Chapter 710: Northern Front

When a single artillery shell lands on a position, it seems to just kick up a huge pillar of black smoke. But when dozens, or even hundreds, of shells fall on a single position, it’s almost like plowing a field. The ground is turned over everywhere, covered in deep craters formed by the explosions.

While people in peacetime were still fussing over how to efficiently dig deep pits with excavators, the artillerymen of wartime had been dedicated to this for a hundred years. They used every means possible, with the new types of ammunition developed by engineers, to dig deeper, larger, and more despairing pits in the ground.

The German forces due north of Kiev were enduring the relentless attack of the most powerful firepower from the main Soviet forces. Just like the Red Army forces that were withstanding the powerful firepower of the eastward-advancing Germans, the German soldiers here were also enduring a fierce assault from the Red Army, like a tsunami, overwhelming and seemingly endless.

However, compared to the soldiers of the Red Army, the German army had one major advantage in its defense: they had been preparing their defensive positions for over half a year. Just a few hours ago, they were still making every possible preparation to meet the fierce attack of the Red Army.

Fortunately, the German generals had proven more than once that in addition to their offensive prowess, they also had their own unique talents when it came to arranging a defense. A group of old generals who had shown their mettle during the defensive phase of the Battle of Poland had once again found their youth. They had turned this place into a fortress, a strong fortress.

Therefore, the German defenders’ positions were perfect, and their mental preparations were relatively sufficient. Compared to the Soviet Red Army, which had been constantly preparing for an offensive just days ago, they had strong defensive positions, more powerful weapons and equipment, and the possibility of various support forces arriving at any time.

If nothing unexpected happened, as soon as the weather improved and the skies cleared, hundreds of German Air Force bombers would appear in the sky, destroying all Soviet offensive forces on the ground. But until the weather cleared, the German army could only rely on themselves.

A shell exploded near the trench. The huge vibration caused the wooden shoring on the side of the trench to shake, and dirt fell from the cracks, clattering against the German soldiers’ steel helmets. Because the helmets were covered with white cloth and the surrounding noise was extremely loud, this sound was not obvious; only the person wearing the helmet could feel it.

Compared to the powerful and numerous Soviet artillery, the artillery positions on the German side seemed significantly scarcer. The number of German 150mm heavy guns capable of dueling with the long-range Soviet artillery was even smaller. So, compared to the hysterical barrage of the Red Army artillery, the German counter-battery fire was no different from a groan.

On average, for every large-caliber shell the German army fired in return, the Soviets would fire ten in retaliation. The support fire of the two sides was not on the same level at all. The number of 203mm cannons in the hands of the Soviets already exceeded the number of 150mm cannons in the hands of the German army in this sector. Not to mention the number of Soviet 122mm cannons, for which the Germans could only use the word “envy” to express their feelings.

In a frontline German command post, a German regimental commander was on the phone, loudly complaining to his superior. Over 100 large-caliber shells had already landed on his position, and his soldiers’ casualties had gone from light to rising sharply. “Sir! I can’t hear what you’re saying. The Soviet shelling hasn’t stopped, and the noise is too loud. I can’t hear you.”

While he was still endlessly shouting into the phone that he couldn’t hear, the Soviet attack had already begun. A Stalin tank crashed through a small tree, followed by another Stalin tank. Looking further back, one after another, Soviet tanks emerged from the forest, forming a vast, ocean-like attack formation.

Surrounding these tanks, swarms of Red Army soldiers, holding their guns, charged towards the German positions, which were still shrouded in black smoke not far away. They shouted, and the word “Urrah!” echoed across the sky.

These Red Army soldiers were wearing military green greatcoats and carrying a new type of submachine gun with a drum magazine. This submachine gun was a newly developed weapon that had begun to be issued to Soviet troops on a large scale a few months ago.

During the Winter War, the Soviet Union had suffered at the hands of Finnish submachine guns. But with the arrival of the Great Purge, the development of this weapon had been shelved again. It was only after the German-Soviet war broke out in Poland that the Soviets truly realized the terrifying role of automatic weapons in modern warfare.

The German individual weapon system, composed of submachine guns, semi-automatic rifles, and automatic rifles, had successfully suppressed the majority of the Red Army’s Mosin-Nagant rifles. This had led to the Red Army’s weapons being criticized by most frontline generals, which in turn had spurred the birth of this new submachine gun.

