Chapter 671

As soon as I stopped, kirilov, who was following me, ran into me. If he hadn't pulled me in time, I would have fallen into the mud.

He saw the look of my face, and asked with concern, "Comrade oshanina, what's the matter with you?"

Looking at the distance, I sighed and said anxiously, "political commissar, I am worried about the troops who are going to carry out the night attack mission. The road becomes muddy because of the rain, which will not only affect their marching speed, but also increase their movement. Although after dark, the enemy's sight will be affected, as long as they are not deaf, they can hear the movement of this detachment. "

After listening to this, kirilov leaned his head to ponder for a moment, and then said, "Sir, I think your worry is superfluous, not to mention that there are five commanders from the second lieutenant's training team in the detachment. Comrade oberstein, who holds the command post, is a commander with rich combat experience. I think he will find a proper way to deal with your worries. " At this point, he raised his hand, looked at his watch and reminded me, "don't you want to go to the observation post on the top of the mountain? It's getting late. Let's go up first. "

When I got to the top of the mountain, I found that the observation post here, like the one on the hillside, had been destroyed by the enemy's artillery fire. Looking at the observation post which could not be used because of the collapse, I regretted that I had to drag kirilov to the top of the hillside on impulse, but now I can't talk about it.

When I was in a dilemma, Pugachev arrived in time to help me out. He asked several soldiers to put raincoats on the wall of the trench so that kirilov and I could lie on the raincoats and observe the enemy in the distance.

Seeing kirilov and I lying on the raincoat and holding up the telescope, Pugachev asked: "teacher, commissar, is there anything else I can do for you?"

Without looking back, I waved to him and said impatiently, "major Pugachev, it's none of your business here. Go back first. If there is any need, I will send soldiers to call you

I lay on my raincoat and looked intently at the open land covered by the night in the distance. This time, I lay on the ground for more than an hour. At the beginning, I didn't feel anything. With the passage of time, and I couldn't see anything clearly through the telescope, my mood became more and more irritable. Finally, I couldn't help it. I put my telescope on my raincoat and said to kirilov, "Comrade political commissar, do you see anything?"

Kirilov put down his telescope, looked up at me, shook his head slowly, and said, "I don't see anything, and I don't know where oberstein's night strike team is?"

I walked back and forth in the trench with my hands on my back. I made up my mind decisively. I grabbed the telescope on my raincoat, hung it around my neck, and said to kirilov in a loud voice, "OK, comrade political commissar, we can't see anything here. Let's go back to the headquarters."

As soon as I entered the headquarters, kirilov grabbed in front of me and asked akhromeyev, "chief of staff, is there any news from the night attack team?"

"No," said akhromeyev, shaking his head like a rattle, "no news at all. The walkie talkie carried by Comrade oberstein not only has not contacted us, but also has not contacted a regiment. "

"Chief of staff, why are you doing this?" I sat down in my seat, looked up at akhromeyev and asked, "do you think there's something wrong with them? Is it because the current is too fast that their wooden bed is washed away by the river? "

Akhromeyev first shook his head, and then said his opinion: "Sir, I don't think it's possible for you to say so. Even if their ships are washed downstream by the river, they can find new landing points and continue to carry out the night attack mission. The reason why Comrade oberstein did not contact us may be that his troops are in a latent state at present. In order to avoid exposing the target, he has kept radio silence for the time being. "

After listening to akhromeyev's analysis, I felt more at ease, and then changed the topic: "by the way, there's something I almost forgot. After daybreak tomorrow, send a squad of soldiers to send some ammunition to Pavlov building

As soon as my words came out, I knew that I had slipped my tongue. The word Pavlov building didn't officially appear until the eve of the end of the battle of Stalingrad. Now it's less than 24 hours before Sergeant Pavlov led his comrades to seize the building. It's unknown whether he can hold it, let alone command the building in his name.

"Pavlov building? What place are you talking about, sir? " After listening to my order, ahlomeyev showed a confused expression on his face, but without waiting for me to explain, his face was suddenly enlightened: "I remember that you said the building that accompanied the commander to inspect during the day. I remember the name of the commander in the building."

Seeing that akhromeyev didn't pay attention to what I said, I was relieved. Then I continued to tell him, "if you can find some candy or white granulated sugar, don't forget to send it to alika."

"I see, sir." Akhromeyev replied with a smile: "please rest assured that I will arrange this matter."

"Pavlov building, alenka? I said, division chief and chief of staff, what riddles are you two playing? Why can't I understand at all? " Hearing that I arranged ahlomeyev's work, kirilov next to me was confused. He asked curiously, "I don't know which one of you can explain it to me?"

