Burning Moscow

Before Batov could get in touch with the liaison officer sent to the friendly army, Akhromeyev hurried over with a telegram. .SUIMENG.lā He put the telegram on the table in front of me, and then respectfully reported: "Comrade Commander, Colonel Sederikov reported that he has figured out the number of the German army ambushing friendly forces in the forest area. It is the 102nd Infantry Division and the 4th Armored Division of Lieutenant General Sauken."

"Lieutenant General Shoken?" When I heard this strange name, I frowned and looked at Kistyakov first. Seeing him was also a dazed look, knowing that he must not be able to figure out the details of this German commander. , He turned his attention to Batov and asked politely: "General Batov, do you know the origin of this German general?"

Batov nodded solemnly, and said, "Sauken's full name is Dietrich von Sauken. Before the Great Patriotic War broke out @发, he was the commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and once led the troops. Participated in the Battle of Poland, because he always won several battles with minor casualties, and was awarded the Iron Cross. Later, his troops were transferred to the west of the Bug River and he was no longer in the cavalry regiment. The regiment commander became the infantry brigade commander of the 4th Armored Division.

After the war broke out, he was in the 4th Armored Division, under the command of the 24th Motorized Corps of Guderian's 2nd Armored Group. The division had achieved considerable results in the early stages of the war, but in the Orel and Mtzensk regions, it was stubbornly resisted by the tank troops of General Katukov, and the Eberbach armored brigade of the division suffered huge losses. .

…At the end of 41, he served as the commander of the 4th Armored Division, and in the area north of Orel, he blocked our army’s offensive and severely damaged one of our troops. It was precisely because of this record that he was promoted to major general soon after. …A few days later, he was seriously injured while commanding the troops to fight…After he was discharged from the hospital, because the post of commander of the 4th Armored Division had been replaced by someone else, he was transferred to the headmaster of the Rapid Forces School. Job.

In April of this year, he was promoted to lieutenant general and once again served as the commander of the 4th Armored Division. He also led his troops to participate in the Battle of Kursk and the Battle of Orel..."

After listening to Batov’s introduction, I couldn’t help but worry about the besieged friendly forces. If I just heard that the division of the 96th Division was killed by the Germans, I still have a hint of luck. I think it is the surviving commanders who have misrepresented it. But at this moment, after knowing that it is the Sauken unit that is responsible for the ambush, I feel in my heart. Understand that perhaps what the soldiers said is true, and the division-level commanders of the division are already ill-advised.

"Comrade Commander, what should we do?" After learning about Shoken's resume, Kistyakov was also worried about the fate of the besieged troops, because even if the reinforcements of our four divisions were suppressed, we had to think about it. In the encirclement of the 4 armored division, rescuing the friendly army was not as easy as imagined.

"Comrade Deputy Commander, we have done everything that should be done." I said helplessly: "As for whether they can be rescued, it's up to fate."

After speaking, I raised my hand and looked at the watch. In fact, this was just an instinctive action. I looked at the watch absent-mindedly. Without seeing the time clearly, I asked Bezikov casually: "Chief of Staff , Where did our roundabout troops from the two wings reach?"

"Because the troops can't march quickly in the forest," Bezikov replied sadly: "It will take at least an hour or two to get back to the German army."

"One or two hours?!" Hearing this time, my heart couldn't help but chuckle, and my heart said that if this is the case, to rescue the 96th and 260th divisions, the only way to save the burden of the 96th and 260th divisions can only be made by Division Xiejielikov and Xie Liujin The teacher has come to finish. Thinking of this, I quickly asked Bezikov: "Has Colonel Sederikov contacted the 260th Division?"

"Not yet, Comrade Commander." After answering my question, Bezikov said with his facial muscles twitching violently, "Do you think they have been wiped out by the Germans?"

