Chapter 615

I was overjoyed to hear that the headquarters of the group army had sent us an anti tank gun company. Originally, I was worried that due to the lack of heavy weapons such as anti tank weapons, our troops would not be able to resist the massive attack of German armored forces. When general Golikov, deputy commander of the front army, came to the headquarters of the group army for inspection, he reflected this to him. I didn't expect that he really meant what he said. Before long, he really sent me two anti tank artillery companies.

I asked molozov excitedly, "Comrade captain, what caliber anti tank guns are they?"

Morozov did not look back at it at all, but answered me without hesitation: "the report division commander is the latest 76.2mm division anti tank gun of the newly installed troops at the beginning of this year. There are 12 guns in one company and 24 guns in two companies." At this point, he stopped, waved in the direction of the artillery commanders and fighters, and cried out: "two company commanders, come here. Comrade division commander wants to see you."

With his shouts, two commanders ran out of the crowd and quickly came to us. After standing at attention and saluting, they said to me, "Comrade division commander, Lieutenant kasulin and lieutenant mailehoff report to you. The fifth and sixth companies of the anti tank independent battalion of the guards are stationed here, waiting for your orders."

"Well, well." I looked at the two energetic lieutenants in front of me, nodded with satisfaction, and then said to them, "Lieutenant kasulin, Lieutenant mailehov, from today on, your two companies and captain Morozov's mortar company will be officially formed into independent division artillery battalion. Captain Morozov served as battalion commander and company commander of the first company, Lieutenant kasulin served as company commander of the second company, and lieutenant melehov served as company commander of the third company. "

Seeing that the three men had no objection to my appointment, I looked at the cannons being pulled up the hillside and asked with interest, "two comrades of company commander, are these new cannons of the newly equipped troops?".

"Yes, comrade division commander, these are the" 1942 76.2mm division anti tank guns "that began to be loaded into the army after March this year. They are the most advanced anti tank guns at present." Lieutenant kasulin took over my topic and said: "Professor Wolff, the chief engineer of the artillery branch of Krupp military industry group, once commented on this kind of artillery in public:" the new artillery of the Soviet Union is the best in the armies of all countries at present. It is not only better than the British and French artillery, but also the German artillery. It is no exaggeration to say that this kind of gun will leave an important page in the history of world artillery. "

Listening to him, I can't help asking: "where did you hear what Professor Wolff, the chief engineer of Krupp, said?" However, on second thought, it was obviously inappropriate for me to sneer at lieutenant kasulin, who just joined the independent division today. It was also inconsistent with the identity of my division commander. Therefore, I kept silent and tried to smile on my face, pretending to be interested in listening.

Seeing that I was smiling, Lieutenant malehoff boldly added: "it is said that Comrade Stalin said with emotion after seeing the demonstration of this new type of Artillery:" this kind of artillery is a masterpiece of a generation! "

It seems that I understand something when I buy lehoff. I surmised to myself: perhaps the Ordnance Department deliberately released the so-called Krupp first engineer's speech and Stalin's comments on cannons in order to increase the confidence of artillery commanders and fighters in new cannons.

Kasulin asked politely, "Comrade division, may I ask, what are the tasks of the second company and the third company in the position?"

"The task is clear, comrade lieutenant." As for his question, I said with a clear mind: "at the present defensive stage, the tasks of your two companies are to carry out anti tank tasks and eliminate enemy infantry. After our troops turn to attack, your combat task is to destroy the enemy's living forces, destroy the enemy's infantry fire points and suppress the enemy's artillery, destroy the enemy's tanks and armored vehicles, destroy the enemy's wire mesh obstacles, and eliminate the enemy's shelter and permanent fire points. And accompany the infantry to attack and provide them with firepower support. "

With that, I waved to them and said in an unquestionable voice, "well, three artillery battalion commanders, please lead the soldiers to deploy the guns in place." The three artillery commanders agreed to return to the line of artillery soldiers and command them to continue to pull the cannons up the hillside.

Looking at the busy soldiers, I suddenly had a bold idea in my heart. If the German army wants to launch an attack on the mamayev post, after the artillery preparation and bombing, it is needless to say that they are proud of the armored forces that cover the infantry attack. To deal with the German armored forces, in addition to anti tank guns, anti tank guns, anti tank mines, grenades, flasks and cluster grenades, we can also dig anti tank trenches. Of course, what I want to dig is not the ordinary anti tank trench, but the famous "Golan trench".

