The shutdown was caused by a solar flare, which cut off the USA, Britain and its colonies on June 22, 1941. At first, this did not particularly affect the course of the war. The Germans advanced much as in real history. The Fuhrer also turned south, and Japan took a wait-and-see position... And again, the frosty winter saved the Red Army from complete defeat, and allowed it to launch a counteroffensive near Moscow. Meanwhile, Japan captured those possessions in the Pacific Ocean that had previously belonged to Britain and the USA, and which additional forces could not now reach.
On the Eastern Front, the Germans won a number of victories in the spring and early summer, and began an offensive on Stalingrad again. However, this is where the discrepancies with reality began. The absence of a second front allowed the Germans to transfer more troops from Europe and Libya, leaving only the Italian garrisons there.
And the offensive began not only on Stalingrad, but also on Tikhvin. And it was now commanded by Rommel, whom the Fuhrer highly valued for the defeat of the British in Libya and the capture of Tolbuk.
The first Tiger tanks also took part in the battles. Rommel launched an offensive at night and managed to catch the Soviet troops by surprise. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the Germans had an advantage in aviation, so they did not waste their forces fighting the allies.
Pilot Marcel quickly racked up scores on the Eastern Front. In June 1942, he had already exceeded the number of aircraft shot down by one hundred and fifty and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Silver Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
But this was only the beginning of his career.
In the sky, the Red Army really had it harder. And the Germans were able to take Tikhvin, and then several more cities, and cut off Leningrad with a double ring, blocking that city again.
The Soviet command tried to break through to Leningrad and attack in the center. But there were not enough forces to achieve success in these areas.
The only consolation was that the fascists were bogged down in Stalingrad, which gave them a chance to gather new reserves.
But Leningrad remained blockaded. Turkey and Japan had not yet entered the war, and the USSR had a chance to turn the tide of battle. In November 1942, Soviet troops began an offensive near Rzhev and Stalingrad.
They failed to achieve success near Rzhev. But near Stalingrad the ring was closed. But as it turned out, it was temporary. The Third Reich had much more reserves, and Rommel began an offensive towards Stalingrad from the north, and Mainstein from the south.
The situation was further aggravated by Japan's unexpected entry into the war. The samurai, despite being constrained by the battle in China, attacked Vladivostok.
Probably Hirohito was afraid that the Third Reich would lose and entered the war.
Moreover, Japan had enough resources and infantry for full-scale attacks.
The Red Army was pinned down, and Rommel managed to break through from the north to Stalingrad. Mainstein was temporarily stopped, but having received additional reinforcements and support from Paulus, he joined forces that had already been unblocked.
Thus, another ring was created in which the Soviet troops found themselves.
After intense fighting, most of them were destroyed and captured. After which the Germans completed the capture of Stalingrad. And in March 1943, Turkey entered the war. The situation became even more complicated. In the air, the Germans retained superiority. Marseille exceeded the score of three hundred downed aircraft and became the first German to receive a second Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
In May, the Germans launched a new offensive, using new tanks on a massive scale - the Tiger, Panther and Lion. And they advanced successfully, although the Red Army took up a powerful defense. But the forces were already unequal, since the Soviet troops were fighting on three fronts at once - against the Third Reich, its satellites, Japan and its colonies, and Turkey. The situation was aggravated by the total war declared by the Nazis, which led to an increase in weapons production several times in the absence of bombing by the Allies. So the USSR's chances were rapidly diminishing!
True, the Fritzes advanced slowly, as they faced a deeply echeloned defense. And the Soviet troops, having experience, fought very bravely. But they still lost.
However, they fought with great courage, and some soldiers showed the highest class. For example, here is the tank crew of Elizaveta in the most ordinary T-34-76 fighting the Nazis.
And the Germans are moving slowly towards the Soviet troops, lined up in a wedge or a pig. In front is the heaviest and best protected tank, the "Lion". It resembles the "Panther", only much larger and weighing ninety tons. The frontal armor of the hull is 150 mm and sloped like the T-34, and the sides are 82 mm with slopes. The front of the turret is generally very well protected: 240 mm with slopes, and the sides are also weaker, 82 mm, like the hull. And the gun is powerful, 105 mm, with a large barrel length of 70 EL. Now this is a tank capable of hitting from a distance.
