As early as when our troops were still assembling at the foot of the mountain, the Germans on the position stopped the construction of fortifications, hid in a trench that was only half dug and put all kinds of weapons on the edge of the trench. The machine-gun or mortar positions in the skirmishers on the outer edge were also ready for battle, and as soon as our troops came into range, they opened fire.

When I saw the Germans in full battle through the binoculars, I couldn't help but worry in my heart, fearing that the counterattacking troops were moving too fast and would enter the range of the German machine guns before the rocket artillery could fire, and in that case they would suffer heavy casualties. Therefore, while watching the stragglers advance in formation, I raised my hand from time to time to look at my watch, silently calculating in my mind what position the artillerymen might march to when they opened fire.

Before our artillery could fire, the mortars on the German positions were already firing first. Several mortar shells whistled down on the open ground and exploded, one of which landed in the first row, and the blast of the explosion knocked several commanders and fighters down, blowing a gap in the neat queue. The commanders and fighters in the back row hurriedly increased their speed and filled the gap in front.

Seeing that our commanders and fighters were under enemy shelling, I was about to turn my head and ask Povsky to inform the rocket launchers to fire in advance, when I heard a strange sound in the air, and then the arrow-like fire pierced the sky, and the rockets with long flame tails drew arcs in the air and landed accurately on the southern slope of position No. 4. The position was immediately enveloped in a sea of fire, and then a terrible rumble was heard.

Half of the counterattacking troops marched on the open ground, and when they saw that their position was enveloped in a sea of fire, they not only did not slow down, but turned from a stray step to a trot. I couldn't help but cry out in surprise when I saw this, because they ran the way they did. Maybe before the second round of rocket artillery salvos began, they rushed into the fire coverage, and then it was a jade and stone burning end.

When our fighters rushed to the four-hundred-meter range, mortars and machine guns on the slopes of the hill, which were not destroyed by artillery fire, opened fire. Sporadic explosions of artillery shells and a rain of bullets from machine guns knocked down our commanders and fighters from time to time.

That's when it happened. The sound of rockets flying in the air was heard again, and a moment later, the southern slope of Position 4 was once again in a sea of fire. Mortars and machine guns, which had been making death a moment ago, fell silent in the fire. Seeing that the enemy's resistance had stopped, our commanders and fighters quickened their charge and quickly rushed towards the southern slope.

Seeing this, Nekrasov exclaimed excitedly: "Great, really wonderful." Comrade commander, you see it. Our fighters rushed up, rushed up, and in no time they were able to retake their positions. ”

I was clearly not as optimistic as Nekrasov, and I looked through the telescope, carefully looking at the hillside that was still full of smoke and craters, and searched for possible survivors.

When the commanders and fighters approached the position halfway up the mountain, a lot of grenades suddenly flew out of the broken trenches that had been blown into the ground. Fall in the middle of the queue and explode. After a large cloud of fire and smoke and dust, the commanders and fighters who were enveloped in it fell one after another. The one who was lucky not to be blown up in the back. He hid in a nearby crater and fired in the direction the grenade was flying from, or threw the grenade he was carrying.

When I saw the fighters shooting at the trenches where the enemy could not see clearly, I suddenly remembered one more thing, and I put down my binoculars and asked Nekrasov: "Comrade Colonel, last time your division was allocated a thousand Kalashnikov rifles. How are you assigned? ”

"Each regiment has three hundred, and the remaining one hundred are under the unified management of the division." Nekrasov replied: "I asked the commander of the 223rd regiment today, and he said that in order to ensure the victory of the counterattack, half of the commanders and fighters of the third battalion were armed with Kalashnikov rifles, and the rest of the commanders and fighters were Bobosha submachine guns or Mosin Lagan rifles. ”

When I heard it, I secretly screamed in my heart. Although this Kalashnikov rifle is easy to use, there is still a familiar process, and letting half of the assault troops change to new weapons, not only will not improve the combat effectiveness, but will greatly reduce the combat effectiveness because the fighters are not familiar with this weapon. However, now that the troops have rushed forward and engaged in melee combat with the remnants of the German army, there is no way to make adjustments.

Povsky asked Nekrasov curiously: "Comrade division commander, you see the trenches on the hillside, which have almost been destroyed by our rocket artillery, but where did those enemies who are still fighting come from?" "I heard the meaning of his words, which was to ask Nekrasov: Didn't you just say that there are no tunnels in position four? So how did so many enemies survive under the cover of our powerful firepower?

In fact, I found out about the question that Povsky asked, but I didn't have time to ask it yet. Since he asked, I kept silent and wanted to hear what Nekrasov had to say.

Nekrasov was silent for a moment, then pointed to the position in the distance and said: "Commander, colonel, look, on both sides of the southern slope, there are communication trenches connecting with the north. I estimate that most of the enemy's forces were hiding on the northern slope when they encountered artillery fire. When our commanders and fighters rushed up the hill and could no longer receive artillery support, they rushed out from the flank and blocked the way for our troops to charge with fire. ”

Although the commanders and fighters on the hillside had no artillery support, they used the craters as cover to evade the enemy's fire blockade with grenades and machine guns, and continued to charge upward. Some fighters were hit by enemy bullets or knocked down by flying shrapnel as soon as they emerged from the crater.

The commanders and fighters hiding in the crater saw their comrades being knocked down one after another, so they did not blindly rush upwards again. Instead, they stood up and fired their guns outwards and crouched, or rolled and crawled from crater to crater.

The Germans were hiding in the trenches, and although the remnants of the defeated soldiers were still shooting and throwing grenades outside, they still could not stop our soldiers from approaching the fortifications little by little. The soldier hiding in the crater threw a series of grenades, and when the trench was blown up with thick smoke and affected the German vision, he decisively jumped out of the crater and rushed into the trench, and started a close combat with the German troops inside.

One point was broken through, and the Germans were in disarray. More and more commanders and fighters jumped out of the crater, rushed into the trenches, mingled with the remaining German officers and soldiers, and engaged in close combat.

Although the observation post I was in was two kilometers away from the place where the battle was fighting, I seemed to hear the shouts of killing on the battlefield echoing in my ears all the time. Under my watch, the German resistance finally ceased, and the commanders and soldiers in the trenches rushed to the northern position in two directions, from east and west, along the communication trenches.

When I saw the red flag flying again over Position 4, I let out a long breath and said in my heart that I would finally take back the damned position. With this lesson, the forward departments will definitely be on higher alert, and it will be impossible for the Germans to take our positions so easily.

Half an hour later, the commander of the 3rd Battalion hurriedly returned to the observation post and personally reported to me the good news of the recapture of the position. I looked carefully at the young lieutenant standing in front of me, and saw that the collar of his collar was open, and his long, narrow face was full of joy and dirt. He happily reported to me: "Comrade commander, we have managed to recapture position No. 4. ”

"Well done, Comrade Captain." I raised my hands and slapped him on the shoulder, and after complimenting him, I told them: "Now that the position has been retaken, hold it well, and the Germans must not be allowed to take it again." Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." The captain replied loudly.

I nodded in satisfaction with the captain's answer. Then he turned around and said to Povsky, who was standing next to him: "Comrade Colonel, you can call the deputy commander and say that position No. 4 has been recaptured, and ask him to immediately report this good news to the front command." ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Povsky, who had witnessed the entire process of recovering position No. 4, resoundingly agreed. (To be continued.) )