Chistyakov led the way in front and led me to the place where I had parked. Still far away, I saw someone standing straight in front of the car. I thought it was the driver Grissa, and I was still secretly laughing at him for being too stupid, on such a cold day, it was not good to stay in the car, and he actually ran out of the car to drink the northwest wind stupidly.

When I got closer, I realized that it was not Grissa who was standing in front of the car, but Lieutenant Colonel Chernyugov. I walked up to him, stopped and asked curiously: "Lieutenant Colonel Chernyugov, what are you doing not stay in your battalion command post and run to my car and stand?" ”

He saluted me and replied, "Report to the division commander, your troops have been sent by you to prepare for the attack." I'm waiting for you here because I want to go with you to the front line to fight. ”

"There is the front line, just me and Colonel Chistyakov to go, you better stay." Seeing the disappointment on his face, I couldn't bear it, so I pointed in the direction of the regimental headquarters and comforted him: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, although you can't go to the front, you have more important things to do. Regimental Commander Chistyakov and I went to the front, and you, as the deputy commander, were in charge of the 1073 regiment during his absence. Do you understand? ”

Cherniugov did not answer me right away, but looked at Chistyakov to the side. The colonel said to him in a non-negotiable tone: "Lieutenant Colonel, didn't you understand the orders of the division commander?" I now order you: turn back, target regimental headquarters, and walk in unison! ”

Cherniugov agreed with some grievances, obeyed his command and turned around and walked towards the regimental headquarters.

The moon is big and round tonight, and you can see the road clearly even if you don't turn on your lights. A few minutes before the car drove forward, a marching unit appeared on the side of the road, and Chistyakov, who was sitting in the front row, turned his head and introduced to me: "Comrade division commander, these are the fighters of the mixed cadet regiment. At the meeting just now, I heard from the commander of their regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Mlagintsev, that yesterday they had received additional troops and equipment from the headquarters of the Front, and that there were currently 2,500 men in the regiment, and most of the soldiers were equipped with the latest submachine guns. ”

Hearing Chistyakov's introduction, I couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, it seems that my ability is too poor, at most I am only suitable to be a company commander, and I do not have the qualifications to be a senior commander at all. At the meeting just now, I simply greeted Lieutenant Colonel Mlakintsev and Political Commissar Slavkin, and without even asking about the regiment's strength and equipment, I hurriedly gave them combat orders. Knowing that they had such ample troops and sophisticated equipment, I should have let their regiment follow behind the tanks and launch a direct attack on the defenders of Mount Sol.

Captain Lomov's camp was in a forest, and as soon as the car drove into the forest along the improvised road, I could faintly see the figures swaying inside. The further the car drove in, the more people on both sides of the road, and it seemed that quite a few troops were already in place.

The car stopped in front of a large wooden house, and Chistyakov told me: "Comrade division commander, here we are. The wooden house in front was the battalion command post of Captain Lomov. ”

As soon as we entered the command post, we were discovered, and the commanders in the room gathered around me and raised their hands to salute me.

I raised my hand to my forehead and touched it as a salute, and then walked directly to General Leviakin in the crowd and asked loudly: "Where is General Katukov?" ”

"I'm here." Katukov's voice came from the room, and I looked around, but I didn't see his figure. I was wondering what was going on, when Leviakin pushed through the crowd and pulled me to the table. Only then did I see that there was a walkie-talkie on the table, and it was from here that Katukov's voice came from.

I picked up the microphone and asked curiously, "General Katukov, where are you?" ”

"I'm in my tank, testing the call on the car radio."

"Great," Zhilu said that now that I can talk directly to the tank through the walkie-talkie, my mood has become extraordinarily good: "This way, after the battle starts, we can adjust our strategy according to the changes in the enemy's situation." ……”

Before I could finish speaking, Katukov interjected again: "Comrade division commander, I just received information from the scouts in front of me that the Germans have gathered about forty tanks to the south of the city, that is, in the direction in which we are preparing to attack. ”

"Huh? When were the enemy's tanks assembled? "This unexpected news hung my heart, the enemy has so many tanks, and once the fight starts, Katukov's tank brigade will be in danger.

"It was noon to enter the city. However, it is strange that these tanks did not engage in the battle with our troops for settlements, but only stopped in the city without any action. ”

I thought about it for a moment, and then told Katukov about my bold guess: "Comrade General, don't worry. Based on what you're talking about, these tanks should be out of fuel or ammunition. Now they're parked there, just waiting for you to shoot. In a few hours, you will personally lead the tank brigade in a surprise attack, turning them all into piles of burning scrap metal. ”