Not long after we returned to the regimental headquarters, a phone call came from the observation post outside, reporting to Gaidar that enemy long-range artillery fire was shelling our flotilla sailing in the Volga.

I was not sure whether the civil bunker that had just been destroyed by the mortar was really an enemy artillery observation point, so as soon as I heard the news, I asked Oleg to be my guide and took me outside to observe.

Coming to the exit of a tunnel on the southern slope, I saw the situation on the Volga River here, so I stood at the entrance of the cave and raised my binoculars and looked into the middle of the river.

At this moment, there were more than a dozen boats of various sizes in the river, with chimneys belching smoke, heading at full speed towards the pier next to the Mamayev Hills. The enemy's shells fell into the water and exploded, causing columns of water to rise into the sky. Perhaps due to the lack of guidance from artillery observers, the German artillery bombardment was not effective, and the shells fell at a distance of more than ten meters on both sides of the fleet.

Seeing this kind of scene, I couldn't help but feel proud, the German civil bunker that I had just knocked out like a stroke of luck, I didn't expect that it was really a blind cat that had touched a dead mouse, and it was really an artillery observation point.

Inadvertently turning his head, he found that Gaidar and Morozov were also looking at the river with full attention, and both were relieved to see that the enemy's artillery fire had caused no losses to the fleet. I patted Morozov on the shoulder and said to him: "Good job, Major. There's nothing for you to do here for the time being, you can take your men back to the station. Morozov nodded, turned and walked into the pit.

As soon as Morozov left, I turned my face and said sternly to Gaidar: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel. It's been some time since recruits were added to your regiment. Whether the troops have formed combat effectiveness. I did not see; But behind his back, he said strange things to shake the hearts of the army. But there are many people. Moreover, these recruits relied on the fact that they were fellow villagers, and they had to be quite united, and Captain Ke Licheng, as their company commander, wanted to find someone to come out and testify for him, but no one was willing. If it weren't for the original veterans of the Fourth Regiment who spoke up, I really don't know how this matter would have ended up in the end. ”

When Gaidar was counted down by me, he honestly lowered his head. Listen to my teachings. It wasn't until after I finished speaking that he defended himself: "Comrade division commander, it's all my fault, in the past few days, I have patronized those political workers in the regiment and cooperated with the commanders of various battalions and companies to conduct tactical training for the new soldiers, ignoring their political and ideological work. Please rest assured, I will arrange for political workers to educate the fighters every night. ”

"Okay, just know it's wrong." I did not continue to criticize Gaidar in this matter, but after one last glance at the fleet sailing in the Volga. Chong shook his head in the tunnel and said, "Let's go, follow me to the forward position to have a look." ”

We walked through the tunnel. Came to the position where the mortar had just been arranged. Standing here, you don't need a telescope to see that the destroyed bunker in the distance is still emitting wisps of black smoke, and there are figures shaking in the nearby trenches, presumably the Germans are cleaning up the mess.

Gaidar said regretfully on the side: "It's a pity that there are not many artillery shells, otherwise dozens of shells will be smashed over, at least dozens of hundreds of German soldiers can be eliminated." ”

Watching the enemy dangling under his eyelids, but not being able to destroy them, anyone would feel aggrieved. However, there is nothing to be done about it, there are not many mortar shells left, and they still need to be saved for later defense or fortification, so I can only regretfully tell Gaidar: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, it is impossible to destroy all the enemies in the position with the pitiful ammunition base left in the mortars." ”

Gaidar nodded, and suddenly asked on a whim: "Comrade division commander, this destroyed artillery observation point once provided accurate firing parameters for the German artillery in the rear. If this observation is lost, I don't think the enemy will rest on their laurels, and they may be able to build new ones here. In order to prevent our artillery fire, the observation points may be set up in fairly secluded places, what should we do then? ”

"You can rest assured, they will not have any more chance to build any artillery observation points." In response to Gaidar's question, I confidently said: "Because I am going to send troops tonight to attack the enemy's camp and destroy as many defenders as possible on the position." ”

As we were talking, two puffs of black smoke suddenly rose from behind the enemy's position, but I did not hear an explosion. I hurriedly raised my binoculars to look at the smoke, and saw a German truck overturned on the ground, and there were many people lying around the car, probably out of the car. Many people were just injured and not dead, and were rolling on the ground in pain.

"Comrade Division Commander, what's going on?" Gaidar asked nervously.

