest I've ever seen! Come on!"

Amidst the cheers of a crowd, two German tank crew members in dark grey armored uniforms were using all their strength to hold a thick joystick, shaking it from behind a huge tank like a giant music box.

As their speed increased, the sound of the inertial flywheel became louder. At this time, the tank driver reached into the hatch at the rear of the tank and flipped a switch. In an instant, with the click of gears meshing, the rumble of the Maybach engine gradually became louder, and finally turned into a humming sound of a smooth start.

The massive tank, hidden in the barn, suddenly sprang to life. The driver and gunner expertly grasped the turret and side armor grilles, climbed inside, and experimentally rotated the turret and raised and lowered the T-shaped armor. "Good! Startup went smoothly! Everything's working fine—the tank is repaired, General, and we're ready for action!"

This is what the drivers of the German 502nd Heavy Armored Battalion reported.

Chapter 751: Combustible Sparks (3) First Battle in Extreme Cold

How should a battle begin?

Rurik found it difficult to describe himself - after all, it was indeed a very personal experience.

When dense bombers and attack planes flew overhead in multiple formations, dropping tons of destruction; when the dull roar of artillery shattered the silence, rolling in from afar like upside-down waves; when Katyusha rockets, trailing white smoke, flew from one end of the field of vision to the other, making a riot like the noise of a chainsaw...

Rurik felt that the continuous explosion and flames were like a sharp carving knife, slowly, steadily, and unstoppably scraping across the field covered with powder snow, making a crisp sound like shattering glass. He couldn't help but imagine this scene:

Since the German army arrived at the city in September 1941, although they could see the dome of St. Isaac's Church and the spire of the Admiralty Building in the city through telescopes, the Nazis could no longer take a single step beyond the line - the convoys running on Lake Ladoga, the divers groping hard under the ice, the workers driving homemade tanks in the factories, the seaplane pilots flying in the sky, the artists who endured hunger and insisted on performing on the stage... For several months, countless people who fought, dedicated, and sacrificed together created this amazing city, this amazing miracle.

Now, the soldiers and civilians of Leningrad, baptized by battle and artillery fire, perhaps like them, were watching the German front lines, enveloped in a blue haze, with the composure of veteran soldiers. Operation Spark had begun.

The infantry attack began at 11:1 on January 12, 1943.

The scale of this battle was extremely large. On a front less than 25 kilometers long from north to south, the Soviet Volkhov Front and Leningrad Front assembled more than 30 troops, 4900 artillery pieces of various types, more than 600 tanks and armored vehicles of various types, and more than 800 aircraft - the troop strength was about 5 times, 7 times, 12 times and 4 times that of the German army respectively - and launched a fierce attack on the German army.

在东部战线上，包括留里克所在的256步兵师在内，从北至南共有5个步兵师同时正在发起进攻，另有大约6个师的步兵正在更远的侧翼进行牵制和策应--担任主攻的5个师基本都进行了一轮的兵员补充和火力加强，并且配属了数量不少的T34、SU-160、T60和T70坦克作为增强力量。

Although the vast majority of these tanks were T60s and T700s, nearly 30 were allocated to each infantry division involved in the main attack. These small, lightweight vehicles, most of which were equipped with 20mm cannons, 14.5mm machine guns, or 82mm high- and low-pressure cannons, either provided fire support to the infantry, suppressing German machine guns and infantry artillery, or utilized their small size and maneuverability to penetrate the German flanks and weak points in the defenses.

Even though the Germans' 75, 50, and 7mm guns could easily destroy these light tanks with limited protection, it was not easy to target the "little guys" running around on the flanks while under pressure from the front on a battlefield filled with powder snow, smoke, and gunpowder. Some T60 tanks even "landed" on the flanks of the German 227th Division on the frozen Lake Ladoga in cooperation with ski infantry riding powered sleds!

Comrade Rurik Kapovich Kotlinsky, one of the five main frontal divisions, also launched an offensive.

Compared to the massive, multi-pronged assaults of other friendly forces, Rurik's troops were much quieter. After completing the artillery preparations outlined in the firepower plan, two infantry regiments, many veterans of the Lyuban Interception, spearheaded the 256th Infantry Division's forward line, leading the reinforced SU-160 assault guns forward.

