Burning Moscow

I stared at the place name "Kuban" on the map in a daze. Although it is only 80 kilometers away from Zaporos, from what we know, it is in Tokmak on the south side of the city and Voss in the southwest. Rifka is stationed with an unknown number of German armored units. txt e-book download/... Once we capture Cuban, Manstein will definitely mobilize the armored forces of these two cities and pounce on our flanks when his headquarters is directly threatened. Facing the enemy's powerful offensive, the 308th Division, lacking heavy weapons and necessary air support, was unable to block the enemy's impact. Once they were repelled, the left flank of the 22nd Guards Division was completely exposed to the Germans.

In fact, the most dangerous thing is not just the armored forces deployed by the Germans in these two cities. On the road from Kuban to Zaporos, two small towns blocked our way. If our attack is frustrated here, not only the enemy from the south will rush over, but also the enemy from the north will be overwhelmed, and then we will be attacked on three sides. If we cannot get out of contact with the enemy quickly, then we may be encircled by the Germans.

Maybe I stared at the map for so long that Kirilov asked me specifically: "Comrade Oshanina, what are you thinking?"

I stopped thinking, looked up and saw Kirilov and Vitkov sitting at the table, and I told them what I had just considered.

After hearing this, Vitkov said disapprovingly: "Comrade commander, I think you are overly worried. Even if the 22nd Guards Division’s assault on Zaporosh City was blocked by the Germans, the enemy’s troops moved from the north to the south. The direction is overwhelming. It's not that there is no way to deal with it."

Vitkov's words immediately aroused my interest. I asked curiously: "Comrade Chief of Staff. Have you thought of a good way, let me hear you."

Vitkov nodded, pointed his finger at the map, and said confidently to me: "Comrade Commander, please see. When the German armored units are coming from the south, we can take Andryuschenko's units. Transfer over to strengthen the Gurtyev Division to ensure the safety of the left wing of the 22nd Guards Division...."

I heard here. Before Vitkov could finish speaking, he interrupted him and asked dissatisfiedly: "Comrade Chief of Staff, if the 171st Division is transferred to the left flank of the 22nd Guards Division, who will resist the rushing from the north? What about the enemy? In this way, the right wing of the Pantai Leev Division was completely exposed to the Germans."

At my interruption, Vitkov smiled awkwardly, and then said: "Comrade commander, we can report this battle plan to the command of the group army and ask them to send troops to contain the enemy from the north. Assault for us. Boros provides the necessary support."

As soon as I finished what he said, I shook my head and retorted: "Chief of Staff. Maybe you haven't discovered that whether it is the main force of the 6th Army or the main force of the Front Army, they are currently in a very chaotic situation. It is impossible to send troops to cover the flank of the 22nd Guards Division."

"But, comrade commander," although he heard that I rejected his proposal, Vitkov tried to persuade me: "After we report the battle plan, we will forward our request to Comrade Commander. If he If you are willing to agree, of course it is best; if you do not agree, it will not be too late for us to adjust the plan."

After listening to Vitkov's lack of confidence in saying these few words, I suddenly came up with a bold idea. So I waved my hand and said decisively: "Comrade Chief of Staff, you don't need to say any more. If we really want to capture Cuban and attack Zaporos, our army will become a lone army. In order to ensure that the battle starts suddenly. Sex, I decided not to report this action to the group army headquarters for the time being, so as to prevent our combat plan from leaking."

"Comrade Oshanina," Kirilov asked me worriedly, "Is it appropriate to do this?"

I answered Kirilov with a smile on my face: "Comrade Political Commissar, there is nothing inappropriate. As an independent combat unit, we are so far away from the headquarters of the group army. If everything is reported to the superiors, it may be A missed fighter. Therefore, this assault on Zaporos will be our army alone, without friendly artillery and air support. We can only rely on our existing forces and technical equipment to complete this difficult battle. ."

