We descended from the south side of the hill and came to the parking place. Kol Parkic walked up to his own jeep, pulled open the back door and got inside. I looked left and right, saw that the jeep I was sitting in was parked at the very end of the convoy, and quickly turned around and walked in that direction.

Within a few steps, I heard Kolpacchi calling me from behind. I hurriedly stopped, turned around and trotted to his side, and asked politely: "Comrade commander, do you have any instructions?" ”

He poked his head out of the window and asked with displeasure, "I say, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, where are you going?" ”

I pointed to the back and replied honestly: "Report to Comrade Commander, the car I was in was parked at the very back of the convoy. ”

"That car is reserved for Captain Semykov, you can go with me in this car."

I hurriedly said yes, opened the door of the passenger station and sat in.

Seeing me get into the car, the driver smiled and nodded at me, and instead of driving immediately, he turned his head and asked Kol Pakchi: "Comrade Commander, when can we leave?" ”

"When all the staff officers in the command come down, we'll leave." After Kol Pakchi finished speaking, he leaned back, leaned back in his chair, and began to close his eyes.

However, the staff officers did not make us wait long, and they quickly loaded the trucks with the communication equipment and various documents they were carrying. When a staff officer came to report to Kol Pakchi that he was ready to go, he opened his eyes and said to the driver: "Let's drive!" ”

On the way to the Koska River line, Kolpacic leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, and the driver was driving intently. I saw that I could not find anyone to speak. I had to look out the dark window in a daze.

Jeeps follow rudimentary highways. After almost an hour of driving. Make a turn to the right. By the headlights, I saw a makeshift checkpoint at the junction ahead, and on either side of the road were improvised fortifications made of sandbags, each with two men in steel helmets guarding with machine guns, both pointing at the road.

Seeing our convoy passing, two fighters came out of the checkpoint, raised their hands to stop our car, and asked loudly: "Stand." What part of you are in? ”

I turned my head to look at Kol Pakchi, who was sitting in the back row, and he opened his eyes and ordered me: "Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, you go and negotiate with them and see which part they are?" ”

I said yes, pushed the door open and walked down. The soldiers at the checkpoint were very nervous about my sudden move, and the two soldiers standing in front of the car pointed their guns at me, and even the sound of pulling the bolt of the gun could be heard in the improvised fortifications.

I walked up to the two fighters, and with the help of the light of the headlights, I could see the fighters standing in front of me. Wearing black uniforms, from their open collars. You can clearly see the sea soul shirt inside. Although they wore steel helmets and did not wear those beanieless naval hats with streamers, I was already certain that they belonged to the infantry unit of the navy. So I smiled and asked: "Comrade soldiers, are you from the naval infantry brigade?" ”

The two naval fighters did not answer my question, and after looking at each other, one of them, who was obviously a little higher-ranked, asked tentatively: "Comrade commander, which part are you?" What to do in our line of defense? ”

"I am Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, the adjutant of the army group command, and I accompanied the commander, General Kolpakchi, to the Koska River defense line." After identifying myself, I asked rhetorically, "Which division's defense area is this?" "The reason why I ask this is because when I was listening to the conversation between Korpakchi and Semykov just now, I knew that there were several divisions of the group army in the Koska River defense line at this moment, and we had been driving for a long time in the dark, and we didn't know which division's defensive position had come to the road.

Hearing me say that the commander was in the jeep, the high-ranking soldier glanced sideways at the car, then hurriedly saluted me and respectfully reported: "Report to Comrade Commander, we are from the 102nd Naval Infantry Brigade, belonging to the 192nd Infantry Division, and a few hundred meters further ahead, there is our brigade headquarters, the brigade commander...... No, now the division commander, comrade division commander and several commanders of other friendly forces are meeting inside. ”

At this time, Kolpacchi also pushed the car door and walked down, and the two naval soldiers hurriedly raised their hands to salute him. He nodded and asked, "Comrade warrior, you are a subordinate of Lieutenant Colonel Tarantsev, right?" Having heard the warrior's loud answer, he ordered the warrior again, "Get in the car and take us to the command." ”

After Kol Pakchi and I got into the car, the fighter waved his hands in the direction of the checkpoint and shouted, "Move the barricades!" After shouting, he walked to the driver's side, stepped on the pedal and stood up, and the whole person hung outside the car door to show us the way.

On the way to the headquarters, we met two patrols and stopped us to ask for instructions. Fortunately, the soldiers who led the way for us knew the password, and we were able to reach the headquarters unimpeded.