As for the relevant information of the Golan trench, I have been familiar with it for a long time: one to two kilometers away from the front position, we dug an anti tank trench with an opening width of 6 meters, a bottom width of 4 meters, and a depth of 9 meters. This trench seems simple, but there is a hidden mystery. When the general army builds an anti tank trench, it usually piles up the excavated soil on both sides of the trench. However, the earth excavated from the Golan trench was placed on its own side, forming a 2.5-meter-high embankment. The anti tank trench built in this way will make the attacking side feel very depressed. Because even if they want to fill the trench, they will find that the soil is all on the side of the garrison, and they have no soil to use. Even if the anti tank trench is built with rails, they will find that one end of the channel is high and the other is low. Moreover, the high end is set up on the soft soil, which makes the tanks and armored vehicles stagger when driving on the bridge, resulting in many tanks and armored vehicles falling into deep trenches and unable to get out. Even if the tanks and armored vehicles that got away with it slowly climbed up the high embankment, the bottom of the vehicle with weak armor protection was exposed. When the tanks and vehicles drove down the embankment, the top of the same weak armor was exposed under the Garrison's muzzle. So in this up and down process, the defenders on the defensive side have two excellent shooting opportunities. As long as they hit, they can easily destroy the other side's tanks and armored vehicles. In this way, when passing through the embankment, the enemy tanks and armored vehicles almost became the live targets of the defenders. Moreover, because the earth dike is higher than the attacking side, the sight of the tank members of the attacking forces is seriously affected in the operation. It is unable to find and aim at the target, and it is difficult to give full play to the firepower to support the attacking forces in front. However, when the Garrison's armored forces launch counter attack, it is very convenient to push the accumulated soil into the anti tank trench and fill it up to ensure the attack of their own tanks and armored vehicles.

Originally, I wanted to reserve this kind of anti tank trench for use in the Kursk tank battle, but now I see the open plain in front of the mamayev post. If I want to block the German armored forces, this kind of Golan trench is the best choice.

Thinking of this, I called basmanov, turned and walked to the division headquarters. Second lieutenant Mikhail yev, the company commander of the division's engineering company, is there. I can tell him about the excavation method of the anti tank trench, and ask him to organize people to start work immediately, so as to complete it in two days.

But as soon as I got to the division headquarters, I stopped and looked at the engineering soldiers who came out of my headquarters with bags of mud tied with cloth bags. Looking at them sweating, I couldn't help reconsidering whether it was too hasty to dig the Goran trench in front of the mamayev post?

After serious consideration, I decided to cancel the plan to dig the Golan trench. Because this two kilometer long anti tank trench has to excavate 90000 cubic meters of earth. Without the cooperation of excavation machinery, not to mention the engineering company of mihayev, even if I send a regiment and two regiments on the Highlands, more than 3000 people will have to excavate at least 30 cubic meters of earth. It can't be completed in ten days and a half months. The Germans are neither blind nor deaf. They will never allow our troops to bluntly dig an anti tank trench that can block the advance of their armored forces under their eyelids. They will certainly destroy our audacious troops by means of plane bombardment.

While I was feeling sorry for being forced to give up the Golan trench, mihayev did not know when he would come to me and report to me, "Comrade division! Second lieutenant Mikhail yev reports to you that our company is excavating a new division headquarters. "

Maybe when I was just thinking about something, my eyes were staring at the engineering soldiers in and out in a daze, so some people thought that I might be watching their work, so they thought it was necessary to report to me, so they called mihayev out.

"At ease, comrade mihayev." I asked casually, "how long will it take for the headquarters to be repaired?"

Mihayev shrugged his shoulders and said helplessly: "Sir, we encountered rocks in the process of digging. As you know, without enough explosives, the speed of driving will inevitably be affected."

"Then you'll try to find some dynamite to blow up all the rocks in the way." When I said that, I raised my hand and looked at my watch. Two hours later, Mikhail's promised completion time was still early, so I said in a gentle voice, "it's OK to finish it before evening anyway."

"Are we allowed to go on, sir?" Mihayev asked cautiously.

"Of course, that's easy to say." I hastened to reply, "go on with your work!"

After mihayev turned back to the division headquarters, I said to basmanov beside me, "come on, comrade captain, it's ok now. Let's go to the residential area to have a look."

As we walked down the hillside, just halfway through, we unexpectedly met kirilov, who returned from the residential area. In addition to the guard group he led, there were also more than a dozen political workers around him. I waved to him and cried out, "kirilov, political commissar kirilov!"

Kirilov was climbing, when he heard someone shouting and looked up to see me. He immediately showed a smile, waved to me and quickened his pace.

He stopped in front of me and asked curiously, "Comrade oshanina, why are you here?"

I replied with a smile: "Comrade political commissar, Lieutenant Mikhail yev is still building the headquarters for us, so I want to go to the residential area to have a look. I didn't expect to meet you here." At this point, I leaned over and looked behind him. Then I asked, "are these comrades the political workers assigned to our division?"