Akhromeyev looked at me, nodded and said, "well, comrade political commissar. In the battle last night, an infantry platoon of the 42nd regiment of the guards, after a tough fight, captured a building near the square of January 9 and built fortifications inside it. I followed my division commander, commander, and general rojmzev to inspect the building and found that in addition to our commanders and fighters, there were more than a dozen residents who did not have time to evacuate. Alenka was one of them. She was still a child, only four or five years old. "

Kirilov nodded and said, "I see." Then he turned to me and said, "Comrade oshanina, I think alika and her family are short of enough food and daily necessities at present. You can rest assured that tomorrow morning I will arrange it myself and ask someone to send more food to the building."

As we were talking, razumeyeva strode over, put a new telegram in front of me, and then turned away.

As soon as I picked up the telegram, kirilov came and asked curiously, "Comrade oshanina, who sent the telegram?"

I read the telegram at a glance, handed it to him, and said, "it's from lieutenant colonel chejerikov. It says that political commissar oberstein just got in touch with him a few minutes ago. Comrade oberstein reported that because of the enemy's tight defense, they could not get too close to the enemy's camp. However, when they were lurking nearby, an enemy patrol broke into their ambush circle by mistake. In order not to be noticed, they solved the patrol with a dagger and captured a German sergeant. At present, the team is returning along the river and asked me to contact the fourth regiment on the highland in advance, Avoid misunderstandings with the defenders on the way back. "

Although akhromeyev didn't have time to read the telegram, as soon as I finished, he picked up the telephone and called lieutenant colonel gedar on the high ground. He informed him of the return of the night attack team and ordered him to send troops to meet him.

When kirilov put down the telegram, he nodded and said, "this comrade oberstein is not simple. He can kill an enemy patrol and capture a German sergeant in silence."

Hearing kirilov say so, akhromeyev's eyes lit up: "we just need to interrogate this prisoner later, and we can learn about the enemy camp from his mouth."

What akhromeyev said is exactly what I thought in my heart. I hastened to urge him: "chief of staff, please call Mikhail and ask him to come to the division headquarters to translate for us. Otherwise, we can't understand what the Germans are saying."

Mikhail yev received the call and soon arrived at the headquarters to play the role of interpreter when interrogating the prisoners.

We waited about two hours before oberstein and his night attack team returned to mamayev post.

When the muddy oberstein entered the headquarters, two soldiers, also covered with mud, accompanied by an elderly German sergeant with his hands tied back, also came in.

After oberstein saluted us, kirilov asked him to sit down. After he sat down, instead of directly interrogating the prisoners, he asked oberstein with concern how their ambush tonight was going on.

Oberstein quickly stood up and reported to us the whole process of this evening's operation: "my team, after boarding the wooden boat, floated down the river. But when the hazy shadow of the village mentioned in the intelligence came into my view, I ordered the soldiers to pull in and land at the right place.

Due to the heavy rain before dark, the road outside became muddy and inconvenient for our movement. With the cover of night, we approached the village occupied by the German army carefully. However, when it is five or six hundred meters away from the village, it is impossible to move on. Outside the village, there are not only barbed wire and fortifications, but also a lot of patrols.

I quickly reconnaissance of the surrounding terrain, decisively let the troops scattered on the spot, every ten people into a group, arranged into a small pocket array. To tell you the truth, lurking so close to the enemy, I don't have the bottom in my heart. I'm not afraid of any soldier's retreat, but I'm afraid that when we see the enemy wandering around us, we can't help itching and firing a few shots at the enemy.

We lay in the mud and waited patiently. Apart from the lights in the village in the distance and the roar of the German vehicles as they passed by, we could only hear the sound of the Volga River.

We had been lying in the hiding place for an hour, but we didn't see the enemy patrol passing by. A soldier lying beside me was impatient. He took two steps to me and asked softly, "Comrade political commissar, how long have we been here?"

I raised my hand, looked at my watch and said, "it's been more than an hour."

"I'm afraid the enemy's patrol won't show up, will it?"

When I heard what the soldiers said, my heart was also shaken. If I didn't see the enemy's patrol in a minute or less, I might order the troops to retreat, try to go around from other directions, and try to find the loopholes in the enemy's camp.

Just at this time, I suddenly heard a movement in the distance. At first I thought I had heard wrong, but my voice became clearer and clearer. The unyielding soldier excitedly said to me, "political commissar, it's the enemy's patrol!"