According to the pre-determined combat areas and tasks, Rurik's first task was to lead his troops from east to west, break through the German trenches and fortified areas between the Eighth and Seventh Workers' Villages, cut off the German connection between the two "fortress points", and cooperate with the friendly 372nd and 327th Divisions to attack the Eighth and Seventh Workers' Villages. After the enemies in these two places were eliminated and Rurik's two wings were guaranteed the safety of friendly forces, Rurik, who had assumed the support mission, would serve as the spearhead within the predetermined combat area and actively penetrate deeper and farther.

In short, play as a supporting role first and then as the main attacker.

The 934th Regiment has arrived at the attack's starting point and reports that the Eighth Workers' New Village is under heavy attack by comrades from the 372nd Division. German troops are fleeing the village in panic. The troops have deployed interceptors, and the artillery is conducting interdiction fire.

The 937th Regiment has broken through the German fortified area. They have arrived at the outskirts of the Seventh Workers' New Village and have established contact with the 32Z7th Division. Currently, the attack speed of the 327th Division in the south is slightly slower than planned, and they need more time to break through the minefields set up by the Germans in the swamp area.

"The 930th Regiment has reached its designated target, Substation No. 017. They encountered no German forces."

After becoming the division commander, Comrade Rurik could no longer frequently go to the front line to command and fight the battles he was familiar with.

Trenches and faces have become abstract war game symbols and flat maps.

Ke held his chin up and looked at the staff soldier who was a staff cadet not long ago, who was using the voice messages received by the "Baofeng No. 4" radio to update the position and progress of the troops.

This small staff lacked genuine staff officers. Rurik's chief of staff had some combat command experience, but his training in campaign science and battalion and regimental tactics was far inferior to his own; his good partner, Political Commissar Leonid Fedorovich, allowed him to not worry about issues related to logistics, training of new recruits, and statistical documentation, but no one was perfect, and his combat command level was relatively mediocre, so he could not give himself many suggestions.

Therefore, Rurik often had to perform some of the work of the chief of staff himself and draw up some combat plans for himself.

Fortunately, thanks to the "Gem Peak No. 4" relay station set up about 500 meters outside the headquarters, Rurik was able to call the three regiments on the front line directly.

Even directly contact a company in a key position when necessary, or

The troops used certain reserved frequency bands to contact friendly forces that were not under their own organization. This feeling of smooth communication made him feel okay and not be overwhelmed by the idea of ​​going to the front line.

But for some reason, Rurik always had the feeling that he was commanding a large reinforced regiment.

"The 372nd Division has strong breakthrough capabilities. It's only a matter of time before the Germans are wiped out. The 934th Regiment can provide support from the sidelines. The 327th Division is relatively poorly equipped, and the comrades there need our assistance even more. Have Comrade Loriaux prepare to fire on the Seventh Workers' Village."

"Cossack boy, send a message to Front Command and the 327th Division—the situation has changed. The comrades of the 327th Division are making slow progress. Let us attack the Seventh Workers' Village."

Rurik glanced at the sky outside the window. The ray of sunlight that could still be seen in the morning had long disappeared. Thick cumulonimbus clouds hung low, like frozen soil shoveled into a grave by an undertaker, burying the sun that had already set very early: the sky had begun to darken.

He glanced at his watch again, and finally gave the order to his signalman:

The 937th Regiment conducted reconnaissance of the Nazis in front of them and reported back immediately upon completion. They then conducted a 15-minute artillery preparation, and upon completion, immediately launched an attack on the Seventh Workers' Village. The 930th Regiment defended the N.017 substation against German reinforcements from the Siniavino direction. Finally, they reported to Front Command and requested suppressive fire from the Siniavino direction.

"Let those comrades testing the new tanks also be prepared. If the German tanks counterattack, the comrades on the front lines will rely on them."

The battle to attack the Seventh Workers' New Village went very smoothly. After the 937th Regiment sent out ski scouts, the situation of the German army in front was quickly understood - there was only about one German company on the defense here, and some anti-tank firepower was strengthened, and no key anti-tank mines were laid.

