Burning Moscow

() Hearing the order issued by Kolpakchi, Semikov, who had already picked up the microphone, couldn't help but reminded him in a low voice: "Comrade Commander, the 147th and 181st Divisions are our reserve team, so early. Let them fight?"

Kolpakchi waved his hand impatiently and said: "You don't even look at when, what reserve is left. If the Germans break through the Kacharinskaya area, they will quickly advance to the edge of the Koska River. , Forming an encirclement to the right wing of the 62nd Army."

Hearing what Kolpakci said was so serious, Semikov did not insist on his own opinion. He reluctantly shook the handle of the telephone and said into the microphone: "I am the headquarters of the group army. Give me the commander of the 147th Division. Major General Volkhin." After a while, the phone was connected, and Semikov raised his voice and said, "General Volkhin? I am Captain Semikov, the Combat Staff of the Group Army. Comrade Commander ordered that your division immediately..."

As soon as Semikov's words came to this, Kolpakchi, who was pacing back and forth in the room with his hands on his back, suddenly walked to the table and raised his hand to hang up his phone. Not only the party concerned, Shemikov, looked at Kolpakchi with a blank face, but even me, who had been around doing nothing, stared at the commander strangely, wondering why he suddenly interrupted Shemikov to give orders to the subordinate units.

Kolpakic pressed his hand on the phone and didn't remove it. He frowned and said solemnly: "The battle has just begun, the reserve team can't move!"

Semikov, holding the microphone, murmured: "But, Comrade Commander, if we don't support the 33rd Guards Division. They can't hold their positions."

Kolpakic did not answer his question. Instead, he took the microphone from his hand. After shaking the handle for a few times, it was connected and said: "Operator, pick me up with Colonel Harchenko from the 182nd Infantry Division."

After the call was connected, he asked sternly: "Comrade Colonel, I want to know when your 192nd Division will be able to break through the front German defensive position?"

Halchenko replied in a flustered manner: "Comrade Commander, I have tried my best. Due to the strong fortifications in the German defense area, my three infantry regiments launched seven assaults in a row. Nothing. success."

Kolpakic interrupted Kharchenko’s complaint and ordered in an unquestionable tone: “Since the first seven failed, then you immediately organize the eighth attack. Comrade Colonel, I don’t care what you do. Within an hour, I must see your troops appear in my field of vision, otherwise you will lose your rank of colonel."

Although Kolpakchi was panicked for a while, as a commander with rich combat experience, he returned to normal in a short period of time. Start giving orders to his troops again. After finishing the call with Kharchenko, he immediately called with Colonel Farnasyev, the commander of the 33rd Division of the Guards.

One phone call. He opened the door and asked, "Colonel Fanasiyev, how is your teacher's situation?"

Fanasiyev quickly reported: "Report to Comrade Commander, according to the report of the 85th Regiment which is holding the position to the west, the German infantry is under the cover of tanks, approaching the position they are holding. Due to the enemy’s air strikes and fierce artillery fire, they Unable to organize effective resistance. The east position of the 84th regiment has not yet been attacked by the Germans. The commanders and fighters are rushing to repair the fortifications and are ready to fight the Germans here."

When I heard Colonel Fanasiyev talking about the east and west positions, I was taken aback for a moment, and then I remembered that our army’s counterattack was from east to west. The first line of defense to be conquered is now the east position. The position to be conquered is naturally the west position.

After listening to Kolpakci, he only told Fanasiev: "Colonel, you will call the commander of the 85th Regiment and tell them to hold on. I will support them soon." After speaking, he hung up the phone.

After making this call, he made another call and said: "Comrade Military Commissioner, the newly-occupied position of the 33rd Guards Division is currently being attacked by German airstrikes and heavy artillery. At the same time, the enemy's infantry is in the tank. Under cover, they are approaching. They are now encountering assistance. Please order the artillery regiment to fire immediately to stop and shoot the German troops in front of the west position! Yes, don't hesitate, fire now!"

Just as Kolpakci called, the staff officer who was observing at the window suddenly yelled in surprise: "The Germans are about to enter our army's position."

I came to the window in two steps and raised my binoculars to look towards the battlefield. Under the cover of the tank, I saw that the German infantry had advanced to a place less than 100 meters away from the position. For fear of accidental injury, the German artillery had stopped firing. The air force circled our army's position for a while and then flew away one after another.

At this moment, our army is full of smoke and fire, but no one can be seen. Seeing this scene, my heart sank, what's going on? The commanders of the 85th Regiment didn't shoot yet? Are they all sacrificed?