I immediately raised my head and looked carefully in the direction of the sound. I saw a dozen figures coming towards us. I said to the soldiers in a low voice, "you are right. The enemy's patrol is coming towards us."

"When they get close, let's do it." The soldier said as he reached for the grenade pinned to his waist.

I quickly waved my hand and stopped him: "no, comrade soldier. It's too close to the enemy here. If we can't solve the battle in the shortest time, once the enemy's tanks and armored vehicles rush up, we are in danger of losing the whole army. Send my order. When the enemy patrol enters our ambush circle, we will have daggers to solve all problems. Remember, we have to keep a living. "

In this way, when the enemy's 11 person patrol entered our ambush circle, the soldiers rushed up from several directions, killed most of the enemy with daggers and captured the leader of the patrol. Because we moved quickly and didn't shoot until we moved, the enemy in the camp didn't find that their patrol was killed by us. "

"Well done!" Kirilov praised oberstein, then walked up to the prisoner and asked coldly, "your position, rank and unit?" Mikhail yev, who was with them, translated his words into German and told them to the prisoners.

After hearing this, the prisoner uttered a few words, and mihayev quickly translated it into Russian for us: "Osh, German sergeant, monitor of the 113th infantry division."

"Is your division in the village?" Kirilov then asked.

Sergeant OSH shook his head hard and replied, "I don't know where the division is, the regiment of the 339th infantry regiment stationed in the village."

After translating this passage, Mikhail yev suddenly yelled at Sergeant OSH. After that, he specially translated it to us: "teacher, political commissar, I'm talking about him, because I met the adjutant of the teacher in that village during the day."

After Sergeant OSH heard this, he suddenly realized: "Mr. lieutenant, it's you who came to our camp today!"?! That's no wonder, but you just happened to catch up with the adjutant of the division commander who came to the division to convey the order. When he heard that you were here to discuss the collection of corpses, he asked the head of the regiment to leave and personally met you in the regiment headquarters. "

When he heard that there was only one regiment headquarters in the village, kirilov's face turned black. He gritted his teeth and said to OSH, "show me the situation of your regiment's defense in the village on the map."

"I'm sorry, commander." The German Sergeant politely said to him, "I can't read the map. I can't show you the deployment of our regiment on the map." At this point, he stopped for a moment. Seeing that kirilov was on the verge of violence, he said calmly, "but I can dictate it, and then please mark it on the map yourself."

I first saw kirilov had clenched his fist. At the moment when he was about to wave it out, when he heard Sergeant OSH's second half of the speech, his fist loosened. At the same time, with a long breath, he turned to ahlomeyev and said, "chief of staff, you are responsible for marking the position of the prisoner."

The prisoner didn't know what to think. In the next half hour, he said a lot. Looking at akhromeyev marking so many things on the map, I was full of doubt. Did the German Sergeant tell the truth? Don't make it up to deceive us.

After the prisoner explained the problem, kirilov waved to oberstein and said, "Comrade oberstein, it's late. You and your soldiers should go back and have a rest early. By the way, take the prisoner away and give it to captain basmanov, the commander of the guard battalion outside."

When the two soldiers dragged the prisoner to leave, the prisoner suddenly yelled a few words. Kirilov could not help but be stunned after hearing this. He turned his head and asked mihayev, "Comrade lieutenant, what did he say?"

Without waiting for Mikhail to speak, I snorted and said, "what else can he say? It can't be said that he is not a * * but a Social Democrat or something. "

As soon as my voice fell, Mikhail yev corrected me in embarrassment and said, "Comrade commander, what the prisoner said is not what you said. He said just now that he is an anti Communist, so he can selflessly provide us with so much useful information. "

"Well, no matter who he is," kirilov interrupted impatiently, "I only know that he is our prisoner now. Comrade oberstein, what are you still doing here? Take the prisoners down, and you and your comrades in arms will go back to rest early. "

After oberstein and his soldiers left with the prisoners, we gathered around the table, staring at the map on the table and began to discuss. Akhromeyev said excitedly: "Sir, political commissar, you see, if the prisoners don't lie, the enemy's regiment will be greatly reduced, so two battalions are set up in the direction facing our square array, while only one company is set up by the river. To the west of the village, there is also an artillery battalion position of the enemy. Due to the limited strength, only two platoons of infantry were sent to guard the artillery positions. "“ Chief of staff, tell me. What do you think? " Kirilov asked“ It's still the old way, "said akhromeyev confidently," to send troops to attack at night and try to capture the enemy's artillery position and destroy it. "