Elizabeth shifts the gearbox to the highest gear with her bare foot.
And the T-34 picks up speed. It is useless to shoot at the "Lion" from a distance and it is necessary to get closer. The powerful German machine sends a shell of deadly force. It flies past. The girls in the tank laugh merrily and move their bare feet.
It's hot in the North Caucasus at the end of May, and the beauties have a lot of fun in bikinis.
Elena notes with a whistle:
- Now the fascist will get a good beating in the horns!
Ekaterina, shaking her bare, tanned foot, agrees:
- We'll definitely hit him!
The T-34-76 continues to accelerate, but its off-road speed is limited. The "Lion" barely crawls, and the more agile "Panthers" and "Tigers" slow down to avoid getting ahead.
But these machines are dangerous too, especially the Panther, which can fire fifteen shots a minute. You can expect a surprise from one like that.
Euphrasiya, pressing her bare heel on the gas, squeals:
- We will fight in virtuoso ways!
The Lev tank's gun has a significant drawback: it fires only five shots per minute. In general, it's not the best model. Its armor-piercing ability is excessive, and it's not necessary to hit from too great a distance. Tigers and Panthers can penetrate from two kilometers, and it's practically impossible to hit the small and mobile T-34 from a greater distance. So was it worth equipping the Lev with such a powerful gun? Other Soviet tanks are even lighter, except for the KV-1S, but this tank has no advantages in protection, and its driving characteristics are even worse.
Elizabeth spins the body and squeals:
- I inhale with my chest, the air in a wide wave,
Sparkling brightly, the starry carpet is endless...
Feelings play, barefoot girls are alive,
I want to play in the sky and fly towards the sun forever!
It is not easy to penetrate the Lev tank, even in the side. The sides of the turret, like the Panther, are sloped, and so are the upper part of the hull sides. These tanks have adopted the typical "cat" shape, which provides better protection due to the slopes. Not like the Tiger, which is almost square. But the Tiger was developed before the war, and its shape resembled the KV. But the Tiger-2, a later development, is also a "cat" shape, and this tank will soon go into production. It is also almost impossible to penetrate the Lev in the side. Only the lower part of the hull does not have sloped armor, but it is covered by rollers. That is, you need to break through close and hit exactly between the rollers.
So the girls have a difficult task. Especially since the T-34 shakes so much when moving that it is almost impossible to shoot accurately.
Elizabeth asked her friends:
- Will we be able to hit the enemy?
Elena answered confidently:
- When girls don't have shoes, their bare feet become so sensitive that they are sure to amaze the enemy.
Elizabeth agreed with this:
- Yes, the girls" bare heels are the key to victory!
And so, avoiding defeat, the T-34 slips to the side. The main thing here is to avoid the guns of the Panthers and Tigers. They are rapid-fire and accurate. And you can't penetrate these tanks head-on either.
Elena shoots at the German using her bare toes. But it is almost impossible to miss the rink while moving. But the enemy's rink is broken, and the "Lion" stops.
The T-34 passes him again and sends a deadly shell into the lower part of the side.
Ekaterina notes:
- Our gun is outdated - there is no way to take the "Lion"!
But in her frustration, Elena struck the enemy's side part, and the "Lion" caught fire.
The girls, without slowing down, are pushing forward again. Now they have a weaker target: "Panther". It is enough to hit it precisely in the side.
Elizabeth notes:
- Practical cat!
Catherine noted with a laugh:
- But he barely crawls so as not to leave the cover of the "Lion".
And Elena fired from a distance at the Panther, which was far off to the side and opened its side. It is rather thin - about 40 millimeters, and it doesn't matter that it is at an angle.
The German tank explodes with a bang. The beauties hit hard.
They, with their captivating grace of fighting beauties.
But the shells whistled as they flew past, almost touching the armor.
This is very dangerous for the T-34, and it resembles a man jumping between streams.
Elizabeth shot again with her bare foot and sang:
- I can do everything, I can do everything, we will give the Wehrmacht a hard time!
