Our troops were dozens of times larger than the enemy defenders, and it was a well-planned and calculated surprise attack, so it was no wonder that the Germans were able to hold back, and although they resisted desperately after our shelling ended, their resistance became weaker and weaker as more and more commanders and fighters rushed into the town. After nearly an hour, the last resistance of the German troops in the town ceased completely.

With the destruction of the defenders in the town, the German artillery in the distance also stopped firing in vain. Hearing that the gunfire had completely stopped, Kirillov couldn't sit still, and he urged me: "Comrade Oshanina, the gunfire outside has stopped, look, are we going to the town to see?" ”

"No, resolutely not." As soon as Kirillov's words came out, I immediately interrupted them. "The battle had just ended, and it was too dark for us to be sure if there were any remnants of the German troops nearby, so if we wanted to check it out, we would have to wait until dawn. The first thing we have to do now is to immediately report to the army group headquarters that we have succeeded in seizing the Norwegian town of Kinnotska and restoring the H20-kilometer unblocked area. ”

"I agree to immediately report to the army group command on our results." After agreeing with my opinion, Kirillov took the initiative to ask me: "However, before reporting, do you want to check the results with Comrade Bantai Laiev?" ”

I nodded, turned my head and instructed the operator: "Help me contact Division Commander Pantai Leev immediately, I have something to say to him." ”

"Comrade division commander," I asked straight to the point when I heard the voice of Pantai Leev in the headphones, "has the town been taken?" ”

"Took it down, of course it was taken down." Pandereev excitedly reported to me on the phone: "Major Akhromeyev, the chief of staff of the division, took people to the town to count the results of the battle. ”

"What are the casualties of our troops?" Maybe before the results are counted. I'm always used to ask this first. Hear that the casualties are small. I would take it for granted; If there are many casualties, I can't help but feel lost.

Having been my deputy for a few months, Bandereev naturally knew my character very well, so he said very tactfully: "Since the enemy had built strong fortifications in the town, our artillery preparations before the attack did not completely clear the enemy's firepower points, so we paid a certain price when we cleared the town of remnants." ”

Hearing that Bantai Leev has the possibility of going on and on. I hurriedly interrupted his later words and asked impatiently: "Commander of the Pantai Reev Division, don't talk so much nonsense, you just need to tell me, how much did your division pay in tonight's attack?" ”

"Report to Comrade Commander." Hearing that I had a precursor to anger, Bandereev hurriedly replied honestly: "The 2nd Regiment, which was the main attacker, was killed and wounded by the enemy's crossfire from many firing points after it stormed into the town, and the casualties of the troops were heavy. A total of 191 people were killed in the regiment. 274 people were wounded, and the deputy commander, Major Yaming, died. But the enemies in the town were wiped out by us. None of them ran away, and the specific results are being counted. ”

According to prior reconnaissance, there were only two German infantry companies and a battalion headquarters in the town, and the total strength was only about 200 men at best. However, this little strength of the German army, even under the heavy artillery fire of our army, still caused us a lot of casualties, which shows that their combat effectiveness really should not be underestimated. Compared to yesterday's ambush battle outside the forest, tonight's victory was a pyrrhic victory.

I said angrily, "Got it." Contacts with Bandereev were then severed. Seeing that I had finished the call, Kirillov asked me curiously: "Comrade Oshanina, what did Bandereev say, what are the casualties of our army?" ”

"Comrade Political Commissar, the troops suffered a lot of casualties in the battle to attack the town." After repeating to Kirillov the number of casualties reported by Bandereev, I said with emotion: "If we have paid such a heavy price for fighting such a small town, what price will we pay in the next battle when we encounter the enemy's heavy army?" ”

"Comrade Oshanina," I didn't expect Kirillov to say disapprovingly after listening to my feelings: "I think tonight's battle is very good, and in more than an hour I have captured the town that the enemy has entrenched, and you must know that this is a position that friendly forces have attacked several times in a row without success." I think the casualties of the 2nd Regiment are completely within an acceptable range. Speaking of this, he raised his hand and looked at his watch, "It's not too early, it's better to report tonight's results to the army headquarters as soon as possible, maybe Commander Khalitonov has been waiting for your report." ”

