Unexpectedly, Chuikov was quite polite, he turned his head to Kolpakchi and said, "Dear Vladimir. Yakovlevich, let's go, let's go and send them. ”

Kol Pakchi also nodded happily and said, "Okay, let's go." ”

So Chuikov and Kolpakchi took us all the way to the jeep parked near the observation post, and then shook hands with us one by one and said goodbye. The driver had been waiting next to the car for a long time, and when he saw that his division commander and political commissar were about to get into the car, he hurriedly opened the back door for them.

After saluting Chuikov and Kol Pakchi again, I turned and opened the door on the passenger side and got inside. As soon as I closed the door, Biliukov instructed the driver to drive. I looked in the rearview mirror outside the window and saw that the car was far away, and the Chuikov and his gang were still standing still.

After the car drove for five or six minutes, I listened to Bilyukov in the back row: "Comrade Political Commissar, I will go back to the division headquarters first, and you will accompany Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina to the 678th Regiment." After the taciturn commissar agreed, Biryukov ordered the driver again: "Driver, put me down outside the division headquarters." ”

The jeep stopped outside the division headquarters, and the division commander Bilyukov, after getting out of the car, waved at us and turned into the headquarters. Our car continued to move forward, and the regimental command post of the 678th Regiment was not far from the division headquarters, and it was not long before the work arrived.

The driver parked the car near a trench and, after extinguishing the fire, turned to Sobaoli and said: "Comrade commissar, we have arrived." With that, he pushed the door and got out of the car, ran to the back and opened the door for the commissar. Seeing that the driver had already gotten out of the car, I pushed the door and got out of the car, standing where I was.

Sobaoli led me along the trenches. Along the way, you can see commanders and fighters wielding shovels to reinforce the fortifications. See us in the past. They quickly stopped what they were doing, stood up straight with their backs against the trench, raised their hands to salute us, and when we passed, they bent down again and continued their work.

Approaching the entrance of a concealed sector with two fighters standing guard, Sobaoli stopped and asked the sentry who saluted him: "Comrade warriors, who is in the headquarters?" ”

"Report to Comrade Commander." The sentry he asked replied a little nervously: "It's the deputy battalion commander and several company commanders." They are having a meeting inside. ”

Sobali looked back at me, shook his head, and said, "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, let's go in." As he spoke, he stepped forward and lifted the thick curtain and walked in first. I quickened my pace and followed him into the headquarters.

In the middle of the headquarters was a wooden table, surrounded by seven or eight officers, who were stunned at first when they saw us coming. Then they rushed over and raised their hands in unison to salute us. I took a look. At the front was a captain, who should have been the surviving deputy battalion commander in the regiment, and the commander behind him was either a captain or a lieutenant, apparently the company commanders of each company.

Sobaoli raised his hand and returned the salute, and said with a smile: "Hello comrades, commanders, it's a pleasure to see you again. Come, let me introduce you to your new regimental commander. "As he spoke, he leaned to the side and pulled me to the front," Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, the acting regimental commander personally appointed by Commander Chuikov. ”

I stepped forward and greeted the commanders present with a smile: "Comrade commander, hello everyone. I am Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, an adjutant to the commander of the 62nd Army, General Kolpakchi, and it was Commander Chuikov who seconded me to your regiment as acting commander. ”

As soon as I finished speaking, I heard two officers standing next to me muttering in a low voice: "Why did your superiors send a woman over to be the regiment commander, is it because she is beautiful?" ”

"Yes, what's the use of being pretty, what is needed here is a commander who can command the war, not a pretty girl."

Since I left Moscow and joined the Leningrad Front, I have been constantly doubted and ridiculed by my superiors, and today I was sent to the 678th Regiment as the commander, and some people actually questioned my ability, as my future subordinates, they did not dare to challenge me in person, and could only choose to express their views in private.

I glared at them fiercely, thinking in my heart that after the political commissar left, I must find the destroyer and clean up the two short-sighted commanders. Sobaoli also heard the whispering of the two, and saw that he frowned slightly, then coughed, and was about to speak.

