Perhaps it was Tang Shaohua's last sentence that attracted Vashukin's attention. He frowned and thought for a while, and then said: "Comrade Rokossovsky, I understand what you mean, but the military region is currently forming a new mechanized army on a large scale, and the equipment and materials allocated to us by the higher authorities are very limited, so we cannot meet your needs for the time being. ”

Although Tang Shaohua had already guessed in his heart that Vashukin would find a reason to reject him, when he really heard him say this, he couldn't help but feel a little lost in his heart. He secretly wondered in his heart whether to wait for the end of the exercise to talk to the commander of the military region, Kirponos, to see if he could give him some additional weapons and equipment. Otherwise, when war breaks out next month, with the existing equipment of the troops, many unnecessary sacrifices will be made.

As if remembering something, Vashukin glanced to the side and asked Fedyuninsky: "Comrade General, when will the remnants of your 45th Division and the main forces of the 62nd Division be able to get here?" ”

Fedyuninsky hurriedly stepped forward and replied: "Report to Comrade Military Commissar, according to the program of the exercises, they should reach the Lyubom area at eight o'clock in the morning and, after the artillery preparation of the 19th Mechanized Army, launch an attack on the defensive positions of the Blue Army. ”

The commander of the 19th Mechanized Corps, who was lying on the marching bed, heard the mention of his troops, hurriedly turned over and got out of bed, walked quickly in front of Vashukin, and stood upright and reported: "Comrade Military Commissar, the artillery units of our army will arrive in the Lyubom area at half past seven, and after the artillery positions have been constructed, they will open fire on the Blue Army entrenched on the high ground. ”

Vashugin nodded with satisfaction, and then said to Tang Shaohua: "Comrade Rokossovsky, isn't it time to gather your tank division and prepare to go?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Military Commissar." Tang Shaohua respectfully agreed, and then instructed Maslov: "Comrade Chief of Staff, inform the tank division and let them prepare for departure." ”

Not long after Maslov's phone call went out, the roar of engines of various vehicles, including tanks, armored vehicles and cars, rang out outside. Soon, the deputy commander of the tank division, Chernyaev, walked in quickly. He walked up to Tang Shaohua, raised his hand and saluted, and then reported: "Comrade commander, the tank division is ready to go, please instruct!" ”

Tang Shaohua waved his hand and ordered decisively: "Go!" ”

On the way to Liubom, Tang Shaohua suddenly remembered a question, since the tank division was stationed in the city last night, why did the cavalry of the Blue Army dare to rush into the city? Fortunately, this is only a drill, and if it were a real battle, these cavalrymen would have come to die.

Seeing Tang Shaohua's preoccupied appearance, Maslov next to him couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade commander, what are you considering?" ”

"Where was the tank division stationed last night," Tang Shaohua asked casually, "Why didn't the cavalry of the Blue Army move at all after they stormed into the city?" ”

"According to the plan of the exercise, the tank divisions, after entering Cowell, should be dispersed and stationed in the south and east of the city." After the report, Maslov specially added: "It is said that the reason why the superiors made such an arrangement is entirely out of the consideration of not adding trouble to the residents of the city. ”

After listening to his explanation, Tang Shaohua almost couldn't help laughing. He also said that he would not disturb the people, but when the troops first arrived yesterday, they frightened the residents of the city into fleeing, and it is estimated that there is nothing more disturbing to the people in the world.

The exercise took place on a small dirt slope about three kilometres away from the Blue Army's position. At this moment, Vashukin was already standing on the top of the hillside, and he and Fedyuninsky and the commander of the 19th Army were holding a telescope and looking into the distance.

Tang Shaohua walked to their side and also raised his binoculars to look at the Blue Army position in the distance. I saw that the fortifications of the Blue Army were built along the mountains, and the trenches and civil firepower points connected several hills into a whole. In front of the position, rows of neatly erected wooden stakes were covered with barbed wire, which became a barrier to block the infantry's charge.

