Chapter 469

Our jeep shifted its head outside the village and headed for the Don ferry.

When the ferry appeared in our vision, shumilov, who had been silent for a long time, finally asked a question of his concern to trekov: "Comrade trekov, I have a question for you."

Trikov said very politely: "Comrade commander, if you have any questions, just ask. As long as I know, I will say everything."

"When I was at the headquarters of the front army, I heard that during the fighting a few days ago, all the troops of our group army suddenly withdrew from the fighting, and tens of thousands of troops flocked to the Don river ferry. In order to stop the troops from crossing the river, you sent General Browder to stop it. As a result, he died under the enemy's air attack. Is that so? "

"Yes, comrade commander." Trekov replied in a low voice.

"I want to know, who gave this wrong order?" Shumilov's tone became severe.

When I heard the conversation in the back row, I quickly looked out of the window, pretending I didn't hear each other at all, so that no one would ask for my opinion later, and I didn't want to get involved in the conflict between their senior management.

After a moment's silence, trakov said with difficulty: "the order is that Colonel Novikov, chief of staff of the group army, and Comrade Abramov, military commissar and political commissar of the division, without my consent, sent out the order to retreat to the left bank of the Don River to the 214th infantry division, the two marine brigades and the 137th tank brigade through the radio station."

"Damn it Shumilov gave me a hard blow on the back of the chair behind me and said angrily, "their mistakes are unforgivable. We should immediately report them to the higher authorities, investigate their responsibility and send them to the military court."

"Comrade commander, the first thing we should consider now is how to recover the bad consequences of this wrong order, contain the enemy's crazy offensive, and prevent them from approaching Stalingrad," trikov said faintly

When shumilov heard what trakov said, he unexpectedly didn't reply, so they were silent.

When the bus arrived at the ferry, it was just catching up with a troop landing. The jeeps in front of us honked their horns desperately. The commanders and fighters quickly walked to both sides of the road and made way for our motorcade to the wharf.

Three jeeps drove onto the barges at the dock in turn. After the car stopped, the barge was towed by the motorboat to the right bank of Don river. Trekov and shumilov pushed the door open and got out of the car. They stood next to the car, smoking and pointing to the right bank of the Don river.

When I saw the two leaders getting off the bus, I was embarrassed to stay on the bus. I pushed the door open and got off the bus and went to the side of the boat. Seeing the turbulent rolling river, I can't help but feel a lot of emotion. I think that if it wasn't kokunov and the sailor who saved me that day, I would have drowned in the Don River nine times out of ten. Thinking of this, I couldn't help looking up at the sky. I was afraid that another enemy plane would come out of the cloud.

When the enemy plane didn't come, trakov and shumilov came to me. Shumilov asked with concern: "Comrade oshanina, is this your first time to cross the Don river? I think you've been standing here for a long time

Without waiting for me to speak, trikov had already rushed to help me answer: "Comrade commander, just yesterday morning, lieutenant commander oshanina and her regiment troops, after completing the task of covering the friendly troops crossing the river, braved the air raid of the enemy aircraft, crossed the Don river, and built Fortifications on the left bank of the river."

"Is that so? Commander o'shanina. "

Hearing shumilov's question, I quickly straightened up and answered in a loud voice, "yes, comrade commander. Most of the troops of our regiment successfully crossed the Don river. Half way through the river, my ferry was bombed and strafed by enemy planes and was unfortunately sunk. Fortunately, I was saved by a good water soldier, so I can stand in front of you and report to you. "

Shumilov put his hand on my shoulder, patted me twice and said, "good job, comrade commander." With that, he turned to the jeep.

The car went ashore and quickly drove to the headquarters of the group army in irimian - chilsky. As there was no enemy aircraft disturbance, we arrived at the headquarters in only half an hour.

Walking into the headquarters, I saw several commanders around a map on the wall, studying something. Trikov strode forward and yelled at them, "Hello, comrades commanders."

When the commanders heard his voice, they turned their heads and found that the man who came in was trikov. They all came up to greet him and saluted him. After a few words of greeting, he pointed to shumilov standing behind him and said, "comrades, I'd like to introduce you to general shumilov, the new commander of the group army."

"The new commander?" A famous Colonel asked in surprise, "Comrade General, are you no longer the commander of our 64th army?"

Trikov glanced at the commander and said faintly, "Colonel Novikov, have you forgotten that the commander of our group army is general gordov. Since he became the commander of the front army, there has been no commander in the group army. I am the deputy commander in charge of the army. Today, the higher authorities have sent us a new commander. In the future, everyone will obey his orders. Do you understand? " Speaking of the last sentence, he raised his voice intentionally.