Of course, with girls like these, even the devil himself is not scary. Although the fascists are aggressively attacking, and they have a lot of tanks...
The forces are unequal. Although the number of vehicles is approximately equal, the Germans are heavier. Many Soviet tanks are light and not entirely combat-ready against Hitler's monsters.
But Elizabeth's crew works miracles and shoots through another Panther on the move.
Komsomol girls fight with guns. They shoot accurately. They run, flashing their bare, round heels. And they hit the enemy right on target.
Alenka commands with passion:
- Girls, don't give in!
And here the gun spits out a shell, right at the T-4, penetrating this tank. But, of course, the "Lion" is not so easy to take. And here you have to try.
Anyuta points at the car with her bare toes and fires straight at the target, saying:
- Glory to communism!
Alla also shoots very accurately and adds:
- Glory to heroism!
There's nothing to say about the fighting girls here - top class and aerobatics!
Maria, feeding the shell into the gun, sang:
- Higher and higher and higher,
Strive for the flight of our birds...
And in every propeller breathes,
Peace of our borders!
Marusya added, shooting at the Fritzes:
- That is definitely true....
The mass heroism of Russians and not only Russian people was demonstrated in everything...
The measured, muffled sounds of a cuckoo, like the chimes of a clock, rushed over the trenches. The rare trees, with their thick green crowns, greeted the tired soldiers in gusts of wind, like pioneers in a salute. Some people might even have thought it was a warning of sorts - like, you'll go to the next world!
The battalion under the command of Vladimir Mikhailovsky, severely battered in previous battles, especially in the May defeat, is now hastily replenished with new recruits, preparing to cover one of the most dangerous directions. Three kilometers to the east, the waters of the Don, rushing along the flames of war, splash.
Most of the reeds were charred by incendiary bombs, the water was blackened by soot. Like huge matches in mournful disgrace, the piles of the bridge, which was torn down by the blast wave, stand alone as supports.
On boats, local pioneers transport the gifts of the fields, as well as boxes of ammunition for the heroic Soviet soldiers, ready to enter into mortal battle with the enraged Hitlerite hordes.
Here the four of them dragged a long box to a bush covered with wolfberries. There was a carefully camouflaged anti-tank gun, lurking in ambush like a mohawk. Three soldiers and the dashing-eyed gunner Alesya were working at the gun. The girl was very slender, but her hands were sinewy from exhausting work. She was also trying to prepare a trap together with the guys in case a tank or an armored vehicle of the Hitlerite pack tried to go around the natural hillock.
The soldiers are mostly still completely beardless and inexperienced young men who have completed a shortened recruit course of one and a half months, plus, of course, the pre-conscription training that was well organized in the USSR.
Some warriors already have experience. They differ from the young ones by their stubble, the sharpness of their movements, some are overdone. In particular, one-eyed Ivan, who looked like a real pirate - he grew a beard. The rank of ensign, and already a couple of orders received in various battles, or rather the first near Moscow. When, it seemed, they did the impossible: stopped the Fritzes, and even drove the enemies a couple of hundred kilometers, like dog beaters.
How much abandoned equipment the Fritzes had. Maybe not so often, and tanks were encountered, but armored personnel carriers with cannons and machine guns, which so painfully tormented the Soviet infantry in the summer and autumn of forty-one - at least a dime a dozen!
But when the frost exceeded thirty degrees, all these Teutonic monsters lost their ability to move, they simply... The gasoline froze and the lubricant solidified.
Unfortunately, they were unable to finish off the Nazis. Partly due to the fault of the command, which asked for large forces to storm the cities where the German units were huddled. And the thaw came - damn it...
In the spring, Ivan earned a second order - he was lucky enough to kill a general and several officers from an ambush. However, the battle was only partially successful. During the pursuit, a stray fragment hit Ivan Krasnov in the face, depriving him of an eye. Alas, this is war, not a children's movie where the main character beats everyone, and not even a hundred machine guns can hit him.
And now they have to do physically hard work: digging trenches, cells and trap pits.