"Yes," kirilov said, looking back sideways and nodding his head, "they are all political workers I transferred from the Political Department of the group army. It was agreed to give me 20 people, but unfortunately, when I went, eight political workers had already been asked to leave by commissar jitov of the 70th division of Jinwei. "

"The 70th division of Colonel lyudnikov's guards?" After getting a positive answer, I asked suspiciously, "aren't they affiliated with the 64th group army? Why do they want to come to the Political Department of our group army to hire people?"

Kirilov's face looked surprised and asked, "don't you know? The 70th Jinwei division was transferred from the 64th group army to our group army yesterday and is now stationed near the central railway station. "

"If the 70th division of the guards is transferred, which unit will defend the vacant area?"

"The sector of the lyudnikov division is now taken over by the 157 th infantry division of Colonel kuropatenko. Although their troops were a little less, the German troops in that area did not know what kind of attack they had suffered. In such a long time, they did not attack our positions. "

"Why

Kirilov didn't answer my question. Instead, he yelled at the political workers: "Hello, comrade starilov, please come here." With his shouts, a political worker ran over, raised his hand to salute, and stood in front of us in silence.

"Comrade starirov, division commander oshanina, would like to know why the German army in front of our 157 Infantry Division has not launched an attack recently?" After giving orders to his subordinates, kirilov came close to me and said in a low voice, "Comrade starilov was transferred from the 64th army. He told me the news." Starilov stood up straight and reported to me, "well, comrade division, according to the observation post, there was a strange explosion behind the German army. As the enemy blocked the area after the explosion, our scouts could not get close to it for reconnaissance, so we could not determine where the explosion happened and what kind of damage it caused to the Germans. " Although starilov didn't give enough details, I already understand what happened. Nine times out of ten, the mine and several tons of explosives planted exploded when we left the station. When I heard this, I didn't ask any more questions. I laughed at kirilov and said with ease, "Comrade political commissar, should you explain these subordinates to me?" Kirilov, listening to me, yelled at the political workers in the back, "assemble More than a dozen political workers quickly lined up in the voice of the command. Kirilov led me to the right end of the team and began to introduce me: "Comrade starilov, you have seen me, so I will not introduce you. This is kruglov, Kegan, Xiaoming, zuyev, kokunov, Elgin, rogulev and gurkin. They are all inspectors and counselors of the Political Department of the group army. The three political workers are Nikolayev, stubov and safchenko in turn, who are responsible for the work of the Communist Youth League of the group army. " After we got to know each other, we went back to the front of the team. Kirilov gestured to me to speak to the political workers. I nodded and took a step forward. After sweeping each political work cadre with my eyes, I said to you with a smile: "Hello, comrades, welcome to work in the independent division. With your arrival, the combat effectiveness of the independent division will go up to a new level. Next, you will be assigned to each regiment, go directly to the grassroots level, and do a good job in the party's political work, so as to ensure that our independent division can successfully complete the current combat tasks. " At this point, I made a gesture to kirilov and said politely, "Comrade political commissar, their work will be arranged by you." Kirilov did not shirk, but said directly: "starilov, kruglov, Kegan." The three political workers, who were named by him, quickly stepped out of the line and stood upright, waiting for his orders“ The three of you go to a regiment and report to lieutenant colonel chejerikov. "“ Yes The three agreed neatly, then stepped back into the queue“ Xiao Ming, zuyev, safchenko Three more political workers who were named came forward“ You three go to the second regiment and report to the acting commander, Captain Pugachev When the three political workers stepped back into the queue, he called the names of four people: "kokunov, Elgin, Nikolayev, stubov." After the four men set out, he said, "you four are assigned to the third regiment and the fourth regiment. Because the third regiment leader, Lieutenant Colonel kosga, was injured, the two regiments are currently under the command of the fourth regiment leader, Lieutenant Colonel Gaidar. You can report to him later."“ Rogulev and gurkin, you two are assigned to the fifth regiment. Report to commander Oleg later. By the way, you must know the political commissar of the fifth regiment. She is the verol political instructor of the Vinica Infantry School. If you encounter any difficulties in the army, you can ask her for help. " When I heard kirilov assigning his subordinates, I couldn't help feeling that this political commissar is not simple. How long has he been here? He knows all the commanders of the independent division. Just after the assignment, without waiting for kirilov's order to disband, suddenly there was a sound of car motors from far to near from the south. We all looked in the direction of the sound. We saw a fleet of twelve trucks coming towards us. The car was full of helmeted commanders. Kirilov narrowed his eyes and looked for a moment. He wanted to speak to me and to himself. He said, "strange, how can I think those soldiers in the carriage are commanders?" Hearing what he said, I quickly raised my telescope and looked at the speeding motorcade. When I saw several familiar faces in the carriage, I could not help smiling. I put down my telescope and excitedly said to kirilov, "comrades of the political commissar, they are the second lieutenant training team. They are really excellent soldiers. With their participation, our independent division will form a strong combat effectiveness in a short time!"