Three days passed in a flash, and in the blink of an eye it was time to launch an attack on the left bank. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info

But it is a pity that before dawn, it rained heavily in the sky, not to mention the battle across the river, and even the artillery preparations organized by Malinin and Kazakov had to be canceled because the visibility was too low.

Malinin, who was staying at the headquarters of the special brigade, called Rokossovsky and reported to him that the attack had to be postponed for the time being due to the weather.

After listening to Malinin's report, Rokossovsky glanced at the room where the torrential rain was pouring and said unhurriedly: "Comrade Malinin, this torrential rain may cause the river to rise sharply, which will make it more difficult for us to cross the river. You should send out scouts in time to observe the water level of the river and the enemy's defenses on the opposite side at all times, and wait for the right time to launch an attack. ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." When Malinin heard that Rokossovsky had no objection to postponing the attack, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, and then said: "I will immediately send scouts to the river to observe the water situation and the enemy situation on the other side, and find a suitable time to cross the river." ”

After Malinin put down the phone, he said to the brigade commander Yershov, who was sitting opposite: "The commander has agreed to postpone the attack for the time being, but you must send people to the river to conduct reconnaissance and keep abreast of the changes in the water situation on the river and the German defenses on the opposite bank." ”

The torrential rain fell for a full day and showed no signs of abating until the evening. Chief of Staff Shebshin, after receiving information from the scouts, reported to Malinin: "Comrade Deputy Chief of Staff, according to the information obtained from the reconnaissance, due to the heavy rain, the German troops on the opposite bank are hiding in the fortifications to avoid the rain, and only a few sentries on duty can be seen in the trenches. ”

"Where's the water level in the river?" When Ma Lining heard this, he couldn't help but ask: "Will it cause our army to cross the river and fight?" ”

"The water level has risen by a foot or so, and the current has become more turbulent." "What's more, the roads have also been damaged by the rain, which means that our troops, whether they are on the other side of the river, have to march or fight in the mud. ”

Shebshin's words made Malinin frown, and he was originally opposed to the plan of the special brigade to attack the German defense zone on the opposite bank. Because the main attack task is about to be carried out by an army of prisoners with poor equipment and no military training, even if the soldiers are heroic on the battlefield in order to atone for their crimes, their flesh and blood will not be able to stop the bullets after all. Now that the banks of the Zusha River are in the rain, they have become a quagmire, and it is undoubtedly a death for troops who have no combat experience to fight in such an area.

Yershov, who was sitting opposite him, saw that Malinin was silent, thinking that the other party was worried that this attack would be in vain, so he hurriedly said: "Comrade Deputy Chief of Staff, you see that the rain outside has become lighter, I think tomorrow we should be able to completely stop, and then we will be able to force our way across the Zusha River and launch an attack on the German defensive positions." ”

When Malinin heard Yershov say this, he understood in his heart that the other party had misunderstood him, but he did not correct the other party, but said lightly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the road outside is muddy, and the river is surging, if we launch a strong attack, the Germans can easily wipe out most of our troops in the river with artillery and machine gun fire." Even if some of the commanders managed to land on the opposite bank, the mud on the ground would inevitably affect the speed of their advance, making them a target for the German soldiers hiding in the fortifications. ”

The scene depicted by Malinin startled Yershov, and he nervously asked: "Then what should we do?" The attack on the German defense zone on the opposite bank was an order given by the army group command, and unless the higher-level command announced the cancellation of this battle plan, we could only carry it out unconditionally. ”

Before he could finish speaking, Ma Lining waved his hand again and again and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you misunderstood what I meant. I'm not asking you to cancel your offensive plans, but to adjust accordingly. ”

"Adjust the plan?" Confused, Yershov asked: "What is the adjustment method?" ”

"Now that we know that a strong attack will cost the troops a lot, then we should use a sneak attack." Pointing to the map on the table, Malinin said to Yershov: "According to your reconnaissance, due to the heavy rain and the rising river, the German troops on the opposite bank have relaxed their vigilance, and this has created favorable conditions for our sneak attack. When it gets dark, you can send a battalion upstream, look for a suitable position, quietly cross the river, touch the enemy's fortifications, and take them by surprise. ”

