Chapter 659

Major Pugachev's action was very sharp. Not long after I gave the order, and before the shelling abated, he sent a most elite company to reinforce a regiment

On the way to the northern highland, the company was killed by the enemy's heavy artillery fire, resulting in heavy losses. Although it was only a few hundred meters away, when they reached the position of the first regiment, there were 110 people in the company, only 24 left. The company commander and almost all the grass-roots commanders were killed in the gunfire. When Pugachev reported to me, he choked for several times and I was very sad after hearing his report.

Kirilov and akhromeyev were stunned when they heard the news. Kirilov was surprised and said, "how could the German artillery fire be so intense? You know, the distance between the second regiment and the first regiment is not more than 300 meters, and there are so many trenches and bomb shelters, I didn't expect that the company sent to it was almost lost. "

As soon as kirilov finished, akhromeyev quickly asked me, "Sir, do you need to postpone the departure of the third regiment?"

I bowed my head to think that the current regiment is short of troops. If we don't reinforce them in time, it is still a question whether they can carry the enemy's attack. But if the third regiment, like the company of the second regiment, swarmed up, under the enemy's artillery attack, the casualties would be absolutely not small. After thinking about it for a long time, I still vetoed akhromeyev's proposal and said to myself, "chief of staff, you should call major Godunov immediately and ask him to break up the troops into parts and enter the positions of the first regiment in batches by platoon."

"Yes, I'll call major Godunov right away." After listening to my order and answering it, akhromeyev called the third regiment.

Just as the German troops were attacking one regiment after another, a call came from the group headquarters. On the phone, general Krylov said in an anxious tone: "Colonel oshanina, today the German army launched a full-scale attack on Stalingrad. At present, several more enemies have rushed into the city and are engaged in street fighting with our troops. At the same time, 107.5 highland was also fiercely attacked by the German army. According to the commander who held the position, their soldiers had fought with the enemy for bayonets several times. Do you think we can send troops to reinforce them? "

I was worried about the battle on the northern highland. I didn't expect that krailov would call me to send reinforcements to the friendly highland. If it was yesterday, maybe I really agreed. Anyway, the third regiment of the division's reserve team is the first fire brigade, and I will go to reinforce wherever I need it. But now the third regiment has been sent to the northern highland by me, and there is no surplus force at all, so I can only say to kelerov in embarrassment: "Comrade chief of staff, the enemy has launched a fierce offensive against mamayev post. After a long period of brutal fighting, the regiment that had been holding fast to the northern highlands was almost exhausted. I just sent the third regiment as a reserve to reinforce it, so I couldn't dispatch troops to reinforce the friendly forces. "

"Colonel o'shanina, have you ever thought about it? If the high ground guarded by the 42nd regiment of the guards is lost, the enemy will detour back to the rear of the mamayev post, and you will be attacked from both sides. " Krailov, who was euphemistically rejected by me, was unexpectedly not angry with me, but patiently convinced me.

When krailov spoke, my brain was thinking very fast. The three regiments in the position at present could not be used, while the fourth and fifth regiments in the residential areas were responsible for covering the rear of the whole division. At the critical moment, I also planned to let them all enter the city to fight with the German army in street and guerrilla warfare, which naturally could not be used. Thinking of the easy to attack and difficult to defend highland 107.5, I suggested to krailov: "Comrade chief of staff, since the friendly highlands can not be defended, we should simply not defend them. Let them withdraw to the city and continue to fight against the German army."

"Give up the highlands and retreat into the city?" After repeating my words, krailov asked with great interest, "I want to hear what you can do to stop the enemy's attack when the troops withdraw into the city."

"Well, comrade chief of staff." As for the amiable chief of staff of the group army, I didn't hide my thoughts. I said to him straightforwardly, "the 107.5 highland is easy to attack and difficult to defend, and there are not many solid fortifications. Under the strong artillery attack of the enemy, the commanders and fighters who stick to the highland will suffer heavy losses. So, I think we should find some solid buildings in the city, and each building should be equipped with a combat team composed of 50-100 soldiers under the command of GC party members. We should stick to these support points and fight against the enemy who rushes into the city. " In order to dispel his worries, I specially stressed that "as long as the enemy and our soldiers are tied together, the enemy's aircraft and artillery will lose their use. At that time, our commanders and fighters can rely on their familiarity with the terrain to make the enemy dizzy. "

"Your proposal is good. I'll report it to the commander." After confirming my proposal, Krylov specially told me: "remember, we should guard mamayev post at all costs, otherwise, the enemy will occupy the dock and cut off our contact with the outside world. Once the weapons, ammunition and grain from outside can not be transported, our 62nd army will not be the enemy's opponent no matter how tenacious it is. "

"Please rest assured the chief of staff." Although I have expressed my determination to the superior commander in countless times and occasions, at this time, I have to show my determination again: "as long as there is one person in the independent division, we will never let the enemy move forward. We swear to live with the position."