"I see!" The commander in the room replied collectively.

On his first day in office, shumilov was sure to have a few words with you. After trakov introduced his identity to you, he asked you to sit around the wooden table and began his first meeting with the 64th army.

When he saw that all the people were seated, he stood up, took out a document from his briefcase, and said solemnly to everyone, "comrades in command, the people's Commission for national defense of the Soviet Union issued Order No. 227 signed by the Supreme Commander himself on July 28, 1942. The order is extremely clear and candid about the complexity and danger of the current situation. Now, I'll read this order to you Then he began to read the famous command No. 227 aloud in a cadenced voice

"Regardless of the heavy losses they have suffered, the enemy has put more and more new troops into the battlefield. They are approaching the hinterland of the Soviet Union step by step, and they are constantly occupying new areas. They ravaged and destroyed our cities and villages. They raped women, plundered property and killed people.

Fighting is taking place in Voronezh and the Don region, at the gate in the south near the north Caucasus. The German occupation forces are rushing to Stalingrad and Volga River in an attempt to occupy the Kuban River region and the north Caucasus at all costs and seize the oil and food resources there.

The enemy has occupied voloshlovgrad, starobelsk, rossoshi, kupyansk, waluyiki, new cherkask, Rostov on the Don and half Voronezh... After the loss of Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic coastal area, Donbas and other areas, our territory has been greatly reduced, and therefore our personnel Grain, steel and factories are also reduced. We have lost more than 70 million people, a grain producing area with an annual output of more than 800 million pute of grain and a production capacity of more than 10 million tons of steel.

Now, we have lost the advantage of human resources and grain reserves. To continue to retreat means to commit suicide, which means to destroy our motherland.

From now on, every inch of land we give up will greatly strengthen the enemy's advantage, greatly weaken our defense and weaken our motherland. Therefore, we must fundamentally put an end to such arguments as "we can retreat endlessly" and "China has a vast territory, a large population, abundant products and inexhaustible supplies of food". These arguments are harmful and wrong. It will weaken our fighting spirit and increase the prestige of the enemy. Because if we don't stop retreating, we will lose food, fuel, steel, raw materials, factories and railways. The conclusion is that it's time to stop retreating. Not a step back!

This should be our main slogan at the moment. We must persevere in every position, every inch of Soviet territory, and do our best to defend it until we shed as much blood as possible.

Our motherland is in a difficult period. We should stop retreating, and then beat back and crush the enemy at any cost. The Germans are not as powerful as some of the panickers think. They have become the end of the storm. If we stand up to the enemy's assault now and in the next few months, we will be sure to win.

Can we withstand the enemy's assault and drive them back? can. Because now the production of our rear factories is advancing by leaps and bounds, and our front lines are getting more and more airplanes, tanks, artillery and mortars.

So, what are we short of? What we lack is iron order and discipline in all our troops. This is our current Achilles' heel. If we want to save the situation and defend our motherland, we must establish extremely strict order and iron discipline in our army

Panic and cowards should be shot on the spot. From now on, every commander, Red Army soldier and political worker should abide by this iron discipline: never step back without the command of the supreme command. "

After reading the order, shumilov turned his head and said to trekov, who was sitting beside him, "general trekov, please say a few words." With that, he sat down and took a sip of the tea from the orderly.

Trikov stood up, looked at the people present seriously, and then said, "comrades, never step back!" We have mentioned such slogans before. However, there has never been such a document as to tell the whole staff, not only the commanders of the Red Army, but also the ordinary soldiers about the difficult situation of our country. This order is actually a letter to all the people of the Soviet Union. Because the Red Army is the people's army, a multi-ethnic soldier of all the Soviet people. The party and the Soviet government frankly told the people of the country's difficulties, which could not but arouse a warm response from the people of the whole country. It will certainly bring positive results. Every soldier and commander deeply felt his responsibility to the motherland and the people. Indeed, we have no way back. " At this point, trakov stopped for a moment and turned his eyes to the political worker here. "I repeat once again that no one is allowed to give an order to withdraw in future battles without the permission of me and the commander. I'm finished

Next, shumilov ordered a few more people to talk about their views on the order. The commander, who was named, stood up tremblingly, followed the tone of the commander, yelled several slogans to make the troops never retreat, and then sat down again.

