"What, the heights have been recaptured?!" Chuikov was overjoyed to hear the news, he took the telegram in my hand, flipped through it several times, and still couldn't believe it was true.

Not only did Chuikov, Gurov, and Krylov rejoice that our division had regained the 107.5 heights, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw the commander and political commissar of the tank corps also breathe a sigh of relief.

After reading the telegram, Chuikov handed it to Gurov again, walked straight to the tank commander and commissar, and said to the two with a stern expression: "General Bondarev, Commissar Volmanov. Since Colonel Oshanina's independent division has helped you regain your position, then you will directly lead your troops back to hold it, and if you lose it again, I will personally bring both of you to court-martial. ”

Hearing Chuikov's harsh words, the general Bondarev quickly straightened up and said in a low voice: "Comrade commander, I will move the command post back to the 107.5 heights." ”

Gurov also walked in front of the two of them, and said slowly: "General Bondarev, this time, since Colonel Oshanina's troops recaptured your lost positions in a timely and decisive manner, and did not cause much damage to our defensive line, the leadership of the army group will not deal with you organizationally. I hope that when you return this time, you will strengthen your fortifications and be ready for a tough battle with the Germans. ”

Hearing Gurov say this, Bondarev and Formanov looked at each other in surprise, and the political commissar replied: "Please rest assured, comrade commander, military commissar, and chief of staff, on behalf of the army commander, I will express my position to you, as long as there is still a commander and fighter on our position." The Germans will never be allowed to occupy our heights again. ”

The answer of the commissar of Folmanov. Jean Gurov nodded in satisfaction. Then he waved at the two of them: "It's not too early, you should hurry back to the army." ”

Bondarev and Formanov raised their hands to salute Chuikov and Gurov and bid them farewell. Having inadvertently spotted General Bondarev glancing at me with a hateful gaze, I turned around and walked out of the army group headquarters with his commissar.

After the departure of Bondarev, who was hostile to me, I was about to say goodbye to Chuikov and rush back to Mamayev at once. Unexpectedly, a few of them became busy all of a sudden, either answering the phone or reading telegrams, and they were very busy. Seeing this situation, I can't talk about it anymore, so I can only stand by and wait. Of course, I did not stand still and stupidly, but while listening to their phone calls, I studied the map on the table, and studied the marks and arrows they drew on the map, and I was interested in the current development of the situation in Stalingrad on both sides.

At this moment, another staff officer came in from outside and reported to Chuikov: "Comrade commander, the deputy commander of the Front, General Golikov, has arrived. Now it's outside the door. ”

Hearing the staff officer's report, a look of surprise appeared on Chuikov's face. He put the phone aside and greeted Gurov and Krylov, who were discussing in a low voice with a few telegrams: "Comrade Military Commissar, Chief of Staff, Deputy Commander of the Front Army is here, let's go out to meet him." ”

"You're welcome, Comrade Chuikov, I'm coming in myself." With the voice, the deputy commander of the front army, whom I had once met, strode into the headquarters.

"Hello, dear Philip. Ivanovich, welcome to the headquarters of the 62nd Army, it is a pleasure to meet you here. Chuikov was the first to salute the other and affectionately called each other's real and patronymic names, and then their hands clasped tightly together.

Golikov was apparently an acquaintance with Chuikov, and the two began to talk cordially: "Me too, dear Vasily. Ivanovich. I haven't had time to congratulate you on your assumption of the post of commander of the 62nd Army. ”

After Chuikov let go of his hand, he jokingly asked, "Why did you have time to come to my headquarters today, didn't you come specifically to congratulate me?" ”

"Of course not, I was ordered to go to the front line to find out the deployment of various troops."

