Chapter 927

"Call the two commanders immediately. Except for leaving a small number of observation posts on the position, the rest of the soldiers go to hide." After listening to the report of his chief of staff, Bantai leiev did not ask for instructions from me, so he directly began to give orders: "at the same time, we should pay close attention to the movement of the two floating bridges. Once we find that the German army repairs the floating bridge when our army is bombarded and unable to observe, we should immediately report to the division headquarters."

Lieutenant commander Elia agreed, hung up the phone, dialed the first regiment and the fourth regiment again, and wanted to convey the order just issued by Bantai leiev. Bantailiev turned around and reported to me at the table: "Comrade commander, I judged that the German army might secretly repair the destroyed pontoon during the shelling, and then use the armored forces to carry out the assault on the city. Therefore, I think we should send reconnaissance troops to closely monitor the German movement on the other side of the river. "

After listening to bantailiev's words, I nodded in agreement with him, and then said, "Manstein's recent behavior is very abnormal. Let alone the siege like now, even if he orders only one unit of the" skull division "to launch a fierce attack, it will be enough to defeat our army and destroy one or two regiments or even one division. But he didn't do it. I think he must have some conspiracy. So your concern is right. In order to prevent the German army from quietly repairing the pontoon and using armored forces to attack the city, it is necessary to send reconnaissance forces. "

As soon as I finished speaking, a telephone on the desk suddenly rang. Oberstein grabbed the phone and listened for a while. Then he replied loudly, "yes, yes, chief of staff and chief of army are here. Do you need to let her answer the phone?" I heard wittkov's voice vaguely, then oberstein handed me the phone and said respectfully, "Comrade commander, your phone number is from Colonel wittkov's military headquarters."

I took the phone and asked aloud, "Hello, chief of staff? Is something wrong? "

"Yes, comrade commander." Perhaps for fear that I could not hear you clearly, wittkov also replied loudly, "there is something important for you to make a decision. Can you rush back to the army headquarters immediately?"

Listening to wittkov's serious remarks, my heart could not help tightening and I asked, "what's the matter?"

Wittkov said with some embarrassment: "Comrade commander, it's inconvenient to talk about this matter on the phone. You'd better come back in person."

From wittkov's words, I know it must be very difficult, otherwise he would not be able to say it on the phone. So as soon as I put down the phone, I said to Bantai leiev and oberstein, "there's something wrong in the army. I want to go back to the headquarters immediately."

Bantai leiev asked with concern: "Comrade commander, is something wrong?"

As I didn't know what happened, I had to shake my head and said helplessly: "at present, I don't know what happened, but I don't think it has much to do with you. I can give you the defense of the north and the west of the city. I hope you won't let me down. "

"Please don't worry, commander," bantaileiev said to me. He quickly assured me, "we will never let the German army rush into the city."

I would have said a few words, but I thought I had said that how to fight in the twenty-second division of the guards has the final say, so I opened my mouth and finally did not say it. I just called Yushchenko who was waiting outside the door and returned to the army's finger center in the city with me.

Entering the headquarters, I saw wittkov standing by the telephone, wearing earphones and yelling at the transmitter: "take back, comrade commander, I order you to organize a counter charge immediately and take back the lost position for me."

When I heard this, I couldn't help clapping in my heart. What did I say was lost? It would make wittkov so impolite. I heard him call the other party's rank as commander just now. Is Kuban lost? Thinking of this, I quickly walked to the table, leaned down and asked kirilov, who was still sitting there looking at the picture: "Comrade political commissar, what's the matter?"

Kirilov, hearing my voice, raised his head and said in a somewhat unexpected way, "it's you, comrade oshanina, back?"

"Yes, comrade political commissar. I'm back. " I want to find out what's going on as soon as possible, and I don't want to beat around the Bush and ask, "what's going on?"

Kirilov said with a wry smile to Vitkov, who was talking to the troops below: "the situation is very bad, comrade oshanina. The 2nd Reich Panzer infantry division of the German army broke through the defensive position of the 308th division on the north side of the airport and rushed to zaborosh. But you don't have to worry. It's not a big deal. The chief of staff is arranging the troops to fight back... "

The defense line of our army has been broken through. Such a big thing is not important, so what kirilov told me next will be more serious. I nervously urged him to say, "Comrade political commissar, tell me what else happened."

"Well, comrade oshanina." Kirilov pushed the map on the table in front of me, pointed to it and said to me, "the 1st Hitler Panzer infantry division and the 2nd imperial Panzer infantry division of the three SS divisions have completely broken through the defense depth of our 6th group army, and joined forces with the 48th and 57th German Panzer troops in pavlogle, We've cut off our Sixth Army's lines of communication completely. "

"What, the Sixth Army was cut off by the German army?" The news, like a bolt from the blue, shocked me. It took me a long time to recover, and I asked feebly, "have you contacted commander haridonov? What remedial measures does he have for the cut-off of the main traffic line of the group army? "

Kirilov looked at Vitkov, who was on the phone, and then said to me, "commander haridonov called to inquire about the fighting here."

When I heard that haridonov was asking us about the situation here again, I had an uncertain premonition in my heart. Maybe at this critical moment, he was still planning to transfer troops from our army. In order to have a clear idea, I cautiously asked kirilov, "Comrade political commissar, how did you reply?"