"Well said, I believe you can hold the position." Krailov said this and hung up.

The enemy's shelling of the southern highlands finally stopped near noon. However, their attack on a regiment's position was never interrupted.

I left akhromeyev at the headquarters and took kirilov to the observation post on the hillside to observe the enemy's attack on a regiment position.

Due to the long-term shelling, the smoke outside the cave is like a thick fog, blocking our sight. When we bent down to move fast in the trench, we could hear the coughing of the officers and men lying on the fortifications, choked by the strong smell of gunpowder.

When I heard the coughing of the commanders and fighters, I felt a little lucky. Fortunately, Hitler was a victim of the gas war in World War I, so he strictly prohibited his troops from using gas bombs in battle. If it had been for the shameless Japanese pirates, it would have been a long time since so many poison gas bombs came up.

When we came to the observation post, we found that this relatively hidden observation post had been blown down. Looking at the logs that used to be used as roofs, now they were scattered and still burning, I couldn't help laughing bitterly, turned to kirilov and said, "Comrade political commissar, I think you can think of how fierce the enemy's artillery fire is now? If we had stayed in the observation center, we would have gone to see God by now. "

"Or shall we go to the observation post at the top of the mountain?" Kirilov asked carefully.

I shook my head and said bitterly, "forget it, the enemy bombarded and bombed our highlands. I don't think the observation post on the top of the mountain is any better. Maybe it was bombed down."

Our arrival made the second group leader Pugachev panic. After receiving the soldier's report, he trotted all the way along the trench and came to us. He was about to raise his hand to salute. I reached out and stopped him: "don't salute, comrade major. Do you want the German snipers to target us?"

Although the visibility is less than 10 meters now, after listening to what I said, he still put down his hand, which was raised to half of it, and said with a chat: "teacher, political commissar, how did you get to the position? As soon as the enemy's shelling is over, I'm afraid there will be unexploded shells or bombs left in the position. It's too dangerous for you to stay here. You'd better go back to the headquarters first. "

"Comrade major," kirilov said with a blank face when he finished, "the enemy's shelling has trapped us in the headquarters all morning. My division commander and I are here just to see for ourselves the enemy's attack on the positions of the first regiment, so that we can make corresponding operational plans. "

Seeing that one side of the trench was full of well prepared officers and men, I said with disapproval, "major Pugachev, don't worry. Don't you see our soldiers all around? Even if the enemy bypasses the northern highlands and attacks us directly, I believe these officers and men will beat them back. "

Seeing my resolute attitude, Pugachev could not persuade us any more, so he had to nod to us, turn around and leave, and go back to his regiment headquarters to give orders.

When Pugachev left, I lay down in the trench, raised my telescope and looked in the direction of a group of positions. Due to the strong smoke barrier, I can only hear the sound of guns coming from the front, and I can't see where the battle actually started.

Ten minutes later, the smoke that blocked our sight was blown away by the river wind. In this way, I could finally see the fighting in the northern highlands. The position halfway up the hill was occupied by German troops, and the trenches were full of German soldiers. They were shooting at the position on the top of the hill to cover the upward charge of their companions.

In our army's position, although the number of soldiers left in the trenches was not large, they still stood high and fired machine guns and rifles at the German soldiers who were climbing the slope. From time to time, they smashed down hand grenades. With the explosion of hand grenades and the bullets fired by our army, German soldiers who were injured by shrapnel or hit by bullets rolled down the hillside.

The top of the hill was fighting, and the troops behind were not idle. On this side of the south slope, there was a company commander, bent over with weapons, and approached the top of the slope carefully. When they were 20 or 30 meters away from the position, a commander in the front suddenly raised a red flag in his hand, and the troops immediately stopped advancing and all fell down on the spot.

When kirilov saw this scene, he was so angry that he scolded: "is this commander out of his mind? It's only 20 or 30 meters away from the position. Let the soldiers run a few steps to enter the position. He ordered the soldiers to stop and hide in place. "

Looking at the shells that fell on the top of the mountain and exploded from time to time, I immediately understood the commander's intention and persuaded kirilov: "don't worry, comrade political commissar. I don't think it's a bad thing for the commander to stop the troops. "

Kirilov was confused by what I said. He kept looking up and down at me as if he never knew me. After a long time, he bit his back teeth and asked, "why?"

