Red Moscow

When the gunshot rang out, Briski, who was resting in the battalion command post, was alarmed. He suddenly sat up on the floor and asked sharply, "What's going on, where did the gun fire?"

After an officer heard his question, he quickly ran out of the command post, stood in the trench and observed for a while, and then reported to Briski: "Comrade Battalion Commander, the lurking post on the right side is firing. It is estimated that Germans have sneaked into the factory."

Since there is no telephone communication between the command post and the hidden post, even if someone is sent to contact, reliable information will not be obtained for a while. Briski heard only sporadic gunshots from outside, and it seemed that the number of enemies would not be too many. He then asked the officer, "Where's the lurking post on the left? Didn't they fire?"

"No, the left side is very calm, and the lurking post deployed there did not fire." The officer shook his head and replied in an affirmative tone: "And the lurking post on the right wing is only firing rifles, and neither machine guns nor submachine guns are firing. The size of the enemy is not very large."

Briski nodded and told the officer, "Arrange a soldier to go to the ambush post on the right and find out what happened."

As soon as the officer went out to arrange the manpower, Sokov called in: "Comrade Captain, what happened outside? Where is the shooting?"

"Comrade Brigadier!" Briski quickly stood up and replied respectfully: "It is the ambush post deployed on the right wing that is firing, but so far, only two rifles are shooting, and the number of enemies entering the factory area is estimated to be insignificant." There will be many."

"I don't want to hear your estimate," Sokov said impatiently after listening to Briski's answer, "I wonder how many Germans entered the factory and what their purpose is."

"Don't worry, Comrade Brigadier." Briski assured Sokov: "I have sent someone to contact the ambush post to find out what happened. I will report to you when the soldiers I sent come back. Details."

"Comrade Captain," Sokov was silent for a moment after receiving Briski's assurance, and continued: "If possible, I hope you can send someone to support the ambush post on the right wing, and eliminate the enemies who sneaked into the factory area as soon as possible."

"Comrade Brigadier," Briski said with some hesitation about Sokov's order, "the visibility on the battlefield is limited, sending reinforcements rashly may have counterproductive effects. In my opinion, it is better to wait for the soldiers sent out to make contact to come back." After that, it’s not too late to make a decision.”

"Okay, Comrade Captain." Hearing Briski's words, Sokov also realized that he had thought the question too simply, so he replied, "Then you prepare your manpower first, and you can figure out the situation later. Send reinforcements immediately."

After putting down the phone, Sokov said to Balshak and Cousteau who were sitting beside him: "An enemy has infiltrated the factory area and was discovered by the ambush post we deployed. Captain Briski has sent people to find out the situation. I believe it will not be long before we can figure out what is going on."

After waiting for about five minutes, Briski called: "Comrade Brigadier, I have figured it out. Our ambush post found three German soldiers who had quietly entered the factory area under the cover of night, and they shot at them." After some fighting, two people were killed and one was captured alive."

Knowing that a German soldier had been captured, Sokov immediately ordered without hesitation: "Comrade Captain, send someone to bring him to me immediately." After putting down the phone again, he looked at the two people sitting in front of him and asked , "Is there anyone in the factory who understands Russian?"

The two learned something from the conversation between Sokov and Briski. At this moment, when Sokov asked who knew German, Balshak quickly replied: "Comrade Zinchenko, deputy director of the factory, before the war He once visited and studied in Germany, and his German is not bad, do you think you can call him over?"

Sokov was eager to get some useful information from the German prisoners, so he heard that the deputy factory director Zinchenko knew German, so he immediately said to Cousteau: "Comrade workshop director, please call the factory director Peter. Said that we need a translator who understands German, and hoped that he would send the deputy factory director Zinchenko to assist us."

The factory manager Peter just fell asleep at the moment, and after being woken up by the ringing of the phone, he didn't get angry, because he knew that the calls he would make at this moment were extremely important. He said into the microphone: "I am Peter, the director of the factory, where are you?"

"It's me, Comrade Factory Manager, I'm Cousteau."

"It's Cousteau." Peter heard clearly that it was Cousteau who was looking for him, guessing that the other party called him so late, it must be related to the infantry brigade, so he asked solemnly: "You call me at this time, Is there something urgent?"

