Chapter 669

My answer was greatly beyond akhromeyev's expectation. He was puzzled and asked: "Sir, since you know that the enemy can't let lieutenant mihayev act at will in their defense area, why do you want to arrange a task for him to spy on the enemy?"

I chuckled and then said, "the scouts we sent recently have no chance of approaching the enemy camp. Anyway, Lieutenant mihayev is going to see the commander of the enemy. By the way, he will be given the task to try his luck. It is expected that the enemy's situation was not detected; It would be a surprise if we get a chance to detect the enemy's situation. "

After listening to my completely irresponsible words, kirilov and akhromeyev looked at each other, and their faces were full of tears and smiles.

When I saw their expressions, I wanted to defend myself. Suddenly, I thought of the order of trekov again in my mind. I looked at kirilov and said, "Comrade political commissar, I want to ask another question, is there any way to raise the water level of Volga River?"

Kirilov thought about it and then replied, "yes. In the second five-year plan, we started to implement the Volga river reconstruction plan. " Speaking of this, seeing that akhromeyev and I were both at a loss, we specially explained, "in short, many sluices were built to shut the river, and the Volga River became a series of deep storage lakes. The river water used by one power station will be the source of the next power station. In addition, the upstream sluice will block the river during the spring flood season and release the water during the dry season. The opening and opening of the river during the spring flood season will keep the depth of the Volga River in summer. The construction of a series of hydropower stations in the Volga River Basin, a huge power center, poor irrigation and farming, a deep-water shipping channel... All these are called the Volga river reconstruction plan. "

When I heard him say this, I had a little sense in my heart, so I took advantage of his pause and asked, "Comrade political commissar, can I understand that if we want to raise the water level of the river, we only need to close or turn down the downstream sluice gate to achieve our goal?"

"Absolutely right, comrade teacher." Kirilov answered me positively: "as far as I know, several downstream sluices are still completely controlled by our army. The closest to Stalingrad is the lupinsk power station, which was built to generate electricity in November 1941. As long as the headquarters of the group army and the power station contact each other and ask them to close the sluice, the water level of the Volga River will rise by one to two meters in one day. "

"Report!" Before kirilov finished, a familiar voice came from the door.

When I heard this voice, I didn't look back. I knew it was Mikhail. Sure enough, I heard akhromeyev calling each other: "it's lieutenant mihayev. Come here and tell us about your going to the enemy camp."

Mikhayev came over and raised his hand to salute the three of us. After the ceremony, he turned to kirilov and said anxiously, "Comrade political commissar, you can't let the downstream close the sluice, otherwise something big will happen."

Mikhail yev's words surprised all three of us, but at the same time he understood what he was saying. Maybe when he just came in, he just heard us say that we were closing the downstream sluice. Kirilov looked at him and asked, "Comrade lieutenant, why do you say that?"

"Teachers, political commissars and chief of staff, please come here." Instead of answering kirilov's question directly, Mikhail made a gesture to let the three of us gather around the map. When we were all settled, he continued to say, "on my way to the German headquarters today, I found that a small area of the river bank collapsed due to bombing, shelling or river erosion. If the downstream hydropower station was asked to close the gate, the water level would rise, Then there is a risk of breaking the bank. "

He was considering whether to call trakov and ask him to negotiate with the downstream hydropower station about closing the sluice. When he heard Mikhail EV say so, he looked up at him in surprise and asked tentatively, "Lieutenant Mikhail EV, what did you say just now? If the water level of the Volga River rises, it will lead to the breach of the dyke in the army area. "

Without waiting for Mikhail yev to answer, akhromeyev had picked up the red and blue pencil on his desk, pointed slowly to the north side of the North highland, drew a small circle, and said to us, "according to lieutenant Mikhail yev's report, the levee in this area should be the easiest to break."

Although Mikhail yev did not understand why we were discussing the water level of the Volga River, when he heard what akhromeyev said, he quickly agreed: "it's like this, comrade chief of staff."