At this moment, our artillery fired, and groups of artillery shells screamed through the air, and fell accurately into the German offensive queue in front of our army's position. For a time, the open area was originally full of German infantry and tanks. It was blown into a sea of ​​flames, shrapnel shot all over and mud splashed.

Kolpakchi also walked to the window, picked up his binoculars and admired the masterpieces of our artillery. After watching for a while, he moved the binoculars away from his eyes, turned his head and said to Shemikov: "Comrade Captain, call the military commissar and let the artillery fire extend the fire, and this attacking enemy must be completely destroyed." Shemikov was excited. He promised, and turned around to call.

Because of an unexpected attack by our artillery, the German army's first attack failed. As soon as the German army retreated, the surviving commanders and fighters on the west front emerged from the ruins and seized the time to rush to repair the fortifications.

Watching the German troops retreat, Kolpakic's face showed a smile. But before he could laugh out loud, Semykov reported to him a bad news: "Comrade Commander, I just received the news that the Germans launched a fierce offensive against the 184th and 192nd divisions of our group army."

Kolpakchi suppressed the smile on his face and asked displeasedly: "How is the battle going now?"

Shemikov shook his head and replied with a bitter face: "Comrade Commander, the situation is terrible. According to the latest report, the German Motorized 3rd and 60th Divisions were the main force in this attack. Ten minutes ago, they had just Destroyed the division headquarters of the 184th and 192nd divisions of our infantry in the Upper Buzinovka area. As the whereabouts of the two division commanders and the personnel of the division headquarters were unknown, the command system of the two units fell into chaos, except for a few units. In addition to fighting on the spot, most of the remaining troops are retreating to the areas of Golubinsky and Nabatovsky."

Hearing Shemikov's words "retreat" seemed a bit difficult. I guess the situation is much more serious than what he said. The troops did not retreat in an orderly manner, but retreated.

At this moment, the phone on the desk rang, and Semykov picked up the microphone and listened, and immediately handed it to Kolpakchi, saying, "Comrade Commander, it is a call from General Trikov."

Cui Kefu's phone, why does he call at this time? In order to find out what was going on, I took the opportunity of Kolpakic to walk over to pick up the microphone and quietly moved two steps towards him, so that I could hear the conversation between him and Cui Koff clearly.

"Hello, Vladimir Yakovlevich!" Cuikov unexpectedly called Kolpakchi's father and real name on the phone, and my heart was tense when I heard it, and asked if something serious happened. ? Otherwise, Cuikov would never use such a formal name for Kolpakchi.

Kolpakci was taken aback when he heard that Trikov called him, and then asked politely: "Hello, Vasily Ivanovich! Are you calling at this time, what can I do?"

"Comrade Commander of the Group Army," Cui Koff said coldly, "I want to report you an unfortunate news. In the German telegram we just intercepted, they said that they had made a huge battle in the upper Buzinovka area. As a result, we defeated the 184th and 192nd divisions of our army, and killed the commander of the 192nd division, Colonel Harchenko."

"What?" Hearing this news, Kolpakci almost jumped up~www.wuxiaspot.com~ His breathing became rapid, and he kept saying: "This is impossible, you know, I was an hour ago I also talked to Colonel Harchenko on the phone. The news you got must be a rumor deliberately spread by the German army, the purpose of which is to shake the morale of our army...."

"General Kolpakchi," Choikov interrupted him before he was finished, and said sternly: "Our group army's right-wing troops are now receiving the defeated troops of the 184th and 192nd divisions, and they have been fighting with the Germans at the same time. The vanguard of the army caught the fire. I suggest that you immediately abandon the position you occupied in today's counter-assault battle and let the troops withdraw after dark. Move fast, otherwise you will find this army after dawn tomorrow It has been encircled by the German army. At that time, what you will face is not how to consolidate the occupied position, but how to organize the troops to break through the siege."

Kolpakic put down the phone, fell on a stool feebly, staring at the map in front of him in a daze. Shemikov and I stood beside him, quietly waiting for him to make the final decision.

After a long time, the Kolpak Wizard raised his head, as if he had made up his mind, and said weakly to Shemikov: "Comrade Captain, you are going to call Colonel Farnasyev and ask him to give orders to the troops. Anyway, we must hold on to the evening. After dark, the troops quietly withdrew to a position and returned to the starting position of the morning offensive." Shemikov agreed and turned to call. (To be continued...)