Burning Moscow

On the way to the square, Basmanov continued to tell me their experience of fighting in the city. I did not interrupt him either, just listened to his report patiently.

Basmanov and the others waited for half an hour and saw a three-wheeled motorcycle driving down the street toward the square. He quickly ordered the officers and men of the guard company to prepare for battle.

After the motorcycle drove into the square, it drove to a place not far from the tent and stopped. Just as the car stopped, a German officer in a large brimmed hat got out of the sidecar. The officer looked around and found that there were a lot fewer soldiers guarding the baggage. He frowned and shouted loudly: "Here, come here!"

Hearing his shout, Basmanov quickly grabbed the pistol in his hand and greeted him with a soldier who understood German. When he came to the officer, Basmanov could see that he was a captain from the rank on the opponent's epaulette.

Seeing someone appear in front of him, the captain asked angrily: "What's going on? Why are there so few soldiers guarding the baggage? Where have the remaining people gone? Are they sleeping in tents? went?"

Because the officer spoke quickly and urgently, Basmanov didn't understand what he said at all. He just winked at the soldier next to him, and then the pistol pressed the officer's chin. The soldier also dashed to the motorcycle, and aimed his submachine gun at the German soldier who was still sitting on the motorcycle.

The German military officer was held with a gun against his chin. Even a fool knew that he was standing in front of the enemy. He yelled intentionally, but he closed his mouth obediently when he saw the face of the soldier on the opposite side who was sneering.

Basmanov took the two into the empty tent, ready to deal with them here. Just when they were about to do it, two people came in from outside. Basmanov looked back. One was Mikhailov, his own soldier, and the other was Lieutenant Braun, who led us into the city.

Seeing Braun appearing here at this time, Basmanov asked Mikhailov dissatisfied with geology: "Mikhailov, what did you bring this German here?"

Seeing Basmanov's anger, Mikhailov had to explain: "Lieutenant Braun just saw you caught the officer who just returned. He said that there is something important to tell you, and I must take him. Come to you."

Basmanov was not good at angering his men in front of the Germans, so he waved his head at the German-speaking soldier, and said displeased: "Ask him, what's the matter?"

The soldier walked to Braun's side and spoke to him in a low voice. Turning his head to report to Basmanov: "Lieutenant Braun said that this is his friend, Captain Perel, the commander of the 9th Motor Infantry Company. He was just a worker before he became a soldier, not a Nazi, please Don't kill him."

Braun saw that the soldiers had finished their translation. He grabbed Basmanov's hand and talked babbledly in German, seeming to be begging for his friend all the time. The latter slammed his hand away impatiently and told the soldier: "You tell him, if this Captain Perel is honest and obedient, I don't have to kill him. If he wants to escape or inform the patrol passing by here. If you do, I will not be merciless."

Although the soldier had not had time to translate, Braun clearly understood what Basmanov had said. I said thank you in the Russian I just learned. Then he came to Captain Perel's side and muttered in a low voice, perhaps explaining matters for attention.

I heard Basmanov say this. So he interrupted the words behind him and asked bluntly: "Comrade Captain, there is something I want to ask you. As far as I know, in the guard company, there are soldiers who know how to drive armored vehicles, but there are no people who know how to manipulate tanks. From the few guns that just decided the victory or defeat. The person who can hit the enemy's barricades impartially is at least at the level of a veteran tank soldier with many years of experience. Can you tell me. What is going on?"

Basmanov smiled and replied: "The division commander is the division commander. You can see the key issue at a glance. You guessed it. The soldiers driving the tank are indeed not from the guard company, but from one regiment and one battalion."

"One regiment, one battalion?!" After I repeated the number Basmanov said, I immediately thought that it was Captain Nikolai’s army, and asked curiously: "Captain Basmanoff, if I don’t If you understand it wrong, you mean that after Lieutenant Nicholas’s troops merged with you, you selected a few fighters from his battalion who knew how to drive tanks and drove them to the south gate to help?"

"Where is Captain Nicholas?" I remembered that in the combat plan, one regiment and one battalion were responsible for the attack north of the city, and the gunshots and explosions that came out of the city came from their offensive area. So at this moment, I heard Basmanov mentioned Nikolai's troops, so I asked bluntly: "Are the casualties of the first battalion big?"

Regarding my question, Basmanov pondered for a moment, and then replied hesitantly: "Comrade commander, as far as I know, when a battalion sent a small unit into the city to clean up the enemy patrol, it was noticed by the enemy and then started. Exchange of fire. Seeing that the action had been detected by the enemy, Captain Nicholas decisively ordered the troops to launch a storm, broke through the German defense in the north, rushed into the city, and rushed down the street to the square to meet our division. During their battle, they were fighting. During this period, the German tanks and armored soldiers also ran out from the resting place, trying to drive their respective tanks to counter the attack of our army. However, these reckless German soldiers who broke in were silently killed by us. Up.