At this moment, the captain walked up to me and said in an excited tone, "Leda. Mushdakova, is it really you? I didn't expect to see you here! ”

The lieutenant spoke to me very politely, using honorifics, and he called out my real name and patronymic, already someone I knew. I looked at this familiar face carefully, and it felt so familiar that I couldn't remember where I had seen it in a hurry.

Maybe it was because I didn't recognize him, and there was a look of disappointment on the other person's face. He took a step back, took off the hat on his head, spread his hands and asked aloud, "Don't you recognize me yet?" Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, I'm Lukin. Have you forgotten such things as reconnaissance behind enemy lines, separate battalions and stations? ”

Reconnaissance behind enemy lines, independent battalion, station, these three seemingly unrelated words immediately awakened my sleeping memory, I was so excited that I burst into tears, rushed over and grabbed his shoulder, shook vigorously and said: "It turned out to be you, Lukin, the commander of the first company of the independent battalion." "If he was still wearing the winter military uniform of the time, I guess I would have recognized him.

"Yes, Comrade Commander, it's me." When he said this, his eyes also turned red.

"What the hell is going on? Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, you have confused me. Sobaoli looked at it inexplicably from the sidelines, and couldn't help but ask.

I hurriedly let go of my hands, wiped my eyes, and tried to squeeze out a smile and said to Sobaoli: "I'm sorry, Comrade Political Commissar, I met an old subordinate here. I thought he was sacrificed, but I didn't expect to meet him here, so I'm a little emotional, so I beg your pardon. I'm so happy to see him. "I was afraid of being interrupted by Sobaoli, who spoke so quickly that I was a little incoherent.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" Sobaoli asked in a friendly manner.

"Allow me to report to you, Comrade Commissar." Lukin straightened up and stood in front of Sobowli, respectfully reporting to him.

"Say it."

"During the Battle of Moscow, I followed Comrade Lieutenant Colonel deep into the enemy to carry out reconnaissance and sabotage missions. On our return, we gathered a few hundred scattered commanders and fighters and formed a temporary independent battalion. Shortly after the formation of the independent battalion, Comrade Lieutenant Colonel led us to an ambush by the Germans, annihilating a company of the Germans at a very small cost. Later, we rushed to Volokolamsk and defended the heroic city with the 316th Division by eliminating the German troops attacking the station. ……”

"Captain Lukin," a timid voice came from the crowd, and I followed the voice, which turned out to be one of the officers who had just talked about me, and he asked, "Is this female commander the commander of the 8th Guards Division you are talking about, Oshanina?" ”

I looked at the officer, nodded, and said, "Yes, I once held the position of division commander of the 8th Guards Division. ”

The officer pushed aside the commanders on the left and right, walked up to me, stood up and saluted me, and said, "Hello, Comrade Regiment Commander. Captain Slavin reported to you that I had just told you that I had talked about you in private, and I beg your pardon. ”

Seeing that Slavin confessed his mistake to me, I couldn't pursue his rude remarks just now, so I had to put on a nonchalant attitude and say: "Comrade Captain, don't worry about these little things, and don't apologize to me. ”

Seeing that I already knew each other with the commanders of the regiment, and even met an old subordinate, Sobaoli raised his hand and looked at his watch, and said reassuringly: "Lieutenant Colonel Oshanina, since you and the commanders of the regiment already know each other, then I will go back to the division headquarters." ”

"Comrade Political Commissar," Lukin asked politely, "why don't you have a cup of tea before leaving?" ”

Sobaoli waved his hand and said, "No, there are still many important things to deal with in the division headquarters, so I won't delay here any longer." Good luck. ”

Sobaoli wanted to return to the division headquarters, and I sent him to the jeep, although we came in the same car just now, but there was no communication on the way. Before leaving, he said to me: "Comrade Lieutenant Colonel, I will hand over this regiment to you, and I hope that you will lead them to make great achievements in future battles." I have faith in you. (To be continued......)