Whether or not the Norwegian town of Kinnotskga, which was occupied by the Germans, before 10 o'clock tomorrow morning, is indeed a concern for Commander Kharytonov. When he heard my voice, the first thing he asked was: "Hey, Commander Oshanina, when are your troops going to launch an attack on the Norwegian town of Kinnotskga?" I may remind you that the smooth passage of the H20 highway is a matter of success or failure in the whole campaign, and if your troops do not retake this town occupied by the Germans by ten o'clock tomorrow morning, you will be dealt with by military law. ”

Despite Khalitonov's stern tone, I know that it is common for a superior commander to adopt such a threatening tone when assigning particularly difficult tasks to his subordinates. Except for the first few times I was a little frightened, I was now accustomed to it, and besides, I had successfully completed the task he had given me, and I naturally spoke with a little confidence: "Report to Comrade Commander, our attack on the Norwegian town of Kinnotska will officially begin at seven o'clock tonight. After more than an hour of fierce fighting, the defenders of the town have been completely annihilated, and the troops of the 22nd Guards Division are counting the results of the battle and clearing the remnants of the enemy in the town. ”

"What?" As soon as my words came out, Khalitonov's voice changed tone, and he asked excitedly: "Commander Oshanina, what did you just say?" The battle against the Norwegian town of Kinnotskgar is over, and you have succeeded in capturing the town and annihilating the defenders? ”

"Yes, Comrade Commander." Although I was surprised by Khalitonov's exaggerated reaction, I replied truthfully: "After more than an hour of fighting, the 22nd Guards Division of our army has managed to capture the town. and annihilated the defenders of the town. Specific results. It is still being counted. ”

"Great. It's great. I really didn't expect that in such a short period of time, your army would capture a German stronghold that had not been defeated several times. Hearing the results of the battle that I reported again, Khalitonov became more and more excited, "Comrade Oshanina, on behalf of all the members of the Military Council of the army group, I would like to express my gratitude to you. I will immediately report this matter to the commander of the Front, and I will take credit for you and your heroic 79th Infantry Corps. ”

I heard that Kharytonov offered to take credit for our army. I could not help but feel a pang of joy in my heart, thinking that there was still a necessary statement to him, so I raised my voice and said in a loud voice: "Serve the Soviet Fatherland!" ”

When Kirillov waited for me to put down the headphones and microphone, he asked me with a smile: "Comrade Oshanina, did the commander of the army group say that he wants to give us credit?" ”

"Yes, Comrade Commissar." After truthfully repeating Kharytonov's exact words to Kirillov, I asked in bewilderment: "We don't know how many times we have fought such a small battle tonight." If we have to count meritorious service every time and award medals and medals to our commanders and fighters, it is estimated that the country's gold and silver will soon be insufficient. ”

Kirillov heard my teasing. After laughing twice, he continued: "If Commander Kharytonov asks his superiors for credit for our army. It can provide the visibility of our army. If there are a few more brilliant victories, then it will be possible for our army to be promoted to the rank of Guards. ”

Guards, when I heard the name, I couldn't help but be moved, knowing that the rank of the Guards was much higher than that of ordinary infantry troops. The division commander of the Guards Division is generally with the rank of major general, so there is a high probability that the army commander will become a lieutenant general. I couldn't help but feel complacent at the thought that in the next battle, if we had to fight like this a few more times, we would be able to advance to the rank of Guards, and that I would have the opportunity to be promoted from the current major general to lieutenant general.

After daybreak, Kirillov and I drove to the Norwegian town of Kinnotskga, which was occupied by our troops. As the jeep got closer to the town, I saw that the town that had been burning was now only a few wisps of green smoke. The whole town was razed to the ground by artillery fire, and the ground was full of traces of the aftermath of the battle, and in addition to the craters one by one, there were many corpses of officers and soldiers of both sides lying around the craters, and our soldiers were still nervously clearing the rubble and carrying the corpses.

