Kolpakchi walked back and forth in the command headquarters with his hands behind his back, as if talking to himself and asking Gurov: "No matter how you look at it, a newly formed unit like the 229th Division is simply no match for the powerful Germans." Can just two infantry battalions, lacking anti-tank weapons, defend the village of Savinsky? Impossible, impossible. ”

Gurov's eyes kept following Korpachchi's movements, and he tried to continue: "Comrade commander, although the 64th Army was reorganized from the reserve army, under the leadership of such an excellent commander as Comrade Chuikov, they can fully undertake combat missions in a region. The potential combat capability of the troops can only be fully displayed in brutal battles. In addition, the weapons and equipment of the 64th Army are better than those of ordinary troops, and at a critical moment, the combat effectiveness is not trivial. At this point, he found that Kolpacic had stopped listening, so he stopped at the right time.

Instead of commenting, Kolpacic beckoned to me and motioned for me to come to his side. I stood by the wall like a stake for a long time, and I was not noticed by them, and now that the commander called me, I did not dare to slack off, and hurriedly ran a few steps forward in front of him, and asked politely: "Comrade commander, do you have any orders?" ”

Kolpakchi asked: "Comrade Oshanina, now the situation with the friendly neighboring forces is very bad, what do you say we should do?" ”

Kolparkic's question made me hesitate a little, and I didn't know how to answer it. I don't know if he really asked me for advice, or if he just asked. I was worried that the situation from the other day would happen again, so I turned to Gurov, who was sitting next to me, for help. Unexpectedly, he also said: "Comrade Oshanina, tell me what you think." Don't be worried. Even if it's wrong. We won't blame you either. ”

Since Gurov had said so, I couldn't hesitate any longer, so I looked at Kolpakchi and said, "Comrade Commander, I feel that we should provide the necessary support to the 229th Division. ”

After listening to my non-nutritious answer, Korpakchi snorted and said unceremoniously: "Necessary support, to put it lightly." What kind of support method? You must know that now we have no extra troops to mobilize, the only thing we can do. It is to provide them with limited artillery support. ”

"Comrade commander, we still have a unit that, so far, has not been put into battle. At times like these, it's time for them to appear. ”

"And another army, what troops?" Korpakich turned his head to look at Gurov and asked, "Comrade Military Commissar, do you know which unit Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina is talking about?" ”

Gurov shook his head blankly and replied, "I don't know what to do. ”

Kolpacic looked at me again and said, "Tell me, Comrade Oshanina. I would very much like to know which other units in the Ludao Group Army have never been in battle. ”

"Yes. Comrade Commander. "I have been staying in the headquarters for the past few days, idle, and occasionally flipping through battle reports and important documents, so I have a general understanding of the troops under the jurisdiction of the group army." The 110th Guards Separate Rocket Artillery Battalion has never participated in any battles since it was incorporated into our army group, so I propose that they provide artillery support to the 229th Infantry Division. ”

"Comrade Lieutenant Colonel," said Gurov, who spoke, worriedly, "in yesterday's battle, we used to provide artillery support to friendly forces with three cannon regiments and two Guards rocket artillery regiments, and although we effectively suppressed the enemy's attack, the artillery units also suffered heavy losses due to the heavy bombardment of German aircraft. If we put this Guards rocket artillery battalion into battle today, how can we ensure that they are not lost to enemy air strikes? ”

"Comrade Military Commissar, please rest assured of this." I replied confidently: "The air defense task of this rocket artillery battalion can be entrusted to the 1259th Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment, which is currently fully equipped and has high morale, and will certainly be able to successfully complete the task." ”

Listening to me say so confidently, after the two exchanged glances, Kolpakchi nodded and said: "Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, it seems that your adjutant is quite competent, and he knows the troops in the battle sequence of the army group well. Well, as you say. Comrade Military Commissar, please contact the artillery battalion and the anti-aircraft artillery regiment and let them go into battle as soon as possible. ”

An hour after the rocket artillery battalion entered the battle, Chuikov called again to inform Korpach of the latest battle report: "...... Just now the Germans threw two more tank groups into battle. One of them, a group of about 40 tanks, pursued the two battalions that were retreating towards the banks of the Chir River; Another group of tanks pounced on Nizhny Chilskaya in an attempt to break through the positions of the 214th Division, which was defending the area. Due to the heavy bombardment of the German units in this section by your artillery, the attacking enemy suffered heavy losses and had to retreat to the starting position. ”

"This is very good," said Kolpakchi, "that while the enemy is being pushed back, you can hurry up and repair the fortifications and bring in troops from other areas to strengthen your defenses." By the way, Comrade Chuikov, if I'm not mistaken, your command seems to be in the Nizhny Chilskaya region, so pay more attention to safety. ”

"Don't worry, old man." Chuikov said confidently: "The bullets that can kill me Chuikov have not yet been made, and we will definitely be able to destroy all the attacking enemies." ”

In the afternoon, although the defensive zone of our army group was calm, the Germans intensified their attack on Chuikov's department. Soon the bad news came, the defensive line of the 229th Division had been broken through, and the enemy was rushing towards the Chil River, advancing towards the junction of the 62nd and 64th armies. Due to the urgency of the military situation, Chuikov had to transfer the 66th Marine Brigade and part of the 137th Tank Brigade, which had been transferred back to the flank of the German attacking forces, to strengthen the defensive position of the 229th Division.

Since there were two German divisions in front of the defensive zone of our army group, the defenders on the position could not be easily mobilized, lest they be taken advantage of by the Germans. As for the situation facing Chuikov, Korpakichi and Gurov are anxious. But we can only watch the situation of the friendly forces and develop in a direction that is not favorable to our army.

Hopes for victory always arose in despair, and the situation took an unexpected turn just when Kolpakchi and Gurov, the two supreme commanders of the army group, believed that the rout of Chuikov was inevitable, and the left flank of our army would thus be exposed to the German attacking forces.

Our fighters, who had never shown their faces, appeared over the battlefield, and the fighters first drove away the enemy planes that bombed our positions, and then the bombers who arrived violently bombed the German offensive line.

Chuikov is worthy of a generation of famous generals, and when he saw that our air force had firmly grasped the air supremacy of the battlefield, he immediately did not hesitate to order the troops in the defensive area to launch a counterattack on all fronts against the retreating German troops. (To be continued......)