"Marshal Voroshilov!" After sorting through all the garrison in Leningrad, Zhukov suddenly discovered that the 6th Northern Mountain Division and 7th Eugen of the Waffen SS were entrenched in the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands. The Prince's Division asked dissatisfiedly, "When did the German troops here occupy the west of the city? You must know how important the Peter and Paul Fortress and Kirov Islands are to the defense of Leningrad!" Zhukov had no reason not to be angry, Peter The area of Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands is equivalent to one-fifth of the area of Leningrad. It is backed by the Gulf of Finland and blocks the outlet of the Neva River, the Leningrad channel. If the German troops here cooperate with Marshal Loeb's Northern Army Group attacking from the south, the consequences will be simply disastrous.
Zhukov's words made Marshal Voroshilov very angry. Although Zhukov is the commander of the Leningrad Front, he is only a general, and he is a marshal. However, the anger is anger, and the situation is stronger than the person. Zhukov even dared to contradict Stalin, and he didn't care what Marshal Voroshilov thought, so Marshal Voroshilov calmed down and said calmly, "The Northern Front defending the border with Finland is far stronger than the Finnish army. and the German-Norwegian Army Group. Therefore, after the war began, the German troops who occupied the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands followed the retreating troops of the Northern Front and occupied them there. As for the Norwegian Army, they also occupied the Peter and Paul Fortress and Kirov Islands from the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands. Go south to the Love Islands and surround the Northwest Front!"
While Marshal Voroshilov was narrating, Zhukov was also considering countermeasures. After Marshal Voroshilov finished narrating, Zhukov said thoughtfully, "We must take back the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands. The situation is It is extremely critical. Loeb's Northern Army Group has begun to attack in the south of the city. If the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands are still occupied by the Germans, I really don't know how to defend Leningrad! By the way, Peter and Paul Has the bridge connecting the fortress to the Kirov Islands and Leningrad City been blown up by the Germans?" In Zhukov's view, the German army in a weak position will definitely blow up the bridge first to seek self-protection.
But Zhukov was wrong this time. Marshal Voroshilov shook his head and said, "The Peter and Paul Fortress and the bridge connecting the Kirov Islands to the city of Leningrad were not blown up, but remained intact. Maybe they I hope I can keep the bridge to facilitate my attack!" Looking at Zhukov's stunned expression, Marshal Voroshilov actually felt a trace of revenge in his heart and said, "Zhukov, do you want to destroy the German troops of these two divisions? Annihilation?”
Of course Zhukov would not fail to understand Marshal Voroshilov's obvious provocation. Under the gaze of Deputy Commander Fedyuninsky and Chief of Staff Hozin, Zhukov sneered and said, "Why, there is something wrong with this." Where? Or have you, Marshal Voroshilov, given up hope on the counterattack?" Just one day after taking office as the commander of the Leningrad Front, Zhukov will never let anyone despise his authority, even if the opponent is a person with a higher military rank than himself. Neither can the marshal. With this idea in mind, Zhukov ordered, "The enemy forces in the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands must be driven out. This task will be handed over to the 42nd Army!"
After listening to Zhukov's words, Marshal Voroshilov was noncommittal and glanced coldly at Fedyuninsky, deputy commander and Hozin chief of staff, who came with Zhukov. Marshal Voroshilov said, "If you If you think you can hold Leningrad, of course you can! But let me remind you, we are facing the German Waffen SS. If I could recapture the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands, I would have done so long ago! "
Marshal Voroshilov's words did not arouse Zhukov's slightest alarm. Waffen SS? In Zhukov's eyes, the German Armed SS is an armed force composed of a bunch of rookies. Yes, it is not a soldier. It is an armed force at best. When facing this kind of armed force, Zhukov is 120,000 sure. Victory can be achieved easily. Zhukov did not ask about the combat effectiveness of the troops he faced, and Marshal Voroshilov did not say anything. Anyway, Zhukov would learn it personally in actual combat.
This meeting allowed Zhukov to completely obtain the leadership of the Leningrad Front. As for Marshal Voroshilov, this marshal who had been abandoned by Stalin, his fate will not be cared about by anyone. People here will only care about Zhukov. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, continue to think about how to defend Leningrad.
There are three bridges between the attack on the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands. As Marshal Voroshilov said, the bridges here are well preserved. It seems that the German armed SS troops guarding here are really planning to keep the bridges. , prepare for future attacks. Among the three bridges, two connect to the Winter Palace and one connects to Lenin's former residence. When Zhukov decided to retake this place, he also took the time to learn about the strength of the German troops defending here. After learning about it, he was shocked. He finally knew why Marshal Voroshilov was so optimistic about the counterattack, even though it was apparently two divisions. , but the establishment is extremely huge, there are actually 70,000 enemies. The bad situation is far more than that. In the Gulf of Finland, which is backed by the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands, the German Navy's battleship Tirpitz appeared on the sea, as well as some escorting destroyers and cruisers. If the Peter and Paul Fortress and the The Kirov Islands were attacked by the Soviet Red Army. These warships will definitely use large-caliber main guns to support the German troops on land.