At this time, the front's reply finally reached the division headquarters: the Volkhov Front General Staff agreed with Rurik's suggestion and said that it would use

ML-20 cannons suppress the Siniavino Heights, which has artillery positions.

system.

Finally, in the cold and windy dusk, Rurik's "gunner" Comrade Loriakes Korzhev commanded the division's 12mm and 76mm guns to fire two short and effective rounds. Then, after the Germans in front were awakened, the four SU-160s following the 937th Regiment opened fire fiercely on the German fire points that began to spew flames.

Under the tactic of two vehicles in a group and double-shot salvos, the German army's bunkers, which were built on double-story brick houses and reinforced with sandbags, instantly turned into a radially scattered organic and inorganic mixture; two armor-piercing shells fired by two anti-tank guns, which were not sure whether they were 50mm or 37mm, triggered ricochets on the front armor of the SU-160. Apart from scaring the infantry next to it, they did not cause any extra damage.

Afterwards, under artillery suppression by the front and preparation by artillery fire from the divisional headquarters, the "T" submachine gun company, with all its personnel armed with submachine guns, launched a courageous assault. The 937th Regiment quickly broke through the German unit's defenses at a relatively low cost, annihilating most of its forces within the village and securing victory in the battle.

However, Rurik did not feel much relief after receiving the news.

Shortly after the battle, his Baofeng relay station picked up German calls on several frequency bands in the south. Although these German communications were in a code system, making it difficult to understand what was being said, it was clear that a large number of German troops were gathering or mobilizing in the direction of Siniavino, south of the battlefield.

Meanwhile, soldiers of the 937th Regiment, entering the village to clean up the battlefield, discovered two "half-track 75mm self-propelled anti-tank guns." These two German-style 75mm anti-tank guns, mounted on strange European vehicles, were half-buried in the snow and protected by camouflage netting—unlikely belonging to a company-level unit in a German infantry division. Had they successfully fired in the previous battle, the Soviet losses would have been even greater—but unfortunately, their crews had collapsed in a neighboring wooden hut, near which a high-explosive SU-160 shell had landed.

More importantly, as the long night of Leningrad fell early, the howling west wind finally began to turn into a terrifying roar, and under the gloomy sky

The falling snow also rolled and swayed in the wind, quickly becoming dense enough to interfere with the wireless

The white curtain of telecommunications.

The blizzard has begun.

Chapter 752: Combustible Sparks (4) Entering Dangerous Places

January 13, 1943, heavy snow and strong wind.

Looking out from the half-buried command post, the heavy snow outside no longer felt like falling in sheets, but instead swirled and swooped down in the strong westerly wind, like white steel arrows pouring down from the sky. The already scarce daylight hours were further obscured and buried by the rapidly rolling cumulonimbus clouds, transforming the scene into a hazy, gloomy atmosphere.

Staring at the snow for a long time, Rurik felt drowsy. He recalled more than once the days at the logging station - whenever the lumberjacks carried their chainsaws and drove the rapidly rotating chains into the roots of thousands of tree branches, wet wood chips like snowflakes would gush out.

Sawdust from the fallen logs piled up, dumped, and scattered, then clung to the surrounding ground and to the people standing upright like trees, like sticky blood.

The blizzard that was unexpected by the meteorological departments of both sides interrupted the progress of the entire battle. In such bad weather, both the Soviet and German armies could not move, let alone engage in meaningful fighting. However, Rurik did not think so.

The Second Assault Army did not have an "army" level of command, so it was overwhelmed when dealing with reports from a bunch of division-level units - but as a rare complete division with strong mobility, Rurik's troops had quite independent and autonomous command authority within the designated combat area.

As a division commander who has studied combat strategy, Rurik has the ability to analyze the current battle situation and think about overall countermeasures.

Now, the German 227th Infantry Division in the north has been divided by the Volkhov Front, but the troops' attempt to pursue the victory and eliminate the German troops trapped in the strongholds and trenches was not going smoothly - the two divisions in the north suffered unexpected artillery fire during the offensive battle, and suffered heavy losses, and the counterattack artillery launched by the front failed to destroy the German "hidden artillery positions" effectively. After the artillery counterattack, the German artillery fire did not weaken significantly.

