Red Moscow

Just as Kurzbach took Wittmann back to the army headquarters, Yakubov had already led the commanders and fighters of the Fourth Battalion of the Reserve Regiment into the barricade factory.

Under the guidance of the barricade factory defenders, Yakubov came to Belkin's headquarters. When he walked into the room with no roof and only four walls, he saw a political worker sitting at a dilapidated wooden table, looking at a map on the table. After seeing the other party's political rank clearly, he coughed lightly, and asked politely: "Comrade deputy battalion political commissar, I am Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov, the new deputy head of the downsizing regiment, where is your head?" ?”

Hearing Yakubov's voice, the political worker got up to greet him, and stretched out his right hand after a long distance: "Welcome, Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov. I am the head of the regiment, Belkin. "

"What, you are the head of the regiment?" Yakubov had a surprised expression on his face when he heard Belkin say this. He glanced at Belkin's collar badge again. It was indeed the military rank of a political worker. Question: "But you are a political worker?"

"That's right, before I served as the head of the downsizing regiment, I was the brigade political commissar of the 73rd Infantry Brigade." Belgin shook hands with Yakubov and explained to him: "After merging with the 41st Guards Division, Since no suitable candidate could be found to serve as the head of the downsized regiment, the division commander entrusted us with this important task considering that I had previously served as a military chief.”

After figuring out why the leader of the downsizing regiment was a political worker, Yakubov continued: "Comrade commander, the division commander ordered me to come to serve as your deputy commander, and at the same time brought a battalion to strengthen the barricade factory defense."

"A battalion?!" Belkin heard that a battalion was coming, and asked instinctively: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, how many people are there?"

"There are 800 people in the battalion." Yakubov replied with some pride: "Including the troops directly under my original regiment, the total strength exceeds 1,000 people."

"Great, this is really great." Belkin was worrying about the lack of troops in his hands, and he couldn't help being overjoyed when he learned that Yakubov had brought a reinforcement of thousands of people, and then asked: " Are they all veterans with combat experience?"

Belkin's question made Yakubov flush with shame, he hesitated for a moment, and replied: "I'm sorry, Comrade Commander, the troops I brought here are all new recruits who have just enlisted in the army. Once on the battlefield." After he finished speaking, he looked at Belkin with a guilty conscience to see how the other party reacted.

"They are all recruits on the battlefield for the first time?" Belkin felt somewhat regretful when he heard Yakubov's reply. But now there are not enough troops to defend the barricade factory, and it is better to recruit thousands of recruits than nothing. He called Yakubov to the table, pointed to the map and said to him: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let me introduce the situation to you."

Yakubov looked down at the map on the desktop, his eyeballs almost fell out, and he asked in surprise: "Comrade commander, what's going on, the Germans have occupied most of the factory. Our troops How did it happen, why didn't we stop the counterattack and take these lost positions back from the enemy's hands?"

Faced with Yakubov's question, Belgin was silent for a moment, and then replied: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it's not that we don't want to take back these positions from the enemy, but because our strength is limited, it is very difficult to use them for defense." It was difficult, let alone organize a counterattack. When our regiment entered the barricade factory, only the 138th Infantry Division of Colonel Lyudnikov remained, with a total strength of only a thousand or so.

After listening to Belkin's introduction, Yakubov realized that the situation of the barricade factory was more severe than he had imagined. He raised his head and looked at Belkin, and said solemnly: "Comrade commander, please give us an order."

"Your task is to resolutely defend the factory, and the Germans must not occupy it. Understand?" After hearing Yakubov's loud answer, Belkin continued: "Now I will introduce you to the battalions. The distribution of the situation. The first company and the first battalion headquarters are on the left flank of my headquarters; the second company and my regiment headquarters are in the middle of our regiment's defensive area; As for the Second Battalion, they are currently deployed at the rear of the entire defense line, responsible for assisting the artillery, and using artillery to assist the infantry in defense..."

After Belgin finished introducing the troops in the barricade factory, Yakubov suddenly found a problem and asked quickly: "Comrade commander, does your regiment only have two battalions?"