Two sentries stood at the door of the headquarters, and when they saw our convoy coming, they came to check it with their guns, and then the soldiers who led the way jumped out of the car, walked up to the sentries, first gave the password, and showed them who we were. The sentry slung the gun back on his shoulder and walked outside our car and raised his hand in salute.

After Kolpakchi got out of the car, the soldier who led the way hurriedly ran back to his side and said flatteringly: "Comrade commander, the command is here, do you need me to go in and call the comrade brigade commander out to meet you?" ”

Kol Pakchi waved his hand and said, "No need, I'll go in by myself." Comrade soldier, now you should return to your post, thank you for leading the way. After speaking, he reached out and shook the fighter, and after letting go of his hand, he shook his head at me, "Let's go, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, let's go to the headquarters." ”

I followed Kol Parkic into the command. In the middle of this cramped room, there was a large wooden table, around which seven or eight commanders were spitting smoke, and although there was a gas lamp hanging on each of the four walls, the light in the room was still dim.

"Hello, comrades commanders!" As soon as Kolpacki stopped, he greeted the people in the house loudly.

When the people in the house heard Kolpacchi's voice, they all stood up one after another, walked over from the table and saluted him, and for a time the room was as lively as a vegetable market.

After everyone had greeted each other, Kolpacki pulled me in front of everyone and introduced them, "This is my adjutant, Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina." "Seeing that the commander's adjutant was a woman, the commanders present couldn't help but be stunned, staring at me in a daze, and no one spoke.

Seeing this, Korpakchi pursed his lips and pointed to the commander in front of him to introduce me: "This is Major General Volkhin, the commander of the 147th Division, and next to him is his political commissar Comrade Kotov. ”

"Major General Novikov, commander of the 181st Division, and his political commissar Comrade Rudenko."

"This is the master of this command, the commander of the 102nd Naval Infantry Brigade, and now the commander of the 192nd Division, Lieutenant Colonel Tarantsev."

Every time Kolpacchi introduced a commander, I raised my hand to salute and greeted him politely.

When he was done, Kolpacic walked over to the table and sat down, beckoning the rest of the conductor to take their seats. I knew that I was not qualified to sit in this situation, so I obediently came to the wall, stood with my back against the log wall, and honestly served as my bystander.

After glancing at all the commanders present, Kolpacic asked, "What were you talking about in a meeting before I came?" ”

"Report Comrade Commander," replied Lieutenant Colonel Tarantsev, standing up, "we are studying the division of the respective defense zones. ”

Hearing him say this, Kolpakchi frowned slightly, with a displeased expression on his face, and then he asked in a stern tone: "Isn't the defense area of the Koska River defense line already divided?" Why do you deploy your forces in areas that don't follow the division of the group army, but here you study the redivision of defense zones? ”

General Volkhin of the 147th Division stood up and said: "Comrade commander, do you know that the defensive fronts of our division and the 181st division are too wide, and now there is an additional 102nd Naval Infantry Brigade, and we are planning to deploy them at the junction of the two divisions. The defensive frontage of our two divisions was shortened, and more troops could be put into the depth of the defense, so that we would have a greater chance of holding back the German attack. ”

At this time, the staff officers who had withdrawn with us walked into the headquarters one after another, saluted Korpakci, and began to get busy. The communications staff officers placed several leading telephones on the wooden table, but the telephone that had been placed on the table was picked up by a staff officer, and it seemed that he was planning to take it.

Tarantsev looked at them blankly, and asked the communications staff officer who took the phone in confusion: "Comrade staff officer, you took my phone away, how can I still command the troops?" ”

The staff officer, who had the phone in his hand, did not answer his question, but glanced at Kol Pakchi. Korpakich hurriedly stood up and explained to Tarantsev: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I intend to place the new temporary command here. You can't let me use a brigade-level telephone line to command an entire group army, right? When we're done with the meeting, you'll find a place next to you and move your headquarters there. After saying that, he waved his hand at the staff officer, signaling him to do what he should do, and not to bother with Tarantsev.

When Tarantsev saw the commander say this, he had to smile bitterly and sit down again. Unexpectedly, as soon as he sat down, Kolpakchi asked him again: "Comrade Tarantsev, have your troops entered the new defense zone?" ”

Tarantsev hurriedly stood up again and replied: "Report Comrade Commander, the commanders and fighters of the 102nd Naval Infantry Brigade have all entered the designated positions an hour ago. The defeated troops of the 192nd Division, after containment and reorganization, will enter positions in the morning. (To be continued......)