"I'll ask you, comrade lieutenant." Kirilov held the edge of the table, looked at mihayev and asked, "if, what I'm talking about is if, once the water level of the Volga River rises, and at the same time, we place explosives to carry out blasting in the place where the dyke is easy to break, do you think it will lead to flooding?"

After listening to this, Mikhail yev stood there and couldn't speak for a long time. He was obviously frightened by kirilov's question. After all, this kind of sensitive question may lead to his own death, so he didn't dare to answer it.

After I gave him a hard look, I asked him impatiently, "Lieutenant mihayev, the commissar is asking you a question. Why don't you answer?"

On hearing my question, mihayev carefully replied, "Sir, do you really want to blow up the dam?"

I nodded and said, "yes, Lieutenant mihayev. The reason why we want to blow up the dam is to let the turbulent Volga river flow in and form a swamp in front of the enemy's and our army's positions, which is insurmountable by heavy equipment. In this way, we can reduce the pressure on our defensive forces, so that more troops can spare hands to reinforce those dangerous areas. "

After wiping the sweat on his forehead, Mikhail nodded and said, "I see, sir." Then he pointed to the circle drawn by akhromeyev, "if you plant explosives here for blasting, you can bring in the river."

"Are you sure?" Akhromeyev asked in a skeptical tone: "you know, the dykes in these places are usually 20 to 30 meters thick. It is very difficult to open them without a huge amount of explosives."

After listening to akhromeyev's worry, mikheiev's face actually appeared a proud smile: "chief of staff, do you forget what my profession is? I'm the company commander of an engineering company, and I'm also an outstanding architectural engineer. Besides, our engineers are not what you think. We only know how to dig earth with great efforts. At least we need to know the basic technical procedures of geological survey, sampling and testing, and bearing capacity test. To me, urban architecture is like... "

Before he finished showing off, I raised my hand and slapped him on his helmet. At the same time, I scolded, "how can you get so much nonsense? Let's get to the point quickly. Why is it not difficult to blow up these dams?"

Mikhail yev scratched the back of his head with his hand and laughed a few times with embarrassment. Then he explained: "in fact, along the Volga River, there are almost all the same sand banks. As long as you choose the location of the explosion point, you don't need a lot of explosives."

After hearing Mikhail yev say that there are sand banks on both sides of the Volga River, kirilov was stunned, then slapped his forehead and said aloud, "Hey, how can I forget this? The riverbanks along the river are all made of sand and soil, not to mention only 30 meters. Even if they are a few meters thick, they can be easily exploded."

"Even if it's sand bank, you need at least two or three tons of explosives to blow it up." Akhromeyev solemnly expressed his worry: "if explosives are to be transported by vehicles, when the motorcade passes through the German occupied highland 107.5, it may be destroyed by the enemy's firepower. If it's handled by hand, I'm afraid the officers and men carrying explosives will be found by German scouts not far from the trench. If there are one or two snipers among them, our operation will end in failure. "

As for akhromeyev's worries, I deeply think so, but I can't think of any solution in a hurry. I turned to look at kirilov, and saw that he was also frowning and shaking his head in embarrassment, indicating that he had nothing to do.

As the three of us were at a loss, mihayev coughed and drew our attention. With a smile on his face, he said cautiously, "don't worry, division commander, political commissar and chief of staff. In fact, we don't have to go by land to transport explosives."

When Mikhail yev said this, kirilov was the first one to come to his senses. He asked excitedly, "Lieutenant Mikhail yev, do you mean to let the sailors of the Volga river fleet transport explosives for us with ships?"

"Well, comrade political commissar." Replied mihayev with a smile.

"That's great. That's great." Akhromeyev was also excited. He reached for the phone and said to us, "I'm going to call the headquarters and apply to allocate enough explosives for us."

When I heard akhromeyev say "Hello, chief of staff of the group army" to the microphone, I had a flash in my mind and thought of a better way, so I extended my hand to him and said: "major akhromeyev, give me the phone. I have something important to report to Krylov!"

