After the deployment to Vitkov, I always had a feeling of unsteadiness in my heart, as if I had forgotten something important. After walking around the house a few times with my hands behind my back, I finally realized what was causing my anxiety. Today, I have devoted almost all my energy to the troops under the command of Major Akhromeyev, and I have been paying no attention to the situation of the Pandereev and Gurdiev divisions.

After Vitkov gave the order to the reconnaissance battalion, I asked thoughtfully: "Comrade Chief of Staff, did the Pantai Leev Division and the Gurtieev Division report any information today?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander," Vitkov replied affirmatively, then reported to me: "Division Commander Gurdiev sent a telegram at noon saying that their division was clearing the remnants of the German army around the city. As for the 22nd Guards Division," he said after a pause, he picked up a pile of telegrams thrown on the table, flipped through them a few times, pulled one out of them, and began to read them aloud to me," said General Pandereev, who was gathering troops, adjusting their deployments, and making final preparations for the attack on Kuban. ”

The Gurtiev division was clearing out the remnants of the German army scattered in the villages around the city, which was very helpful in consolidating the right flank of our army, so I nodded casually and focused on the 22nd Guards Division, after all, they were the main forces attacking the Kuban, so I pointed to the phone on the table and asked: "Chief of Staff, can I use this phone to contact the Pantai Leev Division?" ”

Hearing my question, Vitkov gave me a strange look, and then replied affirmatively: "Yes." Comrade Army Commander. Presently. We were able to talk directly to the Pantai Leyev Division and the Gurtiev Division. Then he asked cautiously: "Do you want to talk to General Bandereev now?" ”

I nodded. said: "Well, I want General Pandereev to also send troops overnight to infiltrate the perimeter of the German positions in the Kuban to establish a 'landing field', and then send more troops to this stronghold to shorten our siege distance." ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Vitkov said politely: "I will call General Pandereev and tell him what you mean." ”

When Vitkov was on the phone to Pantai Leev. Kirillov leaned over and whispered to me: "Comrade Oshanina, there is something I would like to talk to you about. ”

Kirillov's words made me a little confused, and I thought that he would have something important to say to me. After thinking for a moment, he couldn't understand it, so he could only politely say to him: "Comrade Political Commissar, if you have anything, please tell him directly." ”

Kirillov said to me with a heavy face: "Comrade Oshanina, I don't know if you found out today. The connection between us and Major Akhromeyev, whatever your order. Or the results he reported, all by telegram. ”

"Yes, Comrade Commissar." Although I did not understand the purpose of Kirillov's remarks, I replied honestly: "Although it is a little slower, it will ensure that our military intelligence will not be eavesdropped on by the Germans." ”

"In this case, it doesn't matter if the feedback speed of the intelligence is a little slower." Kirillov waited for me to finish speaking, and then said slowly: "If this method of communication is used again when the troops are transferred, I think it will delay a big thing." ”

After listening to Kirillov's words, I couldn't help but nod my head, and now in this situation where the rhythm of attack and defense is not changing quickly, using the form of a telegraph to issue orders and send and receive war reports is still an effective means of communication. But it would be a bit inappropriate to use this method when our troops were moving, or to put it mildly, when they were fleeing for their lives under the pursuit of the Germans. I thought that Kirillov would not ask this lightly, and that he must have some new idea in his heart, so I humbly asked him for advice: "Comrade Political Commissar, do you have any good ideas?" ”

Kirillov hesitated for a moment, then said tentatively: "Comrade Oshanina, two-thirds of the fighters in our unit are from Kazakhstan or other Central Asian countries, and there are not many Russian speakers among them, and most of them still speak the language of their respective countries......

Before Kirillov could finish speaking, I understood what he was trying to say. I can't help but think of the "Wind Whisperer" that I watched in later generations, in order to prevent the Japanese from eavesdropping on their own information, the people of the United States specially replaced the newspaper operators with Indians, and used the languages of their respective countries when communicating, so that even if the Japanese eavesdropped on the content of their calls, they couldn't understand what they were saying at all. And Kirillov insisted to me that most of the people were in their own language, and that I was to be appointed, from among them, new operators to be in charge of speaking to the divisions, so that the Germans who were listening to our communications could not understand what they were saying.

"Comrade Political Commissar, do you want to transfer personnel from among these commanders and fighters to take up the post of telegraph operator?" As soon as Kirillov finished speaking, I immediately asked bluntly: "Do you have the right candidate?" ”

Hearing my question, Kirillov nodded and said, "There are more than a dozen candidates, and they are all commanders and fighters from Kazakhstan, and they are completely reliable in politics......"

I saw that Vitkov had ended the call with Pantai Leev, and was about to put down the microphone, when he quickly interrupted Kirillov's later words: "Okay, Comrade Political Commissar, I understand what you mean. If you think their loyalty is fine, then put them all in the communication company. Let them familiarize themselves with the business as much as possible, and strive to be able to take charge of themselves within two or three days. ”

"Understood," said Kirillov, seeing that I had agreed with his proposal, readily agreed: "Comrade Oshanina, rest assured, I will do my best to make these commanders and fighters qualified operators." ”

I turned my head and asked Vitkov: "Chief of Staff, what did Division Commander Bandereev say?" ”

"General Bandereev said that he would send four regiments tonight to sneak up near the enemy's position and take advantage of the darkness to build our latest fortifications." Vitkov said, drawing a circle on the map with a red and blue pencil, and said proudly: "Comrade commander, your situation. That's where they chose to infiltrate. Once this stronghold can be successfully established. Then the starting point of our offensive for the attack on the Kuban. It is possible to advance three to five kilometers and be located only a few hundred meters from the enemy's field fortifications. ”

Since Vitkov had taught me what a "landing ground" was, when I heard his arrangement at this moment, I did not express any objections, but said approvingly: "Bandereev has also been in the army for more than ten or twenty years, and I believe that he also knows how to build a 'landing field,' so I will leave this matter to him with full responsibility." ”

Over the next two days, the troops under the command of Major Akhromeyev. In the process of constantly shifting positions, the Germans who tried to rush to the city suffered huge losses. The assault engineer battalion led by Godunov also established its own stronghold next to the German line near Tokmak.