The pioneers help them while there is a lull in the fields and the boys and girls themselves have asked to help their older brothers. They work even too zealously, trying to do more, without calculating their strength. That's how the veins swell and stick out on the tanned, calloused hands and bare, bruised feet of the children. And at the same time they still manage to sing;
We are pioneers, children of communism -
A fire, a tent and a ringing horn!
The invasion of the damned fascism -
Which awaits a furious defeat!
What did we lose in these battles?
Or did you acquire it in battles with the enemy?
We used to be just children of the world -
And now warriors of the Native Land!
But Hitler took a step towards our capital,
He brought down a waterfall of countless bombs!
And for me, the Fatherland is even more beautiful than the sky -
Now the bloody sunset has come!
We will respond to aggression harshly -
Although, alas, we ourselves are small in stature!
But the sword in the hands of a fragile teenager is
Stronger than the legions of Satan!
Let the tanks rush in avalanche after avalanche,
And we share the rifle between three of us!
Let the police aim meanly at your back,
But the Holy God will punish them fiercely!
What have we decided? To do the work of peace -
But for that, alas, I had to shoot!
The calm is already disgusting.
Sometimes violence can be a blessing!
The girl and I run barefoot together.
Even though it snowed, the snowdrift burns like coal!
But they have no fear, children know -
The fascist will be boldly driven into the coffin with a bullet!
Here they laid down a company of vile Fritzes,
And the rest of the cowards run away!
We crush infantry like a scythe in battle -
Our youth is no obstacle for us!
Victory achievement, will be in May,
There is a blizzard now, prickly, hard snow!
The boy is barefoot, his sister is barefoot,
The children met their prime in rags!
Where do these forces come from in us?
To endure both pain and cold, that need!
When the comrade measured the bottom of the grave,
When my friend moans, I will die!
Christ blessed us pioneers,
He said, the Fatherland was given to you by God!
This is the first of all faith,
Soviet, sacred country!
The distant rumble of approaching tanks is heard, and planes are buzzing in the sky. And already the mighty siege guns are thundering. From the hits of high-explosive shells, clods of earth and melted turf are thrown high into the sky. Here it begins the battle. Major Vladimir Mikhailovsky holds a trophy binocular in his hands, watching the approach of the steel fascist avalanche. They are trying to drive the pioneers to the rear, but they do not want to leave and ask for rifles in their hands to fight.
There are not enough weapons for everyone, although the local kids have brought hunting rifles and even sport bows. Everyone wants to fight bravely and win. But it will not be possible to die with the last thought of the Motherland.
Major Mikhailovsky gives the order:
- Do not open fire without command!
Indeed, they only have two "forty-fives" for the entire battalion, which means their chance is to let the Fritzes get closer.
In front, as is customary for the Nazis, are the most protected vehicles: T-4 tanks and the Okhotnik self-propelled guns. They must give way to lighter vehicles and the slightly lagging infantry.
The Nazi cars and motorcycles slow down every now and then, afraid of getting ahead....
But pioneer Yuliy Petrov proves that they stayed here for a reason. A scarce anti-tank mine, coated with homemade glue, and with turf on top making it invisible, is moved with the help of a wire between the stumps, right under the T-4's caterpillar track.
The steel plates of the track fall on the deadly present. The explosion does not seem too strong, but the track is torn off, and Hitler's tank begins to smoke and spin its turret.
Others, boys use similar devices. If the German infantry is afraid, and tanks and self-propelled guns are pushing ahead defenseless, then they will be punished for this.
The famous Okhotnik, with its low silhouette and strong armor, looks like a flattened turtle. This self-propelled gun appeared on the Soviet-German front quite recently. Due to its good running characteristics, a gun that penetrates at a decent distance, and its survivability in combat, the Okhotnik immediately became a byword.
But its tracks are still ordinary, albeit wide... However, it would be even better to blow up the bottom of the machine and make it spit out its insides as spare parts.
Here is the damaged "Hunter", like a pirate frigate with a broken rudder, sliding to the side and colliding with the T-4. And both steel coffins on caterpillar tracks begin to burn, and after a few moments explode due to detonating ammunition.
Now a dozen medium-weight cars stopped, broken and helpless.
But the others are following them, especially the numerous armored ones. Here the SPG "Okhotnik" picks up speed and... Falls into a camouflaged hole. Only the tracks stick out from above and helplessly move.