But even so, since Zhukov had made up his mind, there was absolutely no reason to change it. At noon on September 10th, that is, two hours after the meeting ended, the Soviet 7th Air Defense and Fighter Aviation Corps had a total of 350 troops. Ten planes took off and pounced on the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Kirov Islands. Piers, astronomical institutes, and museums were all within the bombing range of the Soviet Seventh Air Defense Fighter Air Corps. Although these things were valuable, they were insignificant compared to the outcome of the war.
The soldiers of the 6th SS Northern Mountain Division defending the Peter and Paul Fortress were indeed unprepared for the sudden dispatch of the Soviet Air Force, so they suffered some casualties when they were just bombed, but immediately, Schad Hermann The lieutenant general began to make adjustments to calm the chaotic troops. Compared with the troops of the Northern Mountain Division, the Prinz Eugen Division was better prepared. This is because two of the three bridges are under the defense of the Prinz Eugen Division. In comparison, their tasks are more arduous. , so vigilance is higher.
The sudden bombing caused some casualties to the unprepared soldiers, but Lieutenant General Schad Herman was more vigilant. Lieutenant General Schad Herman knew clearly that the opposite side of him was the Winter Palace. If the Soviet Red Army If they attack, they will definitely rush from the front of the Winter Palace.
But what Lieutenant General Schad Hermann never expected was that Zhukov's illusory shot. After most of the bombing fell on the Peter and Paul Fortress controlled by Lieutenant General Schad Hermann, the Soviet Red Army's fourth The troops of the Twelfth Army launched an attack from the bridge controlled by the Prince Eugen Division. This was because the Kirov Islands connected the two bridges to Leningrad, one in the south and one in the north. If they attacked at the same time, they would have a high chance of conquering them in one fell swoop. Kirov Islands.
The commander of the 42nd Army, Lieutenant General Bov, used two divisions to attack the bridge in the north, while the troops in the south attacked the Kirov Islands from the road on the right side of the Marble Palace. Lieutenant General Arthur Philip immediately realized that This time the attack is against yourself.
"The Mountain Regiment goes to the north, and the Armored Regiment defends the Soviet Red Army attacking from the Marble Palace!" Lieutenant General Arthur Philip ordered, "The Artillery Regiment and the Mountain Regiment move together, the Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, the Anti-Aircraft Battalion, the Infantry Regiment, The Scanderborg Volunteer Mountain Chasseur Regiment serves as a reserve! The leader ordered that the Prince Eugen Division must defend for a month and cannot abandon its position for any reason!"
"Hey, Hit? Le!" As soon as Lieutenant General Arthur Philip read out Lin Wei's order, it immediately aroused the resonance of these fanatics, and Arthur Philip immediately realized the terror of these militants.
The air defense forces were still engaged in a desperate struggle with the Soviet Air Force aircraft. The combat troops of the Prince Eugen Division had quickly gathered and rushed to the bridge. On the bridge, the defending German soldiers had already exchanged fire with the Soviet offensive troops. Perhaps it was in the previous period. During the battle over time, I learned that the German infantry in front of me had strong armor. The attacking Soviet Red Army used a few T34 tanks from the beginning. Amid the rumbling of tracks, a dozen T34 tanks took the lead and rushed onto the bridge. They used their super firepower to suppress the Germans defending the bridge. The Panzerfaust anti-tank rockets equipped by the German soldiers had a too close range. It won't work at all at a distance of 100 meters or more. Under the attack of T34 tanks, the fortifications built by German soldiers were destroyed one by one under the T34's main gun, just like opening a can.
In the sight of the defending German soldiers, a large number of Soviet soldiers behind the T34 tank were clearly visible: "Report immediately to the superiors. The bridge has been attacked by the Soviets. The Soviets have used heavy tanks. Our Leopards must be dispatched immediately!" A major responsible for defending the bridge had clearly discovered that his soldiers were unable to deal with the heavy tanks of the Soviet Red Army, and shouted anxiously.
"Major, orders have been issued from above. The armored company closest to us has arrived. It will only take half an hour or even earlier. We must defend here. The leader has issued an order, ordering us to defend the occupied area!" The radioman put down his earpiece and conveyed the orders of Lieutenant General Arthur Phillip to the disoriented major.
"Okay, let us hold on for half an hour!" the major said, not knowing whether it was anger or for some reason, "If we can't destroy the Soviet heavy tanks, let them in, and we must cut off the gap between the Soviet tanks and the infantry. The connection, and the bridge must be protected!" The major obviously did not forget to protect the bridge used for attack. During this period, the entire Prince Eugen Division had a clear understanding that the two bridges must be protected good.
In fact, there was no need for the commander to give orders. The soldiers had consciously used the weapons in their hands to shoot and kill the Soviet soldiers following the tanks. However, the attacking Soviet Red Army soldiers were very careful. Except for a few unlucky guys, there were very few Soviet soldiers. The soldier was hit. The attacking Soviet soldiers have gradually crossed the bridge and attacked the Kirov Islands. Some soldiers began to try to fire Panzerfaust anti-tank rockets at the side armor of the approaching T34 tank. What is gratifying is that the side armor of the T34 tank is far from as hopelessly strong as the front armor.