As for the troops of Bandereev, after two days of fierce fighting, they managed to capture the Kuban from the Germans. Although the city of Kuban completely fell into the hands of our army after a fierce battle, it became impossible for Bandereev to continue to advance, because the Germans were unwilling to lose such an important city as the Kuban. A large number of troops were sent to launch a counter-charge against the Kuban without interruption. An attempt to take the city back from the hands of our troops. In the face of the enemy's ferocious offensive, Bandereev had to mobilize his forces and open a brutal positional battle with the invading enemy.

We fought hard here, and the enemy was no better there. According to the information returned by Akhromeyev, the fighting forces with them, in addition to the motorized infantry regiment of the German 11th Panzer Division and the German 336th Infantry Division, the two sides have reached a stalemate, so that we cannot use our forces in other directions.

Although the direction we are in is not progressing well, the main forces of the Voronezh Front and the Southwestern Front are receiving frequent good news. Following the successful capture of Kharkov by the Voronezh Front on February 16, a section of the South-Western Front, which had resorted to the tactics of a great detour, had managed to break through the enemy's defenses and approach Zaporosh, where Manstein's command was located, from our north.

When I heard the conversations of the commanders of the various divisions coming out of the radio, I felt very unsteady in my heart. Although we succeeded in capturing a series of towns and settlements, the flanks of the troops were also unwittingly exposed to two powerful German army groups. To make matters worse, the commanders and fighters of our army were still unaware of the danger they were in at this time, and the generals, including the commander of the Southwestern Front, General Vatutin, were unanimously optimistic that the Germans had been defeated after the winter counteroffensive, and that as long as the Red Army continued to pursue, they would have fled all the way across the Dnieper, and the enemy's counter-assault was simply impossible. The equally optimistic Supreme Commander Stalin also approved of his idea. The lower-ranking Red Army officers even expressed their optimism on the radio.

The troops of the Southwestern Front advanced rapidly to the west, and others only saw how many towns and towns the main force could capture in a day, how many enemies it could destroy, and how many kilometers it could advance forward, but I found that the troops were not replenished in time after being consumed, so that the vast majority of the companies were in a state of dissatisfaction.

At noon today, seeing that the German attack had been repulsed again, Bandereev promptly dispatched the 84th Tank Brigade to carry out a countercharge against the enemy located in the open field. At first, the progress was smooth, but after leaving the city and driving west, it was met with stubborn resistance from the Germans, and the tanks rushing up were soon repulsed by the opposing side.

After three successive attacks, all of which ended in failure, Bandereev finally found the Germans in a distant position, and did not know when numerous anti-aircraft guns had been arranged. The three offensives launched by the tank brigade were all repelled by these damned anti-aircraft guns. Our army had at least two dozen tanks of various types, which were beaten into burning scrap metal in front of the enemy's positions.

Pandereev sent me a telegram asking me whether to let Godunov's regiment be reorganized, because the division was in a rather serious situation after continuous fighting. If the regiment could not be rebuilt, the combat effectiveness of their division would be greatly reduced in the next battle.

Vitkov took the telegram and stood beside me without saying a word, silently waiting for my orders. I walked back and forth in the house with my hands behind my back, thinking about whether the Godunov regiment, which was holding back the German forces near Tokmak, should be withdrawn and reinforced, which was on the offensive mission. I thought about it for a long time, and finally made a decision, although Godunov had about a regiment of German troops near the stronghold he had established, but he could not weaken or weaken this enemy, and instead of letting them fight a war of attrition there, it was better to withdraw them and follow Bandereev to participate in the battle against Zaporosh.

Thinking of this, I stopped and instructed Vitkov: "Chief of staff, immediately send a telegram to Major Godunov, asking him to quietly withdraw his troops from the stronghold where they are present after dark and turn in the direction of the Kuban. ”

"Yes!" Vitkov said yes and ran to the walkie-talkie.

Kirillov looked at Vitkov's back and asked me worriedly: "Comrade Oshanina, if you withdraw Major Godunov's troops from the direction of Tokmak, then the enemy can concentrate his forces and press on the line held by Major Akhromeyev. In the face of the repeated attacks of an armored division and an infantry division of the German army, will Major Akhromeyev be able to hold their positions? ”

In response to Kirillov's concern, I waved my hand and said disapprehantly: "Comrade commissar, Godunov and their troops held out behind enemy lines for three days. But their role is only to contain and not completely eliminate the enemy. It was on the basis of this consideration that I agreed to Bandereev's request for the Godunov regiment to be reconstituted and quickly moved in the direction of the Kuban to reinforce the 22nd Guards Division, which had been mired in bitter battles there. ”

Vitkov quickly walked back from the walkie-talkie, nodded at me, and signaled that the telegram to Godunov had been sent. While I was thinking about what to say to him, Major Pugachev, the chief of operations, walked into the command headquarters with a telegram. Seeing his stern face, I knew that it was not a good thing, but I still asked politely, "Comrade Major, what kind of news have you brought us?" ”

"Comrade Army Commander, Major Akhromeyev sent a telegram." Pugachev continued to say with a straight face: "He said that after days of fighting, the 115th Regiment was reduced by more than half, and the 124th Regiment also suffered a third of the casualties. He hopes to get some reinforcements from us, so that he can hold the enemy back for another three days or so. (To be continued......)