"No, the chief of staff, definitely not." As soon as Bezikov's words fell, Kistyakov retorted: "The nearly 10,000 people in the two divisions continued to chase the enemy back and forth. The queue is at least seven or eight kilometers long. Even if the German armored divisions and infantry divisions attack at the same time, it is impossible to eat our troops in such a short period of time. What's more, now the guards of Colonel Sederikov The 51st Division, hasn't it been in contact with the two regiments of the 96th Division?"

"What's the use of getting in touch?" Bezikov retorted unconvincedly: "The defender regiment suffered two-thirds of its forces. The situation of the other regiment was not much better, and the casualties were more than half. As for the time being. I can’t get in touch with the infantry regiment and the division headquarters.

"Okay, everyone, don't quarrel." Although Batov kept silent when the two were arguing, I didn't want to let outsiders see that the people in our headquarters were flushed with quarrels about something, so I hurriedly said to stop it. Two people: "You have this time to quarrel, it's better to think about how we can restore contact with the 260th Division and the divisional headquarters of the 96th Division."

After two sentences from me, the two of them finally calmed down. Batov said at this time: "Comrade Oshanina, I have not been able to get in touch with my liaison officer. I think the situation of these two divisions is not optimistic."

"Comrade Commander, Comrade Commander." I was talking to Batov when Akhromeyev suddenly exclaimed, grabbed a telegram on the table, rushed towards me, and said loudly. Cried: "The telegram, the telegram just received was sent by the 260th Infantry Division."

"Major, what's the matter?" I looked at Akhromeyev who rushed forward, and couldn't wait to ask: "What did the 260th Infantry Division's telegram say? How are they doing now? How many troops are there? And why haven’t they contacted us?"

"That's it, Comrade Commander." Akhromeyev knew my character well, and knew that I would give the telegram to me. I didn’t know how to read it. So after passing the telegram to Kistyakov, I directly Reported to me: "The 260th Division Commander, Colonel Valenkin, reported that they were ambushed by the Germans while pursuing the Germans, and the division’s radio was damaged during the battle. This is why we could not get in touch with us. Now that the radio station has been repaired, Comrade Colonel feels it is necessary to report the actual situation of the division to you."

"To be more detailed." I saw that the telegram that Kistyakov was flipping had several pages, and knew that Colonel Valenkin must have reported in particular details, so I ordered Akhromeev: "Only to understand in detail. After the situation of the 260th Infantry Division, I can only send troops, can they be rescued from the German ambush ring."

After Akhromeyev glanced at the telegram in Kistyakov’s hand, he began to report to me: "According to Colonel Valenkin’s report, he suddenly heard from the front when the troops were pursuing the troops. After the fierce gunfire, the guards who thought the troops had caught up with the Germans were exchanging fire.

Just as he was about to get out of the car and walk on a higher terrain to check the battle ahead, suddenly an officer on a motorcycle rushed to report to him that the Pioneer regiment was ambushed by the Germans during the pursuit.

Hearing the officer’s report, Valenkin thought that the other party was wrong, and quickly corrected the other party: ‘It should be a block, not an ambush, right? ’

Unexpectedly, the officer replied anxiously: ‘That’s right, Comrade Commander, absolutely right! The enemy attacking our regiment rushed out of the forests on both sides, and the regiment commander said it was definitely not the unit we were pursuing. ’

Valenkin heard the officer's answer so affirmatively, he immediately broke out: ‘Then what are you doing here in a daze? ! I don’t want to go back and tell you the team leader that you must use the fastest action to grab the favorable terrain on both sides of the road, and you will count as much as you grab! ’

The officer agreed, got on the motorcycle and returned to the area where he was fighting.