After Captain Nicholas brought the people from the battalion to join me, he heard the fierce fighting in the south of the city, and he took the initiative to propose to me that he should support the three regiments that were siege. When he saw the tanks and armored vehicles parked on the square, he immediately ordered his subordinates to select soldiers from the battalion who had been tank soldiers, driving the German tanks, and going south along the street for reinforcements. "

As we approached the square, we saw a group of people approaching in front of us. With the help of the distant fire, I could see that Nicholas and a group of his colleagues quickly speeded up and walked over. As soon as I saw Nikolai’s face, before waiting for him to salute, I took his hand and said in a friendly manner: "Comrade Captain, your troops are fighting well. You broke through the enemy’s defense so quickly and rushed in. In the city. If you hadn't decisively mobilized soldiers who had been tank soldiers and drove tanks in time to reinforce the Third Regiment, I think that if the troops of Lieutenant Colonel Corsgar wanted to seize the barricade fortifications, they would have paid a higher price."

After I shook hands with Nikolai, I went to shake hands with the deputy battalion commander, Captain Kstrom and the company commanders, and Pantaiyev and Koska, who were behind me, also shook hands with Nikolai. . When Corsca shook hands with Nikolai, the former grabbed the latter's hand and shook it vigorously, expressing his sincere gratitude to him.

After I shook hands with all the commanders, I saw Corsca still holding onto Nicola's hand. Still talking about something. I coughed heavily, and when everyone’s attention was focused on me, I said in an official tone: "Comrades, commanders, although the battle is over, there may be Germans who have slipped through the net hiding here. We are like this. A large group of commanders are standing here. Are you going to target the Germans?"

Hearing what I said, Basmanov first came back to his senses. He quickly said: "Comrade Commander, there is a German camp nearby. Let's go there."

We followed Basmanov, entered a two-story building, and came to a large and beautifully decorated room. Although the room has been cleaned up, it can still be seen that there have been signs of fighting here. The side of the big wooden table in the middle of the room is inlaid with a lot of grenade shrapnel and several rows of bullet holes. A corner of a map on the table was burned. There is still a pool of blood that hasn't dried up on the ground.

But I didn't care about that much. I went straight to a chair by the table and sat down. At the same time, I greeted the Pantaiyev, Kosca, and Nikolai who followed me in to sit down. He also told Basmanov: "Comrade Captain, when you go outside to arrange the security forces, if you see Lieutenant Colonel Sergeikov, call him and his battalion commanders in by the way."

After Basmanov left. I asked Nikolai who was sitting across from me with concern: "Comrade Captain, in today's battle. Are the casualties in your battalion high?"

Nikolai nodded and reported that because of the sneak attack after exposure. The troops resorted to a brutal attack. After the offensive, while advancing along the street toward the central square, they were repeatedly attacked with cold guns by German soldiers hidden in the buildings on both sides. The whole camp suffered heavy casualties, and almost every squad had sacrificed or wounded soldiers. In particular, he played the hardest in a row, with more than half of the casualties.

Nikolai was reporting to me the casualties of the troops and the results achieved. A group of people rushed in from the door. I looked up and found that it was Sergeikov and his group of battalion commanders. I quickly greeted him: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you are here." After seeing them all sitting down one after another, I continued this time: "Lieutenant Colonel Sederikov, report the casualties and deployment of your regiment to me. Right."

Sergeikov quickly stood up and replied: "Report to the commander, the current defense of our regiment is divided according to the area occupied by each battalion. The first battalion of Captain Nikolai is responsible for the defense of the north of the city; The second battalion of the inner captain is responsible for the defense of the west of the city; the third battalion of Major Terenkov is responsible for the defense of the east of the city. As for the casualties," Sederikov looked at his men and continued. Said: "Because time is too tight, there is no time to count. I think, let the battalion commanders personally report to you."

Sederikov pointed at the third battalion commander Major Terenkov, motioned him to stand up and report to me, and then sat down by himself. After Terenkov stood up, he reported to me solemnly: "Although the German defense force in the east of the city is not very strong, because the commanders in the battalion come from different units, the cooperation between each other needs to be strengthened. So in During the offensive, the troops suffered heavy casualties, and the entire battalion suffered close to one company's strength."

Hearing that the number of casualties in the third battalion had reached one company, my heart sank. This was the strengthening company. After such a small battle, more than 200 people were injured or killed. I raised my hand and pressed it down, signaled Major Terenkov to sit down, and then turned to ask Serebriani, who was still sitting still, "Comrade Captain, how about your second battalion casualties?"

Captain Serebriani hurriedly stood up and reported respectfully: "Report to the commander, in the battle tonight in our battalion, 21 people were casualties, of which 7 were sacrificed, and 152 were killed and captured."