"If the chief of staff communicates with the commander, he simply replied that we are fighting here." Kirilov said bitterly: "the commander first asked if you were in. When the chief of staff said you were not in, he told you to rush back to the army headquarters as soon as possible. He has something important to discuss with you."

The important thing, the important thing, is not to send troops from me to reinforce them. He didn't think that we were besieged by the German army. We were already short of troops. How could we draw out our troops to help them? Thinking of this, I asked kirilov, biting my back teeth, "Comrade political commissar, what do you think is important for the commander?"

Kirilov gave me a strange look and then said cautiously, "Comrade oshanina, can't you really guess? Since the traffic line of the sixth group army has been cut off, it is necessary to deploy elite troops to fight back and reopen the traffic line with the rear. I think the matter that the commander will discuss with you is how many troops will be drawn from our army. "

"Do you think we should send troops to them?" After kirilov finished speaking, I didn't express any opinions, but asked in reply.

"No, comrade commander." Vitkov, who had just finished the call, just heard my question to kirilov, and hurriedly answered: "at present, our forces are already tight. If we forcibly transfer our forces again, we will not be able to hold zaborosh. So, I think when the commander calls again, we have to find a way to turn him down. "

"Political commissar, chief of staff, you two need not worry." I saw kirilov and wittkov were worried, and quickly comforted them, saying: "in the present situation, not to mention harritonov, the commander of the group army, even if general vatukin, the commander of the front army, came out, I would not send one soldier to them."

As soon as I finished, I heard the operator calling me: "Comrade commander, your phone number is the commander of the group army. He wants to talk to you."

I quickly came to the telephone, grabbed the earphone and put it on. Then I politely said to the transmitter, "Hello, comrade commander, I'm o'shanina. What instructions do you have for our army?"

"Comrade oshanina, you must have learned from Colonel wittkov the present situation of our army." Without even a simple greeting, haridonov said bluntly: "the German army not only cut off the communication line of our group army, but now the 40th German armored army, which has three armored divisions and armored infantry divisions, is launching a fierce attack on Popov group, which has no fuel in the rear of our army. As all the units of the sixth group army are restrained by the German forces, I intend to draw the 22nd guard division and the 308th infantry division from you to attack the rear of the German army to the East, restrain their forces, and let the main force of the group army get out of the predicament quickly. "

Let the main force of the group get out of the predicament? That's a pretty thing to say, but the price is that our 79th infantry might be wiped out. After weighing the pros and cons quickly, I replied decisively, "sorry, comrade commander, please forgive me for not being able to carry out your order. The two divisions you mentioned are now in a state of exchange with the German army. If they withdraw from the battlefield rashly, they will be defeated or eliminated by the German army before they enter the attack position you designated. "

"Major general oshanina!" When he heard that I refused his order, haredonov could not help getting angry. He raised his voice and yelled, "don't you dare to disobey the orders of your superiors? Aren't you afraid to go to the military court or I'll enforce the battlefield discipline on you?"

"Comrade commander, I'm very timid. I'm afraid of going to the military court and being disciplined on the battlefield by you." Now that he has turned over, there is no need to be respectful to him any more. I said impolitely, "but before that, I ask you to make it clear that at least five German armored divisions and armored infantry divisions near zaborosh are attacking our defense area from four directions at the same time. Under the siege of the superior German forces, we not only could not get the aid of the friendly forces, but also had to dispatch two-thirds of our limited forces to carry out a counter offensive with no chance of winning. I firmly refuse to carry out such a wrong order, even if you shoot me for it, I can't carry it out. "

"Major general oshanina!" From the sound coming from the earphone, I can be sure that haridonov is on the verge of violence. If I stood in front of him now, maybe he would have taken out a pistol and shot me. But at the moment, he can only be on the other end of the phone, in vain to rage: "do you believe I'll dismiss you now?"

"Comrade commander, I believe you have such power." I was deeply afraid that he would, on the spur of the moment, really withdraw my post and appoint a person who would listen to his orders to be the commander of the army, so that our army would be in a desperate situation. Therefore, I made it clear to him that "but under the present circumstances, you have no right to do so. Because if you remove me, not only zaborosh will be lost, but even the 79th infantry will be in danger of being destroyed. Have you ever thought about the consequences? " After I finished, I held my breath and waited for the final sentence of haredonov. Unexpectedly, after a long time, he did not speak. Just when I could hardly hold my breath, I heard him sigh, and then there was no sound in the earphone. Obviously, he interrupted the contact with me. When I returned to the table, kirilov asked me anxiously, "Comrade oshanina, when you speak to the commander in this way, you also intend to disobey his orders. Are you not afraid to go to the military court?"“ Now are you afraid that's going to work? " I looked at kirilov and said with a bitter smile, "once I accept his unrealistic order, our army will be destroyed in a few hours. If I can save the whole infantry by sacrificing myself, I am willing to make this sacrifice. " Kirilov thought for a moment, stood up and said resolutely, "Comrade oshanina, as the political commissar of the infantry army, I am willing to share the responsibility with you. Whether it's going to the military court or being disciplined by the superior, I'll face it with you. "“ And me, comrade commander. " When kirilov said that, wittkov followed suit“ Well, don't do that. All the commanders in the army are in trouble. Who will command the army? " After I said this, I turned to Vitkov and asked, "what's the situation with the 308th division?" After listening to my question, wittkov remembered that he had not yet had time to report the war situation to me, and quickly replied, "the commander said that he would immediately block the breach and concentrate his forces to destroy the German troops that rushed into our direction."