Burning Moscow

After praising Pugachev, Kirilov looked at me and solemnly suggested to me: "Comrade commander, I propose that the remaining anti-tank artillery company should also be put into battle, so that we can eliminate it as soon as possible. German tank at the foot of the mountain."

"No, the remaining anti-tank companies can't move." I involuntarily rejected Kirilov's proposal. Just after speaking this sentence, he found that the expression on his face was not harmonious, and seemed to be dissatisfied with my disapproval of his opinion so quickly. In order to prevent him from misunderstanding me, I quickly explained to him: "Comrade political comrades, the two anti-tank companies assigned to us by the group army should already be their limits. I guess we won’t stop before the end of the battle. Get a similar supplement. If the anti-tank artillery company is wiped out on the first day of the highland defense battle, the rest of the day, if you want to deal with the enemy's tanks, you can only rely on our brave fighters and hold them at all costs. He rushed forward with cluster grenades. I think you have seen the situation today. A platoon soldier lurking in the forefront beforehand, even if the enemy suddenly attacked without defense, only blew up a handful of vehicles. Tanks. In the next battle, in order to prevent us from repeating our old tricks, the enemy will inevitably strengthen defenses. In that case, even if we make a major sacrifice, we will not be able to blow up a few enemy tanks."

My words made Kirilov think. After a while, he said with difficulty: "Comrade Oshanina, maybe you are right. But we can't just watch the German tanks, shelling our positions unscrupulously. Even the defense of the positions. No matter how strong the army has fortifications, under the enemy's fierce artillery fire, casualties are absolutely indispensable."

Seeing the German cannonballs rushing towards our position without spending money, I was also anxious, but the clever woman couldn’t afford to cook without rice, and there was not enough heavy firepower. To suppress the enemy’s artillery, it would be nothing. Foolish dreams. Regarding Kirilov’s complaint, I can only say regretfully: "If we have an air force. Then we can definitely damage this enemy force."

Hearing what I said, Kirilov's eyes suddenly lit up, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and then confidently said: "Comrade Oshanina. Maybe I can find a way to get the superior to provide us with air force assistance. "

I looked at him suspiciously, and said in my heart: No, as far as I know, even Cui Kefu does not necessarily command the air force, not to mention that he is just the director of the political department of a group army.

Kirilov didn’t notice the strangeness on my face. He went straight to the phone and picked up the handset. After dialing, he commanded calmly: "Is it Lieutenant Razumeeva? I’m Kirilov. Political commissar. I order you to immediately send a telegraph operator to the observation station with a telegraph. Move fast, understand?"

While waiting for the radio operator to arrive, I saw German howitzers and tank guns continuously shelling the former artillery positions, temporarily ignoring the high ground guarded by our troops. The infantry who had left the truck phalanx were squatting about a hundred meters behind the tank. Seems to be waiting for the time to attack.

It was Captain Morozov and the soldiers of his mortar company, who did not climb up the high ground along the circling trenches, but directly climbed up the steep terrain of the southern slope. They finally stopped at a distance of two hundred meters from the top of the hillside and unfolded on the spot, putting more than a dozen mortars on the hillside.

I'm thinking about Morozov's artillery position on the back of the high ground. How can they fight the enemy on the other side? I saw two gunners stepping out, carrying things on their shoulders, and struggling to climb upwards. After reaching the top of the mountain. They put the things they carried on the ground and quickly assembled them. Only then did I see that it was an artillery observation mirror.

Turning his gaze to the foot of the mountain, he saw the soldiers of the Second Regiment and the Third Company who were responsible for carrying the artillery shells, in pairs, carrying the box and running towards the cannon. Although shells fly over from time to time. It exploded near them, but the soldiers didn't lie down on the spot, and they didn't even bend their waists. They kept their original speed and ran towards the cannon.

The gunner by the cannon saw a large group of people running towards them carrying a box, and suddenly understood what was going on. Immediately two gunners greeted him and helped the two fastest-running fighters. The four men ran towards the cannon with the shell box. When it was next to the cannon, the wooden box was placed on the ground. The gunner guarding the cannon used a short crowbar to pry open the wooden box, took out a cannonball from it, and quickly filled it into the barrel. As soon as the chamber door was closed, a gunner next to him suddenly pulled the rope in his hand, our cannon roared, and the shells roared out of the chamber.