"But the task given to us by our superiors is to force the crossing of the Zusha River and seize the enemy's position through battle." After Ma Lining's words were finished, he didn't expect Xie Bushen to suddenly come up with a sentence: "If you change the combat method without authorization, I am worried that my superiors will blame me." ”

Xie Bushen's words made Ma Lining a little crying and laughing. After a long while, he spoke: "Lieutenant Colonel Shebshen, as a middle-level commander, must be good at knowing how to adjust strategies and tactics in a timely manner according to changes in the battlefield situation, instead of blindly copying the combat orders of his superiors, so that he can win the battle.

Besides, as the head of the front army, I still have the right to revise the battle plans of brigade-level units. So even if something goes wrong, if the superiors want to hold them accountable, I will bear it. ”

Seeing that Malinin patted his chest and promised that he would take all the responsibility, Yershov suddenly had confidence, and he immediately expressed his position: "Comrade Deputy Chief of Staff of the Front Army, don't worry, we will obey your command in everything, and we will do what you say." ”

"You divided the troops into three echelons and went into battle." Seeing that Yershov was willing to obey his orders, Malinin began to tell him in detail about the new battle plan: "The first echelon consisted of a battalion, which was to cross the river after dark, choosing a suitable section from the upper reaches of the Zusha River, and then touch into the enemy's defensive positions; The second echelon consisted of two battalions, and when the first echelon fought in the German fortifications, they forced their way across the Zusha River from the front to reinforce the first echelon. As for the battalion of the third echelon, it will serve as a reserve for the whole brigade, crossing the river if necessary to expand the results of the battle......"

The troops were already on standby, and less than five minutes after Yershov's assembly order was given, the first battalion serving as the first echelon was assembled outside the gate.

Yershov and Shebshin, who were draped in dark green military ponchos, followed behind Malin, who was also wearing ponchos, and inspected the commanders and fighters who were about to go on the expedition. Malinen saw that everyone's faces were nervous and hesitant, because everyone understood that the battle they were going to participate in a few hours later was a battle with many bad luck. This battle was insignificant for the entire Soviet-German war situation, but for them personally, it was a matter of life and death.

Ma Linin stopped and said to the soldiers lined up in a neat line: "Comrades, in a few hours, you will participate in the first battle in history, and this battle is a great opportunity for you to wash away your past sins, make meritorious contributions, and become heroes of the motherland. I hope that you can make good use of this rare opportunity to completely change your life destiny. Alright, I'm done talking, I wish you all victory! ”

Seeing that Malinin had finished speaking, Yershov hurriedly whispered a few words to the commander of the first battalion. After hearing this, the latter immediately faced his fighters and shouted in a loud voice: "Comrades of the whole battalion, listen to my command!" … Attention... Turn right,... March! ”

The procession of warriors, in the drizzle, marched along a dirt road full of puddles towards the upper reaches of the Zusha River.

Looking at the backs of the fighters, Malinin sighed softly, and then asked Yershov: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, how much time will it take for the second echelon to assemble?" ”

"The second echelon is far away from here, and it will take about an hour at the fastest to complete the assembly." After saying this, Yershov asked Malinin for instructions: "Shall we gather them together?" ”

Malinin raised his hand and looked at his watch, then shook his head and said: "It will take at least three hours for the first echelon to cross the river and enter the German defense area. And from the second echelon from here to the river, it will only take half an hour, so wait two hours and then assemble them. ”

After returning to the brigade headquarters, Malinin dialed Kazakov: "Comrade Artillery Commander, we intend to change our tactics and no longer launch a strong assault on the German positions, but use the tactics of a sneak attack. In this way, the artillery support that you have prepared long ago will not be needed. ”

"What, changed from a forced crossing to a sneak attack?" After listening to this, Kazakov said in a regretful tone: "That's a pity, if there is anything you need help with, just ask." Our artillery is still more than happy to provide the necessary artillery support to the infantry comrades. ”