After listening to his report, I thought I had misheard, so I quickly asked him to repeat what I just said. Now, without waiting for me to speak, Bantai Leyev said: "Captain Serebriani. If you didn't lie, this kind of result is really amazing. You must know the first and third battalions. Although the casualties are not small, the combined results they have achieved are not as many as your battalion, which is simply incredible."

"Comrade Deputy Commander." I saw that Bantai Lev was skeptical of the results reported by Serebryan, and quickly came out to help the latter and said: "Comrade Captain has been there since the establishment of the independent division. The reason why he With the result of such a big battle, only insignificant casualties were paid, maybe it is related to the unique tactical characteristics of the independent division."

"Unique tactical features?" Bantai Leyev was a little surprised when he heard me say this. He asked curiously: "I don't know the difference between the tactics of other troops."

I originally wanted to wait for the end of the battle to sum up the experience and lessons of this battle. Now that Pantai Leyev provoked a conversation, I followed his meaning and said: "Although I did not participate in the battle of the second battalion, But I can also guess. After they entered the city, when they marched on the street, they were not clustered together, but they were divided into small groups. Several people were grouped against the wall to alternately cover and advance. At the same time. There are also combat teams with squads as units, entering the building to clean up the remnants of the enemies inside." Having said that, I turned my head and looked at Sherebryan. Deliberately asked: "Am I right, Comrade Captain?"

Serebriani flushed with excitement when he heard my question. Nodding vigorously, he replied, "Comrade teacher, you are absolutely correct. That's exactly what it is."

Sederikov also stood up and expressed his views: "The reason why the first and third battalions suffered more casualties in the battle may be related to their old tactics. I cannot shirk this. Responsibility. In the next battle, I will promote the unique tactics of the independent division as soon as possible and promote it throughout the regiment, and strive to achieve the greatest results with the smallest casualties."

Wait for Sederikov to finish expressing his attitude. Pantaiyev looked at Corsca and said solemnly: "Lieutenant Colonel Corsca, please tell everyone about your regiment."

Koska did not expect Pantaiyev to call his name, stood up flushed with shame, and muttered: "In today's battle, I made the mistake of underestimating the enemy and advancing. I thought we were more powerful. The number of enemies is many times larger. Just the few enemies in the barricade, hundreds of us rushed up, and even if we stepped on, we trampled the enemy to death. The result..."

"What's the result?" Bantai Leyev probably saw that the three regiments suffered a lot of casualties and was stimulated, so he reluctantly competed with Korsga: "As a result, you ordered the troops to take risks without cover of firepower. Rushing forward with the dense rain of bullets from the enemy? If it were not for Captain Basmanov to bring tanks to support you in time, I guess all the five or six hundred people of your third regiment and second battalion were all burned out, and they would not be able to rush into the city. in."

"Okay, okay. Comrade deputy commander." I was afraid that if we went on, Pantai Leyev would make Kosca more unable to get off the stage, so he came out in time to get rid of the mud. In a small-scale battle, he has realized his shortcomings in his ability to command troops. In the days to come, he will definitely improve his ability through learning and practice."

As soon as I learned about the casualties and deployment of the troops, Basmanov walked in from the outside, came to my side, leaned down and reported to me: "Comrade commander, the remains of our soldiers and the bodies of the Germans. After the collection is complete, the wounded on both sides have also been treated. What should we do next?"

I did not immediately express my opinion, but instead asked, "How many prisoners were captured in this battle?"

Basmanov was stunned by my question, and for a long time he said uncertainly: "Maybe more than a hundred prisoners have been arrested~www.wuxiaspot.com~ Most of them are officers."

After knowing the approximate number of prisoners, I gave Basmanov an order without hesitation: "Comrade Captain, you will immediately take people to take these prisoners out of the city and leave the city from the south of the city..."

"Comrade Commander," before I finished speaking, Bantai Leyev suddenly interjected and asked, "You don't want the captain to take these prisoners out of the city and shoot them?" He reminded me very kindly, " After all, there are more than a hundred prisoners. If you kill them all, it is estimated that someone will make things difficult for you in the future."

I didn't mean to shoot the captives at all, seeing that Bantai Leyev had misunderstood me. So I smiled and introduced him to him: "Comrade deputy commander, where did you think about it, I said that if you took them outside the city, I didn't mean to shoot them." At this point, I saw all the faces of the commanders. They all showed a suspicious expression, and quickly continued to say: "We sacrificed so many commanders and soldiers, and killed more than one hundred and two hundred German soldiers. So many corpses must be buried?! I want Bath. Captain Manoff took these German prisoners out of the city to dig pits to bury the corpses. After a long march and soldiers, our soldiers were exhausted, and this kind of physical work didn't take much trouble. They are."

"It turned out to be like this." All the commanders suddenly realized after listening to me. (To be continued)