When I heard that the other party had been a tank soldier, I casually asked, "Which unit was you in before?" ”

"I'm a subordinate of General Rybalko," Yurda said though he was a little lame on one foot, but it didn't affect him to stand in a good military posture, "My tank was hit by German artillery fire during the attack on Kharkiv. It was my captain who risked his life to rescue me from the car and help me escape to safety. However, my leg was so badly injured that I was left disabled, so I was demobilized. ”

"Comrade Youerda, you are good." After complimenting him in an official tone, I asked curiously: "I want to ask you, why didn't you repair this destroyed German tank and transform it into an armored tractor?" ”

Yurda did not answer my question immediately, but took out a small notebook from his pocket and handed it to me, and said with a blank face: "Comrade General, please take a look." ”

I opened the small notebook he handed over, and saw that it was like a ledger, recording what type of tank was dragged back at such and such a place in a certain year and month. I didn't look closely, but I flipped through it roughly, and found that it was full of similar content, so I closed the book and handed it back to him, and at the same time couldn't help but ask more curiously: "Comrade Youerda, do you want to explain anything by showing me this book?" ”

"Comrade General, don't you understand?" Yuerda, who took the notebook, said with an aggrieved face: "The above record is the number of damaged tanks I pulled back on the battlefield." ”

I vaguely guessed what he wanted to say, and deliberately teased him: "I can see clearly, the number of tanks you pulled back from the battlefield is really quite a lot." It's almost all together into a tank brigade. But. This and you transform a German tank into an armored tractor. What's the connection? ”

Yurda's face turned red, and he stiffened his neck in defense: "Comrade General, don't you know that if our tank is damaged and is not pulled back in time, and it remains on the battlefield to suffer enemy shells, then it will cause us great losses, because it will be difficult to repair later, or it will take a long time to repair." ”

Maintenance workers overhauling tanks. I don't know when they gathered around us, and after listening to Yurda's defense, they couldn't help but let out a good-natured laugh. After listening to everyone's laughter, I looked at Youerda and said with a smile: "Comrade Youerda, can you explain it more comprehensively?" If I think you have a point, then I will allow you to leave this tractor behind, otherwise, it will have to be repaired again and used to equip our tank troops. ”

Yurda continued to stand upright in front of me. After he waited for me to finish, he settled an account with me without humility or arrogance. It is used to prove how many tanks can be added to our army that can be put back into battle, although one tank is repaired. He also explained to me the flexibility and cross-country ability of the tank base used as a tractor with detailed data, and even gave an example of other maintenance teams that suffered a lot of casualties because they used tractor tractors to tow tanks on the battlefield, and many excellent repair workers died in vain, but he was unscathed in this armored tractor.

After he finished speaking, seeing that I did not express any opinions, he deliberately emphasized: "Comrade General, it was with this thick, heavily armored and powerful tractor that I managed to send 21 heavy tanks and 39 medium tanks to the repair site after they lost their combat effectiveness, and enabled them to return to the battlefield in the shortest possible time. ”

I waited for him to finish, glanced at the two medals hanging from his left chest, and asked, "Comrade Yurda, have you been rewarded?" ”

"Yes." As he spoke, Yurda pointed to the medal on his chest and said, "These two medals are the encouragement of my superiors for my achievements. ”

I nodded and said to him, "Comrade Yuerda, a big battle is about to be. If you can tow more tanks back from the battlefield in battle, then I'll award you another medal. ”

I thought that after hearing my words, Yuerda would be so excited that he was at a loss, but who knew that he said with a faint expression: "Comrade General, I don't need any medals." ”

"Why?" His answer almost hit my jaw on the ground. In the Soviet Union, a country that prides itself on honor, there are people who would voluntarily refuse such honors, so I was surprised and asked: "Comrade Yurda, can you tell me your reasons?" ”

Yurda turned his head to look at the modified armored tractor next to him, and said in a firm tone: "Comrade General, I don't need any medals, I just hope you can agree to let me keep this tractor." ”

I smiled at his request, and then said, "Okay, Comrade Yurda, since you are so insistent, then I will agree to your request." In the future, if anyone asks about this, you will say that this armored tractor was agreed by General Oshanina to be left behind. ”

This incident may mean a lot to Yuerda, but it is a trivial matter for me. As soon as I returned to the headquarters, Bezikov greeted me and anxiously asked: "Comrade commander, where have you been, we are looking for you everywhere." ”

When I heard Bezikov's tone, I guessed that something must have happened, and asked with concern: "Chief of Staff, what happened?" ”

Betzikov handed me a piece of paper he was holding in his hand and said, "See for yourself." A small force of the Germans, occupying a small village a few kilometers from us. ”

After a brief reading of the piece of paper he handed me, I saw that there was no more detailed information than to report that the Germans had occupied the village, so I asked: "How many troops does the enemy have, and what kind of equipment does he have?" ”

Betzikov shook his head and replied, "The village is not large, so we have only about a squad of troops left to guard it. When the enemy attacked, the fighters who had called to report to us had not yet spoken, and communication was cut off. ”

I scanned the command headquarters with my eyes, saw that there was no one else except the operator on duty and Bezkov, and asked again: "Where are the deputy commanders and military commissars?" ”

"They're still resting in their rooms." Bezkov explained to me: "I feel that first of all I should report to you. After all, you are the commander of the army group. ”

"Let them be called." Although I have a good personal relationship with the Bezikov goose. But in this case. I still told him, "Also, you should immediately send someone to reconnoiter and find out the number of German troops and weapons and equipment in the village." Do you understand? ”

"Understood, Comrade Commander." Listening to my harsh tone, Bezkov immediately and decisively agreed, then turned and walked out of the command.