I quickly looked at the German tank through the telescope, and saw the body of a tank that was firing a gun. Then a blaze shot straight into the sky from the open hatch, and then the tank was shrouded in a black mist of smoke. .

The gunner lying in front of him saw that the cannon had accurately hit the target, and then raised his thumb to the rear. The rest of the gunners and soldiers of the third company knew that the cannon had hit the target, and they couldn't help cheering. Then the soldiers of the third company turned backwards and quickly ran to the place where they had just hidden, seeming to want to bring more shells.

The surviving artillery of the second battery of the artillery battalion achieved results. The mortar company on the southern **** of the highland was not to be outdone. Under the guidance of the observers, it fired decisively.

A dozen mortar shells passed over the high ground, howling and landing in the infantry formation behind the tank. Due to the scattered locations, only a few dozen German soldiers were blown up. When I saw this scene, I could only report with a wry smile. The mortar company's soldier's skills are indeed a little bit worse. If their shells can be focused more, they can blow up at least twice as many enemies.

Before I could comment on the mortar company Kirilov, the telegraph operator with the telegraph on his back arrived. It was not Lieutenant Razumeeva, but Corporal Nadya who had come to the division with her to report. Seeing that the radio operator was coming, Kirilov helped her put the radio on the table and ordered her straightforwardly: "Comrade Corporal, please contact the front headquarters immediately. This is the calling code of the headquarters radio station." After that, he handed a piece of paper to Nadya.

When I heard Nadya calling the Front Army Headquarters radio station, Kirilov stood beside her with his hand on the desk, while I watched all this curiously, and secretly guessed that after I contacted the Front Army Headquarters, there would be someone What kind of result?

After the headquarters’ radio station was ready, Kirilov took Nadya’s headset and microphone and said loudly: "Hey, hello, is it Comrade Military Commissioner? What. Are you not? Are you asking who am I?! I’m Kirilov, Director of the Political Department of the 62nd Army. I have important matters to find Comrade Khrushchev, a military commissar of the Front Army."

When I heard Khrushchev's name, I was secretly surprised. I didn't expect Kirilov, the little director of the political department. It is actually possible to have a single-line contact with the military commissioner of the front army directly.

After some twists and turns, Kirilov finally found Khrushchev. He did not say anything, and said straightforwardly: "Comrade Khrushchev, hello. But now is not the time to reminisce. I will contact you. There is something important to ask for your help."

Not knowing what Khrushchev was talking about, Kirilov stopped, pressed the earphones to his ears, and nodded frequently. After finally waiting for the other side to talk to an end, falling behind. He said earnestly: "Comrade Military Commissioner, the Germans used a tank battalion, two artillery battalions and an infantry regiment to attack our Mamayev Hill. Due to the fierce German artillery fire, our soldiers were able to fight. Very difficult. As an old friend, I beg you. Let the 8th Army of the Air Force send out planes to carry out air strikes against the German troops attacking our high ground. Their trucks are placed in a big square two kilometers away from our position. It's an obvious target. What, there are no planes? Lost in the two days of fighting? I beg you, old man, even if only two planes are dispatched...."

Kirilov was still talking to Khrushchev in a whisper. But I no longer have any interest in listening. From the analysis of the two people's counterparts, the air force support cannot be counted on. I returned to the observation port and continued to observe the situation on the battlefield.

In just a few minutes, at least three more tanks at the foot of the mountain were killed by the anti-tank gun. Seeing such gratifying results, I almost made the third artillery company go into battle on an impulse. To expand the existing results. But then I thought about it, although the third company can be adjusted up, more than a dozen guns can be used for shooting, but at the same time the target is large and honored, and the German howitzer battalion in the distance can easily wipe them out.

Tank at the foot of the mountain. After suffering a series of blows, the tank soldiers were terrified by such a haunting artillery, and started their tanks in an attempt to turn around and return to the starting position. But can our artillery let them go? As soon as the bombardment of the tank stopped, another vehicle was hit.

The mortar company on the hillside fired another round. This time the fight was obviously better than before. After the gunpowder dissipated, I saw at least 30 soldiers lying motionless on the ground. The tanks were retreating, and the infantry would not stand stupidly waiting for the shells, they turned around and ran towards the car phalanx.

At this moment, Kirilov walked to my side with a worried expression on his face, and said in shame: "I'm sorry, Comrade Oshanina, I originally wanted to use my personal relationship with the military comrades of the Front Army to order him to order the Air Force. The 8th Army dispatched aircraft to attack the German army in front of our position. Unexpectedly, he said that the aircraft of the 8th Army had all been lost in the battles of the previous two days, and the newly added aircraft and pilots had not arrived yet. So it is temporarily unable to provide us with the necessary air assistance."