Valenkin rushed a group of people from the division headquarters and said to them: "Comrades, commanders, according to the report of the avant-garde regiment, they were ambushed by German troops from the forest on both sides of the road. They are now fighting with the enemy. There is a fierce battle. ’

After listening to Valenkin's words, the political commissar of the division thought for a while, and then said: ‘Comrade commander, is it possible that the German army was cut off, and the first regiment misunderstood that it was another unit? ’

‘No, absolutely not. Valenkin defended the leader of the Xiantou regiment and said:'The leader of the Xiantou regiment is a commander with rich combat experience. He will not make such low-level mistakes. ’

‘But, comrade teacher. The chief of staff of the division then said, ‘what should we do next, should we continue to pursue the enemy, or should we stop and eliminate the ambushing enemy first? ’

Before Valenkin finished speaking, the division political commissar went on to say: ‘I advocate that we should continue to pursue the fugitives. As for ambushing our enemies, just leave a regiment to deal with them. ’

When Valenkin heard his political commissar saying this, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He said, "Comrades, I suspect that we have fallen into the enemy's trap. If we do not immediately deploy our troops on the spot for defense, I Worried that the troops might suffer huge losses. ’

Regarding Valenkin's concern, the political commissar of the division couldn't help but sneered and said: ‘Comrade division commander, you are too worried. The ambush of the vanguard group was only a small group of German troops. The purpose was to disrupt our offensive steps, and to cover the escaped troops and escape back to Kalinkovic. We can't be fooled by the Germans. ’

"Comrade Political Commissar," Valenkin said anxiously, ‘the time is pressing, so I can’t hesitate anymore. If you delay any longer, the consequences will be very serious...’

Before he could finish his words, there was a screaming sound in the air. Before they could respond, there were fragments of artillery shells falling on the marching team on the road, continuous explosions, bursting fireballs, and The marching queue was torn apart. If in peacetime, these fighters would surely be able to react quickly, but now, after two days of long-distance marches and a night of fierce battle, how could they react quickly, both physically and mentally weakened? But no matter how fast they are, how can they be faster than the enemy's movements and the flying cannonballs that have been prepared. ...

Valenkin had an instinct to survive, and when the first shell exploded, he fell to the ground. When the shelling was over, black and heavy enemy troops appeared in the forests on both sides of the road. Out of the instinct to survive, the surviving soldiers plunged into the crater around them, pulling the bolt at the fastest speed to load the bullet, and then there was a neat row of guns on both sides of the road. There is no other way to waste time. The soldiers were still a little flustered right after the shelling, and when they were suddenly attacked, they would inevitably become nervous. Instead of shooting randomly, it is better to use platoon guns to kill the enemy. It can also be a machine gun. Build up firepower to buy more time. ..."

It took Akhromeyev a full five minutes to finish the contents of the Valenkin telegram. Bartov waited for him to finish, grinned, and then said to me jokingly: "Comrade Oshanina, your major is very eloquent, and he can explain the content of the boring telegram so wonderfully. How about letting him go to me? I can let him be a political commissar in the regiment, just to give him a chance to give full play to his eloquence."

"General Batov," Kistyakov may be worried that I will be thin-skinned, and embarrassed to refuse Batov's request, so he took the initiative to help me out. He politely said to Batov: "Please forgive me, Ach Major Romeyev is our Chief of Operations, for us, he is indispensable."

"Okay, okay~www.wuxiaspot.com~General Kistyakov." Batov smiled, "You know that we are fighting together now, but when it comes to cadre communication, I feel like we are a little bit They became hostile parties."

"General Batov," I know in this case, if I don't come out and say a few words to ease the atmosphere, both Batov and Kistyakov may be murmured in their hearts, "Akhrome Major Yev is a very capable commander. He was the chief of staff of my division during the defense of Stalingrad, and now he is also the chief of operations of the group army. I have always been very cautious about his use. Yes, always put him in the right place..."

"Well, Comrade Oshanina, I just made a joke with you." Batov said jokingly, "Look at you and General Kistyakov both taking it seriously."

"By the way, General Batov." I saw the stack of telegrams on the table by Kistyakov. I suddenly thought of the liaison officer, and quickly asked Batov: "Your subordinates and frontline liaison officers. Are you connected?"

"Not yet." After Batov said this, the expression on his face became serious: "I sent him to the 96th Infantry Division, but so far, we have even the division’s headquarters. I didn’t find it anywhere, I guess he’s not good enough.” (To be continued.)