A few minutes later, Kirillov and Danilov walked into the command in a panic. As soon as you enter the door. Kirillov hurriedly asked me: "Lida, I heard from Bezikov that there was a small force of the enemy who occupied a village near the headquarters, what is going on?" ”

I handed him the piece of information on the table and said, "The chief of staff said that only one squad of our army was stationed in the village, and when the enemy was found attacking them, the telephone was cut off in the middle of the conversation, so we have no way of knowing the details of the village. ”

"What's going on with our troops?" Danilov said with a strong sense of getting up: "I didn't hold on for even a few minutes, and the Germans served it." ”

"Comrade Deputy Commander." I said to him with some helplessness: "Our fighters have not had time to report the news. The reasons are manifold. You know, when the Germans launched a sneak attack, they were probably still sleeping. By the time the enemy had rushed into the village and reacted, it was already a little too late. ”

After I finished speaking, Kirillov continued: "Yes, our fighters cannot be blamed entirely for this matter. Perhaps it will not be easy for the Germans to touch our sentries first, and then sneak into the places where the fighters live in batches and kill them in their sleep, so that the fighters can alert us. Speaking of this, he looked up at me, "In the past, Leda used to use this kind of sneak attack tactics to deal with the enemy, and the enemy was miserable, but I didn't expect that now the enemy has also learned this set." ”

"By the way, Bezkov just sent someone to call us, where is he now?" Danilov asked.

"I asked the chief of staff to arrange for men to find out the situation of the German troops in the village." I looked up at my watch and saw that Bezzikov had been gone for more than ten minutes, "He should be in the reconnaissance battalion now, right?" ”

"Comrade commander, I feel that we should leave and launch a counterattack to drive the enemy out of our village." Danilov said in a stern voice: "Orders should be given to the reconnaissance battalion immediately so that they are ready for all battles." ”

Hearing that Danilov planned to use the reconnaissance battalion as an ordinary unit, I hurriedly waved my hand and objected: "No, comrade deputy commander, the role played by each commander and fighter of the reconnaissance battalion is stronger than that of a squad of an ordinary unit. So we must not use them as ordinary troops, this is a waste. ”

While he was talking, Bedzikov hurriedly walked in from outside. When he saw that we were all there, he said straight to the point: "When I first went to the reconnaissance battalion, Major Akhromeyev was also there, so I explained the reconnaissance mission to him and asked him to arrange competent men to carry out the reconnaissance mission. ”

In order not to allow the reconnaissance battalion to charge like an ordinary unit, I turned to Bezikov and asked: "Chief of Staff, what troops are in our vicinity?" ”

Bezikov thought for a moment and replied: "A battalion of the 71st Guards Division is about two kilometers east of the village. If you want to destroy the enemy in the village, you can order this unit to attack. ”

"Call Colonel Sivakov and inform him about this and get his troops ready for battle." After I finished these words, I suddenly thought that if I could have a few tanks to support me, I could reduce the casualties of our army in the battle, and added: "Where can I find tanks?" ”

When Bezikov heard this, he looked at me with strange eyes and said in surprise: "Comrade commander, have you forgotten that the 22nd Guards Tank Brigade of General Kravchenko is stationed near us and can be transferred over to fight at any time. ”

"This is very good," I felt relieved when I heard that there was a tank brigade stationed nearby, and then ordered: "Comrade Chief of Staff, let them send two tank companies to assist in the offensive battle of the 71st Guards Division." ”

While our side was in full swing to deploy troops, the information of Akhromeyev, who had gone on a reconnaissance mission, also came back one after another. According to intelligence, the Germans occupying the village had about two companies of troops, equipped with tanks, armored vehicles, mortars, and a large number of MG42 general-purpose machine guns in the newly constructed fortifications outside the village.

After seeing the information I received, I asked a few people present: "Comrade commanders, what do you think about this matter?" ”

Kirillov took the information and looked at it for a while, then said: "Judging from the enemy's equipment, it should be an elite unit. Unfortunately, our scouts couldn't get close to the village, so they couldn't figure out their numbers. ”

"Are there any of our people in the village?" Danilov asked Bezikov worriedly.

Danilov's problem, too, worries me. If there were our villagers in the village, we would be constrained when attacking, and the combat effectiveness of the commanders and fighters would be at most half of what they usually were. So our attention is focused on Beziakov and see what he will say.

When Bezikov shook his head, all those present breathed a sigh of relief. In order to reassure everyone, Bezikov also added: "There were originally dozens of families in this village, but during the battle of Kharkov, they saw the victory of our army and were afraid that the Germans would come over, so they all evacuated to other places." ”

Thinking that I didn't have to worry about the rat trap, I was much more confident in my heart, and after Bezikov finished speaking, I said calmly: "Since they are surrounded, then destroy them all, and don't let any of them go!" ”

As soon as I finished speaking, Bezikov continued: "Comrade commander, if you want to annihilate them all, the strength of this battalion of the 71st Wei Division may not be enough, and the cooperation of other troops is needed. ”

I listened to what he said, and it seemed that I could mobilize more troops nearby, so I asked strangely: "Chief of Staff, do we have any other troops nearby?" ”

"Of course, of course." Bezikov said with some pride: "Since the Fifth Guards Tank Army took over our defense in the Prokhorov region two days ago, the 375th Infantry Division, which was originally stationed there, has been drawn to our vicinity. "It's here, not far from that village." ”

"Well, since there are still our troops nearby, then call Colonel Govorinenko again and ask them to send troops over." Since there are troops nearby, I will definitely transfer as many troops as possible and concentrate superior forces in a war of annihilation, which is one of the tricks to victory on the battlefield. (To be continued.) )