After General Golikov explained his intentions, Gurov also came forward to shake hands with him and greet him. Golikov took Gurov's hand and asked with concern: "Kuzma. Comrade Akimovich, it doesn't matter what your condition is, do you need me to make a request to Comrade Stalin to let you go to Moscow to recuperate? ”

Gurov shook his head and rejected Golikov's kindness: "Thank you, Comrade Deputy Commander, my combat post is in Stalingrad. While my comrades-in-arms and subordinates were fighting bloody battles with the Germans, I hid in Moscow, a thousand kilometers away, to recuperate, which was an act of desertion and was absolutely not allowed. ”

Golkov heard Gurov speak so resolutely that he had no choice but to say helplessly: "Since this is the case, then you can continue to stay at the front line, but I remind you to pay more attention to your body." ”

Gurov nodded vigorously and replied: "Please rest assured, Comrade Deputy Commander, I will take care of my body." ”

Golikov walked up to Krylov again, stretched out his hand and shook his hand and said: "Hello, Chief of Staff Krylov, as far as I know, in the past half a month before Comrade Chuikov took office, due to the wounding of the acting commander General Kolpakchi, you have been commanding the troops of the army group, fighting tenaciously with the Germans, thwarting the German army's attempt to quickly seize Stalingrad. On behalf of the military and civilians of Stalingrad, I thank you! With that, he let go of Krylov's hand, took a step back, and raised his hand to give a solemn military salute.

After meeting with several main leaders of the group army, Golikov inadvertently turned around and found that I was also standing in the command headquarters, and couldn't help but be stunned, and then asked puzzled: "Colonel Oshanina, I remember that you are the commander of an independent division, what did you do when you didn't stay in the army to command the operation, and ran to the headquarters of the group army?" ”

When he asked this, he really stopped me, can I tell him that the reason why I appeared at the headquarters of the army group was because the commander of the tank army, General Bondarev, abandoned his position without authorization, exposing the flanks of our division in front of the German troops, and came to the commander to complain?

Fortunately, Chuikov relieved me of the siege in time, and he bluntly told Sù Golikov: "Comrade Deputy Commander. That is true. Major General Bondarev, commander of the Tank Corps, who held the 107.5th heights. Without the permission of the army group, he moved his command post from the heights to the city, and the Germans quickly occupied the heights and threatened the flanks of the independent divisions holding the Mamayev Heights. ”

"What?" When Golikov heard Chuikov say this, his brows immediately tightened, and he said dissatisfiedly: "How dare General Bondarev do this, you must know that according to the Order of the People's Commissariat of Defense No. 227, without permission. No one is allowed to retreat without permission, otherwise those who give the order will be brought directly to a court-martial. Comrade Chuikov, what did you do with General Bondarev? Is there still a lost position to recapture? ”

"Soon after the occupation of the heights, the Germans were discovered by the troops of Colonel Oshanina, who took the initiative to launch a fierce attack on the enemy troops occupying our positions, and after fierce battles, they had completely annihilated the enemy on the heights and recaptured the positions of our troops." Speaking of which, Chuikov shrugged his shoulders and added. "Now that the heights have been recaptured, the impact on the defensive zone of our army is not great. So instead of dealing with Comrade Bondarev, he and his commissar were ordered to immediately move the command post back to the heights. ”

After listening to this, Golikov said to Chuikov very unhappily: "Comrade Chuikov, it is not right for you to do this. You should immediately arrest General Bondarev and his commissar and immediately bring them to a court-martial, and put the tank corps under the command of someone else you trust. Such people who are greedy for life and afraid of death are no longer worthy to remain in our ranks and hold important command positions. ”

Golikov's words immediately made me feel like a confidant, and you must know that I also felt that the commander and commissar of this tank corps should be sent to a military court. Fortunately, the battle in our area was not fierce yet, otherwise it would not have been so easy to destroy the Germans when they had gained a foothold on the 107.5 heights.

