On the way to the pier, the seven of us didn't come together. We divided into three groups, Basmanov led one fighter to open the way in front, two fighters went to the back, and I and two other fighters walked in the middle. The distance between each group is fifty meters, and at such a distance that when either group encounters the enemy, the other two groups can provide them with timely support.

As we hunched over the ruins, I deliberately chatted with the two warriors around me about family life in order not to be too boring. I first asked the young soldier walking on my left, carrying a Popov submachine gun: "Hey, comrade warrior, what's your name?" ”

When the soldier heard me ask, he couldn't help but be stunned for a moment: "Are you asking me, Comrade Division Commander?" Before I could speak, he continued, "My name is Zhukhovetsky, and I'm from the Gulag. ”

When I heard this word, I couldn't help but look at the soldier next to me curiously, judging from his words and deeds, it seemed that he should have come from a factory or a city before, so I asked tentatively: "Comrade Zhukhovetsky, how did you get into the Gulag concentration camp?" Is it because you are late for work three times in a row? ”

"Comrade division commander, you guessed wrong." Before Zhukhovetsky could answer me, another fighter preemptively replied: "He was arrested and sent to a concentration camp for refusing to hold a portrait of Stalin during the May Day march the year before." ”

The strange reason piqued my curiosity, and I looked left and right, and except for the three of us, the rest of us were so far away that we should not be able to hear the conversation between us. So I couldn't help but ask curiously: "Comrade Zhukhovetsky." Since you were involved in the march at that time. But why are you reluctant to hold a portrait of Comrade Stalin? ”

"Because I was holding my one-year-old daughter in my hand, I couldn't have any hands to make a portrait." "I haven't seen my daughter since I was sent to the Gulag, and I don't know how she is now. ”

"Don't worry, Comrade Zhukhovetsky, when the war is over, you will be able to see your daughter." In order to change the subject. I turned to the other soldier and asked, "Comrade soldier, what is your name, and like him, are you from the Gulag?" ”

The fighter nodded and replied: "Comrade division commander, you guessed it right, my name is Mikhailov, and I am also from the Gulag concentration camp. ”

"And what about the reason for the arrest?" At this moment, the spirit of gossip in my heart was burning, and I was desperate to find out why the soldiers from the Gulag concentration camp among my men were arrested.

Mikhailov replied with a wry smile: "My crime is simple: when stopping people who make flipping statements on the streets. He again charged at the crowd of onlookers about this person's reactionary remarks. ”

When I heard this accusation, I couldn't help but laugh. It is even more bizarre than Zhukhovetsky's crimes. After a silent wry laugh, I casually asked, "The comrades-in-arms from the Gulag concentration camp you know were arrested for what crimes?" ”

"Kostrov, a former electrician, jokingly said: you don't need to make a street lamp pole on the street, you just need to give the bulb in the hand of Stalin's statue."

"Ignatiev of the 2nd regiment, while drinking with friends, said: I am willing to raise a glass for the sake of the Motherland, if it is for Stalin, then forget it."

"Mishenkov of the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment grumbled: Thank you Stalin for leading the people on the broad road, but we don't even have cows in our family."

"Varginets of the 3rd Regiment was even more unlucky, he waited in line for two hours at the grain store, and when it was his turn, the grain store closed after work. When he came home, he complained on the way: What do I want flour for, communism is coming, and then we will take our plates to the canteen to get food, exactly like the beggars on the street. ”

"Visgeneus of the Fourth Regiment threw a gherkin at the portrait of the leader of the country after he was drunk."

"Karabatirov, a Kazakh from the 2nd Guards Company, was charged with illegally performing his duties as a mullah, holding religious ceremonies and collecting fees."

"And that Malteshin, who, after getting drunk, went to a celebration of the anniversary of the October Revolution and made a loud noise while others were giving presentations."

"The most unfortunate is Zaharku of the Ninth Company of the Third Regiment, who forced his wife to write a reactionary anonymous letter in the name of his opponent in order to be jealous, but it was quickly detected, and both his wife went to the concentration camp."

……

When the two of them talked about their fellow Gulag campers, they became more and more excited, and their voices couldn't help but get louder and louder. I was horrified by the many accusations they had made, and it turned out that if I said the wrong thing unintentionally, I would get myself into trouble. I've always spoken more casually, and if it weren't for the care of so many thigh-sized people, I might have been sent to the Gulag concentration camp a long time ago, and the thought of this made me break out in a cold sweat. In order to prevent the two from continuing to talk and not being able to end the scene, I quickly changed the subject: "Mikhailov, Zhukhovetsky, you two seem to have a good relationship." ”

Mikhailov glanced at Zhukhovetsky and said to me with a smile: "Yes, comrade division commander, we have a good friendship, Zhukhovetsky once saved my life. Without waiting for me to ask, he continued: "I was sent to the Gulag camp in Siberia just in time for the harsh winter. Our work at that time was to build fortifications, supposedly to prevent a possible attack from the eastern Japanese kingdoms. Our daily ration was only 350 grams of bread, and in the evening we had a bowl of consommé with only one or two leaves floating.