"Of course not." Belkin shook his head and said, "There is also a third battalion and a marine battalion. The former is defending the central area south of the city; while the latter is defending the workers' new village of the Red October Factory."

"The defensive area of ​​your regiment is really wide enough." Yakubov said with emotion: "In this way, the strength of your regiment will be greatly dispersed."

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I have to remind you." Belkin said to Yakubov with a smile: "Please don't always use the word 'your regiment', now you are the deputy head of the reduced regiment , so it should be called 'our regiment'. Do you understand?"

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Yakubov agreed shyly, and then asked, "How do you plan to distribute the troops?"

"The second battalion is behind the entire defense line. As long as the defense line is not broken by the enemy, they will have no chance to confront the enemy. I think the troops will be assigned to the first battalion. As for the regiment troops you brought, stay here and take charge of the regiment." Ministry's security work."

As soon as the assignment of troops was completed, the first battalion commander, Captain Vasily, called and reported to Belgin: "Comrade commander, the Germans have launched an attack on us again."

"Great." Belkin, who had just replenished his troops, was now in good spirits, and he said loudly into the microphone: "Comrade Captain, since the enemy is rushing to die, you should teach them a lesson. Yes Yes, did the enemy send tanks or assault guns this time?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander." While making the phone call, Vasily looked out from the gap in the wall of the headquarters and reported: "I saw three assault guns and two Panzer III tanks heading towards the from the defense zone."

"It seems that the Germans haven't learned the lesson just now, so you immediately send out the anti-tank platoon, let the anti-tank fighters hide in the crater, wait for the enemy tanks and assault guns to approach, and kill them all." Belkin said with a sneer : "I'd like to see how many tanks and assault guns the Germans plan to use as targets for my bazooka."

Don't look at Yakubov who just came from the division headquarters, but he doesn't understand many things. After Belgin put down the phone, he couldn't help asking curiously: "Comrade commander, what is a bazooka?"

"It's a new type of individual anti-tank weapon." Before Belkin could speak, a voice came from the door: "Anti-tank fighters can carry this lightweight anti-tank weapon and hide in places where the enemy must pass. Here, take out the enemy tanks."

Belkin didn't look at the door, and already recognized that the person speaking was Captain Vanya, chief of staff of the regiment, and introduced to Yakubov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let me introduce you, this is the chief of staff of the regiment, Captain Vanya." Captain Nia. Comrade Captain, this is Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov, the newly appointed deputy commander. You two should get to know each other well."

After Vanya and Yakubov got to know each other, Belgin looked at Vanya and asked, "How is the situation in the second battalion?"

"Comrade commander, I'm just going to report this to you." Vanya, who had just returned from the second battalion, said to Belkin: "The soldiers have made a request to me that they, like the first battalion, go to the front and fight against the enemy. fighting."

"Nonsense, this is simply nonsense." Hearing what Vanya said, Belkin immediately turned his face straight and said, "The division commander arranged the second battalion to assist the artillery of the friendly army in consideration of reducing the defense of our army's frontal position with artillery fire. Pressure. If they are all deployed to the front, then the strength of the artillery will be weakened. You immediately tell Lieutenant Briski that no one from the Second Battalion is allowed to leave the existing area without an order from the superior, otherwise I'll take him as a question."

While Vanya was calling the Second Battalion, Yakubov asked curiously again: "Comrade Commander, may I ask, where did the political commissar of our regiment go?"

"Comrade Dmitry, political commissar of the regiment, was wounded in the battle the day before yesterday and has been sent back to Mamayev Post." Berkin replied with a wry smile, "Before he recovers from his injury, I think you may be Can't see it anymore."

Knowing that the political commissar of the regiment was injured, Yakubov said regretfully: "What, the political commissar of the regiment was injured? That's really a pity."

The two were talking when another phone on the table rang. Belgin only glanced at it, and then said to Yakubov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it should be the division commander who is calling. He must want to know whether you have arrived at the designated location."

