Burning Moscow

This sudden Oolong shelling incident completely dispelled my desire to let Karpov and the others to withdraw from the existing camp. From the danger I have just experienced, I clearly realize that even if they can successfully get out of the trap, they may still be injured by our troops when they approach our military defense zone. Once there are casualties, the officers and soldiers who were shaken will think that we are probably trying to trick them out and wait for an opportunity to be eliminated. In this way, the rebellion plan will fall short.

Our car stopped at the foot of the hill on the northern highland, and when I heard there was no movement on the hillside position, I assured the soldiers to get out of the car. Although there was no movement at all in the position when we were down the mountain, when I walked up the hillside to the position, I realized that it was already waiting. The trenches were full of people. There were at least two heavy machine guns, five light machine guns and more. The muzzles of more than twenty rifles pointed at the truck at the foot of the mountain. Once something was found wrong, all the guns would fire without hesitation.

As soon as our party walked into the trench, a commander and several soldiers greeted us. After stopping a few steps away from me, the commander did not salute, but stood up and reported to me: "Comrade commander, political commissar of the Fourth Infantry Regiment, Xia Ping, report to you, and welcome your smooth return!"

I reached out to him and said in a friendly manner: "Hello, Political Commissar Xia Ping, I am glad to see you again."

After we shook hands, I asked with concern: "Are you accustomed to staying in the four groups?" The reason I asked was that I used to learn from top to bottom, whether it was me or an ordinary soldier, to political workers. Are particularly repellent. Not to mention the commanders who came out of the correctional camps like Gaidar. I am deeply afraid that he will make things difficult for Xia Ping at work. So ask specifically.

Xia Ping smiled and replied, "Thank you for your concern. Lieutenant Colonel Gaidar respects me very much. I am not only responsible for political matters, but also for many military tasks. He also discussed with me and asked me to propose my own. view."

Hearing Xia Ping say that he and Gaidar get along well, I feel relieved. After a few simple greetings with him, he took Savchenko and Grams along the traffic trench, around to the south side of the high ground, and walked in the direction of the division headquarters.

on the way. Grams again curiously asked why I ordered the Italians under my feet? Since he was also a participant in the rebellion plan, I didn't hide it from him, and told him my intention to provoke the contradiction between the German and Italian armies. After listening, he nodded and said thoughtfully: "Comrade commander, I think your approach is very effective. You know, although we and Italy are allies, but due to the poor combat effectiveness of their army, We have always looked down upon it. But they didn’t realize it at all. They still feel good. The Italians were beaten by us today, with their lofty personality. I must feel that I can’t afford to lose this face, and then I went to find the first The German officers and soldiers of the 44th Division raised their guilt. If there is no restraint from the superior officers, not only will there be brawls, but if it is serious, it will even cause a fight between the two armies."

As a German, Grams' analysis of the relationship between the German and Italian armed forces is more authoritative than my guess. Since he also said that the German and Italian sides will engage in evil for this matter, it may become a reality. I smiled and nodded at him, keeping his eyes in the business, and said in an extremely sincere tone: "Captain Grams, I can see your performance in tears. When the Battle of Stalingrad is over, I believe you can do it. Get promoted."

Unexpectedly, Grams asked with a wry smile: "Do you think the German army will definitely lose in this battle, and the Soviet army will win the final victory?"

After Savchenko translated this sentence for him, he also asked me in a hesitant tone: "Commander, are you really so confident in our army's victory in the Battle of Stalingrad?"

After Savchenko asked this sentence, he realized that he had said something wrong, and he was immediately nervous and at a loss. Seeing his embarrassment, I couldn’t help laughing: "Comrade Savchenko, I remind you that you are a political worker. If you don’t have confidence in our final victory, how can you go? Let our soldiers believe that it will belong to us in the end?"

When I said this, Savchenko became more nervous and hurriedly argued: "Comrade commander, the reason why I asked this is because I saw that the defense area under the jurisdiction of the group army is being attacked step by step by the Germans day and night. I can’t help but feel anxious about the current situation. Don’t worry, this is definitely not a statement from a loser. I’m still full of confidence in victory.”