I pointed forward with my hand and explained, "you see, the enemy tanks at the foot of the mountain are shelling the positions on the top of the mountain, and the German soldiers charging upward are not far away from the positions. If we let the reinforcements rush into the position at this time and don't wait for it to fully unfold, we will suffer heavy losses in the enemy's artillery fire. "

"Comrade oshanina, I see what you mean." Although I have made my words very clear, kirilov could not help but feel a little anxious when he saw that our position was about to be occupied by the enemy: "even if the situation you mentioned would happen, this army could not stop there and watch the enemy seize our position."

"My political commissar, please don't worry. I think you will soon understand why this unit is here. "

After hearing this, kirilov did not argue with me any more, but said angrily, "well, I'll see what kind of role this army can play."

Because of the great disparity between the enemy and us, the enemy finally rushed into the position on the top of the mountain and launched a close combat with the garrison on the position. Seeing that his infantry rushed into the trench, the German tanks stopped firing for fear that they would hurt their own people if they continued to fire. At this time, the army hiding in the south slope, with the commander waving the red flag forward, the commanders and fighters lying on the ground first smashed a hand grenade, then got up and rushed up with weapons.

Twenty or thirty meters away, between a few breaths. As soon as the enemy occupied our position, he had no time to clean up the battlefield. Even the machine guns on the sandbags had no time to turn around, so he was dazed by a lot of grenades falling from the sky. Before they could recover, a new force rushed in and fought with them. After a little resistance, the exhausted German soldiers gave up the position they had just occupied and turned around and ran down the slope.

Our soldiers chased up and smashed a lot of hand grenades, then they fell down in the trench and rushed to the back of the enemy, shooting like a target. When the tank at the foot of the mountain recovered and fired again at the top of the mountain, the enemy's commanders and fighters retreated into the trench.

Seeing the performance of our soldiers, kirilov still didn't have a smile on his face. I touched him with my arm and asked, puzzled“ Comrade political commissar, what's the matter? Why are you not happy to see our commanders and fighters beat the enemy back? "

Kirilov pointed to the hilltop position where the front side was being shelled and said unconvincingly, "Comrade o'shanina, don't you think the way you just played was too risky? Do you think our troops can stop us if the German troops occupy our position and charge down over the high ground without stopping

After listening to kirilov's worries, I said, "Comrade political commissar, you are too nervous. According to my judgment, after seizing our position, the enemy will not continue to march forward, but will stay to rest and try to consolidate the position before launching an attack on the new target. " I raised my hand and looked at my watch. Then I said to him, "come on, comrade political commissar. Judging from the current situation, the enemy's attack on our highlands will soon end in failure. Let's go back to the headquarters."

As soon as he returned to the headquarters, akhromeyev stood up and reported to us: "the division commander, political commissar, and the first commander, Lieutenant Colonel xijerikov, just reported to me that the hillside position occupied by the enemy had been captured by the combination of the frontal attack of the third regiment and the two wings of the first regiment. We have wiped out all the German troops who attacked the positions except a few who escaped. "

"Comrade political commissar, are you relieved now?" I asked kirilov with a smile.

Kirilov was a little embarrassed to say: "Comrade oshanina, I'm too upset. Under the circumstances at that time, when I saw the enemy rushing into our position, I would like to take up arms myself and rush to the middle of the enemy to wipe them out. Because we are too worried about the loss of positions, we inevitably make mistakes in our judgment. "

When we heard that a regiment had beaten back the enemy's attack again and had taken back the lost position, all three of us showed a knowing smile. It is believed that after dark, the enemy's attack will stop and they will have to withdraw from their starting positions in dismay.

But we are happy too early. We really should use the idiom "happiness brings sorrow". At four o'clock in the afternoon, shijerikov reported to me in a trembling voice in the telephone: "report, sir, no, something's wrong."

My heart was scared to shiver, quickly asked nervously: "what's the matter?"

"All the surface positions of our army were lost, and the remaining troops had to withdraw into the tunnel."

The bad news shejerikov reported surprised me to drop the transmitter on the ground. The news was really amazing. A few hours ago, he was still reporting to us that the enemy who occupied the position had been destroyed and the position had been recaptured. How long did it take to lose all the surface positions of the northern highlands.

There is no double blessing, but there is no single misfortune. Shejerikov has not yet said why he came here. After akhromeyev answered the phone, he immediately reported to me with a serious face: "Comrade division commander, major Pugachev, the second commander, called. He said that about a company of German troops had crossed the slope top of the northern highland and rushed towards us."