LITMIR.BIZ

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guns kept their maximum rate of fire. For their caliber, one shot in three seconds was very good. The anti-aircraft gunners fired volleys, and to Baer's horror, each successive batch of shells was more and more accurate. Unable to withstand this beating, the Junkers broke formation in an attempt to disperse, but they were clearly too late – at least half the transport planes were already hurtling toward the ground, smoking thickly with burning engines or falling to pieces right in the air.

      Now the Oberleutnant understood what the glossy Oberst from the Abwehr was talking about, who a couple of days ago was instructing all fighter group commanders, assigned to protect the air bridge. Baer turned on his radio transmitter, but all he heard in his headphones was a howl of interference. With a flap of his wings, he ordered his wingman to follow him and sent his Messerschmitt into a sharp turn with a descent. In the event of an interruption of radio communication, the order explicitly required Baer to return immediately to the airfield and report the coordinates of the position of the Russian anti-aircraft gunners, who demonstrated an accuracy of firing never seen before.

* * *

      Oberleutnant Baer's report on the defeat of the group of Junkers guarded by his fighters caught Richtengden at the Luftwaffe Second Air Fleet's reserve command post. After listening to the cover group commander, the Colonel turned sharply to the officer on duty. He no longer had any doubts – the marksman was on the move.

      “Hauptmann, get the special group in the air! The task is to attack Russian anti-aircraft positions south of Vyazma,” Richtengden himself took the sheet with the exact coordinates of the target from the communicator and handed it to the Luftwaffe officer.

      Ten minutes later, 12 Messerschmitts and 32 Ju-87 dive bombers were in the air. For the first time on the Eastern Front, they carried not only high-explosive bombs but also chemical ones in their bomb chambers. The Colonel was well aware that right now he was committing the irreversible act that could change the entire balance of power in this war. Of course, his plan was coordinated at the very top, but it was he who came up with the idea and the decisive order also came out of his mouth, which means that he, too, will be responsible for the consequences.

      Seven minutes passed in tense anticipation, which was suddenly interrupted by the sharp buzzer of the telephone.

      “Herr Oberst, the Headquarters of the Eighth Air Corps is on the line.”

      “I'm listening,” said the Colonel into the receiver.

      “Herr Oberst, Hauptmann Meyer reports. The group of Heinkels, escorted by my squadron, was hit by Russian 85 mm anti-aircraft guns, lost more than half of its planes and was scattered. According to the order, I have to report such cases immediately…”

      “I'm already aware of that, Hauptmann. Those anti-aircraft guns near Vyazma will soon be finished.”

      “Excuse me, Herr Oberst, did you say near Vyazma? My air group came under Russian fire northeast of Rzhev.”

      “Of Rzhev? Are you sure, Hauptmann?”

      “We managed to spot the positions of the anti-aircraft guns. They are about 30 kilometers from the outer front of the encirclement. I'm ready to give you the exact coordinates.”

      “Thank you, Hauptmann,” said Richtengden in a colorless voice, “the liaison officer on duty will take your coordinates.”

      The Colonel pondered the information for about 15 seconds and then turned his gaze to the Luftwaffe officer.

      “I need a connection with the special group. It's urgent! They must return to the airfield immediately!”

      “There is no communication, Herr Oberst,” the officer on duty reported after a minute, “the airwaves are again clogged with these anomalous interference…”

      The Hauptmann had no time to finish – he was interrupted by another call signal. Richtengden slowly turned to the communicator.

      “Herr Oberst, this is Oberleutnant Eichenwald, Third Fighter Squadron, Eighth Air Corps.”

      The Colonel silently took the receiver, already realizing what he was about to hear.

* * *

      The "Redoubt" teams were unable to detect nearly five dozen German planes taking off from two nearby airfields, but the computer immediately drew my attention to something out of the usual pattern of enemy activity.

      This new air group consisted exclusively of fighters and dive bombers. It did not have a single transport aircraft, hence, it had to perform tasks far removed from those of supplying the encircled German armies.

      After a couple of minutes, when the enemy planes finally came together and lay on a course for Vyazma, their intentions became crystal clear to me. Unlike the transports, the dive bombers kept low, trying to stay close to the ground to reduce the chance of detection by radars and air traffic control stations.

      “"Viper 2", this is "Mole". A group of dive-bombers covered by Messerschmitts is approaching you from the southwest. 30 to 40 Ju-87s. Flying time 12 minutes.”

      “"Mole", this is "Viper 2". We got the information. Awaiting instructions.”

      “You will not have time to change positions – you will be caught on the march. Prepare to repel the attack. 52-K cannons, take data for barrage fire. Small-caliber guns open fire at visual contact with the enemy.”

      There was nothing else I could do to help the anti-aircraft gunners. My command post was almost a hundred kilometers away from their positions, and I could only watch the unfolding battle from orbit with clenched fists.

      This group of dive bombers was clearly set up beforehand by the enemy. Apparently, the Germans again managed to predict my actions to some extent. In any case, they were clearly preparing in advance to foil the attempt to destroy the air bridge to the Moscow Pocket. But have they chosen the right means to do so? The decision to send dive bombers to attack an air defense area that is loaded with automatic cannons is quite controversial. There will inevitably be casualties on both sides, and they will be significant losses. Judging by the way the Germans approach the target, the Luftwaffe have not assembled a strike group of rookies, and I do not understand why the Germans are willing to risk their best pilots so much.

      I didn't count much on the effectiveness of the 85 mm guns barrage fire. Nevertheless, as soon as the German planes crossed the invisible 15-kilometer line to the anti-aircraft positions, the 52-K guns sent 16 fragmentation shells toward them in a volley, to at least disrupt the formation and make the enemy pilots nervous.

      In the three minutes it took the German planes to reach the anti-aircraft guns, the battery managed to make two dozen salvos. Theoretically, they could have fired faster, but the Germans were changing course, maneuvering, and this required the anti-aircraft gunners to constantly adjust their sights. To my surprise, their efforts were not wasted – two dive-bombers crashed into the forest and disappeared in the fiery flashes of detonated bombs.

      The Messerschmitts were the first to attack. 12 planes, armed as fighter-bombers, swiftly jumped out from behind the trees of the nearest grove and dropped dozens of small fragmentation bombs on the anti-aircraft positions. However, the appearance of the enemy did not come as a surprise to the automatic gun crews; they had received advance warning of the impending attack, as well as information about the direction from which the attack was expected to come.

      Fire trails stretched toward the Messerschmitts, they immediately crossed two planes and forced the other five fighters off their combat course. German planes flew low over gun positions, firing machine guns and dropping bombs. Shrapnel howled through the air and collected its deadly tribute, but the cannons were in the trenches, and this partly reduced the effectiveness of the bombardment. The barrels of the guns turned after the fighters coming out of the attack. One plane exploded in mid-air, two others were damaged and had to withdraw from the battle.

      The attack by the Messerschmitts was only a prelude. Almost immediately after them dive bombers appeared over the anti-aircraft positions. They had to gain altitude first to approach the targets, which took some time, so their strike followed later than the fighters' attack. But now three dozen Junkers were falling almost steeply on

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