"Since you've said so, it's a bit too much for me to refuse your kindness." Malinin said with a smile: "Even if it is a sneak attack on the German army, with the existing equipment of the special brigade, it is still difficult to deal with the enemy as soon as possible." As long as they encounter a few points of fire, they are helpless. ”

"Say, Comrade Malinin." Kazakov had been dealing with Malinin for not a day or two, and knowing that he must have his purpose when he said this, he asked bluntly: "How do you need us to help you?" ”

"Fetch me a mortar company." Malinin said thoughtfully: "I think that when the special brigade destroys the enemy in the fortifications, it can be supported by mortar fire, and it can also speed up the destruction of the enemy. ”

"No problem, I'll send a mortar company to support you right away." Kazakov said sincerely: "I wish you good luck! ”

A battalion of the Special Brigade came to the river and moved all the boats hidden in the nearby woods. With a command, dozens of small boats floated on the surface of the Zusha River at the same time, after splashing in all directions.

Each company got into its own small boat according to the order, and when it was full, the soldier in charge of the oars waved the oars in his hands desperately and rowed the boats to the opposite side.

Although six or seven hundred people were gathered on the shore, no one spoke. In the drizzle, only the sound of the river rushing and the sound of the water lapping against the boats and the oars breaking through the water could be heard.

The commander of a battalion and a dozen soldiers sat in small boats, staring nervously at the dark river across the river, fearing that when the troops crossed the river, a string of bullets would be fired from the grass or woods on the bank, or a few shells would fly. However, everything went more smoothly than expected, and when he felt a slight collision with the hull of the ship, he realized that he had unknowingly arrived on the other side, and the enemies deployed nearby were unaware of their arrival.

The battalion commander, with the help of the soldiers, turned over and got out of the boat, waded to the shore, and shouted in a low voice to the assembled troops: "The company commanders come to me to assemble!" ”

It didn't take long for the three company commanders to come to him and wait for him to lay out the order. The battalion commander's gaze swept over the faces of his subordinates, and he whispered: "Comrades, we have successfully crossed the Zusha River, and now it's time to move on to the German defensive positions." God forbid, I hope they don't find out about our coming, otherwise there will be a vicious battle. ”

"Comrade battalion commander, when are we going to attack the enemy?" It was the commander of the second company under him who was questioned.

The battalion commander said uncertainly: "We may have deviated from the position of the landing when we crossed the river because of the current, and we need to send people to reconnoiter before attacking the German defensive positions." Second Company Commander, I'll leave this task to you to complete. ”

The second company commander nodded silently, turned around and went to assign tasks to his subordinates.

When the second company commander left, the first company commander asked with some concern: "Comrade battalion commander, after the battle starts, can the main force of the brigade cross the river in time to reinforce us?" ”

In order to prevent the target from being exposed, Yershov did not discuss the contact with the battalion commander before the 1st battalion carried out the task of crossing the river, so so far, Yershov did not know whether the first echelon had successfully crossed the Zusha River and whether its whereabouts had been discovered by the Germans.

The battalion commander glanced at the right bank of the Zusha River and comforted his subordinates and said, "Don't worry, as soon as the battle on our side starts, the main force of the brigade will cross the river to support us." "After receiving assurances from the battalion commander, the two company commanders returned to their units to count the number of people and assign combat missions.

After completing the reconnaissance and figuring out the exact location of the German defensive positions, the 1st battalion moved towards the target.

The operation was going well at first, but when it was still two or three hundred meters away from the German position, the movement of the Soviet troops marching in the mud was heard by a German sentry on duty. He looked in the direction from which the voice came, and saw a swarthy figure coming towards the position. He hurriedly opened his throat and shouted: "Enemy attack, enemy attack!" The Russians are coming up! After shouting, he immediately picked up his submachine gun and opened fire on the crowd's shaking defensive line.

The sound of gunfire alarmed the German officers and soldiers who were still resting in the shelter, they grabbed the guns on the gun racks, scrambled out, ran along the waterlogged trenches, ran to their respective combat posts, raised their guns and fired at the dark shadows in the distance.