Red Moscow

"Don't shoot, your own!" The deputy company commander pressed his body tightly to the ground, lest any soldier pull the trigger because of nervousness, lying on the ground can reduce the chance of being shot, and at the same time shouted loudly Said: "I am the deputy company commander!"

Although the voice of the deputy company commander came from the grass, the soldiers did not dare to relax their vigilance. The weapons in their hands were still facing the grass, ready to fire at any time.

The second platoon leader, holding a submachine gun, moved cautiously towards the grass, and asked loudly, "Deputy company commander, are you in there?"

"It's me, it's me." The person who heard the question outside was the second platoon commander, and the deputy company commander seemed to grasp a life-saving straw, and said repeatedly: "Second platoon leader, it's me, I'm the deputy company commander. I'm now Stand up and tell the soldiers to put down their guns so as not to accidentally injure them.”

Confirming that the person hiding in the bushes is the deputy company commander, the second platoon leader hurriedly shouted at the surrounding soldiers: "Put down the guns, don't accidentally injure the deputy company commander."

Seeing that the soldiers had put down their guns, the deputy company commander crawled out of the grass in embarrassment. As soon as he came out, he couldn't wait to ask the second platoon leader: "How, how many enemies have been eliminated?"

The second platoon leader replied: "I don't know the exact number, but according to my estimation, there may be more than a dozen."

The deputy company commander pointed at the corpse on the ground, and said to the second platoon leader: "Before I found this group of enemies, I saw a few German soldiers heading towards the north of the village. You immediately lead people to continue to the village. North search, we must find them."

"Yes!" The second platoon leader agreed loudly, then turned around and shouted at his subordinates: "Follow me!"

When the second platoon leader led the soldiers to search northward, the deputy company commander quickly returned to the company command post.

Lieutenant Paul, who was worried about the safety of the deputy company commander, couldn't help asking anxiously when he saw the deputy company commander enter the door: "Comrade deputy company commander, where did you go just now? I thought something happened to you."

"Comrade company commander, the enemy touched the wooden house where I was sleeping just now. Fortunately, they didn't find me." The deputy company commander explained to Paul: "I had the opportunity to shoot as a warning."

Although Paul had long guessed that the person who fired the warning shot was the deputy company commander, when he heard what he said in person, he still asked with lingering fear: "Comrade deputy company commander, since you have discovered the enemy, you should come back immediately." Report to me instead of risking your own life."

Hearing what Paul said was obviously a reproach, but in fact he was concerned, the deputy company commander grinned, and then said: "Comrade company commander, when I found the first wave of enemies, I also wanted to come back and report to you immediately, who knows Before I left the wooden house, the second group of enemies appeared again. I saw that they were coming towards our position, and I was worried that the soldiers might suffer a big loss if they could not detect it, so I shot decisively as a warning.”

"Wait a minute, you said there were two groups of enemies?" Paul heard something wrong from the words of the deputy company commander, and quickly asked: "You said you saw two groups of enemies?"

"Yes, there were about five or six enemies in the first wave, all of them carrying submachine guns, and they headed north of the village." The deputy company commander reported to Paul: "I have ordered the second platoon leader to lead the soldiers to search north Go forward, I believe that traces of these enemies will be found soon."

"Comrade deputy company commander, something is wrong."

"What's wrong!"

"Think about it, the two groups of enemies add up to no more than 20 people. Even if they attack our position together, I am afraid that the force will be very weak." Paul analyzed to the deputy company commander: "But they are divided into two groups. After entering the village, they also moved north and south at the same time, tell me, what do they want to do?"

If Paul didn't say that, the deputy company commander really didn't think of the reason why the enemy appeared here. In his consciousness, as long as the enemy appears in his field of vision, there is only one thing he can do, shoot them without hesitation. As for the purpose of their coming here, that is a question for the superiors to consider.

Because the deputy company commander held such a concept, after hearing Paul's question, he just shook his head and said: "Comrade company commander, I think we should send someone to report the enemy's sneak attack on us to the superior. As for the enemy Why did it appear here, I think the superiors will figure it out."

