Immediately after Lieutenant Colonel Lion and Captain Felip left, Rokossovsky called Major Podo Prigola. Hearing that it was Rokossovsky's voice, the major immediately asked respectfully: "Hello, Comrade Commander, do you have any instructions?" ”

"That's right, Comrade Acting Division Commander." Rokossovsky said politely: "Calling you so late, there are two things that need to be told to you immediately. First, I organized a small force, disguised as Germans, to sneak up through the forest overnight to attack the German artillery positions. Since they are not very familiar with the terrain, I am worried that when they return from completing their mission, they will strayed into the defense area of the 327th Regiment, causing unnecessary misunderstandings, so I will say hello to you first. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Commander." When Major Pudo Prigora heard that this was the case, he immediately said with some disapproval: "I will talk to the battalion commanders below and ask them to tell the soldiers to pay attention to identification and not to clash with their own people." ”

"Very well," Rokossovsky was relieved to see Major Portoprigora so cooperative, and he continued: "In addition, although we have repelled the German attack for two days in a row, we must not let our guard down and weaken our combat readiness, and all regiments should remain in full combat readiness." At the same time, you should also send reconnaissance teams deep into the enemy's defense area and try to capture some high-ranking prisoners while conducting reconnaissance. It is necessary to reconnoiter and interrogate captured prisoners to understand the enemy's disposition and their offensive intentions. ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." As soon as Major Podo Prigora waited for Rokossovsky to finish speaking, he immediately said: "I will call the commanders of the regiments and ask them to send reconnaissance detachments to reconnoiter deep into the enemy's defenses and find a way to capture some German prisoners back." ”

After listening to this, Rokossovsky nodded with satisfaction: "Comrade Major, as long as you can send the reconnaissance team out as soon as possible, then our certainty of holding Shepetovka will be greatly improved." ”

A new round of German offensive began at Foxiao the next day. The enemy did not know how many more artillery pieces had been mobilized from the rear, and after their shelling began, Rokossovsky saw smoke billowing from the defenders' trenches, and the dense explosions made the earth stand on end. Patches of mud had not yet fallen, and a large area was kicked up by the blast next to it.

The outpost of the 326th Regiment became the focus of German artillery shelling. Like a thick fog, the smoke of gunpowder covered the plains, tank wreckage and surviving bushes, enveloping everything.

The staff officer who witnessed this scene at the observation post said to Rokossovsky with some surprise: "Comrade commander, such a large-scale artillery bombardment by the German army will definitely not be on the scale that two artillery battalions can achieve. ”

"That's right," Rokossovsky nodded to the staff officer's guess and said, "The Germans have used at least hundreds of artillery pieces to shell us." It seems that the Germans have made a bloody investment today, and they will definitely not be willing to take our positions. After saying this, he turned his head and asked the staff officer, "Did I let you give the order to the 326th Regiment pass on?" ”

The staff officer nodded vigorously and said: "Yes, Comrade Commander, I have already called Lieutenant Colonel Kranov of the 326th Regiment in accordance with your order. ”

After hearing the staff officer's affirmative reply, Rokossovsky felt a little reassured. After much thought last night, he felt that the only measure he could take in order to reduce the casualties of the defensive positions built on the plain under the enemy's artillery bombardment was to temporarily retreat his troops to a second-line position that the enemy's artillery fire could not take into account in addition to digging more anti-artillery holes in the fortifications. In order to prevent Lieutenant Colonel Kranov from disobeying his orders, he asked the staff officer of the 109th Division to make a phone call.

After the enemy's shelling ended, the smoke did not clear. Rokossovsky saw a number of men pouring out of an apparently newly dug trench at the rear of the outpost, crawling forward or bending over, under the cover of smoke, towards the outpost, which was still shrouded in smoke. (To be continued.) )