Tang Shaohua recycled the lens of the telescope and suddenly saw an amazing scene. Only two or three hundred meters away from the defensive positions of the Blue Army, there was actually an artillery unit, which was intensively building fortifications. Seeing this, he put down his binoculars, pointed to the busy artillery in the distance, and asked in surprise: "Whose unit is that artillery?" ”

"It's my troops, Comrade Rokossovsky." The commander of the 19th Army next to him put down his binoculars and said to Tang Shaohua with some pride: "Later, after they have completed the artillery preparations for the Blue Army, Fedyuninsky's infantry and your tank division will launch the final general attack." ”

Tang Shaohua pointed to the artillery in the distance, frowned and said to the commander of the friendly army: "Comrade General, don't you think that your artillery position is too close to the front line of the Blue Army?" Not to mention that they send troops to attack, even with heavy machine gun fire, it can inflict heavy casualties on your artillery. ”

Tang Shaohua originally had good intentions, but who knew that the other party didn't appreciate it. The fat commander turned his purple face and said to him viciously: "General Rokossovsky, you are the commander of the 9th Mechanized Army, not the commander of my 19th Mechanized Army. I don't need you to dictate where I will deploy my artillery positions. After saying that, he strode down the mountain, and judging by the direction he was taking, he should have planned to go to his artillery position.

Maslov pulled Tang Shaohua aside and reminded him in a low voice: "Hey, my comrade commander, are you still serious about this kind of exercise?" It's just putting on a show, going through the motions, and it doesn't need to be too serious. ”

At this time, Fedyuninsky walked up to Tang Shaohua, raised his hand and patted him on the shoulder, smiled, and asked: "Comrade Rokossovsky, the heights of the Blue Army, can your tanks rush to it?" ”

Hearing this, Maslov raised his binoculars and looked at it, and then said with certainty: "Don't worry, Comrade General, the slope of the hill does not exceed twenty degrees, and our tanks and armored vehicles can completely climb it." ”

Tang Shaohua suddenly had a new idea in his heart, so he approached Fedyuninsky and whispered to him: "Dear Ivan Ivanovich, according to the exercise plan, your infantry corps should be the first to charge, and my tank division will follow, am I right?" ”

"That's right," Fedyuninsky didn't know what Tang Shaohua wanted to say, but he still nodded and replied truthfully: "You are completely right. ”

Tang Shaohua pointed to the batch of wooden stakes on the hillside in the distance and the dense barbed wire on them, and said solemnly: "Do you have a way to remove this obstacle?" ”

Fedyuninsky shook his head and said: "If we had used live ammunition, then these obstacles would have been cleared when our artillery fire was prepared, but now we are using empty cartridges, and there is really no way to take these obstacles." ”

"These obstacles are a big problem for the infantry; But for my tank division, it's a trifle. Tang Shaohua said with a smile on his face: "The two of us only need to modify the offensive steps slightly, so that my tank division will take the lead in the assault, and your infantry will follow, won't this be enough?" ”

"Not bad, not bad!" Fedyuninsky thought for a moment, then nodded again and again, agreeing with Tang Shaohua's suggestion. Although he called one of the guards standing next to him and asked him to go to the army to convey his orders.

After the half-hour-long artillery preparation was over, the tank division, which had long been parked at the foot of the mountain, was divided into three lines and rushed towards the hillside like three arrows. Originally, when the artillery fire was preparing for the attack, the blue army position was billowed with gunsmoke, and at this moment, before the smoke cleared, the commanders and fighters of the 15th Infantry Corps, under the guidance of the tank troops, shouted "Ula" and launched a charge against the blue army's position.

Vashukin was standing next to a political worker, who kept explaining to him the progress of the exercise. Suddenly, he excitedly shouted: "Comrade Military Commissar, look, our red flag has been planted on the position of the Blue Army!" ”

Vashukin raised his hand and looked at his watch, nodded with satisfaction, and said with a smile: "Well, the troops of Rokossovsky and Fedyuninsky are good, they fought well and solved the battle a quarter of an hour earlier than the stipulated time. ”