Pioneers rejoice. In some places in dug holes there is homemade explosive. It is made in a handicraft way. Of course, it is weaker than dynamite, but it is quite enough to disable the chassis.
Fritz suffers heavy losses, armored personnel carriers fall through, some pass through dangerous zones, but they are met with grenades and explosive packages thrown.
Here even the clever young fighters have built small catapults. They throw out a special package of distilled wood alcohol mixed with gunpowder elements.
When hit, the thinner armor of the Nazi transports gives way, causing the crews to burst into blue flames. Maddened by pain, the Fritzes scream hysterically and run away with faces distorted with horror.
Some of them are even abandoning their equipment...
It's just a pity that there are a lot of enemies, some transport vehicles, pouring machine gun fire, approach the trenches.
And they run into hedgehogs... Alesya, meanwhile, aims the 45. Of course, you can't take the T-4 and Okhotnik head-on, but you can try their sides. There's no need to even talk about armored personnel carriers. They'll pierce everything and make you cough up blood on the floors with hot metal!
Small caliber guns have many advantages over large ones - rate of fire, ease of camouflage. And they know how to choose targets.
The Nazis are snapping back, as fierce as hyenas. And among the Soviet guys there are killed and wounded. It is especially tragic when young fighters who have just begun to live die. Here is a little pioneer girl who has barely lifted an explosive pack and throws herself with it under the tracks of a medium T-3 tank. The ugly box with a long but seemingly thin barrel jumps up and tears off its square turret.
And the fighters throw grenades again, and machine guns start shooting at the approaching motorcycles. And the heads of the Hitlerite soldiers burst like ripe cherries knocked down by hail.
And the gas tanks of the big motorcycles explode, throwing out streams of furious fire. It feels like a riot of hellish genies is taking place. Here are several armored personnel carriers that also join their hapless colleagues.
Alesya aims at the "Hunter" and aims at the lower part of the hull. It's hard to hit there, but this is the only chance to penetrate the merciless self-propelled gun. A smooth movement of the finger, and then a turn.
The gun gives a soft recoil, and the fascist machine splits in half. And the flag with the swastika falls into the bloody mud.
Alesya whispers:
- Justice requires sacrifice, charity requires donations, and the success of a just cause requires sacrifice!
Turning, the female artilleryman rests her bare feet to better feel the Earth's biorhythms and the breath of the grass, and shoots again, hitting the treacherous T-3 in the joint.
It is clear that almost all medium tanks of the Nazi armada have been disabled. Here is the last one destroyed by a young pioneer boy, who despite his wound pushed a barrel with a mixture of explosive carbide, coal dust, sawdust with a small amount of phosphorus. The heroic child did not have enough strength to push the barrel after the through-and-through wound, and his comrade Andrei, crossing himself while running, pushed it under the wheels of a forty-ton assault self-propelled gun "Shmel". The accommodating 150-millimeter cannon shot up and remained raised. And the souls of the pioneers, having flown out of their torn bodies, rushed to the happy Heavenly Kingdom, where there is never violence and pain.
The surviving fascist transporters, having lost the support of their heavier colleagues, began to turn back... The roar of Wagner's music died down, and a mass flight began.
Vladimir Mikhailovsky, wiping the blood from his forehead, said:
- A Russian warrior can die standing, but will never live on his knees! Russia can bleed to death, but no blood will make our courage and loyalty to the Fatherland bleed to death!
And the surviving pioneers confirm this... Although many of them were already burned and injured.
And in the sky, Anastasia Vedmakova and Akulina Orlova are fighting, they are ready to compete with the vaunted Marseille, who has already shot down more than four hundred planes, for which he received the fifth degree of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds.
But the girls are clearly in the mood to fight in earnest. Here they are, in bikinis and barefoot, fighting. And they are piercing Luftwaffe planes.
Anastasia, using her bare toes, aims the gun at the target, knocks down the fascist, and says:
- Our faith is great,
It will be durable for centuries!
And winks at her partner. Akulina also knocks down a fascist, hits him, very accurately using her bare legs and squeals:
- For the greatness of the ideas of communism!