My words silenced the two of them. Both of them stared at the map intently, thinking about their own thoughts without saying a word, and weighing the risks of my plan. At this moment, I heard a rush of footsteps coming from the door, and I quickly turned my head and looked at it, thinking that who doesn't understand the rules so much, I actually ran around outside my headquarters.

Soon, Akhromeyev's figure appeared at the door, waving a telegram in his hand, and shouting excitedly: "Comrade Commander, good news, good news, Captain Travkin did not sacrifice."

"What? Captain Trafkin hasn't sacrificed yet?" I turned around, facing him and asked in amazement, "Comrade Major, who told you that Captain Trafkin is still alive?"

Akhromeyev came to me and gave me the telegram in his hand. At the same time, he said: "Comrade Commander, this is the telegram sent by Captain Travkin just now. It contains information they have newly detected. ."

I took the telegram, and the whole person has not yet recovered from the shocked state. An hour ago, Major Akhromeyev reported to me the story of Travkin’s sacrifice here, but now he actually said that the captain still Being alive makes me a little unacceptable for a while. So I ignored the telegram, but continued to ask Akhromeyev curiously: "Major, hurry up and tell me what is going on?"

"That's it, the commander of the army, the political commissar, and the chief of staff." After Akhromeyev greeted all of us, he began to tell how Captain Travkin "revived". "When Lieutenant Gretka rushed to the place where the captain was involved, he took over the command of the reconnaissance unit. He saw that the sky was already dark, and felt that if there was any action, the Germans on the ground would not find out, so he sent A soldier was sent to condense the body of the captain.

The soldier supported the smooth ice and snow with his elbows and climbed carefully toward the German position. After crawling for a while, he suddenly heard a heavy and depressed breathing from ahead. Someone seemed to be crawling towards him. He was afraid of being German. Then stopped moving forward. He lay motionless on the spot, gently pulled out the dagger from his body and waited quietly.

At this moment, he heard a familiar voice faintly sounded: ‘Hey, who is in front of you? Don't shoot yourself, I am Captain Trafkin. The soldier heard the captain's voice and quickly responded in a low voice. Then I heard the captain say in an impatient voice: ‘what are you doing there, come over and help me drag it. This damned German is too heavy. ’"

When I heard this, Kirilov couldn’t help interrupting Akhromeyev’s words and asked curiously: "Comrade Chief, please wait a moment. If I heard it right, you mentioned special Captain Lafkin asked the soldiers to help them drag the prisoners?" Seeing Akhromeyev nodded in affirmation, he then asked, "I'm curious, how did he catch the German prisoners?"

"That's it, Comrade Political Commissar." Akhromeyev replied politely: "According to Captain Travkin's own report. He knew the importance of this mission, so he made up his mind to take a risk. He was like this. Intended. First sneaked up to the German trenches, and then deliberately exposed his whereabouts. When he heard the German shooting, he immediately fell down and pretended to be dead. When it gets dark, there must be a German to pick up his body. , He can pounce on that guy and catch him."

"It's just nonsense." After listening to Akhromeyev's motives of Travkin, I yelled at me with anger: "Does he not know that his behavior is killing him? If it is a German After seeing him fall, I still don’t feel relieved, and put a few more shots on his body. What should I do? Or after dark, the Germans who went to get his body were not one but two or three. What should he do? What to do, is it to be a prisoner obediently?"

When I was angry, Akhromeyev stood beside him silently. After I finished speaking, he added: "Comrade Commander, I also know that Captain Travkin's move is too risky. But. As an experienced scout, he must have mastered many reconnaissance methods beyond our imagination, such as catching the'tongue', which we never thought of."

When I heard Akhromeyev say this, the anger in my heart subsided a bit, nodded, and said to him: "Comrade Chief, you can go on."

"Captain Trafkin said that he had dealt with the Germans many times and knew their temper very well. As long as the remains of the commanders sacrificed by our army were found, the Germans would go and search to see if there were any. There are no watches, cigarette cases, jewelry or wallets, etc., these are all they are very interested in."