Regarding his defense, I did not dismantle him. After sighing, I said to him earnestly: "Savchenko, although the enemy looks very powerful at the moment, their attack on the city has not been smooth sailing. Their attack, We have suffered shameful failures in many places. For example, the Mamayev Hill, which our division defended, persisted for more than a month at least under the strong attack of the enemy. It still stood still and became an insurmountable gate for the enemy. Their conspiracy to attack the city from north to south has failed. Although our army is still at a disadvantage, we should also see that the reinforcements, weapons and ammunition, food supplies, etc. dispatched by the base camp for us passed through the fleet on the Volga River. It is still being continuously transported into the city. During the defense of Moscow, the enemy looked stronger than it is now, because since they started the war, they have never been defeated. I did not expect that they would finally meet under the city of Moscow. Not only did they lose their heads, but they also withdrew from the starting point of their offensive in a desperate manner."

After a moment of silence, Savchenko asked with difficulty: "Comrade commander, tell me, how long will we have to stay in Stalingrad before we can wait for a major counterattack against the enemy?"

Although I clearly remember that the counterattack time of the Battle of Stalingrad was on November 19, I cannot tell at this moment. Once I say it, it is not as simple as shocking the world. Maybe I will be invited to the headquarters in Moscow again by people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and honestly explain how to know the date of the counterattack. At the same time, it will affect the innocent Zhukov, because here. When, know the specific date of the counterattack. Except Stalin. There are only a few high-level commanders such as Zhukov and Vasilevsky.

Somewhere in between. Regarding his question, I can only shook my head regretfully, and said regretfully: "I'm sorry, Comrade Savchenko, I don't know when I will launch a counterattack, but in my estimation, there should be no more than two. Month."

"Two months!" Savchenko repeated my words, and then said bitterly: "Comrade commander. You may not know it. Some people say: In Stalingrad, the life of a soldier is only 24 hours. And the commander only has a short 72 hours. Two months is 60 24 hours, 20 72 hours, let alone ordinary soldiers, even commanders like us, I don’t know how many people are left in the end. I can live to see this day."

Savchenko's pessimistic argument made me feel depressed. I secretly said if the person commanding the troops on Mamayev Hill was not me. Maybe the Germans have taken it down long ago. In order to compete for this high ground, thousands of officers and soldiers die every day on both sides. And now because of my existence, although the German casualties are still large, the casualties of our army have been greatly reduced. As a result, the 13th and 37th guards that were originally used to compete with the Germans in Mamayev Hill in history Only the 39th Guards Division and the 308th Infantry Division can be used in other directions to make up for the weak line of defense of the group army.

Seeing that it was not far from the guard company’s shelter, I stopped and said to Savchenko: "Okay, Comrade Savchenko, stay up all night. You are tired too. Go with Grams and the others. Go back and rest. If there is any task, I will ask the Chief of Staff to call you."

I went back to the command post alone. Kirilov and Akhromeyev hurriedly greeted me after waiting all night. They looked at me up and down and saw that I was still intact before I asked about the negotiation last night. thing.

After I greeted the two of them back to the table and sat down, I started to introduce them to the talks with Karpov. Speaking of the end, I suddenly remembered the situation behind the enemy lines and added: "Political commissar, chief of staff, I found a problem when I went to the enemy line this time. Because the Germans control the air dominance on the battlefield, they can send reconnaissance planes deep into me at any time The army’s defense zone came to spy on our deployment. But in the case of the German army, we couldn’t send scouts, so we had a black eye on the enemy’s strength and deployment. I accidentally discovered that the German army was not in their camp. The nearby outskirts are tightly guarded, and the defense in other places is quite lax. This can be seen from the free access to the German defense zone by the truck we are riding. I suggest that after Karpov’s troops are successfully out of trouble, take the initiative to send a small team. Going deep into the enemy’s rear, disrupting their rear and traffic, disturbing their restlessness, disrupting their daytime offensive plan."

