When Kolobhutin and the division headquarters left the headquarters, we stayed in the village of Gneeralovsky.

Early in the morning, we were woken up by the rumbling of explosions outside. I was sleeping on my desk, but when I was awakened by the explosion, I sat up straight and listened intently to where the sound was coming from. And Chuikov, who was lying on the camp bed in the corner, rolled over and got out of bed, didn't even bother to put on his boots, rushed to the door with an arrow, and shouted loudly outside: "Klimov, Captain Klimov, where are you?" ”

With Chuikov's shouting, Klimov hurriedly ran in from outside, and after saluting Chuikov breathlessly, he respectfully asked: "Comrade commander, do you have any instructions?" ”

Chuikov pointed his finger outside and asked, "What's going on with the explosion outside, where did it come from?" ”

Klimov habitually glanced outside before replying: "Report to Comrade Commander, it is the units of the 29th Infantry Division, which is slowly advancing eastward along the banks of the Aksai River, that are being bombed and attacked by enemy aircraft. ”

"What? The 29th Division was also bombed. When Chuikov heard the news, he didn't say a word, and ran out at once. I was stunned for a moment, and immediately understood that Chuikov thought that the 29th Division was being attacked by our air force again, and hurriedly chased it out.

Klimov ran out after me, and he explained to Chuikov, who was raising his binoculars and looking at the sky: "Comrade commander, it was the enemy's planes that attacked the troops of the 29th Division, not our air force. ”

I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when I heard that the planes attacking our troops were German planes, and the bombing and strafing by enemy planes could be received. If you are bombed by your own plane again. Then the commander of this aviation unit can be removed from his post and investigated.

Raise your binoculars and look ahead. Seeing the planes circling and diving in the sky, sure enough, they were all German standard planes. With each dive of the plane, the aerial bomb landed precisely in the marching column and exploded, and the rumbling explosion was particularly clear in the wide grassland. Looking at the riverside and the grassland, so many corpses and burning truck wreckage, although I felt sad, but there was nothing I could do about the situation they were facing, and without the cooperation of the air force and air defense forces, we dozens of people rushed over. It was also for nothing.

Klimov was a relatively clever adjutant, he didn't know what to return to the command headquarters, took out Chuikov's boots and asked him to put them on, and whispered to persuade: "Comrade commander, let's go back to the headquarters first, as for the troops of the 29th Division, let the Front send air forces to support them." ”

When the 29th Division withdrew, it left us with a communications squad with a radio station in it. Hearing what Klimov said, Chuikov hurriedly ordered him: "Comrade Captain. Bring the radio to the headquarters, and we will immediately contact the front command. Request support from the Air Force. ”

Without waiting for the radio to call the headquarters, the herald Sidorin walked in with a thin elderly major. As soon as he entered Mensidorin reported to Chuikov: "Hello, comrade commander. This commander, who was of the 255th Separate Cavalry Regiment, said that he had something important to see you right away. ”

After hearing what the herald had said, the major hurriedly stepped forward and reported: "Comrade commander, Major Tuarev, commander of the 255th Separate Cavalry Regiment, reports to you that the cavalry regiment has been ordered to take over the defense of the 29th Infantry Division, and I am waiting for your order, please instruct you on the next move." ”

Looking at the old major, a smile appeared on the face of Chuikov, who was standing at the table, and he greeted the other party warmly: "Comrade Major, don't stand there, come to me." ”

After Tuarev stood at the table, Chuikov pointed to the map on the table and began to assign tasks to him: "Comrade regiment commander, immediately send your regiment to take over the area left by the 29th Division, which also includes the two areas of Chossovsky and Generalovsky. ”

The major looked at the map and said with some embarrassment: "Comrade commander, the defensive area you have assigned to us is fifteen kilometers wide, and my regiment now has only a thousand people, and the defense force is obviously not enough. ”

Chuikov seemed to have expected the major to say this, and hurriedly comforted him: "Comrade Major, I also know that it is difficult for a cavalry regiment to defend such a wide area, but we have no other troops. Moreover, it does not seem that the enemy intends to attack us in this section, for the enemy is moving his forces to the northeast near the railway, in order to cover his main forces from the west.