I nodded again, and then looked down at the telegram that Akhromeyev had just handed me. It was the comprehensive intelligence that Travkin and the others had obtained by investigating and interrogating German prisoners. According to intelligence, the Germans had only one company in the two cities of Hulière and Poroy, and they were also dissatisfied with the army. Although Cuban has more defenders, there are only two newly transferred infantry companies. The main forces of the German army all went northward, but they reinforced Kharkov's defenders, or moved to the northeast to block the advancement of our southwest front army. All in all, the periphery of Zaporos where Manstein’s headquarters is located is unusually empty, and even if we launch an assault, we can rush into Zaporos and rush to the door of Manstein’s headquarters.

After reading the telegram, I handed it to Vitkov at any time. After sighing, I said to Kirilov: "Comrade Political Commissar, I suggest that when Travkin and his reconnaissance unit return, he will be awarded a medal of bravery. Commend him for his past achievements; in addition, he will be awarded a Red Star Medal to praise him for his achievements this time."

"Comrade Oshanina, I agree with your opinion." After listening to my suggestion for Trafkin's award, Kirilov immediately replied, "I will prepare the medal and award order."

At this moment, Vitkov had read the intelligence of Traf's blonde return, and asked me for instructions: "Comrade Commander, what shall we do next?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff, do you still need to talk about it?" Now that I have a certain understanding of the enemy's defense situation, when I set up the task, I am naturally handy. "Order the Pantai Leyev Division to keep a small number of troops and continue to attack the city of Vlada. The rest of the main force, along with the tank brigade and artillery regiment, turned to the west, and went straight to Huli Eberle. At the same time, the 308th Division also It is necessary to take active actions and move towards the city of Poroy overnight, and strive to attack the city before dawn."

After listening to my series of deployments, Vitkov said with an embarrassed expression: "Comrade Commander, is it true that such a large operation does not report to the command of the group army?"

"The fighter plane is fleeting and it's too late to report." Although I understand that the existing communications equipment in the Israeli army can report to the group army headquarters, even if it leapfrogged to report to the front army headquarters, it is not a problem, but I did Strongly said: "So we should act immediately, seize the good opportunity of the enemy's defensive emptiness, and decisively launch an offensive to the predetermined area. After we have captured the above-mentioned starting position, we will report to the superior according to the specific situation. Not too late."

Vitkov heard what I said so resolutely, knowing that the objection would be useless, so he tore the paper on which the order was recorded from his notebook, handed it to Akhromeyev, and said: "Comrade Chief, immediately The commander’s latest order was sent to the divisions by telegram ~www.wuxiaspot.com~ requiring them to arrive at the designated location within the specified time and quickly attack the enemy's defensive empty position."

After Akhromeyev left, the pale Vitkov bit his scalp and said to me: "Comrade Commander, your orders will be issued to all divisions and brigades soon, as to what effect can be achieved in the end. , We can only bet on luck."

Hearing what Vitkov said, Kirilov stood up, raised his hand and gently patted the nervous Vitkov on the shoulder, comforting him and said, "Comrade Chief of Staff, don't worry. Based on what I know about the commander. , The decision she made can’t be wrong. After our troops occupy the scheduled starting position, you can wait for your merits to be awarded.”

"But, comrade political comrade." After hearing Kirilov's words, Vitkov asked unsteadily: "Even if the enemy's strength is empty, we can successfully occupy the starting position. However, if the enemy from other directions presses over, what should we do?"

"Comrade Chief of Staff," I saw Kirilov being asked by Vitkov, and quickly stood up and said: "We are fighting for time with the Germans, before they have recovered. , I quickly rushed to Zaporos, took down Manstein’s headquarters and disrupted the German command system, so that even if we are alone, we will have a ray of life.” (To be continued.)