When our car was still more than 100 meters from the town, I saw a tent on the side of the road, and there were soldiers standing guard at the door, and I guessed that it might be the temporary headquarters of Bandereev, so I ordered the driver to stop and go in to see what was going on.

As soon as Kirillov and I got out of the car, and before we could move forward, the people who were in the tent were informed by the sentry at the door, and they were the first to open the curtain and come out. The leader was indeed Bandereev, who was followed by Shederikov, Oleg and several other regiment commanders. They came to the car and raised their hands to salute us.

After returning the salute, I casually asked, "Comrade General, have all the remnants of the enemy in the town been cleared?" ”

"Yes, it's all clear." After saying this, Bandereev deliberately added: "Because the fighting at night was too fierce and the Germans were desperately resisting, we found no surviving defenders after the battle." ”

After listening to Bandereev's report, I thought to myself: There are more than 200 German troops, and no matter how fierce the fighting is, there will still be a few survivors. Even if he didn't give this order, the commanders and fighters of the Second Regiment would not let go of these murderers who killed their deputy commander. I did not dwell on the matter, but digressed from the subject and asked: "In last night's battle, Second Lieutenant Vasily and his sniper detachment had done a great job, and if they had not cleared the German artillery observation post beforehand, and lit a bonfire outside the town to show the artillerymen the direction of fire, our battle might have been much harder." By the way, what about the second lieutenant Vasily? ”

When Pandereev heard my question, he hurriedly replied: "Report to Comrade Commander, Second Lieutenant Vasily followed the chief of staff of the division to the town, and has not yet returned." Then he turned his head and ordered one of the soldiers next to him, "You go to the town at once and get both the chief of staff and the second lieutenant Vasily back." ”

The warrior agreed, turned and ran briskly into the town.

Pandereev then greeted me and Kirillov: "Commander, commissar, it's too cold outside, let's go to the tent to warm up and have a cup of hot tea." ”

Kirillov nodded, raised his legs, and walked towards the tent. But I stood there and waved my hand at Pantai Leev and said, "I won't go into the tent, you can have a good chat with the political commissar, and I'll walk around." ”

With a few fighters, I walked along the road in the direction of the town. As soon as I walked a short distance, I heard a childish voice next to me calling me: "Comrade commander! ”

I turned my head to see the person calling me, and I couldn't help but smile. I walked up to him, leaned down and patted him on the shoulder, and asked with concern, "Vaxia, why are you here?" ”

"Report to Comrade Commander," Vaxia replied with a straightened back and an old-fashioned man, "I have come to take part in the battle." ”

"Take part in the battle?!" Vasha's words intrigued me, and I asked curiously, "What battle have you come here to participate in?" ”

Vasha pointed his hand in the direction of the town and said to me proudly: "Report to Comrade Commander, I went to the edge of the town with Second Lieutenant Vasily last night to snipe and kill the German artillery observers, and I killed one of them with my own hands." At this point, he added even more proudly, "After we eliminated the enemy's artillery observers, it was still the bonfire that I and Comrade Ensign and I lit with our own hands." ”

"Sniped an artillery observer and lit a bonfire to direct the direction of artillery fire." I was amazed by these achievements made by Vaxia, and I couldn't imagine that a small child could actually establish a lot of achievements on the battlefield. I straightened up, took a deep breath, patted him on the shoulder again, and complimented him, saying, "Well done, Vaxia, when this battle is over, I will not only award you a medal, but also promote your rank." ”

"Really? Is this true? When Vaxia heard my promise, he regained the child's innocent expression and asked in a loud voice, "Can I really get both a medal and a promotion?" ”

"Yes, yes, dear little Vasha." I smiled and said to him, "I am the commander of an army, and what I say must count." ”

"Comrade Commander, Comrade Commander." As I was talking to Vasha, I suddenly heard a familiar shout in the distance, and I turned my head to look in the direction from which the voice came from, and saw Ensign Vasily with a sniper rifle on his back, trotting towards me.

"Let's go, Vaxia." I took Vasha's hand and took him by the hand and walked towards Vasily, and at the same time said, "Let's go meet your second lieutenant Vasily." (To be continued......)