Chapter 14: The Earth Shakes

The broad back of the regiment commander "Roaring Babin" stopped at the observation port for a moment. Then he sat down again, and then spoke in a low voice again.

"I want this girl to stay with the regimental artillery team, let her stay there on the phone, and make sure that the mortars and the light howitzers will help us when we need them. Let her go, you know she only listens to you! ”

Paul. Kochagin knew that the battalion commander, known as "Roaring Babin", had always been polite to Linda.

"He's never barked at her!"

Somehow, Paul. Kochagin was a little amused when he thought about it. In his mind, this comrade battalion commander, who likes to roar, may one day marry a woman who likes to roar even more than he does.

For the words of "Growling Babin", Paul. Kochagin was still thinking about these inconsequential things in his mind, and he didn't speak immediately, as if he hoped that Linda would stay here a little longer.

"Come on! If you must come, then don't let us look forward any longer! ”

While he was saying these words in his heart, Paul. Kochagin believed that everyone in this position, including the White Guards on the other side, must have the same idea, and they were all expecting the arrival of the same demon.

In their anticipation, in the early hours of the morning, when the dew had covered everything including blades of grass and ammunition boxes, dull shells rang out on the grassland!

In order to avoid being attacked by the superior air forces of the Red Army, Denikin's ground forces launched an attack in the early hours of the morning. Replenished by armor and aircraft, he planned to break through the enemy's line this night.

In order to deal with the main force of the cavalry corps in front of him and to strengthen the defensive line garrisoned by two infantry divisions, he prepared more adequate forces. In addition to two tank brigades, there were two cavalry corps, which were his main striking force.

In particular, this attack was carried out by air support by flying teams dispatched by the Entente powers. As for his own possession of such old aircraft as "Camel", "Newburgh", etc., providing support tasks for the ground offensive.

The Allied Allies sent a flying team composed of French Foreign Legion and British volunteer pilots, and they were all equipped with "Sabre ABZ" fighters.

With extensive experience in the European theater, the combined flying force would raid the Red Army's airfields as soon as the first light of dawn was upon the ground offensive.

The Entente believed that as long as the Red Army had no air support, the ground front would no longer be able to hold out under the onslaught of armor.

At 5:45 a.m., when the first pale morning light appeared in the sky, a barrage of salvo fire was formed by heavy artillery shells covering the attack. These heavy guns were mainly used by the German Army in World War I.

These German-made heavy guns were handed over to the Allies in large quantities as war reparations. The Entente used them to equip the White Guards on the Russian side, so that they did not lag behind the equipment of the Soviet Red Army in artillery fire.

Large-caliber heavy artillery swept across the sky, and the men in the shelter were huddled in the corners of the pillboxes. They all looked nervous and clenched their teeth, as if they were facing some extremely vicious person.

The sound of shells flying through the sky is familiar to these soldiers who have lived on the battlefield for a long time. No matter what kind of artillery shells are fired, when they fly by, you can probably hear the sound.

At the time of the heavy shelling, the mood of the soldiers hiding at the bottom of the trenches was very heavy. This shot sounded like it flew over, and that shot didn't sound like it could hit here. Occasionally, a shot would fly through people's ears to the place where they were lying down.

Gritted his teeth and frowned, waiting for the arrival of the guy who would bring misfortune. When you can't fight back, listening to these sounds will make people hate and itch their teeth.

That's what war looks like, it's something that people who live on the battlefield have to face.

"Boom...... Rumble...... Boom ......"

The continuous, violent explosion of shells resounded over the position, and the ground beneath him trembled and shook at the same time. It was as if the earth had danced in the midst of such a dense bombardment like the beat of a drum.

"Boom ——!"

A heavy artillery shell exploded near the shelter, and a fierce wind carried with the smoke of gunpowder. The thick logs covered with the shelter creaked under the impact as if it were in danger of collapsing at any moment.

Paul. Kochagin raised his head with difficulty, swaying among the shells, and it was difficult for the dark shelter to see clearly.

By the flash of the cannonballs, he saw "Babin the Growl" shouting at the telephone with his mouth wide open. But he couldn't understand a word of what he was shouting.

Suddenly, he thought of Linda. On the battlefield, the thought of Linda made him become a little panicked. That's when he thought of the order he had just given to "roar Babin".

"Linda, Linda......"