"Deputy company commander," Pavel felt that something was wrong the more he thought about it, and quickly ordered the deputy company commander: "You immediately lead a squad and return to Yakovlevo overnight, and report what happened here to the brigade commander."

"Comrade company commander?" Hearing Paul's order, the deputy company commander couldn't help being taken aback: "You want me to take a squad of soldiers back to Yakovlevo overnight?"

"Yes, Comrade Deputy Company Commander." Paul nodded, and said in an affirmative tone, "I think the enemy may have some kind of conspiracy, and we must report it to the brigade commander immediately. You just said that five or six German soldiers were heading north. I’m worried that they have already left the village and lurked in Yakovlevo. If you bring too few people, if you are ambushed by them, you may not be able to return to Yakovlevo.”

"I see, Comrade Company Commander." Hearing what Paul said, the deputy company commander felt that the current situation was more severe than he had imagined. Maybe on the way back to Yakovlevo, he would see the The few German soldiers encountered. However, in order to send the news back safely, he decided to tell the information to every soldier who went back with him. Even if he died, as long as one person returns alive, he can send the information back.

What happened later proved that Lieutenant Paul's decision was completely correct. The 255th Infantry Division of the German army was lurking two kilometers south of the village. The German soldiers wiped out by Paul and the others were just reconnaissance troops sent by the enemy.

The German division commander heard gunshots and explosions from the abandoned village, and realized that the reconnaissance troops he had sent had been exchanged fire by Soviet troops deployed outside the village.

He quickly called his chief of staff and said to him: "Chief of staff, it seems that the actions of the reconnaissance team have been noticed by the Russians. Tell me, what should we do?"

"Your Excellency, Division Commander," said the chief of staff cautiously, "I think the Russians can't figure out our details at all, and they will think that the reconnaissance team they discovered is just a small unit of our army that has been dispersed, and it will not arouse any vigilance at all. "

"Then what about our attack?"

"I think the Russians will let down their guard in another hour or so, and then we can send a battalion to sneak up on their position, and then strike unexpectedly and wipe out the Russians outside the village."

"The first team, where is it now?" The German division commander knew very well that the two reconnaissance teams he sent were not operating together. The second team should be discovered by the Russians, and the first team should still follow the plan. , approaching the town of Yakovlevo.

"A few minutes ago, I received a telegram from the first team." The chief of staff reported: "They have arrived outside the town of Yakovlevo and found that the Russians' defenses are relatively tight. into town."

"The Russians in the village in front are nothing to worry about. We only need to launch a charge to wipe them out." The German division commander said: "The main task of our division is to retake Yakovle from the Russians." Vo, and build a defensive line there to prevent the Russians from approaching Belgorod from that direction."

"Your Excellency, Commander, I really don't understand." The Chief of Staff waited for the Commander to finish speaking, and immediately added: "We can obviously attack during the day, why did the superior order us to attack at night?"

"The reason is very simple." The German division commander explained to his chief of staff: "The Russians have already taken the initiative on the battlefield. If we launch an attack on Yakovlevo during the daytime, as long as the Russians send out air force bombing, we can give the enemy the right to attack." Our troops inflicted heavy casualties, which resulted in the failure of our offensive."

"Attack at night, although it will not be attacked by the Russian air force." After the chief of staff and other division commanders finished speaking, they still explained their views: "However, due to low visibility and no cover from artillery and tanks, we can only use simple The infantry attack, so if you want to capture the town of Yakovlevo, you will inevitably pay a very high price."

"Chief of Staff, don't you know that when our army retreated from the direction of Oboyan, most of the weapons and equipment had to be discarded because of the pursuit of Sokov's troops?" The German division commander said angrily: " I think that even if we attack during the day, we may not get the support of artillery and tanks."

The German division commander was right. During this pursuit, Sokov's troops captured not only thousands of prisoners, but also a large number of tanks and artillery. General Poluboyarov and two artillerymen The teacher was so happy from ear to ear. These captured equipment are enough to make up for the losses they suffered in the battle.

Besides, after the deputy company commander left the company command post, in order to hurry, he led people directly through the village. When they came to the north of the village, they met the second platoon leader who led people to search here.