"Comrade factory director, just now a German sneaked into the factory area and was wiped out by our lurking soldiers." Cousteau didn't go around in circles, but said straight to the point: "We captured a German soldier. He got useful information from him, so he urgently hopes to find a comrade who understands German to act as an interpreter."

"It's midnight, where can I find you a translator who understands German?" After Peter said this impatiently, he suddenly remembered his deputy Zinchenko, and asked tentatively: "Cousteau , are you calling me to ask Zinchenko to help you?"

"That's right, Comrade Factory Manager." Seeing that Peter had guessed his intentions, Cousteau didn't hide anything, but said truthfully: "This is the first German prisoner we have captured, and we need to get some information from his mouth." , learned useful information for us.”

Hearing this, Peter realized that the matter was urgent, and quickly said: "I will immediately call Comrade Zinchenko and ask him to come to you as soon as possible."

The captured German soldiers were quickly brought before Sokov, a young German corporal of medium build. Seeing that Sokov was the highest ranking person in the room, he immediately yelled at him. Seeing his ferocious face when he yelled, Sokov sneered, and turned to Balshak and Cousteau: "Can you hear what he said clearly?"

The two shook their heads in unison, and Cousteau said: "Although I can't understand what he said, judging from the expression on his face, what he said is definitely not a good thing."

Zinchenko learned that he was going to the assembly workshop to assist the comrades in the infantry brigade to interrogate the prisoners. In order not to waste time, he found a truck parked outside the factory building and rushed over as fast as possible.

Seeing Zinchenko walk in, Sokov stepped forward to shake hands with him, and then said politely: "Comrade deputy factory director, this is a German prisoner we captured, please be an interpreter for us, I want to know about them late at night." What is the purpose of sneaking into the factory area?"

Zinchenko nodded after listening, and then chattered to the German corporal. After listening to what he relayed, the German corporal said a few more words excitedly. Zinchenko quickly translated his words: "Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, you can shoot me. Wait until tomorrow, our air force will blow up your place to ruins."

Air force, ruins? ! When he heard these two words, Sokov couldn't help but thumped in his heart. He thought to himself: If the German army really bombed this place, the factory building would probably be razed to the ground. It's just an unknown. Thinking of this, he quickly said to Zinchenko: "Comrade deputy factory director, please ask him, when will their bombers bomb here?"

After questioning the German corporal, Zinchenko replied: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, he said that they were ordered to reconnaissance in the factory area, and they will indicate the target for the bombers tomorrow morning."

After figuring out why the German prisoners appeared in the factory area, Sokov waved at the soldiers standing behind the prisoners, signaling them to take the prisoners away. After watching the German corporal being escorted away, Sokov asked everyone with a serious expression: "The German army will bomb our place tomorrow morning. Tell me, is there any way to prevent the German bomb from finding its target?"

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," Zinchenko was the first to speak, but he didn't say any solution. If he asked, "I want to ask, why didn't the Germans bomb here today, but wait until tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah, why is that?" Ballshak said, scratching the back of his head. "If they're going to bomb us, they have plenty of opportunities today. Why wait until tomorrow morning?"

Sokov said in an uncertain tone: "Could it be that the smoke above the factory area made the German planes unable to find the target, so they didn't bomb us during the day?"

"It makes sense, it makes sense." As soon as Sokov finished speaking, Zinchenko nodded and said, "The gunpowder smoke during the day makes it impossible for the German planes to find the target, but if you wait overnight, the gunpowder smoke on the battlefield will be destroyed." The wind cleared and they struck out early in the morning with a clear sight of what they were going to attack."

"Then what should we do?" Cousteau frowned and asked: "If the factory building is bombed intensively, it will definitely be turned into ruins, and then we will not be able to continue to hold on here."

"I have two options." Sokov stretched out two fingers and said: "One is to burn worn-out tires and create smoke around the factory building, blocking the sight of German pilots; the other is to submit a request to the Front Army Command to let They sent the air force to provide us with air cover."

"It's easy to burn old tires. There are a lot of them piled up behind the factory building, which can be used as waste." Cousteau said thoughtfully: "But the German army has already occupied the air supremacy of the city. Even if we go to the superior Offered to send air force support, can they agree to us?"

"Leave this to me." Sokov coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and said, "I will call General Chuikov myself and ask him to send the air force to support us."