"It may be that the enemy's truck ran over the mines that Captain Mihayev had planted." As I spoke, I handed him the binoculars in my hand and said, "All the infantry in the carriage have fallen, and it is estimated that even if they do not die, they will all be wounded." ”

Gaidar looked at it for a while, and then said excitedly: "Captain Mihayev is really wonderful, he actually thought of laying mines behind the enemy's positions. The hapless truck drove up so stupidly and was blown over. ”

We were rejoicing at the results of Mihayev's operation last night when we suddenly heard chaos in the tunnel, and some people inside were shouting: "Catch him, catch him, don't let him run." ”

Before I could come to my senses, a man had already rushed out of the mouth of the pit with lightning and rushed between me and Gaidar, jumped out of the trench with a single leap, and kept running down the hill. At this time, a group of people poured out of the tunnel, shouting: "The big man has run, the big man has run!" ”

When I understood what they were shouting, I was taken aback, and I quickly looked up the hillside, only to see that it was none other than the big man who had just shaken the morale of the army, and he had run thirty or forty meters away. I hurriedly took off the submachine gun on my shoulder and yelled: "Stand, if you don't stand again, I'll shoot." After shouting, I fired two shots into the air with my submachine gun.

Unexpectedly, after he heard the shouts and gunshots, he not only did not stop, but accelerated his pace. I saw him getting farther and farther away from me. I don't care much. Aiming his submachine gun at his back. Without thinking, the trigger was pulled. Maybe it's because I haven't used a German submachine gun for a long time, my hands are a little rusty, and I don't know where the bullets fly with the muzzle beating.

At this time, the commanders and fighters who came out of the tunnel saw that I was shooting at the big man who was fleeing, so they did the same, raised the weapon in their hands, and pulled the trigger at the back of the big man.

If the big guy is running on flat ground. Maybe he was able to get away with it, and we were able to dodge our bullets. But when going downhill, in order to avoid falling, his speed and flat running must be a little slower. When he was about to run to the foot of the mountain, a dense number of bullets caught up with him, and more than a dozen rifle and machine gun bullets hit him in the back, and his body staggered, and he fell to the ground.

Seeing that the big man was knocked down, the shooting on the position stopped. I put the depleted submachine gun back on my shoulder, turned around and yelled at Coricheng, who was standing beside Gaidar, "Captain, you can introduce me. What the hell is going on, and why are your warriors running to the enemy's side? ”

Ke Licheng lowered his head and said nothing. His body trembled like chaff. Seeing this virtue of his, I wanted to be angry again, but suddenly remembered that last time several soldiers of the 2nd Regiment defected, Kirillov lost his temper and asked Pugachev to shoot the company commander instructor and the platoon commander of the deserter's platoon. Now the soldiers under Ke Licheng are actually running towards the enemy's position in front of me, which is even worse, and he is not afraid of ghosts.

Seeing his frightened appearance, I couldn't bear it, so I stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, and said with a pleasant face: "Captain Ke Licheng, remember this painful lesson." Go back and cooperate well with the political workers in your company, and carry out the necessary political and ideological work to the new soldiers, so as to prevent similar things from happening again. ”

Hearing me say this, Ke Licheng raised his head with an expression of disbelief on his face, maybe he didn't expect me to let him go so easily. He opened his mouth, as if he had something to say, but in the end he didn't say it, and turned his eyes to Gaidar next to him. Gaidar understood what he meant from his gaze, and quickly coughed and asked me tentatively: "Comrade division commander, what are you going to do with Captain Ke Licheng?" ”

"Didn't you take care of everything?" I asked rhetorically, "Do you think I've punished him too lightly and want to punish him personally?" ”

"No, no, it's not. Comrade division commander, you misunderstood. Gaidar hurriedly waved his hand and explained to me: "There are not many commanders in the regiment, and Ke Licheng is a very experienced commander, so I am worried that if you want to deal with him harshly, there will be no commander in Lian Like." ”

I snorted, pulled my legs and walked into the tunnel. After walking a few steps, he found that all the people were still standing in a daze, so he stopped and said to Gaidar: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, what are you still doing there, why don't you follow me to the regimental headquarters quickly." Then I pointed at Ke Licheng with my hand: "And you, Captain Ke Licheng, come along." ”

In this way, Gaidar and Koricheng followed me to the regimental headquarters with trepidation.

Xia Ping was the only one in the headquarters, and when he saw us coming in, he asked nervously: "What happened just now, why did I hear the gunshots outside non-stop?" ”

"There was a soldier who tried to flee to the Germans, but he was shot and killed." After I said this lightly, I bypassed Gaidar and directly instructed Ke Licheng: "Comrade Captain, I have an important task to give you, let you make meritorious service and atone for your crimes, I don't know if you are willing?" ”

"Yes, yes, of course I do." Before I could say what the task was, Ke Licheng agreed one after another.

"Captain, come and see." I called Ke Licheng to the table, pointed to the map on the table, and said to him: "When it gets dark, you take your company and go down the river embankment, from here into the enemy's trenches, and use cold weapons to clear as many enemies from the position as possible." Are you confident that you can accomplish this task? ”

"I promise to get the job done." Ke Licheng replied confidently.

Hearing his answer, I nodded, and said in my heart that as long as I had eliminated a part of the enemy on this forward position, I would be able to let Karpov's troops break out of the German encirclement from this weakly defended position and return to our defense area smoothly. (To be continued......)