Seeing the deputy company commander appearing here with a squad of soldiers, the second platoon leader thought that the other party was here to support him, so he hurriedly stepped forward and asked the deputy company commander: "Deputy company commander, did you bring someone to help me?"

Hearing what the second platoon leader said, the deputy company commander immediately realized that the search to the north of the village had not made any progress. I am afraid that his group of people will be outside the town of Yakovlevo later, with these missing German soldiers. encounter.

He did not answer the second platoon leader's question, but asked instead: "Have you found any traces of the enemy?"

"No." The second platoon leader shook his head and said with a wry smile: "There are a lot of abandoned houses here, and the weeds are as tall as a person. It is very difficult to search. With only our few people, we have to find the hidden enemies. is very difficult."

"Second platoon leader," the deputy company commander said to him after confirming that the second platoon leader did not find the enemy: "I am now ordered to report back to Yakovlev Town to report the situation. Since you have not found the enemy, I guess they are hiding in the Outside the town, waiting for us to enter their annex circle. How about this, you send a squad to follow us 500 meters behind, once we are ambushed by the enemy, you can catch up as soon as possible for reinforcements."

"No, comrade deputy company commander, this is too dangerous." But the second platoon leader rejected the deputy company commander's proposal without hesitation, and said to him: "If the enemy really ambushes outside the town, you will have Life is in danger. Otherwise, I will send a squad to open the way ahead, and if the enemy is really ambushing outside the town, they can temporarily attract the enemy's attention and cover you to enter the town smoothly."

If it was the past, with the character of the deputy company commander, he would definitely feel that the second platoon leader sacrificed other people to ensure his own safety. But considering that I am going back to report to the brigade commander this time, if something really happens, the brigade commander in the town will not know what happened at the outpost.

It was precisely because of this consideration that the deputy company commander finally agreed to the proposal of the second platoon leader after hesitating for a while, let the soldiers of the second platoon open the way in front, and the people he brought followed far behind, ready to respond at any time .

"Okay, second platoon leader." The deputy company commander nodded and said to the second platoon leader: "Then I will trouble you."

"Sixth squad leader!" Seeing that the deputy company commander agreed to his proposal, the second platoon leader called the sixth squad leader and said to him: "You take your squad and immediately head towards the town of Yakovlev. The ambush, you must find a way to delay the time and ensure that the deputy company commander and the others can enter the town safely."

"Yes!" The sixth squad leader replied loudly: "Even if we sacrifice our lives, we must ensure that the deputy company commander returns to town safely."

In this way, the soldiers of the two squads were separated by five or six hundred meters, and moved towards the direction of the town of Yakovlev.

When they were two or three hundred meters away from the town, there was suddenly the sound of submachine guns firing from the side of the road. The soldiers who walked in the front fell down, and the rest of the soldiers quickly lay down on the spot and fought back in the direction where the gunshots sounded.

The deputy company commander who was following behind stomped his feet anxiously when he heard the sudden gunshots in front of him. He hurriedly ordered the accompanying soldiers: "Comrades, the sixth squad was ambushed by the enemy in front, we can't just watch them attack." We have been wiped out by the enemy, we must rush over to support them as soon as possible.”

Just as the deputy company commander ran towards the place where the gunshot was fired, the defenders in the town were also alarmed. However, it was pitch black outside the town, and they could only see the muzzle flames of weapons firing, and they couldn't figure out what was going on outside. Therefore, the first reaction of the soldiers in the trenches was not to go out for reinforcements, but to report what happened outside layer by layer.

The brigade commander Uzakov was awakened by the sound of gunshots and grenade explosions. He sat up from the camp bed and asked the brigade chief of staff who was standing in a daze at the table: "Comrade chief of staff, what happened? Where is the gunshot?" ?”

The chief of staff of the brigade listened attentively and replied, "It seems to be gunshots coming from the south of the town!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the phone on the desk rang. He picked up the phone and listened for a while, then reported to Uzakov: "Comrade brigade commander, the commander of the first battalion called, saying that there is a problem outside the town. There was a firefight, because it was too dark to see who was fighting. He asked me to ask you, what should they do?"