Steel Soviet Union

From the beginning of the battle to the present, Malashenko's Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division has certainly killed many enemies, but the casualties encountered are equally objective.

Compared with previous battles in the past, the Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division, whose combat power has reached an unprecedented level, suffered much fewer casualties this time than before.

The losses in technical equipment were far from being severe. The heavy tank unit basically had a scratch on it. Several IS6 heavy tanks were lost and most of them could be repaired. The losses on the medium tank unit were slightly greater. More than a dozen T3485s and the latest T44s were destroyed one after another, and most of them were damaged by ammunition explosions and could not be repaired.

But there is one thing to say, Malashenko knows very well that a large number of medium tank losses are absolutely unavoidable on the battlefield.

Compared with these heavy tank troops with strong armor, sharp guns, and extremely elite power under his command, the T3485 and T44 can really only be regarded as thin-skinned and big-stuffed existences. If the armor is not thick enough, the only result on the battlefield is to be penetrated on the spot and die instantly. The real world is not the friction between magic and health bars in the game. The reason is that simple.

In the final analysis, there is nothing that can be done about the relatively large losses of medium tanks. Since such tanks are equipped, they must be used when they should be used. Comrade Lao Ma treats the tank as a treasure, is more valuable than a human being, is reluctant to use it, and is worried about losses. Comrade Lao Ma is not this kind of person at all, so if you lose it, you will lose it. It is impossible to say that you can fight without killing people.

Medium tanks must continue to be used when they need to be used, and Malashenko will not have the slightest worry about this.

On the contrary, the losses in the infantry were a bit beyond Comrade Ma's expectations. Of course, this unexpectedness does not mean that the casualties were too large to be expected, but that the losses and casualties had dropped sharply compared to the past.

After several battles with varying conditions, the only divisional infantry unit under Malashenko, the Varosha infantry regiment, suffered much smaller casualties than previously expected.

According to past practice, if such battles are fought one after another, the casualties will definitely be insignificant. It is normal for the infantry to casually die between two and three thousand people. Even if there are tanks to cover the formation, the close contact combat after entering the position and trenches is a direct confrontation between flesh and blood. You can kill the enemy, and the enemy can kill you with the same means.

Why is it said that hand-to-hand combat can best test the morale of an army? Because this fighting method will offset the gap between the advantages and disadvantages of equipment to the greatest extent. The weapons you can use are not only traditional light weapons, but also bayonets, sticks, engineer shovels, anything you pick up, and even teeth. It can bite the enemy to death and bleed his throat.

A large number of casualties are unavoidable in such battles, and no matter how good the light weapons are, they can't avoid the spate of corpses.

Therefore, even if the 1st Stalin Guards Tank Division is a well-equipped and heavily armored elite, in the past, whenever it defended positions and broke into enemy positions, the casualties of this infantry would still be like that of all other Red Army infantry units. The geometric multiples skyrocketed upward.

If there is any difference, it can only be said that under the same combat situation, the infantry of the Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division will suffer fewer casualties. This is an inevitable result based on the large number of automatic firepower and light weapons and equipment, as well as the relatively better quality and combat experience of individual soldiers. It does not mean that the Stalin Guards 1st Tank Division is invincible in the name of a loving father.

But this time, the infantry casualty report before Malashenko was indeed a bit magical.

Counting from the time when the gang of dead dogs blocking the way of the Viking Division were wiped out halfway, and the fighting all the way until now, Varosha's infantry regiment has only suffered casualties of just over a thousand people. Moreover, the vast majority of the soldiers were only wounded, and less than half were actually killed in battle. Such casualties would definitely make the news if word spread.

"Is this a mistake? We have suffered more than a thousand infantry casualties so far? I'm not saying that I expect more casualties among our soldiers, but you should understand what I mean. This is simply unbelievable!"

Malashenko had a question mark on his face, and it was true that he couldn't believe that the numbers in front of him were real. However, the political commissar who lit a cigarette for himself and started puffing away was in a different state.

"There is no doubt that there is something wrong with the report. I checked it three times and called Varosha twice for final confirmation. Do you know what Varosha told me on the phone?"

"Stop being pretentious and just tell me."

Malashenko was obviously impatient and did not intend to continue to titillate Comrade Comrade Political Commissar about this matter. After spitting out the smoke ring in his mouth, he spoke leisurely.

"In the past, when our infantry rushed to the position and fought close combat with the enemy, they would always encounter Germans who came one after another, shouting and screaming, and desperately resisted. This is true whether it is the Wehrmacht or the Wehrmacht. Regardless of the SS, they are all the same. It can only be said that those brainwashed SS lunatics behave more like beasts than people. "

"But now, Varosha told me that many soldiers told him that the enemy's will to resist was obviously different from before. Many enemy soldiers just huddled in their bunkers and fired empty guns to resist. There are far fewer people resisting and rushing out to fight.”

"More often, as soon as our soldiers rush to the enemy, we can immediately see the German soldiers who raised their hands to surrender. And did you know? Malashenko, the vast majority of the German soldiers raised their hands to surrender immediately The soldiers are just teenagers who are eighteen or nineteen years old, or even sixteen or seventeen years old. The childish look on their faces doesn't even need to be asked about their age. "

"Of course, the combat performance of individual soldiers is only one aspect. The most important thing is the absolute crushing of equipment. Many soldiers reported that after rushing to the position, they saw German soldiers shaking this way and that after being shelled. These people It was as soft as if there were no bones, it was difficult to hold the gun, and there was even bleeding from the ears, nose, and eyes.”

"What I want to say is, Malashenko, do you remember how long it has been since we fought with such a huge advantage? Even in Kursk, the enemy had early to mid-term air superiority and technology. The equipment is superior, and the troops are evenly matched but they are all elite. "

"Then if you look at it now, I don't need to say more about how big the contrast is. Do you have to say something like this now: the situation is really completely different from before."