And she bares her pearly teeth. Such a militant and educated girl.
And sparkles with its teeth.
Anastasia, shooting down another German plane in her Yak-9, squeals aggressively:
- Russian eagle over the planet,
Spreading its wings, it will take off...
The enemy will be called to account,
Will be defeated, broken!
Akulina readily confirms this by knocking down her opponents:
- It will be broken!
Although, of course, the Germans also had beautiful female aces. Albina and Alvina fight on the newest ME-309. Such combat warriors-steals.
And they shoot down Soviet planes with amazing agility. The ME-309 has a very powerful armament - three 30-millimeter aircraft cannons and four machine guns. Russian machines cannot stand up to such a monster.
If they shoot down, they shoot down without mercy.
Albina, using her bare toes, aimed the aircraft cannon at the target. She fired at the enemy and squeaked:
- For the victories of the Third Reich!
And she stuck out her tongue.
Alvina also fired at the enemy. She cut down the Soviet Yak-9s and cooed:
- For the great frontiers of our army!
And she winked at her friends.
Huffman is also fighting, racking up scores. He is not yet one of the great aces, but he is progressing quickly. And one can also say he is a monster of hell.
The Germans, albeit slowly and with great losses, are advancing along the Volga coast, approaching the Caspian Sea.
. CHAPTER #2.
The forces were clearly unequal. The Nazis' aviation was especially annoying. The Focke-Wulf was delivered to the front in large quantities and its powerful armament and speed became a problem for the Red Army. In addition, this machine was too difficult to shoot down. It is durable and heavily armored.
The ME-309 also turned out to be an unpleasant surprise for Soviet pilots, both in terms of speed and armament. And it pretty much shredded Soviet units.
The new Ju-288 bomber also bombed Soviet positions, a very powerful machine. It carried four tons of bombs with a normal load, and six tons in an overloaded version. And it got on the Soviet units pretty good.
Rommel also showed his class as a commander, as did Mainstein.
The Germans were getting closer and closer to Astrakhan. And unexpectedly for the Soviet command, the Fritzes went on the offensive, along the Volga in the direction of Kamyshin. It was a bold but powerful move. And it was difficult to stop them for now.
But the Red Army"s defense is still strong... In a week, the Nazis advanced fifty kilometers and were stopped.
They were met with counterattacks by Soviet units....
At the same time, the Japanese tried to develop an offensive on Alma-Ata. And here fierce battles raged.
The girls fought equally with the men, and maybe even better than them.
Margarita Magnitnaya and Tatyana Bulatnaya are beautiful girls who shot from machine guns.
They shot down the samurai and sang:
- Let's not part with our dream,
In life, the first step is important...
You see again above the Earth,
Whirlwinds of furious attacks!
Margarita threw a deadly grenade with her bare toes, tore the Japanese apart and sang:
- No one will stop us,
No one will defeat us...
We will bury the Wehrmacht in the ground,
Our friendship is a monolith!
Tatyana, firing at the enemy, agreed:
- It really is a monolith!
The Japanese are advancing on Alma-Ata. They have many soldiers and various reserves. Such fighting guys they are. But the girls are mowing them down. They fight desperately.
Tatyana Bulatnaya threw another grenade, tore the samurai apart and sang:
- For my great achievement!
And she winked her sapphire-colored eyes. A cheerful girl, nothing to say.
And Margarita, with her bare heel, will take and throw a gift of death, tearing apart the Japanese soldiers.
And he will sing:
- Everything is mixed up, intertwined, in a whirlwind of suffering and troubles!
And again he will throw a lemon at the Japanese with his bare toes...
A bare-chested and barefoot warrior named Oksana crawls up to them and pushes a box of grenades, whispering:
- It's going to be cool, girls!
And all three warriors sang:
- The samurai flew to the ground, under the pressure of steel and fire!
And the beauties fight with great fury. They have been through fire and water and copper pipes not in vain.
Here is Oksana throwing a grenade with her bare foot, hitting a Japanese light tank Chiha. Well, that's a great target.
Margarita, shooting at the enemy, sang:
- It is possible to believe even in the absence of faith! It is possible to do even in the absence of action!