After the meeting, trikov said to shumilov in a deliberative tone: "Comrade commander, from the current situation, the left wing of our group army has been gradually surrounded by the enemy from the south. We should immediately investigate the situation in the southern part of the group army and take necessary measures on the spot. "

Shumilov pondered a little, then nodded and agreed. He said, "OK, comrade trakov, don't worry. If you have anything, you can call me or send me a telegram. You can deploy your defense according to the specific situation. You don't have to ask the headquarters of the group army for instructions. You have absolute command on the front line. "

After a simple preparation, trakov took me out. We were accompanied by adjutant captain Klimov, herald lewood sidolin, driver kayom kalimulin and Vadim sidorokov, and several signalmen. We set off South in three jeeps, one of which carried a radio station.

On the way, passing a village called shangluberinei, trekov asked us to hear the car next to the soldiers standing guard outside the village. After the car was stable, a soldier with a gun on his back came to our car, stopped in front of the car, bent over and looked into the car. At the same time, he asked, "comrades, which part are you from?"

I pushed the door open and went down. Just as I was about to speak, I didn't expect that the soldier had raised his hand to salute me and said to me with a smile: "Hello, commander o'xia Nina, how did you come to the division headquarters?"

"Division headquarters? Is it general bilukov's 214 division? " Behind him came the voice of trakov. I turned to see that he had pushed the door open and got out of the car.

"Yes, Comrade General. The teacher is in his headquarters. Shall I take you there? " The sentry was very smart. Seeing a general coming down from the car, he immediately guessed that he was looking for a division commander, so he asked to be a guide.

When we went to the village headquarters together with the sentry, I took a chance and asked the sentry in a low voice, "Comrade soldier, do you know me?"

The sentry nodded and replied, "yes, comrade commander. I once accompanied my teacher to the 678th regiment, where I met you. "

In the division headquarters, I met general biliukov again. After the conversation with trakov, he came up to me, shook hands with me, and smacked my right shoulder with his left hand. He joked, "commander oshanina, I gave you the 678th regiment and my son, but now you're leaving them behind and running to the headquarters of the group army."

I smile at this kind teacher, just want to say a few words, trakov has impatiently urged: "general biliukov, quickly report the situation of your division."

Biliukov restrained his smile and said solemnly: "Comrade commander, the situation is very strange. On the whole left bank of Don River defended by our division, from lower chilskaya to gorotskaya, it is calm and suspicious. The enemy did not even try to cross the Don river by force, nor did they carry out active reconnaissance. This negative attitude of the enemy makes me feel very strange. "

"Yes, Comrade General. Before the storm, it was very calm. " Said trekov.

Just then, there were several explosions outside, and trekov frowned and asked, "what's going on? Comrade General. Don't you say the defensive zone is quiet? What's the matter with the shelling? The enemy's shells are all near your headquarters. "

Biliukov shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly: "Comrade commander, this is the enemy's cold artillery. Every day, it will fire dozens of shots at us, but usually there will be no casualties."

In order to avoid the enemy's shelling, we had to stay in general biliukov's division headquarters. After a little calm, we bid farewell to biliukov and headed south.

After getting on the bus, the driver turned and asked, "Comrade commander, where shall we go?"

"Our next stop is the village of gnerlovsky, where the 29th Infantry Division is located."

We soon got to the village of gnerlovsky. When our car was stopped at the entrance of the village, the sentry on duty called the officer on duty of the division headquarters to inform him of the arrival of general trakov.

In a short time, the commander of the 29th division, Colonel klobkin, with several staff officers, respectfully led us to the division headquarters.

After a brief greeting, trakov asked klobkin, "Comrade Colonel, report the deployment of your division."

Like a pupil, klobkin stood straight in front of trakov and answered earnestly, "Comrade report commander, my 29th division is located along the Aksay River, from gorotskaya village to new aksayski village, facing south. To the north of our division, along the Don river, was the defensive zone of the 214 th division. To the south of our division, from potunginskaya to kurmoyarskaya, it was defended by an independent cavalry regiment with a group army. Because of the shortage of troops, the left wing of our division was not fortified. "

Trekov went to the map on the wall, looked at it for a while, then lit a place and asked klobkin, "Comrade Colonel, does this place seem to have an army? What part is it? "

Klobkin went over and looked at it. He quickly replied, "report, comrade commander, this is the unit of the 118th fortification area. They are launching and preparing to defend along the line of the river meshkovka. But it's in the rear, north of the Aksay river. As we are not affiliated to each other, I have no right to mobilize their troops. "“ Don't worry about that, comrade colonel. I'll go to their commanders tomorrow and try to get them to deploy some troops to strengthen your division's left wing. "