Seeing that Golikov wanted to severely punish Bondarev and them, Gurov also stood up to intercede for the two, and he said sincerely: "Comrade Deputy Commander, the current situation is very chaotic, if we arrest Bondarev and his political commissar, then who should we send to command the troops?" If a person from a unit that is not familiar at all is sent to take over the command of the tank army, it is possible to cause unnecessary confusion among the commanders and fighters. That's why we made the decision not to deal with them, but I also made it clear that if something like this happens, they will be court-martialed. ”

Seeing that both Chuikov and Gurov had the intention of defending General Bondarev, Golikov no longer rapped with the two, but sat down and waved his hand, and directly changed the topic to other aspects. He said in a heavy tone: "Comrade commanders, yesterday, that is, September 3, Comrade Stalin called General Zhukov and said that according to the analysis of the current situation, the German army is very likely to storm Stalingrad, so the Supreme Commander himself directly gave Comrade Chuikov a death order, demanding that the German troops near Stalingrad be immediately assaulted to ease the tense situation outside the city. ”

"Does General Zhukov have any plans?" Chuikov asked nervously.

Golikov first glanced around, and when I saw that his gaze fell on me, in order to avoid suspicion, I took the initiative to ask him: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I'd better avoid it." ”

Unexpectedly, Golikov said magnanimously: "Since Colonel Oshanina is also here, then stay and listen, the new counterattack may also need the assistance of an independent division." "Since he asked me to stay and observe, I was not polite, and sat down next to Chief of Staff Krylov.

Golikov said: "In order to reverse this unfavorable situation, after a short period of preparation, General Zhukov decided to counterattack the German army with the forces of the 1st Guards Army, the 24th Army and the 66th Army in the northern area of Stalingrad tomorrow, in the early morning of September 5. ”

Hearing the news, whether it was Chuikov, Gurov or Krylov, their faces showed a smile of relief. And I still stared at Golikov with a blank face, because only I knew in my heart that this counterattack, although it effectively delayed the German attack on the city and bought precious time for future defensive and counteroffensive operations, ended in failure.

Seeing that there was no expression of surprise on my face, Golikov asked curiously: "Colonel Oshanina." What are you thinking? Why hear this. There was no reaction at all? ”

Of course, I could not tell him that the counterattack was not broken through the encirclement formed by the Germans outside the city because the preparations for the campaign were too hasty, neither sufficient troops nor the necessary heavy equipment were gathered, and especially the number of artillery to cover the infantry attack was very limited. But when I heard him ask, I quickly thought of a fitting reason: "I'm sorry." Comrade Deputy Commander, I am thinking about what role my independent division will play in this counterattack operation? I was too preoccupied with it for a while, so please forgive me. ”

A kind smile appeared on Golikov's face, and he said disappreciatively: "I thought you were thinking about something, but you were thinking about it." I will tell you that, according to our analysis, after the start of the counterattack, it is possible that the Germans will pounce on Stalingrad along the Volga, and that the Mamayev Heights, which your independent division is guarding, is a floodgate. You have to do everything you can to hold the Germans back. They must not be allowed to storm Stalingrad, otherwise our assault troops will be cut off by the enemy. Comrade Colonel, do you understand what I mean? ”

I nodded vigorously, and it was strange that I couldn't understand it, if the Germans had gained a firm foothold on the Mamayev post, even if they didn't rush into the city, they only needed to put dozens of heavy guns and bombard the city all the time, then Stalingrad would not be able to hold it either. However, I replied very dryly: "Rest assured, Comrade Deputy Commander, that my independent division will resolutely keep the Germans out of the Mamayev Heights, so that they will not be able to rush into the city." I have one more request, though. ”

"What request? Listen, if I can do it, I'll solve it for you right away. ”

"Can you equip our division with an artillery unit? It doesn't matter if it's an ordinary artillery company or an anti-tank company, just one company is enough. You know, there are no artillery and no tanks in my division, and the anti-tank weapons, except for a few anti-tank grenades, are only a few hundred Molotov cocktails, and if the Germans only have a few tanks, there is no problem, and if the number of tanks is large, we will be helpless against them. ”

Without waiting for Golikov to answer, Chuikov preemptively asked: "Didn't I equip you with a heavy howitzer battalion before, why don't you use it, is it all consumed in the early defensive battle?" ”

I shook my head and said helplessly and aggrievedly: "No, Comrade Commander. In the early battles, I protected this artillery battalion like my own eyes. After such a long battle, not a single gun of the artillery battalion lost a single gunner. But when our division changed guards, Chief of Staff Raskin left this artillery battalion behind, saying that they belonged to the 64th Army. ”

"What nonsense, how could Colonel Raskin do that." After listening to my explanation, Chuikov just muttered in a low voice and didn't say anything more, presumably he was unwilling to turn his face with his former partner for the sake of a trivial matter in an artillery battalion.