Akhromeyev didn't expect that I would suddenly say that, but he handed me the microphone without saying a word. I took the receiver and leaned close to my ear, where I heard Krylov's voice: "Hello, is that Colonel o'shanina? You are calling at this time. Do you have anything to report? "

"Yes, chief of staff, I have important information to report to you or the commander!"

"What's wrong with the fact that the Germans came to restrain the corpses?" Krylov asked cautiously.

He asked, but I was stunned. Originally, when Mikhail yev was called back to the division headquarters in a hurry, he wanted to ask about his intelligence on reconnaissance in the enemy camp and what kind of troops were sent to collect corpses. As a result, he didn't ask about any of the two things since he came. He was busy studying how to break the dike. In order to avoid being blamed by krailov, I quickly turned the topic aside: "Comrade chief of staff, what I want to report has nothing to do with the enemy's corpse collection team?"

"What is that?"

"It's about the plan of replacing soldiers with water."

"Replacing soldiers with water" "Do you have a good idea?" Krylov asked in surprise

"Yes, chief of staff. After my research with the political commissar of kirilov, we found that as long as the downstream hydropower station closes the sluice, the water level of the Volga River will be raised. At the same time, according to the report of lieutenant Mikhail yev, the commander of the engineering company of the division, several dams were on the verge of collapse three or four hundred meters north of the mamayev post. In addition, we also found that the banks of the Volga River are sand banks, which only need much less explosives than before to blow up the dam. In this way, the leaders of our division all believe that the plan of "replacing soldiers with water" can be fully implemented. "

"Even if you don't need much dynamite, how are you going to transport it?" When krailov asked the question, he got to the main point. "The convoy carrying explosives can't pass safely near 107.5 highland."

"Comrade chief of staff, I have two requests now. I don't know whether to say it or not?"

"Just say what you have. Don't be so fussy." Krailov's words broke in the middle of his speech, and then I heard trakov's voice coming out of the receiver: "o'shanina, if you have any request, just say it. As long as I can do it, I will promise you."

"Thank you, comrade commander." I first expressed my gratitude to trekov, then began to ask: "my request is very simple. First, ask the commander to contact the downstream lupinsk hydropower station and ask them to close the sluice so that the water level of the Volga River can rise in a short time. "

"It's not a problem. I can make up my mind and promise you." "What's the other request?" he asked

"The explosives used to blow up the dyke can't be safely transported to the blasting site without disturbing the Germans. So I implore you to contact the commander of the Volga fleet and ask them to send a steamer to deliver the material for us. " I hesitated for a moment after finishing my request in one breath and added, "commander, what I want them to deliver is not explosives, but mines. I think if we want to blow up the dam, the effect of mines may be better. "

After listening to me, trakov was silent. He seemed to be considering whether to grant my request. Holding the microphone in my hand, I looked left and right and saw kirilov, akhromeyev and mihayev looking at me in surprise. It seemed that they were shocked by my decision.

I was a little embarrassed by the three people, so I tried to squeeze a smile on my face and gave them an embarrassed smile.

After a while, trakov's voice came out of the receiver again. He didn't immediately answer whether I agreed or didn't agree. He just said vaguely, "I know about this matter. I'll reply to you after I ask for instructions from my superiors." Finish saying, again involuntarily put down the phone.

I put down the phone, my whole strength seemed to be drained, and I fell into my seat feebly. I didn't want to move. I was thinking about my proposal to use the mine and whether I could get permission from trakov.

Before I knew it, kirilov spoke. He reproached me with an expression of hatred: "Comrade oshanina, how can you make a request to the superior to use the mine? You know, if you want to use the electric detonating means, although Comrade trakov is the commander, you can't make a decision casually. You must get the authorization of a higher level commander."

Kirilov's words stunned me. When he finished speaking, I immediately retorted, "it's just detonating these mines by means of remote control. What's so great? I need to ask the superior for instructions and get authorization to use them."