Based on this, the Volkhov Front believed that the German army might have been reinforced by "our artillery" and possessed firepower far exceeding that of ordinary infantry divisions. It was necessary to wait for the weather to improve before using air power to attack and continue to strengthen artillery suppression before continuing the attack.

To the west, the long-suffering Leningrad Front also launched a river crossing operation on the first day. The armored vehicles of the 61st Tank Brigade raced across the frozen Neva River, charging towards the other side. Following closely behind, several infantry divisions, braving German counterattacks and shattered ice, attacked the river defenses of the German 170th Infantry Division. Although some divisions' attacks were thwarted, the Leningrad Front still established several reliable strongholds on the eastern bank of the Neva, controlling a large, safe crossing area.

so….....

Rurik looked at the map on his desk, moving the chess pieces representing his troops in his mind. Now, the Soviets were attacking simultaneously from the east and west, creating a pincer attack on the Germans. While the Germans' resistance was stubborn and threatening, if they remained trapped, they would surely lose their last remaining fighting strength, surrender, or be completely annihilated by the superior Soviet forces.

Therefore, the German army must break out, and the breakout cannot be towards the frozen Lake Ladoga in the north, but must go south; although the German army is temporarily safe, it cannot break out on its own and will definitely need external forces to intervene and rescue.

The weather is extremely bad now. Even if the heavy snow will not last too long as predicted by the weather department, the thicker snow will still hinder the movement of German infantry and vehicles. So, if they want to retreat to the south or go north to rescue, they will definitely want to use the existing roads.

Rurik set his sights on a spot marked on the map as the "Fifth Workers' New Village." This was at the end of the 256th Division's combat zone, within his free range of decision-making, and also directly along the route the Germans would use for retreat and reinforcement. Now was the time to act.

Calling over Political Commissar Titalenko and his chief of staff, Rurik quickly explained his ideas and solicited their opinions. After reaching a general consensus, Rurik immediately instructed his still-dazed chief of staff to quickly translate the operational plan into a report and send it to the Second Shock Army and the Volkhov forces. Then, while awaiting the army's response, he immediately began preparations for the operation.

Heavy snow made movement difficult for most troops, but for Rurik, it was a difficult, but not completely impossible, situation.

Exercising in the snow is a basic skill of the "Ski Troops"!

The three combat regiments, especially the 930th Regiment with the largest number of infantry from the old ski battalion, all had sleds that were convenient for moving on snow, allowing the infantry to slide on fields without roads; and the animal-drawn vehicles were also equipped with sled-type trailers, which could move forward on snow-covered roads - of course, if the snow was too thick, even moving on the road would still be difficult for the horses.

But for Soviet tanks that are adapted to the snow, the problem is not too big.

As a commander who had risen through the ranks from the front lines, Rurik naturally understood the capabilities and practical difficulties of the front lines. He didn't intend to rely solely on the 11th Regiment to carry heavy equipment, but instead contacted the "new tank unit" that was operating alongside him—two temporary "medium tank companies" from the 46th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment.

This unit was led by Major Kolobanov, commander of the 46th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment. It had a total of 10 of the latest T-43 medium tanks and was a very powerful force. As the result of Rurik's inability to obtain nearly 30 T6O and T70 tanks, these new "medium tanks" that represented the masterpiece of the Soviet tank industry were said to have protection capabilities equal to or even exceeding that of the KV-1 heavy tank, firepower far exceeding that of ordinary assault guns, and mobility greater than that of the T-34 tank. They were even equipped with new inert additional armor provided by Chinese comrades, which could defend against chemical energy armor-piercing shells that outnumbered people on the battlefield, providing soldiers with very reliable anti-tank weapons.

Anti-bunker accompanied by firepower.

However, in addition to this, these medium tanks are also very good "carriers". As long as they are present, another set of traditional skills of the ski troops will have a "performance" basis. "Comrade Kapovich, Comrade Fedorovich, this will be a fierce battle, but it is crucial to the entire campaign - I support your opinion

Let’s go to the Fifth Workers’ New Village.”