According to the reports of the scouts, the enemy units that crossed the Don near the town of Verkhniy Kurmoyarskaya, also moved to the northeast, leaving only weak covering forces in the Aksai River. The purpose of the maneuver of the enemy forces is obvious, that is, to ensure the security of the left flank of their main forces. And its main forces were starting from Koternikovo, attacking Stalingrad from the southeast, bypassing the railway. ”

Hearing Chuikov say this, the major principal breathed a sigh of relief and asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, can I understand that in front of our cavalry units are weak enemy troops, and they will not take the initiative to attack us. All my regiment had to do was to act as a guard in this defensive area and prevent the penetration of small forces of the enemy? ”

"Exactly, Comrade Major, that's how it is." Chuikov looked at the major with a smile on his face, and in order to reassure him completely, he gave him another reassurance: "According to the report of the scouts, you will be facing Romanian troops, and you also know that the combat effectiveness of the army of the client state is not worth mentioning. ”

I could tell from the relaxed expression on the Major's face that he was completely relieved. The major straightened up and asked Chuikov: "Comrade commander, are you allowed me to deploy troops?" ”

"Go, Comrade Major. Break a leg! ”

Shortly after the major left, the radio contacted the command of the Front. The chief of staff of the Front, General Nikishev, spoke to us on the phone, and he apologized to Chuikov in a low voice through the microphone: "Comrade Chuikov, please apologize on my behalf to the commanders and fighters of the 208th Infantry Division for the negligent bombing of our own military columns by mistake, causing unnecessary casualties. We have dealt with those responsible in a strict manner and sent them all to court-martial. ”

Chuikov only replied vaguely twice, and then said straight to the point: "Comrade Chief of Staff, our 29th Infantry Division, while marching east along the Aksai River, was attacked by enemy aircraft, and the troops suffered heavy casualties. I request the Front Command to immediately send air force warplanes to expel the German planes in this area and to cover the transfer of troops. ”

"Understood, I'll arrange for someone to do this right away." Then he listened to Nikishev lowering his voice and instructing the people around him, and soon his voice came from the headset: "Okay, Comrade Chuikov, I have already ordered someone to notify the Air Force to dispatch." Do you have any hostility to report to me? ”

"Yes, Comrade Chief of Staff." Chuikov confidently replied: "According to the intelligence analysis I have obtained, the enemy's main forces are beginning to move in the northeast direction, and it is clear that the enemy, in order to storm Stalingrad from the south, is trying to penetrate into the flanks and rear of the entire Stalingrad Front, which will inevitably cut off the lines of communication and supply of our army."

After listening to this, Nikishev was silent for a moment, and then said: "Comrade Chuikov, please wait a moment, I will go and report this to Comrade Commander." ”

After about five minutes, Nikishev's voice came from the headset again, and he said in a resolute tone: "Comrade Chuikov, the commander orders you to resolutely hold the positions along the Aksai River with the existing forces. To bolster your firepower, the Front will deploy to you two Katyusha rocket artillery regiments that are nearby. ”

Having ended the call with the Front, Chuikov began to give orders to the troops for a stubborn defense in the area of the Aksai River. And the combat readiness of artillery and mortars is checked. At the same time, in order to avoid a surprise attack by the enemy, Chuikov also sent reconnaissance crews in all directions.

The front-line combat units were the 138th Infantry Division under the command of Colonel Lyudnikov and the 157th Infantry Division under the command of Colonel Kuropadenko, who would stubbornly block the enemy's advance by virtue of their existing positions when the enemy attacked.

In reserve were the 154th Marine Brigade and two rocket artillery regiments of the "Katyusha", which had just been assigned to us, and after careful camouflage, they hid in the valley, ready to strike a thunderous blow at the enemy at the right time.

In the evening of the same day, the enemy began to attack.

Among the troops involved in the attack, in addition to the Germans, there were also Romanian troops from the client states. Their point of attack was at the junction of the Lyudnikov and Kuropatenko divisions.

On the defensive front of our army, 8 km wide, the enemy's attacking units, under the cover of tanks, violently attacked our positions. Due to the insufficient number of troops deployed at the junction of the two divisions of our army, poor equipment, and lack of effective anti-tank weapons, the defensive position was broken through by the enemy in only half an hour of the battle, most of the defenders were killed, and the remaining commanders and fighters were routed. The enemy infantry crossed the Aksai River, and except for leaving part of the forces to build a beachhead and prepare to cover the crossing of the tanks, the rest of the ground continued to advance and pounced on the second line of defense of our troops.

Chuikov and I stood in the newly built observation post, and we could all keep abreast of what was happening on the battlefield. Seeing the rapid advance of the German army, I could not help but be anxious, if I did not stop them, they would rush to the observation post in less than half an hour, and Chuikov and I would be taken prisoners.

When I looked at Chuikov, who was holding a telescope to observe the enemy's situation, I found that he still looked calm, as if it was just a drill on the battlefield where the battle was raging outside. (To be continued......)