"The problem is that detonating these mines can only rely on some special... That is to say, after being approved by the headquarters of the front army, a special way is used to detonate them. Sorry, I can't say more because it's confidential. As for whether mines can be used, we can only wait for the final decision made by the headquarters of the group army after asking for instructions from the higher authorities. "

"Well, comrade political commissar, let's wait patiently for the orders from the higher authorities." I chuckled twice and turned the subject aside again: "by the way, Lieutenant mihayev, have you found any useful information when you go to the enemy camp?"

I was just studying the use of mines with kirilov. In a twinkling of an eye, I brought the topic to mihayev. Our client obviously didn't keep up with the rhythm of my jumping thinking. After a few seconds of silence, he gave a wry smile, shrugged his shoulders and said with regret, "I'm sorry, sir. I think I let you down!"

"Tell me, maybe we can hear some traces of spiders from your narration." Although he saw the embarrassed expression on Mikhail's face, akhromeyev encouraged him to go on.

Mikhail yev turned to look at kirilov and at me. Seeing that we all nodded to him and encouraged him to tell what he saw and heard when he went to the enemy camp, he did not refuse and began to tell his own experience: "when our motorcycles left mamayev post for about four or five kilometers, they met with a German patrol in two armored vehicles. When the enemy found us, they immediately increased their horsepower and surrounded us on both sides. I immediately ordered the motorcyclist to stop, and then the three of us got out of the car and stood in place waiting for the enemy to come.

Two armored vehicles saw that we were not carrying weapons, and there was no attempt to escape, so they stopped more than ten meters away from us. A German Sergeant got out of the armored car with two soldiers and swaggered up to me and asked me what I did. I told him that I had come to see the German commander and asked him to send someone to collect the bodies of German officers and soldiers in front of our army.

The German sergeant, after listening, ordered an armored car to stay and watch the soldiers standing by the motorcycle. He took me to the armored car he had just taken and said that he would take me to the headquarters. As soon as I got in the car, they covered my eyes with black cloth. After driving north for four or five minutes, the armored car stopped. Although I couldn't see anything, my hearing was not affected at all. I heard the sergeant report to an officer that a Russian wanted to see the division commander to discuss sending troops to collect the body.

When I heard that I had been handed over to the officer by the sergeant, two German soldiers took me off the armored car, onto another convertible and drove on. We drove slowly for about ten minutes, and the car stopped again. I heard the officer who was escorting me report to the higher commander, explaining my intention to the other side.

After the other party heard this, he immediately ordered someone to take me and follow him to the division headquarters. So I was lifted off the car by two soldiers, followed the German commander, and walked forward with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

When the German soldiers finally stopped and pulled off the black cloth on my head, I found myself standing in a wooden house with only a small wooden table. Behind the wooden table sat a German major, while the two German soldiers who brought me were standing behind me with guns. "

"And who is the German major?" When I asked this, akhromeyev and kirilov rushed to the map to find the approximate location of the enemy camp.

Mihayev turned to look at the two commanders who put their heads together and fixed their eyes on the map. Then he looked at me and said, "when the major introduced himself, he said that he was major serro BESG, the adjutant of general anim, commander of the 113th division. After a few brief questions, he ordered the two German soldiers who had escorted me to come, blindfolded me again and sent me out

"So you came back?" I asked faintly.

After hearing this, he quickly shook his head and explained: "I was sent back to the place where the motorcycle was parked. I was going to go back directly, but the two German soldiers who sent me out asked me to wait. They said that soon the motorcade that they went to collect the body came. So I stayed and didn't come back with them until the enemy's motorcade arrived. "

Akhromeyev, who had been looking at the map, suddenly slapped the table heavily with his hand and said excitedly, "I have found the cunning enemy. He actually set up the division headquarters here." At this point, he proudly drew a circle in red and blue pencil on a village to the north of mamayev post, and then said to me, "Comrade division commander, according to the description of lieutenant mihayev, the enemy's camp should be in this village. In this way, our night attack will not be aimlessly looking for the enemy's camp, but targeted against them. "

"Comrade chief of staff, we must not take it lightly." Mikhail yev kindly reminded: "although I can't see anything when I enter the enemy's camp, according to my analysis, the enemy has many fortifications and firepower points besides the railway network and minefields outside. If the night attack troops attack rashly, they may suffer heavy losses."