"The teacher is right," Akhromeyev first agreed with my opinion, and added: "Our eyes should not only be on the north of Mamayev Hill, but also on the city. The enemy. After all, the current regiment is located on the edge of the city. They have a large number of troops and are fully capable of harassing and attacking the enemy. Even if it encounters a battalion-scale enemy, the regiment has the ability to fight them. "

Kirilov also nodded and said: "Comrade Oshanina, I now find that you and General Petrov’s fighting style are very close. According to the intelligence I have obtained from the group army, he has taken up a new position. There is no reserve team on the army, and no reserve team from the base camp. Not only that, all his divisions have suffered losses in fierce battles with the same superior enemy, and they have been greatly weakened. In front of the dominant enemy, it is almost military. When desperate, he adopted very special tactics. In addition to the usual defensive actions, he also actively dispatched divisions and regiment-level small forces to penetrate into the enemy’s rear. He destroyed the enemy’s rear and traffic. It was by virtue of this trick that he blocked the enemy. Enemies that cannot be parried in a positional battle."

Facing Kirilov’s compliment, I just waved my hand and said modestly: "Comrade Political Commissar, you have praised, how can I compare with General Petrov? Others are senior commanders who have made great achievements, and I'm just a year old in the military, and I haven't made any great military exploits. It's not worth mentioning. Let's continue to discuss the current difficulties we are facing."

As soon as I said this, both of them fell silent. After a while, Akhromeyev said gravely: "The artillery battalion has a serious shortage of shells. Especially the captured artillery, all shells are used up, so they can't be in battle. For us. The infantry of China provided necessary artillery support. In addition, due to the cruel fighting, our division has a large number of wounded. The medicine is complete, and if it is not replenished in time, many wounded will die because of the infection."

I have never seriously considered these things Akhromeyev said before. After all, with so many teachers, the daily consumption is a very alarming figure. I took a deep breath and asked faintly: "Is there any solution?"

Kirilov took the topic and said: "We have reported this matter to the command of the group army. The logistics department replied to us that it will supply our division in ten days."

"Ten days?!" This irresponsible reply from the logistics department made me angry. If the enemy keeps not attacking, I can wait ten days without any problem; but if the Germans attack, wait until all the ammunition is discharged. Later, let the soldiers rush to fight the bayonet with the Germans? Ammunition is a problem. There are also medicines urgently needed by the wounded, which must be resolved as soon as possible. Their injuries can be delayed for less than ten days.

Just when I was hesitant to call Cui Kefu and report these things to him. The phone on the desk rang first, and I grabbed the phone casually.

Krylov's voice came from the receiver. He said briefly: "Colonel Oshanina, immediately go to the group army headquarters to accept the new task." After finishing speaking, before I could speak, he had hung up the phone.

Akhromeyev saw me holding the microphone in a daze, and asked curiously: "Comrade Commander, who is calling?"

"It was a call from General Krylov, Chief of Staff of the Group Army. He asked me to go to the headquarters immediately to accept a new task."

"What's the task, I don't want to give it over the phone, but you have to go to the group army headquarters to pick it up?" Kirilov murmured dissatisfiedly.

I looked at my watch, and it was already ten o'clock in the morning. In order to avoid long nights and dreams, I decided to set off immediately to the headquarters and reported Karpov to Cuikov and others.

When I walked into the headquarters of the group army, I was taken aback. From the entrance to the corridor of the Cuikov headquarters, at least a hundred female soldiers stood. As I passed between them, I thought strangely in my heart: "It's a hell, where did so many female soldiers pop up? What did Cui Kefu call them here? Now is not the time for a sorority party."

I walked to the door. Before I could enter, I was pulled by a female soldier. She asked in a low voice, "Comrade Commander, are you Colonel Oshanina, the commander of the division?"

I turned to look at the strange female soldier in front of me. From her collar, I saw that she was a second lieutenant, so I nodded politely and said, "Yes, Comrade Lieutenant, I’m Oshanina. May I ask you? What's matter?"