Golikov thought for a while, and then said to me: "Colonel Oshanina, I thought for a moment, if you don't have artillery, it will be difficult to hold the high ground. Well, then, I'll go back and report this to Commander Yeremenko, and try to send you two batteries of anti-tank artillery to strengthen the anti-tank forces on the heights. ”

Hearing Golikov say this, I was overjoyed, quickly stood up and raised my hand to salute him, and said gratefully: "Thank you, Comrade Deputy Commander, with these two artillery batteries, I will definitely be able to hold the high ground." ”

After I sat down, Chuikov also began to mention the conditions to Golikov: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I also feel the need to send a few more new divisions to our army, because almost all the corps and units of the 62nd Army have been greatly weakened in the recent battles, and some BBS even have only a few hundred fighters left. As early as the Great Bend of the Don River, the 62nd Army suffered severe losses due to erroneous command. ”

Golikov did not immediately express his opinion after hearing this, but took out a pen and paper, spread the notebook on the table, and said unhurriedly: "Comrade Chuikov, can you provide me with an accurate number of the 62nd Army?" Only then will I be able to convince Commander Yeremenko when I go back. ”

Chuikov turned his head to look at Krylov and asked hopefully: "General Krylov, you are the chief of staff of the army group, I wonder if you can provide General Golikov with the number he needs?" ”

Krylov stood up. Confidently said, "No problem." The number of all units of the army group and the number of people in existence. It's all in my head. ”

When Chuikov heard his chief of staff say this, a relaxed expression appeared on his face, and he stretched out his hand to Krylov to make a gesture of invitation, and at the same time said: "Then please, Comrade Chief of Staff." ”

Krylov nodded, then turned his head to look at Golikov and said respectfully: "Comrade Deputy Commander, I will now begin to introduce you to the situation of our army group. At present, the 62nd Army is organized. In total, there are 10 infantry divisions, 3 infantry brigades, 1 fortified area, 2 tank corps, 2 motorized infantry brigades, 1 tank brigade, 3 cannon regiments, 10 anti-tank artillery regiments, 1 mortar regiment, 2 rocket artillery regiments. 1 rocket artillery battalion, 2 anti-aircraft artillery regiments. 2 engineer battalions. Although there were many numbers, due to the heavy losses in the previous stage, the 62nd Army at this time had only 54,000 men left, and of course this number was not counted in the independent division of Colonel Oshanina. We have about 900 artillery pieces of various types and 110 tanks. The actual number of combatants in each division and brigade is only 200 to 300, and some divisions are fully equipped with a few artillery pieces and a few machine guns. And the situation is even worse with tank brigades, where only 6-10 tanks remain in each brigade. ”

After listening to Krylov's report, Golikov was silent for a long time, and when he finally put away his pen and paper, he finally made up his mind and said: "Okay, Comrade Chuikov, when I go back, I will report the situation here to General Zhukov and Commander Yeremenko as it is." At the same time, I will make a request to the Military Council of the Front to send several more fully manned divisions to your 62nd Army to strengthen your defensive zone. ”

Hearing Golikov's statement, both Chuikov and Gurov excitedly thanked him again and again. At this time, Golikov suddenly asked: "Chief of Staff Krylov, I am curious about one thing, why did you not count the independent division in the number you just counted?" ”

The question asked by Golikov is exactly what I want to ask: has the independent division been put into a separate book in the minds of the leaders of the army group, and even the counting of the number of people has ignored us? I looked at Krylov with my eyes and waited eagerly for him to give him the final answer.

