When I walked into the wooden house that served as the regimental headquarters, I saw that the layout inside was extremely simple, except for the maps spread out on the table, there was not even a telephone.

Seeing this scene, I couldn't help frowning, and asked Lukin unhappily: "Comrade Captain, what's the matter, why is it so simple in the command headquarters, there is not even a telephone, how can we contact the division headquarters?" ”

Lukin's face turned red and he muttered: "Comrade division commander, our regiment lacks sufficient communication equipment, not to mention important walkie-talkies, there are not even a few telephones left, and in addition to the wide Don River separated from the division headquarters, the soldiers of the communication platoon cannot set up telephone lines at all. ……”

Before he could finish complaining, I interrupted him: "Comrade Captain, what do you mean, in a sense, we have completely lost contact with our superiors. ”

Lukin nodded vigorously and replied, "I think so, Comrade Commander. ”

"In that case, let the troops rest in the village for a while. After the division headquarters and the rest of the troops have crossed the river, we will contact them. ”

Hearing me say this, Lukin and Slavin looked at each other, and Lukin nervously reminded me: "Comrade regimental commander, this is not good, you must know that the order given to our regiment by the division headquarters is to build fortifications on the left bank of the Don, not to rest. ”

I snorted softly and said disapprehantly: "Comrade Captain, although we are nominally a regiment, in fact the total strength is only six or seven hundred, and most of them are new fighters who are poorly trained and lack combat experience, do you think we can build fortifications without the cooperation of friendly forces to be able to hold this wide left bank of the Don River?" ”

Lukin was dumbfounded by my words, and he opened his mouth and swallowed back what he wanted to say.

I thought that if Lukin didn't speak, no one would speak. But he forgot that there was a regimental political commissar in the room who had just taken office. Kokunov came up to me and said: "Comrade regimental commander, I think Comrade Captain is right, since our task is to build fortifications on the left bank of the Don, then we should carry out this order of our superiors to the letter. Speaking of this, he turned his head and asked Lukin: "By the way, Comrade Captain, when I was on the road just now, I forgot to ask you what position you hold in the regiment?" ”

Lukin blushed and coughed. He said in a hurry: "Comrade Political Commissar, I was originally the deputy battalion commander, and now I am the ......"

"Captain Lukin is the regimental chief of staff." Before Lukin could finish his next words, I had already preemptively installed a new identity for him. The reason why I suddenly said this is because Lukin's identity is too embarrassing. Back when I took over the 678th regiment. Lukin was the highest-ranking of the surviving commanders, if I hadn't shown up. He has long been the commander of this regiment. After I took office. The division did not add a single soldier to me, nor did it send me a deputy, but Lukin has been assisting me in my work. Now that I have taken it upon myself to appoint a political commissar to the regiment, it is not a great deal to appoint a regimental chief of staff on my own initiative.

Kokunov smiled at Lukin. said: "It turned out to be the chief of staff, I think you were right just now, since the higher authorities ordered us to build new fortifications, then let's carry it out." "Speaking of which. He turned to me again and asked, "What do you say?" Comrade Regiment Commander. ”

He repeatedly emphasized the point of his superiors, and I really couldn't refute him, so I could only hum and say, "Comrade Political Commissar, you are right. In that case, Comrade Chief of Staff, leave the 7th Company to hold the village, and you take the 2nd Battalion to dig a trench near the dock to prevent the enemy from landing from the pier. When I said this, I secretly regretted in my heart, how I got a political worker who loves to sing against me into the regiment, isn't it unpleasant.

When Kokunov heard that I agreed with his proposal, he thought very happily and offered to offer: "Comrade regiment commander, I will go with the regimental chief of staff to complete the task of building fortifications, and by the way, I can also get acquainted with the commanders and fighters in the regiment." ”

I waved my hand and said, "Go ahead, fix the fortifications as soon as possible, and let the warriors have a good rest." After a long battle and march, they had become exhausted. ”

When the people in the room had left, I walked to the door of the bedroom, opened the door and looked inside, and saw a small bed with sheets on the wall. I walked into the bedroom, closed the door with my backhand, and lay down on the bed.

Because I was so tired, I fell asleep not long after I lay down. Because he slept so soundly that he didn't hear anyone knocking on the door.