However, the weakness of the Iron Fist anti-tank rocket is its tail flame. When firing the Iron Fist anti-tank rocket, soldiers often expose themselves due to the tail flame, so they must move immediately after the launch. It is difficult to attack the T34 tank to form a coherent attack. .
Colonel Rodetsky, the commander of the defense bridge, realized that at the moment when the Soviet offensive troops rushed into the Kirov Islands, a gap would definitely appear between the tanks and infantry at that moment. During this time, the Soviet tanks could not Using thick armor to protect the infantry and splitting the coordination between Soviet tanks and infantry was decided in an instant.
Although the German soldiers guarding the bridge used all means to prevent the Soviet offensive troops from advancing, the attacking 42nd Army inevitably rushed across the bridge. However, at the moment of crossing the bridge, Colonel Rodetsky's eyes As soon as it lit up, at the same time, on the air defense position facing the bridge, two 88mm anti-aircraft guns fired at the same time, hitting the first two T34 tanks with ultra-high accuracy. Only two loud bangs were heard. It was still overwhelming just now. The steel monster has turned into scrap metal.
The two flat-firing 88mm anti-aircraft guns seemed to have just finished their warm-up exercise and immediately started shooting continuously. In theory, the speed of the 88mm anti-aircraft guns could reach 25 rounds per minute, but in actual combat the data was slightly lower. But for the T34 tank, this is enough for the Soviet armored forces to endure. There were only two or three minutes before and after. Under the superb control of the gunner, nine T34s soon fell on the bridge. A few meters in front of them was the Kirov Islands.
Of course, the attacking Soviet soldiers would not stop just because the tank was destroyed. They quickly crossed the wreckage of the tank and rushed into the Kirov Islands. However, their attack ended here. Under the influence of the German soldiers' light and heavy weapons, Under fire, the infantry charge without the protection of tanks is no different from a living target. This attack was quickly disintegrated by the Prince Eugen Division. On another bridge, the attacking Soviet Red Army suffered the same fate.
When Zhukov was attacking the armed SS occupying the western part of Leningrad, Marshal Loeb was doing the same thing. On the morning of September 9, the German Wehrmacht began to launch a frontal assault on Leningrad from the south, with the main attack direction being Uritsk to the southwest of the city and the Pulkovo Highlands to the south. On the 10th, the German army opened a gap in the defense line of the Soviet Third Guards Militia Division. The German army occupied Dudgov, and the next day they occupied the village of Red Village and advanced towards Uritsk. The German army broke through the Soviet defenses, occupied Sosnovka and Finland Koilovo, and forced into Uritsk.
While Zhukov was attacking the Waffen SS, he also had to face strong pressure from Marshal Loeb. There were not many German Wehrmacht divisions attacking, only a dozen divisions, six of which were Marshal Loeb's Army Group North, and two The division is the Norwegian Army, and the remaining troops are General Huth's Third Armored Army. It is precisely because of General Huth's Third Armored Army that the German Wehrmacht has made such significant progress.
At this time, in the Battle of Kiev on the southern front, the First Armored Group launched an attack northward from the Kremenchug bridgehead, with the 48th Motorized Corps taking the lead in the attack. After completing preparations at night, the artillery carried out a brief fire attack. Then, the 48th Motorized Corps launched an attack from the bridgehead with the 16th Armored Division on the left and the 9th Armored Division on the rear left. The task of these two divisions is to cut off the military road between Lubne and Kharkov. The infantry regiment of the Eleventh Army broke into the first Soviet position. Crush enemy resistance and open a breach. General Schopf directed his armored divisions to advance through this gap. The troops of the Soviet 38th Army commanded by Major General Feklenko defended a front almost two hundred kilometers wide. The powerful German offensive panicked them and therefore they were unable to mount a coordinated resistance.
The mud and soft roads caused far more trouble for the motorized troops than for the enemy, but nevertheless the attack progressed smoothly. The leading battle group of the 10th Armored Division advanced northwestward despite enemy resistance everywhere: Kalpisha was soon captured. The 1st Battalion of the 2nd Armored Regiment, under the command of Major Count von Strachwitz, attacked Semyonovka.
The command post of the Soviet Thirty-eighth Army Headquarters is located in the building of the Vesyorei Podol train station not far from here. German combat vehicles suddenly appeared in front of the Soviet army as if they had emerged from the ground. The Soviet sentries were so confused that they mistook the German tanks for their own and let them drive straight to the army command post. Major General Feklenko and his staff officers jumped out of the window and escaped. Strachwitz's combat vehicles occupied the Thirty-Eighth Army command post. Before sunset, the tanks of the German 16th Armored Division advanced 70 kilometers and arrived 100 kilometers northwest of Kremenchug. The resistance of the Soviet 38th Army seemed to have collapsed on this day. The German 9th Armored Division has not yet launched an offensive and is crossing the Dnieper River.