"Lieutenant mihayev, how do you know there are fortifications, firepower points and minefields in the enemy's camp? You know, you were blindfolded, but you couldn't see anything. " Kirilov asked, a little doubtfully.

When Mikhail yev saw the political commissar, he questioned himself and quickly explained, "well, comrade political commissar. Setting up barbed wire and minefields around the camp is a very basic means of defense. When it comes to many fortifications and firepower points in the camp, I judge it based on the fact that when the vehicles are driving, they are not going in a straight line, but constantly turning left and right. "

I have great trust in Mikhail yev, an engineer company commander who came from the background of architectural engineer. Seeing kirilov and akhromeyev doubting his judgment, I quickly opened my mouth to help him out: "Comrade political commissar, with my understanding of lieutenant Mikhail yev, I believe his judgment is accurate."

Seeing that I spoke for mikheiev, kirilov could not say anything more, so he had to nod his head, and then said to akhromeyev, "by the way, chief of staff, call lieutenant commander xiejerikov of the first regiment, tell him our judgment, and let his team go to the village for reconnaissance. According to the specific situation, the commander of the detachment will decide whether to take a night attack. "

When all the tasks were finished, I sent Mikhail to leave and asked kirilov, "Comrade political commissar, do you have a report from the fifth regiment?"

Kirilov nodded, picked up the stack of telegrams on the table, looked through them, took out two of them and handed them to me. At the same time, he said with a smile, "look, this is the telegram from commander Oleg. Although they have not sent any more troops into the city to fight guerrilla warfare with the enemy because of their limited military strength, they have achieved good results by sending small sniper units, and they reap every day. "

After reading the telegram at a glance, I handed it to akhromeyev, who was next to me. I also said happily, "I didn't expect that, comrade political commissar. Oleg sent more than 20 snipers every day to carry out sniping operations in the city, and they were able to achieve great results. On average, every sniper can kill two enemies. A little makes a lot. This is a great achievement. There is no need for a infantry regiment to have poor results. " Kirilov waited for me to finish, and said cautiously: "Oleg called me this morning and said that he wanted to train another batch of snipers, but he was extremely short of sight. I would like to ask you to help him solve this problem." Speaking of the sight, I suddenly thought of Boris, the guard battalion soldier who would refit the gun. He rushed to the outside and yelled, "Captain basmanov, come in." As I yelled, busmanov pushed the door in and came straight to me to attention. Without waiting for him to speak, I said, "Comrade captain, let me ask you, there is a soldier named Boris in the guard camp. Where is he now?" Basmanov said my name in his mouth for two steps. Suddenly, he said, "Sir, you're talking about Boris from the arsenal. But he is not at mamayev post at the moment, but follows captain gramus to the fifth regiment“ All right, I see. " I said and waved him away. After basmanov left, I turned to kirilov and said, "Comrade political commissar, do you hear me? Boris, the soldier who is most familiar with guns in the guard camp, has already gone to the fifth regiment with the second and third company of the guard. Let Oleg solve the problem of the sight by himself and let him stop bothering us. " As soon as I sat down, I suddenly thought of the wreckage of the tanks under the fourth regiment and called Gaidar. On the phone, I asked him, "commander gedar, is the enemy's body team still there?"“ Still, "Gaidar answered quickly, and asked me hastily," do you have any instructions, sir? " When I heard him ask this, I didn't beat him around the Bush and asked him directly, "how many German tanks were burnt down within 200 meters of the foot of the mountain?" Gaidar thought for a moment and replied, "I can't tell the exact number. Anyway, there are always 40 or 50."“ Listen, commander gedar, send someone immediately to take all the bodies out of these tanks and give them to the German body collection team. Don't hesitate, act now. " My inexplicable order confused Gaidar. He asked in a puzzled way, "why do you want to clean up all the bodies in the tank?" Seeing his tardy refusal to carry out the order, I didn't talk nonsense to him, but simply said: "don't ask, carry out the order!" Then he put down the phone.