Comrade division commander, if you think about it, you can't eat enough food at all, let alone work, even if you lie still, it's enough to choke. The prisoners who participated in the construction were all swollen, walking as if they were walking in a swamp, and sweating profusely with gold stars in their eyes when they were doing a little heavier work. In addition, the location of the defense fortifications is seven or eight kilometers away from where we live, and we have to walk for more than an hour on the road every day. It was bitterly cold at minus forty or fifty degrees, and people couldn't eat enough, so it was strange for the immortals, and there were many people who fell on the road. Plus those who fall headlong to the ground while working. People who can't get up anymore. People who die every day.

I was also very hungry once, and when I was working, I suddenly felt that the world was spinning, and I fell directly to the ground. Just as I was sweating profusely and my heart was racing, and I was patiently waiting for death to come with my eyes closed, someone suddenly stuffed a small piece of bread into my mouth. It was such a small piece of bread that I was relieved again, and when I opened my eyes, I saw that it was Zhukhovetsky who had saved my life. Comrade division commander. Don't underestimate such a small bite of bread, although it is only a few tens of grams, it can save someone's life at a critical moment. ”

I nodded and said solemnly: "Comrade Mikhailov, I understand what you are saying. I once went to besieged Leningrad, where the people had only a daily quota of 250 grams of food, and many died of malnutrition...... "As I said this, I suddenly noticed that Basmanov, who was walking in front, and the soldier stopped, standing by a pile of rubble and staring ahead, in a daze. Seeing their expressions, I don't know what's going on. Quickly changed the subject, "Captain Basmanov seems to have something going on there." Let's hurry up and take a look. ”

The three of us bent down and trotted all the way to the vicinity of Basmanov, and a few meters away, I nervously asked: "Hey, Comrade Captain, what happened?" ”

Basmanov, who was full of sadness, looked back at me, pointed ahead, and said sadly: "Comrade division commander, look at it, these are our comrades-in-arms!" ”

For some reason, I looked ahead in the direction of his finger and was stunned by the scene in front of me. In front of me, the streets were full of craters and piles of rubble, and hundreds of unattended wounded were laid, except for those who were too badly wounded to move to turn in place and groan in pain; The wounded were slightly lighter, and the wounded, who were able to move, were crawling with difficulty in the direction of the docks.

Seeing this tragic situation of leaving the seriously wounded of our army to fend for themselves, I grabbed Basmanov's arm and asked loudly: "What the hell is going on, where are the hygienists, and why are so many seriously wounded left here and ignored?" You must know that in such cold weather, if no one cares about them, the vast majority of the wounded will not survive until dark. ”

Basmanov spread his hands and said in a helpless tone: "Comrade division commander, I don't know what's going on, I saw this scene when I walked here just now. I want to save them, too, but there are only a few of us, there are hundreds of wounded here, how many can we save? ”

"We can't afford to watch them die in front of us." As soon as I was halfway through my sentence, I suddenly thought that this place was not far from the station of the 3rd Regiment, and I immediately thought of a way, so I ordered Basmanov: "Comrade Captain, this is not far from the station of the 3rd Regiment, let Major Godunov send someone over and take these wounded to them." ”

"Yes!" Basmanov agreed, and walked away briskly with the warrior beside him.

I waited for the two fighters behind me to come up before setting off again for the docks. As we passed through the middle of the seriously wounded who could not move, the dying warriors stretched out their blood-stained hands to us, spat out word by word in a hoarse voice, and pleaded with us bitterly: "Help, help, help, help, help, help, help, save us, I, we don't want to die!" ”

I stopped and shouted at the wounded: "Comrades, I am the commander of the independent division, Major General Oshanina, and I have already sent someone back to call the medical officer of our division. Don't worry, I won't abandon you, please be patient a little longer, our hygienists and rescuers will be here soon. "I was afraid that staying here too long would delay my mission, so after saying these few words, I could only harden my heart, and with a few of my subordinates, carefully step past the already cold corpses, quickly pass the crawling wounded, and walk straight to the dock.

The docks were as chaotic as ever, with both fleeing civilians and military personnel carrying supplies. I did not know where the ship in which Commander Yeremenko was going to dock, so I walked along the bank for a while, and I did not see any boats docking. I grabbed a captain commander who passed by me and asked aloud, "Hey, Comrade Captain, did you see a commander coming from across the river today?" ”

The captain glanced at the rank on the collar of our overcoat and quickly replied: "I'm sorry Comrade Colonel, I was ordered to bring people here to collect supplies, and I didn't see any commanders coming from the other side of the river. ”

I thanked him and let him go. Standing in a daze in the crowd, until he saw another commander with a higher rank in the crowd, a major, he hurriedly rushed over to grab him, and asked him if he had seen the senior commander coming from the other side of the river. Unexpectedly, this major also brought people to the dock to pick up the materials, and he didn't see the person I was looking for at all.

Just when I was frustrated that I could not complete the task given to me by Chuikov, Basmanov arrived at a trot with seven or eight fighters. They shouted to me as they ran: "Division commander, comrade division commander, where are you?" ”

I hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd and walked over to them, while loudly promising Basmanov: "Comrade Captain, here I am." (To be continued......)