This automatic weapon used a 71-round drum magazine, which gave it a terrifying duration of fire. In addition, the Red Army lacked automatic weapons, so it was deeply loved by them as soon as it was born and was immediately issued to frontline troops on a large scale.

Furthermore, this weapon was extremely simple to produce. The barrel of a Mosin-Nagant rifle could be sawed in half to become the barrels for two of these submachine guns. This was very beneficial for replenishment during wartime. So, the Red Army had produced 100,000 of these submachine guns in one go, allowing the main Soviet forces to use this terrifying individual weapon before the war began.

Rat-tat! Rat-tat! At a close enough range, the German MG42 machine gun finally let out its roar. Tracers formed a fan, sweeping towards the opposing Red Army. As the machine gun fired continuously, spent casings clattered onto the floor of the trench, by the German machine gunner’s feet.

The bullets struck the armor of the Soviet tanks with a sharp clang, then were stopped by the thick steel and ricocheted off to other places. More bullets hit the Soviet soldiers, cutting down these young men who were shouting “Long live Comrade Stalin!”

Soon, a Soviet T-34 tank overtook the others, and the machine gun on its front armor plate began to spit a dazzling tongue of fire, kicking up a cloud of smoke in front of the German machine gun position. A torrent of bullets whistled through the air, punching a row of fist-sized holes in the sandbags.

The German machine gunner was shot through the head and collapsed in the trench like a sandbag. The assistant gunner was also hit in the shoulder by a machine gun bullet and cried out, dropping the ammunition belt in his hand. The MG42, which had just been reaping the lives of the Red Army, was cut into pieces by the bullets and scattered on the snow around it.

A well-concealed German 75mm anti-tank gun suddenly opened fire, blasting the firing Soviet T-34. It penetrated its not-so-thick frontal armor. The swaggering T-34 came to a halt, spouting flames, and then exploded violently.

The explosion did not stop the surrounding Red Army soldiers in their tracks. One Soviet soldier stepped on a German bouncing mine, followed by a storm of steel balls that swept over a dozen of his comrades. These pitiful men fell in pools of blood, no longer able to shout slogans and march forward.

As the distance between the two sides closed, the other guns on the German position also gradually opened fire. Bullets flew between them, taking the lives of anyone in the way. German casualties began to rise sharply, while the bodies of Red Army soldiers were already spread across the snow as thick as a carpet.

“My God! There are too many of them!” a German soldier said, complaining as he ducked back into the trench to load his Mauser 98k rifle after firing a shot. As soon as his words fell, a comrade firing to his left was shot in the head by a Soviet soldier, his body falling backward into the trench in a spray of blood.

“Oh! God! We need reinforcements! Where are our tanks?” the poor German soldier cried out, looking at the corpse beside him, his legs almost giving way in fear. He was pulled up from the ground by a veteran on his other side, who then made him continue to fire.

He cautiously poked his head out. A Soviet tank not far away was firing desperately. He knew his weapon could do no damage to a tank, so he shifted his muzzle, aimed at a running Soviet infantryman, centered his sights on the man, and pulled the trigger of his rifle.

Crack! The moment he fired, a spray of blood erupted from the Soviet soldier he was aiming at. The man struggled and fell, collapsing headfirst into the snow in a very clumsy posture, and then did not move again.

But as this German new recruit pulled his head back, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the constantly firing Soviet tank was getting closer. The Soviets on top had wiped out a German defensive position with their machine gun, and the machine gunner and anti-tank rocket launcher operator inside had been killed.

“That tank! That Soviet tank is coming over! It’s coming over!” the new recruit cried out, clutching his helmet and wanting to leave his post, but he was once again grabbed and pulled back by the veteran beside him.

The veteran threw him back to his original position and, while continuing to fire forward, shouted, “Keep firing! You idiot! Behind this position is the company headquarters! Where are you going to run? You want the company commander to cover your retreat? We must receive…”

Crack! Before the veteran could finish, his helmet was pierced by a bullet. The rest of his words, he could only leave to be continued in another world.

Published: 2025-09-20T03:12:55.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-03-04T18:28:41.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c710-front-139308067

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