Although I couldn't get the support of the Air Force, I was a little bit disappointed in my heart, but I quickly wanted to drive. From the current defensive phase of the campaign to the counter-offensive phase, there is at least more than two months left. This time, even though I received air assistance through Kirilov’s personal relationship, can I get the same assistance every time I fight in the future? Instead of worrying about gains and losses here, it is better to use your existing strength to fight every battle down-to-earth. Thinking of this, I confidently said to Kirilov: "Comrade Political Commissar, don't worry. Although we can't get the assistance of the Air Force, we still have the strength to repel the German offensive." Having said that, I directed at There was a shout from outside: "Come on!"

As I shouted, the soldiers standing guard outside appeared silently at the door, waiting for my order.

"Comrade soldier, you immediately run to inform the gunner of the cannon in the depression and ask them to turn the target to the truck phalanx in the distance."

"Yes!" The soldier replied loudly and turned to leave.

"Please wait a minute." A familiar voice suddenly sounded beside me, and I knew it was Pougatcheff's voice without looking back. For such a long time, he stood silently in the observation post and did not speak, so much so that Kirilov and I had ignored him. Seeing that Kirilov and I were paying attention to him, he quickly added: "Comrade commander, it's a waste of time to send orders from here to the recessed area. I'd better use the phone to inform the soldiers of Sanlian to send the message. "

I heard him say this. I remembered that the soldiers of the third company were indeed the closest to the artillery. I nodded in agreement, agreed, and proactively stated: "In this case, Comrade Pugachev, you will give your troops. Give an order.” After finishing speaking, I waved at the guard camp who was still standing at the door, motioning him to leave.

Pugachev picked up the microphone and clearly ordered his men: "The third company commander, immediately send soldiers to the cannon just now, and let them adjust the shooting target from the tank at the foot of the mountain to the truck in the distance. phalanx."

The shells of the mortar company chased behind the German infantry’s buttocks and exploded, but when there were still fifty or sixty meters from the howitzer position, the bombing point could no longer advance. When I saw this scene, I knew in my heart that due to the angle and range, our mortars couldn’t even hit the enemy’s howitzer positions, let alone the more distant truck phalanx, so I could only put all His hopes are pinned on the cannon in the depression.

When the messenger sent by the third company conveyed my order to the artillery, only seven or eight German tanks could retreat near the howitzer position, and the rest became the victims of our army's anti-tank guns. At this time, they raised the muzzle and replaced the next target with a truck phalanx in the distance.

The truck phalanx is two kilometers away from the high ground. If there is no long-range strike weapon, we can only stare at the glorious German army in the distance, but now there is a 76mm anti-tank gun, the situation is completely different. , The denser their formation, the more accurate our artillery can fight.

The first shell hit a truck behind the howitzer position. The fragments of the car that were blown up flew everywhere, causing the nearby artillery to howl. They didn't care about continuing to shell our positions. After dropping the artillery, they started running around.

Since our cannons have enough ammunition, the gunners don’t have to worry about lighting up the cannonballs~www.wuxiaspot.com~ They will fire the cannons as soon as they are loaded. Although there was only one artillery, there was an artillery company. Coupled with the continuous firing of the mortar company on the hillside, the enemy was even more confused. I don't know how many artillery soldiers on our high ground are shooting at them.

The German commander saw that our artillery began to shell his truck phalanx, and he did not dare to stay in the carriage to command. Instead, with the support of several subordinates, he got out of the car and disappeared without a trace. trace.

Then the German truck phalanx began to disperse, and some swiftly moving soldiers climbed into the truck's compartment and withdrew to the back following the U-turning car. Even more, I was frightened by the scene of the truck being constantly hit. I didn't even care about the car, so I turned around and ran back.

A phalanx of one or two hundred trucks does not mean that the transfer can be transferred. All the trucks scrambled backwards. As a result, some trucks collided together in a panic, blocking the back road of other trucks, causing the chaotic scene to be based on chaos. The artillery in the howitzer position dropped the cannon and ran back behind the infantry.

Twenty minutes later, the flustered German army finally escaped our sight of success. And those still burning tank wreckage and car wreckage still silently remind us how tragic the battle here has been. ()