Unexpectedly, Krylov said lightly: "Comrade Deputy Commander, you may not know that the Independent Division was transferred from the 64th Army to the command of our Group Army only today, and there is no time to count it, so in the reported numbers, the Independent Division is not included." ”

After listening to Krylov's explanation, I was really angry and funny, it turned out to be such a simple reason, you said it earlier, but it was so mysterious, and it made me think about it for a long time.

Golikov looked at his watch, then at Chuikov and Gurov, then stood up and said, "Okay, let's stop here today, I have to go to other defense areas to check the defense situation." ”

Krylov warmly retained him and said: "Comrade Deputy Commander, look, you have been here for a long time, and you have not even been entertained with a cup of tea. Otherwise, you can stay and have some tea and something to eat before leaving. ”

Golikov waved his hand and politely declined Krylov's kindness: "No, Comrade Chief of Staff, let's save the tea for later, now the first thing to consider is how to defeat the Germans outside the city." Wishing you all good health! After saying that, he stretched out his hand and shook hands with Chuikov, Gurov, and Krylov in turn. When he finally shook my hand, he repeatedly admonished: "Colonel Oshanina, I have great trust in you, and I hope that after replenishing the artillery battery for you, you will be able to resolutely hold the Mamayev post." ”

In the face of his trust, I had no choice but to express my determination again: "Please rest assured, Comrade Deputy Commander, that I promise to complete the task you have entrusted to me, to nail it firmly to the Mamayev post like a nail, and to never let the Germans move forward." ”

Sending Golikov away, Chuikov smiled and said to Gurov: "Philip. Ivanovich is still the same as when he was the head of the reconnaissance bureau before, he is used to collecting all kinds of intelligence to make analysis for his superiors, and even Colonel Oshanina's troops are stationed at Mamayev Post, and we haven't had time to report it, but he also knows it in detail. ”

Gurov smiled and said: "However, I heard a rumor that when he was the deputy chief of the General Staff and the director of the reconnaissance bureau, he received an unrealistic criticism of the alarm information about the German attack on the Soviet Union reported by the Eastern spy team, and then reported it to Comrade Stalin, saying that this may be false information from the British and a discordant plan carried out by the British and the United States against us. It was his criticism that misled the Supreme Commander's judgment on the Soviet-German war, and we were caught off guard by the German army. ”

Although the two were talking in a low voice, their words still startled me, it turned out that the alarm information sent by the Sorge group in Tokyo before the war was sent to the hands of this General Golikov, but because of his self-righteousness, such an important piece of information was ignored, and the Soviet army did not have the necessary preparations before the German army launched the war, and as a result, the war was defeated by the German army.

While Chuikov and Gurov were talking in a whisper, Chief of Staff Krylov was answering the phone again and writing and drawing in the notebook in front of him with a pencil. After putting down the microphone, he tore off a page from his notebook, handed it to Chuikov, and at the same time reported: "Comrade commander, this is a telephone call yesterday from Colonel Saraev, commander of the internal 10th Division, which was assigned to the command of our group army, and he said that the three infantry regiments 269, 272, and 282 under the jurisdiction of the division, have entered the fortifications. And his political commissar, Comrade Kuznetsov, also has at his disposal several armed guards of 1,500 policemen, firefighters, and workers in various factories and regions led by the commanders of fortresses and defense districts......"

When Krylov reported here, he unintentionally looked up, saw me still standing next to me, and couldn't help but ask strangely: "Colonel Oshanina, why are you still standing here, why don't you go back to your own unit?" ”

Hearing him say this, Chuikov and Gurov also noticed my storage, and Chuikov turned his face and said: "Comrade Oshanina, there is no business for you here, you can go back to Mamayev Gang." ”

When I heard this order from him, I hurriedly raised my hand and saluted, and then ran out of the army headquarters with a quick pace. (To be continued......)

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