Belkin picked up the phone and listened, and it turned out that it was Sokov. He smiled and said, "Misha, I know what you want to ask. Lieutenant Colonel Yakubov and his troops have arrived safely." We have arrived at the barricade factory, and the soldiers have been replenished to the companies of the first battalion, and they are preparing to see the battle."

"Participate in the battle?!" Sukov heard this, and asked casually: "The enemy has launched an attack on you again. What kind of scale is it?"

"According to Lieutenant Vasily's report, the enemy dispatched two Panzer III tanks, three assault guns, and some infantry." With the experience of repelling the German attack, Belgin said confidently: "Based on our existing powerful enough to smash any German attack."

"My Comrade Commissar," Sokov listened to Belkin's words so confidently, and knew that he was pinning his hopes on the rocket launchers, so he reminded him tactfully: "The rocket launchers are certainly the nemesis of the enemy's tanks and assault guns. , but we can’t take it lightly. The Germans are very cunning, maybe they will find a way to deal with your rocket launchers soon, don’t underestimate the enemy.”

"Don't worry, Misha, I won't underestimate the enemy." After Belkin assured Sokov, he suddenly remembered Dmitry, the political commissar of the regiment that Yakubov had just mentioned, and asked quickly: "Yes. Now, how is Comrade Dmitry, the political commissar of my regiment, when will he be discharged from the hospital?"

"Comrade Dmitry's injury is not serious. After the doctor's treatment, he can get out of bed and walk around." In order to reassure Belkin, Sokov also emphasized: "When I went to see Griza today, By the way, I took a look at Dmitry, he is in good spirits, and he will be able to return to your regiment in four or five days at most, and the counterattack will not be delayed."

Sokov chatted with Belkin for a few more words, then put down the phone, smiled and said to Sidolin who was beside him: "Chief of Staff, our political commissar comrade is a little impatient, Dmitry has just arrived at the health team Within two days, he was asking when his political commissar could be hospitalized, he must be too anxious."

"I think the mood of Commander Belkin is understandable." Sidolin waited for Sokov to finish, and continued his topic: "After all, we have been in the city for several months. Looking forward to the big counterattack, no one wants to miss such a historical moment."

Before Sidolin finished speaking, the phone on the table rang suddenly. Sidolin stared and nodded, and jokingly said to Sokov: "Comrade commander, maybe it's another call from Captain Belkin. He is really anxious."

But when Sidolin put the microphone to his ear and listened for a while, a panic expression appeared on his face. He didn't even have time to cover the microphone, so he couldn't wait to report to Sukov: "Comrade commander, it's the health team calling." call, something happened to Dmitry."

"What, something happened to Dmitry?!" Just a few minutes ago, I was still talking to Belkin about Dmitry, the political commissar of the downsizing regiment, saying that he could return to the team before the counterattack, but now I heard him News of the accident. Sokov quickly took the microphone from Sidolin's hand and asked, "I'm Sokov, what happened to Comrade Dmitri?"

"Report, Comrade Commander," the caller replied in a panic, "Commander Dmitry has been poisoned, and it looks like he won't last long."

Knowing that Dmitry would not last long, Sokov threw the microphone on the table and ran out of the headquarters. After looking at each other, Sidolin and Ivanov put the microphone on the phone base and ran out. They were desperate to find out what had happened to Dmitry.

Panting, Sokov ran to the health team, and asked Assia who came up to him, "Assia, what happened to Commissar Dmitry?"

"He's been poisoned." Asiya replied hastily, "He's dying, so I asked someone to call you."

"Where is he?" Sokov grabbed Assia's arm and urged, "Take me there quickly."

Assia brought Sokov, Sidolin, and Ivanov to the door of a small ward. Assia opened the curtain and walked in, pointed to the wounded lying on the bed, and said to Sokov who followed: "He is here."

With the help of gas lamps, Sokov saw clearly that the person lying on the bed was indeed Dmitry, political commissar of the downsized regiment. He lay on the bed without a sound, without any reaction, the skin all over his body turned yellow and brown, as if he had been smoked by acid mist. Seeing this, Sokov couldn't help being taken aback, and turned his head to ask Assia: "Assia, why is his skin all over brown and brown?"