Perhaps hearing that no one in the room answered, the knocker outside was a little impatient, so he pushed the door and walked in, walked to the side of the bed and shook my shoulders vigorously, while shouting loudly: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, wake up!" Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, wake up! ”

I was awakened from my sleep, opened my eyes in a daze, and looked blankly at the warrior standing in front of my bed. After a long while, I saw the rank on his collar badge, sat up suddenly, and said with a stern face, "Is there something wrong?" Comrade Sergeant. ”

The fighter straightened up, raised his hand to salute me, and said loudly: "Hello, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel. I'm sorry to disturb your sleep, but I came to you on order. ”

"On orders, on whose orders?" When I said this, I was extremely unhappy, thinking that at this time someone could be sent to disturb me, except for Lukin, it was Kokunov. Lukin didn't deal with me for a day or two, and he categorically wouldn't send someone to come to me while I was resting, but the commissar Kokunov couldn't tell. I thought to myself, and unconsciously asked: "It was the political commissar Kokunov who sent you, right?" ”

"Kokunov?! Who is Kokunov? I don't know! The sergeant replied with a blank expression.

"It's not Kokunov, who called you here?" I just wanted to find out which one of the people in the group didn't have long eyes and dared to send someone to disturb my sleep while I was sleeping.

"Comrade Colonel Report, I am General Chuikov's driver, and he asked me to call you. He's waiting for you in the jeep outside. ”

"It's the commander here!" Hearing that Chuikov was coming, I jumped out of bed in excitement, grabbed the sergeant's shoulder, shook it vigorously and asked, "Is it true, Comrade Sergeant, General Chuikov is waiting for me at the door?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel." The sergeant replied with a smile.

"Let's go, Comrade Sergeant, don't let Comrade Commander wait." After saying that, I couldn't wait to go outside, thinking as I went, since Chuikov had crossed the Don River, there must be a lot of troops coming with him, and with these troops, it would be more certain to hold the left bank of the Don River.

Unexpectedly, when I walked out of the door and saw that there were only three jeeps outside, my heart suddenly cooled. I stopped, turned my head and asked the driver who was following me, "Comrade Sergeant, are you going to come over these three cars?" ”

The sergeant nodded and said, "Yes, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, the main force of the army group, is still on the other side of the river at the moment, fighting stubbornly with the enemy. And we, on the other hand, are ready to go to Stalingrad with Comrade Commander. ”

As I was talking, the back door of the jeep in the middle was pushed open, and Chuikov peeked out half of his body from inside and shouted at me: "Comrade Oshanina, come here." ”

I ran up to him quickly, raised my hand in salute, smiled and said, "Hello, Comrade Commander, it's a pleasure to meet you here." ”

"Comrade Oshanina, you immediately hand over the command of the regiment to your deputy, and then follow me to Stalingrad." Speaking of this, Chuikov suddenly remembered something, frowned, and asked: "I remember that almost all the middle-level commanders in your regiment have died, is there a suitable person to replace your command?" ”

I nodded and replied: "Report to Comrade Commander, in addition to me, there are also the regimental chief of staff, Senior Captain Lukin, and the regimental political commissar, Comrade Kokunov, the instructor of the first class. ”

"Chief of staff of the regiment, political commissar of the regiment, when did so many commanders appear in your regiment?"

"Comrade Commander, when I took command of the 678th Regiment, Captain Lukin was the highest-ranking surviving commander of the regiment, and if I hadn't gone, perhaps General Biliukov would have appointed him regimental commander. As for Comrade Kokunov, he was originally a political worker transferred from Moscow to the 62nd Army, but when he was crossing the river with our regiment, the ferry boat was sunk by enemy planes and fell behind. The command in the regiment was too thin, so I took it upon myself to keep him in the regiment and make him temporarily the post of political commissar, while Captain Lukin became the chief of staff of the regiment. ”

Chuikov waved his hand and said, "Okay, no need to say." Which of the two of them do you think is more suitable to take over the command of the regiment? ”

"Captain Lukin." Since Chuikov asked so, then I may have to help people close to me to speak," Comrade Lukin has strong command ability, and at the same time he has been staying in the regiment, and the whole regiment is very familiar with him. If he were to take over my command, it would not have any adverse effect on the command of the regiment. ”

"Since you say so, do as you wish." When Chuikov said this, he turned his head and shouted at the jeep behind him: "Comrade Captain, come here." ”

With his shout, a captain got out of the co-pilot's seat, ran up to him, stood up and saluted, and asked respectfully: "Comrade commander, do you have any instructions?" ”

"Comrade Captain, you stay here and wait for the regimental chief of staff, Captain Lukin, to come back and tell him that I have handed over the commander of the 678th Regiment to him. When the order is delivered, you can rush back quickly. ”

When the captain said yes loudly, Chuikov looked at me still standing in front of him, shook his head and said: "Oshanina, what are you still doing in a daze, hurry up and get in the car, we will rush to Stalingrad immediately." ”

I quickly answered, walked around the front of the car, opened the door on the passenger side and got into the jeep. (To be continued......)