He shouted with his mouth wide open, despite the sharp pain in his lungs from choking on the smoke.

The incessant roar of the cannonballs prevented him from hearing any answer, but he saw a hand waving at him by the flash of the cannonball's explosion.

"Paul ......"

Occasionally, in an extremely brief interval between the explosions, he heard Lina's voice become very high-pitched.

Paul. Kochagin didn't bother to speak, he knew that after the enemy shelling, it must be the hordes of armored vehicles that were overwhelming.

If at that time, no one had organized those artillery fire in the regimental artillery positions, relying on the lone infantry, there would have been no way to stop the arrival of those armored vehicles.

However, at this time, the position outside the shelter was covered in artillery fire, as if a demon with hell was roaring there. It would be dangerous to leave the shelter at this point.

I regret my hesitation just now, if I reflect it at the first time, I am afraid that Linda is about to arrive at the artillery position at this time.

In fact, as the rear of the regiment, it was only a few hundred meters away from here. Paul also knew that even if Linda had just left, he would have crouched in some foxhole on the position and waited for the shelling to pass.

"In the midst of such heavy artillery fire, anyone who moves is in danger of being hit!"

He raised his head and looked at the face of the regiment commander "Roaring Babin". In the flash of the shelling, his face flickered, and his usual stern expression changed even more severely!

"You ......"

As if the "Roaring Babin" was yelling at him for something, taking advantage of the flash, Paul. Kochagin saw "Roaring Babin" hold out two fingers at him, then flick his wrist and swing vigorously.

"Hell, you're telling the two of us to die!"

Paul. Kochagin turned his head to look at the orange sky outside the shelter, and despite feeling aggrieved in his heart, he turned around, grabbed Linda's back clothes, and dragged her to the outside of the concealment.

However, Linda couldn't hear it, and he shouted with all his strength while dragging Linda.

"You come with me! Run separately...... There's always one to come! ”

In the trenches outside the concealment, without the shelter of the canopy, the entire battlefield looks like a Christmas fireworks. Flashing light and a fierce air current, like the waves of the sea, hit them.

Paul ran desperately at the bottom of the trench, sometimes his feet went limp, and he didn't know if he was stepping on a corpse or someone else's. At this time, he was clutching his M-1 rifle tightly in his hand, as if it were going to hurt it.

Linda was no longer in his "hands" and didn't know when she left his side. He lay down at the bottom of the trench, and Shi Er jumped to his feet and sprinted forward desperately.

At this moment, when a fierce battle was about to come, he had nothing else on his mind. He's only thinking about one thing over and over now.

"Fast, fast, fast...... Go to the artillery positions! ”

As he pulsed, the shells exploded in front of and behind him as if they were chasing him. Soon after, it was as if he was chasing the shells.

"It's an extension of artillery fire, they're coming!"

For some reason, a joy rose in his heart at the thought that the enemy's armored forces were about to attack. Finally, the shelling passed.

By the time he reached the artillery position, the bombardment of the main position had ended, and the shells flying overhead were telling him that the artillery fire had extended to the rear, where was the division's artillery position, and further back was the bottom of this thin line of defense.

He carried the lightweight M-1 Eagle short assault rifle that he had always held in his hand. As if now the battle has not just begun, but has ended.

As the shelling stopped, the infantry in the anti-artillery holes poked their heads out, and the machine guns returned to their rightful rest. The soldiers placed boxes containing grenades on the edge of the trenches for the soldiers to access at will.

Empty chests, including bullet boxes or anything else, were loaded with earth and placed on the enemy-facing side of the trench.

When he came to the artillery position, Paul. Kochagin was pleasantly surprised to find that Linda was not only here. And she arrived before him, and by this time she had already begun to command the regimental artillery to repair their gun emplacements, placing shells one after another in a convenient place.

"Linda, good girl, I'm so glad to see you here!"

Linda turned around, her voice slightly hoarse as she spoke.

"It's good to see you, Paul, can you stay here too, I beg you!"

Paul. Kochagin came to Linda's side, grabbed her by the neck with his hand, and pulled her to his side. Warm lips touched, and he kissed her cheek, which had turned black in the fire.

"No, dear comrade deputy political commissar, I have to go back to the regiment commander, you know someone has to help him!"

Before his words fell, the ominous cannon rang out again!