The second lieutenant raised his hand to salute me and said with a pouting mouth: "Comrade Colonel, I am Second Lieutenant Valia Tokareva of the command of the group army. The commander has just suddenly issued an order to remove all the items in the group army. All female soldiers, regardless of rank, are sent to the east bank of the Volga River. Can you persuade him that we are not afraid of death and cannot leave at this time, and ask him to withdraw this order."

I was taken aback by what the second lieutenant said. I really didn't expect Cui Kefu to give such an order. Maybe he hurriedly summoned me to the headquarters, which was also related to this order.

I didn't even want to call the report, so I strode into the headquarters. Entering the headquarters, Krylov was standing next to the male communicator walking by the wall answering the phone. Gurov was sitting listlessly at the table. And Cui Kefu was sitting by the wall, shirtless with his back to me, and a male hygienist gave him medicine.

Seeing this scene, I quickly stepped forward and asked with concern: "Comrade Commander, what's wrong with you? Are you injured?"

Gurov waved his hand and explained to Cuikov: "Colonel Oshanina, you made a mistake, Comrade Commander was not injured. He had eczema because he stayed in this damp headquarters for a long time, and the hygienist was giving him treatment. What about the medicine."

I heard that Cui Kefu was not injured, and my heart hanging in my throat fell. Then I asked Gurov in a low voice, "Comrade Military Commissioner, is there any important task for calling me in such a hurry?"

After listening to my words, Gurov's expression became serious. He said: "Comrade Oshanina, I think you know very well that the current situation in the city is very complicated, and the distance between the front line and the Volga River is getting more and more. In order to avoid unnecessary losses, the military committee of the group army was forced to withdraw some troops and agencies to the left bank and decided to send women to the left bank first. The military committee ordered commanders and persons in charge at all levels to temporarily withdraw the female soldiers to the left bank. Take a rest there and come back in a few days."

As soon as I heard him saying that they would retreat the female soldiers, I understood their purpose for calling me over. I guess I belonged to one of these retreating female soldiers. It seems that what Tokareva said just now is true. I tentatively asked: "Are all the female commanders in the group army withdraw to the East Bank?"

"Absolutely correct. Remove all of them. No one can stay." After taking the medicine, Cui Kefu turned around and walked towards me while putting on his clothes. He said: "I called you over, just thinking Let you be responsible for this evacuation mission?"

Hearing what he said, my heart sighed, and my heart was finished. If I really withdrew to the East Bank, staying in Mamayev Hill for so long would be worthless. I want to make my dream in Stalingrad. Also completely shattered.

Seeing that I was not speaking for a while, Cui Kefu misunderstood what I meant. He might think that I was worried because he felt that he was incapable of doing such a task. He quickly explained to me: "Comrade Oshanina, the reason why he called you here is Because you hold an important command position in the army, you are the most suitable person to successfully organize this evacuation."

"Comrade Commander, can I come in?" Before I could speak, the ensign's voice just came from the door.

Gurov nodded outside, UU reading www.uukanshu.com said loudly: "Come in."

After Tokareva came in, she raised her hand to salute us, and then said loudly: "Comrade commander and military commissioner, I, on behalf of all the female communicators of the group army, come to you to report the situation."

"Second Lieutenant Tokareva," Cui Koff buttoned the last button on the army coat, and said solemnly to the female ensign: "If you have anything to say, if you want me to cancel the order, it can't be done. Arrived."

Hearing what Cui Kefu said, the second lieutenant's face showed a disappointed expression, but she still boldly said: "Comrade Commander, why are you driving us out of the city? We are willing to live and die together with everyone. , Defeat the damned enemy. Why do you want to distinguish between men and women? Are we inferior to men in work? Anyway, we can never be the Volga." (To be continued.)

ps: I sincerely thank the book friends Ocean Guards and Crazy Apostle Children's Shoes for two votes for their support! Thank you book friend Longlong Jiuye Children's Shoes for voting!

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